Have you ever wondered what happens in the brain when we move to the right or left? Most people don’t; they just do it without thinking about it. But this simple movement is actually controlled by a complex process.  In a new study, researchers have discovered the missing piece in the complex nerve-network needed for left-right turns. The discovery was made by a research team consisting of Assistant Professor Jared Cregg, Professor Ole Kiehn, and their colleagues from the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Copenhagen.  In 2020, Ole Kiehn, Jared Cregg and their colleagues identified the ‘brain’s steering wheel’ – a network ...

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — February 12, 2024 — Hevolution Foundation, a global nonprofit organization that provides grants and early-stage investments to incentivize research and entrepreneurship in healthspan science, is announcing 49 new awards under its pioneering Hevolution Foundation - Geroscience Research Opportunities (HF-GRO) program.   As part of Hevolution’s mission to catalyze the healthspan scientific ecosystem and drive transformative breakthroughs in healthy aging, HF-GRO is funding promising pre-clinical research ...

A study led by the group of Didier Trono at EPFL has revealed a crucial survival tactic employed by cancer cells. The scientists have identified a group of proteins, known as “KRAB zinc finger proteins” (KZFPs), that help cancer cells maintain genetic stability and avoid immune system detection. The study is published in Cancer Research. KZFPs are like managers inside our cells, helping to control which parts of our DNA are switched on or off. For example, some KZFPs interact with transposable elements, which ...

ATLANTA, Ga. - Dr. Christa Wright of Chemical Insights Research Institute (CIRI) of UL Research Institutes, will receive the Outstanding Technical Contribution in Industry Award at the 2024 Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA) STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Conference on Feb 17, 2024, in Baltimore, Md. Dr. Wright is the Director of the Center for Toxicology and Human Health at CIRI. She earned a Ph.D. in Environmental Systems and Environmental Toxicology and a Masters in Cancer Biology from North Carolina A&T ...

LOS ANGELES (February 9, 2024)—Up to 5.8 million children and youth in the U.S. have experienced symptoms of COVID-19 that persisted long after initial infection. But diagnosing pediatric post acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC)—known as long COVID—in children remains challenging, as it can affect any organ system in the body, symptoms vary widely by individual, and little is known about its trajectory in patients over time. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is one of 10 pediatric sites involved in the nationwide Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative, sponsored by the National Institutes ...

The Cyber Readiness Institute (CRI) and Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CyManII) at The University of Texas at San Antonio have launched a pilot program aimed at elevating cyber readiness and security within the energy manufacturing sector. This strategic initiative emphasizes CRI and CyManII’s shared commitment to strengthening their defenses against evolving cyber threats by providing essential support and resources for small and medium-sized manufacturers. Through this partnership, CyManII will provide up to 200 U.S. manufacturers in the energy sector with access to CRI’s free Cyber Readiness Program. Focused on human behavior, the Cyber Readiness ...

Labeling cancer cells with genetic barcodes  “In ReSisTrace, we label cancer cells uniquely with genetic barcodes and allow them to divide once, so that we get two identical sister cells that share the same barcode. We then analyse single-cell gene expression from half of the cells before the treatment, while treating the other half with chemotherapy, or other anti-cancer treatment. From the surviving cells we can identify the barcodes of resistant cells. Using their sister cells analysed before the treatment, we can discover how the cells that ...

PULLMAN, Wash. – At a time when one viral video can damage a business, some companies are turning to their own commenting platforms rather than letting social media be the main outlet for customer feedback. Only one wrinkle: in this context, customers appear to prefer writing a message rather than leaving a video. In a recent study, more participants indicated they would likely leave written compliments or complaints about service on a restaurant-provided tablet powered by artificial intelligence. ...

A study by a team at the Champalimaud Foundation (CF) has cast a new light on the superior colliculus (SC), a deep-seated brain structure often overshadowed by its more prominent cortical neighbour. Their discovery uncovers how the SC may play a pivotal role in how animals see the world in motion, and sheds light on the “continuity illusion”, an essential perceptual process integral to many of our daily activities, from driving vehicles to watching movies. Imagine watching a film. The moving images you see are actually a series of static frames shown rapidly. This is the continuity illusion at work, where our brain perceives ...

Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET Monday, Feb. 12, 2024 DALLAS, Feb. 12, 2024 — Dramatic advances in the understanding and treatment of cardiovascular diseases have saved millions of lives in the 100 years since the founding in 1924 of the American Heart Association, the world’s leading voluntary organization focused on heart and brain health for all. As heart disease and stroke remain the top causes of death worldwide, the solutions to challenges of the next century must combine lessons of the past with innovations of ...

People who have had cancer often experience ongoing pain, but a new study reveals that being physically active may help lessen its intensity. The study is published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. Although physical activity has been shown to lessen various types of pain, its effects on cancer-related pain are unclear. To investigate, a team led by senior author Erika Rees-Punia, PhD, MPH, of the American Cancer Society, and first author Christopher T.V. Swain, PhD, ...

Coughing after a respiratory infection is common and, in most cases, will resolve with time, according to an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.231523. With the recent bout of respiratory infections across Canada, many people are suffering from a postinfectious cough, or a cough that lasts for weeks after the initial infection has resolved. "Reassuring patients that postinfectious cough is time limited and self resolving is important and can reduce unnecessary and costly prescriptions, such as asthma puffers or antibiotics," ...

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital have found that when it comes to concussion recovery, activity type matters. In a study published today in British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers found that limiting screen time and returning to school early following a concussion may speed up recovery. “Increased time spent in the classroom, participating in some after-school activities or working a job was associated in our study with faster symptom resolution, especially ...

There is no current evidence that AI can be controlled safely, according to an extensive review, and without proof that AI can be controlled, it should not be developed, a researcher warns. Despite the recognition that the problem of AI control may be one of the most important problems facing humanity, it remains poorly understood, poorly defined, and poorly researched, Dr Roman V. Yampolskiy explains. In his upcoming book, AI: Unexplainable, Unpredictable, Uncontrollable, AI Safety expert Dr Yampolskiy looks at the ways that AI has the potential to dramatically reshape society, not always to our advantage. He explains: “We are facing an almost guaranteed event with ...

Charles Darwin – arguably the most influential man of science in history, accumulated a vast personal library throughout his working life. Until now, 85 per cent of its contents were unknown or unpublished.  This year, coinciding with Darwin’s 215th birthday, The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online, the scholarly project helmed by Dr John van Wyhe at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Department of Biological Sciences, has released an online 300-page catalogue detailing Darwin’s complete personal library, with 7,400 titles across 13,000 volumes and items including books, pamphlets and journals. ...

11 February 2024 – EMBO and FEBS are delighted to announce that Anne Ephrussi, emerita of EMBL Heidelberg, Germany, is the recipient of this year's FEBS | EMBO Women in Science Award. It celebrates outstanding female life scientists, recognizing their research achievements and contribution to a particular discipline over the past five years in Europe. The awardees are inspiring role models who help pave the way for future generations of women in science. “It is a huge honour and most humbling to receive the FEBS | EMBO Women in Science Award. This recognition ...

ROCKVILLE, MD – Over 100,000 individuals in the United States are currently in need of organ transplants. The demand for organs, such as hearts, kidneys, and livers, far exceeds the available supply and people sometimes wait years to receive a donated organ. Approximately 6,000 Americans die while waiting each year. Tissue engineering to create lab-grown organs and tissues aims to close the gap between the availability of organs and the demand for transplants. But one big challenge in tissue engineering is creating blood vessel networks in artificial organs that work like natural ...

ROCKVILLE, MD – Soft robotics is the study of creating robots from soft materials, which has the advantage of flexibility and safety in human interactions. These robots are well-suited for applications ranging from medical devices to enhancing efficiency in various tasks. Additionally, using different forms of robotic movement may also serve us well in exploring the ocean or space, or doing certain jobs in those environments. To broaden our understanding of locomotion, Richard Desatnik, who works in the labs of Philip LeDuc ...

ROCKVILLE, MD – Many premature infants need mechanical ventilation to breathe. However, prolonged ventilation can lead to problems like respiratory diseases or ventilation-induced injury. Jonas Naumann and Mareike Zink study the physics of mechanical stress from ventilation at Leipzig University, in Leipzig, Germany and discovered some of the mechanisms that explain why premature lungs are especially sensitive to stress. Naumann will present their research at the 68th Biophysical Society Annual Meeting, to be held February 10 - 14, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When you breathe normally, your diaphragm and the muscles between ribs create a negative pressure inside the ...

ROCKVILLE, MD – Improving the way scientists can see the microscopic structures of the brain can improve our understanding of a host of brain diseases, like Alzheimer’s or multiple sclerosis. Studying these diseases is challenging and has been limited by accuracy of available models. To see the smallest parts of cells, scientists often use a technique called electron microscopy.  Electron microscopy historically involves adding chemicals and physically cutting the tissue. However, this approach can change the way the cells and structures look, perturbing their natural state, and can limit resolution. ...

ROCKVILLE, MD – Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a rare viral disease that is spread through physical contact between people. Currently, testing for mpox requires lab equipment and can take a few hours to get test results. But new research suggests a way for faster testing that could be done in any clinic soon. Md. Ahasan Ahamed, a graduate student mentored by Weihua Guan at Pennsylvania State University will present this research at the 68th Biophysical Society Annual Meeting, to be held February 10 - 14, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Though mpox symptoms are generally mild with fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes, severe cases can occur and require medical attention. ...

New research by Joseph Reiner and colleagues at Virginia Commonwealth University shows promise for a urine-based test for ovarian cancer. Reiner will present their research at the 68th Biophysical Society Annual Meeting, to be held February 10 - 14, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Previous research showed that there are thousands of small molecules, called peptides, in the urine of people with ovarian cancer. While it is possible to detect those molecules using certain well-established techniques, ...

Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have come up with a new way of rolling atomically thin sheets of atoms into “nanoscrolls.” Their unique approach uses transition metal dichalcogenide sheets with a different composition on either side, realizing a tight roll that gives scrolls down to five nanometers in diameter at the center and micrometers in length. Control over nanostructure in these scrolls promises new developments in catalysis and photovoltaic devices.   Nanotechnology is giving us new tools to control the structure of materials at ...

New test for improving population-based colorectal cancer screening A new stool test appears to detect colorectal cancer precursors better than the current test. This could further reduce the number of new colorectal cancer cases as well as the number of people dying from the disease. A study led by the Netherlands Cancer Institute compared both tests. The results are published today in The Lancet Oncology.   Each year worldwide, approximately 1.9 million people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and 935,000 people ...

People who quit smoking see major gains in life expectancy after just a few years, according to a new study by University of Toronto researchers at Unity Health Toronto. The study, published in NEJM Evidence, shows that smokers who quit smoking before age 40 can expect to live almost as long as those who never smoked. Those who quit at any age return close to never-smoker survival 10 years after quitting, and about half that benefit occurs within just three years. “Quitting smoking is ridiculously effective in reducing ...