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Medicine10 Apr 2024

Serious flu damage prevented by compound that blocks unnecessary cell death

As lung cells are killed by the influenza virus, they burst open, releasing molecular signals that trigger the immune cells that can combat the infection. This strategy can be an important red flag that something is wrong; however, if one cell death response, called necroptosis, continues unchecked, it can cause life-threatening injury to lung tissue. In a study published April 10 in the journal Nature, Tufts University School of Medicine scientists and collaborators present a newly developed compound ...

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Medicine10 Apr 2024

CHOP, Stanford researchers identify protein that controls CAR T cell longevity

Philadelphia, April 10, 2024 – CAR T cell therapy has revolutionized the way certain types of cancer are treated, and the longer those CAR T cells live in a patient’s body, the more effectively they respond to cancer. Now, in a new study, researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Stanford Medicine have found that a protein called FOXO1 improves the survival and function of CAR T cells, which may lead to more effective CAR T cell therapies and could potentially expand its use in difficult-to-treat cancers. The findings were published online today by the journal Nature. T ...

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Medicine10 Apr 2024

Race, ethnicity, and delayed time to COVID-19 testing among health care workers

About The Study: In this cross-sectional study of health care personnel (HCP), compared with non-Hispanic white HCP and clinical HCP with graduate degrees, non-Hispanic Black HCP, non-Hispanic HCP of other races, and HCP of all other professional and education backgrounds were more likely to have delayed COVID-19 testing. These findings suggest that time to testing may serve as a valuable metric in evaluating sociodemographic disparities in the response to COVID-19 and future health mitigation strategies. Authors: DaMarcus ...

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Science10 Apr 2024

Trends in deaths of despair by race and ethnicity

About The Study: As of 2022, the midlife mortality rates from deaths of despair (deaths from suicide, drug overdose, and alcoholic liver disease) among Black individuals were higher than rates among white individuals, and rates among American Indian or Alaska Native individuals remained higher than rates in the other groups. Rising inequalities in deaths of despair among American Indian or Alaska Native and Black individuals were largely attributable to disproportionate early mortality from drug- and alcohol-related causes, which increased leading up to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Authors: Joseph ...

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Medicine10 Apr 2024

Revolutionary molecular device unleashes potential for targeted drug delivery and self-healing materials

In a new breakthrough that could revolutionise medical and material engineering, scientists have developed a first-of-its-kind molecular device that controls the release of multiple small molecules using force. The researchers from The University of Manchester describe a force-controlled release system that harnesses natural forces to trigger targeted release of molecules, which could significantly advance medical treatment and smart materials. The discovery, published today in the journal Nature, uses a novel technique using a type of interlocked molecule known as rotaxane. Under the influence of mechanical force - such ...

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Medicine10 Apr 2024

The genesis of our cellular skeleton, image by image

Cells contain various specialised structures - such as the nucleus, mitochondria or peroxisomes - known as “organelles’’. Tracing their genesis and determining their structure is fundamental to understanding cell function and the pathologies linked to their dysfunction. Scientists at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) have combined high resolution microscopy and kinematic reconstruction techniques to visualise, in motion, the genesis of the human centriole. This organelle, essential to the organisation of the cell skeleton, is associated - in case of dysfunction - with certain cancers, brain disorders or retinal diseases. This work, published in the journal Cell, elucidates ...

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Technology10 Apr 2024

Quantum breakthrough when light makes materials magnetic

The potential of quantum technology is huge but is today largely limited to the extremely cold environments of laboratories. Now, researchers at Stockholm University, at the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics and at the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice have succeeded in demonstrating for the very first time how laser light can induce quantum behavior at room temperature – and make non-magnetic materials magnetic. The breakthrough is expected to pave the way for faster and more energy-efficient computers, information transfer and data storage. Within a few decades, the advancement of quantum technology ...

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Environment10 Apr 2024

Living near green space associated with fewer emotional problems in preschool-age kids, NIH study finds

Children who live in areas with natural spaces (e.g., forests, parks, backyards) from birth may experience fewer emotional issues between the ages of 2 and 5, according to a study funded by the NIH Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program. While research has suggested that time in nature is important for mental health, studies examining the effects on young children are limited. ECHO investigators addressed this research gap by analyzing information from parents about the behavior of their children from ages 2 to 11. They combined this data with the family’s ...

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Science10 Apr 2024

Researchers explore role of androgens in shaping sex differences

Sex differences are widespread across human development, physiological processes, and diseases, making it important to characterize the impact of sex differences in these areas. Understanding the regulatory mechanisms associated with these differences, including the role of androgens, is also vital for clinical translation—especially for diseases more prevalent in one sex. To answer these questions, a team led by Prof. GAO Dong and Prof. CHEN Luonan from the Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute ...

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Technology10 Apr 2024

Quantum crystal of frozen electrons—the Wigner crystal—is visualized for the first time

Electrons—these infinitesimally small particles that are known to zip around atoms—continue to amaze scientists despite the more than a century that scientists have studied them. Now, physicists at Princeton University have pushed the boundaries of our understanding of these minute particles by visualizing, for the first time, direct evidence for what is known as the Wigner crystal—a strange kind of matter that is made entirely of electrons. The finding, published in the April 11th issue of the journal Nature, confirms a 90-year-old ...

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Medicine10 Apr 2024

A new coating method in mRNA engineering points the way to advanced therapies

Researchers from Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) have developed a novel method for chemically modifying engineered messenger RNA molecules, allowing greater control of their biological functions and advancing mRNA therapeutic technologies Tokyo, Japan – Medicine can help to treat certain illnesses, e.g., antibiotics can help overcome infections, but a new, promising field of medicine involves providing our body with the “blueprint” for how to defeat illnesses on its own. mRNA therapeutics ...

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Medicine10 Apr 2024

Stanford Medicine study flags unexpected cells in lung as suspected source of severe COVID

The lung-cell type that’s most susceptible to infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is not the one previously assumed to be most vulnerable. What’s more, the virus enters this susceptible cell via an unexpected route. The medical consequences may be significant. Stanford Medicine investigators have implicated a type of immune cell known as an interstitial macrophage in the critical transition from a merely bothersome COVID-19 case to a potentially deadly one. Interstitial macrophages are situated deep in the lungs, ...

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Science10 Apr 2024

Studies uncovered why urine sprayed by cats emits a pungent odor

Cats communicate with others through their scents. One of their scent marking behaviors is spraying urine on vertical surfaces such as walls and furniture. Although spraying plays an essential role in the feline world, it often poses challenges for pet owners because of its strong and pungent odor. Consequently, the website is overflowing with posts discussing the issue of cat spraying. Notably, sprayed urine has a more pungent odor on the human nose than normal urine in their litter boxes. While it is believed that sprayed urine contains additional chemicals possibly ...

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Medicine10 Apr 2024

Survivors of severe COVID face persistent health problems

UC San Francisco researchers examined COVID-19 patients across the United States who survived some of the longest and most harrowing battles with the virus and found that about two-thirds still had physical, psychiatric, and cognitive problems for up to a year later. The study, which appears April 10, 2024, in the journal Critical Care Medicine, reveals the life-altering impact of SARS-CoV-2 on these individuals, the majority of whom had to be placed on mechanical ventilators for an average of one month. Too sick to be discharged to a skilled nursing ...

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Environment10 Apr 2024

New report ‘braids’ Indigenous and Western knowledge for forest adaptation strategies against climate change

Link to release: https://www.washington.edu/news/2024/04/10/forest-report/ Link to related coverage: https://today.oregonstate.edu/news/indigenous-knowledge-western-science-braided-recommendations-land-managers FROM: James Urton University of Washington 206-543-2580 jurton@uw.edu (Note: researcher contact information at end) For Immediate Release April 10, 2024 There are 154 national forests in the United States, covering nearly 300,000 square miles of forests, woodlands, shrublands, wetlands, meadows ...

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Medicine10 Apr 2024

Improving dementia care in nursing homes: Learning from the pandemic years

INDIANAPOLIS – No one associated with nursing homes – as residents or their families, friends, staff or administrators – is unaware of the massive impact of the pandemic on these facilities which provide essential services to a growing number of older adults, many living with cognitive impairment. In “Learning from the experience of dementia care for nursing home residents during the pandemic,” an editorial published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University School of ...

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Science10 Apr 2024

Respiratory allergies: newly discovered molecule plays a major role in triggering inflammation

The inflammation process plays a crucial role in allergic respiratory diseases, such as asthma and allergic rhinitis. Although the pulmonary epithelium, the carpet of cells that forms the inner surface of the lungs, is recognised as a major player in the respiratory inflammation that causes these diseases, the underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood. A research team has identified one of the molecules responsible for triggering these allergic reactions, in a study co-led by two CNRS and Inserm scientists working at l’Institut de pharmacologie et de biologie structural (CNRS/Université Toulouse ...

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Environment10 Apr 2024

A BiCIKL ride to the Empowering Biodiversity Research conference for a report on a 3-year endeavor towards FAIR biodiversity data

Leiden - also known as the ‘City of Keys’ and the 'City of Discoveries' - was aptly chosen to host the third Empowering Biodiversity Research (EBR III) conference. The two-day conference - this time focusing on the utilisation of biodiversity data as a vehicle for biodiversity research to reach to Policy - was held in a no less fitting locality: the Naturalis Biodiversity Center. On 25th and 26th March 2024, the delegates got the chance to learn more about the latest discoveries, trends and innovations from scientists, as well as various stakeholders, including representatives of policy-making bodies, research institutions and infrastructures. ...

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Science10 Apr 2024

Visiting white parts of town make some Black kids feel less safe

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Some Black youth feel less safe when they visit predominantly white areas of their city, a new study in Columbus has found. And it was those Black kids who spent the most time in white-dominated areas who felt less safe, said Christopher Browning, lead author of the study and professor of sociology at The Ohio State University. “Familiarity with white neighborhoods doesn’t make Black kids feel more comfortable and safer. In fact, familiarity seems to reveal ...

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Environment10 Apr 2024

Deforestation harms biodiversity of the Amazon’s perfume-loving orchid bees

LAWRENCE — A survey of orchid bees in the Brazilian Amazon state of Rondônia, carried out in the 1990s, is shedding new light the impact of deforestation on the scent-collecting pollinators, which some view as bellwethers of biodiversity in the neotropics. The findings, from a researcher at the University of Kansas, are published today in the peer-reviewed journal Biological Conservation. “This study on orchid bees was an add-on to previous research on stingless bees. Orchid bees are so easy to collect, so we added them to ...

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Space10 Apr 2024

Long-term satellite observations show climatological characteristics of isolated deep convection over the Tibetan Plateau

The Tibetan Plateau is a prevalent region for deep convection owing to its unique thermodynamic forcing. Deep convection can exist as isolated deep convection (IDC), which is small in size, or mesoscale convective systems (MCSs), which are convective storms organized into larger and longer-lived systems. Most previous research has focused on MCSs over the Tibetan Plateau, but less so on IDC systems (hereafter, IDCs). Dr. Ying Na from Wuxi University, and Dr. Chaofan Li from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, examined the climatological features of IDCs by using high-resolution satellite observations in June to September ...

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Science10 Apr 2024

Modeling viral evolution: A novel SIRSVIDE framework with application to SARS-CoV-2 dynamics

Understanding the mutation and evolution of viruses (such as SARS-CoV-2) is crucial for effective public health management and response. Traditional epidemiological models often assume that viral transmissibility and pathogenicity remain constant during disease transmission, ignoring the fact that viruses continuously evolve through natural selection and random mutations. This simplification limits the accuracy of these models in predicting epidemic trends, especially when facing rapidly mutating viruses. To overcome these limitations, ...

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Social Science10 Apr 2024

New data: UTSA economic development institute added $2.6 billion to Texas’ economy

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS — The Valdez Institute for Economic Development (VIED) at UTSA generated an overall direct economic impact of $2.6 billion for the Texas economy in 2023, according to the organization’s 2023 annual report, which was released Tuesday. The latest figure represents the work of the institute’s portfolio of time-tested economic development strategies and new innovations that enabled business owners and entrepreneurs to start and grow their small businesses. During the 2023 fiscal year, the institute: Served 41,231 business ...

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Science10 Apr 2024

Waterproof ‘e-glove’ could help scuba divers communicate

When scuba divers need to say “I’m okay” or “Shark!” to their dive partners, they use hand signals to communicate visually. But sometimes these movements are difficult to see. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Nano have constructed a waterproof “e-glove” that wirelessly transmits hand gestures made underwater to a computer that translates them into messages. The new technology could someday help divers communicate better with each other and with boat crews on the surface. E-gloves — gloves fitted ...

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Science10 Apr 2024

BioOne presents 2024 BioOne Ambassador Award to five early career scientists

BioOne proudly announces the 2024 recipients of the BioOne Ambassador Award. Now in its seventh year, this prestigious award recognizes early-career researchers in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences who demonstrate creative approaches to science communication thereby fostering greater science literacy and aiding in the understanding of the natural world. BioOne Ambassadors are nominated by BioOne publishing partners, and each winning author will receive a $1,000 award and have their work promoted through BioOne’s multiple channels. This year’s honorees are: Dr. Elis Fisk – Draw and Learn: A Bighorn Sheep Mystery; nominated by The Wildlife ...

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