The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology today announced its 2023 class of fellows. The honorific program recognizes scientists who have made outstanding contributions to the field through their research, teaching, mentoring or other forms of service. The society will recognize the 20 new fellows at its annual meeting, Discover BMB, later this month in Seattle. The presentation will be part of the society's presidential address and business meeting scheduled for Saturday, March 25. “This group truly represents members who have ...

Harlequin ichthyosis (HI) is a severe genetic skin disorder characterized by thick white, brown, or dark brown patches on the skin covering a newborn's entire body. HI has a low incidence of 1 per 300,000 live births but comes with the highest mortality rate among skin conditions. It is caused by a mutation in the ABCA12 gene, which codes for a protein involved in transporting lipids necessary for the formation of the skin barrier. Such protein shortage leads to a weaker epidermal barrier. A recent study, co-authored by BGI Genomics Dr. Thomas Qiu, published in Frontiers in Pediatrics covers ...

Like poles support a tent, microtubules—hollow cylindrical structures made of tubulin protein—support eukaryotic cells. But microtubules provide more than just mechanical strength; they help prepare the cell for cell division and migration and work as a railway track on which motor proteins transport materials within the cell. The formation of microtubules within cells resembles how a child assembles a Lego train track. The tubulins—Lego bricks—constantly assemble and disassemble to make the microtubule—train track—longer and shorter in processes called polymerization and depolymerization. The processes are regulated by microtubule-associated proteins such ...

SAN FRANCISCO (March 9, 2023) — Researchers at the California Academy of Sciences, along with a collaborator at Denison University, have developed an innovative new model to assess how the California economy might have fared without economic closures to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Their initial findings—published today in Frontiers in Physics—reveal that under a “business-as-usual” approach wherein there were no business closures, California’s economy would have generally been better off than in reality. However, the economic impacts would still have been substantial and ...

Both conservative and liberal Americans share fake news because they don’t want to be ostracized from their social circles, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. “Conformity and social pressure are key motivators of the spread of fake news,” said lead researcher Matthew Asher Lawson, PhD, an assistant professor of decision sciences at INSEAD, a business school in France. “If someone in your online tribe is sharing fake news, then you feel pressure to share it as well, even if you don’t ...

Fukuoka, Japan—Hydrogen peroxide is a ubiquitous chemical found in most homes and used in everything from dying hair to treating wounds. It is also an invaluable agent for many industries from food, textiles, and even in semiconductor production. Reporting in JACS, researchers at Kyushu University have developed a new process to synthesize this chemical utilizing a new homogeneous catalyst inspired by nature. Moreover, the process is significantly safer than conventional methods. Scientists have been reporting the synthesis ...

A novel type of therapy, known as ANGPTL3 inhibitor therapy, was effective in lowering triglycerides in certain types of patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia (sHTG) who had a prior episode(s) of acute pancreatitis. sHTG is a well-established risk factor for recurrent episodes of acute pancreatitis. These high-risk patients were the focus of a phase 2 study that was led by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and sponsored and funded by Regeneron. This ANGPTL3 inhibitor therapy, the intravenous drug evicanumab-dgnb, inhibits two important regulators of lipoprotein metabolism. ...

With the advent of the Metaverse era, there have been growing expectations that virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies will likely to enhance convenience in everyday life, as well as industry productivity performance. A joint research team, affiliated with UNIST has introduced core technology for smart contact lenses that can implement AR-based navigation through a 3D printing process. According to the research team, the new smart contact lenses can be worn inside the eye of a person, like a normal contact lens. Published in the February 2023 issue of Advanced Science, this breakthrough has been jointly led by ...

Innovative battery researchers have cracked the code to creating real-time 3D images of the promising but temperamental lithium metal battery as it cycles. A team from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have succeeded in observing how the lithium metal in the cell behaves as it charges and discharges. The new method may contribute to batteries with higher capacity and increased safety in our future cars and devices. “We’ve opened a new window in order to understand – and in the long term to optimise – the lithium metal batteries of the future. When we can study exactly what happens to the lithium in ...

Research published today shows that a peptide (small protein) called PEPITEM could provide a revolutionary approach to reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and other obesity-related diseases such as hepatic steatosis (fatty liver).  The researchers used an animal model of obesity to investigate whether PEPITEM, delivered by a slow-release pump, could prevent or reverse the effects that a high fat diet has on the pancreas.  Excitingly, the results showed that administration of PEPITEM significantly reduced the enlargement of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas and ...

The biological function of the C-reactive protein, CRP, has long been unknown. Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden now show that this protein has a beneficial function in systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE, an inflammatory disease. But this is true only for one of CRP’s two forms, according to the study published in Journal of Autoimmunity. Most of us have had a CRP blood test on more than one occasion. This is a very common routine health care test used to detect infection or systemic inflammation in the body. What is measured is the level of C-reactive protein, or CRP for short. “CRP ...

A study by Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) and other centers found that total hip replacement performed with a cementless prosthesis for a femoral neck fracture led to a higher rate of a second fracture and subsequent revision surgery. The research was presented today at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Annual Meeting in Las Vegas. The results were also published online in The Journal of Arthroplasty in October 2022. Treatments for a femoral neck fracture range from nonoperative management to total hip replacement. When hip replacement is the best treatment option, it can be performed with or without bone cement to secure the prosthesis. “Femoral ...

Intestinal fibrosis is a common feature of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the primary cause of end-stage organ failure. Traditionally considered a bystander of inflammation, with negligible involvement in disease pathogenesis, new research published in Gastroenterology now shows that fibrosis has a direct bearing on disease progression in IBD. The investigation was spearheaded by Nima Saeidi, PhD, Associate Professor of Surgery at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School, along with co-first authors, Shijie He, PhD, and Peng Lei, PhD. The critical question posed by the investigators ...

A common method of detecting prostate cancer may not be accurate enough as a reliable screening tool by itself, scientists have warned. The digital rectal exam (DRE) is widely used by medical professionals to check the prostate gland with a finger for unusual swelling or lumps in the rectum as an initial check for the signs of prostate cancer in men. In some countries, such as Germany, it is the sole method used in a national screening programme for the disease. But new research by scientists of the PROBASE trial coordinated at the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) ...

**Note: the release below is a special early release from the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2023, Copenhagen, 15-18 April). Please credit the conference if you use this story** Embargo: 2301H UK time Wednesday 8 March The omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 is much less likely to lead to long Covid than the variant circulating at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, new research being presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2023, Copenhagen, 15-18 April) suggests. The Swiss study found that healthcare ...

COVID-19 has taken a relatively limited toll on the mental health of most people around the globe, according to a paper published today in the BMJ by a McGill University-led research team involving collaborators from McMaster University, the University of Toronto, and other institutions. The team reviewed data from 137 studies in various languages involving 134 cohorts of people from around the world. Most of the studies were from high or middle-income countries, and about 75% of participants were adults and 25% were children and adolescents between the ages of 10-19. To their surprise, the researchers found that despite the dramatic stories to the contrary, where ...

Exposure to low doses of ionising radiation is associated with a modestly increased excess risk of heart disease, finds an analysis of the latest evidence published by The BMJ today. The researchers say these findings “have implications for patients who undergo radiation exposure as part of their medical care, as well as policy makers involved in managing radiation risks to radiation workers and the public.” And a linked editorial suggests that these risks “should now be carefully considered in protection ...

Mental health among the general population has not changed by large amounts during the covid-19 pandemic compared with pre-pandemic levels, finds a study published by The BMJ today. Some specific groups, particularly women, appear to have been more negatively affected, but changes have been minimal to small, say the researchers. Many studies and media reports suggest that covid-19 has led to widespread decline in mental health, but inconsistencies in study quality and misinterpretation of cross-sectional data may ...

Children start to develop the basic skills that underlie map reading from the age of four – according to new research from the University of East Anglia. A new study published today reveals that they become able to use a scale model to find things in the real world. The study involved 175 two to five-year-olds and is the largest of its kind. The team say that this new spatial ability potentially lays the foundations for maths and science skills. Lead researcher Dr Martin Doherty, from UEA’s School of Psychology, said: “We wanted to find out when children can use scale models or maps ...

A review, conducted by CABI scientist Dr Marc Kenis suggests that the parasitoid Eiphosoma laphygmae is likely to be the best classical biological control from the Americas against the devastating fall armyworm pest. Dr Kenis, Head of Risk Analysis and Invasion Ecology based at CABI’s Swiss centre in Delémont, evaluated the prospects and constraints of a classical biological control programme to fight the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) using larval parasitoids which are considered the most suitable natural enemies ...

Modern living seems to have exacerbated the conditions of our gut. There is an escalating prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome and overactive bladder syndrome among individuals who do not exhibit signs of infectious maladies or other established ailments, but rather report experiencing sudden symptoms. Recently, a team of researchers from POSTECH and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have proposed a sensor to monitor overactive bladders.   The research team consisting of Professor Sung-Min Park and Young-Soo ...

Wildlife conservation efforts could suffer because toxic online rows about trophy hunting are becoming increasingly abusive, ecologists have warned. Scientists analysed hundreds of tweets about trophy hunting and found that 7% were abusive. This is a similar proportion to content on partisan topics on social media platforms known to highlight extreme viewpoints. The findings, by conservation scientists at the University of Reading and the University of Sheffield, are published today (9 March) in the journal ...

These are just some examples given by a leading data science expert who has analyzed the depths of systemic racism in AI and suggested the ways in which the biases can be confronted.   A pervasive threat   Artificial intelligence is a pervasive part of modern-day life and is used by vital institutions from banks to police forces.   But a growing mountain of evidence suggests that the AI used by these organizations can entrench systemic racism.   This can negatively impact Black and ethnic minority groups when applying ...

Aston University to support more women carve out a career in photonics Three new grants available for women from eligible countries across east Asia Scholarships will be based in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. Aston University and the British Council are aiming to support more women carve out a career in photonics. The British Council is funding three grants for women who have recently completed a PhD or equivalent and are from eligible countries across east Asia. This scholarship programme aims to increase opportunities in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) for women.  According ...

Changing environmental conditions may threaten marine mammal populations by making it harder to find prey, and a new study shows how small, gradual reductions in prey could have profound implications for animal populations. The reproductive success of female elephant seals depends on their ability to find prey and put on weight during their months-long foraging migrations. Researchers at UC Santa Cruz studied the relationships between elephant seal behavioral strategies in the open ocean, weight gain, and lifetime success at producing pups. Their findings, published March 8 in Ecology Letters, reveal a sharp threshold in the relationship between ...