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Science2 Jan 2024

Continuous glucose monitoring

Monitoring glucose levels is one of the key elements in health monitoring. A research team has now developed a battery-independent fluorescent nanosensor based on single-wall carbon nanotubes and an inactive form of the enzyme glucose oxidase (GOx). Because the enzyme is not in its active form, the analyte is not consumed during the measurement, and continuous, reversible, and non-invasive bioimaging of glucose levels in body fluids and tissues is possible, the team reports in the journal Angewandte Chemie. Blood glucose levels are typically measured using GOx-based electrochemical sensors. However, these sensors ...

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Science2 Jan 2024

Researchers receive USDA grant to study changing food spending patterns

After a long day, there’s the age-old question of do we eat out or stay in? Over the last decade, that answer has increasingly shifted to eating out. In that timeframe, households have increasingly spent more money on food outside of the home than what's spent on eating at home. In that same time, the farmer’s share of the food dollar eaten outside of the home has declined while the share of food eaten at home has increased. With a more than $550,000 grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, researchers George Davis and Anubhab Gupta, in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics in Virginia Tech's College ...

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Medicine2 Jan 2024

High adolescent BMI increases risk of early chronic kidney disease, according to JAMA study by Hebrew University researchers

New study finds that adolescent obesity significantly heightens the risk of developing early chronic kidney disease in young adulthood. Even those with high-normal BMI are at risk. Severe obesity poses the highest risk, but even mild obesity and being overweight contribute significantly to this increased risk for both males and females. Lowering obesity rates in adolescents is crucial to better managing the risk of kidney disease and subsequent cardiovascular issues. This study emphasizes the need for preventive measures and management of risk factors associated with chronic kidney disease ...

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Medicine2 Jan 2024

Healthy omega-3 fats may slow deadly pulmonary fibrosis, research suggests

Could healthy fats found in nuts and fish slow the progression of potentially deadly lung scarring known as pulmonary fibrosis and delay the need for lung transplants? UVA pulmonary researchers looked at the association between blood-plasma levels of omega-3 fatty acids – the heart-healthy fats found in foods such as salmon and flaxseeds – and the progression of pulmonary fibrosis, as well as how long patients could go without needing a transplant. The researchers found that higher levels of omega-3 were associated with better lung function and longer transplant-free survival. While more research ...

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Medicine2 Jan 2024

Predicting COVID-19 variant waves with AI

An AI model can predict which SARS-CoV-2 variants are likely to cause new waves of infection. Current models used to predict the dynamics of viral transmission do not predict variant-specific spread. Retsef Levi and colleagues studied what factors could shape the viral spread based on analysis of 9 million SARS-CoV-2 genetic sequences collected by the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (GISAID) from 30 countries, along with data on vaccination rates, infection rates, and other factors. The patterns that emerged from this analysis ...

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Science2 Jan 2024

Cultivated kelp can now be as good as wild kelp

Norway’s exports products derived from from tangle kelp (Laminoria hyperborea) and knotted kelp (Ascophyllum nodosu) to the tune of more than NOK 1 billion a year. The industry mainly extracts alginate from kelp, which is used in over 600 different products as diverse as paint, soft serve ice cream, sauces, bandages, nappies, acid reflux medicine and material for encapsulating cells and medicine. However, the market is far from saturated. “Alginate is becoming a scarce commodity on the global market. There are great opportunities here if we could cultivate more kelp that yielded alginate of good enough quality,” says Finn Aachmann, a professor at the Norwegian ...

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Science2 Jan 2024

Researchers identify new coding mechanism that transfers information from perception to memory

Our memories are rich in detail: we can vividly recall the color of our home, the layout of our kitchen, or the front of our favorite café. How the brain encodes this information has long puzzled neuroscientists. In a new Dartmouth-led study, researchers identified a neural coding mechanism that allows the transfer of information back and forth between perceptual regions to memory areas of the brain. The results are published in Nature Neuroscience. Prior to this work, the classic understanding of brain organization was that perceptual regions of the brain represent the world "as it is," with the ...

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Medicine2 Jan 2024

A novel switch to turn genes on/off on cue, a promising step toward safer gene therapy

Just like a doctor adjusts the dose of a medication to the patient’s needs, the expression of therapeutic genes, those modified in a person to treat or cure a disease via gene therapy, also needs to be maintained within a therapeutic window. Staying within the therapeutic window is important as too much of the protein could be toxic, and too little could result in a small or no therapeutic effect. Although the principle of therapeutic window has been known for a long time, there has been no strategy to implement it safely, limiting the potential applications of gene therapy in the clinic. ...

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Medicine1 Jan 2024

Food insecurity among low-income adults dropped nearly 5% during pandemic-era SNAP expansion

Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 1 January 2024 Annals of Internal Medicine Tip Sheet @Annalsofim Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only ...

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Medicine1 Jan 2024

A tidy cell seems to keep aging at bay

Osaka, Japan – Just as healthy organs are vital to our well-being, healthy organelles are vital to the proper functioning of the cell. These subcellular structures carry out specific jobs within the cell, for example, mitochondria power the cell and lysosomes keep the cell tidy. Although damage to these two organelles has been linked to aging, cellular senescence, and many diseases, the regulation and maintenance of these organelles has remained poorly understood. Now, researchers at Osaka University have identified a protein, HKDC1, that plays a key role in maintaining these two organelles, thereby acting to prevent ...

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Science1 Jan 2024

Chemical synthesis using titanium dioxide: An eco-friendly and innovative approach

Heterocyclic compounds are organic molecules with a ring structure comprising at least two or more elements. In most cases, these rings are composed of carbon atoms along with one or more other elements such as nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur. They are highly sought-after as raw materials in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, owing to their versatility and excellent physiological activities. While several methods are available for synthesizing these compounds, most of them involve high temperature and pressure conditions, or the use of precious ...

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Science1 Jan 2024

Want to quit smoking in 2024? Cytisine can help … if you live in the right country

A new study published in Addiction has found that cytisine, a low-cost, generic stop-smoking aid that has been used in eastern Europe since the 1960s, increases the chances of successful smoking cessation by more than two-fold compared with placebo and may be more effective than nicotine replacement therapy. It has a benign safety profile, with no evidence of serious safety concerns. Sounds perfect for your New Year resolution, doesn’t it? But there’s a catch: Cytisine is not licensed or marketed in most countries outside of central and eastern Europe, ...

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Space29 Dec 2023

Sodium’s high-pressure transformation can tell us about the interiors of stars, planets

Travel deep enough below Earth’s surface or inside the center of the Sun, and matter changes on an atomic level. The mounting pressure within stars and planets can cause metals to become nonconducting insulators. Sodium has been shown to transform from a shiny, gray-colored metal into a transparent, glass-like insulator when squeezed hard enough. Now, a University at Buffalo-led study has revealed the chemical bonding behind this particular high-pressure phenomenon. While it’s been theorized that high pressure essentially squeezes sodium’s electrons out into the spaces between atoms, researchers’ quantum chemical ...

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Science29 Dec 2023

Endocrine Society applauds Ohio governor veto of state ban on gender-affirming care for minors

WASHINGTON—The Endocrine Society, the world’s oldest and largest professional medical society devoted to the study and treatment of hormone-related conditions, applauds Governor Mike Dewine’s veto of a proposed Ohio law that would have banned gender-affirming care for minors. The bill he vetoed contradicts mainstream medical practice and scientific evidence and would have taken medical decision-making out of the hands of families and their physicians and instead relied upon government officials. More ...

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Medicine29 Dec 2023

Molecules exhibit non-reciprocal interactions without external forces, new study finds

Researchers from the University of Maine and Penn State discovered that molecules experience non-reciprocal interactions without external forces. Fundamental forces such as gravity and electromagnetism are reciprocal, where two objects are attracted to each other or are repelled by each other. In our everyday experience, however, interactions don’t seem to follow this reciprocal law. For example, a predator is attracted to prey, but the prey tends to flee from the predator. Such non-reciprocal interactions are essential for complex behavior associated with living organisms. ...

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Science29 Dec 2023

MSK research highlights, December 29, 2023

New research from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) developed CAR T cells that target two acute myeloid leukemia-specific antigens; shed new light on a genetic element called LINE-1, opening the door to new treatments; identified a key regulator of blood stem cell fate; and found an immunotherapy technique using antibodies that target CD47 shows promise in mice. CAR T Cells that target two antigens treat AML with minimal toxicity Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has so far resisted treatment with chimeric ...

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Science29 Dec 2023

Novel solution for Pichia pastoris enzyme production platform

The demand for industrial enzymes is continually rising, driven by the growing need to shift towards more sustainable industrial processes. Our research outlines a novel approach in enzyme production, harnessing the untapped potential of cyanobacterial biomass within the P. pastoris platform. Group Leader, Dr. Schieder, highlights the nature of the study, stating, "Our work reveals the potential of cyanobacterial biorefineries to support enzyme production." This achievement stems from an extensive multi-field approach. We characterized and expanded a combinatorial library, streamlining P. pastoris engineering for enhanced efficiency. ...

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Medicine29 Dec 2023

Revolutionary nanodrones enable targeted cancer treatment

A groundbreaking study led by Professor Sebyung Kang and Professor Sung Ho Park in the Department of Biological Sciences at UNIST has unveiled a remarkable breakthrough in cancer treatment. The research team has successfully developed unprecedented “NK cell-engaging nanodrones” capable of selectively targeting and eliminating cancer cells, offering a potential solution for intractable types of cancers. The innate lymphoid cells known as natural killer (NK) cells play a vital role in the body’s immune response against cancer. Numerous efforts have been made to harness the power of NK cells to develop effective cancer therapies. ...

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Medicine29 Dec 2023

Mettl3-dependent m6A modification is essential for effector differentiation and memory formation of CD8+ T cells

This study is led by Dr. Shuyang Yu (College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University), Dr. Jingyu Xu (The Collaborative Innovation Center of Tissue Damage Repair and Regeneration Medicine of Zunyi Medical University) and Dr. Xuguang Du (College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University) and illustrated the key role of Mettl3 in CD8 T cell response during acute infection model. CD8 T cells (also known as cytotoxic T lymphocytes) are a key component of the adaptive immune system. Once ...

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Technology29 Dec 2023

Artificial design and biosynthesis of a single-domain catenated dihydrofolate reductase

This study is led by Prof. Wen-Bin Zhang (College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University & Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence) and Dr. Jing Fang (College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University). A single-domain protein catenane refers to two mechanically interlocked polypeptide rings that fold synergistically into a compact and integrated structure, which is extremely rare in nature. This design was achieved by rewiring the connectivity between secondary motifs to introduce artificial entanglement, and synthesis was readily accomplished through a series of programmed streamlined ...

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Science29 Dec 2023

Advances and challenges in semantic communications: A systematic review

This study is led by Prof. Ping Zhang, Dr. Yiming Liu, Yile Song, and Jiaxiang Zhang (State Key Laboratory of Networking and Switching Technology, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications). The article summarizes the advances made in semantic information and semantic communications. It also deeply discusses the main challenges, key issues, and potential research directions in the development of modern semantic communication, aiming to prompt further scientific and industrial advances in semantic communications. The development of information ...

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Social Science29 Dec 2023

In coastal communities, sea level rise may leave some isolated

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Amid the threat of dramatic sea level rise, coastal communities face unprecedented dangers, but a new study reveals that as flooding intensifies, disadvantaged populations will be the ones to experience some of the most severe burdens of climate change. While accelerating sea level rise will result in widespread intermittent flooding and long-term inundation in many coastal communities, the paper, recently published in Nature Communications, showed that when these levels increase above 4 feet, minority populations will be disproportionately at risk of isolation. Rising sea levels could lead to isolation by disrupting transportation ...

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Technology29 Dec 2023

Breakthrough in organic semiconductor synthesis paves the way for advanced electronic devices

A team of researchers led by Professor Young S. Park at UNIST’s Department of Chemistry has achieved a significant breakthrough in the field of organic semiconductors. Their successful synthesis and characterization of a novel molecule called “BNBN anthracene” has opened up new possibilities for the development of advanced electronic devices. Organic semiconductors play a crucial role in improving the movement and light properties of electrons in carbon-centered organic electronic devices. The team’s research focused on enhancing the chemical diversity of these semiconductors by replacing carbon-carbon (C−C) ...

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Technology29 Dec 2023

Korean Artificial Sun, KSTAR, installation of a tungsten divertor for long pulse operations

The Korean artificial sun, KSTAR, has completed divertor upgrades, allowing it to operate for extended periods sustaining high-temperature plasma over the 100 million degrees. The Korea Institute of Fusion Energy announced the successful installation of the newly developed tungsten divertor for KSTAR. KSTAR, now equipped with the new divertor, commenced a plasma experiment on the 21st of December 2023. The divertor, a crucial plasma-facing component installed at the bottom of the vacuum vessel in a magnetic fusion device known as a Tokamak, manages the exhaust of ...

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Science28 Dec 2023

New perspectives on treating gallbladder inflammation

Ischaemic cholecystitis is a form of gallbladder inflammation that occurs without gallstones or another form of external compression. It is caused by poor perfusion to the gallbladder tissue. This new research is important because it helps to better understand the cause of ischaemic cholecystitis and to develop more effective treatments for this condition. A team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, conducted a study investigating the cause of ischaemic cholecystitis. They found that the gallbladder is particularly susceptible to ischaemia ...

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