Researchers who found novel coronaviruses in UK bats say genetic surveys of the viruses should be regularly conducted, even if none of those viruses can infect humans yet. Working with a network of bat conservationists, a research team led by Imperial College London and University College London researchers screened faecal samples from UK bats for coronaviruses. Their results, published today in Nature Communications, report circulation of four species of coronaviruses, including two novel ones, among the 16 UK bat species sampled. While some of these ...

Using a high-powered MRI scanner, scientists have discovered an imbalance between neurochemicals in parts of OCD patients’ brains key to decision-making and habit. Chemical imbalances were related to OCD symptom severity, as well as habitual tendencies in a decision-making task. A similar but less pronounced neurochemical imbalance was also detected in healthy individuals with milder compulsive tendencies.     Neuroscientists argue that the findings are a “major piece of the puzzle” in understanding OCD, and could open up new ...

GAO Caixia's group from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has pioneered the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted methods to discover novel deaminase proteins with unique functions through structural prediction and classification. This approach has opened up a range of applications for the discovery and creation of desired plant genetic traits. The results were published in Cell. The discovery of new proteins and the exploitation of diverse engineered enzymes have contributed to the rapid advancement of biotechnology. Currently, efforts to mine novel proteins ...

Key points: Scientists have been mystified as to why animals are missing in much of the fossil record; Researchers have developed a new method to determine if animals really were absent during certain geological eras, or if they were present but too fragile to be preserved; The findings establish a new maximum point at which animals first evolved on Earth. A study led by the University of Oxford has brought us one step closer to solving a mystery that has puzzled naturalists since Charles Darwin: when did animals first appear in the history of Earth? The results have been published ...

About The Study: Neighborhood and household contexts were associated with white matter development in children, and findings suggested that obesity and cognitive performance were possible mediators in these associations. Future research on children’s brain health may benefit from considering these factors from multiple socioeconomic perspectives. Authors: Scott Marek, Ph.D., and Tamara Hershey, Ph.D., of the Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, are the corresponding authors.  To access the embargoed study: Visit our For ...

A Cretaceous origin for placental mammals, the group that includes humans, dogs and bats, has been revealed by in-depth analysis of the fossil record, showing they co-existed with dinosaurs for a short time before the dinosaurs went extinct. The catastrophic destruction triggered by the asteroid hitting the Earth resulted in the death of all non-avian dinosaurs in an event termed the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction. Debate has long raged among researchers over whether placental mammals were present alongside the dinosaurs before the mass extinction, ...

A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that growing up in poverty may influence the wiring of a child’s brain. The study, published June 27 in JAMA Network Open, indicates a link between both neighborhood and household poverty and the brain’s white matter tracts, which allow for communication between brain regions. White matter plays a critical role in helping the brain process information. The findings stem from the largest long-term study of brain development and child health conducted in the U.S. — ...

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 27, 2023 – A trove of more than 160 eBooks in insect science is now available on the BioOne Digital Library, through an extension of BioOne’s partnership with the Entomological Society of America (ESA).   With the launch of the ESA eBook Collection, BioOne and ESA have partnered to source, digitize, and make fully searchable critical books from ESA’s catalog. Through this collaboration, BioOne and ESA share a commitment to make scientific research more accessible with the preservation of over 100 years ...

Cambridge scientists have created a stem cell-derived model of the human embryo in the lab by reprogramming human stem cells. The breakthrough could help research into genetic disorders and in understanding why and how pregnancies fail. Published today in the journal Nature, this embryo model is an organised three-dimensional structure derived from pluripotent stem cells that replicate some developmental processes that occur in early human embryos. Use of such models allows experimental modelling ...

(WASHINGTON, June 27, 2023) – Ask the average American what their blood type is, and you will likely receive a blank look. For most people, blood type only becomes an issue if they need a blood transfusion. Beginning in the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, results from previous work published in Blood Advances suggested that people with blood group A (about a third of the US population) seemed to be more vulnerable to infection with the novel coronavirus, while those with blood group O (about 38% of the population) seemed to be somewhat less susceptible. Until now, however, ...

OAK BROOK, Ill. – Assistance from an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm with high diagnostic accuracy improved radiologist performance in detecting lung cancers on chest X-rays and increased human acceptance of AI suggestions, according to a study published in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). While AI-based image diagnosis has advanced rapidly in the medical field, the factors affecting radiologists’ diagnostic determinations in AI-assisted image reading remain underexplored. Researchers at Seoul National University looked at how these factors might influence the detection of malignant lung nodules during ...

Orangutans can make two separate sounds simultaneously, much like songbirds or human beatboxers, according to a study led by the University of Warwick. Academics say the findings provide clues around the evolution of human speech, as well as human beatboxing. Scientists observed two populations of vocalising orangutans in Borneo and Sumatra across a total of 3800 hours and found primates within both groups used the same vocal phenomenon. Dr Adriano Lameira, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Warwick said: “Humans use the lips, tongue, and jaw to make the unvoiced sounds ...

Orangutans can make two separate sounds simultaneously, much like songbirds or human beatboxers, according to a study. Adriano Lameira and Madeleine Hardus observed vocalizing orangutans in the wild. Humans use the lips, tongue, and jaw to make the unvoiced sounds of consonants, while activating the vocal folds in the larynx with exhaled air to make the voiced, open sounds of vowels. Orangutans are capable of producing both types of sounds—and both at once. For example, large male orangutans in Borneo will produce noises known as “chomps” in combination with “grumbles” in combative situations. Females in Sumatra produce “kiss squeaks” atop ...

In a time of income inequality and ruthless politics, people with outsized power or an unrelenting willingness to browbeat others often seem to come out ahead. New research from Dartmouth, however, shows that being uncooperative can help people on the weaker side of the power dynamic achieve a more equal outcome—and even inflict some loss on their abusive counterpart. The findings provide a tool based in game theory—the field of mathematics focused on optimizing competitive strategies—that could be applied to help equalize the balance of power in labor negotiations or international ...

INDIANAPOLIS – Colorectal cancer incidence and deaths are declining for individuals age 50 and older, but are increasing for those under 50. A new study, led by researcher-clinician Thomas Imperiale, M.D., of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University School of Medicine, identifies seven risk factors for early onset colorectal cancer in males. The risk evaluation model the researchers developed may help 45- to 49-year-olds accept and adhere to new national screening recommendations and may also identify younger men for whom earlier screening should be considered. “This study is important because ...

Diminished anthropogenic pollutant emissions during 2020 Covid-19 lockdowns reduced snowmelt in the Himalayas, according to a study. Liqiang Zhang and colleagues used multiple satellite data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), as well as a coupled atmosphere-chemistry-snow model (GEOS-Chem-SNICAR) to explore how the sudden, dramatic reduction in particulate pollution in the region affected snow and ice melt. Snow and ice on the Tibetan plateau act as a water source for over 20% of the global population. However, ice and snow in the Himalayas have been melting at an accelerating rate in recent decades. ...

Iron is the most abundant element by mass on Earth. Despite being so common and well-studied, iron still manages to puzzle scientists by exhibiting electric and magnetic behaviors that are not fully comprehensible. In particular, the physical properties of liquid iron—which makes up most of the Earth’s core—have been the subject of much debate among physicists and geoscientists. The problem is that certain predictions about liquid iron’s properties are difficult to experimentally verify due to the extreme conditions required to ascertain them. For example, liquid iron’s resistivity, which is the inverse of electrical conductivity, has ...

Supramolecular polymers are a new class of polymers that are currently being evaluated for material applications. These interesting compounds also play an important role in cellular activities in the body. "Supra," as the name suggests, is attributed to some unique properties that go beyond those of conventional polymers. Unlike traditional polymers, which are held together by strong, irreversible covalent bonds, supramolecular polymers are held together by weaker, reversible hydrogen bonds. They can reversibly assemble and disassemble, are highly versatile, and can be used for developing targeted drug delivery therapies, sensors to detect pollutants, diagnostic ...

WASHINGTON—People who have just one or two drinks per day are not protected against endocrine conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Alcohol consumption is a significant public health concern because it is related to many medical conditions such as diabetes, obesity, liver conditions and heart disease. While it is widely accepted that excessive alcohol consumption causes a wide range of health issues, whether modest alcohol consumption has beneficial health effects remains controversial. “Some research ...

Join us at NUTRITION 2023 for an exciting lineup of scientific symposia, educational sessions, hot-topic discussions, and award lectures covering the latest developments in nutrition science. NUTRITION 2023, the annual flagship meeting of the American Society for Nutrition (ASN), will be held July 22-25 at the Sheraton Boston. Explore the meeting schedule and register for a press pass to attend. The meeting will feature distinguished leaders in the field and important discussions that are helping to move nutrition science forward. Highlights include: Ultra-processed foods – Observational studies ...

Scientists using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to study the protoplanetary disk around a young star have discovered the most compelling chemical evidence to date of the formation of protoplanets. The discovery will provide astronomers with an alternate method for detecting and characterizing protoplanets when direct observations or imaging are not possible. The results will be published in an upcoming edition of The Astrophysical Journal Letters.  HD 169142 is a young star located in the constellation ...

FINDINGS A new study shows that an artificial intelligence (AI) model co-developed by researchers in the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and department of Urology at UCLA can help doctors determine the extent of cancer within the prostate.   In a series of tests, the AI model was found to be more accurate at predicting tumor margins than magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), potentially improving the effectiveness of focal therapy, standardizing treatment margin definition, and reducing the chance of cancer recurrence. BACKGROUND Focal therapy, a minimally invasive treatment approach used for localized tumors, is an alternative ...

The 17 SDGs are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including climate change, environmental degradation, and inequality. The achievement of the SDGs depends on the ability to accurately measure progress towards meeting the associated targets based on timely, relevant, and reliable data. Citizen science offers an innovative approach to complement and enhance official statistics. Additionally, citizen science can help raise awareness, mobilize action, and therefore achieve transformative change. The collection ...

LAS VEGAS – June 27, 2023 – Bariatric surgery, also called weight-loss or metabolic surgery, was associated with a 42% lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including heart failure, heart attack, stroke, and atrial fibrillation in patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to a new study from Cleveland Clinic and presented here today at the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting. Researchers also report metabolic surgery ...

LAS VEGAS – June 27, 2023 – Patients with diabetes and a history of metabolic surgery had significantly fewer heart attacks, strokes, hospitalizations and death compared to matched patients who did not have the surgery, according to a new study* presented here today at the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting. Patients reduced their chances of winding up in a hospital with a heart attack by more than 35%, a stroke by more than 25% and congestive heart failure by nearly ...