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New insights into the control of inflammation

New insights into the control of inflammation
2021-01-13
PHILADELPHIA -- (Jan. 13, 2021) -- Scientists at The Wistar Institute discovered that Early Growth Response 1 (EGR1), a protein that turns on and off specific genes during blood cell development, inhibits expression of pro-inflammatory genes in macrophages. As part of their function to protect the body against pathogens, macrophages play a major role in initiation, maintenance, and resolution of inflammation. The discovery expands the understanding of how macrophages are set off and deactivated in the inflammatory process, which is critical in many normal and pathological conditions. These findings were published online in the journal Science Advances. "By deepening the understanding of the role of EGR1, we ...

COVID-19 vaccine creates incentive to improve our health

2021-01-13
COLUMBUS, Ohio - While we wait for our turn to get vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, we could - and probably should - use the time to make sure we bring our healthiest emotional and physical selves to the treatment, a new review of previous research suggests. Ohio State University researchers reviewed 49 vaccine studies in humans dating back 30 years that document how stress, depression and poor health behaviors can negatively affect the body's immune response to vaccination, and how improving health factors can enhance that response. The impaired immune responses tended to fall into three categories - interference with the ...

In new Skoltech research, 'e-nose' and computer vision help cook the perfect chicken

2021-01-13
Skoltech researchers have found a way to use chemical sensors and computer vision to determine when grilled chicken is cooked just right. These tools can help restaurants monitor and automate cooking processes in their kitchens, and perhaps one day even end up in your 'smart' oven. The paper detailing this research results, supported by a Russian Science Foundation grant, was published in the journal Food Chemistry. How do you tell that chicken breast on your grill is ready for your plate? You probably look at it closely and smell it to make sure it is done the way you like it. However, if you are a restaurant chef or head cook at a huge industrial ...

Pivotal discovery in quantum and classical information processing

Pivotal discovery in quantum and classical information processing
2021-01-13
Scientists tame photon-magnon interaction. Working with theorists in the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, researchers in the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have achieved a scientific control that is a first of its kind. They demonstrated a novel approach that allows real-time control of the interactions between microwave photons and magnons, potentially leading to advances in electronic devices and quantum signal processing. Microwave photons are elementary particles forming the electromagnetic waves that we use for wireless communications. On the other hand, magnons are the elementary particles forming what scientists call "spin waves" -- wave-like disturbances in ...

Nanotechnology prevents premature birth in mouse studies

2021-01-13
In a study in mice and human cells, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say that they have developed a tiny, yet effective method for preventing premature birth. The vaginally-delivered treatment contains nanosized (billionth of a meter) particles of drugs that easily penetrate the vaginal wall to reach the uterine muscles and prevent them from contracting. If proven effective in humans, the treatment could be one of the only clinical options available to prevent preterm labor. The FDA has recommended removing Makena (17-hydroxyprogesterone caproate), the only approved medicine for this purpose, from the market. The study was published Jan. 13 in Science Translational Medicine. There ...

Scientists discover new 'spectacular' bat from West Africa

Scientists discover new spectacular bat from West Africa
2021-01-13
A group of scientists led by the American Museum of Natural History and Bat Conservation International have discovered a new species of a striking orange and black bat in a mountain range in West Africa. The species, which the researchers expect is likely critically endangered, underscores the importance of sub-Saharan "sky islands" to bat diversity. The species is described today in the journal American Museum Novitates. "In an age of extinction, a discovery like this offers a glimmer of hope," said Winifred Frick, chief scientist at Bat Conservation International and ...

Resilience to climate change?

Resilience to climate change?
2021-01-13
With the impact of climate change increasing by the day, scientists are studying the ways in which human behavior contributes to the damage. A recent study at Walla Walla University, by a collaboration of researchers from Walla Walla University and La Sierra University, examined the effects of acidic water on octopuses, potentially bringing new insight into both how our activities impact the world around us, and the way that world is adapting in response. The study, "Impact of Short- and Long-Term Exposure to Elevated Seawater PCO2 on Metabolic Rate ...

Tiny molecules with a big impact

2021-01-13
The human organism requires a variety of small molecules, such as sugars or fats, in order to function properly. The composition of these so-called metabolites and their interaction - the metabolism - varies from person to person and is dependent not only on external influences, such as nutrition, but also to a significant extent on natural variations in our genetic make-up. In an international study, scientists from the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin joined forces with colleagues from the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States and discovered hundreds ...

MIND and Mediterranean diets associated with later onset of Parkinson's disease

2021-01-13
A new study from UBC researchers suggests a strong correlation between following the MIND and Mediterranean diets and later onset of Parkinson's disease (PD). While researchers have long known of neuroprotective effects of the MIND diet for diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia, this study is the first to suggest a link between this diet and brain health for Parkinson's disease (PD). The MIND diet combines aspects of two very popular diets, the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. "The study shows individuals with Parkinson's disease have a significantly later age of onset if their eating pattern closely aligns with the Mediterranean-type diet. The difference shown in the study was up to 17 years later in women and eight years later ...

Studying chaos with one of the world's fastest cameras

Studying chaos with one of the worlds fastest cameras
2021-01-13
There are things in life that can be predicted reasonably well. The tides rise and fall. The moon waxes and wanes. A billiard ball bounces around a table according to orderly geometry. And then there are things that defy easy prediction: The hurricane that changes direction without warning. The splashing of water in a fountain. The graceful disorder of branches growing from a tree. These phenomena and others like them can be described as chaotic systems, and are notable for exhibiting behavior that is predictable at first, but grows increasingly random with time. Because of the large role that chaotic systems play in the world around us, scientists and mathematicians have long sought to better understand them. Now, Caltech's Lihong Wang, the Bren Professor in the Andrew and ...

OR Medicaid expansion helped more women access insurance coverage for abortion services

2021-01-13
CORVALLIS, Ore. -- A recent study from Oregon State University found that after Oregon expanded Medicaid in 2014, more women were able to receive insurance coverage for abortion services, rather than paying out of pocket. In analyzing Medicaid claims data and other medical records, researchers found that the Medicaid-financed share of total abortions increased each of the first three years following the state's Medicaid expansion. The incidence of Medicaid-financed abortions increased 18% in 2014, then 7% each in 2015 and 2016. The total number of abortions in the state did not rise; rather, the expansion shifted who paid for them. "According to the literature, there was a 1% decline in the abortion rate in Oregon between 2014 and 2017. During the pre-expansion ...

Density of marijuana retailers linked to higher use among young adults

2021-01-13
As marijuana outlets open after the drug is legalized, the density of those recreational retailers is associated with more use and a greater intensity of use among young adults, according to a new RAND Corporation study. The study is among the first to examine associations between the density of marijuana outlets and marijuana use over time, and is the first to include unlicensed dispensaries in such an analysis. Studying young adults in Los Angeles County the year before and the year after marijuana was available for recreational purchase in ...

Mothers of children with Autism found to have significantly different metabolite levels

2021-01-13
TROY, N.Y. -- Blood sample analysis showed that, two to five years after they gave birth, mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) had several significantly different metabolite levels compared to mothers of typically developing children. That's according to new research recently published in BMC Pediatrics by a multidisciplinary team from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Arizona State University, and the Mayo Clinic. Researchers analyzed blood samples from 30 mothers whose young children had been diagnosed with ASD and 29 mothers of typically developing children. At the time that the samples were taken, the women's children were between 2 and 5 years old. The team found differences in several metabolite levels between the two groups of mothers. ...

Study find physical weathering of rock breakdown more important than previously recognized

Study find physical weathering of rock breakdown more important than previously recognized
2021-01-13
Research led by the University of Wyoming shows that physical weathering is far more important than previously recognized in the breakdown of rock in mountain landscapes. Because it is difficult to measure, physical weathering has commonly been assumed to be negligible in previous studies. Cliff Riebe, a professor in UW's Department of Geology and Geophysics, headed a research group that discovered that climate and erosion rates strongly regulate the relative importance of subsurface physical and chemical weathering of saprolite, the zone of weathered rock that retains the relative positions of mineral grains of the parent bedrock and lies between ...

Study suggests compound protects myelin, nerve fibers

2021-01-13
A compound developed at Oregon Health & Science University appears to protect nerve fibers and the fatty sheath, called myelin, that covers nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The discovery, published in the Journal of Neuroimmunology, could be important in treating or preventing the progression of multiple sclerosis and other central nervous system disorders. The new research in a mouse model advances earlier work to develop the compound - known as sobetirome - that has already showed promise in stimulating the repair of myelin. "Sobetirome and related drugs are effective at stimulating myelin repair after damage has occurred. Our new findings now suggest that these drugs could also prove ...

Rare star's giant gamma-ray burst GRB 204015A captured close to our home galaxy

2021-01-13
Earth gets blasted by mild short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) most days. But sometimes a giant flare like GRB 200415A arrives at our galaxy, sweeping along energy that dwarfs our sun. In fact, the most powerful explosions in the universe are gamma-ray bursts. Now scientists have shown that GRB 200415A came from another possible source for short GRBs. It erupted from a very rare, powerful neutron star called a magnetar. Previous detected GRB's came from relatively far away from our home galaxy the Milky Way. But this one was from much closer to home, in cosmic terms. GRB explosions can disrupt mobile phone reception on earth, but they can also be messengers from ...

Approximately half of AD dementia cases are mild, one-fifth are severe

2021-01-13
(Boston)--What percent of patients with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) currently have severe dementia? Do more people have mild disease? Or are the majority suffering with moderate dementia? A new study using data from the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) sheds light on these trends. Boston University School of Medicine researchers have found that slightly more than half (50.4 percent) of cases are mild, just under one-third (30.3 percent) of cases are moderate and 19.3 percent are severe cases. Among all participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD, the pooled percentage was 45.2 percent for the combined group of mild AD dementia and MCI that later ...

Study looks at how land acquisitions affect climate change

2021-01-13
In 2007, an increase in world food prices led to a global rush for land in the form of land grabs or large-scale land acquisitions. Over the last two decades, such acquisitions have resulted in millions of hectares of land changing hands in developing nations. Although such changeover can increase the cultivation of crops needed to feed the world's growing population and spark new agricultural practices and technologies, it can also lead to environmental degradation, increased carbon emissions and threats to the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. The socioeconomic ...

Saver or spender? People are not as financially responsible as they may think, study shows

2021-01-13
Financial responsibility means managing money in a relatively sensible way by minimizing superfluous or unnecessary spending. But according to new research from the University of Notre Dame, people think they are more financially responsible than they actually are. Even when people consistently spend their money superfluously, they still believe that they manage their money in a responsible fashion, according to " END ...

Aggressive video games: Effects on mental health and behaviors in young people

Aggressive video games: Effects on mental health and behaviors in young people
2021-01-13
New Rochelle, NY, January 13, 2021--Aggressive video games are not a risk factor for mental health problems, according to a new study of more than 3,000 youth. This study is part of a special issue on the effects of violent video games published in the peer-reviewed journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. Click here to read the issue now. Christopher Ferguson, PhD, Stetson University, and C.K. John Wang, PhD, Nanyang Technological University, examined whether early exposure to aggressive games was predictive of anxiety depression, somatic symptoms, or ...

Astronomers find signature of magnetar outbursts in nearby galaxies

Astronomers find signature of magnetar outbursts in nearby galaxies
2021-01-13
Apart from black holes, magnetars may be the most extreme stars in the universe. With a diameter less than the length of Manhattan, they pack more mass than that of our sun, wield the largest magnetic field of any known object -- more than 10 trillion times stronger than a refrigerator magnet -- and spin on their axes every few seconds. A type of neutron star -- the remnant of a supernova explosion -- magnetars are so highly magnetized that even modest disturbances in the magnetic field can cause bursts of X-rays that last sporadically for weeks or months. These exotic, compact stars are also thought to be the source of some types of short gamma ray bursts (GRBs): bright flashes of highly energetic radiation that have ...

Compound from medicinal herb kills brain-eating amoebae in lab studies

Compound from medicinal herb kills brain-eating amoebae in lab studies
2021-01-13
Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a deadly disease caused by the "brain-eating amoeba" Naegleria fowleri, is becoming more common in some areas of the world, and it has no effective treatment. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Chemical Neuroscience have found that a compound isolated from the leaves of a traditional medicinal plant, Inula viscosa or "false yellowhead," kills the amoebae by causing them to commit cell suicide in lab studies, which could lead to new treatments. PAM, characterized by headache, fever, vomiting, hallucinations and seizures, is almost always fatal within a couple of weeks of developing symptoms. Although the disease, which is usually contracted ...

Rare quadruple-helix DNA found in living human cells with glowing probes

Rare quadruple-helix DNA found in living human cells with glowing probes
2021-01-13
New probes allow scientists to see four-stranded DNA interacting with molecules inside living human cells, unravelling its role in cellular processes. DNA usually forms the classic double helix shape of two strands wound around each other. While DNA can form some more exotic shapes in test tubes, few are seen in real living cells. However, four-stranded DNA, known as G-quadruplex, has recently been seen forming naturally in human cells. Now, in new research published today in Nature Communications, a team led by Imperial College London scientists have created new probes that can see how G-quadruplexes are interacting ...

NASA missions unmask magnetar eruptions in nearby galaxies

NASA missions unmask magnetar eruptions in nearby galaxies
2021-01-13
On April 15, 2020, a brief burst of high-energy light swept through the solar system, triggering instruments on several NASA and European spacecraft. Now, multiple international science teams conclude that the blast came from a supermagnetized stellar remnant known as a magnetar located in a neighboring galaxy. This finding confirms long-held suspicions that some gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) - cosmic eruptions detected in the sky almost daily - are in fact powerful flares from magnetars relatively close to home. "This has always been regarded as a possibility, and several GRBs observed since 2005 have provided tantalizing evidence," said Kevin Hurley, a Senior Space Fellow with the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, ...

Study: Many summer camps don't require childhood immunizations

2021-01-13
While most children need to show immunization records to attend school, the same may not be true for camps, a new study suggests. Nearly half of summer camps surveyed by researchers didn't have official policies requiring campers be vaccinated, according to findings led by Michigan Medicine C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in END ...
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