New SARS-CoV-2 variants are spreading rapidly, and there are fears that current COVID-19 vaccines won't protect against them. The latest in a series of structural studies of the SARS-CoV-2 variants' "spike" protein, led by Bing Chen, PhD, at Boston Children's Hospital, reveals new properties of the Alpha (formerly U.K.) and Beta (formerly South Africa) variants. Of note, it suggests that current vaccines may be less effective against the Beta variant. Spike proteins, on the surface of SARS CoV-2, are what enable the virus to attach to and enter our cells, and all current vaccines are directed against them. The new study, published in Science on June 24, used cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) ...

LA JOLLA, CA--Researchers at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have shed light on a process in immune cells that may explain why some people develop cardiovascular diseases. Their research, published recently in Genome Biology, shows the key role that TET enzymes play in keeping immune cells on a healthy track as they mature. The scientists found that other enzymes do play a role in this process--but TET enzymes do the heavy lifting. "If we can figure out what's going on with these enzymes, that could be important for controlling cardiovascular disease," ...

Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology design polymers infused with a stress-sensitive molecular unit that respond to external forces by switching on their fluorescence. The researchers demonstrate the fluorescence to be dependent on the magnitude of force and show that it is possible to detect both, reversible and irreversible polymer deformations, opening the door to the exploration of new force regimes in polymers. Besides causing physical motion, mechanical forces can drive chemical changes in controlled and productive ways, allowing for desirable material properties. One way to go about this is by introducing a so-called mechanophore ...

Amphiphilic molecules, which aggregate and encapsulate molecules in water, find use in several fields of chemistry. The simple, additive-free connection of hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecules would be an efficient method for amphiphilic molecule synthesis. However, such connections, or bonds, are often fragile in water. Now, scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology have developed an easy way to prepare water-stable amphiphiles by simple mixing. Their new catalyst- and reagent-free method will help create further functional materials. Soaps and detergents are used to clean things like clothes and dishes. But how do they actually work? It turns out that they are made of long molecules ...

A study from UCLA neurologists challenges the idea that the brain recruits existing neurons to take over for those that are lost from stroke. It shows that in mice, undamaged neurons do not change their function after a stroke to compensate for damaged ones. A stroke occurs when the blood supply to a certain part of the brain is interrupted, such as by a blood clot. Brain cells in that area become damaged and can no longer function. A person who is having a stroke may temporarily lose the ability to speak, walk, or move their arms. Few patients recover fully and most are left with some disability, but the majority exhibit some degree of spontaneous recovery during the first few weeks after the stroke. Doctors and scientists don't fully ...

A near-perfectly preserved ancient human fossil known as the Harbin cranium sits in the Geoscience Museum in Hebei GEO University. The largest of known Homo skulls, scientists now say this skull represents a newly discovered human species named Homo longi or "Dragon Man." Their findings, appearing in three papers publishing June 25 in the journal The Innovation, suggest that the Homo longi lineage may be our closest relatives--and has the potential to reshape our understanding of human evolution. "The Harbin fossil is one of the most complete human cranial fossils in the world," says author Qiang Ji, a professor of paleontology of Hebei GEO University. "This fossil preserved many ...

WASHINGTON--Antacids improved blood sugar control in people with diabetes but had no effect on reducing the risk of diabetes in the general population, according to a new meta-analysis published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Type 2 diabetes is a global public health concern affecting almost 10 percent of people worldwide. Doctors may prescribe diet and lifestyle changes, diabetes medications, or insulin to help people with diabetes better manage their blood sugar, but recent data points to common over the counter ...

What The Study Did: This study evaluated changes in hospitalization and death rates related to COVID-19 before and after U.S. states reopened their economies in 2020. Authors: Pinar Karaca-Mandic, Ph.D., of the Carlson School of Management in Minneapolis, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study:  Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/  (doi:10.1001/jamahealthforum.2021.1262) Editor's Note: The article includes conflict of interest and funding/support disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support. INFORMATION: Media advisory: The full study ...

What The Study Did: Researchers examined the association of closures of childcare facilities with the employment status of women and men with children in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Authors: Yevgeniy Feyman, B.A., of the Boston University School of Public Health, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamahealthforum.2021.1297) Editor's Note: The article includes funding/support disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author ...

What The Study Did: This analysis describes the use of a multifaceted COVID-19 control plan to reduce spread of SARS-CoV-2 at a large urban university during the second wave of the pandemic. Authors: Davidson H. Hamer, M.D., of the Boston University School of Public Health, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.16425) Editor's Note: The article includes conflict of interest and funding/support disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and ...

What The Study Did: Researchers looked at whether age-related hearing impairment among older adults is associated with poorer and faster decline in physical function and reduced walking endurance. Authors: Pablo Martinez-Amezcua, M.D., Ph.D., M.H.S., of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.13742) Editor's Note: The article includes conflict of interest disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support. INFORMATION: Media ...

Scientists of Tomsk Polytechnic University jointly with their colleagues have synthetized a unique molecule of verdazyl-nitronyl nitroxide triradical. Only several research teams in the world were able to obtain molecules with similar properties. The molecule is stable. It is able to withstand high temperatures and obtains promising magnetic properties. It is a continuation of scientists' work on the search for promising organic magnetic materials. The research findings are published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (IF: 14.612, Q1). Magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) is one of the most promising technologies for storage devices. ...

CHAPEL HILL, NC - When we think of the brain, we think of neurons. But much of the brain is made of non-neuronal cells called glial cells, which help regulate brain development and function. For the first, time UNC School of Medicine scientist Katie Baldwin, PhD, and colleagues revealed a central role of the glial protein hepaCAM in building the brain and affecting brain function early in life. The findings, published in Neuron, have implications for better understanding disorders, such as autism, epilepsy, and schizophrenia, and potentially for creating therapeutics for conditions such as the progressive brain disorder megalencephalic ...

TAMPA, Fla. -- E-cigarettes spark many concerns, especially when it comes to youth vaping. However, emerging evidence suggests that e-cigarettes can be a helpful tool in smoking cessation. Researchers in Moffitt Cancer Center's Tobacco Research and Intervention Program wanted to build upon this evidence by testing whether they could help dual users, people who use both combustible cigarettes and e-cigarettes, quit smoking. In a new article published in The Lancet Public Health, they report results from a first-of-its kind nationwide study evaluating a targeted intervention aimed at transforming dual users' e-cigarettes from a product that might ...

CHAPEL HILL, NC - Developing a viable vaccine against dengue virus has proved difficult because the pathogen is actually four different virus types, or serotypes. Unless a vaccine protects against all four, a vaccine can wind up doing more harm than good. To help vaccine developers overcome this hurdle, the UNC School of Medicine lab of Aravinda de Silva, PhD, professor in the UNC Department of Microbiology and Immunology, investigated samples from children enrolled in a dengue vaccine trial to identify the specific kinds of antibody responses that correlate with ...

UPTON, NY--Scientists have organized proteins--nature's most versatile building blocks--in desired 2-D and 3-D ordered arrays while maintaining their structural stability and biological activity. They built these designer functional protein arrays by using DNA as a programmable construction material. The team--representing the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, Columbia University, DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and City University of New York (CUNY)--described their approach in the June 17 issue of Nature Communications. "For decades, scientists have dreamed about rationally assembling proteins into specific organizations with preserved protein function," ...

Scientists from within the Antibody and Vaccine Group at the University of Southampton have gained novel insights into how an important class of immune receptors called tumour necrosis factor receptors (TNFR) are activated. The work, published in the journal Communications Biology, investigates a class of receptors present on immune cells called TNFR. These receptors, such as CD40, 4-1BB and OX40, are key in helping the immune system fight pathogens and cancer cells. Accordingly, antibody drugs which are designed to specifically target and activate these receptors (called ...

People with dementia receiving home health care visits are less likely to be readmitted to the hospital when there is consistency in nursing staff, according to a new study by researchers at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. The findings are published in the journal Medical Care, a journal of the American Public Health Association. Home health care--in which health providers, primarily nurses, visit patients' homes to deliver care--has become a leading source of home- and community-based services caring for people living with dementia. These individuals often have multiple chronic conditions, take several medications, and need assistance with activities of daily living. In 2018, more than 5 million Medicare beneficiaries received ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Although the United States is the only wealthy nation that doesn't guarantee paid leave to mothers or fathers after the arrival of a new child, Americans endorse providing paid time off for parents nearly as much as people from other countries. About 82% of Americans support paid maternity leave, just slightly less than the 86% who support it in 26 wealthy nations, a new study shows. Where Americans differ from the rest of the world is that they are less supportive of government funding for paid leaves, prefer shorter leave times and are less supportive of paid leave for fathers. "We find marked differences in how Americans want paid leave administered compared ...

Singularities such as those at the centre of black holes, where density becomes infinite, are often said to be places where physics 'breaks down'. However, this doesn't mean that 'anything' could happen, and physicists are interested in which laws could break down, and how. Now, a research team from Imperial College London and the Cockcroft Institute and Lancaster University have proposed a way that singularities could violate the law of conservation of charge. Their theory is published in Annalen der Physik. Co-author Professor Martin McCall, from the Department of Physics at Imperial, said: "'Physics breaks down at a singularity' is one of the most famous statements in pop-physics. But by ...

To make computer chips, technologists around the world rely on atomic layer deposition (ALD), which can create films as fine as one atom thick. Businesses commonly use ALD to make semiconductor devices, but it also has applications in solar cells, lithium batteries and other energy-related fields. Today, manufacturers increasingly rely on ALD to make new types of films, but figuring out how to tweak the process for each new material takes time. Part of the problem is that researchers primarily use trial and error to identify optimal growth conditions. But a recently published study -- one of the first in this scientific field -- suggests that using artificial intelligence (AI) can be more efficient. In the ACS Applied ...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Like two superheroes finally joining forces, Sandia National Laboratories' Z machine -- generator of the world's most powerful electrical pulses -- and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's National Ignition Facility -- the planet's most energetic laser source -- in a series of 10 experiments have detailed the responses of gold and platinum at pressures so extreme that their atomic structures momentarily distorted like images in a fun-house mirror. Similar high-pressure changes induced in other settings have produced oddities like hydrogen appearing as a metallic fluid, helium in the form of rain and sodium a transparent metal. But until now there has been no way to accurately calibrate these pressures and responses, the first step to ...

Tsukuba, Japan - Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are widely used in display technology and are also being investigated for lighting applications. A comprehensive understanding of these devices is therefore important if their properties are to be harnessed to their full potential. Researchers from the University of Tsukuba have directly observed the photoexcited electron dynamics in an organic film using time-resolved photoelectron emission microscopy. Their findings are published in Advanced Optical Materials . OLED displays are popular because they are bright, lightweight, and do not consume a lot of power. Their output is generated when an exciton--a combination of an electron and an electron hole--releases its energy. However, this ...

Tokyo, Japan - A cell is composed of numerous organelles, each with a unique role that helps contribute to its overall functionality. The lysosome is an organelle that contains digestive enzymes and functions as a molecular garbage disposal and recycling center. Since the role of lysosome is crucial to maintain the cellular homeostasis, the lysosomal dysfunction causes neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases, cancer, as well as lysosomal storage disorders. In a new article published in Autophagy, researchers at Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) performed a novel type of structural analysis to demonstrate how a certain molecular interaction is crucial for one lysosomal membrane protein to perform effectively. LAMP1 (lysosomal-associated ...

LA JOLLA, CA--Chemists at Scripps Research have solved a long-standing problem in their field by developing a method for making a highly useful and previously very challenging type of modification to organic molecules. The breakthrough eases the process of modifying a variety of existing molecules for valuable applications such as improving the potency and duration of drugs. The flexible new method, for "directed C--H hydroxylation with molecular oxygen," does what only natural enzymes have been able to do until now. It's described in a paper this week in Science. "We ...