Cellular death is a fundamental concept in the biological sciences. Given its significance though, its definition depends on the context in which it takes place, and lacks a general mathematical definition. Researchers from the University of Tokyo propose a new mathematical definition of death based on whether a potentially dead cell can return to a predefined “representative state of living,” which are the states of being that we can confidently call “alive.” The researchers’ work could be useful for biological researchers and future medical research. While it’s ...

On November 27, the prestigious journal Nature will publish the results of an innovative breast cancer research project from the Netherlands. This study, the SONIA trial, showed that delaying and shortening the duration of a specific anti-cancer therapy (CDK4/6 inhibitors) in patients with hormone receptor-positive advanced breast cancer leads to similar survival outcomes, while reducing toxicity and achieving substantial cost reductions: over 45 million euros per year in the Netherlands and over 5 billion dollars in the United States. This is the first time an efficiency study like this has been conducted in collaboration with Dutch health ...

A fungus discovered in the mouse stomach may hold a key to fungal evolution within the gastrointestinal tract, according to new research led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The finding suggests that preclinical studies until now have overlooked a major influencer of mouse physiology. Scientists recently have come to appreciate the importance, for human health and disease, of microbes—often called “commensals”—that naturally dwell in the gut. Bacterial commensals, for example, are known to have ...

Insilico Medicine (“Insilico”), a clinical-stage generative artificial intelligence (AI)-driven drug discovery company, is proud to be recognized for the impact on the future of drug discovery and development, as a distinguished honoree of the Showcase AI and Biotech Innovation Award on November 13, 2024, at the Fifth Endeavor Venture Group & Mount Sinai Health System Healthcare AI and Technology Investor Summit. Michelle Chen, Ph.D., Chief Business Officer of Insilico Medicine, received the award on behalf of the company.  Delivered ...

Lugano, Switzerland, 27 November 2024 – The ESMO Asia Congress 2024 is the annual event dedicated to multidisciplinary oncology in the Asian region. It will feature a broad spectrum of topics in cancer research, including novel treatment modalities, in-depth discussions on the management of specific cancer types, pan-Asian trials and subgroup analyses of cutting-edge studies relevant for the patients in the area. Data will be presented and discussed by leading experts from across Asia and beyond. The congress will be held onsite in Singapore from 6-8 December, with no virtual option available. Programme highlights Subgroup ...

Cardiovascular diseases remain a leading cause of mortality globally, particularly among individuals with both obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and metabolic syndrome (MetS). These two conditions exacerbate each other, creating a vicious cycle that increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Understanding the pathophysiological relationship between OSA and MetS is crucial for developing effective prevention and treatment strategies. This review explores current knowledge on the connection between OSA and MetS and discusses the progress in treatment ...

Chimpanzees are known for their remarkable intelligence and use of tools, but could their cultures also evolve over time like human cultures? A new, multidisciplinary study led by the University of Zurich suggests that some of their most advanced behaviors may have been passed down and refined through generations.   In recent decades, scientists have clearly demonstrated that chimpanzees, like humans, pass on complex cultures such as tool use from generation to generation. But human culture has become vastly more sophisticated, ...

By providing flexibility services to renewable energy systems, consumers can both help in balancing power grids and receive financial benefits. Hosna Khajeh’s doctoral dissertation from the University of Vaasa, Finland, introduces new methods that enable the efficient utilisation of energy users’ flexibility resources in distribution and transmission networks. As the use of weather-dependent renewable energy sources increases, power systems need to become more flexible to guarantee energy supply at all times. One of the necessary steps for the future is making it possible for consumers to support both national and local power grids with ...

Factors beyond carbohydrates have a substantial influence on blood glucose levels meaning current automated insulin delivery systems miss vital information required for glucose regulation, a new study has found. A team of researchers from the University of Bristol analysing automated insulin delivery data from people with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) discovered that unexpected patterns in insulin needs are just as common as well-established ones. The study, published today in JMIRx Med aimed to identify patterns in changes of insulin needs and to analyse how frequently these occur in people with T1D who use the OpenAPS, a state-of-the-art, ...

Solid oxide cells (SOCs), including solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs), are among the most promising energy conversion technologies due to their high efficiency and fuel flexibility. However, the high-temperature sintering required for their manufacture often leads to undesirable reactions at the electrolyte and electrode interface, degrading cell performance. A thin, dense ceria-based barrier layer, typically composed of gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC), is widely used to prevent these reactions. Achieving sufficient densification ...

The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), headed by Minister Yoo Sang-im, held the launch ceremony for the "AI Safety Institute" (AISI) on Wednesday, November 27, at the Pangyo Global R&D Center. At the "AI Seoul Summit"last May, leaders from 10 countries recognized safety as a key component of responsible AI innovation and emphasized the importance of establishing AI safety institutes and fostering global collaboration for safe AI. President Yoon Suk Yeol also expressed his commitment, stating, "We will work towards establishing an AI safety institute in Korea and actively participate ...

Exposure to air pollutants (PM2.5 and PM10) is associated with an increased risk of persistent long-COVID symptoms, partly due to its impact on the severity of the acute infection. This is the main conclusion of a study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by “la Caixa” Foundation, in collaboration with the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), and published in Environmental Health Perspectives.  Long-COVID is a heterogeneous condition in which symptoms like fatigue, breathlessness, and cognitive issues persist for months after ...

CHICAGO – Soccer heading may cause more damage to the brain than previously thought, according to a study being presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Heading is a widely used technique in soccer where the players control the direction of the ball by hitting it with their head. In recent years, research has been done that suggests a link between repeated head impacts and neurodegenerative diseases, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). “The potential effects of repeated head impacts in sport are ...

A new study has linked distinct neural and behavioral characteristics in autism spectrum disorder to a simple computational principle. Centered on the “dynamic range” of neurons, which reflects how gradually or sharply they respond to input, the study suggests that individuals with autism spectrum disorder have an increased dynamic range in their neuronal response, resulting in a more detailed but slower response to changes. This research defies previous descriptions of ASD as a “broken cog in the machine” and provides a deeper, richer account of the computational basis of ASD. [Hebrew University of Jerusalem]– Researchers Dr. Yuval Hart and Oded ...

Large language models, a type of AI that analyses text, can predict the results of proposed neuroscience studies more accurately than human experts, finds a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers. The findings, published in Nature Human Behaviour, demonstrate that large language models (LLMs) trained on vast datasets of text can distil patterns from scientific literature, enabling them to forecast scientific outcomes with superhuman accuracy. The researchers say this highlights ...

As we age, our cognitive and motor functions deteriorate, which in turn affects our independence and overall quality of life. Research efforts to ameliorate or even completely abolish this have given rise to technologies that show a lot of promise. Among these is non-invasive brain stimulation: a term encompassing a set of techniques that can affect brain functions externally and noninvasively, without the need for surgery or implants. One such promising technique, in particular, is anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (atDCS), which uses ...

Harvesting water from the air and decreasing humidity are crucial to realizing a more comfortable life for humanity. Water-adsorption polymers have been playing a key part in atmospheric water harvesting and desiccant air conditioning, but desorption so that the polymers can be efficiently reused has been an issue. Now, Osaka Metropolitan University researchers have found a way to make desorption of these polymers more efficient. Usually, heat of around 100°C is required to desorb these polymers, but Graduate School of Engineering student Daisuke Ikegawa, Assistant Professor Arisa Fukatsu, ...

A large new population study of men over 45 indicates insulin resistance may be an important risk factor for the development of the world’s most common heart valve disease – aortic stenosis (AS).    Published today in the peer-reviewed journal Annals of Medicine, the findings are believed to be the first to highlight this previously unrecognised risk factor for the disease.    It is hoped that by demonstrating this link between AS and insulin resistance – when cells fail to respond effectively to insulin and the body makes more than necessary to maintain normal glucose ...

Effective immunity hinges on the ability to sense infection and cellular transformation. In humans, there is a specialised molecule on the surface of cells termed MR1. MR1 allows sensing of certain small molecule metabolites derived from cellular and microbial sources; however, the breadth of metabolite sensing is unclear. Published in PNAS, researchers at the Monash University Biomedicine Discovery Institute have identified a form of Vitamin B6 bound to MR1 as a means of engaging tumour-reactive immune cells. The work involved an international collaborative team co-led by researchers from the University of Melbourne. According ...

    A collaborative effort by the research groups of Professor Haruhiko Fuwa from Chuo University and Professor Masashi Tsuda from Kochi University has culminated in the structure elucidation and total synthesis of anticancer marine natural products, iriomoteolide-1a and -1b. These natural products were originally isolated from the marine dinoflagellate collected off the Iriomote Island, Okinawa, Japan.   Because of its potent anticancer activity, iriomoteolide-1a is an intriguing natural product that attract immense attention from the chemical community around the globe. ...

A storeroom specimen that changed the origins of modern lizards by millions of years has had its identity confirmed. The tiny skeleton, unearthed from Triassic-aged rocks in a quarry near Bristol, is at least 205 million years old and the oldest modern-type lizard on record. Recently, the University of Bristol team’s findings came under question, but fresh analysis, published today in Royal Society Open Science, proves that the fossil is related to modern anguimorphs such as anguids and monitors. The discovery ...

If everyone in the United States population was as active as the top 25 per cent, individuals over the age of 40 could add five years to their life, according to a new study led by Griffith University researchers.   Physical activity has long been known to be good for health, however estimates have varied regarding how much benefit could be gained from a defined amount of activity, both for individuals and for populations.  This latest study used accelerometry to gain an accurate view of the population’s physical activity levels instead of relying on survey responses as per other studies, and found the benefits were around twice as strong ...

Plants need light to grow, but too much light can induce damage to the photosynthetic complex known as photosystem II. It is known that plants adapted to growing under full sun repair this light-induced damage more. But this repair activity slows down in colder temperatures. An Osaka Metropolitan University-led international research team has now found some clues to how plants survive in colder regions. Graduate School of Science Associate Professor Riichi Oguchi and colleagues from Australia, Austria, and Japan grew Arabidopsis thaliana (commonly ...

Public health recommendations generally suggest drinking eight cups of water a day. And many people just assume it’s healthy to drink plenty of water.   Now researchers at UC San Francisco have taken a systematic look at the available evidence. They concluded that drinking enough water can help with weight loss and prevent kidney stones, as well as migraines, urinary tract infections and low blood pressure.   “For such a ubiquitous and simple intervention, the evidence hasn’t been clear and the benefits were not well-established, so we wanted to take a closer look,” said senior and corresponding author Benjamin Breyer, MD, MAS, the Taube ...

Men with cardiovascular disease risk factors, including obesity, face brain health decline a decade earlier—from their mid 50s to mid 70s—than similarly affected women who are most susceptible from their mid 60s to mid 70s, suggest the findings of a long term study, published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.   The most vulnerable regions of the brain are those involved in processing auditory information, aspects of visual perception, emotional processing and memory, with ...