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A user manual for yeast’s genetic switches

A user manual for yeast’s genetic switches
2024-12-19
When introducing genes into yeast to make it produce drugs and other useful substances, it is also necessary to reliably switch the production on or off. A Kobe University team found three gene regulation design principles that provide a flexible guideline for the effective control of microbiological production. It’s said that DNA is the blueprint of life, telling our cells what to produce. But DNA also contains the switches telling those cells when to produce something and how much of it. Therefore, when introducing new genes into cells to produce useful chemicals such ...

More people living without running water in US cities since the global financial crisis

More people living without running water in US cities since the global financial crisis
2024-12-19
More American cities – even those seen as affluent – are home to people living without running water as people are being ‘squeezed’ by unaffordable housing and the cost-of-living crisis, new research finds. Published in Nature Cities, the study revealed the problem worsened following changes to the housing market triggered by the 2008 global crash. And since 2017 it has been “expanding in scope and severity” to affect a broader array of US cities including Portland (OR), Phoenix, Houston, Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Philadelphia, as well as large urban areas such as Los Angeles, New York City and San Francisco. The research ...

Study finds slowing of age-related declines in older adults

2024-12-19
A new study from the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center at the Mailman School of Public Health reveals significant improvements in the health of older adults in England when compared to previous generations. Rather than considering health through the presence or absence of disease, the study, published in Nature Aging, applied a new approach that examined trends in people’s functioning – their cognitive, locomotor, psychological, and sensory capacities. Using data from the English Longitudinal Study ...

Tinkering with the “clockwork” mechanisms of life

2024-12-19
Living organisms monitor time – and react to it – in many different ways, from detecting light and sound in microseconds to responding physiologically in pre-programmed ways, via their daily sleep cycle, monthly menstrual cycle, or to changes in the seasons. Such ability to react at different timescales is made possible via molecular switches or nanomachines that act or communicate as precise molecular timers, programmed to turn on and off in response to the environment and time. Now, ...

Machine psychology – a bridge to general AI

2024-12-19
Artificial intelligence that is as intelligent as humans may become possible thanks to psychological learning models, combined with certain types of AI. This is the conclusion of Robert Johansson, who in his dissertation from Linköping University has developed the concept of Machine Psychology and how it can contribute to AI development. Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) has been the holy grail of AI research since the 1950s. So far, humanity has not managed to create an artificial intelligence that can solve intellectual tasks in the same way ...

Walking speed as a simple predictor of metabolic health in obese individuals

Walking speed as a simple predictor of metabolic health in obese individuals
2024-12-19
Walking speed can provide insights into health, extending beyond mere mobility, so much so that it is considered to be the “sixth vital sign.” Past studies have suggested that a slow walking speed is correlated with the development of cardiovascular diseases and an increased risk of mortality in the elderly. A recent study led by Prof. Kojiro Ishii from Doshisha University, in collaboration with Dr. Yukio Yamamoto, Dr. Kentaro Ikeue, Dr. Kan Oishi, and Dr. Takaaki Mori from Doshisha University, ...

Houston Methodist scientists make surprising discovery pinpointing when good cholesterol becomes harmful

Houston Methodist scientists make surprising discovery pinpointing when good cholesterol becomes harmful
2024-12-19
HOUSTON-(Dec. 18, 2024) –Houston Methodist researchers have discovered that certain components of so-called “good” cholesterol -- high-density lipoproteins (HDL) – may be associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease.   Led by Henry J. Pownall, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry in medicine at the Houston Methodist Research Institute, and Khurram Nasir, M.D., M.P.H., a cardiologist and division chief of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at Houston Methodist, the research team is using innovative methods to investigate the role of certain properties of HDL in heart health.   “During ...

Shiitake-derived functional food shows suppression of liver fibrosis progression

Shiitake-derived functional food shows suppression of liver fibrosis progression
2024-12-19
Chronic liver damage can lead to hepatitis, which causes fibrosis of the liver. This buildup of collagen and other fibrous tissue accelerates when hepatic stellate cells become activated during hepatitis, often resulting in liver cancer or cirrhosis, both of which can be fatal. As there are no effective drugs to treat cirrhosis, suppressing the activation of the stellate cells is considered as a way of controlling the progression of liver fibrosis. “It is estimated that one out of every 3-4 ...

Breathing new life into technology: New way of separating oxygen from argon

Breathing new life into technology: New way of separating oxygen from argon
2024-12-19
Efficient gas separation is vital in various industries, from medical applications to energy production. However, isolating oxygen from mixtures presents a significant technological challenge. Because many gases, including argon and oxygen, share similar physical properties, separating them is difficult. Now, Ryotaro Matsuda and his team at Nagoya University have developed a unique porous metal-organic framework (MOF), which represents a novel approach to gas separation: a combined phenomenon of "adsorption" and "dissolution" that they term the "adsorptive-dissolution" ...

Leveraging AI to assist clinicians with physical exams

2024-12-19
Physical examinations are important diagnostic tools that can reveal critical insights into a patient’s health, but complex conditions may be overlooked if a clinician lacks specialized training in that area. While previous research has investigated using large language models (LLMs) as tools to aid in providing diagnoses, their use in physical exams remains untapped. To address this gap, researchers from Mass General Brigham prompted the LLM GPT-4 to recommend physical exam instructions based on patient symptoms. ...

Brain inflammation alters behaviour according to sex

2024-12-19
Inflammation in the hippocampus – the brain’s memory centre – significantly alters motivation and behaviour in mice, including food-seeking behaviour, with notable differences between males and females, a recent study reveals. The hippocampus plays a crucial role in memory formation, learning and emotional regulation. Hippocampal neuroinflammation occurs in a range of diseases and disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Multiple Sclerosis and Depression.  People with these diseases often experience common symptoms such as apathy, difficulty with daily activities and changes to food preferences. These symptoms also tend to be more severe in women than in men. “While ...

Almost all leading AI chatbots show signs of cognitive decline

2024-12-19
Almost all leading large language models or “chatbots” show signs of mild cognitive impairment in tests widely used to spot early signs of dementia, finds a study in the Christmas issue of The BMJ. The results also show that “older” versions of chatbots, like older patients, tend to perform worse on the tests. The authors say these findings “challenge the assumption that artificial intelligence will soon replace human doctors.” Huge advances in the field of artificial intelligence have led to a flurry of excited and fearful speculation as to whether chatbots can surpass human physicians. Several studies have shown large ...

Surgeons show greater dexterity in children’s buzz wire game than other hospital staff

2024-12-19
Surgeons are quicker and more successful at completing a buzz wire game compared with other hospital staff, finds a study in the Christmas issue of The BMJ. However, surgeons are also more likely to swear during the task, while nurses and non-clinical staff show the highest rates of audible noises of frustration. The researchers say their study highlights the diverse skill sets across hospital staff roles, and they suggest surgical swear jars should be considered for future fundraising events. Within a hospital, ...

Fairy tales can help teach children about healthy sleep

2024-12-19
Some traditional fairy tales and classic children’s fiction that have soothed many a child to sleep may also provide accessible and engaging ways to discuss healthy sleep with children, suggest researchers in the Christmas issue of The BMJ. Megan Thomas and colleagues analysed four popular fairy tales that include information about the benefits of sleep and the characteristics of sleep disorder. For example, Snow White illustrates some of the daytime consequences of poor sleep due to obstructive sleep apnoea which is common in some conditions associated with short stature. These can ...

Diarrheal diseases remain a leading killer for children under 5, adults 70+

2024-12-19
SEATTLE, Wash., Dec. 18, 2024 – New global study reports a 60% drop in global mortality from diarrheal diseases, but children and the elderly still have the highest death rates, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. That’s according to the latest and most comprehensive study from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) conducted by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) and published today in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal. In 2021, diarrheal diseases caused 1.2 million deaths worldwide, which is a substantial drop from 2.9 million deaths recorded in 1990. The largest decrease was among children under 5 years with a 79% decline, but that age group ...

Unlocking new insights into in-plane magnetic field-induced hall effects

Unlocking new insights into in-plane magnetic field-induced hall effects
2024-12-19
In-plane magnetic fields are responsible for inducing anomalous Hall effect in EuCd₂Sb₂ films, report researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo. By studying how these fields change electronic structures, the team discovered a large in-plane anomalous Hall effect. These findings pave the way for new strategies for controlling electronic transport under magnetic fields, potentially advancing applications in magnetic sensors. The Hall effect is a fundamental phenomenon in material science. It occurs when a material carrying an electric current is exposed to a magnetic field, producing a voltage perpendicular to both the current and the magnetic field. This effect has been ...

MouseGoggles offer immersive look into neural activity

2024-12-18
ITHACA, N.Y. – In recent years, mice have entered a new arena – virtual reality – and now Cornell University researchers have built mini VR headsets to more fully immerse them. The team’s MouseGoggles were created using low-cost, off-the-shelf components, such as smartwatch displays and tiny lenses, and track the mouse’s eye movements and changes in pupil size. The technology has the potential to help reveal the neural activity that informs spatial navigation and memory function, giving researchers new insights into disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and its potential treatments. The research was led by Chris Schaffer, professor of biomedical ...

For optimal marathon performance, check training plan, gear, nutrition, weather — and air quality?

2024-12-18
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — When preparing for a marathon, runners don’t usually think much about air quality. But maybe they should, according to findings from a new study by researchers at the Brown University School of Public Health.  When the research team assessed the association between fine particulate matter in the air and marathon finish times, they found that greater race-day pollution is associated with slower average marathon finish times. Their findings were published in the journal Sports Medicine. The difference seems small, said study author Elvira Fleury, who led the research while enrolled as a graduate student at Brown, but ...

Researchers find new way to 'starve' prostate cancer tumors at the cellular level

Researchers find new way to starve prostate cancer tumors at the cellular level
2024-12-18
INDIANAPOLIS — New research by a team of Indiana University School of Medicine scientists and their collaborators has uncovered a novel vulnerability in prostate cancer animal models that starves prostate tumors of critical nutrients and stunts their growth, which could lead to the development of new treatments for the deadly disease. Led by IU School of Medicine's Kirk Staschke, PhD, assistant research professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, and Ronald C. Wek, PhD, Showalter Professor of Biochemistry, the study was recently published in Science Signaling. Prostate cancer is a ...

Are AI chatbots helping the planet—or repeating old biases?

2024-12-18
AI chatbots may seem like neutral tools, but a new study from UBC researchers suggests they often contain biases that could shape environmental discourse in unhelpful ways. The research team examined how four leading AI chatbots respond to questions about environmental issues—and the findings are surprising. “It was striking how narrow-minded AI models were in discussing environmental challenges,” said lead researcher Hamish van der Ven, an assistant professor in the faculty ...

Q&A: New AI training method lets systems better adjust to users’ values

2024-12-18
Ask most major artificial intelligence chatbots, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, to say something cruel or inappropriate and the system will say it wants to keep things “respectful.” These systems, trained on the content of a profusely disrespectful internet, learned what constitutes respect through human training. The standard method, called reinforcement learning from human feedback, or RLHF, has people compare two outputs from the systems and select whichever is better. It’s used to improve the quality of responses — ...

New study unlocks parental identity with new lens on education spending

2024-12-18
How much parents spend on their children’s education has a big impact on family well-being and a country’s overall development. While past studies suggested that ethnic and racial backgrounds affect this spending, they lacked solid experimental proof – making their findings less reliable. A new study led by Lingjiang Lora Tu, Ph.D., from Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business examines the psychological factors driving parental investment in education, highlighting how a parent’s self-view – whether they see themselves as independent or connected to others – shapes their spending patterns. ...

Getting in sync: Wearables reveal happiest times to sleep

2024-12-18
Sleep schedules are often one of the first things that people choose to compromise in order to check everything off their to-do lists, especially with the end of the year approaching. But folks hoping for happy holidays should reconsider.  A new study from the University of Michigan shows that when people's sleep cycles are misaligned with their internal clocks, or circadian rhythms, it can have drastic effects on their moods. Conversely, however, that means getting sleep when the body's expecting it provides a potent boost to one's emotional state and could alleviate symptoms associated with mood disorders, said senior author Daniel Forger. "This is not going ...

Good news for seniors: Study finds antibiotics not linked to dementia

2024-12-18
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 P.M. ET, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2024   MINNEAPOLIS – For healthy older adults, using antibiotics is not associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment or dementia, according to a study published in the December 18, 2024, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Cognitive impairment is when someone has subtle changes in thinking and memory like forgetting events and losing items more often. Dementia is when thinking and memory problems become more advanced ...

Sleep apnea linked to changes in the brain

2024-12-18
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 P.M. ET, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2024 MINNEAPOLIS – People with breathing problems during sleep may have a larger hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for memory and thinking, according to a study published in the December 18, 2024, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study, which included mostly Latino people, also found that those with lower oxygen levels during sleep had changes in the deep parts of the brain, the white matter, a common finding of decreased brain health that develops with age. Sleep disordered breathing is a range ...
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