Science Briefs
Technology Briefs [# 01]
January 2024
42 News Items
| REF # | HEADLINE | SUMMARY | SOURCE | JOURNAL | Press Rel | PubMed | CONTENT | KEYS | # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2402-031 | Mapping Pig Genes for Human Medicines: A Revolutionary Approach | Research comparing pigs and humans has identified differences and similarities that can lead to healthier pigs for farmers and better laboratory pigs for pharmaceutical testing. | Aarhus University | Nature Genetics | Press Rel | PubMed | It may sound strange, but we can actually learn more about ourselves by studying pigs. -- Pigs and humans are pretty similar. Our organs, our skin and the way many diseases develop are largely the same. -- Pigs have therefore long been used to develop and test new medicines, even though pigs are larger, more expensive and more difficult to use in experiments than rats and mice. -- And now pigs may become even more valuable as laboratory animals, because researchers from the Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics at Aarhus University have mapped the most important genetic similarities between pigs and humans. -- The researchers have not only identified the genes that are the same in humans and pigs; they have also identified the so-called 'transcriptome' across a number of tissue types. Where the genome includes all the genes found in the DNA of our cells, whether active or inactive, the transcriptome includes the genes that are active in the different types of cells in our body, says Lingzhao Fang, one of the main researchers behind the new findings. -- "We examined which genes are active and how they are regulated in 34 different types of tissue in pigs, and compared this with similar studies in humans. We looked at everything from testicular tissue to skin cells and various brain cells," he says and continues: -- "No one has ever conducted a study at this scale and comprehensiveness, and we hope the new knowledge can make a difference in agriculture as well as in the pharmaceutical industry." -- More useful knowledge from RNA -- A little more than 20 years ago, a group of more than 1,000 researchers succeeded in mapping the entire human genome. After completing the project, the researchers hoped they could now develop treatments for nearly all diseases, because they now knew the code and could identify the errors. -- But that is not how the story went. | R02 E02 | 1 |
| 2401-018 | Brain Lesions in Former Football Players Linked to Vascular Changes | White matter hyperintensities, seen on brain scans, may be more strongly associated with dementia markers in former tackle football players compared to those who did not play football, suggesting a link between brain injury and long-term cognitive effects. | American Academy of Neurology | Neurology | Press Rel | PubMed | Signs of injury to the brain's white matter called white matter hyperintensities, as seen on brain scans, may be tied more strongly to vascular risk factors, brain shrinkage, and other markers of dementia in former tackle football players than in those who did not play football, according to a study published in the December 20, 2023, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. -- "Studies have shown that athletes exposed to repetitive head impacts can have increased white matter hyperintensity burden in their brains," said study author Michael L. Alosco, PhD, of Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. -- "White matter hyperintensities are easily seen on MRI as markers of injury of various causes. We know these markers are more common as people age and with medical conditions such as high blood pressure, but these results provide initial insight that they may be related to multiple aspects of brain damage from repetitive head impacts." -- Alosco said looking at white matter hyperintensities on brain scans may be a promising tool to study the long-term effects of repetitive head impacts. -- Repetitive head impacts have also been associated with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative disease that can result in dementia. -- The study does not prove that repetitive head impacts and white matter hyperintensities cause other brain changes. -- It only shows an association. -- The study involved 120 former professional football players and 60 former college football players with an average age of 57. They were compared to 60 men with an average age of 59 who had no symptoms, did not play football, and had no history of repetitive head impacts or concussion. -- The participants had brain scans and lumbar punctures to look for biomarkers of neurodegenerative disease and white matter changes, along with other assessments. -- In the former football players, a higher burden of white matter hyperintensities was associated with greater vascular risk factors; increased concentrations of p-tau proteins found in Alzheimer's disease, CTE, and other neurodegenerative diseases; more brain shrinkage and a decrease in the integrity of the white matter pathways in the brain. | H01 R02 | 2 |
| 2401-068 | Disrupted Sleep Increases Risk of Memory and Thinking Problems Later in Life | Disrupted sleep in one's 30s and 40s may be associated with memory and thinking problems later in life, according to a study published in Neurology®. While the study shows an association, it does not establish causation. | American Academy of Neurology | Neurology | Press Rel | PubMed | People who have more disrupted sleep in their 30s and 40s may be more likely to have memory and thinking problems a decade later, according to new research published in the January 3, 2024, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study does not prove that sleep quality causes cognitive decline. It only shows an association. -- "Given that signs of Alzheimer's disease start to accumulate in the brain several decades before symptoms begin, understanding the connection between sleep and cognition earlier in life is critical for understanding the role of sleep problems as a risk factor for the disease," said study author Yue Leng, PhD, of the University of California, San Francisco. -- "Our findings indicate that the quality rather than the quantity of sleep matters most for cognitive health in middle age." -- The study involved 526 people with an average age of 40. They were followed for 11 years. -- Researchers looked at participants' sleep duration and quality. -- Participants wore a wrist activity monitor for three consecutive days on two occasions approximately one year apart to calculate their averages. -- Participants slept for an average of six hours. -- Participants also reported bedtimes and wake times in a sleep diary and completed a sleep quality survey with scores ranging from zero to 21, with higher scores indicating poorer sleep quality. -- A total of 239 people, or 46%, reported poor sleep with a score greater than five. -- Participants also completed a series of memory and thinking tests. | H02 R02 | 3 |
| 2402-065 | Disrupted Sleep and Cognitive Decline: The Link Revealed in Midlife | Disrupted sleep in the 30s and 40s may increase the risk of memory and thinking problems later in life, according to a study. | American Academy of Neurology | Neurology | Press Rel | PubMed | People who have more disrupted sleep in their 30s and 40s may be more likely to have memory and thinking problems a decade later, according to new research published in the January 3, 2024, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study does not prove that sleep quality causes cognitive decline. It only shows an association. -- "Given that signs of Alzheimer's disease start to accumulate in the brain several decades before symptoms begin, understanding the connection between sleep and cognition earlier in life is critical for understanding the role of sleep problems as a risk factor for the disease," said study author Yue Leng, PhD, of the University of California, San Francisco. -- "Our findings indicate that the quality rather than the quantity of sleep matters most for cognitive health in middle age." -- The study involved 526 people with an average age of 40. They were followed for 11 years. -- Researchers looked at participants' sleep duration and quality. -- Participants wore a wrist activity monitor for three consecutive days on two occasions approximately one year apart to calculate their averages. -- Participants slept for an average of six hours. -- Participants also reported bedtimes and wake times in a sleep diary and completed a sleep quality survey with scores ranging from zero to 21, with higher scores indicating poorer sleep quality. -- A total of 239 people, or 46%, reported poor sleep with a score greater than five. -- Participants also completed a series of memory and thinking tests. | H01 H02 R02 T02 | 4 |
| 2401-T019 | Designing the Perfect Meal for Long-Term Space Travel: A Tasty Vegetarian Salad | As space agencies plan for long-duration missions, the challenge of providing nutritious and appealing meals becomes crucial. Researchers in ACS Food Science & Technology have designed an optimal "space meal" - a vegetarian salad made from fresh ingredients that meet the specialized nutritional needs of male astronauts and can be grown in space. | American Chemical Society | ACS Food Science & Technology | Press Rel | PubMed | Imagine blasting off on a multiyear voyage to Mars, fueled by a diet of bland, prepackaged meals. As space agencies plan for longer missions, they're grappling with the challenge of how to best feed people. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Food Science & Technology have designed the optimal "space meal": a tasty vegetarian salad. Theychose fresh ingredients that meet male astronauts' specialized nutritional needs and can be grown in space. -- Astronauts in space burn more calories than humans on Earth and require extra micronutrients, such as calcium, to stay healthy during extended exposure to microgravity. -- Additionally, future long-term missions will require growing food in a sustainable, circular way within the spacecraft or space colonies. -- While researchers have explored methods of growing food in space and what nutrients astronauts require to stay healthy, specific fresh meals have not been developed. -- So, Volker Hessel and coworkers wanted to optimize a space meal that meets those unique requirements of spaceflight and tastes good. -- First, the researchers assessed combinations of fresh ingredients, using a method called linear programming, which computationally balances different variables to meet a specific goal. -- In this case, their model identified how well the combinations of different foods could meet a male astronaut's daily nutritional needs while minimizing the water required to grow the foods. -- The team was also concerned about the sustainability of the foods in space, selecting ingredients that needed little fertilizer, time and area to grow and whether inedible portions could be recycled. -- Of the 10 scenarios the researchers examined, they found that a vegetarian meal made up of soybeans, poppy seeds, barley, kale, peanuts, sweet potato and/or sunflower seeds provided the most efficient balance of maximal nutrients and minimal farming inputs. -- While this combination couldn't quite provide all the micronutrients an astronaut needs, those missing could be added in a supplement, the researchers suggest. | H01 R01 E01 T02 | 5 |
| 2402-E052 | PFAS Circulate the World: Arctic Ocean's Role in Global Chemical Transport | Research in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology Letters suggests that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can be transported in a feedback loop from the Arctic Ocean to the North Atlantic Ocean, circulating these "forever chemicals" around the world. | American Chemical Society | Environmental Science & Technology Letters | Press Rel | PubMed | The frigid Arctic Ocean is far removed from the places most people live, but even so, "forever chemicals" reach this remote landscape. Now, research in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology Letters suggests that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) won't stay there indefinitely. Instead, they are transported in a feedback loop, with the Arctic Ocean potentially exporting as many PFAS to the North Atlantic Ocean as it receives, circulating the compounds around the world. -- To get to the Arctic Ocean, some PFAS hitch a ride in the air and fall onto the ocean's surface, but others enter from adjacent oceans. -- The potential impact of these compounds on marine organisms depends on what PFAS are present and how much, which are ever-changing as water flows between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean. -- These waterbodies are connected by the Fram Strait, which sits to the northeast of Greenland near the Svalbard archipelago. -- Warm water travels north on the eastern side of the strait, and cold water flows south along the western side, providing a dynamic gateway for PFAS transportation. -- So, Rainer Lohmann and colleagues wanted to track the movement of PFAS in this region and identify how water circulation influences the mix of contaminants in the Arctic Ocean. -- The researchers deployed passive sampling systems, which took up PFAS into a sorbent-filled microporous membrane from water as it flowed past. -- They put the systems at three locations in the Fram Strait, and at four depths in each location. -- After a year, the team retrieved the systems and measured the collected PFAS using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. -- The researchers overserved that: | E01 | 6 |
| 2402-E020 | Improving Badminton Birdies: Analyzing the Flight of Nylon Shuttlecocks | Scientists have studied the aerodynamic performance of nylon shuttlecocks, commonly used in badminton, at various flight speeds, using computational analyses to understand their flight behavior and skirt deformation. | American Institute of Physics | Physics of Fluids | Press Rel | PubMed | Badminton traces its roots back more than a millennium, but the modern version of the racket game originated in the late 19th century in England. Today, it is the second most popular sport in the world behind soccer, with an estimated 220 million people who enjoy playing. For the last three decades, badminton has been a competitive Olympic sport, and with "bird" speeds topping 300 mph in "smash" shots, it certainly makes for exciting spectator sport. -- Shuttlecocks, also known as birdies or birds, are traditionally made from duck feathers, but nylon shuttlecocks have become more widely used because of their superior durability. -- Their flight behavior, however, is far different from that of traditional feather birdies. -- In Physics of Fluids, by AIP Publishing, a trio of scientists in India explored the aerodynamic performance of nylon shuttlecocks at various flight speeds. -- Through computational analyses based on two-way fluid-structure interactions, the team coupled equations governing air flow with equations determining skirt deformation of a shuttlecock in flight. -- "We studied the flow by examining aerodynamic forces on the shuttlecock as well as its deformations at each flight speed," said author Sanjay Mittal. -- "The pressure on the skirt causes it to deform inwards and this deformation increases with speed." -- The team identified four distinct regimes of deformation. At speeds less than 40 meters per second (89 mph), the skirt maintains circularity despite cross-sectional deformation; at higher speeds, it buckles and deforms into a square before it then vibrates radially. -- Eventually, it undergoes a low frequency wavelike circumferential deformation. -- "The cross-sectional area of the shuttlecock decreases with speed, which lowers the air flow rate through the shuttlecock," said Mittal. | E02 | 7 |
| 2402-E025 | Protecting Coral's Future: Importance of Preserving Coral 'Nurseries' | Identifying and protecting marine ecosystems up-current and down-current of coral reefs is crucial for future coral conservation and restoration efforts, especially as reefs face increasing pressure from climate change. | Arizona State University | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | Press Rel | PubMed | When imagining corals, the picture that comes to mind is usually a stationary one: a garden of rock-like structures covering sections of the ocean floor. -- Reef conservation efforts typically focus on preserving established coral and protecting them from known stressors such as pollution, overfishing and runoff from coastline populations. -- However, new research near Miloliʻi in the southwestern part of the island of Hawaii, shows that identifying and protecting marine ecosystems both down-current and up-current of coral reefs, specifically areas where coral larvae are more likely to survive and thrive, is crucial to future coral conservation and restoration efforts -- especially as reefs face increasing pressure from the devastating effects of climate change. -- The research, completed by Arizona State University scientists and their collaborators, appears in the current issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. -- Rachel Carlson, an ASU affiliate scientist and the study's first author, along with Greg Asner, director of ASU's Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science, Larry Crowder, professor of oceans at Stanford University, and Robin Martin, associate professor with the ASU School of Ocean Futures in the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, collaborated on the project. -- Additionally, the ʻĀkoʻakoʻa Reef Restoration Program, a regional effort that fuses cultural leadership, multi-modal education, advanced science and government engagement, backed the research. -- Carlson says this type of collaborative work -- partnerships combining local, Indigenous knowledge and Western science -- is crucial to mapping out a future that ensures the survival of coral populations. -- "There's a lot of Indigenous knowledge about coral spawning and fish populations in West Hawaii. In this study, we addressed an open question: How connected are coral populations between embayments along this coastline?" Carlson said. "What we essentially found is that the major factors in helping the coral keiki, known as larvae, settle down and survive are the nearshore current and the structure of the reef." -- The study shows that the larvae more often settle in and inhabit areas with large boulders and uneven surfaces, or "chunky features," said Carlson, who is also a Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellow at the UC Davis Bodega Marine Lab. Adult coral will spawn millions of larvae into the water column and those larvae prefer to settle in places with large knolls and boulders. -- This discovery is good news: These kinds of seafloor features have been mapped via ASU's Global Airborne Observatory, a highly specialized aircraft that uses several types of remote sensing technologies to track both underwater and land-based habitats. This means that the researchers have the capability to help find and map priority reefs for conservation and restoration. | H02 E01 E02 | 8 |
| 2401-055 | Novel Gene Expression Switch Offers Safer Gene Therapy Solutions | Regulating gene expression is crucial in gene therapy, and researchers have developed a technology to effectively achieve this, addressing a gap in clinical applications. | Baylor College of Medicine | Nature Biotechnology | Press Rel | PubMed | Just like a doctor adjusts the dose of a medication to the patient's needs, the expression of therapeutic genes, those modified in a person to treat or cure a disease via gene therapy, also needs to be maintained within a therapeutic window. Staying within the therapeutic window is important as too much of the protein could be toxic, and too little could result in a small or no therapeutic effect. -- Although the principle of therapeutic window has been known for a long time, there has been no strategy to implement it safely, limiting the potential applications of gene therapy in the clinic. -- In their current study published in the journal Nature Biotechnology, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine report on a technology to effectively regulate gene expression, a promising solution to fill this gap in gene therapy clinical applications. -- "Although there are several gene regulation systems used in mammalian cells, none has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for clinical applications, mainly because those systems use a regulatory protein that is foreign to the human body, which triggers an immune response against it," said corresponding author Dr. Laising Yen, associate professor of pathology and immunology and of molecular and cellular biology at Baylor. -- "This means that the cells that are expressing the therapeutic protein would be attacked, eliminated or neutralized by the patient's immune system, making the therapy ineffective." -- For more than a decade, Yen and his colleagues have been working on this technology and now they have found a solution to overcome the main obstacles in its clinical use. -- "The solution we found does not involve a foreign regulatory protein that will evoke an immune response in patients. Instead, we use small molecules to interact with RNA, which typically do not trigger an immune response," Yen said. -- "Other groups also have made attempts to resolve this critical issue, but the drug concentrations they used are beyond what the FDA has approved for patients. We were able to engineer our system in such a way that it works at the FDA-approved dosage." -- A switch to turn genes on/off on cue -- Yen and his colleagues developed a system that turns genes on to different levels on cue using small molecules at FDA-approved doses. | H01 | 9 |
| 2402-E031 | Flight Skills Development: Captive-Bred Birds Enhance Performance during Migration | Egyptian vultures' flying skills during migration have been studied by researchers, who found that both environmental factors during development and acquired experience play a role in their behavioral skills. | Ben-Gurion University of the Negev | Current Biology | Press Rel | PubMed | Two types of experiences affect the behavioral skills of animals: the animal's environment during its early development and acquired experience. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev's researchers followed Egyptian vultures during migration, a critical and challenging period for them, and investigated how their flying skills developed by examining their performance using high resolution tracking. -- Their findings were published in the journal Current Biology last month. -- The flight skills of two groups of birds of the species Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus), a long-distance soaring raptor, were assessed using GPS transmitters for 127 autumn migrations of 65 individuals. The two groups were quite different in terms of their early life experiences: one group was raised in captivity and the other in the wild. The birds in both groups improved their flight and migration performance as they gained experience. However, the improvements observed were most evident for vultures raised in captivity. -- During their first migration, the captive-bred birds were less efficient but were able to catch up with the migration performance of those raised in the wild as early as the second migration. Thus, the experience gained helped offset the shortcomings of their early life experience at an early stage. Just as it is harder for humans to learn a language in old age, the vultures that hatched in captivity and were set free at a later age found it difficult to learn the necessary flying and roaming skills, but eventually caught up with those that learned earlier. -- "We were able to generate data on the vultures' migration and flying skills. The data made it possible to learn about the value of early experience and acquired experience and their impact on the ability of birds to cope with challenging periods such as migration," explained Dr. Ron Efrat, one of the lead investigators, who recently completed his doctoral studies in the laboratoryof Prof. Oded Berger-Tal of theJacob Blaustein Institutes forDesert Research at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. "It seems that birds, like humans, are also affected by their life experience," he concluded. -- The research group included: Prof. Nir Sapir from the University of Haifa, Prof. Thomas Mueller from Frankfurt University, and the Senckenberg Research Center in Germany, and Ohad Hatzofe, Bird Ecologist of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. -- This study was supported by the German Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development (GIF), grant number I-1465-413.13.2018. In addition, Ron Efrat was supported by the Adams Fellowship of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities. | E02 | 10 |
| 2402-092 | Research Lays Groundwork for Lifesaving Vaccine Against Group B Strep Infections | Researchers from Binghamton University are studying Group B Strep (GBS) infections in pregnant women, aiming to develop a vaccine in the future. This research could potentially save lives and improve prenatal care. | Binghamton University | Infection and Immunity | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers from Binghamton University, State University of New York are unraveling the workings of Group B Strep (GBS) infections in pregnant women, which could someday lead to a vaccine. -- One in five pregnant women carry Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Strep or GBS) in the vaginal tract, which is typically harmless -- except when it isn't. -- The bacterial infection poses serious and even fatal consequences for newborns, including pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis, which can have long-term effects on the child's cognitive function. -- Researchers from Binghamton University's Biofilm Research Center and the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SOPPS) are unraveling the workings of GBS infections, which could someday lead to a vaccine. -- Their article, "In silico and experimental analysis of the repeated domains in BvaP, a protein important for GBS vaginal colonization," was recently published in Infection and Immunity. -- "This research has identified and characterized a novel protein that could serve as a vaccine candidate to fight a bacterium that impacts women's reproductive health and neonatal outcomes," said first author Lamar Thomas PhD '23, now a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, San Diego, in the Department of Pediatrics. -- "I hope this work will inspire others to explore other novel proteins and microbial agents that may potentially aid in improving global health." -- When most people think of "strep," they have in mind Streptococcus pyogenes -- Group A Strep or GAS, which causes strep throat and necrotizing fasciitis, a "flesh-eating" infection, explained Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Laura Cook, a co-author of the paper along with Nicholas Faiola of the Biofilm Research Center and Emily Canessa and Yetrib Hathout of SOPPS. -- "There are many other pathogenic species of Streptococcus as well, including GBS and Streptococcus pneumoniae, which also causes many diseases, especially in the elderly," she said. -- GBS can pass from mother to child in utero, potentially causing preterm birth, or after birth via close contact like breastfeeding, but these infections are rare. | H01 | 11 |
| 2402-T002 | Unraveling Atomic Corrosion: New Research Sheds Light on the Process | Researchers have uncovered how corrosion occurs on the atomic level, providing insights into the mechanical problems caused by water vapor meeting metal. | Binghamton University | Science Advances | Press Rel | PubMed | When water vapor meets metal, the resulting corrosion can lead to mechanical problems that harm a machine's performance. Through a process called passivation, it also can form a thin inert layer that acts as a barrier against further deterioration. -- Either way, the exact chemical reaction is not well understood on an atomic level, but that is changing thanks to a technique called environmental transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which allows researchers to directly view molecules interacting on the tiniest possible scale. -- Professor Guangwen Zhou -- a faculty member at Binghamton University, State University of New York's Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science -- has been probing the secrets of atomic reactions since joining the Department of Mechanical Engineering in 2007. -- Along with collaborators from the University of Pittsburgh and the Brookhaven National Laboratory, he has studied the structural and functional properties of metals and the process of making "green" steel. -- Their latest research, "Atomistic mechanisms of water vapor induced surface passivation," was published in November in the journal Science Advances. Co-authors included Binghamton PhD students Xiaobo Chen, Dongxiang Wu, Chaoran Li, Shuonan Ye and Shyam Bharatkumar Patel, MS '21; Na Cai, PhD '12; Zhao Liu, PhD '20; Weitao Shan, MS '16, and Guofeng Wang from the University of Pittsburgh; and Sooyeon Hwang, Dmitri N. Zakharov and Jorge Anibal Boscoboinik from the Brookhaven National Laboratory. -- In the paper, Zhou and his team introduced water vapor to clean aluminum samples and observed the surface reactions. -- "This phenomenon is well-known because it happens in our daily lives," he said. -- "But how do water molecules react with aluminum to form this passivation layer? If you look at the [research] literature, there's not much work about how this happens at an atomic scale. If we want to use it for good, we must know, because then we will have some way to control it." -- They discovered something that had never been observed before: In addition to the aluminum hydroxide layer that formed on the surface, a second amorphous layer developed underneath it, which indicates there is a transport mechanism that diffuses oxygen into the substrate. -- "Most corrosion studies focus on the growth of the passivation layer and how it slows down the corrosion process," Zhou said. | Z01 | 12 |
| 2402-E058 | Tomatoes in the Battle: Exploring Nrc Proteins' Role in Defense Mechanisms | A study delves into the defense mechanisms of tomatoes against Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst), highlighting the ongoing arms race between plants and pathogens. | Boyce Thompson Institute | The Plant Journal | Press Rel | PubMed | In the fascinating world of plant biology, an innovative study recently featured on the cover of The Plant Journal has been turning heads. The research delves into the intricate defense mechanisms of tomatoes against the notorious bacterial pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst). It's a classic tale of nature's arms race: as pathogens evolve to outsmart plant defenses, plants counter with more sophisticated immune responses. -- The study is based on research conducted by scientists in Dr. Greg Martin's lab at the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI). Central to the study are proteins called Nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptors (NLRs), the plant equivalent of immune system warriors. -- They recognize and respond to pathogen attacks, triggering a series of defense mechanisms. -- Among these are the helper NLRs, Nrc2 and Nrc3, which work in concert with the tomato NLR Prf and its partner kinase, Pto, in a well-orchestrated defense against Pst. -- The groundbreaking aspect of this research lies in its exploration of the roles of Nrc2 and Nrc3. -- Using CRISPR technology, the scientists created tomato mutant plants lacking these NLRs. -- While these mutants appeared normal under typical conditions, they exhibited increased susceptibility to Pst, similar to plants lacking the Prf protein. -- "This finding was pivotal, highlighting the indispensable role of Nrc2 and Nrc3 in the tomato immune response," noted Dr. Ning Zhang, a post-doctoral researcher at BTI and first author of the study. -- One of the most intriguing outcomes of the research is understanding how Nrc2 and Nrc3 fit into the overall defense system. -- They seem to act upstream in the signaling cascade that leads to programmed cell death -- a critical component of the plant's immune response. | E03 | 13 |
| 2401-030 | GPT-4's Potential to Perpetuate Biases in Clinical Decision Making: Study Highlights Concerns | Preliminary studies indicate that large language models like GPT-4 can perpetuate social biases that may negatively affect historically marginalized groups in clinical decision support scenarios. | Brigham and Women's Hospital | The Lancet Digital Health | Press Rel | PubMed | Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and GPT-4 have the potential to assist in clinical practice to automate administrative tasks, draft clinical notes, communicate with patients, and even support clinical decision making. However, preliminary studies suggest the models can encode and perpetuate social biases that could adversely affect historically marginalized groups. A new study by investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, evaluated the tendency of GPT-4 to encode and exhibit racial and gender biases in four clinical decision support roles. Their results are published in The Lancet Digital Health. -- "While most of the focus is on using LLMs for documentation or administrative tasks, there is also excitement about the potential to use LLMs to support clinical decision making," said corresponding author Emily Alsentzer, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the Division of General Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital. -- "We wanted to systematically assess whether GPT-4 encodes racial and gender biases that impact its ability to support clinical decision making." -- Alsentzer and colleagues tested four applications of GPT-4 using the Azure OpenAI platform. -- First, they prompted GPT-4 to generate patient vignettes that can be used in medical education. -- Next, they tested GPT-4's ability to correctly develop a differential diagnosis and treatment plan for 19 different patient cases from a NEJM Healer, a medical education tool that presents challenging clinical cases to medical trainees. -- Finally, they assessed how GPT-4 makes inferences about a patient's clinical presentation using eight case vignettes that were originally generated to measure implicit bias. -- For each application, the authors assessed whether GPT-4's outputs were biased by race or gender. -- For the medical education task, the researchers constructed ten prompts that required GPT-4 to generate a patient presentation for a supplied diagnosis. -- They ran each prompt 100 times and found that GPT-4 exaggerated known differences in disease prevalence by demographic group. | T01 | 14 |
| 2401-E041 | Autophagy's Impact on Aging: New Roles Identified for Cellular Waste Management | Autophagy, which declines with age, may have additional functions related to aging and disposal of misfolded proteins. | Buck Institute for Research on Aging | elegans neurons. | Press Rel | PubMed | Autophagy, which declines with age, may hold more mysteries than researchers previously suspected. In the January 4th issue of Nature Aging, it was noted that scientists from the Buck Institute, Sanford Burnham Prebys and Rutgers University have uncovered possible novel functions for various autophagy genes, which may control different forms of disposal including misfolded proteins -- and ultimately affect aging. -- "While this is very basic research, this work is a reminder that it is critical for us to understand whether we have the whole story about the different genes that have been related to aging or age-related diseases," said Professor Malene Hansen, Ph.D., Buck's chief scientific officer, who is also the study's co-senior author. "If the mechanism we found is conserved in other organisms, we speculate that it may play a broader role in aging than has been previously appreciated and may provide a method to improve life span." -- These new observations provide another perspective to what was traditionally thought to be occurring during autophagy. -- Autophagy is a cellular "housekeeping" process that promotes health by recycling or disposing of damaged DNA and RNA and other cellular components in a multi-step degradative process. It has been shown to be a key player in preventing aging and diseases of aging, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and neurodegeneration. Notably, research has shown that autophagy genes are responsible for prolonged life span in a variety of long-lived organisms. -- The classical explanation of how autophagy works is that the cellular "garbage" to be dealt with is sequestered in a membrane-surrounded vesicle, and ultimately delivered to lysosomes for degradation. However, Hansen, who has studied the role of autophagy in aging for most of her career, was intrigued by an accumulation of evidence that indicated that this was not the only process in which autophagy genes can function. -- "There had been this growing notion over the last few years that genes in the early steps of autophagy were 'moonlighting' in processes outside of this classical lysosomal degradation," she said. Additionally, while it is known that multiple autophagy genes are required for the increased life span, the tissue-specific roles of specific autophagy genes are not well defined. -- To comprehensively investigate the role that autophagy genes play in neurons -- a key cell type for neurodegenerative diseases -- the team analyzed Caenorhabditis elegans, a tiny worm that is frequently used to model the genetics of aging and which has a very well-studied nervous system. The researchers specifically inhibited autophagy genes functioning at each step of the process in the neurons of the animals, and found that neuronal inhibition of early-acting, but not late-acting, autophagy genes, extended life span. These initial observations were made in Dr. Hansen's lab at Sanford Burnham Prebys in La Jolla, California, before she moved to the Buck Institute in 2021. -- An unexpected aspect was that this life span extension was accompanied by a reduction in aggregated protein in the neurons (an increase is associated with Huntington's disease, for example), and an increase in the formation of so-called exophers. These giant vesicles extruded from neurons were identified in 2017 by Dr. Monica Driscoll, a collaborator and professor at Rutgers University. -- "Exophers are thought to be essentially another cellular garbage disposal method, a mega-bag of trash," said Dr. Caroline Kumsta, co-senior author and assistant professor at SBP. "When there is either too much trash accumulating in neurons, or when the normal 'in-house' garbage disposal system is broken, the cellular waste is then being thrown out in these exophers." -- Interestingly, worms that formed exophers had reduced protein aggregation and lived significantly longer. This finding suggests a link between this process of this massive disposal event to overall health, said Kumsta. The team found that this process was dependent on a protein called ATG-16.2. | H01 R01 E02 | 15 |
| 2402-054 | Unveiling the Hidden Functions: Autophagy Genes and Their Impact on Aging | Autophagy, which declines with age, holds more mysteries than previously thought. Scientists have discovered novel functions for autophagy genes that may affect aging and protein disposal. | Buck Institute for Research on Aging | Nature Aging | Press Rel | PubMed | Autophagy, which declines with age, may hold more mysteries than researchers previously suspected. In the January 4th issue of Nature Aging, it was noted that scientists from the Buck Institute, Sanford Burnham Prebys and Rutgers University have uncovered possible novel functions for various autophagy genes, which may control different forms of disposal including misfolded proteins -- and ultimately affect aging. -- "While this is very basic research, this work is a reminder that it is critical for us to understand whether we have the whole story about the different genes that have been related to aging or age-related diseases," said Professor Malene Hansen, Ph.D., Buck's chief scientific officer, who is also the study's co-senior author. -- "If the mechanism we found is conserved in other organisms, we speculate that it may play a broader role in aging than has been previously appreciated and may provide a method to improve life span." -- These new observations provide another perspective to what was traditionally thought to be occurring during autophagy. -- Autophagy is a cellular "housekeeping" process that promotes health by recycling or disposing of damaged DNA and RNA and other cellular components in a multi-step degradative process. -- It has been shown to be a key player in preventing aging and diseases of aging, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and neurodegeneration. -- Notably, research has shown that autophagy genes are responsible for prolonged life span in a variety of long-lived organisms. -- The classical explanation of how autophagy works is that the cellular "garbage" to be dealt with is sequestered in a membrane-surrounded vesicle, and ultimately delivered to lysosomes for degradation. -- However, Hansen, who has studied the role of autophagy in aging for most of her career, was intrigued by an accumulation of evidence that indicated that this was not the only process in which autophagy genes can function. -- "There had been this growing notion over the last few years that genes in the early steps of autophagy were 'moonlighting' in processes outside of this classical lysosomal degradation," she said. | H01 R01 | 16 |
| 2402-071 | Unraveling the Mystery of Dietary Restriction: OXR1 Gene's Role in Brain Aging and Lifespan | The gene OXR1 plays a role in the lifespan extension and healthy brain aging seen with dietary restriction. | Buck Institute for Research on Aging | Nature Communications | Press Rel | PubMed | Restricting calories is known to improve health and increase lifespan, but much of how it does so remains a mystery, especially in regard to how it protects the brain. Buck scientists have uncovered a role for a gene called OXR1 that is necessary for the lifespan extension seen with dietary restriction and is essential for healthy brain aging. -- "When people restrict the amount of food that they eat, they typically think it might affect their digestive tract or fat buildup, but not necessarily about how it affects the brain," said Kenneth Wilson, Ph.D., Buck postdoc and first author of the study, published online on January 11, 2024 in Nature Communications. "As it turns out, this is a gene that is important in the brain." -- The team additionally demonstrated a detailed cellular mechanism of how dietary restriction can delay aging and slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. -- The work, done in fruit flies and human cells, also identifies potential therapeutic targets to slow aging and age-related neurodegenerative diseases. -- "We found a neuron-specific response that mediates the neuroprotection of dietary restriction," said Buck Professor Pankaj Kapahi , Ph.D., co-senior author of the study. -- "Strategies such as intermittent fasting or caloric restriction, which limit nutrients, may enhance levels of this gene to mediate its protective effects." -- "The gene is an important brain resilience factor protecting against aging and neurological diseases," said Buck Professor Lisa Ellerby, Ph.D., co-senior author of the study. -- Understanding variability in response to dietary restriction -- Members of the team have previously shown mechanisms that improve lifespan and healthspan with dietary restriction, but there is so much variability in response to reduced calories across individuals and different tissues that it is clear there are many yet to be discovered processes in play. -- This project was started to understand why different people respond to diets in different ways. | H01 R02 T02 | 17 |
| 2402-E019 | Meteorite Analysis Unveils Earth's Watery Beginnings | Analysis of iron meteorites suggests that the planetary 'seeds' that formed Earth contained water, shedding light on the early years of our solar system and the process of planet formation. | California Institute of Technology | Nature Astronomy | Press Rel | PubMed | When our Sun was a young star, 4.56 billion years ago, what is now our solar system was just a disk of rocky dust and gas. Over tens of millions of years, tiny pebbles of dust coalesced, like a snowball rolling larger and larger, to become kilometer-sized "planetesimals" -- the building blocks of Earth and the other inner planets. -- Researchers have long tried to understand the ancient environments in which these planetesimals formed. For example, water is now abundant on Earth, but has it always been? In other words, did the planetesimals that accreted into our planet contain water? -- Now, a new study combines meteorite data with thermodynamic modeling and determines that the earliest inner solar system planetesimals must have formed in the presence of water, challenging current astrophysical models of the early solar system. -- The research was conducted in the laboratory of Paul Asimow (MS '93, PhD '97), Eleanor and John R. McMillan Professor of Geology and Geochemistry and appears in the journal Nature Astronomy on January 9. -- Researchers have samples of the earliest years of the solar system in the form of iron meteorites. These meteorites are the remnants of the metallic cores of the earliest planetesimals in our solar system that avoided accretion into a forming planet and instead orbited around the solar system before ultimately falling onto our planet. The chemical compositions of meteorites such as these can reveal information about the environments in which they formed and answer questions such as whether the building blocks of Earth formed far from our Sun, where cooler temperatures allowed the existence of water ice, or if they instead formed closer to the Sun, where the heat would have evaporated any water and resulted in dry planetesimals. If the latter is correct, then Earth would have formed dry and gained its water through some other method later in its evolution. -- Though the meteorites themselves do not contain any water, scientists can infer its long-lost presence by examining its impact on other chemical elements. -- Water is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. In the presence of other elements, water will often transfer its oxygen atom away in a process called oxidation. For example, iron metal (Fe) reacts with water (H2O) to form iron oxide (FeO). A sufficient excess of water can drive the process further, producing Fe2O3 and FeO(OH), the ingredients of rust. Mars, for example, is covered in rusty iron oxide, providing strong evidence that the Red Planet once had water. -- Damanveer Grewal, a former Caltech postdoctoral scholar and first author of the new study, specializes in using chemical signatures from iron meteorites to gather information about the early solar system. Though any iron oxide from the earliest planetesimals is now long gone, the team could determine how much iron would have been oxidized by examining the metallic nickel, cobalt, and iron contents of these meteorites. These three elements should be present in roughly equal ratios relative to other primitive materials, so if any iron was "missing," this would imply that the iron had been oxidized. -- "Iron meteorites have been somewhat neglected by the planet-formation community, but they constitute rich stores of information about the earliest period of solar system history, once you work out how to read the signals," says Asimow. "The difference between what we measured in the inner solar system meteorites and what we expected implies an oxygen activity about 10,000 times higher." -- The researchers found that those iron meteorites thought to be derived from the inner solar system had about the same amount of missing iron metal as meteorites derived from the outer solar system. For this to be the case, the planetesimals from both groups of meteorites must have formed in a part of the solar system where water was present, implying that the building blocks of planets accreted water right from the beginning. | E01 T02 | 18 |
| 2401-E046 | Improving Seed Nutritional Quality: Researchers Reduce Chlorophyll Levels in Leaves | Researchers studied the effects of reducing chlorophyll levels in leaves to potentially improve plant nutrition by reallocating saved nitrogen. | Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Plant, Cell & Environment | Press Rel | PubMed | Chlorophyll plays a pivotal role in photosynthesis, which is why plants have evolved to have high chlorophyll levels in their leaves. However, making this pigment is expensive because plants invest a significant portion of the available nitrogen in both chlorophyll and the special proteins that bind it. As a result, nitrogen is unavailable for other processes. In a new study, researchers reduced the chlorophyll levels in leaves to see if the plant would invest the nitrogen saved into other process that might improve nutritional quality. -- Over the past few decades, researchers have been trying to increase crop yield to meet the global food demand. -- One of their biggest challenges has been to improve the photosynthetic efficiency of agricultural crops. -- When light hits a leaf, one of three things can happen: the leaf can absorb the light for photosynthesis, the leaf can reflect it back into the atmosphere, or the light can pass through the leaf. -- Unfortunately, even though a fully green leaf absorbs over 90% of the light that hits it, the leaf doesn't use it all for photosynthesis. -- "We grow our crop plants at very high densities. As a result, although the leaves at the top of the canopy have more light, they cannot use it all and the layer below is light starved," said Don Ort (GEGC leader/CABBI/BSD), a professor of integrative biology. -- "Our rationale was to reduce the amount of chlorophyll at the top of the canopy so more light can penetrate and be used more efficiently lower in the canopy." -- In the current study, the researchers engineered tobacco plants to have lower chlorophyll levels as the crop canopy grows more dense. -- "Previous models have shown that if you have lower chlorophyll levels before you have a dense canopy, it is detrimental to plant growth," Ort said. -- "We wanted to take plants that have full canopies and ensure that the new leaves that are added on top have lower chlorophyll levels." | H01 E01 E03 | 19 |
| 2402-E038 | Simulating Heart Valves: A Biorobotic Breakthrough for Realistic Cardiac Research | A biorobotic heart with a focus on a valve on the left side has been created, allowing surgeons and researchers to simulate various interventions while collecting real-time data. | Cell Press | Device | Press Rel | PubMed | Combining a biological heart and a silicone robotic pump, researchers created a biorobotic heart that beats like a real one, with a focus on a valve on the left side of the heart. The heart valve simulator, presented on January 10 in the journal Device, can mimic the structure, function, and motion of a healthy or diseased heart, allowing surgeons and researchers to demonstrate various interventions while collecting real-time data. -- "The simulator has a huge benefit as a research tool for those who study different heart valve conditions and interventions," says senior author and biomedical engineer Ellen Roche of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. -- "It can serve as a surgical training platform for clinicians, medical students, and trainees, allow device engineers to study their new designs, and even help patients better understand their own disease and potential treatments." -- Before new interventions reach humans, they undergo rigorous testing in heart simulators and animal subjects. -- However, current heart simulators don't completely capture the complexity of a heart and have a short shelf-life of two to four hours. -- Animal studies are expensive and time consuming, and the findings may not always translate to humans. -- The biorobotic heart can bridge these gaps as a less expensive method with a shelf life of months. -- The researchers focused on mitral regurgitation, a disorder in which the valve between the left heart chambers doesn't close properly -- resulting in a leaky heart valve where blood can flow backwards. -- This condition, affecting about 24.2 million people worldwide, can cause shortness of breath, swelling in the limbs, and heart failure. -- Given the intricacy of the valve's structure, surgeries to correct the disorder are highly complex, highlighting a need for effective technology and precise surgical techniques. | R01 E02 T01 | 20 |
| 2402-008 | AI-Support: Saving Lives with Ambulance Staff | Research from Chalmers University of Technology shows that an AI tool can support healthcare professionals in making life-critical decisions, potentially saving more lives. | Chalmers University of Technology | BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making | Press Rel | PubMed | Assessing how seriously injured a person is, involves weighing up lots of different parameters fast. If healthcare professionals could get support making fast-paced, life-critical decisions from an AI tool, more lives could be saved. This is shown by research from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, along with the University of Gothenburg and the University of Borås. -- "If severely injured people are transported directly to a university hospital, the chances of survival increase, as there are resources to take care of all types of injuries. Therefore, we need to be able to better say who is severely injured, and who is not, so that everyone receives the right care and that resources are used in the best way," says Anna Bakidou, doctoral student in the research group Care@Distance -- Remote and Prehospital Digital Health at the Department of Electrical Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology. -- In a recently published study, Anna Bakidou and her co-authors have developed five different mathematical models based on the data of adults who came into contact with ambulance care between 2013 and 2020. -- This data is from over 47,000 real events, retrieved from the Swedish Trauma Registry, which also showed where the people had been transported. -- By weighing up a number of complex variables, such as respiratory rate, injury type, blood pressure, age and gender, it turned out that all AI models could perform better than the clinical outcome -- which were the transport decisions made by the ambulance staff at the time of the incident. -- Many severely injured taken to regular hospitals -- It turned out that 40 percent of the severely injured patients were not sent directly to a university hospital. -- At the same time, 45 percent of the non-severely injured were sent to university hospitals unnecessarily, as their injuries could have been taken care of in a regular hospital. -- "Ambulance personnel are constantly faced with difficult and quick decisions. Our hope is that a more objective decision support system will be able to function as an 'extra colleague' that makes staff see more complex connections and think twice in cases where injuries can be difficult to perceive or assess," says Anna Bakidou. -- As an example, she mentions that younger people -- who are often involved in traffic accidents -- are frequently judged to be more severely injured than they are. | T01 | 21 |
| 2402-T010 | Springs in Silicon: Unlocking Advanced Functionality in Microtechnology | The integration of mechanical memory in the form of springs has been a key technology for mechanical devices for centuries. Now, researchers are using springs in silicon-based microtechnology to create planar mechatronic devices. These smaller, softer devices can interact with cells and have potential biomedical applications. | Chemnitz University of Technology | Nature Nanotechnology | Press Rel | PubMed | The integration of mechanical memory in the form of springs has for hundreds of years proven to be a key enabling technology for mechanical devices (like clocks), achieving advanced functionality through complex autonomous movements. In our times, the integration of springs in silicon-based microtechnology has opened the world of planar mass-producible mechatronic devices from which we all benefit, via air-bag sensors for example. For a new generation of minimally and even non-invasive biomedical applications however, mobile devices which can safely interact mechanically with cells must be achieved at much smaller scales (10 microns) and with much softer forces (pico Newton scale i. e. lifting weights less than one millionth of a mg) and in customized three-dimensional shapes. -- Researchers at the Chemnitz University of Technology, the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Leibniz IFW Dresden, in a recent publication in Nature Nanotechnology, have now demonstrated that controllable springs can be integrated at arbitrary chosen locations within soft three-dimensional structures using confocal photolithographic manufacturing (with nanoscale precision) of a novel magnetically active material in the form of a photoresist impregnated with customizable densities of magnetic nanoparticles. -- These "picosprings" have remarkably large and tuneable compliancy and can be controlled remotely through magnetic fields (even deep within the human body) allowing articulated motion in microrobots as well as micromanipulations well beyond the state of the art. -- Moreover, the extension of the picosprings can also be used visually to measure forces, for example propulsion or grasping forces, in interaction with other objects like cells. -- For example, these picosprings have been used to measure the locomotive propulsion force of sperm cells. -- The publication showcases these capabilities by demonstrating several microbots (including a micropenguin) containing picosprings at multiple locations that can do these tasks at cellular scales: propel themselves, grasp and release cells and measure the minute forces needed to do this safely. -- Dr. Haifeng Yu, first author of the study and group leader at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shenzhen (China), says: "Programmable elasticity at the micrometer scale offers a feasible strategy for producing 3D devices and finely structured 'micro-surgeons' capable of performing complex medical tasks." -- Dr. Mariana Medina-Sanchez, group leader at the Leibniz IFW and BCUBE- TU Dresden, co-author and co-supervisor of this work, adds: "These picospring-based micromachines with programmable elasticity and magnetism, crafted through monolithic fabrication, open numerous possibilities for localized force sensing and actuation in low Reynolds number environments. This versatility underscores their significance across a spectrum of biomedical applications." -- Prof. Oliver Schmidt, who is last author of the paper and supervised this work, sees this as another important step in the transition towards life-ready soft and smart modular microrobotics. -- "Remotely controlled microdevices using magnetic fields form a particularly promising technology for non-invasive medical applications -- and now this extends to mechanical mechanisms inside these remote microdevices," says Schmidt. | H02 R01 T01 | 22 |
| 2402-E026 | Algorithm for Cellular Neighborhoods: Understanding Tissue Organization and Communication | Researchers have developed an AI-powered algorithm to understand how different cells organize themselves into tissues and communicate with each other, offering insights into cancer tissue interactions and potential therapeutic strategies. | Children's Hospital of Philadelphia | Nature Methods | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have developed a new AI-powered algorithm to help understand how different cells organize themselves into particular tissues and communicate with one another. This new tool was tested on two types of cancer tissues to reveal how these "neighborhoods" of cells interact with one another to evade therapy, and more studies could reveal more information about the function of these cells in the tumor microenvironment. -- The findings were published online today by the journal Nature Methods. -- To understand how different cells organize themselves to support the functions of a tissue, researchers proposed the concept of tissue cellular neighborhoods (TCNs) to describe functional units in which different, recurrent cell types work together to support specific tissue functions. Across individuals, the functions of these TCNs would remain the same. However, translating the huge amount of information in spatial omics data into models and hypotheses that can be interpreted and tested by researchers requires advanced AI algorithms. -- "It is very difficult to study the tissue microenvironment, how certain cells organize, behave and communicate with one another," said senior study author Kai Tan, PhD, an investigator in the Center for Childhood Cancer Research at CHOP and a professor in the Department of Pediatrics and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. "Until recent advances in so-called spatial omics technology, it was impossible to spatially characterize more than 100 proteins or hundreds or even thousands of genes across a piece of tissue, which might be home to hundreds of thousands of cells and their respective genes." -- In this study, researchers developed the deep-learning-based CytoCommunity algorithm to identify TCNs based on cell identities of a tissue sample, their spatial distributions as well as patient clinical data, which can help researchers better understand how these neighborhoods of cells are organized and are associated with certain clinical outcomes. In this study, tissue samples from breast and colorectal tumors were used because of a high volume of data available, enough to train the algorithm to identify TCNs associated with high-risk disease subtypes. -- By using CytoCommunity for breast and colorectal cancer data, the algorithm revealed new fibroblast-enriched TCNs and granulocyte-enriched TCNs specific to high-risk breast cancer and colorectal cancer, respectively. -- "Since we were able to prove the effectiveness of CytoCommunity, the next step is to apply this algorithm to both healthy and diseased tissue data generated by research consortia such as HuBMAP (Human BioMolecular Atlas Program) and HTAN (Human Tumor Atlas Network)" Tan said. "For instance, using data from childhood cancers such as leukemia, neuroblastoma and high-grade gliomas, we hope to find tissue cellular neighborhoods that might be associated with responses to certain therapies and combine our findings with genetic data to help determine which genetic pathways may be involved at the cellular and molecular levels." -- This study was supported by National Institutes of Health grant CA233285, HL165442 and HL156090, a grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (AWD-2021-237920), a grant from the Leona M. and Harry B Helmsley Charitable Trust (no. 2008-04062), a National Natural Science Foundation of China grant no. 62002277, a grant from the Young Talent Fund of University Association for Science and Technology in Shaanxi (no. 20210101), a grant from the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (no. QTZX23051), and National Natural Science Foundation of China grant nos. 62132015 and U22A2037. | H01 R01 T01 | 23 |
| 2401-027 | Novel Approach Rescues Limbs at Risk: Promising Study on Human Progenitor Cells | Scientists have identified a population of human progenitor cells that effectively promote new blood vessel growth and restore blood flow in ischemic limbs at risk of amputation. This discovery offers hope for the millions of people living with amputations caused by vascular diseases. | Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center | Cell Reports Medicine | Press Rel | PubMed | Across the United States, about 2 million people are living with an amputation and another 185,000 amputations occur every year, according to the Amputee Coalition, a Washington DC-based support group. About 54% of these lost limbs were caused by vascular disease, including diabetes and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). -- And as more people are diagnosed with diabetes, in the US and worldwide, the number of amputations keeps rising. -- Now, experts at Cincinnati Children's in collaboration with colleagues from Kanazawa University in Japan, have uncovered a new way to prompt blood vessel growth that shows promise as a treatment for preventing ischemia-induced amputations. Their discoveries were based on achieving a deeper understanding about why two patients in a clinical trial in Japan walked away with fully recovered limbs that appeared destined for amputation. -- The study, published Dec. 19, 2023, in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, was led by first author Oto Inoue, MD, PhD, a cardiologist from Japan and a research fellow with Cincinnati Children's, and Juan Sanchez-Gurmaches, PhD, Division of Endocrinology. -- Their team reports that a specific subset of stem cells isolated from adipose tissue (fat) that also carry the cell surface marker CD271 outperformed all other similar cell types at inducing blood vessel formation. The study also details key molecular mechanisms involved the process. -- The scientists confirmed these findings by transplanting this population of human stem cells into in mice with limb ischemia. In every case, the treatment rescued limbs that otherwise would have required amputation. -- Then the team analyzed data from a clinical trial to provide initial evidence that such a cell transplant may have already worked in humans. In this case, people with foot ulcers were treated with a generalized mix of stem cells collected from the patients' own tissues. Of the small number of patients analyzed, the two patients with fully recovered limbs received high numbers of CD271-positive stem cells. Those results in combination with the highly consistent benefits found in the mouse testing, appear to justify further work to launch a formal clinical trial, the co-authors say. -- "Critical limb ischemia is one of the most severe outcomes for PAD and undertreated diabetes. This research shows hopeful results that this new subset of progenitors may have positive therapeutic value," Inoue says. "It was quite inspiring to see that one of the patients has recovered enough to return to work." -- A race to address a widespread health problem -- With rising rates of obesity plaguing the United States, diabetes incidence has been rising for years, and leading to a host of cardiovascular complications, including PAD leading to critical limb ischemia. | H01 E03 | 24 |
| 2402-E030 | Turing Structures for Hydrogen: Revolutionizing Catalysts for Green Energy Production | Scientists have developed a novel strategy to create stable and efficient catalysts for hydrogen production, which could greatly contribute to the use of hydrogen energy as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. | City University of Hong Kong | Nature Communications | Press Rel | PubMed | Hydrogen energy has emerged as a promising alternative to fossil fuels, offering a clean and sustainable energy source. However, the development of low-cost and efficient catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction remains a crucial challenge. A research team led by scientists from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has recently developed a novel strategy to engineer stable and efficient ultrathin nanosheet catalysts by forming Turing structures with multiple nanotwin crystals. This innovative discovery paves the way for enhanced catalyst performance for green hydrogen production. -- Producing hydrogen through the process of water electrolysis with net-zero carbon emissions is one of the clean hydrogen production processes. While low-dimensional nanomaterials with controllable defects or strain modifications have emerged as active electrocatalysts for hydrogen-energy conversion and utilization, the insufficient stability in these materials due to spontaneous structural degradation and strain relaxation leads to their catalytic performance degradation. -- To addressing this issue, a research team led by Professor Lu Jian, Dean of the College of Engineering at CityU and Director of Hong Kong Branch of National Precious Metal Material Engineering Research Center, has recently developed a pioneering Turing structuring strategy which not only activates but also stabilizes catalysts through the introduction of high-density nanotwin crystals. This approach effectively resolves the instability problem associated with low-dimensional materials in catalytic systems, enabling efficient and long-lasting hydrogen production. -- Turing patterns, known as spatiotemporal stationary patterns, are widely observed in biological and chemical systems, such as the regular surface colouring on sea-shells. The mechanism of these pattern formations is related to the reaction-diffusion theory proposed by Alan Turing, a famous English mathematician regarded as one of the fathers of modern computing, in which the activator with a smaller diffusion coefficient induces local preferential growth. -- "In previous research, the fabrication of low-dimensional materials has mainly focused on structural controls for functional purposes, with few considerations on spatiotemporal controls," Professor Lu explained the background of this research. "However, the Turing patterns in nanomaterials may be achieved by the anisotropic growth of nanograins of the materials. Such broken lattice symmetry has crucial crystallographic implications for the growth of specific configurations, such as two-dimensional (2D) materials with twinning and intrinsic broken symmetry. So we wanted to explore the application of Turing theory on nanocatalyst growth and the relations with crystallographic defects." -- In this research, the team used two-step approach to create superthin platinum-nickel-niobium (PtNiNb) nanosheets with strips topologically resemble Turing patterns. These Turing structures on nanosheets were formed through the constrained orientation attachment of nanograins, resulting in an intrinsically stable, high-density nanotwin network which acted as structural stabilizers which prevented spontaneous structural degradation and strain relaxation. -- Moreover, the Turing patterns generated lattice straining effects which reduce the energy barrier of water dissociation and optimize the hydrogen adsorption free energy for hydrogen evolution reaction, enhancing the activity of the catalysts and providing exceptional stability. The surface of the nano-scale Turing structure exhibits a large number of twins interfaces, also rendering it an exceptionally well-suited materials for interface-dominated applications, particularly electrochemical catalysis. -- In the experiments, the researchers demonstrated the potential of the newly invented Turing PtNiNb nano-catalyst as a stable hydrogen evolution catalyst with superb efficiency. It achieved 23.5 and 3.1 times increase in mass activity and stability index, respectively, compared with commercial 20% Pt/C. The Turing PtNiNb-based anion-exchange-membrane water electrolyser with a low platinum (Pt) mass loading of 0.05 mg cm−2 was also extremely reliable, as it could achieve 500 hours of stability at 1,000 mAcm−2. -- "Our key findings provide valuable insights into the activation and stabilization of catalytic materials with low dimensions. It presents a fresh paradigm for enhancing catalyst performance," said Professor Lu. "The Turing structure optimization strategy not only addresses the issue of stability degradation in low-dimensional materials but also serves as a versatile material optimization approach applicable to other alloying and catalytic systems, ultimately enhancing catalytic performance." | E01 T01 | 25 |
| 2401-E010 | Insect Pollinators Declining: Wildflowers Resort to Self-Fertilization | Flowering plants in farmland are increasingly evolving towards self-fertilization due to a decline in insect pollinators. This adaptation allows them to overcome the challenges of reproducing in an environment depleted of pollinating insects. | CNRS | New Phytologist | Press Rel | PubMed | Scientists at the CNRS and the University of Montpellier1 have discovered that flowering plants growing in farmland are increasingly doing without insect pollinators. As reproduction becomes more difficult for them in an environment depleted in pollinating insects, the plants are evolving towards self-fertilisation. These findings are published in a paper in the journal New Phytologist dated December 20, 2023. -- By comparing field pansies growing in the Paris region today with pansies from the same localities resurrected in the laboratory from seeds collected2 between 1992 and 2001, the research team found that today's flowers are 10% smaller, produce 20% less nectar, and are less visited by pollinators than their ancestors. -- This rapid evolution is thought to be due to the decline in pollinator populations in Europe. -- Indeed, a study conducted in Germany showed that over 75% of the biomass of flying insects has vanished from protected areas in the last thirty years. -- The study identified a vicious circle in which the decline in pollinators leads to reduced nectar production by flowers, which could in turn exacerbate the decline of these insects. -- It underlines the importance of implementing measures to counter this phenomenon as quickly as possible and thus safeguard the interactions between plants and pollinators, which have existed for millions of years. -- Notes -- 1 Centre d'écologie fonctionnelle et évolutive (CNRS/Université de Montpellier/EPHE/IRD) -- 2 Seeds conserved by the Conservatoire botanique national de Bailleul and the Conservatoire botanique national du Bassin parisien. | E03 | 26 |
| 2402-002 | Unraveling Asbestos: How Fiber Size and Shape Impact Health | The pathogenic potential of fibrous nanomaterials used in thermal insulation is determined by their geometrical characteristics and size, rather than their chemical composition. | CNRS | Nature Nanotechnology | Press Rel | PubMed | The pathogenic potential of inhaling the inert fibrous nanomaterials used in thermal insulation (such as asbestos or fibreglass) is actually connected not to their chemical composition, but instead to their geometrical characteristics and size. This was revealed by a study, published on 3 January 2024 in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, conducted on glass nanofibers by a French-Chinese team including a CNRS chemist.1 -- The reason for this is the inability of the macrophages2 naturally present in pulmonary alveolar tissue to eliminate foreign bodies that are too large. -- The study was initially conducted in vitro with electrochemical nanosensors, and revealed that when confronted with inert nanofibers over 15 microns in length,3 the cells are unable to distend enough to entirely encapsulate them within their "digestive" vesicle. -- This results in leaked secretions that are very harmful for the alveolar walls, which this study detected, characterised, and quantified for the first time.4 An experiment on rats subsequently showed that regular unprotected inhalation of similar inert fibrous nanometerials, whatever they may be, causes repeated pulmonary lesions that can eventually lead to the development of fibroma. -- This discovery poses a challenge for the use of inert nanofibre felts in construction, which had heretofore been deemed to be less harmful than the asbestos it replaced, but that in reality could present the same health risks for those handling it. -- Notes : -- 1 From the Selective Activation Processes via Uni-Electronic or Radiative Energy Transfer Laboratory (CNRS/ École normale supérieure -- PSL/Sorbonne Université), in collaboration with Wuhan University. -- 2"Big eater" cells belonging to groups of white blood cells whose primary role is to eliminate cell debris and pathogenic biological agents throughout the body. -- 3 Or 0.015mm, a micron measuring 10-3 mm. -- 4 The ROS and RNS species (species reactive to oxygen and nitrogen) secreted by macrophages are known for attacking the bioorganic components of healthy cells, and cause inflammation and mutations that are often cancerous. While the phenomenon of "frustrated phagocytosis" had already been observed, its role in the pathogenesis of the concerned diseases had not yet been clearly established. | R01 | 27 |
| 2402-E024 | Underestimating Drought: Global Study Reveals Ecological Impact on Grasslands and Shrublands | A global study shows that extreme drought has a greater impact on grassland and shrubland ecosystems than previously thought, highlighting the need to address the effects of climate change on these vital ecosystems. | Colorado State University | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | Press Rel | PubMed | A global study organized and led by Colorado State University scientists shows that the effects of extreme drought -- which is expected to increase in frequency with climate change -- has been greatly underestimated for grasslands and shrublands. -- The findings -- published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences -- quantify the impact of extreme short-term drought on grassland and shrubland ecosystems across six continents with a level of detail that was not previously possible. -- It is the first time an experiment this extensive has been undertaken to generate a baseline understanding of the potential losses of plant productivity in these vital ecosystems. -- Melinda Smith, a professor in the Department of Biology at CSU, led the study and is the first author on the paper. -- She said the observed reduction in a key carbon cycle process after a single 1-in-100-year drought event greatly exceeds previously reported losses for grasslands and shrublands. -- "We were able to determine that the loss of aboveground plant growth -- a key measure of ecosystem function -- was 60% greater when short-term drought was extreme compared to the less severe droughts that have been more commonly experienced historically," she said. -- "Past studies suffered from methodological differences when estimating the impacts of extreme drought in natural ecosystems, but our standardized, distributed approach here addressed that problem." -- Smith added that the project also showcases the variability in drought response across grassland and shrubland ecosystems -- offering both a review of the global impacts of climate change as well as a glimpse into which areas will be most stressed or most resilient in the coming years. -- Gathering global extreme drought data on grassland and shrubland ecosystems Known as the International Drought Experiment, the newly published research originally dates back to 2013 as part of the National Science Foundation's Drought-Net Research Coordination Network. -- Altogether, there are more than 170 authors representing institutions from around the world cited in the new PNAS study, which was completed over the last four years. | H02 E01 E03 | 28 |
| 2402-024 | The Hidden Plastic World of Bottled Water | Microplastics, including nanoplastics, are showing up everywhere on Earth and are being consumed by humans through bottled water, posing potential health and ecosystem effects. | Columbia Climate School | PNAS | Press Rel | PubMed | In recent years, there has been rising concern that tiny particles known as microplastics are showing up basically everywhere on Earth, from polar ice to soil, drinking water and food. Formed when plastics break down into progressively smaller bits, these particles are being consumed by humans and other creatures, with unknown potential health and ecosystem effects. One big focus of research: bottled water, which has been shown to contain tens of thousands of identifiable fragments in each container. -- Now, using newly refined technology, researchers have entered a whole new plastic world: the poorly known realm of nanoplastics, the spawn of microplastics that have broken down even further. For the first time, they counted and identified these minute particles in bottled water. They found that on average, a liter contained some 240,000 detectable plastic fragments -- 10 to 100 times greater than previous estimates, which were based mainly on larger sizes. -- The study was just published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. -- Nanoplastics are so tiny that, unlike microplastics, they can pass through intestines and lungs directly into the bloodstream and travel from there to organs including the heart and brain. They can invade individual cells, and cross through the placenta to the bodies of unborn babies. Medical scientists are racing to study the possible effects on a wide variety of biological systems. -- "Previously this was just a dark area, uncharted. Toxicity studies were just guessing what's in there," said study coauthor Beizhan Yan, an environmental chemist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. "This opens a window where we can look into a world that was not exposed to us before." -- Worldwide plastic production is approaching 400 million metric tons a year. More than 30 million tons are dumped yearly in water or on land, and many products made with plastics including synthetic textiles shed particles while still in use. Unlike natural organic matter, most plastics do not break down into relatively benign substances; they simply divide and redivide into smaller and smaller particles of the same chemical composition. Beyond single molecules, there is no theoretical limit to how small they can get. -- Microplastics are defined as fragments ranging from 5 millimeters (less than a quarter inch) down to 1 micrometer, which is 1 millionth of a meter, or 1/25,000th of an inch. (A human hair is about 70 micrometers across.) Nanoplastics, which are particles below 1 micrometer, are measured in billionths of a meter. -- Plastics in bottled water became a public issue largely after a 2018 study detected an average of 325 particles per liter; later studies multiplied that number many times over. Scientists suspected there were even more than they had yet counted, but good estimates stopped at sizes below 1 micrometer -- the boundary of the nano world. -- "People developed methods to see nano particles, but they didn't know what they were looking at," said the new study's lead author, Naixin Qian, a Columbia graduate student in chemistry. She noted that previous studies could provide bulk estimates of nano mass, but for the most part could not count individual particles, nor identify which were plastics or something else. -- The new study uses a technique called stimulated Raman scattering microscopy, which was co-invented by study coauthor Wei Min, a Columbia biophysicist. This involves probing samples with two simultaneous lasers that are tuned to make specific molecules resonate. Targeting seven common plastics, the researchers created a data-driven algorithm to interpret the results. "It is one thing to detect, but another to know what you are detecting," said Min. | H01 R01 R02 E01 T01 | 29 |
| 2401-E030 | Chatty Midshipman Fish: Midbrain's Role in Vocal Communication Unveiled | The midbrain plays a significant role in the vocal communication of talkative midshipman fish, also known as "California singing fish." | Cornell University | Nature Communications | Press Rel | PubMed | For talkative midshipman fish -- sometimes called the "California singing fish" -- the midbrain plays a robust role in initiating and patterning of sounds used in vocal communication. -- The midbrain in these fish, it turns out, may serve as a useful model for how mammals and other vertebrates, including humans, control vocal expressions, according to Cornell University behavioral research published in Nature Communications. -- Midshipman fish phrasing takes the form of grunts, growls and hums whenever the males seek mates or fend off foes, said senior author Andrew Bass, professor of neurobiology and behavior. -- To the human ear, the hum might sound like a single note on a French horn or a foghorn. -- Science has known that mammals and other vertebrates emit sound and vocalize to communicate behaviors, but the midbrain responsible for initiating acoustic features -- like patterned hums in these fish or the formation of cogent sentences in humans -- had largely gone unexplored. -- Researchers found that midbrain periaqueductal gray neurons in the fish are activated in distinct patterns by the males during courtship calls, foraging and nest guarding duty. -- The group confirmed that the periaqueductal gray neurons evoke output to the muscles that manage sound and the vocal features of courtship, as well as show patterning other kinds of calls. -- Communication signals patterned by the midbrain "have frequency and amplitude components, and the fish string together sounds in different ways," Bass said. -- "Maybe those sounds mean aggression or serve as a mating function -- like you're trying to attract a mate to a nest, which male midshipman do with their hum." -- The human brain is in the shape of a helmet and the midbrain sits at the top of brain's "stem." Fish brains are shaped more like a tube -- making them a more accessible model to study experimentally, Bass said. | H01 R02 E02 | 30 |
| 2401-T003 | The Vulnerabilities of Influencers: Social Media Opens Door to Identity-Based Harassment | Social media platforms and metrics that reward creators for self-disclosure expose them to identity-based harassment, according to new research. | Cornell University | European Journal of Cultural Studies | Press Rel | PubMed | New Cornell University-led research finds that social media platforms and the metrics that reward content creators for revealing their innermost selves to fans open creators up to identity-based harassment. -- "Creators share deeply personal -- often vulnerable -- elements of their lives with followers and the wider public," said Brooke Erin Duffy, associate professor of communication. -- "Such disclosures are a key way that influencers build intimacy with audiences and form communities. There's a pervasive sense that internet users clamor for less polished, less idealized, more relatable moments -- especially since the pandemic." -- Duffy is the lead author of "Influencers, Platforms, and the Politics of Vulnerability" published in the European Journal of Cultural Studies. -- The research team conducted in-depth interviews with content creators to get a sense of how they experience the demands to make their content -- and often themselves -- visible to audiences, sponsors and the platforms. -- Among their findings: -- The value of vulnerability for platform-based influencers cannot be overstated -- authenticity sells, and that means projecting intimacies, insecurities and even secrets; -- These authentic revelations are often tied to one's identities, which can open a person up to attacks based on gender, race, sexuality and other perceived traits; -- Personal and social vulnerabilities were often compounded by the vulnerabilities of platform-dependent labor: Not only did participants identify the failures of their platforms to protect them from harm (as "contractors" instead of "employees"), many felt these companies incentivize networked antagonism. -- "Influencers and creators have relatively few formal sources of support or protection," Duffy said. | Z01 | 31 |
| 2402-033 | Arsenic and Diabetes: Is There a Gender Difference in Susceptibility? | Chronic arsenic exposure, particularly in males, has been associated with Type 2 diabetes. | Cornell University | Environmental Health Perspectives | Press Rel | PubMed | Chronic exposure to arsenic, often through contaminated groundwater, has been associated with Type 2 diabetes in humans, and there are new clues that males may be more susceptible to the disease when exposed. -- A new Cornell University study -- using lab mice genetically modified with a human gene to shed light on the potential link -- revealed that while the male mice exposed to arsenic in drinking water developed diabetes, the female mice did not. -- These results would not have been possible without using a mouse model engineered to express a human enzyme for metabolizing arsenic, since normal mice process arsenic much more efficiently than humans and require very high levels of exposure before they become diabetic. -- "Our paper lays the foundation for future investigations into the mechanism of how arsenic exposure leads to diabetes, why there are striking male-female differences, and potential therapeutic strategies," said Praveen Sethupathy, professor of physiological genomics and the study's senior author. -- Endemic levels of arsenic above safe limits in both Bangladesh and Mexico led to studies that showed an association between higher levels of arsenic exposure and Type 2 diabetes. -- Though these studies had very small sample sizes, they offered clues for further research. -- Mice in the study were exposed for a month to doses of arsenic in drinking water that were nonlethal but sufficient to potentially promote Type 2 diabetes. -- The researchers then examined liver and white adipose tissues that are implicated in diabetes. -- In the humanized male mice alone, they found increased expression in genes related to insulin resistance. -- Also, in both liver and white adipose tissues of the humanized male mice, they identified a biomarker called miR-34a, which is highly associated with insulin resistance in Type 2 diabetes and other metabolic diseases. | R01 | 32 |
| 2402-E012 | Insect Speed Secrets Revealed: Fastest Swimming Whirligig Beetles Inspire Boat Designs | Whirligig beetles, the fastest-swimming insects in the world, achieve surprising speeds by employing a strategy shared by fast-swimming marine mammals and waterfowl, according to a new Cornell University study that challenges previous explanations of their physics. | Cornell University | Current Biology | Press Rel | PubMed | Whirligig beetles, the world’s fastest-swimming insect, achieve surprising speeds by employing a strategy shared by speedy marine mammals and waterfowl, according to a new Cornell University study that rewrites previous explanations of the physics involved. -- The centimeter-long beetles can reach a peak acceleration of 100 meters per second and a top velocity of 100 body lengths per second (or one meter per second). -- Not only do the results explain the whirligig’s Olympian speeds, but they also offer valuable insights for bio-inspired designers of near-surface water robots and uncrewed boats. -- Until now, researchers have believed that whirligigs attain their impressive speeds using a propulsion system called drag-based thrust. -- This type of thrust requires the insect’s legs to move faster than the swimming speed, in order for the legs to generate any thrust. -- For the whirligig beetle to achieve such fast swimming speeds, its legs would need to push against the water at unrealistic speeds. -- “It could have well been questioned,” said Chris Roh, assistant professor of biological and environmental engineering. -- “The fastest swimmer and drag-based thrust don’t usually go together in the same sentence.” -- In fact, fast-swimming marine mammals and waterfowls tend to forgo drag-based thrust in favor of lift-based thrust, another propulsion system. -- The finding was described in a study published Jan. 8 in the journal Current Biology. | H01 E02 T01 | 33 |
| 2402-073 | The Power of a Universal Coronavirus Vaccine: Saving Lives and Billions of Dollars | A universal vaccine developed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic could have saved millions of lives and billions of dollars in costs. | CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy | eClinicalMedicine | Press Rel | PubMed | What if scientists had developed a universal coronavirus vaccine in the years prior to 2020 so that it was available at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic? A universal coronavirus vaccine targets parts of the virus that are common to either many or all coronaviruses, thereby offering some degree of protection against a range of strains. A new study suggests if such a vaccine were available at the start of the pandemic, it could have saved millions of lives, prevented suffering, and saved billions of dollars in direct medical and other costs until the strain-specific (i.e., SARS-CoV-2) vaccine went through the entire development, testing, and emergency use authorization process that lasted 10 months. -- In the study, researchers from the Public Health Informatics, Computational and Operations Research (PHICOR) group, the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH), and the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) show that having a universal vaccine at the start of the pandemic would have had substantial health and economic benefits under almost all scenarios tested. -- The study will be published Jan. 11 in the Lancet's eClinicalMedicine. -- In order to determine the value of investing in developing and stockpiling a universal coronavirus vaccine, the team developed a computational model that simulated the entire U.S. population, the introduction and spread of a novel coronavirus like SARS-CoV-2 in 2020 and the resulting health (e.g., infections, hospitalizations) and economic (e.g., direct medical costs, productivity losses) outcomes. -- The experiments simulated what would happen if a universal coronavirus vaccine was available at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. -- Vaccinating with a universal coronavirus vaccine as a standalone intervention (e.g., no face mask use or social distancing) was cost-saving even when its efficacy was as low as 10% and only 10% of the U.S. population received the vaccine. -- For example, when a universal coronavirus vaccine has 10% efficacy, vaccinating a quarter of the U.S. population within two months of the start of the pandemic averts an average of 14.6 million infections and saves over $27 billion in direct medical costs. -- Such low vaccine coverage at the start of the pandemic could occur if a vaccine were only made available to certain high-risk subpopulations (e.g., 65 years and older, those with weakened immune systems, frontline workers), similar to the approach when mRNA vaccines became available in December 2020. -- "COVID-19 was the third major and serious coronavirus epidemic or pandemic following SARS in 2002 and MERS in 2012, thus, we should anticipate a fourth coronavirus outbreak within the next decade or so," says Peter J. Hotez, MD, PhD, dean of Baylor's National School of Tropical Medicine and co-director of the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development. -- "A universal vaccine is cost-effective and cost-saving and a priority for advancement." | H01 R01 T02 | 34 |
| 2402-015 | Climate Change's Impact on Birthweights | Extreme bioclimatic exposure during pregnancy could affect babies' birthweights, according to a large-scale study from Curtin University. | Curtin University | Environmental Health Perspectives | Press Rel | PubMed | Climate change could pose a big risk to Australians' reproductive health with a new, large-scale Curtin University study revealing a possible link between extreme bioclimatic exposure during pregnancy and babies' birthweights for gestational age. -- Researchers from the Curtin School of Population Health examined more than 385,000 pregnancies in Western Australia between 2000 and 2015, from 12 weeks prior to conception until birth. -- These pregnancies included 9.8% and 9.9% of children born too small and large for gestational age, respectively. -- The team focused on the relationship between low and high birthweights for gestational age and a person's outdoor heat or cold (biothermal) stress exposures during pregnancy. -- To do so, the researchers used the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), a modern composite biothermal tool that describes a person's physiological response to the thermal environment. -- It's the first study to use the UTCI to measure bioclimatic exposure before and during pregnancy and the risks of being born too small or large for gestational age. -- It found exposure to low and high biothermal stress during specific times in pregnancy appeared to be linked to a higher risk of babies being smaller or larger for their gestational ages at birth. -- The average biothermal exposure was between 8.1 and 30.0 degrees Celsius, a range that indicated slight cold stress and moderate heat stress on the UTCI scale. -- The study revealed extreme biothermal exposures -- 1st percentile (cold stress) and 99th percentile (heat stress), as compared to the median (no thermal stress), seemed to be most associated with changes in birthweight for gestational age. -- Study lead Dr Sylvester Dodzi Nyadanu said this was especially true during particular stages of pregnancy. | H01 E01 | 35 |
| 2402-067 | A Breakthrough in Prostate Cancer Detection: Blood Test Distinguishes Neuroendocrine Subtype | Researchers have developed a blood test to detect neuroendocrine prostate cancer, a challenging form of the disease. | Dana-Farber Cancer Institute | Cancer Discovery | Press Rel | PubMed | Like a criminal entering a witness protection program, cancer cells can shed their past and take on a new identity. Detecting such an identity-switch is particularly challenging when metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) advances from adenocarcinoma to neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC), a very difficult cancer to treat. -- Now, however, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the University of Trento, Italy, have developed a blood test, described in Cancer Discovery, that can reliably detect NEPC and differentiate it from CRPC-adenocarcinoma (CRPC-adeno). -- NEPC is currently diagnosed using a biopsy of tumor tissue from a metastatic tumor site. Yet, it isn't always clear to clinicians when to do a biopsy. Further, biopsies may be unreliable since metastatic tumors are often heterogeneous. -- "As prostate cancer treatments get more effective, we expect the emergence of different types of treatment resistance like neuroendocrine prostate cancer that help them evade treatment," says co-lead author Himisha Beltran, MD, associate professor of medicine, Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology and the Division of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. "We hope this blood test can be used by clinicians to determine if a patient is developing neuroendocrine prostate cancer." -- Approximately 10-15% of patients with metastatic prostate cancer develop NEPC. The transition involves a shift from cancer cells that are dependent on hormones called androgens to cancer cells that no longer even recognize androgens. -- "They can stop expressing the androgen receptor," says Beltran. "They shut down their hormone-driven identity and they turn on a new identity as a way to develop resistance to treatment." -- In previous research, the international team studied tissue samples from biopsies to identify the genetic and epigenetic changes related to this transition. They found that, across the whole genome, specific epigenetic changes, in the form of DNA methylation changes that switch genes on or off, distinguish CRPC-adeno from NEPC. -- These epigenetic changes can be detected in blood because the body is constantly shedding fragments of dead cells into the bloodstream. Those cells come from all over the body, including from tumors. The fragments include bits of DNA, called cell free DNA (cfDNA), along with whatever epigenetic tags and structures were attached to them when the cell died. -- Beltran collaborated with a computational team at the University of Trento, led by Francesca Demichelis, PhD, co-lead author on the study, to create a blood panel test, called NEMO (NEuroendocrine MOnitoring panel). "The test selectively probes cfDNA in blood plasma for relevant DNA fragments and measures their methylation," says Demichelis. "Because the number of methylated regions needed to distinguish between normal, CRPC-adeno, and NEPC cells is small, the panel of genes sequenced by the test is minimal and efficient." -- NEMO reports two measures: the tumor fraction, a measure of disease burden based on the ratio of tumor DNA to normal DNA in the blood; and the tumor type, either CRPC-adeno or NEPC. The tumor type is reported as a score on a continuum because a patient's cancer might be a mix of the two. | R01 | 36 |
| 2402-E053 | Spring Snowpack Decline: Climate Change Threatens Global Water Supplies | A new study confirms that spring snowpacks across the Northern Hemisphere have significantly shrunk due to human-driven climate change, putting hundreds of millions of people at risk of a water crisis. | Dartmouth College | Nature | Press Rel | PubMed | Snow is one of the most contradictory cues we have for understanding climate change. As in many recent winters, the lack of snowfall in December seemed to preview our global warming future, with peaks from Oregon to New Hampshire more brown than white and the American Southwest facing a severe snow drought. -- On the other hand, record blizzards like those in early 2023 that buried California mountain communities, replenished parched reservoirs, and dropped 11 feet of snow on northern Arizona defy our conceptions of life on a warming planet. -- Similarly, scientific data from ground observations, satellites, and climate models do not agree on whether global warming is consistently chipping away at the snowpacks that accumulate in high-elevation mountains, complicating efforts to manage the water scarcity that would result for many population centers. -- Now, a new Dartmouth study cuts through the uncertainty in these observations and provides evidence that seasonal snowpacks throughout most of the Northern Hemisphere have indeed shrunk significantly over the past 40 years due to human-driven climate change. The sharpest global warming-related reductions in snowpack -- between 10% to 20% per decade -- are in the Southwestern and Northeastern United States, as well as in Central and Eastern Europe. -- The researchers report in the journal Nature that the extent and speed of this loss potentially puts the hundreds of millions of people in North America, Europe, and Asia who depend on snow for their water on the precipice of a crisis that continued warming will amplify. -- "We were most concerned with how warming is affecting the amount of water stored in snow. The loss of that reservoir is the most immediate and potent risk that climate change poses to society in terms of diminishing snowfall and accumulation," said first author Alexander Gottlieb, a PhD student in the Ecology, Evolution, Environment and Society graduate program at Dartmouth. -- "Our work identifies the watersheds that have experienced historical snow loss and those that will be most vulnerable to rapid snowpack declines with further warming," Gottlieb said. "The train has left the station for regions such as the Southwestern and Northeastern United States. By the end of the 21st century, we expect these places to be close to snow-free by the end of March. We're on that path and not particularly well adapted when it comes to water scarcity." -- Water security is only one dimension of snow loss, said Justin Mankin, an associate professor of geography and the paper's senior author. -- The Hudson, Susquehanna, Delaware, Connecticut, and Merrimack watersheds in the Northeastern U.S., where water scarcity is not as dire, experienced among the steepest declines in snowpack. But these heavy losses threaten economies in states such as Vermont, New York, and New Hampshire that depend on winter recreation, Mankin said -- even machine-made snow has a temperature threshold many areas are fast approaching. -- "The recreational implications are emblematic of the ways in which global warming disproportionately affects the most vulnerable communities," Mankin said. "Ski resorts at lower elevations and latitudes have already been contending with year-on-year snow loss. This will just accelerate, making the business model inviable." | E01 T02 | 37 |
| 2401-E031 | Plastic Litter Plagues Lake Tahoe: Dive Survey Reveals High Amounts of Pollution | Lake Tahoe is also facing the problem of plastic litter, with scuba divers finding 673 plastic items in just a small fraction of the lake. | Desert Research Institute | Applied Spectroscopy | Press Rel | PubMed | Plastic litter is a growing problem around the world, and new research shows that the bottom of Lake Tahoe is no exception. In one of the first studies to utilize scuba divers to collect litter from a lakebed, 673 plastic items were counted from just a small fraction of the lake. -- In the study, published in the November issue of the journal Applied Spectroscopy, researchers from DRI and the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center teamed up with the nonprofit Clean Up the Lake to take a close look at the litter. -- First, scientists broke it down into categories based on use (such as food containers and water bottles), followed by the chemical composition of the plastic. -- The knowledge gained can help scientists better understand the source of large pieces of litter in the lake, as well as whether they're a significant source of microplastics as larger pieces break down and degrade. -- Previous research found that the waters of Lake Tahoe contain high levels of microplastics, defined as plastics smaller than a pencil eraser. -- "There's very little work on submerged plastic litter in lakes," said Monica Arienzo, Ph.D., associate research professor of hydrology at DRI and one of the study's lead authors. -- "And I think that's a real issue, because when we think about how plastics may be moving in freshwater systems, there's a good chance that they'll end up in a lake." -- To collect the litter, research divers swam transects along the lakebed near Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park and Zephyr Cove, covering 9.3 kilometers. -- They found an average of 83 pieces of plastic litter per kilometer, with the lakebed near Hidden Beach and South Sand Harbor showing significantly more (140 items/km and 124 items/km, respectively). No stretches of the lakebed surveyed were free of plastic litter. -- The most common plastic litter categories were food containers, bottles, plastic bags, and toys, along with many items that couldn't be categorized. | H01 | 38 |
| 2402-T012 | Green Wheels and Bright Skies: Connection Between EVs and Solar Panels | Electric vehicle (EV) owners are more likely to install solar panels in their homes, according to a behavioral study. The impact of owning solar panels also influences the decision to purchase an EV, although to a lesser extent. This finding highlights the connection between EVs, solar energy, and sustainable living. | DOE/National Renewable Energy Laboratory | Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. | Press Rel | PubMed | People who own electric vehicles (EVs) are more likely to go a step further and add solar panels to their home, according to an analysis of a behavioral study by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Conversely, the impact of owning solar panels also has a bearing on whether a homeowner buys an electric vehicle but not as strongly. -- The study relied on a survey of 869 households in the San Francisco Bay Area. -- NREL's Shivam Sharda, lead author of the newly published research paper that analyzes the survey results, said the owners of EVs may be more inclined to invest in photovoltaics (PVs) because the addition of solar panels might offset the residential portion of the energy bill needed to charge them at home. -- "Both EVs and PVs have a complementary nature, which might play a pivotal role in energy systems resiliency, addressing concerns regarding grid stability and power management strategies," said Sharda, a computational research scientist in NREL's Center for Integrated Mobility Sciences. -- The paper, "The Electric Vehicles-Solar Photovoltaics Nexus: Driving Cross-Sectoral Adoption of Sustainable Technologies," appears in the journal Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. The study is co-authored by an interdisciplinary team of researchers including Venu M. Garikapati, Janet L. Reyna, and Bingrong Sun, all from NREL, and researchers from the University of California Santa Barbara and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. -- The survey was conducted in 2018 as part of the WholeTraveler Transportation Behavior Study. The researchers noted a lot might have transpired from the year when the survey was conducted. They revisited the topic with the newly released 2022 Residential Energy Consumption survey and observed that EV-PV relationship might still hold true. In the 2018 survey, more of the participants owned or previously owned rooftop solar panels than an electric vehicle (9.1% vs. 6.5%). The researchers noted PV technology has been around longer compared to EVs, and the cost of having solar panels is less than that of most EVs. -- They found a correlation between the two technologies. Of EV owners, 25% also owned a PV system, while only 8% of the non-EV owners owned PVs. The behavioral survey highlighted two areas that might have prompted someone to adopt one or both technologies: being cognizant of them and being social enough to ask about them. -- "If you have a friend or a family member who owns a rooftop solar panel or an EV, you become more educated about the technology, so you know the pros and cons by talking to them," Sharda said. "That has a significant influence on your owning EVs or PVs." -- While governments offer incentives to adopt both EVs and PVs, the researchers suggested considering policies that jointly accelerate the acceptance of the two technologies. Because EV owners are inclined to use PV anyway, such incentives might provide a push for EV owners to adopt solar technology much earlier than what is currently observed. How soon a household adopts cross-sectoral sustainable technologies will play an important role in achieving decarbonization goals. -- The researchers said while the survey provided valuable insights on EV-PV interconnection, more holistic surveys are needed to unpack the evolving transportation and residential energy use nexus to identify pathways to decarbonize energy use across sectors. | E01 | 39 |
| 2402-T026 | Unveiling the Dark Side of Black Silicon | Researchers have developed a new theoretical model for making black silicon, an important material used in various applications. This model explains how fluorine gas selectively breaks certain bonds in silicon, leading to the creation of black silicon. | DOE/Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory | Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) have developed a new theoretical model explaining one way to make black silicon. The new etching model precisely explains how fluorine gas breaks certain bonds in the silicon more often than others, depending on the orientation of the bond at the surface. Black silicon is an important material used in solar cells, light sensors, antibacterial surfaces and many other applications. -- Black silicon is made when the surface of regular silicon is etched to produce tiny nanoscale pits on the surface. -- These pits change the color of the silicon from gray to black and, critically, trap more light, an essential feature of efficient solar cells. -- While there are many ways to make black silicon, including some that use the charged, fourth state of matter known as plasma, the new model focuses on a process that uses only fluorine gas. -- PPPL Postdoctoral Research Associate Yuri Barsukov said the choice to focus on fluorine was intentional: the team at PPPL wanted to fill a gap in publicly available research. -- While some papers have been published about the role of charged particles called ions in the production of black silicon, not much has been published about the role of neutral substances, such as fluorine gas. -- "We now know -- with great specificity -- the mechanisms that cause these pits to form when fluorine gas is used," said Barsukov, one of the authors of a new paper about the work. -- "This kind of information, published publicly and openly available, benefits us all, whether we pursue further knowledge into the basic knowledge that underlines such processes or we seek to improve manufacturing processes." -- Model reveals bonds break based on atom orientation at the surface -- The new etching model precisely explains how fluorine gas breaks certain bonds in the silicon more often than others, depending on the orientation of the bond at the surface. | E01 T01 | 40 |
| 2402-014 | TV's Effect on Toddlers' Sensory Processing Abilities | Babies exposed to television or video viewing may exhibit atypical sensory behaviors, according to researchers at Drexel's College of Medicine. | Drexel University | JAMA Pediatrics | Press Rel | PubMed | Babies and toddlers exposed to television or video viewing may be more likely to exhibit atypical sensory behaviors, such as being disengaged and disinterested in activities, seeking more intense stimulation in an environment, or being overwhelmed by sensations like loud sounds or bright lights, according to data from researchers at Drexel's College of Medicine published today in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. -- According to the researchers, children exposed to greater TV viewing by their second birthday were more likely to develop atypical sensory processing behaviors, such as "sensation seeking" and "sensation avoiding," as well as "low registration" -- being less sensitive or slower to respond to stimuli, such as their name being called, by 33 months old. -- Sensory processing skills reflect the body's ability to respond efficiently and appropriately to information and stimuli received by its sensory systems, such as what the toddler hears, sees, touches, and tastes. -- The team pulled 2011-2014 data on television or DVD-watching by babies and toddlers at 12- 18- and 24-months from the National Children's Study of 1,471 children (50% male) nationwide. -- Sensory processing outcomes were assessed at 33 months using the Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile (ITSP), a questionnaire completed by parents/caregivers, designed to give insights on how children process what they see, hear and smell, etc. -- ITSP subscales examine children's patterns of low registration, sensation seeking, such as excessively touching or smelling objects; sensory sensitivity, such as being overly upset or irritated by lights and noise; and sensation avoiding -- actively trying to control their environment to avoid things like having their teeth brushed. Children score in "typical," "high" or "low" groups based on how often they display various sensory-related behaviors. Scores were considered "typical" if they were within one standard deviation from the average of the ITSP norm. -- Measurements of screen exposure at 12-months were based on caregiver responses to the question: "Does your child watch TV and/or DVDs? (yes/no)," and at 18- and 24- months based on the question: "Over the past 30 days, on average, how many hours per day did your child watch TV and/or DVDs?" -- The findings suggest: -- At 12 months, any screen exposure compared to no screen viewing was associated with a 105% greater likelihood of exhibiting "high" sensory behaviors instead of "typical" sensory behaviors related to low registration at 33 months -- At 18 months, each additional hour of daily screen time was associated with 23% increased odds of exhibiting "high" sensory behaviors related to later sensation avoiding and low registration. | H01 | 41 |
| 2401-T009 | Computational Method Discovers Hundreds of Ceramics for Extreme Environments | Materials scientists have developed heat and electronic tolerant materials that could enable devices to function at extremely high temperatures. | Duke University | Nature | Press Rel | PubMed | If you have a deep-seated, nagging worry over dropping your phone in molten lava, you're in luck. -- A research team led by materials scientists at Duke University has developed a method for rapidly discovering a new class of materials with heat and electronic tolerances so rugged that they that could enable devices to function at lava-like temperatures above several thousands of degrees Fahrenheit. -- Harder than steel and stable in chemically corrosive environments, these materials could also form the basis of new wear- and corrosion-resistant coatings, thermoelectrics, batteries, catalysts and radiation-resistant devices. -- The recipes for these materials -- ceramics made using transition metals carbonitrides or borides -- were discovered through a new computational method called Disordered Enthalpy-Entropy Descriptor (DEED). In its first demonstration, the program predicted the synthesizability of 900 new formulations of high-performance materials, 17 of which were then tested and successfully produced in laboratories. -- The results appear online January 3 in the journal Nature and include contributions from collaborators at Penn State University, Missouri University of Science and Technology, North Carolina State University, and State University of New York at Buffalo. -- "The capability of rapidly discovering synthesizable compositions will allow researchers to focus on optimizing their industry-disrupting properties," said Stefano Curtarolo, the Edmund T. Pratt Jr. School Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Duke. -- The Curtarolo group maintains the Duke Automatic-FLOW for Materials Database (AFLOW) -- an enormous reservoir of material properties data connected to many online tools for materials optimization. This wealth of information allows algorithms to accurately predict the properties of unexplored mixtures without having to attempt to simulate the complexities of atomic dynamics or make them in the laboratory. -- For the past several years, the Curtarolo group has been working to develop predictive powers for "high-entropy" materials that derive enhanced stability from a chaotic mixture of atoms rather than relying solely on the orderly atomic structure of conventional materials. In 2018, they discovered high-entropy carbides, which were a simpler, special-case scenario. -- "The high-entropy carbides all had a relatively uniform amount of enthalpy, so we could ignore part of the equation," Curtarolo said. "But to predict new ceramic recipes with other transition metals, we had to address the enthalpy." -- To better understand the concepts of entropy and enthalpy in this application, think of a 10-year-old trying to construct a doghouse out of a giant pile of Legos. Even with limited types of building blocks, there would be many possible design outcomes. | E01 T01 | 42 |
| 2402-E014 | Connected Conservation: Protected Areas Must Be Linked to Ensure Elephant Population Stability | A comprehensive study of African savannah elephant populations reveals that conservation efforts have successfully protected elephants in southern Africa over the past 25 years, although some populations continue to face declines. Connecting large core areas with neighboring buffer zones appears to be key to long-term stability. | Duke University | Science Advances | Press Rel | PubMed | Conservation measures have successfully stopped declines in the African savanna elephant population across southern Africa, but the pattern varies locally, according to a new study. -- The evidence suggests that the long-term solution to elephant survival requires not only that areas are protected but that they are also connected to allow populations to stabilize naturally, an international research team says. -- Their study, published on January 5th in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances, collected survey estimates and calculated growth rates for more than 100 elephant populations in southern Africa between 1995 and 2020, accounting for an estimated 70% of the global savanna elephant population. -- "This is the most comprehensive analysis of growth rates for any large mammal population in the world," said co-author Rob Guldemond, director of the Conservation Ecological Research Unit (CERU) at the University of Pretoria, in South Africa. -- Overall, the survey's results are positive: There are the same number of elephants now as there were 25 years ago, a rare conservation win at a time when the planet is rapidly losing biodiversity. -- However, the pattern is not consistent across regions. Some areas, such as south Tanzania, eastern Zambia, and northern Zimbabwe, experienced severe declines due to illegal ivory poaching. -- In contrast, populations in other regions like north Botswana are booming. -- "Unchecked growth isn't necessarily a good thing, however," says study co-author Stuart Pimm, the Doris Duke Professor of Conservation at Duke University in North Carolina. -- "Rapidly increasing populations can outgrow and damage their local environment and prove hard to manage -- introducing a threat to their long-term stability," Pimm says. -- In addition to documenting local growth rates, the team also looked at the features of the local populations to identify what makes them stable, that is neither growing nor declining. | E02 T02 | 43 |
| 2401-031 | RBFox1 Discovery Aids Regenerative Heart Therapies: Revolutionary Findings | RBFox1 has been identified as a key regulator of heart muscle cell maturation, providing valuable insights into cardiac regenerative therapy and disease modeling. | Duke-NUS Medical School | Circulation | Press Rel | PubMed | Scientists led by Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore and the University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA) in the United States have discovered a new control mechanism that can drive the maturation of human stem cell-derived heart muscle cells, providing fresh insight into the maturation process of heart muscle cells from fetal to adult form. -- After birth, heart muscle cells undergo extensive changes to become fully mature adult cells, altering their form, function and physiology. -- However, the regulatory processes governing this maturation have been poorly understood thus far. -- For regenerative therapies in particular, this lack of understanding has proven a major limitation as efforts to grow stem cell-derived heart muscle cells have not been successful at producing mature adult cells, capable of restoring or improving heart function. -- Publishing in Circulation, the research team used transcriptomic analysis to pinpoint an RNA splicing regulator named RBFox1 that was highly elevated soon after birth in a newborn heart. -- Analyses of published single-cell data also showed dramatic RBFox1 increase in maturing heart cells. -- "This represents the first evidence that RNA splicing control contributes significantly to heart cell maturation," said lead author Dr Huang Jijun, who performed the preclinical study during his postdoctoral work at UCLA. -- "While RBFox1 alone may not be sufficient to mature fetal heart muscle cells all the way to fully matured adult cells, our findings uncover a new RNA-based internal network that can substantially drive this maturation process beyond other available approaches." -- By expressing RBFox1 in immature human stem cell-derived heart cells, the researchers saw enhancements in key indicators of maturation, including cell size, sarcomere structure, contraction, calcium handling and oxygen usage. -- RBFox1 expression also led to the development of characteristic electrical properties seen in adult cells. | H01 R01 | 44 |
| 2402-077 | Nasal COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Provides Better and Longer Protection | Administering a COVID-19 vaccine as a nasal spray may enhance long-term immune memory and reduce the need for boosters. | Duke-NUS Medical School | eBioMedicine | Press Rel | PubMed | A team of scientists, led by Duke-NUS Medical School, has discovered a potential intranasal vaccine candidate that provides improved, longer-lasting immunity against SARS-CoV-2 viruses compared to when given as an injection. By triggering an immune response directly at the point of entry, the intranasal vaccine candidate enhanced long-term immune memory of the virus, which could translate to a reduced need for booster shots. -- There is growing evidence that intranasal vaccines provide greater protection at mucosal surfaces, making this a vaccination route that could reduce break-through infections and subsequent transmission of the virus. -- To delve into this, the research team, which includes collaborators from Duke-NUS' parent universities -- Duke University and the National University of Singapore -- among others, compared the immune responses from nasal and subcutaneous administration of the vaccine, as well as immunity from the vaccine with and without the use of adjuvants -- substances added to vaccines to enhance the body's immune response. -- Published in eBioMedicine, the findings showed nasal administration of the vaccine candidate boosted mucosal antibody response, as expected. -- Additionally, and more importantly, it enhanced longer-lasting mucosal and systemic immune protection through preferential induction of airway-resident T cells and central memory T cells. -- "Our data show that, compared to subcutaneous vaccination, the intranasal route improved the response of certain immune cells, known as T cells, which reduced disease severity," explained Associate Professor Ashley St John, from Duke-NUS' Emerging Infectious Diseases Programme, who is the lead author of the study. -- "Not only that, but it also resulted in a greater number of T central memory cells compared to subcutaneous vaccination, which could lead to longer-lasting protection." -- T central memory cells play a vital role in safeguarding the body upon re-exposure to a virus. -- They enhance the immune system's memory, inducing long-lasting protective immune responses. -- This ability to retain this long-term memory of the virus suggests less need for a pathogen challenge to achieve the same level of protection against the virus, potentially translating into fewer boosters. | H02 R01 | 45 |
| 2401-063 | Supercharging CAR-T Cells for Revolutionary Cancer Treatment | Groundbreaking CAR-T cell therapy developed at EPFL's School of Engineering has consistently eradicated cancerous tumors in mice and achieved complete remission in 11 patients in clinical trials. This therapy shows promise for revolutionizing cancer immunotherapy. | Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Nature Biotechnology | Press Rel | PubMed | At EPFL's School of Engineering, Professor Li Tang's Laboratory of Biomaterials for Immunoengineering has made significant strides in cancer treatment research. In laboratory settings, this innovative CAR-T therapy has consistently eradicated cancerous tumors in mouse models. Separately, in on-going clinical trials, eleven patients seemed to achieve complete remission using this treatment, marking a success rate of 100% to date. Notably, evidence from the lab study, published in Nature Biotechnology, suggests the therapy's long-term effectiveness, and indicates that its fabrication may be both quicker and more cost-effective than current methods. -- At its core, CAR-T therapy involves modifying T-cells to target and eliminate specific cancer cells. -- These modified T-cells are equipped with Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CARs) that allow them to recognize and latch onto cancer cells, marking a significant departure from traditional treatments. -- "We've added another layer to the CAR-T cell therapy by bioengineering a more robust, supercharged immune cell that is particularly efficient at targeting and destroying tumor cells," says Tang. -- The start-up Leman Biotech, co-founded by Tang and paper co-author Yugang Guo, aims to commercialize the treatment. -- The company has already garnered significant financial backing in its initial fundraising rounds. -- Professor Li Tang's groundbreaking research adds another dimension to this innovative approach. -- Traditional CAR-T cells, while effective against liquid cancers, face challenges in solid tumors -- the cells wear themselves out and ultimately failing to fully destroy the cancer. -- Professor Tang's research introduces CAR-T cells that excrete the IL-10 molecule, which is then ingested by the modified T cells. -- In other words, the cell has been engineered to produce its own medicine to keep healthy in the tumor's hostile environment. | H01 R01 | 46 |
| 2402-035 | Oral Peptides: Advancements in Drug Development for Untreatable Diseases | Stable cyclic peptides with high bioavailability have been developed, opening up possibilities for targeting previously untreatable diseases. | Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Nature Chemical Biology | Press Rel | PubMed | For decades, a substantial number of proteins, vital for treating various diseases, have remained elusive to oral drug therapy. Traditional small molecules often struggle to bind to proteins with flat surfaces or require specificity for particular protein homologs. Typically, larger biologics that can target these proteins demand injection, limiting patient convenience and accessibility. -- In a new study published in Nature Chemical Biology, scientists from the laboratory of Professor Christian Heinis at EPFL have achieved a significant milestone in drug development. -- Their research opens the door to a new class of orally available drugs, addressing a long-standing challenge in the pharmaceutical industry. -- "There are many diseases for which the targets were identified but drugs binding and reaching them could not be developed," says Heinis. -- "Most of them are types of cancer, and many targets in these cancers are protein-protein interactions that are important for the tumor growth but cannot be inhibited." -- The study focused on cyclic peptides, which are versatile molecules known for their high affinity and specificity in binding challenging disease targets. -- At the same time, developing cyclic peptides as oral drugs has proven difficult because they are rapidly digested or poorly absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract. -- "Cyclic peptides are of great interest for drug development as these molecules can bind to difficult targets for which it has been challenging to generate drugs using established methods," says Heinis. -- "But the cyclic peptides cannot usually be administered orally -- as a pill -- which limits their application enormously." -- Cyclizing Breakthrough | H01 R01 | 47 |
| 2402-059 | Supercharging Cancer Treatment: CAR-T Cells Flourish in Tumor Environments | CAR-T cells that thrive in tumor environments have the potential to revolutionize cancer immunotherapy, as demonstrated by the success of Professor Li Tang's laboratory in mouse models and ongoing clinical trials. | Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Nature Biotechnology | Press Rel | PubMed | At EPFL's School of Engineering, Professor Li Tang's Laboratory of Biomaterials for Immunoengineering has made significant strides in cancer treatment research. In laboratory settings, this innovative CAR-T therapy has consistently eradicated cancerous tumors in mouse models. Separately, in on-going clinical trials, eleven patients seemed to achieve complete remission using this treatment, marking a success rate of 100% to date. Notably, evidence from the lab study, published in Nature Biotechnology, suggests the therapy's long-term effectiveness, and indicates that its fabrication may be both quicker and more cost-effective than current methods. -- At its core, CAR-T therapy involves modifying T-cells to target and eliminate specific cancer cells. -- These modified T-cells are equipped with Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CARs) that allow them to recognize and latch onto cancer cells, marking a significant departure from traditional treatments. -- "We've added another layer to the CAR-T cell therapy by bioengineering a more robust, supercharged immune cell that is particularly efficient at targeting and destroying tumor cells," says Tang. -- The start-up Leman Biotech, co-founded by Tang and paper co-author Yugang Guo, aims to commercialize the treatment. -- The company has already garnered significant financial backing in its initial fundraising rounds. -- Professor Li Tang's groundbreaking research adds another dimension to this innovative approach. -- Traditional CAR-T cells, while effective against liquid cancers, face challenges in solid tumors -- the cells wear themselves out and ultimately failing to fully destroy the cancer. -- Professor Tang's research introduces CAR-T cells that excrete the IL-10 molecule, which is then ingested by the modified T cells. -- In other words, the cell has been engineered to produce its own medicine to keep healthy in the tumor's hostile environment. | H01 R01 | 48 |
| 2402-E011 | Lasting Impact: How School-Based Gardening and Food Programs Shape Dietary Behaviors | Experiential food education programs, such as gardening and cooking lessons, have increased to encourage fruit and vegetable consumption among youth, and a recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior reveals that this early learning positively influences food decisions into adulthood. | Elsevier | Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior | Press Rel | PubMed | To encourage fruit and vegetable consumption among youth, experiential food education programs such as gardening and cooking lessons have increased across both community and school settings. A recent research article in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, published by Elsevier, revealed how this early learning positively influenced food decisions as children grew older. -- Lead study author Christine St. Pierre, MPH, RD, Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, explained, "While food education programs are evaluated, much of the evidence of program impact comes from evaluations less than a year after the class, and little is known about the enduring impact through childhood and into adulthood." -- This study explored the experiences of current and alumni participants of the FRESHFARM FoodPrints food education program, which is embedded in more than 20 elementary schools within a large urban public school district in the eastern United States. -- The program's first school partnership was established nearly 15 years ago, and the oldest alumni participants are now young adults. -- A network of alumni has been established and maintained as the program has grown, providing a unique opportunity to gain insight into the experiences of both current participants and those who have aged out of the program. -- Researchers observed classes and interviewed program coaches and staff to prepare for focus group sessions. -- Focus groups were recruited among current and alumni students. -- Questions were designed to gain insights into the typical participant experience, current nutrition behaviors, food environment, and impression of the FoodPrints program. -- Nine emergent themes were identified in three categories of impact: immediate, beyond the classroom, and sustained. -- The immediate impact of the programs included enjoyment of food experiences, hands-on learning of food skills, and connection with peers through a shared experience. | H01 | 49 |
| 2402-E022 | Aging Coastal Communities: Climate Migration Shifts Population Dynamics | A study by Florida State University researchers reveals that as sea levels rise due to climate change, younger people will migrate inland, leaving aging coastal populations with challenges and potential losses of vital human infrastructure. | Florida State University | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | Press Rel | PubMed | As climate change fuels sea level rise, younger people will migrate inland, leaving aging coastal populations -- and a host of consequences -- in their wake, a study by Florida State University researchers finds. -- While destination cities will work to sustainably accommodate swelling populations, aging coastal communities will confront stark new challenges, including an outflow of vital human infrastructure such as health care workers, said Associate Professor of Sociology Matt Hauer, lead author of the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. -- "In the destination communities where populations are increasing you'll need more dentists, doctors, service workers, construction workers, etc.," Hauer said. -- "So by people moving, you affect other people's likelihood of moving. You get a demographic amplification." -- Previous studies estimated where people are likely to move as a changing climate affects livability. -- Hauer's study also incorporates demographic data and secondary effects that revealed a host of challenges awaiting both the coastal "sender" communities and their destination counterparts. -- "Imagine young families moving out of areas like Miami and moving to other locations and starting a family there," he said. -- "And just by the fact that there's more people who have moved there, these indirect population processes draw even more people." -- The study concluded that these indirect processes could create 5.3 to 18 times the number of climate migrants as those directly displaced by rising seas. -- It also found that by 2100, median age in coastal communities could spike as much as 10 years. | H01 E01 T02 | 50 |
| 2402-E051 | Perovskite Solar Cells' Secret: A Special Protection for Charge Carriers | Researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich have discovered that free charge carriers in perovskite solar cells have a special form of protection from recombination, contributing to their high efficiency. | Forschungszentrum Juelich | Nature Materials | Press Rel | PubMed | Free charge carriers in perovskite solar cells likely have a special form of protection from recombination, researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich have discovered by means of innovative photoluminescence measurements. -- Highly efficient and relatively inexpensive to produce -- perovskite solar cells have been the subject of repeated surprises in recent years. -- Scientists at Forschungszentrum Jülich have now discovered another special feature of the cells using a new photoluminescence measurement technique. -- They found that the loss of charge carriers in this type of cell follows different physical laws than those known for most semiconductors. -- This may be one of the main reasons for their high level of efficiency. -- The results were presented in the journal Nature Materials. -- Perovskite solar cells are regarded as highly promising for photovoltaics, even if their stability leaves much to be desired. -- Cells of this type are inexpensive to print and very efficient. -- In the last decade, their efficiency has doubled to over 25 % and is therefore currently on a par with conventional solar cells made of silicon. -- Further improvements also appear to be possible in the future. | E01 | 51 |
| 2402-030 | Epigenetic Therapy for Endocrine-Resistant Breast Cancer: Promising Results | Endocrine resistance in breast cancer can be caused by DNA methylation, and reversing this methylation can reduce cancer growth in animal models. | Garvan Institute of Medical Research | Nature Structural & Molecular Biology | Press Rel | PubMed | Endocrine resistance -- a major cause of breast cancer deaths -- can be underpinned by an epigenetic change called DNA methylation, researchers at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research have discovered. The team successfully reversed this methylation to reduce cancer growth in patient-derived animal models. -- Using a low dose of the epigenetic therapy drug decitabine, which is currently used to treat some blood cancers, the researchers significantly suppressed the growth of endocrine-resistant breast tumours in mice and increased survival time by 90%. The finding, which will be tested in a future Phase I clinical trial, is a potential gamechanger for the more than 4,000 people who are diagnosed with endocrine-resistant breast cancer each year in Australia alone. -- "This research has uncovered a completely new approach to treating endocrine-resistant breast cancer. In our study, we have not only pinpointed a new molecular mechanism that explains how endocrine resistance might develop -- we have identified a treatment currently used in the clinic that can target this mechanism precisely," says Professor Susan Clark, Head of the Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory at Garvan and senior author of the paper published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology. -- Epigenetic change drives breast cancer treatment resistance -- An estimated 70% of all diagnosed breast cancers are oestrogen receptor positive (ER+), which means their growth is activated by oestrogen -- a hormone that plays a key role in sexual and reproductive health in women. -- While endocrine therapy that suppresses oestrogen in the body can slow or stop the growth of these tumours, more than 30% of patients develop resistance, with their tumours no longer requiring oestrogen to grow. -- In a 2020 study, the Garvan team investigated the endocrine-resistant cancer's epigenome, the layer of instructions that organises and regulates DNA's activity, and revealed that endocrine resistance is linked to methyl groups attaching to regulatory regions of DNA and changing the 3D structure of DNA inside cancer cells. -- New approach to breast cancer therapy -- "In this current study, we set out to reverse the abnormal methylation patterns and restore the 3D DNA structure in the endocrine-resistant ER+ breast cancers using epigenetic therapy," says first author Dr Joanna Achinger-Kawecka, Head of the 3D Epigenome in Cancer Group at Garvan. -- "We found that decitabine removed methyl groups at specific DNA regulatory regions, rewiring the 3D structure of DNA to not only reactivate the production of oestrogen receptors, but also activate tumour suppressor genes that can reduce cancer growth." | H01 R01 E02 | 52 |
| 2401-042 | Reprogrammed Fat Cells Promote Tumor Growth: Mutations of Tumor Suppressor p53 Explained | Mutations in the tumor suppressor p53 not only promote cancer growth, but also reprogram fat cells to create an inflammatory microenvironment that supports tumor growth. | German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | Press Rel | PubMed | Mutations of the tumor suppressor p53 not only have a growth-promoting effect on the cancer cells themselves, but also influence the cells in the tumor's microenvironment. Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Weizmann Institute in Israel have now shown that p53-mutated mouse breast cancer cells reprogram fat cells. The manipulated fat cells create an inflammatory microenvironment, impairing the immune response against the tumor and thus promoting cancer growth. -- No other gene is mutated as frequently in human tumors as the gene for the tumor suppressor p53. -- In around 30 percent of all cases of breast cancer, the cancer cells show mutations or losses in the p53 gene. -- These mutations restrict the ability of p53 to acta as a "cancer brake" p53 and to prevent the development and progression of cancer. -- The effects of p53 mutations in the cancer cells themselves have already been intensively researched. -- However, the understanding that p53 mutations in cancer cells can also affect cells in the tumor's microenvironment -- and thus additionally drive cancer growth -- is only slowly growing. -- A team of researchers led by Almut Schulze from the DKZF and Moshe Oren from the Weizmann Institute in Israel investigated the effects of p53 mutations in breast cancer cells on fat cells, known as adipocytes. -- During the progression of breast cancer, adipocytes, one of the main cell types in breast tissue, undergo a transformation. -- Research results indicate that this increases the aggressiveness and resistance to therapy of the surrounding breast cancer cells. -- Schulze and Oren's team have now demonstrated this in adipocytes from mouse breast tissue: The cancer-promoting properties of adipocytes are potentiated when the breast cancer cells carry p53 mutations. | H01 R01 | 53 |
| 2402-E029 | Habitat Risks for Primate Infants: Oil Palm Plantations Threaten Southern Pig-Tailed Macaques | Frequent visits to oil palm plantations are causing a significant increase in mortality rates among infant macaques, as they are exposed to predators, human encounters, and harmful agricultural chemicals. | German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig | Current Biology | Press Rel | PubMed | Frequent visits to oil palm plantations are leading to a sharp increase in mortality rates among infant southern pig-tailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) in the wild, according to a new study published in Current Biology. In addition to increased risk from predators and human encounters, exposure to harmful agricultural chemicals in this environment may negatively affect infant development. -- In wild populations, infant survival is crucial for determining individual fitness and for maintaining viable populations in changing environments. -- For primates, agricultural areas adjacent to tropical forest habitat can be a mixed blessing: While crop plantations can provide easy access to food, they also come with increased exposure to various hazards, which is likely contributing to reduced infant survival in several wild primate species. -- Exposure to palm plantations increases infant mortality -- In a long-term collaboration between Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Leipzig University (UL), and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVA), researchers set out to investigate potential links between frequent visits to oil palm plantations and the particularly high infant mortality they observed among wild southern pig-tailed macaques in Peninsular Malaysia. -- In a habituated study population in this region, 57% of all infants born between 2014 and 2023 died before the age of one -- a rate that far exceeds mortality rates reported in other wild primate populations. -- For almost ten years, the researchers followed two groups of macaques living in a mosaic of rainforest and oil palm plantations. -- They found that prolonged exposure to oil palm plantations during infancy tripled the likelihood of infant mortality. -- This key finding could be explained by increased encounters with predators and humans, and potential exposure to harmful chemicals such as pesticides in this environment. -- "Some of these risks are relatively clear: infant macaques are more likely to fall prey to feral dogs that roam in the plantations in packs or to be captured by humans and sold illegally as pets," explains Dr Nadine Ruppert from USM, who established and leads the field site. | H01 E02 E03 | 54 |
| 2402-019 | Wearable Robot Improves Walking for Parkinson's Patients | A wearable robot has helped a person with Parkinson's disease walk without freezing, improving their stride and mobility. | Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | Nature Medicine | Press Rel | PubMed | Freezing is one of the most common and debilitating symptoms of Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder that affects more than 9 million people worldwide. When individuals with Parkinson's disease freeze, they suddenly lose the ability to move their feet, often mid-stride, resulting in a series of staccato stutter steps that get shorter until the person stops altogether. These episodes are one of the biggest contributors to falls among people living with Parkinson's disease. -- Today, freezing is treated with a range of pharmacological, surgical or behavioral therapies, none of which are particularly effective. -- What if there was a way to stop freezing altogether? -- Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and the Boston University Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences have used a soft, wearable robot to help a person living with Parkinson's walk without freezing. The robotic garment, worn around the hips and thighs, gives a gentle push to the hips as the leg swings, helping the patient achieve a longer stride. -- The device completely eliminated the participant's freezing while walking indoors, allowing them to walk faster and further than they could without the garment's help. -- "We found that just a small amount of mechanical assistance from our soft robotic apparel delivered instantaneous effects and consistently improved walking across a range of conditions for the individual in our study," said Conor Walsh, the Paul A. Maeder Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences at SEAS and co-corresponding author of the study. -- The research demonstrates the potential of soft robotics to treat this frustrating and potentially dangerous symptom of Parkinson's disease and could allow people living with the disease to regain not only their mobility but their independence. -- The research is published in Nature Medicine. -- For over a decade, Walsh's Biodesign Lab at SEAS has been developing assistive and rehabilitative robotic technologies to improve mobility for individuals' post-stroke and those living with ALS or other diseases that impact mobility. Some of that technology, specifically an exosuit for post-stroke gait retraining, received support from the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, and was licensed and commercialized by ReWalk Robotics. -- In 2022, SEAS and Sargent College received a grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative to support the development and translation of next-generation robotics and wearable technologies. The research is centered at the Move Lab, whose mission is to support advances in human performance enhancement with the collaborative space, funding, R&D infrastructure, and experience necessary to turn promising research into mature technologies that can be translated through collaboration with industry partners. | R01 R02 T01 | 55 |
| 2402-T016 | Solid State Battery Charges in Minutes, Lasts for Thousands of Cycles | A new lithium metal battery has been created that can be charged and discharged at least 6,000 times, surpassing other battery cells on the market. This breakthrough not only offers a more efficient way to make solid-state batteries but also provides insights into the materials used in these batteries. | Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | Nature Materials. | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have developed a new lithium metal battery that can be charged and discharged at least 6,000 times -- more than any other pouch battery cell -- and can be recharged in a matter of minutes. -- The research not only describes a new way to make solid state batteries with a lithium metal anode but also offers new understanding into the materials used for these potentially revolutionary batteries. -- The research is published in Nature Materials. -- "Lithium metal anode batteries are considered the holy grail of batteries because they have ten times the capacity of commercial graphite anodes and could drastically increase the driving distance of electric vehicles," said Xin Li, Associate Professor of Materials Science at SEAS and senior author of the paper. -- "Our research is an important step toward more practical solid state batteries for industrial and commercial applications." -- One of the biggest challenges in the design of these batteries is the formation of dendrites on the surface of the anode. -- These structures grow like roots into the electrolyte and pierce the barrier separating the anode and cathode, causing the battery to short or even catch fire. -- These dendrites form when lithium ions move from the cathode to the anode during charging, attaching to the surface of the anode in a process called plating. -- Plating on the anode creates an uneven, non-homogeneous surface, like plaque on teeth, and allows dendrites to take root. -- When discharged, that plaque-like coating needs to be stripped from the anode and when plating is uneven, the stripping process can be slow and result in potholes that induce even more uneven plating in the next charge. | T01 | 56 |
| 2401-033 | Low-Carb Diets with Healthy Sources Reduce Long-Term Weight Gain: Study Finds | A study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health reveals that low-carbohydrate diets consisting of plant-based proteins and fats with healthy carbohydrates are associated with slower long-term weight gain compared to diets comprised mostly of animal proteins and unhealthy carbohydrates. | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health | JAMA Network Open | Press Rel | PubMed | Low-carbohydrate diets comprised mostly of plant-based proteins and fats with healthy carbohydrates such as whole grains were associated with slower long-term weight gain than low-carbohydrate diets comprised mostly of animal proteins and fats with unhealthy carbohydrates like refined starches, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. -- The study will be published on December 27, 2023, in JAMA Network Open. -- "Our study goes beyond the simple question of, 'To carb or not to carb?'" said lead author Binkai Liu, research assistant in the Department of Nutrition. -- "It dissects the low-carbohydrate diet and provides a nuanced look at how the composition of these diets can affect health over years, not just weeks or months." -- While many studies have shown the benefits of cutting carbohydrates for short-term weight loss, little research has been conducted on low-carbohydrate diets' effect on long-term weight maintenance and the role of food group quality. -- Using data from the Nurses' Health Study, Nurses' Health Study II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, the researchers analyzed the diets and weights of 123,332 healthy adults from as early as 1986 to as recently as 2018. -- Each participant provided self-reports of their diets and weights every four years. -- The researchers scored participants' diets based on how well they adhered to five categories of low-carbohydrate diet: total low-carbohydrate diet (TLCD), emphasizing overall lower carbohydrate intake; animal-based low-carbohydrate diet (ALCD), emphasizing animal-based proteins and fats; vegetable-based low-carbohydrate diet (VLCD), emphasizing plant-based proteins and fats; healthy low-carbohydrate diet (HLCD), emphasizing plant-based proteins, healthy fats, and fewer refined carbohydrates; and unhealthy low-carbohydrate diet (ULCD), emphasizing animal-based proteins, unhealthy fats, and carbohydrates coming from unhealthy sources such as processed breads and cereals. -- The study found that diets comprised of plant-based proteins and fats and healthy carbohydrates were significantly associated with slower long-term weight gain. -- Participants who increased their adherence to TLCD, ALCD, and ULCD on average gained more weight compared to those who increased their adherence to HLCD over time. | H01 E02 E03 T01 | 57 |
| 2401-E005 | Unveiling Ancient Secrets: Preserved Trilobite Soft Tissues and Evolution | Researchers have described unique trilobite fossils that reveal the evolutionary mechanism behind the enrollment of bodies for protection. These fossils were discovered in the collections of the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology and provide valuable insights into ancient arthropods. | Harvard University, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences | Press Rel | PubMed | They'd been in the collections of the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ) since the 1870s when they were first discovered. Nestled in among the largest collection of trilobites, the unique fossils rested in drawers until 145 years later when Sarah Losso, PhD candidate in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology (OEB) at Harvard, began combing through the collection of trilobites as part of her dissertation. -- "I started my PhD going through all of these thin sections of trilobites, imaging them, and trying to figure what we can actually see," Losso said. -- "And then I came across something we never see in trilobite fossils." -- In a new study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, lead author Losso describes the unusual three-dimensional trilobite fossils prepared as thin sections showing the 3D soft tissues during enrollment. -- The study reveals the soft undersides of enrolled trilobites and the evolutionary mechanism that allows arthropods to enroll their bodies for protection from predators and adverse environmental conditions. -- Trilobites are early arthropods from the Paleozoic Era. They were numerous and super diverse until they were wiped out in the End Permian mass extinction. -- Trilobites are named for their three-lobed body, which is covered by a durable exoskeleton enriched in calcite that is easily preserved; making trilobites an iconic part of the Paleozoic fossil record. -- Their segmented bodies have numerous limb pairs that include a walking leg and a gill for respiration. -- Unlike their durable exoskeleton, their undersides, including the legs, are much softer so are rarely fossilized unless the perfect conditions are met. -- Trilobites have no close relatives, despite their resemblance to horseshoe crabs. | H01 | 58 |
| 2401-019 | Relationship Between Wound Healing, Circadian Rhythm, and Primary Cilia Explored | New research explores the role of primary cilia, the cell's sensory organ, in the healing process and how it is influenced by circadian rhythms. | Hiroshima University | EMBO reports | Press Rel | PubMed | Nearly every organism on Earth follows a natural circadian rhythm that is coded by your cell's clock genes, which do exactly as you suspect from the name: regulate your body's rhythm on a 24-hour basis. Most cells in mammalian bodies have cilia of some sort, which are hair-like structures that perform a variety of functions such as movement for motile cilia and aiding in structure in function for non-motile, or primary, cilia. The primary cilia also act as a sensory organ for the cell, a function which has illuminated the primary cilia's potential role in the healing process and how bodies heal at a different rate according to our circadian rhythm. In this research, the role of the primary cilia, biological clock and wound healing is explored. -- Researchers published their results in EMBO Reports in November 2023. -- The main findings concluded that clock proteins, which are proteins that regulate a 24-hour rhythm within a cell and are coded by clock genes, have much to do with the regulation of the primary cilia. -- The primary cilia act in accordance with the oscillations of the clock gene's expression and can shorten or lengthen throughout the day. -- The length of the primary cilia can vary and is tied to the healing process of a wound. -- The shorter the length of the cilia, the shorter the wound-healing time appears to be. The research done in this study observes cells from mice over 72 hours and the rise and fall of the length of the cilia is observed to be in line with the rhythm of a 24-hour cyclical period. -- "This suggests that the 24-hour cycle of primary cilia on fibroblasts may underlie in part the difference of wound healing speed between daytime and nighttime," said Ryota Nakazato, researcher and author of the study. -- Fibroblasts are cells that contribute to forming connective tissue and are a major part of the healing process. -- The circadian rhythm in the primary cilia of these fibroblasts is more involved in wound healing during the day than at night. -- The reason for this daytime-induced enhanced healing process appears to be from the relationship the 24-hour cycle has on the length of the primary cilium. | E01 | 59 |
| 2402-T027 | Domino Effect Achieved in Redox Reactions | For the first time, a domino reaction has been transmitted using redox chemistry. This breakthrough opens up new possibilities for chemical reactions and synthesis. | Hokkaido University | Angewandte Chemie International Edition | Press Rel | PubMed | Transmitting an effect known as a domino reaction using redox chemistry has been achieved for the first time. -- Domino reactions occur when the transformation of one chemical group stimulates the reaction of another attached group, or other molecule, leading to a rapid knock-on effect through the system like a row of falling dominoes. -- Researchers at Hokkaido University have now achieved the first example of a domino reaction in the branch of chemistry called redox chemistry. -- The term redox comes from 'reduction,' referring to the gain of electrons, and 'oxidation,' referring to the loss of electrons. -- Redox reactions are therefore electron transfer processes. -- "The problem with achieving domino reactions in redox processes is that the electron transfer, especially multi-electron transfer, produces electrically charged species whose electrostatic interactions can inhibit further change," says chemist Yusuke Ishigaki of the Hokkaido team. -- To overcome the obstacles the researchers designed a two-part molecule that undergoes a significant structural change when one part is converted between its electrically neutral (reduced) and positively charged (oxidized) states. -- This structural change transmits a chemical effect to the other part of the molecule that makes its own oxidation more likely. -- The molecule they designed consists of two relatively large redox-active units connected by a non-planar flexible link formed by sulfur atoms. -- When one of the paired units loses electrons (is oxidized), it acquires two positive charges which acts as the trigger causing the other part of the molecule to twist around the core. | Z01 | 60 |
| 2402-074 | Tears in a Dish: Researchers Develop First Model of Human Conjunctiva | Researchers have created an organoid model of the human conjunctiva, discovering a new cell type associated with allergies. | Hubrecht Institute | Cell Stem Cell | Press Rel | PubMed | The Organoid group at the Hubrecht Institute produced the first organoid model of the human conjunctiva. These organoids mimic the function of the actual human conjunctiva, a tissue involved in tear production. Using their new model, the researchers discovered a new cell type in this tissue: tuft cells. The tuft cells become more abundant under allergy-like conditions and are therefore likely to play a role in allergies. The organoid model can now be used to test drugs for several diseases affecting the conjunctiva. The study will be published in Cell Stem Cell on 11 January 2024. -- Our eyes produce tears to protect themselves from injuries and infections. -- The conjunctiva, a tissue that covers the white of the eye and the inside of the eyelids, is partially responsible for the production of these tears. -- It participates in tear production through the release of mucus. -- This mucus allows the tears to stick to the ocular surface and protects it from pathogens. -- Limited treatment options -- Several diseases and disorders affect the conjunctiva, such as dry eye disease, cancer, allergies and infections. -- In severe cases, disfunction of this tissue can lead to blindness. -- Until now, there has not been a good model of the human conjunctiva, which limits research into its function in sickness and in health. -- Consequently, there are limited treatment options for diseases affecting the conjunctiva. | H01 R01 | 61 |
| 2401-T017 | Non-Toxic Quantum Dots: Enabling CMOS Shortwave Infrared Image Sensors | Researchers have developed a high-performance shortwave infrared (SWIR) image sensor using non-toxic colloidal quantum dots. Published in Nature Photonics, this study from ICFO and Qurv describes a method for synthesizing high-quality non-toxic colloidal quantum dots that can be integrated with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology. | ICFO-The Institute of Photonic Sciences | Nature Photonics | Press Rel | PubMed | ICFO and Qurv researchers have fabricated a new high-performance shortwave infrared (SWIR) image sensor based on non-toxic colloidal quantum dots. In their study published in Nature Photonics, they report on a new method for synthesizing functional high-quality non-toxic colloidal quantum dots integrable with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology. -- Invisible to our eyes, shortwave infrared (SWIR) light can enable unprecedented reliability, function and performance in high-volume, computer vision first applications in service robotics, automotive and consumer electronics markets. -- Image sensors with SWIR sensitivity can operate reliably under adverse conditions such as bright sunlight, fog, haze and smoke. -- Furthermore, the SWIR range provides eye-safe illumination sources and opens up the possibility of detecting material properties through molecular imaging. -- Colloidal quantum dots (CQD) based image sensor technology offers a promising technology platform to enable high-volume compatible image sensors in the SWIR. -- CQDs, nanometric semiconductor crystals, are a solution-processed material platform that can be integrated with CMOS and enables accessing the SWIR range. -- However, a fundamental roadblock exists in translating SWIR-sensitive quantum dots into key enabling technology for mass-market applications, as they often contain heavy metals like lead or mercury (IV-VI Pb, Hg-chalcogenide semiconductors). These materials are subject to regulations by the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), a European directive that regulates their use in commercial consumer electronic applications. -- In a new study published in Nature Photonics, ICFO researchers Yongjie Wang, Lucheng Peng, and Aditya Malla led by ICREA Prof. -- at ICFO Gerasimos Konstantatos, in collaboration with researchers Julien Schreier, Yu Bi, Andres Black, and Stijn Goossens, from Qurv, have reported on the development of high-performance infrared photodetectors and a shortwave infrared (SWIR) image sensor operating at room temperature based on non-toxic colloidal quantum dots. -- The study describes a new method for synthesizing size tuneable, phosphine-free silver telluride (Ag2Te) quantum dots while preserving the advantageous properties of traditional heavy-metal counterparts paving the way to the introduction of SWIR colloidal quantum dot technology in high-volume markets. | H01 T01 | 62 |
| 2402-080 | Unraveling Individual Differences in DNA Mutation Risks for Cancer | Researchers have discovered distinct genomic patterns in mutation risks, providing insights into cancer evolution and the relationship between mutations and cell proliferation. | Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) | Nature Cancer | Press Rel | PubMed | Mutations, which occur continuously in every cell of our bodies, are a key contributor to cancer, ageing, and neurodegeneration. While exposure to mutagenic chemicals, or mistakes in cellular processes during DNA replication contribute to these mutations, the exact distribution and patterns of these changes across human chromosomes have remained a mystery until now. -- Dr. Fran Supek, ICREA researcher and head of the Genome Data Science lab at IRB Barcelona, and Marina Salvadores, PhD student in the same laboratory, have delved into the landscape of DNA mutations, unveiling unexpected patterns that differentiate individuals in terms of mutation risk. -- Previous work by the laboratory identified a "genomic spellchecker," a DNA repair mechanism devoted to reducing mutation risks in key parts of human chromosomes. -- Building upon these findings, the current study aimed to determine whether mutation risk varies between individuals and, if so, to identify the mechanisms driving these differences. -- "This research not only expands our understanding of the factors influencing mutation rate distribution but it also has significant implications for cancer evolution, therapeutic strategies, and advancements in regenerative medicine," explains Dr. Supek. -- A genomic 'big data' analysis -- To address these questions, the researchers conducted a comprehensive analysis of genome sequences from over 4,000 tumours from various organs. -- Unlike previous studies focusing on tissue-specific mutation risks, this study specifically targeted individual differences in susceptibility to mutations. -- Employing a genomic "big data" approach, the team used machine learning algorithms to identify recurrent patterns across chromosome segments. -- They discovered 13 distinct patterns, with 10 corresponding to different types of tissue. | R01 | 63 |
| 2402-E001 | Genetic Changes Behind Transition from Egg-Laying to Live-Bearing Uncovered | Collaborative research has shed light on the genetic changes that allow organisms to transition from egg-laying to live birth. By studying a marine snail, scientists have gained insights into the mechanisms behind this evolutionary switch, offering valuable information about reproductive strategies in animals. | Institute of Science and Technology Austria | Science | Press Rel | PubMed | Animals reproduce in one of two distinct ways: egg-laying or live birth. By studying an evolutionarily recent transition from egg-laying to live-bearing in a marine snail, collaborative research by the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), the University of Sheffield, and the University of Gothenburg has shed new light on the genetic changes that allow organisms to make the switch. The results were published in Science. -- The egg did come first. Egg-laying arose deep in evolutionary time, long before animals even made their way onto land. -- Throughout evolution, there have been many independent transitions to live-bearing across the animal kingdom, including insects, fish, reptiles, and mammals. -- Yet, these examples have taught us very little about the number of genetic changes it takes to go from eggs to live offspring. -- Now, an international team of researchers led by ISTA postdoc Sean Stankowski has used a humble marine snail to reveal the genetic changes that underpin the transition to live-bearing. -- The main advantage of investigating this phenomenon in marine snails: Live-bearing evolved within the past 100,000 years in these organisms -- a blink of an eye in evolutionary terms. -- Thus, these marine snails could provide a unique chance to reveal the genetic basis of live-bearing. -- "Almost all mammals give live birth, and this function has accompanied their evolution for around 140 million years. Yet, in this study, we can investigate how live-bearing evolved completely independently, and much more recently, in marine snails," says Stankowski. -- The team's central finding: the switch to live-bearing is caused by around 50 genetic changes that are scattered around the snail genome. -- One species, over a hundred names | E02 | 64 |
| 2402-E042 | Stranger Than Friction: The Force That Initiates Life's Development | Sea squirt oocytes utilize friction within their interior compartments for developmental changes after conception, similar to how a potter shapes clay on a spinning wheel. | Institute of Science and Technology Austria | Nature Physics | Press Rel | PubMed | As the potter works the spinning wheel, the friction between their hands and the soft clay helps them shape it into all kinds of forms and creations. In a fascinating parallel, sea squirt oocytes (immature egg cells) harness friction within various compartments in their interior to undergo developmental changes after conception. A study from the Heisenberg group at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), published in Nature Physics, now describes how this works. -- The sea is full of fascinating life forms. From algae and colorful fish to marine snails and sea squirts, a completely different world reveals itself underwater. -- Sea squirts or ascidians in particular are very unusual: after a free-moving larvae stage, the larva settles down, attaches to solid surfaces like rocks or corals, and develops tubes (siphons), their defining feature. -- Although they look like rubbery blobs as adults, they are the most closely related invertebrate relatives to humans. -- Especially at the larval stages, sea squirts are surprisingly similar to us. -- Therefore, ascidians are often used as model organisms to study the early embryonic development of vertebrates to which humans belong. -- "While ascidians exhibit the basic developmental and morphological features of vertebrates, they also have the cellular and genomic simplicity typical of invertebrates," explains Carl-Philipp Heisenberg, Professor at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA). "Especially the ascidian larva is an ideal model for understanding early vertebrate development." -- His research group's latest work, published in Nature Physics, now gives new insights into their development. -- The findings suggest that upon fertilization of ascidian oocytes, friction forces play a crucial role in reshaping and reorganizing their insides, heralding the next steps in their developmental cascade. -- Decoding oocyte transformation | E02 | 65 |
| 2402-E041 | Green Ammonia Revolution: Decarbonizing Global Shipping One Port at a Time | Green ammonia could fulfill a significant portion of global shipping fuel demands, offering a viable option for decarbonizing international shipping by 2050. | IOP Publishing | Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability | Press Rel | PubMed | A study published today in IOP Publishing's journal Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability has found that green ammonia could be used to fulfil the fuel demands of over 60% of global shipping by targeting just the top 10 regional fuel ports. Researchers at the University of Oxford looked at the production costs of ammonia which are similar to very low sulphur fuels, and concluded that the fuel could be a viable option to help decarbonise international shipping by 2050. -- Around USD 2 trillion will be needed to transition to a green ammonia fuel supply chain by 2050, primarily to finance supply infrastructure. -- The study shows that the greatest investment need is in Australia, to supply the Asian markets, with large production clusters also predicted in Chile (to supply South America), California (to supply Western U.S.A.), North-West Africa (to meet European demand), and the southern Arabian Peninsula (to meet local demand and parts of south Asia). -- 90% of world's physical goods trade is transported by ships which burn heavy fuel oil and emit toxic pollutants. -- This accounts for nearly 3% of the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. -- As a result of this, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) committed to decarbonising international shipping in 2018, aiming to halve GHG emissions by 2050. -- These targets have been recently revised to net zero emissions by 2050. -- After investigating the viability of diesel vessel exhaust scrubbers, green ammonia, made by electrolysing water with renewable electricity, was proposed as an alternative fuel source to quickly decarbonise the shipping industry. -- However, historically there has been great uncertainty as to how and where to invest to create the necessary infrastructure to deliver an efficient, viable fuel supply chain. -- René Bañares-Alcántara, Professor of Chemical Engineering in the Department of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford, says: "Shipping is one of the most challenging sectors to decarbonize because of the need for fuel with high energy density and the difficulty of coordinating different groups to produce, utilize and finance alternative (green) fuel supplies." | R01 E01 | 66 |
| 2401-021 | Immune System Plays Crucial Role in Creating Patient-Derived Blood Stem Cells | Valuable new insight has revealed that a microbial sensor, known for identifying and fighting bacterial infections, also plays a crucial role in the development of blood stem cells. This discovery could potentially eliminate the need for bone marrow transplants by creating patient-derived blood stem cells. | Iowa State University | Nature Communications | Press Rel | PubMed | A microbial sensor that helps identify and fight bacterial infections also plays a key role in the development of blood stem cells, valuable new insight in the effort to create patient-derived blood stem cells that could eliminate the need for bone marrow transplants. -- The discovery by a research team led by Raquel Espin Palazon, an assistant professor of genetics, development and cell biology at Iowa State University, was published last month in Nature Communications. It builds on prior work by Espin Palazon showing that the inflammatory signals that prompt a body's immune response have an entirely different role in the earliest stages of life, as vascular systems and blood are forming in embryos. -- Espin Palazon said knowing that embryos activate the microbial sensor, a protein known as Nod1, to force vascular endothelial cells to become blood stem cells could help develop a method to make blood stem cells in a lab from a patient's own blood. -- "This would eliminate the challenging task of finding compatible bone marrow transplant donors and the complications that occur after receiving a transplant, improving the lives of many leukemia, lymphoma and anemia patients," she said. -- A critical cue -- Stem cells are both the factories and the raw materials of a body, repeatedly dividing to self-renew and build new cells for specific tissues. -- Pluripotent stem cells in embryos can make any kind of cell a body needs, while adult stem cells are limited to producing particular types. -- Blood stem cells, also known as hematopoietic stem cells, make all of blood's components. -- A lifetime supply of blood stem cells is created before birth inside an embryo. -- The immune receptor Espin Palazon's team identified activates in an embryo before endothelial cells start becoming stem cells, priming them for the transition. | E03 | 67 |
| 2401-034 | Visual System Protein for Circadian Rhythm Stability: Groundbreaking Findings | Scientists have discovered a protein in mice's visual system that stabilizes the body's circadian rhythms, potentially leading to improved treatments for sleep disorders and jet lag. | Johns Hopkins Medicine | PLOS Biology | Press Rel | PubMed | Scientists at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health have identified a protein in the visual system of mice that appears to be key for stabilizing the body's circadian rhythms by buffering the brain's response to light. The finding, published Dec. 5 in PLoS Biology, advances efforts to better treat sleep disorders and jet lag, the study authors say. -- "If circadian rhythms adjusted to every rapid change in illumination, say an eclipse or a very dark and rainy day, they would not be very effective in regulating such periodic behaviors as sleep and hunger. The protein we identified helps wire the brain during neural development to allow for stable responses to circadian rhythm challenges from day to day," says Alex Kolodkin, Ph.D., professor in the Johns Hopkins Department of Neuroscience and deputy director for the Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences. -- Kolodkin co-led the study with Samer Hattar, Ph.D., chief of the Section on Light and Circadian Rhythms at the National Institute of Mental Health. -- Scientists have long known that most living things have a circadian "clock," a set of biological rhythms that operate on about a 24-hour cycle and that affect alertness, sleepiness, appetite and body temperature, among other cyclic behaviors. -- Upsetting this system -- through shift work or long-distance travel over multiple time and light zones in humans, for example -- can have severe consequences. -- Previous studies link persistent upsets in circadian rhythm to increased risk of cancer, depression and a host of other medical problems. -- Circadian systems are essentially "trained" by exposure to light. -- Although researchers have made significant headway over the last few decades in outlining the mechanisms responsible for circadian rhythms, it has remained unclear how the brain becomes wired for them. -- To learn more, Kolodkin and Hattar, along with study first authors John Hunyara and Kat Daly and their colleagues, searched a database for biological molecules present during development in the mouse brain's control center for circadian rhythms -- the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). -- Located deep within both the mouse and human brain in the hypothalamus, the SCN sits near areas that control vision and makes connections with brain cells that lead to the retina, the light-sensing part of the eye. | H02 R01 R02 | 68 |
| 2402-076 | Soy Compounds Reduce Breast Cancer Recurrence and Improve Survival | Soy compounds called isoflavones may significantly reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence or death, according to a meta-analysis. | Johns Hopkins Medicine | JNCI Cancer Spectrum | Press Rel | PubMed | Soy compounds called isoflavones are among the plant-derived compounds that may significantly reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence or death, according to a new meta-analysis co-directed by investigators from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. The results were published Jan. 10 in the journal JNCI Cancer Spectrum. -- Investigators in Australia, Denmark, England, Norway and the U.S. reviewed 22 published observational studies that examined the impact of dietary intake of soybeans, lignans (compounds found in a variety of plants including seeds and nuts), cruciferous/cabbage-family vegetables, and green tea -- and these substances' phytonutrients (natural compounds derived from plants) -- on breast cancer recurrence and mortality, as well as on mortality from all causes. This included 11 studies of soy isoflavones, three of cruciferous vegetables, two of green tea, three of lignans, and three of enterolactone, which is formed in the gut when lignans are digested. -- Soy isoflavones were associated with a 26% reduced risk of breast cancer recurrence, according to a meta-analysis that included six of the studies (of 11,837 women) reviewed by investigators. The results were most notable among post-menopausal survivors. The greatest risk reduction was seen at 60 milligrams per day. This is equivalent to two to three servings per day, where one serving equates to a cup of soy milk, three ounces of tofu or a half-cup of cooked soybeans. However, the effect of soy consumption on risk of mortality was smaller (12%) and not statistically significant, and was seen mostly at 20-40 mg per day, or one to two servings. -- Another finding, reported for the first time in a meta-analysis, relates to enterolactone, a compound metabolized from lignans. Lignans are found in a wide variety of plants, such as seeds, nuts, legumes, whole grains, fruit and vegetables. High levels are found in flaxseeds, cashew nuts, broccoli and brussels sprouts, among other sources. Enterolactone was found to reduce the risk of breast cancer-specific mortality by 28% and death from any cause by 31%, particularly in post-menopausal women (35% reduction in death from any cause). It is not possible to calculate the effective dose of lignans in the diet from these enterolactone findings, because the gut microbiome that plays a role in metabolism of lignans varies among individuals. -- "These findings were graded probable, which means there is strong research showing that they contributed to the results we are seeing," says lead study author Diana van Die, Ph.D., of NICM Health Research Institute at Western Sydney University, Australia. -- The review also found some suggestive results, which means the results are generally consistent but rarely strong enough to justify recommendations: -- Consumption of green tea suggests an effect of reducing the risk of breast cancer recurrence by 44% in women with stage I or II breast cancer. The greatest effect was seen from consuming three to five cups per day and from five or more cups per day, as documented in two Japanese studies . -- Among those who consumed lignans prior to breast cancer diagnosis, there was a non-significant 34% risk reduction in cancer-specific mortality and 19% reduction in all causes of death in post-menopausal women. However, consumption of lignans by pre-menopausal women suggests an increased risk of mortality. This result indicates that the effects of lignans are dependent on the hormonal environment, although it was likely driven by one large study and needs further investigation. The highest intake was nine or more servings per day in the studies reviewed. -- The impact of cruciferous vegetables was inconclusive, possibly influenced by the average intake being quite low (less than a half-cup per day) in the studies reviewed. -- Investigators also looked into whether consuming soy, lignans, cruciferous vegetables and green tea, or their phytonutrients in the diet before or after breast cancer diagnosis made a difference. However, the data did not provide a concrete answer. All studies on green tea and lignans measured pre-diagnosis intake, while soy results came from studies that measured intake before and after diagnosis. | H01 R01 E03 | 69 |
| 2401-012 | New Process to Reduce CO2 Emissions in Steel Production Discovered | Researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and the SMS group have developed a new process to reduce CO2 emissions in steel production, which could significantly impact global emissions. | Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT) | Energy Advances | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the SMS group have developed a new process to reduce CO2 emission of worldwide steel production by several hundred million tons per year. It is based on modernizing blast furnace technology with moderate investments and has already been demonstrated successfully in a pilot plant. The researchers report in Energy Advances. -- About eight percent of worldwide CO2 emissions are produced by steel industry. -- "This must be changed quickly," says Professor Olaf Deutschmann from KIT's Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry (ITCP). He admits that new hydrogen technologies may open up a climate-neutral perspective in the long term. -- But it will take several years until a sufficient amount of green hydrogen will be available worldwide and new plants will start operation. -- "We are running out of time in this climate crisis and we have to take countermeasures now." A new process developed by Deutschmann's research team in cooperation with the SMS group, Paul Wurth Entwicklungen, and KIT's startup omegadot has now proved to be effective also in conventional plants. -- "The potential is very high. We expect that backfitting existing blast furnaces with moderate investments will reduce worldwide direct CO2 emissions by two to four percent," Deutschmann says. -- New Process Reduces Emissions and Saves Energy -- The new process departs from iron. This raw material is contained in oxidized form in ores and extracted by means of reduction, i.e. the removal of oxygen, with coke in a blast furnace. -- Coke does not only produce the energy required for melting, but also serves as a reducing agent in the chemical reaction. -- "For this special purpose, coke is produced from fossil coal in a highly energy-consuming process," says Philipp Blanck from ITCP, who cooperated closely with the SMS group at the pilot plant that was part of the steelworks. | R01 E01 | 70 |
| 2401-020 | Statins Could Slow Alzheimer's Disease Progression, Further Research Needed | A study led by Karolinska Institutet suggests that blood fat-lowering statins may slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease for certain patients, although further research is needed for a conclusive answer. | Karolinska Institutet | Alzheimer's Research & Therapy | Press Rel | PubMed | Blood fat-lowering statins could slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease, at least for some patients. This is the result of a new study led by Karolinska Institutet published in Alzheimer Research and Therapy. But the researchers are cautious in their interpretations and see the results as a first step in a research journey that may eventually provide the answer. -- A new study shows that people with Alzheimer's dementia deteriorated more slowly in their cognitive functions if they were also treated with a lipid-lowering statin, compared to those who were not treated. -- However, the study is an observational study where the researchers have compared data on the patients from a registry and therefore cannot answer whether there really is a causal relationship. -- Thus, the researchers are cautious in their interpretations. -- "People with Alzheimer's dementia treated with statins had better cognitive development over time. However, the results of the study do not mean that we now have evidence that people with dementia should be treated with statins. But on the other hand, we can't see any support for not doing so. So, if a person needs statins for high blood lipids, a dementia diagnosis should not stop the treatment," says Sara Garcia-Ptacek, docent of neuroscience and assistant professor at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, and research leader of the current study. -- The reason she emphasizes safety is that statins were initially suspected of causing confusion in patients with dementia. -- There has therefore been some resistance to prescribing statins to these patients. -- The study included data from more than 15,500 patients with dementia who also had an indication for lipid-lowering treatment. -- Almost 11,000 of them were treated with statins. In general, the patients who were treated with statins had slightly higher values in the cognitive tests carried out, even though they were more likely to have diagnoses such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, all of which are risk factors for dementia. -- Sara Garcia-Ptacek explains that the research team started with a hypothesis that statins could slow the progression of dementia and cast a fairly wide net to see if they could find evidence of this. | H01 R02 | 71 |
| 2401-039 | Two Types of CBT Equally Effective in Treating Fibromyalgia: Research Shows | Exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and traditional CBT show similar efficacy in treating fibromyalgia, significantly reducing symptoms in affected individuals. | Karolinska Institutet | Pain | Press Rel | PubMed | There does not appear to be any profound differences between so-called exposure-based CBT and traditional CBT in the treatment of fibromyalgia, according to a study led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet. Both forms of treatment produced a significant reduction in symptoms in people affected by the disease. The study is one of the largest to date to compare different treatment options for fibromyalgia and is published in the journal PAIN. -- About 200,000 people in Sweden currently live with fibromyalgia, a long-term pain syndrome that causes great suffering for patients through widespread pain, fatigue, and stiffness in the body. -- There is no cure for fibromyalgia. Existing drugs often have insufficient effect, raising the need for more effective treatment methods. -- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has shown some effect, but there is a lack of trained CBT practitioners. -- There is also a lack of knowledge about which form of CBT is most effective. -- The study compared two different forms of internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy in terms of how well they reduce the symptoms and functional impact of fibromyalgia. -- In brief, exposure-based CBT involves the participant systematically and repeatedly approaching situations, activities, and stimuli that the patient has previously avoided because the experiences are associated with pain, psychological discomfort, or symptoms such as fatigue and cognitive problems. -- In traditional CBT, the participant is presented with several different strategies to work on during treatment, such as relaxation, activity planning, physical exercise, or strategies for managing negative thoughts and improving sleep. -- The study showed that traditional CBT was by and large equivalent to the newer treatment form of exposure-based CBT. -- "This result was surprising because our hypothesis, based on previous research, was that the new exposure-based form would be more effective. Our study shows that the traditional form can provide an equally good result and thus contributes to the discussion in the field," says Maria Hedman-Lagerlöf, licensed psychologist and researcher at the Center for Psychiatry Research at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet. | H01 H02 R01 | 72 |
| 2402-037 | Autoimmune Disease and Perinatal Depression: A Clear Link | Women with autoimmune disease are more prone to depression during pregnancy and after childbirth, and perinatal depression increases the risk of developing autoimmune disease. | Karolinska Institutet | Molecular Psychiatry, 9 January 2024 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02351-1 | Press Rel | PubMed | Women with autoimmune disease are more likely to suffer from depression during pregnancy and after childbirth; conversely, women with a history of perinatal depression are at higher risk of developing autoimmune disease, a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry reports. -- In autoimmune disease, the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own healthy tissue. -- Some of the most common autoimmune diseases are gluten intolerance (coeliac disease), autoimmune thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis (MS). -- In the present study, researchers used data from the Swedish Medical Birth Register and identified all women who had given birth in Sweden between 2001 and 2013. -- Out of the resulting group of approximately 815,000 women and 1.3 million pregnancies, just over 55,000 women had been diagnosed with depression during their pregnancy or within a year after delivery. -- The researchers then compared the incidence of 41 autoimmune diseases in women with and without perinatal depression, controlling for familial factors such as genes and childhood environment by also including the affected women's sisters. -- Strongest association for MS -- The results reveal a bidirectional association between perinatal depression and autoimmune thyroiditis, psoriasis, MS, ulcerative colitis, and coeliac disease. -- Overall, women with autoimmune disease were 30 per cent more likely to suffer perinatal depression. -- Conversely, women with perinatal depression were 30 per cent more likely to develop a subsequent autoimmune disease. | H01 R01 | 73 |
| 2402-084 | Nasal Spray with Antibodies Could Prevent COVID-19, Study Shows | Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have discovered that nasal drops with IgA antibodies can protect mice from SARS-CoV-2 infection. This breakthrough could offer a new method of protection for individuals at high risk of different variants of the virus. | Karolinska Institutet | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have shown that nasal drops with IgA antibodies can protect mice from SARS-CoV-2 infection. The results imply a new way to protect individuals at high risk from different variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and possibly other infections. The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. -- Different types of antibodies have different functions in the body. -- IgA antibodies are part of the so-called adaptive immune system and reside naturally in the mucosal membranes of the airways. -- Absence or low levels of mucosal IgA is known to be associated with an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections. -- The current COVID-19 vaccines mainly stimulate an IgG antibody response in the body, and earlier studies have shown that their ability to protect against infection with the new Omicron variants of the virus is limited. -- To overcome this, the group led by professor Qiang Pan-Hammarström at Karolinska Institutet used genetic engineering to create IgA antibodies that bind to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in a similar way to the IgG antibodies. -- Neutralized the virus effectively -- Mice infected with the Omicron variant received the IgA antibody treatment through nasal administration. -- The nasal drops significantly diminished the virus load in the trachea and lungs of the infected mice. -- The IgA antibodies were shown to bind stronger to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and were more effective in neutralizing the virus compared to the original IgG antibodies. | R01 | 74 |
| 2401-T008 | Investigating the Origins of the Universe: A Million Galaxies Reveal Primordial Fluctuations | Researchers have analyzed over a million galaxies to study the primordial fluctuations that shaped the structure of the universe. | Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe | Physical Review D | Press Rel | PubMed | A team of researchers has analyzed more than one million galaxies to explore the origin of the present-day cosmic structures, reports a recent study published in Physical Review D as an Editors' Suggestion. -- Until today, precise observations and analyses of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and large-scale structure (LSS) have led to the establishment of the standard framework of the universe, the so-called ΛCDM model, where cold dark matter (CDM) and dark energy (the cosmological constant, Λ) are significant characteristics. -- This model suggests that primordial fluctuations were generated at the beginning of the universe, or in the early universe, which acted as triggers, leading to the creation of all things in the universe including stars, galaxies, galaxy clusters, and their spatial distribution throughout space. -- Although they are very small when generated, fluctuations grow with time due to the gravitational pulling force, eventually forming a dense region of dark matter, or a halo. -- Then, different halos repeatedly collided and merged with one another, leading to the formation of celestial objects such as galaxies. -- Since the nature of the spatial distribution of galaxies is strongly influenced by the nature of the primordial fluctuations that created them to begin with, statistical analyses of galaxy distributions have been actively conducted to observationally explore the nature of primordial fluctuations. -- In addition to this, the spatial pattern of galaxy shapes distributed over a wide area of the universe also reflects the nature of the underlying primordial fluctuations. -- However, conventional analysis of large-scale structure has focused only on the spatial distribution of galaxies as points. -- More recently, researchers have started studying galaxy shapes, because it not only provides additional information, but it also provides a different perspective into the nature of the primordial fluctuations. -- A team of researchers, led by at-the-time Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU) graduate student Toshiki Kurita (currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics), and Kavli IPMU Professor Masahiro Takada developed a method to measure the power spectrum of galaxy shapes, which extracts key statistical information from galaxy shape patterns by combining the spectroscopic data of spatial distribution of galaxies and imaging data of individual galaxy shapes. | H01 T01 | 75 |
| 2401-066 | Game-Changing Organoid Model Mimics Human Cerebellar Development | Scientists have successfully developed a human brain organoid model that generates all major cell types of the cerebellum, including functional Purkinje neurons. This breakthrough in brain modeling opens up new possibilities for understanding movement, cognition, and emotion. | Keck School of Medicine of USC | Cell Stem Cell | Press Rel | PubMed | In a first for USC Stem Cell scientists, the laboratory of Giorgia Quadrato, an assistant professor of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, has pioneered a novel human brain organoid model that generates all the major cell types of the cerebellum, a hindbrain region predominantly made up of two cell types necessary for movement, cognition, and emotion: granule cells and Purkinje neurons. This marks the first time that scientists have succeeded in growing Purkinje cells that possess the molecular and electrophysiological features of functional neurons in an all-human system. These breakthroughs in organoid-directed brain modeling have been published recently in the journal Cell Stem Cell. -- "The reproducible co-development and maturation of the main cell types of the developing cerebellum in a human organoid model provide a new way to explore the underlying biology of cerebellar development and disorders and advance therapeutic interventions," explained Quadrato, an assistant professor in the Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. -- The cerebellum controls movement and plays important roles in cognitive functions, including language, spatial processing, working memory, executive functions, and emotional processing. -- Degeneration of Purkinje cells is associated with various neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and cerebellar ataxia, a condition that affects muscle movement. -- Other neurons within the organoids -- both excitatory neurons that share information, and inhibitory neurons that inhibit the sharing of information -- formed circuits and showed coordinated network activity, demonstrating that they were also functional nerve cells. -- In addition, organoids formed human-specific progenitor cells, which are associated with medulloblastoma, the most prevalent metastatic brain tumor in children. -- This makes the organoids a potentially useful model for studying and finding treatments for this pediatric cancer. -- Given the right external cues, the organoids could also be coaxed into forming anatomical features such as layers, mirroring normal embryonic brain development. -- The organoid model creates a platform for discovering new treatments for variety of diseases. -- "This study provides a physiologically relevant, all-human model system to elucidate the cell type-specific mechanisms governing cerebellar development and disease," said Alexander Atamian, a PhD candidate in the Quadrato Lab and first author of the Cell Stem Cell study. | H01 H02 R01 R02 | 76 |
| 2402-062 | A Game-Changing Model: Studying Human Cerebellar Development Using Organoids | Researchers have successfully grown functional human Purkinje neurons in a novel brain organoid model, a breakthrough in brain modeling. | Keck School of Medicine of USC | Cell Stem Cell | Press Rel | PubMed | In a first for USC Stem Cell scientists, the laboratory of Giorgia Quadrato, an assistant professor of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, has pioneered a novel human brain organoid model that generates all the major cell types of the cerebellum, a hindbrain region predominantly made up of two cell types necessary for movement, cognition, and emotion: granule cells and Purkinje neurons. This marks the first time that scientists have succeeded in growing Purkinje cells that possess the molecular and electrophysiological features of functional neurons in an all-human system. These breakthroughs in organoid-directed brain modeling have been published recently in the journal Cell Stem Cell. -- "The reproducible co-development and maturation of the main cell types of the developing cerebellum in a human organoid model provide a new way to explore the underlying biology of cerebellar development and disorders and advance therapeutic interventions," explained Quadrato, an assistant professor in the Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. -- The cerebellum controls movement and plays important roles in cognitive functions, including language, spatial processing, working memory, executive functions, and emotional processing. -- Degeneration of Purkinje cells is associated with various neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and cerebellar ataxia, a condition that affects muscle movement. -- Other neurons within the organoids -- both excitatory neurons that share information, and inhibitory neurons that inhibit the sharing of information -- formed circuits and showed coordinated network activity, demonstrating that they were also functional nerve cells. -- In addition, organoids formed human-specific progenitor cells, which are associated with medulloblastoma, the most prevalent metastatic brain tumor in children. -- This makes the organoids a potentially useful model for studying and finding treatments for this pediatric cancer. -- Given the right external cues, the organoids could also be coaxed into forming anatomical features such as layers, mirroring normal embryonic brain development. -- The organoid model creates a platform for discovering new treatments for variety of diseases. -- "This study provides a physiologically relevant, all-human model system to elucidate the cell type-specific mechanisms governing cerebellar development and disease," said Alexander Atamian, a PhD candidate in the Quadrato Lab and first author of the Cell Stem Cell study. | H01 H02 R01 R02 | 77 |
| 2402-E007 | Grass Allergen Levels More Consistently Associated with Hay Fever Symptoms | Measuring airborne grass allergen levels may be more beneficial for hay fever sufferers than measuring grass pollen counts. New research shows a stronger association between grass allergen levels and hay fever symptoms, providing valuable insights for managing allergies. | King's College London | Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology | Press Rel | PubMed | Measuring airborne grass allergen levels instead of pollen counts will be more beneficial for hay fever sufferers as new research shows grass allergen levels are more consistently associated with hay fever symptoms than grass pollen counts. -- The research, published today in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and led by King's College London and Imperial College London, shows for the first time that measuring airborne allergen levels will help people with hay fever better control their symptoms. -- 1 in 4 adults in the UK suffer from hay fever from late-March to September. -- Symptoms include a runny or blocked nose, sneezing and coughing and itchy, red or watery eyes. -- Hay fever can make lung conditions such as asthma worse, causing wheezing and breathing difficulties which can lead to hospitalisation. -- Many people with hay fever monitor peak pollen times to manage their symptoms. -- In the UK, pollen grains are manually measured to find the daily pollen count. -- But authors of this study say measuring allergen levels instead will be more accurate as each pollen grain can release a different amount of allergen each day, and it is the allergens in the air that are primarily responsible for causing hay fever symptoms. -- Currently, there is no regular monitoring of allergen levels in the UK or elsewhere. -- Authors collected daily symptom and medication scores from adult participants in an allergy clinical trial as well as daily counts of asthma hospital admissions in London. | H01 R01 E03 | 78 |
| 2402-E049 | Dry-Cleaning Fluid Transformed: A Sustainable Path for Perc | The discovery using on-demand UV activation by Kobe University may open the path to upcycling the widely used solvent perc, contributing to a more sustainable society. | Kobe University | The Journal of Organic Chemistry | Press Rel | PubMed | The widely used dry-cleaning and degreasing solvent perc can be converted to useful chemicals by a new clean, safe and inexpensive procedure. The Kobe University discovery using on-demand UV activation may open the path to upcycling perc and thus contribute to a more sustainable society. -- Organic synthesis is the production of useful chemicals, such as drugs, from other available chemicals. -- In general, chemists use source materials to create simple building blocks, such as carbonate esters, and combine them to increasingly complex structures. -- The source materials for this need to be reactive, but that also usually makes them toxic, such as the commonly used phosgene. -- For this reason, chemists are constantly on the lookout for new source materials that are safer and more environmentally friendly while also retaining their reactivity. -- Ideally, they would like to use abundant and safe waste materials and turn them into useful products without that process also resulting in toxic by-products. -- The Kobe University research group of TSUDA Akihiko specializes in the development of one-pot and flow organic synthesis using UV light. -- Such reactions have the advantages that they provide a closed environment in which harmless source materials can be photo-activated by the high-energy light on demand, eliminating the need for procuring or storing possibly toxic source materials; and that any reactive and thus possibly dangerous products can immediately be reacted further with other compounds, eliminating the need to extract them or the danger of their leaking into the environment. -- They now built on their experience and partnered with the Japanese material manufacturer AGC Inc. -- to refine their process. Together, they focused on an attractive target, the commonly used degreasing and dry-cleaning agent perc, or perchloroethylene as chemists call it, which is non-harmful and produced in large quantities around the world. | H01 E01 | 79 |
| 2401-023 | Protein-Protein Interaction Unveils Potential Molecular Mechanism in Down Syndrome | Down syndrome, a congenital disorder caused by abnormal cell division and differentiation, is most prevalent in newborns who experience neurodevelopmental delays and other health complications. Researchers have identified the FAM53C protein, which inhibits the dysfunctional protein kinase DYRK1A associated with Down syndrome and autism spectrum disorder. | Kyoto University | Life Science Alliance | Press Rel | PubMed | Down syndrome, a congenital disorder stemming from abnormal cell division and differentiation, is most common in newborns fated to neurodevelopmental delays and other health complications. -- The genetic defect causes the dysfunction of the protein kinase DYRK1A, which is encoded on chromosome 21 and is deeply associated with both Down syndrome and autism spectrum disorder. -- DYRK1A has attracted attention as a target molecule for treating various diseases, but specific cellular mechanisms regulating the enzyme DYRK1A have yet to be made clear. -- Now, researchers at Kyoto University have identified the FAM53C protein and its DYRK1A-inhibiting effect that keeps the protein kinase inactive inside the cytoplasm. -- "Our findings demonstrate the important role of the intracellular regulatory mechanism of DYRK1A in the normal development and function of the neuropsychiatric system," says first author Yoshihiko Miyata at KyotoU's Graduate School of Biostudies. -- "The molecular regulation of the highly complex development and activity of the human brain fascinates me," adds Miyata. -- In addition to neuropsychiatric symptoms, Down syndrome may also cause early onset of Alzheimer's disease, type 2 diabetes, and facial maldevelopment. -- "Given DYRK1A's significance, we have explored potential molecules serving as its interacting counterpart," says Miyata. -- DYRK1A controls many biological functions, including the development and function of the nervous system. -- At the cellular level, this critical protein phosphorylates various other proteins in the cytoplasm and nucleus to regulate the cell cycle, cell differentiation, cytoskeletal formation, and DNA damage response. | R02 | 80 |
| 2401-T015 | Wind Turbines Disrupt Bat Habitats and Hunting Patterns: The Conflict Unveiled | Wind turbines not only cause the death of many bats, but also displace certain species from their habitats over large areas. A scientific investigation led by scientists from Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research and Philipps-Universität Marburg reveals that the activity of bat species hunting in dense habitats drops by 80% within a radius of 80 to 450 meters around the turbine. This avoidance behavior may be due to the increased noise emission from the turbine rotors. | Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) | Global Ecology and Conservation | Press Rel | PubMed | Not only do many bats die at wind turbines, the turbines also displace some species from their habitats over large areas. When the turbines are in operation at relatively high wind speeds, the activity of bat species that hunt in structurally dense habitats such as forests drops by almost 80 per cent within a radius of 80 to 450 metres around the turbine. This is the result of a scientific investigation led by scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) and the Philipps-Universität Marburg, which is published in the journal Global Ecology and Conservation. The team suggests that one of the causes of this avoidance behaviour is the noise emission of the turbine rotors, which increases with increasing wind speed. -- More and more wind turbines are being installed worldwide in order to meet the need for an increase in the proportion of renewable energy sources in response to the goals of national climate strategies. -- In Germany, around 30,000 onshore wind turbines are currently in operation, and as suitable locations become increasingly scarce, the search for sites now also extends to additional, potentially less suitable locations. -- These include forests as potential sites -- and with these diverse and sensitive habitats. -- Many European bat species, such as the greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis), live and forage in forests and are therefore potentially affected by the expansion of wind energy in or near forests. -- A new scientific investigation by a team led by Christian Voigt from the Leibniz-IZW and Nina Farwig from the Philipps-Universität Marburg shows that this not only poses the direct risk of colliding with the wind turbine rotors, but also has indirect negative effects on these species. -- The scientists found that the forest specialists among the bats avoid wind turbines over a distance of several hundred metres once the turbines are in operation and the wind speeds are relatively high. -- "We investigated the activity of different bat species in different wind conditions and during the operation of wind turbines in forests in the German federal state of Hessen," says Julia Ellerbrok, a former doctoral student in the project and now a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Biology at the Philipps-Universität Marburg. -- "We found that the activity of bats, which usually forage in narrow, structurally dense vegetation of forests, decreases by 77 % on average within a radius of 80 to 450 metres around the wind turbines with increasing wind speed when the turbines are in operation. In contrast, bat activity was unaffected by wind speed when the turbines were switched off." The team therefore concludes that factors directly related to the operation of the turbines at relatively high wind speeds must be responsible for such avoidance behaviour. -- "The rotor movements of wind turbines not only generate so-called wake turbulences, but also substantial noise. Both factors can affect bats over several hundred metres," says Christian Voigt, head of the Department of Evolutionary Ecology at the Leibniz-IZW. | E01 E02 E03 | 81 |
| 2402-E034 | Forest Bats Steer Clear: Wind Turbines Cause Decline in Hunting Activity | Wind turbines not only cause the death of many bats but also displace species from their habitats. The noise emissions of turbine rotors may be a cause of avoidance behavior among bats. | Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) | Global Ecology and Conservation | Press Rel | PubMed | Not only do many bats die at wind turbines, the turbines also displace some species from their habitats over large areas. When the turbines are in operation at relatively high wind speeds, the activity of bat species that hunt in structurally dense habitats such as forests drops by almost 80 per cent within a radius of 80 to 450 metres around the turbine. This is the result of a scientific investigation led by scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) and the Philipps-Universität Marburg, which is published in the journal Global Ecology and Conservation. The team suggests that one of the causes of this avoidance behaviour is the noise emission of the turbine rotors, which increases with increasing wind speed. -- More and more wind turbines are being installed worldwide in order to meet the need for an increase in the proportion of renewable energy sources in response to the goals of national climate strategies. -- In Germany, around 30,000 onshore wind turbines are currently in operation, and as suitable locations become increasingly scarce, the search for sites now also extends to additional, potentially less suitable locations. -- These include forests as potential sites -- and with these diverse and sensitive habitats. -- Many European bat species, such as the greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis), live and forage in forests and are therefore potentially affected by the expansion of wind energy in or near forests. -- A new scientific investigation by a team led by Christian Voigt from the Leibniz-IZW and Nina Farwig from the Philipps-Universität Marburg shows that this not only poses the direct risk of colliding with the wind turbine rotors, but also has indirect negative effects on these species. -- The scientists found that the forest specialists among the bats avoid wind turbines over a distance of several hundred metres once the turbines are in operation and the wind speeds are relatively high. -- "We investigated the activity of different bat species in different wind conditions and during the operation of wind turbines in forests in the German federal state of Hessen," says Julia Ellerbrok, a former doctoral student in the project and now a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Biology at the Philipps-Universität Marburg. -- "We found that the activity of bats, which usually forage in narrow, structurally dense vegetation of forests, decreases by 77 % on average within a radius of 80 to 450 metres around the wind turbines with increasing wind speed when the turbines are in operation. In contrast, bat activity was unaffected by wind speed when the turbines were switched off." The team therefore concludes that factors directly related to the operation of the turbines at relatively high wind speeds must be responsible for such avoidance behaviour. -- "The rotor movements of wind turbines not only generate so-called wake turbulences, but also substantial noise. Both factors can affect bats over several hundred metres," says Christian Voigt, head of the Department of Evolutionary Ecology at the Leibniz-IZW. | E01 E02 E03 | 82 |
| 2402-E047 | Plant Metalloreductase Unveiled: Ensuring Root Growth in Low Phosphorus Soils | Plants release malate, an organic acid, to increase the availability of phosphorus in the soil, but excessive iron accumulation can inhibit root growth. The mechanisms behind coping with increased iron availability have remained elusive. | Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research | Nature Communications | Press Rel | PubMed | The release of low-molecular weight carboxylates, such as malate, is used by many plant species to mine poorly available phosphorus (P) from the soil. Malate can increase the availability of phosphate, the P form taken up by plants, by chelating trivalent aluminium or iron (Fe). Work in the last years has demonstrated that the accumulation of Fe(III)-malate complexes in the apoplast of root tips attenuates root growth under low-P conditions because the now soluble Fe(III) (ferric Fe) participates in reactions leading to oxidative stress. However, how root tips cope with this increased ferric Fe availability has remained elusive as all currently known ferric reductases, which are required for Fe uptake, are repressed in response to P deficiency or not expressed in root tips. -- "By searching for other potential ferric reductases among P deficiency-induced genes, we found a previously uncharacterized gene encoding a domain predicted to participate in ferric reduction," explains Dr. Ricardo Giehl, co-leader of IPK's research group "Molecular Plant Nutrition." "When we disrupted this gene, Fe over accumulated in root tips and root growth under low P was even more severely inhibited." -- The gene was, therefore, named HYPERSENSITIVE TO LOW P1 (HYP1). HYP1 is a member of the CYBDOM family and possesses a cytochrome b561 domain, which is common in several ferric reductases active in animal cells, such as the duodenal cytochrome b (Dcytb) involved with dietary Fe uptake in humans. -- "Although CYBDOMs are ubiquitous in several organisms and come typically as large families in plants, their function in any organism is still poorly understood," explains Rodolfo Maniero, first author of the study. -- Using AlphaFold-supported modeling and site-directed mutagenesis, the researchers found that HYP1 can coordinate three b-hemes, which are critical for the protein's activity. -- Electrophysiological characterization of HYP1 in oocytes revealed that the protein can transport electrons derived from ascorbate (vitamin C) across the plasma membrane. -- Acceptors of these electrons are Fe(III) and Cu(II) (cupric ion), indicating that the protein is a metalloreductase. -- "Regarding the ferric reductase activity of HYP1, our results demonstrate that this function is critical to prevent malate-induced Fe overaccumulation in the apoplast and to maintain cell elongation and meristem integrity in root tips exposed to low P," explains Dr. Ricardo Giehl. "Our results also suggested that an Fe-uptake mechanism is active in root tips, where the well-known ferric reductase FRO2 and the Fe(II) transporter IRT1 are not present," says the IPK scientist. "Our study not only shed light on the physiological roles of CYBDOMs but also identified a new target to improve root growth under limiting-P conditions." | H01 H02 E02 E03 | 83 |
| 2401-011 | Aerogel Unlocks the Potential of Future Terahertz Technologies | Researchers at Linköping University have shown that the transmission of terahertz light through a cellulose-based aerogel can be tuned, opening up more possibilities for applications of terahertz waves. | Linköping University | Advanced Science | Press Rel | PubMed | High-frequency terahertz waves have great potential for a number of applications including next-generation medical imaging and communication. Researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, have shown, in a study published in the journal Advanced Science, that the transmission of terahertz light through an aerogel made of cellulose and a conducting polymer can be tuned. This is an important step to unlock more applications for terahertz waves. -- The terahertz range covers wavelengths that lie between microwaves and infrared light on the electromagnetic spectrum. -- It has a very high frequency. Thanks to this, many researchers believe that the terahertz range has great potential for use in space exploration, security technology and communication systems, among other things. -- In medical imaging, it can also be an interesting substitute for X-ray examinations as the waves can pass through most non-conductive materials without damaging any tissue. -- However, there are several technological barriers to overcome before terahertz signals can be widely used. -- For example, it is difficult to create terahertz radiation in an efficient way and materials that can receive and adjust the transmission of terahertz waves are needed. -- Researchers at Linköping University have now developed a material whose absorption of terahertz signals can be turned on and off through a redox reaction. -- The material is an aerogel, which is one of the world's lightest solid materials. -- "It's like an adjustable filter for terahertz light. In one state, the electromagnetic signal will not be absorbed and in the other state it can. That property can be useful for long-range signals from space or radar signals," says Shangzhi Chen, postdoc at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics, LOE, at Linköping University. -- The Linköping researchers used a conducting polymer, PEDOT:PSS, and cellulose to create their aerogel. | H01 T01 T02 | 84 |
| 2401-078 | Important Healthcare Knowledge: Enrichment for Extremely Preterm Infants | A large clinical study led from Linköping, Sweden, has investigated whether the source of enrichment given to infants born extremely prematurely, as an addition to breast milk, affects the risk of severe complications. | Linköping University | eClinicalMedicine | Press Rel | PubMed | Infants born extremely prematurely need to get enrichment as an addition to breast milk. But does it make any difference whether the enrichment is made from breast milk or cow's milk when it comes to the risk of severe complications in children? This has been investigated by a large clinical study led from Linköping, Sweden. -- Infants born extremely prematurely, between weeks 22 and 27 of pregnancy, are among the most vulnerable patients in healthcare. -- The risk of serious complications is very high. Almost one in four extremely premature babies die before the age of one. -- There is strong research support for giving breast milk to these children rather than formula made from cow's milk. -- It is known that cow's milk-based formula increases their risk of getting, for example, severe intestinal inflammation and sepsis (severe blood-born infection). -- "In Sweden, all extremely preterm infants receive breast milk from their mother or donated breast milk. Despite this, almost one in ten children get a severe inflammation of the intestine called necrotising enterocolitis. It's one of the worst diseases you can have. At least three out of ten children die and those who survive often have neurological problems afterwards," says Thomas Abrahamsson, professor at Linköping University and senior physician at the neonatal department at the University Hospital in Linköping, who led the current study. -- Historically, there have been very few studies on extremely preterm infants where treatments have been compared against each other. -- Therefore, there is a great need for clinical studies that can provide scientific support for how these children should be treated to have better chances of survival and a good life. -- In some countries, such as Sweden, infants are fed exclusively with either their mother's breast milk or donated breast milk. -- However, in order for extremely preterm infants to grow as well as possible, they need more nutrition than breast milk contains. | H01 | 85 |
| 2401-E024 | Electric Stimulation Boosts Crop Growth: Introducing Electronic 'Soil' for Barley Seedlings | Barley seedlings grow significantly more when their root system is electrically stimulated through hydroponics, a soil-less cultivation method. | Linköping University | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | Press Rel | PubMed | Barley seedlings grow on average 50% more when their root system is stimulated electrically through a new cultivation substrate. In a study published in the journal PNAS, researchers from Linköping University have developed an electrically conductive "soil" for soilless cultivation, known as hydroponics. -- "The world population is increasing, and we also have climate change. So it's clear that we won't be able to cover the food demands of the planet with only the already existing agricultural methods. But with hydroponics we can grow food also in urban environments in very controlled settings," says Eleni Stavrinidou, associate professor at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics at Linköping University, and leader of the Electronic Plants group. -- Her research group has now developed an electrically conductive cultivation substrate tailored to hydroponic cultivation which they call eSoil. -- The Linköping University researchers have shown that barley seedlings grown in the conductive "soil" grew up to 50% more in 15 days when their roots were stimulated electrically. -- Hydroponic cultivation means that plants grow without soil, needing only water, nutrients and something their roots can attach to -- a substrate. -- It is a closed system that enables water recirculation so that each seedling gets exactly the nutrients it needs. -- Therefore, very little water is required and all nutrients remain in the system, which is not possible in traditional cultivation. -- Hydroponics also enables vertical cultivation in large towers to maximise space efficiency. -- Crops already being cultivated in this manner include lettuce, herbs and some vegetables. -- Grains are not typically grown in hydroponics apart for their use as fodder. | H01 E01 E03 T01 T02 | 86 |
| 2402-T014 | Machine Learning Predicts Severe MS Outcomes with 11 Proteins | By analyzing just 11 proteins, researchers can predict the long-term disability outcomes for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). These proteins can be used to customize treatments based on the expected severity of the disease, offering a more personalized approach to managing MS. | Linköping University | Nature Communications. | Press Rel | PubMed | A combination of only 11 proteins can predict long-term disability outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS) for different individuals. The identified proteins could be used to tailor treatments to the individual based on the expected severity of the disease. The study, led by researchers at Linköping University in Sweden, has been published in the journal Nature Communications. -- "A combination of 11 proteins predicted both short and long-term disease activity and disability outcomes. We also concluded that it's important to measure these proteins in cerebrospinal fluid, which better reflects what's going on in the central nervous system, compared with measuring in the blood," says Julia Åkesson, doctoral student at Linköping University and the University of Skövde. -- In multiple sclerosis, the immune system attacks the person's own body, damaging nerves in the brain and in the spinal cord. -- What is attacked primarily is a fatty compound called myelin, which surrounds and insulates the nerve axons so that signals can be transmitted. -- When myelin is damaged, transmission becomes less efficient. -- Disease progression in multiple sclerosis varies considerably from person to person. -- To those for whom a more severe disease is predicted, it is important not to lose valuable time at the onset of the disease but to get the right treatment quickly. -- The researchers behind the current study, which is a collaboration between Linköping University, the Karolinska Institute and the University of Skövde, wanted to find out whether it was possible to detect at an early stage of disease which patients would require a more powerful treatment. -- Being able to do so would be relevant both to physicians and those living with MS. -- "I think we've come one step closer to an analysis tool for selecting which patients would need more effective treatment in an early stage of the disease. But such a treatment may have side effects and be relatively expensive, and some patients don't need it," says Mika Gustafsson, professor of bioinformatics at the Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology at Linköping University, who led the study. | H01 R02 | 87 |
| 2401-043 | Foundation Laid for Improved Brain Tumor Imaging: PET-based Examination Criteria Developed | An international team of researchers has established standardized criteria for using amino acid PET scans to image gliomas, improving the examination of malignant brain tumors. | Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München | The Lancet Oncology | Press Rel | PubMed | Diffuse gliomas are malignant brain tumors that cannot be optimally examined by means of conventional MRI imaging. So-called amino acid PET scans are better able to image the activity and spread of gliomas. An international team of researchers (RANO Working Group), led by scientists from LMU and the Medical University of Vienna, has now drawn up the first ever international criteria for the standardized imaging of gliomas using amino acid PET. It has published its results in the journal The Lancet Oncology. -- Under the joint leadership of nuclear physician Nathalie Albert from LMU and oncologist Professor Matthias Preusser from the Medical University of Vienna, the RANO group has developed new criteria for assessing the success of therapies for diffuse gliomas. -- These malignant brain tumors develop out of glial cells in the brain. -- Tumors of this kind are generally aggressive and difficult to treat. -- The RANO group has developed criteria that permit evaluation of the success of treatment using positron emission tomography (PET). Called PET RANO 1.0, these PET-based criteria open up new possibilities for the standardized assessment of diffuse gliomas. -- Comparable criteria now available for interpreting PET images -- PET is an imaging technique that uses a radioactive tracer to measure metabolic processes in the body. -- Amino acid PET is used in the diagnosis of diffuse gliomas, with tracers that work on a protein basis (amino acids) and accumulate in brain tumors. -- Nathalie Albert explains: "PET imaging with radioactively labeled amino acids has proven extremely valuable in neuro-oncology and permits reliable representation of the activity and extension of gliomas. Although amino acid PET has been used for years, it had not been evaluated in a structured manner before now. In contrast to MRI-based diagnostics, there have been no criteria for interpreting these PET images." According to the researchers, the new criteria allow PET to be used in clinical studies and everyday clinical practice and create a foundation for future research and the comparison of treatments for improved therapies. -- The Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) Working Group is an international, multidisciplinary consortium founded to develop standardized new response criteria for clinical studies relating to brain tumors. | H01 R02 | 88 |
| 2402-E055 | The Extinction of a Giant: Solving the Mystery of Gigantopithecus blacki | A regional study of 22 caves in southern China reveals the decline and extinction of the largest primate species, Gigantopithecus blacki, due to changes in forest plant communities. | Macquarie University | Nature | Press Rel | PubMed | Giants once roamed the karst plains of southern China, three-metre tall apes weighing in at 250 kilograms. These very distant human ancestors - Gigantopithcus blacki - went extinct before humans arrived in the region, with few clues to why, and so far leaving around 2000 fossilised teeth and four jawbones as the only signs of their existence. -- New evidence from this region published in Nature, uncovered by a team of Chinese, Australian and US researchers, demonstrates beyond doubt that the largest primate to walk the earth went extinct between 295,000 and 215,000 years ago, unable to adapt its food preferences and behaviours, and vulnerable to the changing climates which sealed its fate. -- "The story of G. blacki is an enigma in palaeontology - how could such a mighty creature go extinct at a time when other primates were adapting and surviving? The unresolved cause of its disappearance has become the Holy Grail in this discipline," says palaeontologist and co-lead author Professor Yingqi Zhang, from the Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IVPP). -- "The IVPP has been excavating for G. blacki evidence in this region for over 10 years but without solid dating and a consistent environmental analysis, the cause of its extinction had eluded us." -- Definitive evidence revealing the story of the giant ape's extinction has come from a large-scale project collecting evidence from 22 cave sites spread across a wide region of Guangxi Province in southern China. The foundation of this study was the dating. -- "It's a major feat to present a defined cause for the extinction of a species, but establishing the exact time when a species disappears from the fossil record gives us a target timeframe for an environmental reconstruction and behaviour assessment," says co-lead author, Macquarie University geochronologist Associate Professor Kira Westaway. -- "Without robust dating, you are simply looking for clues in the wrong places." -- Six Australian universities contributed to the project. Macquarie University, Southern Cross University, Wollongong University and the University of Queensland used multiple techniques to date samples. Southern Cross also mapped G. blacki teeth to extract information on the apes' behaviours. ANU and Flinders University studied the pollen and fossil bearing sediments in the cave respectively, to reconstruct the environments in which G. blacki thrived and then disappeared. -- Six different dating techniques were applied to the cave sediments and fossils, producing 157 radiometric ages. These were combined with eight sources of environmental and behavioural evidence, and applied to 11 caves containing evidence of G blacki, and also to 11 caves of a similar age range where no G. blacki evidence was found. -- Luminescence dating, which measures a light-sensitive signal found in the burial sediments that encased the G. blacki fossils, was the primary technique, supported by uranium series (US) and electron-spin resonance (US-ESR) dating of the G. blacki teeth themselves. | H01 E01 E03 | 89 |
| 2401-070 | Innovative Approach Enhances Treatment for Sleep Apnea-Related Issues | A groundbreaking study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine provides new insights into the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and its associated health impacts, paving the way for innovative therapeutic strategies. | Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine | American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine | Press Rel | PubMed | A groundbreaking study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine provides new insights into the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and its associated health impacts. -- Researchers at the University of Missouri School of Medicine and the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine led by David Gozal, M.D., M.B.A., Ph.D. (Hon), vice president of health affairs at Marshall University and dean of the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, explored innovative therapeutic strategies that could greatly advance the understanding and management of OSA-related morbidities. -- Obstructive sleep apnea is a widespread condition affecting nearly one billion people around the world. -- It is linked to accelerated biological aging and various end-organ health issues, such as cardiovascular, cognitive and metabolic morbidities. -- While current treatments like continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) have demonstrated limited success in reversing such outcomes, this recent research delves into adjunct therapies, particularly the use of senolytics, to alleviate the burden of OSA. -- The study assessed whether targeting senescence, a treatment that targets aging cells, coupled with a simulated approach that imitates good adherence to the most common treatment for sleep apnea (CPAP) could improve physiological outcomes in mice exposed to chronic intermittent hypoxia (IH), a hallmark feature of OSA. -- The study found that combining partial normoxic recovery with the senolytic Navitoclax (NAV) significantly reduced sleepiness during the dark phase, the usual sleeping time for rodents. -- The combined therapy also showed notable improvements in cognitive function. -- Such findings were not apparent when only "CPAP" was administered. -- "Our findings suggest that the reversibility of end-organ morbidities induced by OSA goes beyond normalizing oxygenation patterns," said Gozal, corresponding author on the study. | H01 H02 | 90 |
| 2402-011 | Preconception Stress and its Impact on Fertility Treatment | Stress levels before pregnancy can impact maternal blood glucose levels, especially among women seeking fertility care. | Mass General Brigham | Journal of the Endocrine Society | Press Rel | PubMed | Stress during pregnancy is known to influence health outcomes, but a new study from Mass General Brigham researchers suggests that stress levels before pregnancy are also important to evaluate. Investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital analyzed the link between self-reported stress immediately before conception among women seeking fertility care and blood glucose levels, a marker of heart health. The team found that maternal stress during preconception was associated with higher blood glucose levels, especially among women using intrauterine insemination to conceive and women of higher socioeconomic status. Results are published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society. -- "Stress prevalence has increased over the years, particularly for couples who are not able to conceive naturally," said corresponding author Lidia Mínguez-Alarcón, PhD, MPH, Bpharm, a reproductive epidemiologist in the Brigham's Channing Division of Network Medicine and co-investigator of the Environment and Reproductive Health (EARTH) study. -- "We wanted to evaluate how this stress affects health during pregnancy, which can affect both the mother and child in the long term." -- Mínguez-Alarcón and colleagues analyzed data from the EARTH study conducted at the Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center from 2004 to 2019 for 398 women between 18 and 45 years of age. -- The women self-reported preconception-perceived stress at study entry. -- Additional clinical characteristics and sociodemographic information, including family and medical history, consumer products use and smoking history, were either collected by the study staff through medical records or questionnaires. -- Women had a median age of 35 years at study entry, and most were of white ethnic background (83 percent), reported never smoking (78 percent), and were at least college educated (64 percent). Three hundred of the women conceived using medically assisted technologies like intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF). During IUI, sperm is injected directly into the uterus while IVF is a multi-step technology that involves retrieving an egg for fertilization in a lab before transfer back to the uterus. -- Glucose testing was done at a median of 26 weeks into pregnancy and taken one hour after the women drank a 50 gram glucose solution. -- A blood sugar that was equal to or less than 140 mg/dL was considered normal. -- Researchers found that blood sugar levels, a measure of cardiovascular health, were abnormally high in 82 of the women involved. | H01 H02 R01 E01 | 91 |
| 2401-029 | Air Pollution Linked to Skin Conditions: Urgent Call for Improved Air Quality | New research suggests that air pollution contributes to the development or worsening of skin conditions, emphasizing the need to improve air quality for vulnerable communities. | Massachusetts General Hospital | Dermatology and Therapy | Press Rel | PubMed | New research suggests that air pollution may contribute to the development or worsening of skin conditions. -- The work, which is published in Dermatology and Therapy and led by scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, points to the need to improve air quality to lower the burden of skin disease, especially for vulnerable communities. -- "We were inspired to investigate the relationship between air pollution and skin inflammation after listening to patients who kept telling us that their skin conditions like eczema were particularly bad, and in some cases 'worse than ever before,' this summer," says senior author Arianne Shadi Kourosh, MD, MPH, director of Community Health in the Department of Dermatology at MGH. -- "This was strange because typically patients with eczema are more likely to experience worsening symptoms or flares in winter months due to cold dry weather, but we were seeing the opposite: an unusual surge in the summer." -- Kourosh and her colleagues examined Environmental Protection Agency measurements of carbon monoxide levels in the Boston region in the months following the Canadian wildfires of 2023. -- They also assessed dermatology clinic visits for dermatitis and eczema at the Mass General Brigham (MGB) hospital system, 300 miles from the wildfires, and compared this information with data from the corresponding months in 2019-2022. -- The team observed a notable rise and an atypical summer peak in carbon monoxide levels in the Boston region during 2023. -- Carbon monoxide concentrations that were an average of 0.22 ppm in the months of May-September in 2019-2022 rose to 0.6 ppm in July of 2023. -- This peak correlated with a spike in visits for atopic dermatitis and eczema at dermatology clinics within the MGB hospital system compared with the prior four years. -- Exposure to pollutants from wildfires and chronic air pollution can cause cumulative damage to the skin by triggering a stress response that impacts collagen metabolism, promoting premature skin aging and weaking the skin barrier, which leads to more inflammation and damage, Kourosh and colleagues explain. | H01 H02 E01 | 92 |
| 2402-022 | Genetic Link Between Anorexia Nervosa and Early Rising | New research reveals that anorexia nervosa is associated with being an early riser, unlike other disorders that tend to be evening-based. | Massachusetts General Hospital | JAMA Network Open | Press Rel | PubMed | New research indicates that the eating disorder anorexia nervosa is associated with being an early riser, unlike many other disorders that tend to be evening-based such as depression, binge eating disorder and schizophrenia. -- The study, which is published in JAMA Network Open and led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), in collaboration with University College London and the University of the Republic in Uruguay, also revealed a link between anorexia nervosa and insomnia risk. -- Previous research has suggested a possible connection between eating disorders and the body's internal clock, or circadian clock, which controls a wide range of biological functions such as sleep and affects nearly every organ in the body. -- This study aimed to further understand this relationship by assessing genes associated with anorexia nervosa, the circadian clock and several sleep traits including insomnia. -- The investigators used a statistical method called Mendelian Randomization to see how genes that are associated with a certain trait affect other traits of interest. -- For example, examining the sleep patterns of people with genetic differences that makes them more likely to have anorexia nervosa, this provides evidence on the relationship between anorexia nervosa and sleep. -- They found a two-way association between genes associated with anorexia nervosa and genes associated with morning chronotype (waking early and going to bed early). -- In other words, the findings suggest that being an early riser could increase the risk for having anorexia nervosa, and having anorexia nervosa could lead to an earlier wake time. -- The team also found an association between anorexia nervosa and insomnia. -- When they further assessed the insomnia connection using the Mass General Brigham Biobank by developing a "genetic risk score" for anorexia nervosa, the scientists found that the genetic risk score was indeed associated with higher insomnia risk. | H02 | 93 |
| 2401-025 | Study Reveals Colon Cancer Screenings are More Effective Than Previously Thought | Recent studies suggest that colon cancer screening is even more effective than previously believed, with the potential to significantly reduce cancer rates. | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | Press Rel | PubMed | Screening for colon cancer reduces cancer rates by substantially more than previous analyses of randomized trials suggest, according to a study co-authored by an MIT economist that takes a new look at data from five trials. -- Roughly 1 percent of participants in a given trial get colon cancer in the decade following the trial. The new findings, based on data from trials in half a dozen countries, show that screening reduces this rate by about 0.5 percent. That is twice the impact previously estimated; earlier studies placed the screening effect at around a quarter of a percentage point. -- "The effect of actually getting screened is about half a percentage point, double previously published results which focus on the effect of being invited to screen," says MIT econometrician Josh Angrist. The large size of this effect relative to the baseline enhances the case for colorectal (CRC) screening, he adds. -- The findings are important, Angrist says, because many trial subjects offered the chance to screen via colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy decide to skip it. Prior studies fail to properly account for such "nonadherence" to the intended treatment. -- "Nonadherence is widespread in randomized clinical trials, especially those offering relatively unpleasant interventions like CRC screening," Angrist says. "Offers of a free colonoscopy are not always taken up with enthusiasm." -- This poses a problem for trial analysis because, while offers to screen are randomly assigned in randomized screening trials, the decision to screen may be far from random. -- The paper, "Instrumental Variable Methods Reconcile Intention-To-Screen Effects Across Pragmatic Cancer Screening Trials," is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The authors are Angrist, the Ford Professor of Economics at MIT, and Peter Hull PhD '17, a professor of economics at Brown University. -- Getting screened, not just being invited to screen -- The effectiveness of cancer screening is the focus of an active research literature. It might seem that getting screened for cancer is always important, but many complicating factors, including the potential for false positives and consequent overtreatment, motivate research into the benefits and costs of such procedures. -- The Angrist and Hull study examines data from five major randomized clinical trials of screenings for colorectal cancer. Four of the screenings used sigmoidoscopies (partial colonoscopies), while one offered full colonoscopies. All the trials were randomized, with a randomly selected treatment group offered screening and a control group that remained mostly screened. | R01 | 94 |
| 2401-077 | Complex Sentences Make the Brain's Language Network Work Harder | MIT neuroscientists have used an artificial language network to discover that sentences with greater linguistic complexity have a higher chance of activating the brain's key language processing centers. | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Nature Human Behaviour | Press Rel | PubMed | With help from an artificial language network, MIT neuroscientists have discovered what kind of sentences are most likely to fire up the brain's key language processing centers. -- The new study reveals that sentences that are more complex, either because of unusual grammar or unexpected meaning, generate stronger responses in these language processing centers. Sentences that are very straightforward barely engage these regions, and nonsensical sequences of words don't do much for them either. -- For example, the researchers found this brain network was most active when reading unusual sentences such as "Buy sell signals remains a particular," taken from a publicly available language dataset called C4. However, it went quiet when reading something very straightforward, such as "We were sitting on the couch." -- "The input has to be language-like enough to engage the system," says Evelina Fedorenko, Associate Professor of Neuroscience at MIT and a member of MIT's McGovern Institute for Brain Research. "And then within that space, if things are really easy to process, then you don't have much of a response. But if things get difficult, or surprising, if there's an unusual construction or an unusual set of words that you're maybe not very familiar with, then the network has to work harder." -- Fedorenko is the senior author of the study, which appears today in Nature Human Behavior. MIT graduate student Greta Tuckute is the lead author of the paper. -- Processing language -- In this study, the researchers focused on language-processing regions found in the left hemisphere of the brain, which includes Broca's area as well as other parts of the left frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. -- "This language network is highly selective to language, but it's been harder to actually figure out what is going on in these language regions," Tuckute says. "We wanted to discover what kinds of sentences, what kinds of linguistic input, drive the left hemisphere language network." -- The researchers began by compiling a set of 1,000 sentences taken from a wide variety of sources -- fiction, transcriptions of spoken words, web text, and scientific articles, among many others. -- Five human participants read each of the sentences while the researchers measured their language network activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The researchers then fed those same 1,000 sentences into a large language model -- a model similar to ChatGPT, which learns to generate and understand language from predicting the next word in huge amounts of text -- and measured the activation patterns of the model in response to each sentence. | H01 R02 T01 | 95 |
| 2401-T006 | A Carbon-Lite Atmosphere: A Promising Sign of Water and Life on Other Planets | The absence of carbon dioxide in the atmospheres of other planets may indicate the presence of liquid water and potential for life, according to scientists. | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Nature Astronomy | Press Rel | PubMed | Scientists at MIT, the University of Birmingham, and elsewhere say that astronomers' best chance of finding liquid water, and even life on other planets, is to look for the absence, rather than the presence, of a chemical feature in their atmospheres. -- The researchers propose that if a terrestrial planet has substantially less carbon dioxide in its atmosphere compared to other planets in the same system, it could be a sign of liquid water -- and possibly life -- on that planet's surface. -- What's more, this new signature is within the sights of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). While scientists have proposed other signs of habitability, those features are challenging if not impossible to measure with current technologies. -- The team says this new signature, of relatively depleted carbon dioxide, is the only sign of habitability that is detectable now. -- "The Holy Grail in exoplanet science is to look for habitable worlds, and the presence of life, but all the features that have been talked about so far have been beyond the reach of the newest observatories," says Julien de Wit, assistant professor of planetary sciences at MIT. -- "Now we have a way to find out if there's liquid water on another planet. And it's something we can get to in the next few years." -- The team's findings will appear in Nature Astronomy. De Wit co-led the study with Amaury Triaud of the University of Birmingham in the UK. Their MIT co-authors include Benjamin Rackham, Prajwal Niraula, Ana Glidden Oliver Jagoutz, Matej Peč, Janusz Petkowski, and Sara Seager, along with Frieder Klein at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), Martin Turbet of Ècole Polytechnique in France, and Franck Selsis of the Laboratoire d'astrophysique de Bordeaux. -- Beyond a glimmer -- Astronomers have so far detected more than 5,200 worlds beyond our solar system. -- With current telescopes, astronomers can directly measure a planet's distance to its star and the time it takes it to complete an orbit. | R01 E01 T02 | 96 |
| 2402-079 | Noninvasive Technique Reveals Gene Expression Changes in Live Cells Over Time | A new method based on Raman spectroscopy can track changes in live cell gene expression without harming the cells. | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Nature Biotechnology | Press Rel | PubMed | Sequencing all of the RNA in a cell can reveal a great deal of information about that cell's function and what it is doing at a given point in time. However, the sequencing process destroys the cell, making it difficult to study ongoing changes in gene expression. -- An alternative approach developed at MIT could enable researchers to track such changes over extended periods of time. -- The new method, which is based on a noninvasive imaging technique known as Raman spectroscopy, doesn't harm cells and can be performed repeatedly. -- Using this technique, the researchers showed that they could monitor embryonic stem cells as they differentiated into several other cell types over several days. -- This technique could enable studies of long-term cellular processes such as cancer progression or embryonic development, and one day might be used for diagnostics for cancer and other diseases. -- "With Raman imaging you can measure many more time points, which may be important for studying cancer biology, developmental biology, and a number of degenerative diseases," says Peter So, a professor of biological and mechanical engineering at MIT, director of MIT's Laser Biomedical Research Center, and one of the authors of the paper. -- Koseki Kobayashi-Kirschvink, a postdoc at MIT and the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, is the lead author of the study, which appears today in Nature Biotechnology. -- The paper's senior authors are Tommaso Biancalani, a former Broad Institute scientist; Jian Shu, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and an associate member of the Broad Institute; and Aviv Regev, executive vice president at Genentech Research and Early Development, who is on leave from faculty positions at the Broad Institute and MIT's Department of Biology. -- Imaging gene expression -- Raman spectroscopy is a noninvasive technique that reveals the chemical composition of tissues or cells by shining near-infrared or visible light on them. | H01 R01 T01 | 97 |
| 2402-T001 | Inhaling for Diagnosis: New Technology Enables Easy Lung Cancer Detection | A new technology developed at MIT may revolutionize lung cancer diagnosis, making it as easy as inhaling nanoparticle sensors and taking a urine test. | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Science Advances | Press Rel | PubMed | Using a new technology developed at MIT, diagnosing lung cancer could become as easy as inhaling nanoparticle sensors and then taking a urine test that reveals whether a tumor is present. -- The new diagnostic is based on nanosensors that can be delivered by an inhaler or a nebulizer. -- If the sensors encounter cancer-linked proteins in the lungs, they produce a signal that accumulates in the urine, where it can be detected with a simple paper test strip. -- This approach could potentially replace or supplement the current gold standard for diagnosing lung cancer, low-dose computed tomography (CT). It could have an especially significant impact in low- and middle-income countries that don't have widespread availability of CT scanners, the researchers say. -- "Around the world, cancer is going to become more and more prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. The epidemiology of lung cancer globally is that it's driven by pollution and smoking, so we know that those are settings where accessibility to this kind of technology could have a big impact," says Sangeeta Bhatia, the John and Dorothy Wilson Professor of Health Sciences and Technology and of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT, and a member of MIT's Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and the Institute for Medical Engineering and Science. -- Bhatia is the senior author of the paper, which appears today in Science Advances. Qian Zhong, an MIT research scientist, and Edward Tan, a former MIT postdoc, are the lead authors of the study. -- Inhalable particles -- To help diagnose lung cancer as early as possible, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that heavy smokers over the age of 50 undergo annual CT scans. -- However, not everyone in this target group receives these scans, and the high false-positive rate of the scans can lead to unnecessary, invasive tests. -- Bhatia has spent the last decade developing nanosensors for use in diagnosing cancer and other diseases, and in this study, she and her colleagues explored the possibility of using them as a more accessible alternative to CT screening for lung cancer. | H01 R01 | 98 |
| 2402-T009 | 3D Printing Mass Spectrometer Components for Portable Medical Diagnoses | A 3D printed mini quadrupole mass filter, a crucial component of mass spectrometers, has been developed to perform as well as commercial-grade devices. This advancement paves the way for portable mass spectrometers that can be used for medical diagnoses and chemical analyses in remote areas. | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Advanced Science. | Press Rel | PubMed | Mass spectrometers, devices that identify chemical substances, are widely used in applications like crime scene analysis, toxicology testing, and geological surveying. But these machines are bulky, expensive, and easy to damage, which limits where they can be effectively deployed. -- Using additive manufacturing, MIT researchers produced a mass filter, which is the core component of a mass spectrometer, that is far lighter and cheaper than the same type of filter made with traditional techniques and materials. -- Their miniaturized filter, known as a quadrupole, can be completely fabricated in a matter of hours for a few dollars. The 3D-printed device is as precise as some commercial-grade mass filters that can cost more than $100,000 and take weeks to manufacture. -- Built from durable and heat-resistant glass-ceramic resin, the filter is 3D printed in one step, so no assembly is required. Assembly often introduces defects that can hamper the performance of quadrupoles. -- This lightweight, cheap, yet precise quadrupole is one important step in Luis Fernando Velásquez-García's 20-year quest to produce a 3D-printed, portable mass spectrometer. -- "We are not the first ones to try to do this. But we are the first ones who succeeded at doing this. There are other miniaturized quadrupole filters, but they are not comparable with professional-grade mass filters. There are a lot of possibilities for this hardware if the size and cost could be smaller without adversely affecting the performance," says Velásquez-García, a principal research scientist in MIT's Microsystems Technology Laboratories (MTL) and senior author of a paper detailing the miniaturized quadrupole. -- For instance, a scientist could bring a portable mass spectrometer to remote areas of the rainforest, using it to rapidly analyze potential pollutants without shipping samples back to a lab. And a lightweight device would be cheaper and easier to send into space, where it could monitor chemicals in Earth's atmosphere or on those of distant planets. -- Velásquez-García is joined on the paper by lead author Colin Eckhoff, an MIT graduate student in electrical engineering and computer science (EECS); Nicholas Lubinsky, a former MIT postdoc; and Luke Metzler and Randall Pedder of Ardara Technologies. The research is published in Advanced Science. -- Size matters -- At the heart of a mass spectrometer is the mass filter. This component uses electric or magnetic fields to sort charged particles based on their mass-to-charge ratio. In this way, the device can measure the chemical components in a sample to identify an unknown substance. | R01 E01 E03 T01 T02 | 99 |
| 2401-062 | ALS-Linked Protein Supports Memory Formation in New Study | The ALS-linked protein VAP plays a crucial role in stabilizing mitochondria near dendritic spines to support memory formation. This discovery opens up new avenues for research into cognitive and motor learning impairments in ALS. | Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience | Nature Communications | Press Rel | PubMed | When experiencing new things, the structure and function of our neurons and their connections are rapidly being remodeled. This process, known as synaptic plasticity, is critical for us to learn and adapt. However, these changes require a lot of energy. -- Fortunately, our neurons are well-adapted to support these changes. Biological batteries known as mitochondria are strategically stabilized near sites of synaptic remodeling to ensure a local and efficient energy supply. However, how mitochondria are anchored near synapses was not known. -- A team of scientists at Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience has now identified a molecular anchor called VAP (vesicle-associated membrane protein-associated protein) that stabilizes mitochondria near synapses to support these remodeling projects. The identification of VAP as a molecular anchor has particular significance because a mutation in VAP leads to ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a progressive motor neuron degeneration disease. This discovery, published in Nature Communications, not only sheds light on how memories are powered but opens up new research directions into ALS pathology. -- Lead scientist of the work and Max Planck Florida Institute Research Group Leader, Dr. Vidhya Rangaraju, describes the implications, "While we started this study to understand fundamental properties of how memories are powered, our findings open important new directions for our research. We will investigate the cellular mechanisms of the cognitive symptoms that often occur with motor symptoms in ALS but have been severely understudied. We believe the tools and approaches that we have established will begin to shine light into this area." -- Stable mitochondria support the plasticity of synapses in dendrites -- Neurons have an extensive, complex morphology and are constantly being remodeled. In order to energetically support these changes, mitochondria are anchored locally near synapses. This local stabilization allows the energy produced by the mitochondria to efficiently power local structural and functional changes in synapses during memory formation. -- "This stability, however, is a unique feature of neuronal dendrites," explains Ojasee Bapat, the study's first author. "In neuronal axons, where mitochondria have been primarily studied, they are very mobile. We were interested in understanding how mitochondria are stabilized in dendrites and what this means for plasticity." -- The search for a molecular anchor -- To address this knowledge gap, the team took an unbiased approach to identify proteins that might serve as an anchor to stabilize dendritic mitochondria. The team used a chemogenetic tool that chemically marked all proteins present near the outer shell of the mitochondria. They then took advantage of advanced proteomics to determine the identity of the marked proteins. This screen identified over 100 proteins that might be responsible for anchoring the mitochondria. -- To narrow their search, they selected proteins for their ability to interact with the actin cytoskeleton. The actin cytoskeleton is a network of protein filaments localized near synapses in dendrites that help to define and remodel synaptic structure. Previous work of Dr. Rangaraju and others has shown that mitochondrial stability in dendrites depends on actin. Only a handful of the initially identified candidate proteins could bind to actin. | H02 T01 | 100 |
| 2402-058 | The ALS Connection: VAP Protein and Memory Formation | The ALS-linked protein VAP has been identified as a key regulator of mitochondria near dendritic spines, contributing to memory formation. This discovery may lead to insights into cognitive impairments in ALS. | Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience | Nature Communications | Press Rel | PubMed | When experiencing new things, the structure and function of our neurons and their connections are rapidly being remodeled. This process, known as synaptic plasticity, is critical for us to learn and adapt. However, these changes require a lot of energy. -- Fortunately, our neurons are well-adapted to support these changes. Biological batteries known as mitochondria are strategically stabilized near sites of synaptic remodeling to ensure a local and efficient energy supply. However, how mitochondria are anchored near synapses was not known. -- A team of scientists at Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience has now identified a molecular anchor called VAP (vesicle-associated membrane protein-associated protein) that stabilizes mitochondria near synapses to support these remodeling projects. The identification of VAP as a molecular anchor has particular significance because a mutation in VAP leads to ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a progressive motor neuron degeneration disease. This discovery, published in Nature Communications, not only sheds light on how memories are powered but opens up new research directions into ALS pathology. -- Lead scientist of the work and Max Planck Florida Institute Research Group Leader, Dr. Vidhya Rangaraju, describes the implications, "While we started this study to understand fundamental properties of how memories are powered, our findings open important new directions for our research. We will investigate the cellular mechanisms of the cognitive symptoms that often occur with motor symptoms in ALS but have been severely understudied. We believe the tools and approaches that we have established will begin to shine light into this area." -- Stable mitochondria support the plasticity of synapses in dendrites -- Neurons have an extensive, complex morphology and are constantly being remodeled. In order to energetically support these changes, mitochondria are anchored locally near synapses. This local stabilization allows the energy produced by the mitochondria to efficiently power local structural and functional changes in synapses during memory formation. -- "This stability, however, is a unique feature of neuronal dendrites," explains Ojasee Bapat, the study's first author. "In neuronal axons, where mitochondria have been primarily studied, they are very mobile. We were interested in understanding how mitochondria are stabilized in dendrites and what this means for plasticity." -- The search for a molecular anchor -- To address this knowledge gap, the team took an unbiased approach to identify proteins that might serve as an anchor to stabilize dendritic mitochondria. The team used a chemogenetic tool that chemically marked all proteins present near the outer shell of the mitochondria. They then took advantage of advanced proteomics to determine the identity of the marked proteins. This screen identified over 100 proteins that might be responsible for anchoring the mitochondria. -- To narrow their search, they selected proteins for their ability to interact with the actin cytoskeleton. The actin cytoskeleton is a network of protein filaments localized near synapses in dendrites that help to define and remodel synaptic structure. Previous work of Dr. Rangaraju and others has shown that mitochondrial stability in dendrites depends on actin. Only a handful of the initially identified candidate proteins could bind to actin. | H02 T01 T02 | 101 |
| 2402-T017 | Iron Rings in Planet-Forming Disk Offer Glimpse into Early Solar System | Astronomers have discovered a three-ringed structure in the inner planet-forming disk of a young star, suggesting the formation of two Jupiter-mass planets. This finding provides valuable insights into the conditions that led to the formation of rocky planets like Earth in the early Solar System. | Max Planck Institute for Astronomy | Astronomy & Astrophysics | Press Rel | PubMed | The origin of Earth and the Solar System inspires scientists and the public alike. By studying the present state of our home planet and other objects in the Solar System, researchers have developed a detailed picture of the conditions when they evolved from a disk made of dust and gas surrounding the infant sun some 4.5 billion years ago. -- Three rings hinting at two planets -- With the breathtaking progress made in star and planet formation research aiming at far-away celestial objects, we can now investigate the conditions in environments around young stars and compare them to the ones derived for the early Solar System. -- Using the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI), an international team of researchers led by József Varga from the Konkoly Observatory in Budapest, Hungary, did just that. -- They observed the planet-forming disk of the young star HD 144432, approximately 500 light-years away. -- "When studying the dust distribution in the disk's innermost region, we detected for the first time a complex structure in which dust piles up in three concentric rings in such an environment," says Roy van Boekel. -- He is a scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) in Heidelberg, Germany and a co-author of the underlying research article to appear in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. -- "That region corresponds to the zone where the rocky planets formed in the Solar System," van Boekel adds. -- Compared to the Solar System, the first ring around HD 144432 lies within Mercury's orbit, and the second is close to Mars's trajectory. -- Moreover, the third ring roughly corresponds to Jupiter's orbit. | E01 T02 | 102 |
| 2401-E027 | Bacteria's Secret Weapon: How They Load Their Syringes for Manipulation | Bacterial pathogens use small injection apparatuses to manipulate host cells, and a new technique reveals how bacteria fill their syringes with the injection agent. | Max-Planck-Gesellschaft | Nature Microbiology | Press Rel | PubMed | Many bacterial pathogens use small injection apparatuses to manipulate the cells of their hosts, such as humans, so that they can spread throughout the body. To do this, they need to fill their syringes with the relevant injection agent. A technique that tracks the individual movement of proteins revealed how bacteria accomplish this challenging task. -- Disease-causing bacteria of the genus Salmonella or Yersinia can use tiny injection apparatuses to inject harmful proteins into host cells, much to the discomfort of the infected person. -- However, it is not only with a view to controlling disease that researchers are investigating the injection mechanism of these so-called type III secretion systems, also known as "injectisomes." -- If the structure and function of the injectisome were fully understood, researchers would be able to hijack it to deliver specific drugs into cells, such as cancer cells. -- In fact, the structure of the injectisome has already been elucidated. -- However, it remained unclear how the bacteria load their syringes so that the right proteins are injected at the right time. -- Mobile components of the injectisome search for proteins -- A team of scientists led by Andreas Diepold from the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg and Ulrike Endesfelder from the University of Bonn has now been able to answer this question: mobile components of the injectisome comb through the bacterial cell in search of the proteins to be injected, so-called effectors. -- When they encounter an effector, they transport it like a shuttle bus to the gate of the injection needle. -- "How proteins of the sorting platform in the cytosol bind to effectors and deliver the cargo to the export gate of the membrane-bound injectisome is comparable to the processes at a freight terminal," explains Stephan Wimmi, first author of the study as a postdoctoral researcher in Andreas Diepold's laboratory. | H01 R01 | 103 |
| 2401-E037 | Synthetic CO2 Fixation Achieved: Promising Step in Living Cells' Transformation | Researchers have successfully implemented a new-to-nature CO2 fixation cycle in E.coli, offering potential for carbon capture and conversion. | Max-Planck-Gesellschaft | Nature Catalysis | Press Rel | PubMed | Synthetic biology offers the opportunity to build biochemical pathways for the capture and conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2). Researchers at the Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology have developed a synthetic biochemical cycle that directly converts CO2 into the central building block Acetyl-CoA. The researchers were able to implement each of the three cycle modules in the bacterium E.coli, which represents a major step towards realizing synthetic CO2 fixing pathways within the context of living cells. -- Developing new ways for the capture and conversion of CO2 is key to tackle the climate emergency. -- Synthetic biology opens avenues for designing new-to-nature CO2-fixation pathways that capture CO2 more efficiently than those developed by nature. -- However, realizing those new-to-nature pathways in different in vitro and in vivo systems is still a fundamental challenge. -- Now, researchers in Tobias Erb's group have designed and constructed a new synthetic CO2-fixation pathway, the so-called THETA cycle. -- It contains several central metabolites as intermediates, and with the central building block, acetyl-CoA, as its output. -- This characteristic makes it possible to be divided into modules and integrated into the central metabolism of E. coli. -- The entire THETA cycle involves 17 biocatalysts, and was designed around the two fastest CO2-fixing enzymes known to date: crotonyl-CoA carboxylase/reductase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase. -- The researchers found these powerful biocatalysts in bacteria. -- Although each of the carboxylases can capture CO2 more than 10 times faster than RubisCO, the CO2-fixing enzyme in chloroplasts, evolution itself has not brought these capable enzymes together in natural photosynthesis. | E01 T01 | 104 |
| 2402-E059 | Bacteria's Secret Barcode: Researchers Unveil Toxin Detection System | Researchers at McMaster University have discovered a molecular "barcode" system used by disease-causing bacteria to distinguish between beneficial and toxic molecules. | McMaster University | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers at McMaster University have discovered a molecular "barcode" system used by disease-causing bacteria to distinguish between beneficial and toxic molecules. -- Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the new study shows that many bacteria can figuratively scan genetic codes to learn which proteins to keep and which proteins to expel into the environment. -- According to researchers, those proteins that are expelled are often toxic to human cells, making the ability to differentiate between proteins vital to a bacterium's capacity for causing infectious disease. -- "Proteins are one of the fundamental building blocks of life," explains John Whitney, an associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster and the lead investigator on the study. -- "They quite literally allow bacterial pathogens to do everything that they do. And while the vast majority of proteins remain inside bacteria to carry out functions like metabolism, there is a very small subset that act outside of the organism -- like toxins." -- Whitney, a member of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, says that although the bacterial secretion system and the toxins themselves have long been studied, it was not understood how bacteria discriminated between toxic and non-toxic proteins prior to the study. -- Whitney's lab, led by biochemistry graduate students Prakhar Shah and Timothy Klein (now a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, San Francisco), questioned how three fundamentally different toxins could all be secreted by the same bacterial secretion system. -- "There were no known similarities between the toxins -- they don't look anything alike, and they don't do anything similar," Whitney says. -- "Our rationale was, for them to all pass through the same protein secretion machine, there must be something common between them." -- Sure enough, there was. Each toxin shared a "domain," which Whitney colloquially compares to a barcode. | Z01 | 105 |
| 2401-E002 | The Hidden Power of Intracellular Neighborhoods: Location Matters | The location within the cytoplasm where messenger RNA (mRNA) is translated into proteins can greatly impact protein production. These findings hold promise for enhancing mRNA vaccines and therapies. | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | Molecular Cell | Press Rel | PubMed | Back in 2018, the lab of Christine Mayr, MD, PhD, at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) introduced the world to a key cellular component that had been hiding in plain sight. -- Now the lab is back with important results that build on that discovery. New findings published in Molecular Cell provide details about the hidden organization of the cytoplasm -- the soup of liquid, organelles, proteins, and other molecules inside a cell. The research shows it makes a big difference where in that cellular broth that messenger RNA (mRNA) get translated into proteins. -- "You know the old real estate saying, 'location, location, location.' It turns out it applies to how proteins get made inside of cells, too," says Dr. Mayr, a molecular and cell biologist at the Sloan Kettering Institute, a hub for basic and translational research within MSK. "If it's translated over here, you get twice as much protein as if it's translated over there." -- This first-of-its-kind study highlights the degree to which the cytoplasm is "beautifully organized," rather than being just a big jumble of stuff, she says. -- Not only do the findings shed new light on fundamental cellular biology, but the knowledge also holds promise for increasing or altering the production of proteins in mRNA vaccines and therapies, the researchers note. -- The study was led by former lab member Ellen Horste, PhD, whom Mayr tapped for the daunting but exciting project when she joined the lab several years ago. Dr. Horste received her doctorate from the Gerstner Sloan Kettering Graduate School in June and now works for a gene therapy company. -- "When we started, we had a hard time getting funding for this project," Dr. Mayr says. "Everyone thought isolating the individual components would be totally impossible. This was really Ellen's project from her first day in the lab to her last day. It was quite challenging, and I couldn't be more proud of her." -- Adapting an approach commonly used by immunologists, the team was able to color-code individual particles within cells using antibodies and then sort them by color. They used RNA sequencing to identify which RNAs were associated with which particles. -- "And it was really striking to see that in each of these intracellular neighborhoods, very different types of mRNAs were being translated," Dr. Mayr says. -- Welcome to the Cellular Neighborhood | H01 R01 | 106 |
| 2401-026 | Biased AI Fooling Clinicians Despite Explanations: Study Reveals Troubling Trend | Biased AI models in healthcare have been found to deceive clinicians, despite explanations provided for their diagnoses. These models can improve diagnostic decisions for certain demographics while worsening decisions for others due to biased medical data. | Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan | JAMA | Press Rel | PubMed | AI models in health care are a double-edged sword, with models improving diagnostic decisions for some demographics, but worsening decisions for others when the model has absorbed biased medical data. -- Given the very real life and death risks of clinical decision-making, researchers and policymakers are taking steps to ensure AI models are safe, secure and trustworthy -- and that their use will lead to improved outcomes. -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has oversight of software powered by AI and machine learning used in health care and has issued guidance for developers. -- This includes a call to ensure the logic used by AI models is transparent or explainable so that clinicians can review the underlying reasoning. -- However, a new study in JAMA finds that even with provided AI explanations, clinicians can be fooled by biased AI models. -- "The problem is that the clinician has to understand what the explanation is communicating and the explanation itself," said first author Sarah Jabbour, a Ph.D. candidate in computer science and engineering at the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan. -- The U-M team studied AI models and AI explanations in patients with acute respiratory failure. -- "Determining why a patient has respiratory failure can be difficult. In our study, we found clinicians baseline diagnostic accuracy to be around 73%," said Michael Sjoding, M.D., associate professor of internal medicine at the U-M Medical School, a co-senior author on the study. -- "During the normal diagnostic process, we think about a patient's history, lab tests and imaging results, and try to synthesize this information and come up with a diagnosis. It makes sense that a model could help improve accuracy." -- Jabbour, Sjoding, co-senior author, Jenna Wiens, Ph.D., associate professor of computer science and engineering and their multidisciplinary team designed a study to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of 457 hospitalist physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants with and without assistance from an AI model. | H01 T01 | 107 |
| 2402-007 | Bipolar Disorder Takes a Toll on Life Expectancy | A study highlights the increased risk of early death associated with bipolar disorder compared to other factors. | Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan | Psychiatry Research | Press Rel | PubMed | Having bipolar disorder -- a serious mental illness that can cause both manic and depressed moods -- can make life more challenging. -- It also comes with a higher risk of dying early. Now, a study puts into perspective just how large that risk is, and how it compares with other factors that can shorten life. -- In two different groups, people with bipolar disorder were four to six times more likely as people without the condition to die prematurely, the study finds. -- By contrast, people who had ever smoked were about twice as likely to die prematurely than those who had never smoked -- whether or not they had bipolar disorder. -- A team from the University of Michigan, home to one of the world's largest longterm studies of people with bipolar disorder, reports their findings in the journal Psychiatry Research. -- The stark difference in mortality, and the differences in health and lifestyle that likely contributed to it, should prompt more efforts at preventing early deaths, say the researchers. -- "Bipolar disorder has long been seen as a risk factor for mortality, but always through a lens of other common causes of death," said Anastasia Yocum, Ph.D., lead author of the study and data manager of the research program at the Heinz C. Prechter Bipolar Research Program. -- "We wanted to look at it by itself in comparison with conditions and lifestyle behaviors that are also linked to higher rates of premature death." -- Two large data sources yield similar findings -- Yocum and her colleagues, including Prechter Program director Melvin McInnis, M.D., started by looking at deaths and related factors among 1,128 people who had volunteered for the program's longterm study of people with and without bipolar disorder. | T02 | 108 |
| 2402-016 | Decoding the Link between Cancer Immunotherapy and Colitis | Researchers have identified a mechanism causing severe gastrointestinal problems with immune-based cancer treatment and found a way to mitigate the side effects. | Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan | Science | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers at the University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center have identified a mechanism that causes severe gastrointestinal problems with immune-based cancer treatment. -- They also found a way to deliver immunotherapy's cancer-killing impact without the unwelcome side effect. -- The findings are published in Science. -- "This is a good example of how understanding a mechanism helps you to develop an alternative therapy that's more beneficial. Once we identified the mechanism causing the colitis, we could then develop ways to overcome this problem and prevent colitis while preserving the anti-tumor effect," said senior study author Gabriel Nunez, M.D., Paul de Kruif Professor of Pathology at Michigan Medicine. -- Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising treatment for several types of cancer. -- But immune checkpoint inhibitors can also cause severe side effects, including colitis, which is inflammation in the digestive tract. -- Colitis can cause severe gastrointestinal discomfort, and some patients will discontinue their cancer treatment because of it. -- The problem facing researchers was that while patients were developing colitis, the laboratory mice were not. -- So researchers couldn't study what was causing this side effect. -- To get past this, the Rogel team, led by first author Bernard C. Lo, Ph.D., created a new mouse model, injecting microbiota from wild-caught mice into the traditional mouse model. | H01 R01 | 109 |
| 2402-068 | Different Pain Types in Multiple Sclerosis: The Challenges of Staying Active | Chronic pain in multiple sclerosis patients can affect their ability to engage in physical exercise. | Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan | The Journal of Pain | Press Rel | PubMed | For patients with multiple sclerosis, a regular exercise routine is important for managing symptoms. Due to different causes of chronic pain though, physical exercise can be more difficult for some. -- Research published in the Journal of Pain from the University of Michigan found that widespread pain with nociplastic features, also known as WPNF, can make engaging in physical activity a painful task for some patients with MS. -- "WPNF is a chronic and diffuse pain which can be challenging to localize or describe precisely," said Libak Abou, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor and lead author of the paper. -- "In a person with MS, this type of pain arises from altered processing signals within the central nervous system. This is opposed to pain that arises from specific tissue damage, classified as nociceptive pain, or pain related to demyelination and axonal damage, classified as neuropathic pain." -- Abou and fellow researchers surveyed patients with MS to see if those with a higher indication of WPNF were more likely to be insufficiently active or sedentary when compared to their MS counterparts with no chronic pain, nociceptive pain, or neuropathic pain. -- Each of the participants was self-reporting with their data. -- The results of the survey showed that those who experienced WPNF in addition to their MS were not sufficiently active due to the chronic pain they were experiencing. -- "There is a growing need to consider what type of pain MS patients are experiencing before giving them an exercise plan," said Abou. -- "The concept of considering WPNF when creating exercise plans for MS is newer but could help many patients get to an activity level that will help ease symptoms without causing them intense pain." -- For the future, Abou hopes that clinicians can begin doing screenings for underlying pain mechanisms in patients with MS that are struggling to stay active to help further tailor their physical routines to their personal needs. | H01 | 110 |
| 2401-008 | Key to Epithelial Cell Growth Uncovered by Researchers | Australian researchers have discovered a new way that epithelial cells attach to one another and perceive growth signals, helping them form tissues of the correct size and shape. | Monash University | Developmental Cell | Press Rel | PubMed | Australian researchers have discovered a new way that epithelial cells, which form layers in organs like the skin and stomach, attach to one another, and how they perceive growth signals at these attachments, helping them form tissues of the right size and shape. -- Epithelial cells cover the surfaces of most organs in the body and must adhere to each other to form both a protective and permeable barrier. -- They are exquisitely designed to both be tightly sealed against pathogens like bacteria, and to also allow the transport of salts, fluids, and nutrients. -- Researchers, led by Professor Kieran Harvey and Dr Benjamin Kroeger, at the Monash University Biomedicine Discovery Institute in Melbourne have discovered a new way by which epithelial cells adhere to each other in the vinegar fly, Drosophila. The study is published today in the journal, Developmental Cell. -- Previous work from Professor Harvey and others led to the discovery of an important organ growth control pathway, called Hippo. -- First discovered in Drosophila, the Hippo pathway does effectively the same job in mammals and controls the size of different organs such as the liver and heart. -- The Hippo pathway is also important for human diseases as it is mutated in multiple epithelial cancers. -- The new study provides further insights into how Hippo signalling is coordinated in growing tissues. -- In the present study, the researchers made the important discovery of a new subcellular adhesion site that helps epithelial cells adhere to one another -- termed by the researchers as "basal spot junctions." They showed that basal spot junctions not only helped cells adhere to one another but were important for regulating Hippo signalling. -- "Our discovery of basal spot junctions in epithelial tissues has given us new insights into how epithelial cells adhere to each other and how epithelial tissues grow to the right size and shape," Professor Harvey said. | R01 E02 | 111 |
| 2402-050 | Unlocking the Secrets of Immune Cells: The IKAROS Breakthrough | Researchers have unraveled the essential protein IKAROS, shedding light on immune cell development and its impact on various diseases, including cancer. | Monash University | Nature Immunology | Press Rel | PubMed | In a scientific breakthrough that aids our understanding of the internal wiring of immune cells, researchers at Monash University in Australia have cracked the code behind IKAROS, an essential protein for immune cell development and protection against pathogens and cancer. -- This disruptive research, led by the eminent Professor Nicholas Huntington of Monash University’s Biomedicine Discovery Institute, is poised to reshape our comprehension of gene control networks and its impact on everything from eye colour to cancer susceptibility and design of novel therapies. -- The study, published in Nature Immunology, promises pivotal insights into the mechanisms safeguarding us against infections and cancers. -- When the transcription factor Ikaros/Ikzf1 was deliberately obstructed, be it in preclinical models or humans, the once-mighty activity of Natural Killer (NK) cells, our immune system's frontline warriors, plummeted. -- Loss of this transcription factor in NK cells resulted in wide-spread dysregulation of NK cell development and function, preventing their ability to recognize and kill virus-infected cells and clear metastatic tumour cells from circulation. -- Aiolos/Ikzf3 and Helios/Ikzf2, related family member were found to partial compensate for the loss of Ikaros, as such when multiple IKZF-family members were inhibited, NK cells underwent rapidly death. -- Mechanistically, Aiolos and Ikaros were found to directly bind and activate most members of the JUN/FOS family, transcription factors known for their essential roles in human embryo development and tissue function. -- This discovery opens the door to the prospect of potential novel cancer therapeutics. -- NK cells, our first line of defence against pathogens and internal threats like cancers, could be fortified by therapies enhancing their killing prowess by targeting IKAROS and JUN/FOS biology. -- Professor Huntington notes that drugs targeting IKAROS/AIOLOS have already received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and local Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for the treatment of B cell malignancy “but until now we haven’t understood how these drugs work, armed with this new information it could be possible to develop novel drugs targeting these complexes which may offer differentiated pharmacology and therapeutic index for treating disease,” he said. Importantly on this front, Professor Huntington’s team were able to show that IKAROS had a conserved role in healthy B cells and thus potentially B cell cancers. | H01 R01 | 112 |
| 2401-028 | Indoor Air Pollutants Impact Creativity: Surprising Findings from LEGO Study | Air quality in the office has been found to impact creativity levels at work, with high levels of volatile organic compounds hindering participants' creativity in a study conducted by scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. | Nanyang Technological University | Scientific Reports | Press Rel | PubMed | Air quality in the office may affect our level of creativity at work, scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have found. -- Working with the global air filter manufacturer Camfil on a shared research project, the NTU Singapore scientists found in a study that high levels of volatile organic compounds -- gases released from products such as detergents, pesticides, perfumes, aerosol sprays and paint -- affected the study participants' creativity when they were asked to build 3D models with LEGO bricks. -- Using a statistical analysis, the NTU team estimated that reducing total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) by 72 per cent could improve a student's creative potential by 12 per cent. -- TVOC is an indicator that refers to the volume of volatile organic compounds in the air. Indoor VOCs are emitted from interior decoration sources such as paints and carpets and household products such as detergents and air fresheners. -- This study, conducted on the NTU Smart Campus, is part of a partnership between the University and Camfil to investigate the impact of indoor air quality on the cognitive performance of adults, test various air filter technologies in tropical weather conditions, and deliver innovative clean air solutions combined with optimised energy efficiency. -- The findings detailed in the study, published in Scientific Reports in September, shed light on the importance of indoor air quality on our creative cognition, said the research team led by Assistant Professor Ng Bing Feng and Associate Professor Wan Man Pun, Cluster Directors for Smart & Sustainable Building Technologies at the Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N). -- Asst Prof Ng said: "While most people would correctly associate indoor air quality with effects on the lungs, especially since we just emerged from a pandemic, our study shows that it could also have an impact on the mind and creative cognition, or the ability to use knowledge in an unconventional way. Our findings suggest that relatively low TVOC levels, even if well within the accepted threshold, could impact an individual's creative potential." -- Assoc Prof Wan added: "This could have serious consequences for industries that rely on creativity for the bulk of their work. For instance, artists often use paints and thinners that release high levels of volatile organic compounds and may not know they need adequate ventilation to clear them from their workplace. The findings also point to how making minor adjustments in the office, such as reducing the use of aroma diffusers or ensuring adequate ventilation, could positively impact employees and their productivity." -- The study also aligns with the Health & Society and Brain & Learning research clusters under the research pillar of NTU 2025, the University's five-year strategic plan. -- The other scientists on the research team were NTU PhD graduate Dr Shmitha Arikrishnan, former NTU senior research fellow Dr Adam Charles Robert, who is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Singapore-ETH Centre, and NTU graduate Lau Wee Siang. | R01 R02 E01 | 113 |
| 2401-038 | Novel Insect Repellent Attacks Multiple Sensory Pathways: Promising Research | A compound called 2-methylthiazoline (2MT) has been identified as a potent insect repellent, providing potential solutions for crop damage and the transmission of vector-borne diseases. | National Institutes of Natural Sciences | Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience | Press Rel | PubMed | Crop damage in agriculture and the transmission of vector-borne diseases by insect pests have become a worldwide threat. Chemical treatments such as insecticides and repellents have been a major strategy against insect pests for centuries. Due to limited understanding of mechanisms of insect avoidance behavior, however, development of insect repellents has been delayed. To discover compounds that effectively repel insect pests, it is important to focus on key molecules associated with sensory, particularly aversive, responses. In this study, researchers identified a compound that induces robust aversive responses through multiple sensory pathways in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. -- Among sensory receptors, Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) cation channels play a key role in nocifensive behaviors to various stimuli in many insect species. -- Particularly, TRPA1 channel has been extensively studied as it is activated by various hazardous chemicals. -- Therefore, insect TRPA1 stimulants are promising leads for novel repellents with a broad spectrum. -- Takaaki Sokabe and his colleagues at the National Institute for Physiological Sciences/the Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS) found that 2-methylthiazoline (2MT), an analog of a volatile compound found in fox urine, repels flies effectively, and revealed the molecular and cellular mechanisms of 2MT-induced aversions in the fly. -- They recently published their findings in Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience. -- "2MT is reported to evoke innate fear responses in mice via TRPA1, therefore we expected that the chemical possibly have an aversive effect on insects," Sokabe says. -- "And it worked terrifically more than our expectation." -- Fly's avoidance behaviors revealed that 2MT stimulates multiple sensory modalities: 2MT vapor acts on odorant receptors (ORs) in an olfactory pathway, and direct contact to 2MT activates TRPA1 in taste and nociceptive pathways. -- This resulted in apparent escaping from chemical source of male flies and avoidance of egg laying of female flies. | Z01 | 114 |
| 2401-E026 | Enhancing Autonomous Ships' Path-Following Performance: Insights from Computational Fluid Dynamics | Assessing the path-following performance of autonomous ships under adverse weather conditions is crucial for safer navigation and reduced propulsion power. | National Korea Maritime and Ocean University | Ocean Engineering | Press Rel | PubMed | The rising popularity of autonomous vehicles has spurred significant research interest in the maritime industry, particularly for the development of maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS). An essential requirement of MASS is the ability to follow a pre-determined path at sea, considering factors such as obstacles, water depth, and ship maneuverability. Any deviation from this path, say, due to adverse weather conditions, poses serious risks like collision, contact, or grounding incidents. It is thus desirable for autonomous ships to have a mechanism in place for effectively resisting deviations. -- Current methods for assessing the path-following performance of autonomous ships, however, rely on simplified mathematical ship models. -- Unfortunately, these models are unable to capture the complicated interactions between the hull, propeller, rudder, and external loads of ships, leading to inaccurate estimates of path-following performance. -- Furthermore, in response to the International Maritime Organization's Energy Efficiency Design Index to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Marine Environment Protection Committee has provided guidelines to determine the minimum propulsion power required to maintain ship maneuverability in adverse weather conditions. -- In light of these guidelines and the need for assessing path-following performance, a multinational team of researchers, led by Assistant Professor Daejeong Kim from the Division of Navigation Convergence Studies at the National Korea Maritime & Ocean University, has recently studied the path-following performance of MASS using a free-running computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model combined with the line-of-sight (LOS) guidance system, at low speeds under adverse weather conditions. -- "We employed a CFD model based on a fully nonlinear unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes solver that can incorporate viscous and turbulent effects and the free surface resolution critical to path-following problems, enabling a better prediction of path-following performance," elaborates Dr. Kim. -- Their findings were made available online on September 25, 2023, and published in Volume 287, Part 2 of the journal Ocean Engineering on November 01, 2023. -- The team employed the CFD-based analysis on the popular KRISO container ship model equipped with the autonomous LOS guidance system. -- The adverse weather conditions were modeled as disturbances from the bow, beam, and quartering sea waves, and these three cases were studied at three different speeds to identify the effect of forward speeds on the path-following performance. -- Simulations revealed that the ship experienced oscillatory deviations in all the three cases. | E01 | 115 |
| 2402-089 | Marker of Neurological Diseases Found to Play Role in Healthy Brains | Researchers have discovered that phosphorylated a-synuclein, a protein associated with neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Lewy body dementia, plays a role in normal neuronal communication. This finding provides new insights into the underlying mechanisms of these diseases. | NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke | Neuron | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers have discovered that a protein called phosphorylated α-synuclein, which is associated with several neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia, is also involved in the normal processes of how neurons communicate with each other in a healthy brain. The research, published in Neuron, was funded in part by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a part of the National Institutes of Health. -- Phosphorylation is a process where a phosphate ion is added to a specific amino acid, or building block, of a protein, in this case the protein α-synuclein. -- This addition can change the shape of that protein, causing it to change its level of activity. -- Most studies of phosphorylated α-synuclein have studied its role in certain neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia, where it builds up in protein clumps called Lewy bodies. -- These clumps are thought to be toxic to neurons, and one of the prevailing hypotheses is that the phosphorylation of the protein α-synuclein triggers these diseases. -- "In most studies to date, the mere presence of α-synuclein phosphorylation is assumed to be a marker for pathology for certain disorders, like Parkinson's and Lewy Body dementias," said Beth-Anne Sieber, Ph.D., program director, NINDS. -- "Recently, there has been considerable interest in developing drugs that prevent α-synuclein phosphorylation as a way of treating these disorders. These findings challenge the current hypotheses about how these disorders may originate in the brain and may give insight into how we might better treat them." -- Previous work by the lab of Subhojit Roy, M.D., Ph.D., professor at the University of California, San Diego, and senior author of the study, suggested that in a healthy brain, the α-synuclein protein tones down excessive neuronal firing to regulate neuronal communication. -- While exploring this theory, Roy's group unexpectedly found that phosphorylation was necessary for the normal function of α-synuclein. -- Using a molecular modeling strategy to look at the structure of α-synuclein, Roy and his colleagues led by postdoctoral researcher Leonardo Parra-Rivas, Ph.D. discovered that when α-synuclein is phosphorylated, its structure changes in a way that promotes interactions with other proteins in healthy brains. | H01 R02 | 116 |
| 2402-085 | Reduced Drug Use Improves Health and Recovery in Stimulant Use Disorders, Study Finds | An analysis of data from 13 clinical trials found that reducing stimulant use among individuals with stimulant use disorder led to significant improvements in health and recovery, even without achieving total abstinence. This challenges the traditional goal of complete abstinence and highlights the importance of a more nuanced approach to treatment success. | NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse | Addiction | Press Rel | PubMed | Reducing stimulant use was associated with significant improvement in measures of health and recovery among people with stimulant use disorder, even if they did not achieve total abstinence. This finding is according to an analysis of data from 13 randomized clinical trials of treatments for stimulant use disorders involving methamphetamine and cocaine. Historically, total abstinence has been the standard goal of treatment for substance use disorders, however, these findings support the growing recognition that a more nuanced perspective on measuring treatment success may be beneficial. -- The study, published in Addiction, was led by scientists at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, in collaboration with researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health. -- Researchers found that transitioning from high use (five or more days a month) to lower use (one to four days a month) was associated with lower levels of drug craving, depression, and other drug-related challenges compared to no change in use. These results suggest that reduction in use of methamphetamine or cocaine, in addition to abstinence, is a meaningful surrogate or intermediate clinical outcome in medication development for stimulant addiction. Unlike other substance use disorders, such as opioid use disorder or alcohol use disorder, there are currently no U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved pharmacological treatments for stimulant use disorders. -- "These findings align with an evolving understanding in the field of addiction, affirming that abstinence should be neither the sole aim nor only valid outcome of treatment," said NIDA Director Nora Volkow, M.D. "Embracing measures of success in addiction treatment beyond abstinence supports more individualized approaches to recovery, and may lead to the approval of a wider range of medications that can improve the lives of people with substance use disorders." -- Temporary returns to use after periods of abstinence are part of many recovery journeys, and relying exclusively on abstinence as an outcome in previous clinical trials may have masked beneficial effects of treatment. To help address this research gap, investigators analyzed data from previous clinical trials to study the effects of transitioning to reduced drug use or abstinence on a broad range of health measures. Researchers analyzed data from 13 randomized clinical trials evaluating the impact of potential pharmacological medications for stimulant use disorders, which included more than 2,000 individuals seeking treatment for cocaine or methamphetamine use disorders at facilities across the United States. The trials were of varying duration and were undertaken from 2001 to 2017. -- Researchers compared "no reduced use," "reduced use," and "abstinence" in association with multiple health outcomes, such as severity of drug-related symptoms, craving, and depression. The study found that more participants reduced the frequency of primary drug use (18%) than achieved abstinence (14%). While abstinence was associated with the greatest clinical improvement, reduced use was significantly associated with multiple measures of improvements in psychosocial functioning at the end of the trials, such as a 60% decrease in craving for the primary drug, 41% decrease in drug-seeking behaviors, and a 40% decrease in depression severity, compared to the beginning of the trial. -- These findings suggest that improvements in health and functioning can occur with reduced use and should be considered in the development and approval of treatments for substance use disorders. Research on alcohol use disorder has shown similar results, with studies finding that transitioning from high-risk to low-risk drinking is associated with functional improvement and fewer mental and general health consequences caused by alcohol. As a result, a reduced number of heavy drinking days is already recognized as a meaningful clinical outcome in medication development for alcohol use disorder. -- "With addiction, the field has historically acknowledged only the benefits of abstinence, missing opportunities to celebrate and measure the positive impacts of reduced substance use," said Mehdi Farokhina, M.D., M.P.H., a staff scientist in the NIDA Intramural Research Program, and author on the paper. "This study provides evidence that reducing the overall use of drugs is important and clinically meaningful. This shift may open opportunities for medication development that can help individuals achieve these improved outcomes, even if complete abstinence is not immediately achievable or wanted." -- The authors note that the study did not include behavioral treatment trials, which were too varied to harmonize their data. In addition, the study featured only people who enrolled in clinical trials, which could limit generalizability. Additional research is needed to understand the potential clinical benefits of reduced drug use, along with other harm reduction-based indicators of clinical improvement in real-world populations. The authors highlight that the findings of this study should encourage researchers to re-evaluate treatment outcome measures in their studies and consider non-abstinence treatment outcomes in the development of new medications for the treatment of stimulant use disorders. The authors also write that these new findings need to be replicated in other contexts with additional substance use disorders such as opioid use disorder. -- "By promoting an understanding of addiction as a treatable disorder with multifaceted causes, society can work towards providing better support, resources, and care for individuals on their way to recovery," said Masoumeh Aminesmaeili, M.D., lead author of the paper. "This approach is not only compassionate, but also clinically valid in addressing the complex nature of addiction." | H01 | 117 |
| 2402-021 | Seizures as a Possible Cause of Sudden Death in Children | Researchers have identified brief seizures and muscle convulsions as a potential cause of sudden, unexpected deaths in young children during sleep. | NYU Langone Health / NYU Grossman School of Medicine | Neurology | Press Rel | PubMed | In a study designed to better understand sudden, unexpected deaths in young children, which usually occur during sleep, researchers have identified brief seizures, accompanied by muscle convulsions, as a potential cause. -- Experts estimate in excess of 3,000 families each year in the United States lose a baby or young child unexpectedly and without explanation. -- Most are infants in what is referred to as sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, but 400 or more cases involve children aged 1 and older, and in what is called sudden unexplained death in children (SUDC). Over half of these children are toddlers. -- The study findings come from a registry of more than 300 SUDC cases, set up a decade ago by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. -- Researchers used extensive medical record analysis and video evidence donated by families to document the inexplicable deaths of seven toddlers between the ages of 1 and 3 that were potentially attributable to seizures. -- These seizures lasted less than 60 seconds and occurred within 30 minutes immediately prior to each child's death, say the study authors. -- For decades, researchers have sought an explanation to sudden death events in children, noticing a link between those with a history of febrile seizures (seizures accompanied by fever). Earlier research had reported that children who died suddenly and unexpectedly were 10 times more likely to have had febrile seizures than children who did not die suddenly and unexpectedly. -- Febrile seizures are also noted in one-third of SUDC cases registered at NYU Langone Health. -- Publishing in the journal Neurology online Jan. 4, the new study involved an analysis by a team of eight physicians of the rare SUDC cases for which there were also home video recordings, from either security systems or commercial crib cameras, made while each child was sleeping on the night or afternoon of their death. -- Five of seven recordings were running nonstop at the time and showed direct sound and visible motion indicative of a seizure happening. | H01 H02 | 118 |
| 2401-E020 | Disadvantaged Populations Face Severe Burdens of Sea Level Rise in Coastal Communities | Disadvantaged populations will bear the brunt of severe burdens from climate change as flooding intensifies in coastal communities facing rising sea levels. These findings highlight the need for equitable strategies to address climate change impacts. | Ohio State University | Nature Communications | Press Rel | PubMed | Amid the threat of dramatic sea level rise, coastal communities face unprecedented dangers, but a new study reveals that as flooding intensifies, disadvantaged populations will be the ones to experience some of the most severe burdens of climate change. -- While accelerating sea level rise will result in widespread intermittent flooding and long-term inundation in many coastal communities, the paper, recently published in Nature Communications, showed that when these levels increase above 4 feet, minority populations will be disproportionately at risk of isolation. -- Rising sea levels could lead to isolation by disrupting transportation networks and roads, meaning that those affected lose access to essential locations such as critical emergency services and schools. -- The study further exposed that renters and older adults face a greater risk of isolation, highlighting the growing connection between historical drivers of existing social inequality and the groups that incur the most risk of climate change. -- According to Kelsea Best, lead author of the study and an assistant professor of civil, environmental and geodetic engineering at The Ohio State University, the first step in better characterizing these threats is changing how researchers assess community risk, as most studies measure this by exclusively determining impacts via direct flooding. -- But concentrating on this sole measurement neglects more complex aftereffects of sea level rise, such as isolation, and reinforces inequality in coastal areas, Best said. -- "We need to re-conceptualize how we measure who is burdened by sea level rise because there are so many ways that people might be burdened before their home is flooded," she said. -- Current reports estimate that around 20 million coastal residents in the U.S. will be affected by rising sea levels by 2030, but the paper notes that this number doesn't include the whole impact global warming will have on certain communities and demographics. -- Notably, because people need access to essential places like grocery stores, public schools, hospitals and fire stations, Best and her colleagues argue that an inability to reach these places impacts individuals just as negatively as if they were living in inundated homes themselves, and should be documented as such. -- Most importantly, their results expose one of the main reasons for these vast differences in risk: A group's risk of isolation is intimately entwined with specific road networks and where vital services are located in relation to where affected individuals reside. | H01 E01 T02 | 119 |
| 2402-048 | BA.2.86 Variant and Vaccine Resistance: A Potential Lung Issue | New research shows that the BA.2.86 omicron subvariant of COVID-19 can be neutralized by bivalent mRNA vaccine-induced antibodies, easing concerns about the variant causing a widespread surge. | Ohio State University | Cell | Press Rel | PubMed | New research shows that the recently emerged BA.2.86 omicron subvariant of the virus that causes COVID-19 can be neutralized by bivalent mRNA vaccine-induced antibodies in the blood, which explains why this variant did not cause a widespread surge as previously feared. -- However, the study in cell cultures showed this SARS-CoV-2 variant can infect human cells that line the lower lung and engage in virus-host cell membrane fusion more efficiently, two features linked to severe disease symptoms. -- The study is published today (Jan. 8, 2024) in the journal Cell. -- The BA.2.86 variant of omicron is the ancestor of the currently dominating JN.1 and has about 60 more spike protein mutations than the original, or parent, coronavirus, including over 30 more than its close omicron relatives -- the early BA.2 variant and the recently dominant XBB.1.5 variant among them. These mutations led scientists to worry that so many changes would make the variant as tough to contain as the initial omicron outbreak in 2021-22. -- "We found that, surprisingly, despite all those 60 mutations combined together, BA.2.86 is not as immune-evasive as the XBB.1.5 variant, which until recently had been dominating the pandemic for months. That's good news," said Shan-Lu Liu, senior author the study and a virology professor in the Department of Veterinary Biosciences at The Ohio State University. -- "But BA.2.86 appears to have increased infectivity of human lung epithelial cells compared to all omicron variants, so that's a little worrisome. And, consistent with infectivity, it also has increased fusion activity with human lung epithelial cells," said Liu, also a professor in the Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity. "That raises a potential concern about whether or not this virus is more pathogenic compared to recent omicron variants." -- The published findings coincide with reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that after a brief increase in BA.2.86 infections, its derived sublineage JN.1 rapidly gained ground in the United States, responsible for an estimated 44% of COVID-19 cases as of Dec. 23, 2023. -- First detected in July in Europe and the Middle East, BA.2.86 and its sublineages have since been spreading with increasing frequency in different parts of the world. On Nov. 22, the World Health Organization classified BA.2.86 and sublineages as "variants of interest." -- The Ohio State researchers analyzed neutralizing antibodies in blood serum samples from health care professionals who had received three monovalent vaccine doses or two monovalent vaccines followed by one bivalent vaccine booster, and from first responders who had COVID-19 infections during the wave dominated by the XBB.1.5 variant. They compared the ability of neutralizing antibodies to block infection by BA.2.86, an XBB-derived variant known as FLip, the parent virus and several omicron variants. -- Overall, antibodies produced by serum from the bivalent vaccine-dosed health care professionals were more efficient at neutralizing BA.2.86 than they were at neutralizing other omicron variants, including XBB.1.5. In contrast, the three monovalent vaccines and previous XBB.1.5 infection were barely effective in blocking infection by BA.2.86. | R01 | 120 |
| 2402-082 | More Siblings Linked to Poor Mental Health in Teens | A large analysis of children in the United States and China revealed that teens from larger families tend to have poorer mental health compared to those with fewer siblings. This pattern was found in both countries, suggesting a potential link between family size and mental well-being. | Ohio State University | Journal of Family Issues | Press Rel | PubMed | Teens from larger families have poorer mental health than those with fewer siblings, according to a large analysis of children in the United States and China. -- The details of the pattern vary depending on factors such as the spacing of sibling ages and the age of the siblings. -- But the fact that the overall pattern was found in both countries is striking, said Doug Downey, lead author of the study and professor of sociology at The Ohio State University. -- "Our results couldn't have been easily predicted before we did the study," Downey said. -- "Other studies have shown that having more siblings is associated with some positive effects, so our results were not a given." -- Downey conducted the study with Rui Cao, a doctoral student in sociology at Ohio State. -- Their results were published recently in the Journal of Family Issues. -- Their Chinese analysis draws on more than 9,400 eighth graders from the China Education Panel Study. -- In the United States, they analyzed over 9,100 American eighth graders from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study -- Kindergarten Cohort of 1988. -- The average youth in China has nearly .7 fewer siblings than the average American youth (.89 compared to 1.6). | H01 | 121 |
| 2401-017 | Spinal Cord Injury Leads to Acute and Systemic Muscle Wasting, Study Shows | Acute spinal cord injury patients experience rapid and severe muscle wasting, which cannot be solely explained by inactivity or denervation, according to research. | Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center | Science Translational Medicine | Press Rel | PubMed | Acute spinal cord injury (SCI) patients lose body weight and muscle mass, despite being on a high-calorie diet while in the intensive care unit. Their muscle wasting is substantial and extends beyond what can explained by inactivity or denervation (loss of nerve supply) alone. -- Research led by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine published in the journal Science Translational Medicine sheds new light and decodes early muscle loss after SCI to provide an unprecedent first understanding that muscle wasting is: -- rapid and severe -- a systemic phenomenon -- glucocorticoid dependent -- Researchers found that the severity of this SCI-induced systemic muscle wasting depends on location of the spinal cord injury (lesion level). More precisely, it depends on whether the adrenal gland becomes denervated after high thoracic injury (above T5), or not (after low thoracic injury). -- These findings have direct clinical ramifications. -- "Patients with a low body mass index (BMI) have a much higher risk to die shortly after suffering a spinal cord injury. With a better understanding of this muscle wasting and aggravated weight loss, we hope to explore new ways to reduce deaths in this fragile patient population," said Jan Schwab, MD, PHD, the William E. Hunt & Charlotte M. Curtis Chair and a professor of neurology and neurosciences at the Ohio State College of Medicine. -- Researchers found that systemic muscle loss is worsened when the adrenal glands become deprived of central nervous system control resulting in a skewed hormonal (endocrine) tone. -- When this happens, hypercortisolism (excess cortisol release) often develops after the spinal cord injury. | H01 | 122 |
| 2402-T022 | Advancing Thermal Imaging with Meta-Optical Devices | Meta-optical devices are being used to perform thermal imaging, providing richer information about imaged objects. This breakthrough technology expands the applications of thermal imaging in fields such as autonomous navigation, security, and medical imaging. | Optica | Optica | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers have developed a new technology that uses meta-optical devices to perform thermal imaging. The approach provides richer information about imaged objects, which could broaden the use of thermal imaging in fields such as autonomous navigation, security, thermography, medical imaging and remote sensing. -- "Our method overcomes the challenges of traditional spectral thermal imagers, which are often bulky and delicate due to their reliance on large filter wheels or interferometers," said research team leader Zubin Jacob from Purdue University. -- "We combined meta-optical devices and cutting-edge computational imaging algorithms to create a system that is both compact and robust while also having a large field of view." -- In Optica, Optica Publishing Group's journal for high-impact research, the authors describe their new spectro-polarimetric decomposition system, which uses a stack of spinning metasurfaces to break down thermal light into its spectral and polarimetric components. -- This allows the imaging system to capture the spectral and polarization details of thermal radiation in addition to the intensity information that is acquired with traditional thermal imaging. -- The researchers showed that the new system can be used with a commercial thermal camera to successfully classify various materials, a task that is typically challenging for conventional thermal cameras. -- The method's ability to distinguish temperature variations and identify materials based on spectro-polarimetric signatures could help boost safety and efficiency for a variety of applications, including autonomous navigation. -- "Traditional autonomous navigation approaches rely heavily on RGB cameras, which struggle in challenging conditions like low light or bad weather," said the paper's first author Xueji Wang, a postdoctoral researcher at Purdue University. -- "When integrated with heat-assisted detection and ranging technology, our spectro-polarimetric thermal camera can provide vital information in these difficult scenarios, offering clearer images than RGB or conventional thermal cameras. Once we achieve real-time video capture, the technology could significantly enhance scene perception and overall safety." -- Doing more with a smaller imager | H01 E01 T01 | 123 |
| 2401-E023 | Surprising Discovery: Oregon's Western Cascades Burned More Frequently Than Believed | New research reveals that forests in Oregon's Cascade Range experienced more frequent fires than previously thought between 1500 and 1895. | Oregon State University | Ecosphere | Press Rel | PubMed | Forests on the west slope of Oregon's Cascade Range experienced fire much more often between 1500 and 1895 than had been previously thought, according to new research by scientists at Oregon State University. -- The findings provide important insight, the authors say, into how landscapes might adapt to climate change and future fire regimes. -- James Johnston of the OSU College of Forestry led the study, which was published in Ecosphere. -- "Wildland fire is a fundamental forest ecosystem process," he said. "With temperatures rising and more and more area burning, we need to know as much as we can about the long-term variability in fire." -- Johnson and collaborators at Oregon State, the University of Oregon and the U.S. Forest Service gathered tree ring data at 16 sites in the southern part of the Willamette National Forest, in the general vicinity of Oakridge. -- Trees form scars after cambial cells are killed by wildfire heat, he said. These scars are partially or completely covered by new tissue as a tree grows, and tree rings tell the story of when the fire exposure occurred. -- Using chain saws, the scientists collected samples from 311 dead trees -- logs, short snags and stumps. Seventy-three percent of the samples were coastal Douglas-fir, and 13% were ponderosa pine. The remainder were sugar pine, noble fir, red fir, incense cedar, western red cedar, mountain hemlock and western hemlock. -- "We cross-dated a total of 147,588 tree rings and identified 672 cambial injuries, 479 of which were fire scars," Johnston said. "The scars allowed us to reconstruct 130 different fire years that occurred at one or more of the 16 sites before a federal policy of fire suppression went into effect early in the 20th century." -- The main takeaways: -- 1. Fire was historically far more frequent in western Oregon Cascades landscapes than previously believed. | E01 E03 | 124 |
| 2401-E043 | Rivers Offer Hope for Vitamin-Deficient Salmon: Discovery of Vitamin B1 by Microbes | Researchers have found vitamin B1 produced by microbes in rivers, which could help vitamin-deficient salmon populations. | Oregon State University | Applied and Environmental Microbiology | Press Rel | PubMed | Oregon State University researchers have discovered vitamin B1 produced by microbes in rivers, findings that may offer hope for vitamin-deficient salmon populations. -- Findings were published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology. -- The authors say the study in California's Central Valley represents a novel piece of an important physiological puzzle involving Chinook salmon, a keystone species that holds significant cultural, ecological and economic importance in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. -- Christopher Suffridge, senior research associate in the Department of Microbiology in the OSU College of Science, and doctoral student Kelly Shannon examined concentrations of thiamine and the microbial communities in rivers of the Sacramento River watershed. -- Thiamine is the compound commonly referred to as vitamin B1 and is critical to cellular function in all living organisms. -- "This study is the first-ever report of thiamine compounds in salmon spawning rivers and the associated gravels where salmon spawn," Suffridge said. -- "This source of thiamine has potential implications for reducing health impacts on naturally spawning salmon that are suffering from thiamine deficiency complex." -- TDC, an emerging threat to the stability of West Coast salmon populations, has affected salmon and trout in lake systems in northeastern North America and Atlantic salmon in the Baltic Sea. -- Chinook salmon in the Central Valley have recently been diagnosed with TDC, the researchers note. -- Afflicted female salmon that return to rivers and streams to spawn can pass the deficiency on to their hatchlings, which have problems swimming and experience high mortality rates. | E01 | 125 |
| 2402-E036 | Rivers Hold the Secret: Vitamin Discovery Gives Hope to Salmon Populations | Microbes in rivers produce vitamin B1, which could help address vitamin deficiency in salmon populations. | Oregon State University | Applied and Environmental Microbiology | Press Rel | PubMed | Oregon State University researchers have discovered vitamin B1 produced by microbes in rivers, findings that may offer hope for vitamin-deficient salmon populations. -- Findings were published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology. -- The authors say the study in California's Central Valley represents a novel piece of an important physiological puzzle involving Chinook salmon, a keystone species that holds significant cultural, ecological and economic importance in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. -- Christopher Suffridge, senior research associate in the Department of Microbiology in the OSU College of Science, and doctoral student Kelly Shannon examined concentrations of thiamine and the microbial communities in rivers of the Sacramento River watershed. -- Thiamine is the compound commonly referred to as vitamin B1 and is critical to cellular function in all living organisms. -- "This study is the first-ever report of thiamine compounds in salmon spawning rivers and the associated gravels where salmon spawn," Suffridge said. -- "This source of thiamine has potential implications for reducing health impacts on naturally spawning salmon that are suffering from thiamine deficiency complex." -- TDC, an emerging threat to the stability of West Coast salmon populations, has affected salmon and trout in lake systems in northeastern North America and Atlantic salmon in the Baltic Sea. -- Chinook salmon in the Central Valley have recently been diagnosed with TDC, the researchers note. -- Afflicted female salmon that return to rivers and streams to spawn can pass the deficiency on to their hatchlings, which have problems swimming and experience high mortality rates. | E01 | 126 |
| 2402-E044 | A Bold Solution to Climate Change: Scientists Outline Ecological Restoration | An international team of scientists has outlined a "restorative" pathway to avoid the worst outcomes of climate change based on a 500-year dataset. | Oregon State University | Environmental Research Letters | Press Rel | PubMed | An international team of scientists led by Oregon State University researchers has used a novel 500-year dataset to frame a "restorative" pathway through which humanity can avoid the worst ecological and social outcomes of climate change. -- In addition to charting a possible new course for society, the researchers say their "paradigm shifting" plan can support climate modeling and discussion by providing a set of actions that strongly emphasize social and economic justice as well as environmental sustainability. -- Oregon State's William Ripple, former OSU postdoctoral researcher Christopher Wolf and collaborators argue their scenario should be included in climate models along with the five "shared socioeconomic pathways," or SSPs, that are used by the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. -- "We understand that our proposed scenario may be a major challenge to implement given current trends in emissions, a lack of political will and widespread social denial, but its merits can't even be honestly debated if it's not included in the suite of options," said Ripple, distinguished professor of ecology in the OSU College of Forestry. -- "We're arguing for radical incrementalism: achieving massive change through small, short-term steps. And we're offering a much-needed contrast to many other climate scenarios, which may be more aligned with the status quo, which isn't working." -- Ripple and co-authors from the United States, the Netherlands and Australia present their restorative pathway in a paper published today in Environmental Research Letters. They say the pathway is inspired by a unique compilation of Earth system variables that vividly illustrate how humanity's resource demands have exploded since 1850, indicating ecological overshoot. -- "The supporting data underscore the urgent need for action," said Wolf, now a scientist with Corvallis-based Terrestrial Ecosystems Research Associates. -- "The growth in human population, gross domestic product and energy consumption, primarily reliant on fossil fuels, has led to an extraordinary surge in greenhouse gas emissions, dramatically altering land use and triggering a massive biodiversity decline." -- The authors note that current climate change modeling relies on multiple assumptions and factors related to policy options and societal developments. -- An international team of climate scientists, economists and energy systems modelers developed the SSPs, which are used to derive greenhouse gas emissions scenarios under different sets of policies that assume continued and significant GDP growth through 2100. | E01 E03 T02 | 127 |
| 2401-005 | Canine Stem Cell Therapy Advances with Unprecedented Feeder-Free Method | Scientists at Osaka Metropolitan University have developed an efficient and non-invasive method to generate canine-induced pluripotent stem cells. These stem cells can be created from urine-derived cells without the need for feeder cells, advancing regenerative medicine and genetic disease research in veterinary medicine. | Osaka Metropolitan University | Stem Cell Reports | Press Rel | PubMed | Dog owners may need to learn to appreciate their best friend's urine. Scientists at Osaka Metropolitan University have devised an efficient, non-invasive, and pain-free method to reprogram canine stem cells from urine samples, bringing furry companions one step closer to veterinary regenerative treatment. -- Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have been widely employed in studies on human generative medicine. -- With the growing importance of advanced medical care for dogs and cats, there is an expectation that new therapies utilizing iPSCs will be developed for these companion animals, just as they have been for humans. -- Unfortunately, canine somatic cells exhibit lower reprogramming efficiency compared to those of humans, limiting the types of canine cells available for generating iPSCs. -- IPSC induction often involves using feeder cells from a different species. -- However, considering the associated risks, minimizing xenogeneic components is often advisable, signifying the need to improve the efficiency of reprogramming various types of canine cells in dogs without using feeder cells. -- A research team led by Professor Shingo Hatoya and Dr. Masaya Tsukamoto from the Graduate School of Veterinary Science at Osaka Metropolitan University has identified six reprogramming genes that can boost canine iPSC generation by about 120 times compared to conventional methods using fibroblasts. -- The iPSCs were created from urine-derived cells using a non-invasive, straightforward, and painless method. -- Additionally, the researchers succeeded in generating canine iPSCs without feeder cells, a feat that had been impossible until now. -- The team aims to disseminate their findings in the global research community, contributing to advances in regenerative medicine and genetic disease research in veterinary medicine. | H01 R01 E02 T01 | 128 |
| 2402-E004 | Study Reveals Clues in the Declining Honey Yields in the U.S. | Honey yields in the U.S. have been declining, and a new study by Penn State researchers aims to uncover the reasons behind this trend. Understanding the factors contributing to the decline can help honey producers and scientists develop strategies to address the issue. | Penn State | Environmental Research Letters | Press Rel | PubMed | Honey yields in the U.S. have been declining since the 1990s, with honey producers and scientists unsure why, but a new study by Penn State researchers has uncovered clues in the mystery of the missing honey. -- Using five decades of data from across the U.S., the researchers analyzed the potential factors and mechanisms that might be affecting the number of flowers growing in different regions -- and, by extension, the amount of honey produced by honey bees. -- The study, recently published in the journal Environmental Research, found that changes in honey yields over time were connected to herbicide application and land use, such as fewer land conservation programs that support pollinators. Annual weather anomalies also contributed to changes in yields. -- The data, pulled from several open-source databases including those operated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service and USDA Farm Service Agency, included such information as average honey yield per honey bee colony, land use, herbicide use, climate, weather anomalies and soil productivity in the continental United States. -- Overall, researchers found that climate conditions and soil productivity -- the ability of soil to support crops based on its physical, chemical and biological properties -- were some of the most important factors in estimating honey yields. States in both warm and cool regions produced higher honey yields when they had productive soils. -- The eco-regional soil and climate conditions set the baseline levels of honey production, while changes in land use, herbicide use and weather influenced how much is produced in a given year, the researchers summarized. -- Gabriela Quinlan, the lead author on the study and a National Science Foundation (NSF) postdoctoral research fellow in Penn State's Department of Entomology and Center for Pollinator Research, said she was inspired to conduct the study after attending beekeeper meetings and conferences and repeatedly hearing the same comment: You just can't make honey like you used to. -- According to Quinlan, climate became increasingly tied to honey yields in the data after 1992. -- "It's unclear how climate change will continue to affect honey production, but our findings may help to predict these changes," Quinlan said. "For example, pollinator resources may decline in the Great Plains as the climate warms and becomes more moderate, while resources may increase in the mid-Atlantic as conditions become hotter." -- Co-author on the paper Christina Grozinger, Publius Vergilius Maro Professor of Entomology and director of the Center for Pollinator Research, said that while scientists previously knew that many factors influence flowering plant abundance and flower production, prior studies were conducted in only one region of the U.S. | E01 E03 | 129 |
| 2401-E001 | A New Iguana Species Discovered in China: Wang's Garden Lizard | Wang's garden lizard, a new iguana species discovered in southern China and northern Vietnam, joins Asia's reptile fauna. It thrives in various landscapes, including urban areas, and is officially described in the journal ZooKeys. | Pensoft Publishers | ZooKeys | Press Rel | PubMed | A new iguana joins Asia's rich reptile fauna, officially described as new to science in the open-access journal ZooKeys. -- "From 2009 to 2022, we conducted a series of field surveys in South China and collected a number of specimens of the Calotes versicolor species complex, and found that the population of what we thought was Calotes versicolor in South China and Northern Vietnam was a new undescribed species and two subspecies," says Yong Huang, whose team described the new species. -- Wang's garden lizard (Calotes wangi) is less than 9 cm long, and one of its distinguishing features is its orange tongue. -- "Calotes wangi is found in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests and tropical monsoon forests in southern China and northern Vietnam, mostly in mountainous areas, hills and plains on forest edges, arable land, shrub lands, and even urban green belts. It is active at the edge of the forest, and when it is in danger, it rushes into bushes or climbs tree trunks to hide. Investigations found that the lizards lie on sloping shrub branches at night, sleeping close to the branches," says Yong Huang. -- It is active from April to October every year, while in the tropics it is active from March to November or even longer, and eats a variety of insects, spiders, and other arthropods. -- For now, the researchers estimate that the new species is not threatened, but they do note that in some areas its habitat is fragmented. -- "In addition, their bodies are used medicinally and the lizards are also eaten," they write in their research paper. -- This is why they suggest that the local government strengthen the protection of their ecological environment and pay close attention to the population dynamics. | H02 E03 | 130 |
| 2401-E004 | Same and Different: A New Pit Viper Species from Myanmar | Researchers have discovered a new species of pit viper from Myanmar that exhibits similarities and differences to its adjacent sister species. Finding and describing new species can be challenging due to variation and cryptic species. | Pensoft Publishers | ZooKeys | Press Rel | PubMed | Finding and describing new species can be a tricky endeavor. Scientists typically look for distinctive characters that can differentiate one species from another. However, variation is a continuum that is not always easy to quantify. At one extreme, multiple species can look alike even though they are different species -- these are known as cryptic species. At the other extreme, a single species can be highly variable, creating an illusion of being different species. But what happens when you encounter both extremes simultaneously? -- Herpetologist Dr Chan Kin Onn (previously at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, Singapore, now with the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum, USA) led a study describing a new species of pit viper from Myanmar that is both similar and different from its sister species. -- The discovery is published in the open-access journal ZooKeys. -- "Asian pit vipers of the genus Trimeresurus are notoriously difficult to tell apart, because they run the gamut of morphological variation. Some groups contain multiple species that look alike, while others may look very different but are actually the same species," they say. -- The redtail pit viper (Trimeresurus erythrurus) occurs along the northern coast of Myanmar and is invariably green with no markings on its body. -- A different species called the mangrove pit viper (Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus) occurs in southern Myanmar. -- This species typically has distinct dorsal blotches, and incredibly variable dorsal coloration including gray, yellow, brown, and black, but never green. -- Interestingly, in central Myanmar, sandwiched between the distribution of the redtail pit viper and the mangrove pit viper, a unique population exists that is green with varying degrees of blotchiness, which appears to be a blend between the redtail pit viper and the mangrove pit viper. -- "This mysterious population in central Myanmar baffled us and we initially thought that it could be a hybrid population," the researchers said. -- In a separate paper, Dr Chan used modern genomic techniques and determined that the population in central Myanmar was actually a distinct species and not a hybrid population. | Z01 | 131 |
| 2401-016 | Emerging Evidence Supports Gamma Rhythm Stimulation for Neurological Disorders | A review paper in the Journal of Internal Medicine highlights the therapeutic potential of non-invasive sensory, electrical, or magnetic stimulation of gamma brain rhythms, which could have implications for Alzheimer's disease. | Picower Institute at MIT | Journal of Internal Medicine | Press Rel | PubMed | A surprising MIT study published in Nature at the end of 2016 helped to spur interest in the possibility that light flickering at the frequency of a particular gamma-band brain rhythm could produce meaningful therapeutic effects for people with Alzheimer's disease. In a new review paper in the Journal of Internal Medicine, the lab that led those studies takes stock of what a growing number of scientists worldwide have been finding out since then in dozens of clinical and lab benchtop studies. -- Brain rhythms (also called brain "waves" or "oscillations") arise from the synchronized, network activity of brain cells and circuits as they coordinate to enable brain functions such as perception or cognition. Lower-range gamma frequency rhythms, those around 40 cycles a second, or Hz, are particularly important for memory processes, and MIT's research has shown that they are also associated with specific changes at the cellular and molecular level. The 2016 study and many others since then have produced evidence initially in animals and more recently in humans that various non-invasive means of enhancing the power and synchrony of 40Hz gamma rhythms helps to reduce Alzheimer's pathology and its consequences. -- "What started in 2016 with optogenetic and visual stimulation in mice has expanded to a multitude of stimulation paradigms, a wide range of human clinical studies with promising results and is narrowing in on the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon," wrote the authors including Li-Huei Tsai, Picower Professor in The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT. -- Though the number of studies and methods has increased and the data has typically suggested beneficial clinical effects, the article's authors also clearly caution that the clinical evidence remains preliminary and that animal studies intended to discern how the approach works have been instructive but not definitive. -- "Research into the clinical potential of these interventions is still in its nascent stages," the researchers, led by MIT postdoc Cristina Blanco-Duque, wrote in introducing the review. "The precise mechanisms underpinning the beneficial effects of gamma stimulation in Alzheimer's disease are not yet fully elucidated, but preclinical studies have provided relevant insights." -- Preliminarily promising -- The authors list and summarize results from 16 clinical studies published over the last several years. These employ gamma frequency sensory stimulation (e.g. exposure to light, sound, tactile vibration, or a combination), trans cranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), in which a brain region is stimulated via scalp electrodes, or transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), in which electric currents are induced in a brain region using magnetic fields. The studies also vary in their sample size, design, duration and in what effects they assessed. Some of the sensory studies using light have tested different colors and different exact frequencies. And while some studies show that sensory stimulation appears to affect multiple regions in the brain, tACS and TMS are more regionally focused (though those brain regions still connect and interact with others). -- Given the variances, the clinical studies taken together offer a blend of uneven but encouraging evidence, the authors write. Across clinical studies involving patients with Alzheimer's disease, sensory stimulation has proven safe and well tolerated. Multiple sensory studies have measured increases in gamma power and brain network connectivity. Sensory studies have also reported improvements in memory and/or cognition as well as sleep. Some have yielded apparent physiological benefits such as reduction of brain atrophy, in one case, and changes in immune system activity in another. So far, sensory studies have not shown reductions in Alzheimer's hallmark proteins, amyloid or tau. -- Clinical studies stimulating 40Hz rhythms using tACS, ranging in sample size from only one to as many as 60, are the most numerous so far and many have shown similar benefits. Most report benefits to cognition, executive function and/or memory (depending sometimes on the brain region stimulated) and some have assessed that benefits endure even after treatment concludes. Some have shown effects on measures of tau and amyloid, blood flow, neuromodulatory chemical activity, or immune activity. Finally a 40Hz stimulation clinical study using TMS in 37 patients found improvements in cognition, prevention of brain atrophy and increased brain connectivity. -- "The most important test for gamma stimulation is without a doubt whether it is safe and beneficial for patients," the authors wrote. "So far, results from several small trials on sensory gamma stimulation suggest that it is safe, evokes rhythmic EEG brain responses, and there are promising signs for AD symptoms and pathology. Similarly, studies on transcranial stimulation report the potential to benefit memory and global cognitive function even beyond the end of treatment." | H01 H02 R02 E02 | 132 |
| 2401-003 | Women's Tears Found to Reduce Aggressive Behavior in Men, Study Reveals | New research conducted at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel reveals that tears from women contain chemicals that can block aggression in men. Sniffing these tears leads to reduced brain activity related to aggression and less aggressive behavior. | PLOS | PLOS Biology | Press Rel | PubMed | New research, publishing December 21 in the open access journal in PLOS Biology, shows that tears from women contain chemicals that block aggression in men. The study led by Shani Agron at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, finds that sniffing tears leads to reduced brain activity related to aggression, which results is less aggressive behavior. -- Male aggression in rodents is known to be blocked when they smell female tears. -- This is an example of social chemosignaling, a process that is common in animals but less common -- or less understood -- in humans. -- To determine whether tears have the same affect in people, the researchers exposed a group of men to either women's emotional tears or saline while they played a two-person game. -- The game was designed to elicit aggressive behavior against the other player, whom the men were led to believe was cheating. -- When given the opportunity, the men could get revenge on the other player by causing them lose money. -- The men did not know what they were sniffing and could not distinguish between the tears or the saline, which were both odorless. -- Revenge-seeking aggressive behavior during the game dropped more than 40% after the men sniffed women's emotional tears. -- When repeated in an MRI scanner, functional imaging showed two aggression-related brain regions -- the prefrontal cortex and anterior insula -- that became more active when the men were provoked during the game, but did not become as active in the same situations when the men were sniffing the tears. -- Individually, the greater the difference in this brain activity, the less often the player took revenge during the game. | H01 R02 E02 | 133 |
| 2401-004 | Promising Antibody Discovery Against Multiple Forms of Flu Virus | Researchers have identified a new class of antibodies that can neutralize multiple forms of flu virus. These findings could contribute to the development of more effective flu vaccines. | PLOS | PLOS Biology | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers have identified a previously unrecognized class of antibodies -- immune system proteins that protect against disease -- that appear capable of neutralizing multiple forms of flu virus. These findings, which could contribute to development of more broadly protective flu vaccines, will publish December 21 by Holly Simmons of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, US, and colleagues in the open access journal PLOS Biology. -- A flu vaccine prompts the immune system to make antibodies that can bind to a viral protein called hemagglutinin on the outside of an invading flu virus, blocking it from entering a person's cells. -- Different antibodies bind to different parts of hemagglutinin in different ways, and hemagglutinin itself evolves over time, resulting in the emergence of new flu strains that can evade old antibodies. -- New flu vaccines are offered each year based on predictions of whatever the most dominant strains will be. -- Extensive research efforts are paving the way to development of flu vaccines that are better at protecting against multiple strains at once. -- Many scientists are focused on antibodies that can simultaneously protect against flu subtypes known as H1 and H3, which come in multiple strains and are responsible for widespread infection. -- Simmons and colleagues homed in on a particular challenge in this endeavor -- a small change found in some H1 strains in the sequence of building blocks that makes up hemagglutinin. -- Certain antibodies capable of neutralizing H3 can also neutralize H1, but not if its hemagglutinin has this change, known as the 133a insertion. -- Now, in a series of experiments conducted with blood samples from patients, the researchers have identified a novel class of antibodies capable of neutralizing both certain H3 strains and certain H1 strains with or without the 133a insertion. -- Distinct molecular characteristics set these antibodies apart from other antibodies capable of cross-neutralizing H1 and H3 strains via other means. | R01 | 134 |
| 2401-E022 | Typhoons Bring Extreme Rainfall: Global Warming's Impact on East Asia | The impact of typhoons and extreme rainfall is expanding due to rising temperatures, making it challenging to predict and mitigate damages caused by global warming. | Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH) | npj Climate and Atmospheric Science | Press Rel | PubMed | Last year, Typhoon Hinnamnor -- which caused 36 fatalities -- gained notoriety as the first super typhoon that developed at a high latitude as 25°N since Korea Meteorological Administration records began. This year in Osong, Chungcheongbuk-do, an unanticipated intense downpour, caused rivers to suddenly overflow, resulting in numerous casualties. Earth's rising temperatures are triggering unprecedented typhoons, torrential rains, and other extreme weather events. Without reliable predictions of climate extremes prompted by global warming, mitigating the resultant damages remains a challenge. -- Professor Seung-Ki Min and Dr. Minkyu Lee, from the Division of Environmental Science and Engineering at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), have used a high-resolution climate model to conduct a pioneering quantitative analysis of the impact of global warming on typhoons making landfall on the Korean Peninsula. -- This research has been recently published in npj Climate and Atmospheric Science. -- Notably, global warming is giving way to a surge in more powerful typhoons which maintain its intensity longer and thereby cause stronger damage. -- Accurate typhoon prediction and damage reduction necessitate better understanding of the global warming influences, for which climate model simulations with a km-scale resolution are eccential. -- However, studies quantifying the anthropogenic warming contribution to typhoons affecting Korea, especially research into the rainfall extremes accompanying typhoons, remain scant. -- To overcome this, the research team designed a 3 km high-resolution regional climate model simulation to investigate the impact of global warming on typhoon intensity and extreme precipitation. -- Four extremely strong typhoons that made landfall on the Korean Peninsula between 2011 and 2020 were chosen for simulation under current climate condition and counterfactual condition without human-induced warming. -- To reduce the uncertainties in regional sea surface temperature changes due to global warming, they utilized diverse ocean warming patterns estimated from CMIP6multiple climate models. -- The findings show that accounting for global warming from human activities augmented overall typhoon intensity and precipitation. | E01 | 135 |
| 2401-T004 | Aptamers: The Lifesaving Guardians Against Disease and Enzyme Degradation | Aptamers, nucleic acids with potential applications in drug development and disease diagnosis, face challenges due to easy degradation by enzymes. | Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH) | Nucleic Acids Research | Press Rel | PubMed | Aptamers, nucleic acids1 capable of selectively binding to viruses, proteins, ions, small molecules, and various other targets, are garnering attention in drug development as potential antibody substitutes for their thermal and chemical stability as well as ability to inhibit specific enzymes or target proteins through three-dimensional binding. They also hold promise for swift diagnoses of colon cancer and other challenging diseases by targeting elusive biomarkers.2 Despite their utility, these aptamers are susceptible to easy degradation by multiple enzymes, presenting a significant challenge. -- Professor Seung Soo Oh and his team from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), including Dr. Byunghwa Kang, and Dr. Soyeon V Park, have introduced a breakthrough approach using ionic liquids to address the challenges in functional nucleic acid research, paving the way for diverse applied research. -- Their findings have been published in Nucleic Acids Research. -- Functional nucleic acids are termed as such for their versatility in not only storing and transmitting genetic information in living organisms but also in performing varied functions, such as detecting target molecules or catalyzing biochemical reactions similar to aptamers. -- However, these nucleic acids face obstacles in research applications due to vulnerability to degradation by hydrolases.3 Conventional preservation methods such as ultra-low-temperature cryogenic storage or chemical modification of nucleic acids fail to inhibit a wide array of enzymes, resulting in significant impairment of the nucleic acids' useful functions. -- The team shifted away from the conventional belief that "water is essential." Although nucleic acids serve various roles and exhibit multiple functions in water, enzymes that break them down remain active in this medium. -- Hence, water acts as both the "home" and the "graveyard" for nucleic acids. -- The research team marked a significant milestone by globally validating the capability of nucleic acids to retain multiple functions in a choline dihydrogen phosphate-based ionic liquid. -- This ionic liquid, also present in our bodies, exhibits exceptional biocompatibility. -- The choline cation within the liquid effectively shields the negative charge of nucleic acids, preventing their contact with water and thereby fundamentally impeding hydrolysis. | R01 | 136 |
| 2402-023 | Enhancing Biomedical Implant Durability with Static Electricity | Medical technology innovations, such as implanted electronic devices, have improved the quality of life for patients, but technical constraints have hindered their long-term use. | Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH) | Advanced Materials | Press Rel | PubMed | Medical technology innovations achieved by integrating science and medicine have improved the quality of life for patients. Especially noteworthy is the emergence of electronic devices implanted in the body, such as in the heart or brain, which enable real-time measurement and regulation of physiological signals, presenting new solutions for challenging conditions like Parkinson's disease. However, technical constraints have hindered the semi-permanent use of electronic devices after their implantation. -- A collaborative research team led by Professor Sung-Min Park from the Departments of Convergence IT Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering, and the School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering at POSTECH, alongside Jiho Lee, enrolled in the MS/Ph.D. program, and Professor Sang-Woo Kim from Yonsei University's Department of Materials Science and Engineering, together with Dr. Young-Jun Kim and MS/Ph.D. student Joon-Ha Hwang from Sungkyunkwan University, has achieved a groundbreaking development. -- They've created electrostatic materials that function even with extremely weak ultrasound, heralding the era of permanent implantable electronic devices in biomedicine. -- This research has been published in the international academic journal Advanced Materials. -- Patients with implanted devices need to undergo periodic surgeries for battery replacement. -- This process carries a significant risk of complications and imposes both economic and physical burdens on patients. -- Recent research explores implantable medical devices that operate wirelessly, yet finding a safe energy source and protective materials remains challenging. -- Presently, titanium (Ti) is used due to its biocompatibility and durability. -- However, radio waves cannot pass through this metal, necessitating a separate antenna for wireless power transmission. -- Consequently, this enlarges the device size, creating more discomfort for patients. | R01 R02 E03 T01 | 137 |
| 2402-E015 | Facing the Water Crisis: Monitoring Reservoirs with Uncrewed Surface Vehicles | Inadequate access to water led to the tragic death of approximately 100 elephants in Africa, highlighting the urgency of managing water quality and quantity to address water scarcity, which could affect 2.5 billion people worldwide by 2025. | Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH) | Water Resources Research | Press Rel | PubMed | In a recent tragic incident, approximately 100 elephants in Africa perished due to inadequate access to water. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) issues a warning that around 2.5 billion people worldwide could face water scarcity by 2025. In the face of water shortages affecting not only human society but also the entire ecological community due to the climate crisis, it becomes crucial to adopt comprehensive measures for managing water quality and quantity to avert such pressing challenges. -- A research team led by Professor Jonghun Kam and PhD candidate Kwang-Hun Lee from the Division of Environmental Science and Engineering at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), has implemented an advanced technique employing an uncrewed surface vehicle to concurrently assess the reservoir water depths and nitrate (NO3-) concentrations from the reservoir water surface. -- The findings from their research were featured in Water Resources Research, an international journal dedicated to the water environment. -- Monitoring available water quantity and quality uses indicators such as water depth and nitrate concentration. -- Nitrates, originating from atmospheric and soil nutrients, enter streams through various pathways, posing a potential threat to aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity when their levels become excessive. -- Fluctuation of precipitation and water usage further impact water quality, and rising water temperatures contribute to decreased dissolved oxygen, resulting in diminished water quality. -- Effective management of water resources requires the dual monitoring of nitrate concentration and water depth. -- However, these measurements can vary significantly based on the timing and location of assessment. -- Traditional water depth measurement, typically taken at a single point, introduces uncertainty in estimating the total reservoir water volume. -- In recent times, uncrewed devices or instruments have been introduced to address this challenge, yet simultaneous measurement of nitrate concentration and water depth has proven challenging. | T01 | 138 |
| 2402-E016 | Arctic Cold Snap's Surprising Benefit: Enhancing Carbon Dioxide Uptake in the East Sea | A recent study indicates that Arctic cold air contributes to the heightened uptake of carbon dioxide by the East Sea, and while it brings relief by reducing particulate matter, it also poses challenges in terms of carbon dioxide levels. | Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH) | Geophysical Research Letters | Press Rel | PubMed | A recent cold spell plunged the nation of Korea into a deep freeze, resulting in the closure of 247 national parks, the cancellation of 14 domestic flights, and the scrapping of 107 cruise ship voyages. While the cold snap brought relief by significantly reducing the prevalence of particulate matter obscuring our surroundings, a recent study indicates that, besides diminishing particulate matter, it is significantly contributing to the heightened uptake of carbon dioxide by the East Sea. -- According to research conducted by a team of researchers including Professor Kitack Lee from the Division of Environmental Science & Engineering at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), and Professor Tongsup Lee and So-Yun Kim from the Department of Oceanography at Pusan National University, the cold atmosphere in the Arctic is influencing the absorption of carbon dioxide by the East Sea. -- The research findings were published in Geophysical Research Letters, an international journal by the American Geophysical Union (AGU). -- The research team investigated the correlation between the East Sea's surface-deep circulation and its carbon dioxide absorption capacity, drawing insights from observations in 1992, 1999, 2007, and 2019. -- During the initial period (1992-1999), the ocean absorbed 20 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. -- In the subsequent period (1999-2007), this amount decreased to under 10 million tons per year. -- However, in the final period (2007-2019), the carbon dioxide uptake surged to 30 million tons per year. -- The team observed that the internal circulation along the East Coast within the East Sea was influenced by the Arctic cold wave. -- Cold air from the Arctic infiltrates the East Sea, causing the surface water, laden with carbon dioxide, to become denser. -- This process induces vertical ventilation as the water descends into the middle and deep ocean layers. | R01 E01 | 139 |
| 2401-E038 | Household Cleaning to Reduce Wildfire Chemicals: Targeted Approach for Safer Homes | Harmful chemicals from wildfire smoke can persist, and research explores effective methods to remove them using household cleaners. | Portland State University | Environmental Science & Technology | Press Rel | PubMed | After the last embers of a campfire dim, the musky smell of smoke remains. Whiffs of that distinct smokey smell may serve as a pleasant reminder of the evening prior, but in the wake of a wildfire, that smell comes with ongoing health risks. -- Wildfire smoke is certainly more pervasive than a small campfire, and the remnants can linger for days, weeks and months inside homes and businesses. -- New research from Portland State's Elliott Gall, associate professor in Mechanical and Materials Engineering, examined how long harmful chemicals found in wildfire smoke can persist and the most effective ways to remove them with everyday household cleaners. -- Wildfires create compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are formed in the combustion process at high temperatures. -- These compounds are highly toxic. -- "They are associated with a wide variety of long-term adverse health consequences like cancer, potential complications in pregnancy and lung disease," Gall said. -- "So if these compounds are depositing or sticking onto surfaces, there are different routes of exposure people should be aware of. By now, most people in Portland are probably thinking about how to clean their air during a wildfire smoke event, but they might not be thinking about other routes of exposure after the air clears." -- Public messaging is fairly consistent on what to do during a fire to reduce exposure to smoke -- close windows and doors, run an air purifier and consider wearing a mask -- but messaging is limited about what to do post-wildfire. -- Gall's study published in Environmental Science & Technology looked at the accumulation and retention of PAHs over a period of four months on three different indoor materials: glass, cotton and air filters. -- "We looked at a limited number of materials and we intentionally included some that are common in indoor environments," Gall said. | H01 R01 E01 | 140 |
| 2401-E029 | Signal Amplification Breakthrough: Researchers Boost Perovskite Nanosheets' Performance | Perovskite nanosheets with enhanced signal amplification have wide-ranging applications in laser, sensor, and solar cell technologies, with implications for environmental monitoring and healthcare. | Pusan National University | Light: Science & Applications | Press Rel | PubMed | Perovskite nanosheets show distinctive characteristics with significant applications in science and technology. In a recent study, researchers from Korea and UK achieved enhanced signal amplification in CsPbBr3 perovskite nanosheets with a unique waveguide pattern, which enhanced both gain and thermal stability. These advancements carry wide-ranging implications for laser, sensor, and solar cell applications, and can potentially influence areas like environmental monitoring, industrial processes, and healthcare. -- Perovskite materials are still attracting a lot of interest in solar cell applications. -- Now, the nanostructures of perovskite materials are being considered as a new laser medium. -- Over the years, light amplification in perovskite quantum dots has been reported, but most of the works present inadequate quantitative analysis. -- To assess the light amplification ability, "gain coefficient" is necessary, whereby the essential characteristic of a laser medium is revealed. -- An efficient laser medium is one that has a large gain. -- Scientists have been exploring ways to boost this gain. Now, in a recent study, a team of researchers, led by Professor Kwangseuk Kyhm from the Department of Optics & Mechatronics at Pusan National University in Korea, has managed to enhance signal amplification in perovskite nanosheets of CsPbBr3 with a unique waveguide pattern. -- Their study was published in the journal Light: Science & Applications on 24 November 2023. -- Perovskite nanosheets are two-dimensional structures arranged in sheet-like configurations on the nanoscale and possess characteristics that make them valuable for various applications. -- Their achievement overcomes the shortcomings of CsPbBr3 quantum dots, whose gain is inherently limited due to the Auger process, which essentially shortens the decay time for population inversion (a state in which more members of the system are in higher, excited states than in lower, unexcited energy states). Prof. | E01 T01 | 141 |
| 2402-001 | Exploring Hypertension's Hidden Role in Arterial Disease | A new study led by Professor Thomas Iskratsch reveals how high blood pressure transforms muscle cells in the arterial wall into "foam cells," contributing to plaque buildup. | Queen Mary University of London | Advanced Science | Press Rel | PubMed | A new study in Advanced Science unlocks the secrets of how high blood pressure (hypertension) fuels the progression of arterial disease. Led by Professor Thomas Iskratsch, Professor of Cardiovascular Mechanobiology & Bioengineering at Queen Mary University of London, the research team exposes a novel mechanism by which elevated pressure transforms muscle cells in the arterial wall into "foam cells" -- the building blocks of plaque buildup that cripples arteries. -- The study focuses on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), the workhorses responsible for maintaining blood vessel tone and flow. -- Under the chronic stress of hypertension, VSMCs undergo a dramatic makeover. -- The researchers discovered that pressure alone triggers these cells to fill with lipid droplets, morphing them into foam cells -- culprits in the formation of atherosclerotic lesions, the hallmark of arterial disease. -- "This finding is pivotal because VSMCs make up over half of the foam cells found in arterial blockages," explains Professor Iskratsch. -- "Understanding how pressure flips this switch from muscle to foam cell is crucial for developing new therapies to control or reverse the buildup of these dangerous lesions." -- The study goes deeper, identifying the molecular machinery behind pressure's impact. -- Using advanced imaging techniques, researchers pinpointed a "mechanosignalling" pathway involving Piezo1, a pressure-sensitive protein, as well as changes in lipid metabolism and gene activity. -- This paves the way for novel therapies targeting specific pressure-sensitive points in the cell. -- This breakthrough research offers not only a deeper understanding of arterial disease but also exciting possibilities for future treatment strategies. | H01 H02 T01 | 142 |
| 2402-E037 | Drought Strikes Peatlands: A Threat to the Climate Change Fighters | Peatlands are more susceptible to drought than expected, limiting their ability to absorb extra carbon. Increasing biodiversity does not make peat more drought-resilient. | Radboud University Nijmegen | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences | Press Rel | PubMed | Peatlands are affected more by drought than expected. This is concerning, as these ecosystems are an important ally in the fight against climate change. Following long periods of drought, peat is able to absorb little to no extra carbon (CO2). Increasing biodiversity also does little to make peat more drought-resilient. These are the conclusions drawn by researchers from Radboud University in a publication appearing today in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. -- Peat is a vast carbon sink: per square metre it is able to store more CO2 than any other ecosystem in the world. -- The peatlands of the Netherlands, but also those in places such as Scandinavia and the Baltic states, therefore play an important role in the fight against climate change. -- However, peat is coming under increasing pressure and is extremely sensitive to the dry summers we are experiencing as a result of climate change. -- This is what researchers from the Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences have concluded. -- 'In our lab, under controlled conditions, we first ensured that large blocks of peat were well moistened over a long period of time', explains lead author Bjorn Robroek. -- 'We then slowly dried the peat out. One half was exposed to mild drought, with the water level roughly five centimetres lower than the peat itself. -- The other half was subjected to extreme drought conditions; in this case the water was twenty centimetres below the peat. -- This is comparable to a period of three weeks without rain -- something that has also become increasingly common in the Netherlands in recent years.' -- These experiments revealed that peat exposed to mild drought still absorbs a reasonable amount of carbon. | E01 | 143 |
| 2401-E025 | Breakthrough in Hydrogen-Based Energy: New Material Enhances Batteries and Fuel Cells | Researchers have developed a solid electrolyte that allows for the efficient transportation of hydride ions at room temperature, advancing hydrogen-based energy technologies. | RIKEN | Advanced Energy Materials | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers led by Genki Kobayashi at the RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research in Japan have developed a solid electrolyte for transporting hydride ions (H?) at room temperature. This breakthrough means that the advantages of hydrogen-based solid-state batteries and fuel cells are within practical reach, including improved safety, efficiency, and energy density, which are essential for advancing towards a practical hydrogen-based energy economy.The study was published in the scientific journal Advanced Energy Materials. -- For hydrogen-based energy storage and fuel to become more widespread, it needs to be safe, very efficient, and as simple as possible. -- Current hydrogen-based fuel cells used in electric cars work by allowing hydrogen protons to pass from one end of the fuel cell to the other through a polymer membrane when generating energy. -- Efficient, high-speed hydrogen movement in these fuel cells requires water, meaning that the membrane must be continually hydrated so that it does not dry out. -- This constraint adds an additional layer of complexity and cost to battery and fuel cell design that limits the practicality of a next-generation hydrogen-based energy economy. -- To overcome this problem, scientists have been struggling to find a way to conduct negative hydride ions through solid materials, particularly at room temperature. -- The wait is over. "We have achieved a true milestone," says Kobayashi. -- "Our result is the first demonstration of a hydride ion-conducting solid electrolyte at room temperature." -- The team had been experimenting with lanthanum hydrides (LaH3-?) for several reasons; the hydrogen can be released and captured relatively easily, hydride ion conduction is very high, they can work below 100°C, and have a crystal structure. -- But, at room temperature, the number of hydrogens attached to lanthanum fluctuates between 2 and 3, making it impossible to have efficient conduction. | T01 | 144 |
| 2402-T021 | Overcoming Challenges for More Accurate Object Detection in Robots and Self-Driving Cars | Researchers have developed DPPFA Net, an innovative network that combines LiDAR sensors and camera images for more accurate 3D object detection. This advancement overcomes challenges related to occlusion and noise, paving the way for more capable autonomous systems. | Ritsumeikan University | IEEE Internet of Things Journal | Press Rel | PubMed | Robotics and autonomous vehicles are among the most rapidly growing domains in the technological landscape, with the potential to make work and transportation safer and more efficient. Since both robots and self-driving cars need to accurately perceive their surroundings, 3D object detection methods are an active area of study. Most 3D object detection methods employ LiDAR sensors to create 3D point clouds of their environment. Simply put, LiDAR sensors use laser beams to rapidly scan and measure the distances of objects and surfaces around the source. However, using LiDAR data alone can lead to errors due to the high sensitivity of LiDAR to noise, especially in adverse weather conditions like during rainfall. -- To tackle this issue, scientists have developed multi-modal 3D object detection methods that combine 3D LiDAR data with 2D RGB images taken by standard cameras. -- While the fusion of 2D images and 3D LiDAR data leads to more accurate 3D detection results, it still faces its own set of challenges, with accurate detection of small objects remaining difficult. -- The problem mainly lies in properly aligning the semantic information extracted independently from the 2D and 3D datasets, which is hard due to issues such as imprecise calibration or occlusion. -- Against this backdrop, a research team led by Professor Hiroyuki Tomiyama from Ritsumeikan University, Japan, has developed an innovative approach to make multi-modal 3D object detection more accurate and robust. -- The proposed scheme, called "Dynamic Point-Pixel Feature Alignment Network" (DPPFA−Net), is described in their paper published in IEEE Internet of Things Journal on 3 November 2023. -- The model comprises an arrangement of multiple instances of three novel modules: the Memory-based Point-Pixel Fusion (MPPF) module, the Deformable Point-Pixel Fusion (DPPF) module, and the Semantic Alignment Evaluator (SAE) module. -- The MPPF module is tasked with performing explicit interactions between intra-modal features (2D with 2D and 3D with 3D) and cross-modal features (2D with 3D). The use of the 2D image as a memory bank reduces the difficulty in network learning and makes the system more robust against noise in 3D point clouds. -- Moreover, it promotes the use of more comprehensive and discriminative features. -- In contrast, the DPPF module performs interactions only at pixels in key positions, which are determined via a smart sampling strategy. | H02 E01 T01 | 145 |
| 2401-067 | Blood Markers Provide Clues for Precision Diagnosis of Gestational Diabetes | Researchers have found that pregnancy weight and biochemical markers in women with gestational diabetes mellitus are related to an increased risk of poor pregnancy outcomes. This suggests potential for precision diagnostics in improving maternal and fetal health. | Rutgers University | Communications Medicine | Press Rel | PubMed | Pregnancy weight and biochemical markers measured in blood from women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) were related to increased risk of poor pregnancy outcomes, suggesting a new direction for precision diagnostics, according to researchers. -- The study led by Ellen C. Francis, an assistant professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at Rutgers School of Public Health, and published in Communications Medicine, evaluated the diagnostic value of these markers before or at the time of screening for GDM, a type of diabetes that can develop during pregnancy. -- "Although we found that obesity is a risk factor for offspring born larger for their gestational age, evidence suggests that the metabolic alterations that accompany obesity increase the risk of adverse outcomes," said Francis. GDM, characterized by elevated blood sugar (glucose) levels during pregnancy, is the most common metabolic condition among pregnant women and poses risks to both mother and child. While standard treatments are applied, clinical outcomes can differ among individuals. -- Francis said the research demonstrates the need for a more nuanced approach to diagnose GDM, which may help improve outcomes. It is the first systematic review of the literature to assess the potential of subtypes in GDM and to examine whether nonglycemic markers could refine risk stratification. Francis said some of the literature suggested insulin profiles and triglyceride levels may serve as promising non-glucose indicators of risk. -- "To really assess the clinical implications of precision diagnostics in GDM, we first need to understand if insulin resistance or higher triglycerides are causally linked to adverse outcomes, and whether we can safely target them in pregnancy," Francis said. -- Overall, researchers found a critical gap in the existing literature in which most studies hadn't focused on comparing clinical, biochemical or sociocultural differences among women who develop GDM. -- "In our full text screening of 775 studies, we found that only recently has there been a focus on clinical, biochemical, or sociocultural markers that could improve who is at greatest risk of poor outcomes, and on comparing clinical outcomes between different subtypes of GDM," said Francis. "The data from these studies indicate that in the future, we may be able to refine how we diagnose GDM by using anthropometric or biochemical information in combination with current diagnostic approaches." -- Future research should delve into mechanistic studies on precision biomarkers, large diverse population studies for replication, and multinational studies focusing on environmental and behavioral factors, Francis said. It should also explore potential insights on casual pathways of heterogeneity within GDM and its outcomes from genetic and multi-omics data using advanced analytical approaches. -- Study co-authors include researchers from collaborating institutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, South Korea and Australia. | H01 | 146 |
| 2402-064 | Precision Diagnostics for Gestational Diabetes: Exploring New Possibilities | Pregnancy weight and biochemical markers in women with gestational diabetes are linked to poor pregnancy outcomes, suggesting new diagnostic approaches. | Rutgers University | Communications Medicine | Press Rel | PubMed | Pregnancy weight and biochemical markers measured in blood from women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) were related to increased risk of poor pregnancy outcomes, suggesting a new direction for precision diagnostics, according to researchers. -- The study led by Ellen C. Francis, an assistant professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at Rutgers School of Public Health, and published in Communications Medicine, evaluated the diagnostic value of these markers before or at the time of screening for GDM, a type of diabetes that can develop during pregnancy. -- "Although we found that obesity is a risk factor for offspring born larger for their gestational age, evidence suggests that the metabolic alterations that accompany obesity increase the risk of adverse outcomes," said Francis. -- GDM, characterized by elevated blood sugar (glucose) levels during pregnancy, is the most common metabolic condition among pregnant women and poses risks to both mother and child. -- While standard treatments are applied, clinical outcomes can differ among individuals. -- Francis said the research demonstrates the need for a more nuanced approach to diagnose GDM, which may help improve outcomes. -- It is the first systematic review of the literature to assess the potential of subtypes in GDM and to examine whether nonglycemic markers could refine risk stratification. -- Francis said some of the literature suggested insulin profiles and triglyceride levels may serve as promising non-glucose indicators of risk. -- "To really assess the clinical implications of precision diagnostics in GDM, we first need to understand if insulin resistance or higher triglycerides are causally linked to adverse outcomes, and whether we can safely target them in pregnancy," Francis said. -- Overall, researchers found a critical gap in the existing literature in which most studies hadn't focused on comparing clinical, biochemical or sociocultural differences among women who develop GDM. | H01 R01 | 147 |
| 2402-T023 | Exploring the Link Between Cells and Society: A Brotherly Collaboration | A biophysical chemist and a political scientist have collaborated on an article that bridges their disciplines, exploring the parallels between the natural world of cells and molecules and the human-forged realm of organizations and political systems. | Rutgers University | PNAS Nexus | Press Rel | PubMed | A Rutgers biophysical chemist and his brother, a political scientist on the West Coast, have joined intellectual forces, realizing a long-standing dream of co-authoring an article that bridges their disciplines involving cells and society. -- In their paper, they have proposed that powerful parallels exist between the microscopic, natural world of cells and molecules and the human-forged realm of organizations and political systems. -- Taking it a step further, the brothers -- eminent scholars who have served as top leaders of their respective institutions -- have proposed that humankind can draw lessons from what the microscopic and macroscopic worlds have in common. Ideally, they said, their perspective could alert policymakers to strategies for responding adaptively to improve the performance of their institutions and political systems. -- Writing in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science Nexus, Kenneth Breslauer, a Linus C. Pauling Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology with the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences (SAS), and his older brother, George Breslauer, a Chancellor's Professor of Political Science at the University of California-Berkeley, have identified and analyzed similarities in rules that apply to both the natural and social realms. -- "Our focus is particularly timely given the growing global challenges to various forms of governance and the emergence of history-changing biology," said Kenneth, who has been a member of the Rutgers faculty for 50 years and is the university's founding dean of life sciences. "Many stability-based concepts, characteristics and phenomena within the physical sciences find analogous expression in the influences on the relative stabilities of socio-political systems." -- Kenneth, one the world's foremost authorities on the forces that control the structure and function of biological molecules, was described in 2018 by former SAS Executive Dean Peter March as "the architect of our outstanding life science programs, which have helped establish Rutgers as a premier institution within the [Association of American Universities.]" In addition, Kenneth has been the dean of the Division of Life Sciences, the vice president for Health Science Partnerships and the vice president for Research. -- His brother George is recognized as a world-renowned expert in Soviet and Russian politics and foreign relations. In his area of expertise, he is the author of 14 books. At UC Berkeley, George has been the chair of the Center for Slavic and East European Studies, dean of the social sciences, executive dean of the College of Letters and Science and executive vice chancellor and provost. -- Born 14 months apart, the Breslauers grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens, raised by parents who were refugees from Nazi Germany. -- "George and I are each other's best friend," Kenneth said. -- The brothers have waited years to work together. Their paper, they said, is a "bucket list" item for both. | H01 | 148 |
| 2402-009 | Uncovering the Key Brain Pathway behind Panic Disorder | Researchers have identified a brain pathway that mediates panic-like symptoms, offering a new target for panic disorder therapeutics. | Salk Institute | Nature Neuroscience | Press Rel | PubMed | Overwhelming fear, sweaty palms, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate -- these are the symptoms of a panic attack, which people with panic disorder have frequently and unexpectedly. Creating a map of the regions, neurons, and connections in the brain that mediate these panic attacks can provide guidance for developing more effective panic disorder therapeutics. -- Now, Salk researchers have begun to construct that map by discovering a brain circuit that mediates panic disorder. -- This circuit consists of specialized neurons that send and receive a neuropeptide -- a small protein that sends messages throughout the brain -- called PACAP. -- What's more, they determined that PACAP and the neurons that produce its receptor are possible druggable targets for new panic disorder treatments. -- The findings were published in Nature Neuroscience on January 4, 2024. -- "We've been exploring different areas of the brain to understand where panic attacks start," says senior author Sung Han, associate professor at Salk. -- "Previously, we thought the amygdala, known as the brain's fear center, was mainly responsible -- but even people who have damage to their amygdala can still experience panic attacks, so we knew we needed to look elsewhere. Now, we've found a specific brain circuit outside of the amygdala that is linked to panic attacks and could inspire new panic disorder treatments that differ from current available panic disorder medications that typically target the brain's serotonin system." -- To begin sketching out a panic disorder brain map, the researchers looked at a part of the brain called the lateral parabrachial nucleus (PBL) in the pons (part of the brain stem), which is known as the brain's alarm center. -- Interestingly, this small brainstem area also controls breathing, heart rate, and body temperature. -- It became evident that the PBL was likely implicated in generating panic and bringing about emotional and physical changes. | R01 R02 T02 | 149 |
| 2402-E054 | Iron's Influence on Plant Immunity: Boosting Resilience to Climate Change | Researchers have found that plants manage iron deficiency without helping harmful bacteria thrive, shedding light on the plant immune system and providing a new target for boosting plant resilience. | Salk Institute | Nature | Press Rel | PubMed | Plants and animals alike rely on iron for growth and regulation of microbiomes -- collections of bacteria, fungi, and more that co-exist in places like the human gut or the soil around a plant's roots. Plants face a special challenge when acquiring iron, since the strategies plants use to increase iron availability alter the root microbiome and can inadvertently benefit harmful soil-dwelling bacteria. -- Now, Salk scientists have discovered how plants manage iron deficiency without helping "bad" bacteria thrive -- by eliminating IMA1, the molecular signal for iron deficiency in roots at risk of bacterial attack. -- Additionally, they found that more IMA1 in leaves can make them more resistant to bacterial attack, suggesting the iron deficiency signaling pathway and plant immune system are deeply intertwined. -- The findings were published in Nature on January 10, 2024. -- "There is a long-established relationship between plant iron nutrition and bacteria," says senior author Wolfgang Busch, professor and executive director of Salk's Harnessing Plants Initiative. -- "Exploring this relationship with more nuance allowed us to find a surprising new signaling pathway that plants use to turn off iron uptake as a defense strategy against threatening bacteria that also happens to alter the plant's immune response." -- Because bioavailable iron (iron in a state that plants and animals can use) is a relatively scarce nutrient, iron deficiency -- and consequential stunted plant growth -- is not uncommon. -- Since stopping growth is not ideal, plants have developed techniques to encourage iron absorption in low-iron environments. -- Unfortunately, those techniques can alter the entire microbiome around the roots and increase iron availability for not just the plant, but for the harmful bacteria living nearby, too. -- To unravel the complex relationship between plant health, iron levels, and bacterial threat, the researchers turned to a small model plant called Arabidopsis thaliana. | R01 E01 E02 E03 | 150 |
| 2401-T001 | Unveiling New Method to Identify Potential Therapeutic Targets on Living Cells | Scientists have developed a high-resolution technique to identify therapeutic targets on proteins in living cells, leading to more targeted treatments for human diseases. | Scripps Research Institute | Nature Chemical Biology | Press Rel | PubMed | Identifying new ways to target proteins involved in human diseases is a priority for many researchers around the world. However, discovering how to alter the function of these proteins can be difficult, especially in live cells. Now, scientists from Scripps Research have developed a new method to examine how proteins interact with drug-like small molecules in human cells -- revealing critical information about how to potentially target them therapeutically. -- The strategy, published in Nature Chemical Biology on January 2, 2024, uses a combination of chemistry and analytical techniques to reveal the specific places where proteins and small molecules bind together. -- Ultimately, this method could lead to the development of more targeted and effective therapeutics. -- "Our new technology could be used to find new druggable sites on proteins for any human disease, from cancer to Alzheimer's disease," says associate professor, Department of Chemistry Christopher Parker, PhD, senior author of the study. -- "We're unrestricted in how this could be used. Our work has the potential to usher in a whole new way of drug discovery." -- The Parker lab aims to discover how proteins function in every human cell type to develop effective therapeutics for a wide range of human diseases. -- In this study, Parker and his team built off his initial work in the lab of Scripps Research professor Benjamin Cravatt to create a new method of examining how proteins interact with small molecules in living cells. -- They developed an analytical strategy to better understand how these proteins engage with small molecules at much higher resolution than ever before. -- To do this, they used chemical probes called photoaffinity probes, which are molecules that can be activated by light to allow the probes to capture a bound protein. -- By gathering data from the interactions of proteins with photoaffinity probes, the Parker team identified locations on proteins where small molecules could connect and bind. | R01 R02 | 151 |
| 2402-038 | A Molecular Target of Alcohol: New Insights from Brain Research | Investigating a molecule in the brain has provided insights into the proteins that impact alcohol drinking behavior. | Scripps Research Institute | Molecular Psychiatry | Press Rel | PubMed | Ethanol -- the compound found in alcoholic beverages -- interferes with the normal functioning of a long list of biological molecules, but how each of these interactions contributes to the behavioral effects of alcohol is not fully understood. A guiding, but elusive, goal of researchers is to identify the protein (or proteins) to which ethanol binds that makes some people vulnerable to excessive drinking. Solving this question would point the way to effective therapies for alcohol use disorder, which affects more than 10% of the U.S. adult population and is responsible for a myriad of health and societal issues. -- Previous studies identified one such molecule, a protein widely expressed in the brain, called the BK channel. -- Ethanol can directly interact with a component of BK channels, known as the α subunit, to facilitate their opening. -- However, scientists at Scripps Research found that this interaction may not drive behaviors related to alcohol abuse as much as previously thought. -- Their study, appearing in the journal Molecular Psychiatry on December 22, 2023, demonstrates that preventing ethanol from interacting with the BK α subunit does not reduce or increase the motivation to consume alcohol in mice. -- The relationship between the BK α subunit and ethanol had previously been explored in vitro, ex vivo and in live invertebrates. -- Previous studies suggested that the BK α subunit was involved in an animal's response to alcohol exposure, but there was a gap in understanding its role in mammals, particularly for the control of alcohol drinking. -- "Knowing what a molecule does from in vitro experiments really doesn't tell you much about what the behavioral consequences of that action might be," says senior author Candice Contet, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine at Scripps Research. -- "Things get complicated in vivo, because there are many layers of modulation that may occur in a cell-type specific manner. Moreover, the initial effect often changes with repeated or prolonged exposure to alcohol. We thus sought to determine whether the ability of ethanol to alter BK channel activity was in any way influencing the motivation to drink alcohol." -- Tackling this question didn't lend itself well to conventional pharmacological testing: blocking BK channels with a drug causes tremors, which then interfere with drinking behavior. | R02 E02 | 152 |
| 2401-T016 | Dark Matter's Role in Understanding the Origin of Magnetic Fields in the Cosmos | A new theoretical research suggests that the mini-halos of dark matter in the universe could serve as probes for understanding the formation of magnetic fields. This study, conducted by SISSA and published in Physical Review Letters, proposes that primordial magnetic fields originated during the early stages of the universe, within a second of the Big Bang. | Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati | Physical Review Letters | Press Rel | PubMed | The mini-halos of dark matter scattered throughout the Cosmos could function as highly sensitive probes of primordial magnetic fields. This is what emerges from a theoretical study conducted by SISSA and published in Physical Review Letters. Present on immense scales, magnetic fields are found everywhere in the Universe. However, their origin are still subjects of debate among scholars. An intriguing possibility is that magnetic fields originated near the birth of the universe itself, that is they are primordial magnetic fields. -- In the study, researchers showed that if magnetic fields are indeed primordial then it could cause an increase in dark matter density perturbations on small scales. -- The ultimate effect of this process would be the formation of mini-halos of dark matter, which, if detected would hint towards a primordial nature of magnetic fields. -- Thus, in an apparent paradox, the invisible part of our Universe could be useful in resolving the nature of a component of the visible one. -- Shedding light on the formation of Magnetic Fields -- "Magnetic fields are ubiquitous in the Cosmos," explains Pranjal Ralegankar of SISSA, the author of the research. -- "A possible theory regarding their formation suggests that those observed so far could be produced in the early stages of our Universe. However, this proposition lacks explanation in the standard model of physics. To shed light on this aspect and find a way to detect "primordial" magnetic fields, with this work we propose a method that we could define as 'indirect.' Our approach is based on a question: What is the influence of magnetic fields on dark matter?" It is known that there is no direct interaction. -- Still, as Ralegankar explains, "there is an indirect one that occurs through gravity." -- Right from the primordial Universe -- Primordial magnetic fields can enhance density perturbations of electrons and protons in the primordial Universe. | Z01 | 153 |
| 2401-E044 | Unraveling the Nord Stream Pipeline Mystery: Seismic Signals Reveal Complex Source | Seismic events in the Nord Stream pipelines were more complex than initially believed, with possible sabotage still under investigation. | Seismological Society of America | The Seismic Record | Press Rel | PubMed | Seismic events that coincided with sudden drops in pressure within the Nord Stream 1 and 2 natural gas pipelines in September 2022 alerted the world to the rupture of pipelines in the western Baltic Sea. The suspected act of sabotage, which reportedly used explosive charges to rupture the pipelines, is still under investigation by multiple countries. -- A new study published in The Seismic Record provides further evidence that the Nord Stream seismic signals came from a complex source. -- The signals lasted longer than would be expected from a single explosive source, the researchers say, and were more like the signals detected from an underwater volcano or a pipeline venting gas. -- The initial signals from seismic events detected on 26 September 2022 "may be dominated by energy generated by the rapid venting of high-pressure gas, which means it may be difficult to assess the source size and characteristics of any explosive charges used to rupture the Nord Stream pipelines," said Ross Heyburn of AWE Blacknest. -- The Nord Stream events offer a rare opportunity to study seismic and infrasound signals from the rupture of an underwater gas pipeline, Heyburn and colleagues noted. -- The researchers had access to data collected by local and regional seismic networks as well as seismic and infrasound data collected by the International Monitoring System (IMS), a global network that detects nuclear and other explosions for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). -- "To the best of our knowledge, this was the first time that the IMS has recorded signals from an underwater event associated with a gas pipeline rupture," Heyburn said. -- "The events therefore provided an opportunity to observe the characteristics of signals, such as the long durations, generated by this type of source." -- Natural seismic activity in the region is low, but the research team was able to analyze the Nord Stream signals with the help of seismic data from a few small earthquakes and explosions detonated during a 2019 NATO operation in the region to clear World War II British ground mines. -- One of the methods seismologists use to determine whether a seismic event is caused by an explosion or an earthquake is to measure the ratio of P to S waves for the event. | E01 | 154 |
| 2402-T005 | From Mushrooms to Pulp: A Novel Strategy for Extracting Mycelial Fibers | A team of researchers from Shinshu University has found a simple way to obtain mycelial fibers from fruiting mushroom bodies and bleach them using sunlight, offering a sustainable material for leather and packaging. | Shinshu University | ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. | Press Rel | PubMed | Mycelial fibers, the fibrous cells found in fruiting mushroom bodies, have gained momentum as a sustainable material for making leather and packaging owing to their excellent formability. Recently, a team of researchers from Shinshu University, Japan, has found a simple way of obtaining mycelial fibers, called "mycelial pulp," from fruiting mushroom bodies and bleaching them using sunlight while keeping their mycelial structures intact. -- Every year, humans generate millions of tons of waste, and almost 38% of that waste ends up in a landfill. -- A significant portion of it is made up of plastic or petroleum-based materials that can neither decompose nor degrade with time. -- This has led scientists to develop materials that are effective yet good for the environment. -- One such alternative and renewable resource is mushroom-based materials. -- The root-like fruiting bodies of mushrooms, also known as mycelial fibers, have shown promising results as the new age, eco-friendly material for a wide range of consumer and industrial applications. -- The mycelium fibers from the fruiting body contain proteins, chitin, and polysaccharides, which make them ideal for making packaging materials, soundproofing, textiles, and much more. -- They are not only versatile but also have low environmental impact, are biodegradable, and have a low cost of production. -- However, conventional chemical or mechanical treatments used to obtain mycelium fibers have notable shortcomings. -- Many extraction processes tend to give the materials an unwanted color and often destroy their intricate mycelial structures, thereby limiting their nanoscale applications. | H01 | 155 |
| 2401-E018 | Elusive Cytonemes Guide Neural Development and Provide Signaling Pathways | Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have visualized the role of cytonemes in mammalian neural development, providing insights into tissue patterning and morphogen gradients. This research expands our understanding of cellular communication. | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | Cell | Press Rel | PubMed | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists found that cytonemes (thin, long, hair-like projections on cells) are important during neural development. Cytonemes connect cells communicating across vast distances but are difficult to capture with microscopy in developing vertebrate tissues. The researchers are the first to find a way to visualize how cytonemes transport signaling molecules during mammalian nervous system development. The findings were published in Cell. -- "We showed cytonemes are a direct express route for signal transport," said corresponding author Stacey Ogden, PhD, St. Jude Department of Cell and Molecular Biology. -- "Cells need to communicate with each other during development and tissue homeostasis and be able to reach more than just their neighbors. We've identified one way that signals are loaded into cytonemes for transport to responding cell populations and demonstrated that tissue patterning does not happen properly when this mode of signal dispersion is compromised." -- Express signal delivery sets up the nervous system for success -- Researchers in Ogden's lab were the first to visualize mammalian cytonemes in the developing nervous system by combining modern microscopy techniques with optimized sample preparations. -- "For a long time, visualizing these structures in developing mammalian tissue has been challenging," Ogden said. -- "But we've finally found a way." -- Using their new methods, the scientists captured images of how cytonemes act as an "express" system that can skip over intervening cells to directly deliver signals to more distant ones, similar to an express subway that only stops at major stations. -- One of the major stations is the notochord, which produces a signal that plays a crucial role in organizing the developing spinal cord. -- Ogden's team captured images of the transport process happening in the cytonemes originating from the notochord. | H01 R01 | 156 |
| 2402-003 | New Approach Targets Antibiotic Resistance in Mycobacterium Abscessus | Scientists have developed more effective versions of the antibiotic spectinomycin to combat antibiotic-resistant Mycobacterium abscessus. | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | Press Rel | PubMed | Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital are tackling Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab) antibiotic resistance. This naturally antibiotic-resistant pathogen is becoming more prevalent, highlighting the urgent need for novel therapeutics. To address this, the scientists designed new versions of the drug spectinomycin that overcome efflux, the main mechanism driving resistance. The work was published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. -- Mab infections are increasingly found in health care settings. -- Such infections can be hazardous for patients with compromised lung function, such as in cystic fibrosis, or who are immunologically compromised, such as in childhood cancer. -- These infections are treated with long courses of antibiotics and can result in poor outcomes. -- The emergence of Mab and other similar pathogens presents a growing and deeply concerning public health threat because there are few effective therapeutic options and a limited drug development pipeline. -- "We chemists are in a race against the pathogens. We make stronger antibiotics, and the pathogens become more resistant," said corresponding author Richard Lee, PhD, St. Jude Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics. -- Scientists at St. Jude modified the naturally occurring antibiotic spectinomycin to create analogs, comparable but structurally distinct N-ethylene linked aminomethyl spectinomycins (eAmSPCs). These synthetically created eAmSPCs are up to 64 times more potent against Mab than standard spectinomycin. -- "By re-engineering the molecule through structure-based drug design, we and our collaborators have adapted the antibiotic to increase its activity," Lee added. -- Overcoming efflux to make a more effective antibiotic -- Through their work, the scientists unraveled the mechanism of action by which eAmSPCs are more effective: they circumvent efflux. | H01 R01 | 157 |
| 2401-058 | High-Tech Brain Stimulation Enhances Hypnotizability for Hypnotherapy | Researchers have used transcranial magnetic stimulation to enhance hypnotizability in chronic pain patients, potentially improving their response to hypnotherapy. | Stanford Medicine | Nature Mental Health | Press Rel | PubMed | How deeply someone can be hypnotized -- known as hypnotizability -- appears to be a stable trait that changes little throughout adulthood, much like personality and IQ. But now, for the first time, Stanford Medicine researchers have demonstrated a way to temporarily heighten hypnotizablity -- potentially allowing more people to access the benefits of hypnosis-based therapy. -- In the new study, to be published Jan. 4 in Nature Mental Health, the researchers found that less than two minutes of electrical stimulation targeting a precise area of the brain could boost participants' hypnotizability for about one hour. -- "We know hypnosis is an effective treatment for many different symptoms and disorders, in particular pain," said Afik Faerman, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in psychiatry and lead author of the study. "But we also know that not everyone benefits equally from hypnosis." -- Focused attention -- Approximately two-thirds of adults are at least somewhat hypnotizable, and 15% are considered highly hypnotizable, meaning they score 9 or 10 on a standard 10-point measure of hypnotizability. -- "Hypnosis is a state of highly focused attention, and higher hypnotizability improves the odds of your doing better with techniques using hypnosis," said David Spiegel, MD, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and a senior author of the study. -- Spiegel, the Jack, Lulu, and Sam Willson Professor in Medicine, has devoted decades to studying hypnotherapy and using it to help patients control pain, lower stress, stop smoking and more. Several years ago, Spiegel led a team that used brain imaging to uncover the neurobiological basis of the practice. They found that highly hypnotizable people had stronger functional connectivity between the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which is involved in information processing and decision making; and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, involved in detecting stimuli. -- "It made sense that people who naturally coordinate activity between these two regions would be able to concentrate more intently," Spiegel said. "It's because you're coordinating what you are focusing on with the system that distracts you." -- Shifting a stable trait -- With these insights, Spiegel teamed up with Nolan Williams, MD, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, who has pioneered non-invasive neurostimulation techniques to treat conditions such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and suicidal ideation. | H01 H02 R02 | 158 |
| 2402-053 | Boosting Hypnotizability: High-Tech Brain Stimulation Enhances Hypnotherapy Potential | Stanford Medicine researchers have found a way to temporarily enhance hypnotizability, potentially expanding the accessibility of hypnosis-based therapy for patients with chronic pain. | Stanford Medicine | Nature Mental Health | Press Rel | PubMed | How deeply someone can be hypnotized -- known as hypnotizability -- appears to be a stable trait that changes little throughout adulthood, much like personality and IQ. But now, for the first time, Stanford Medicine researchers have demonstrated a way to temporarily heighten hypnotizablity -- potentially allowing more people to access the benefits of hypnosis-based therapy. -- In the new study, to be published Jan. 4 in Nature Mental Health, the researchers found that less than two minutes of electrical stimulation targeting a precise area of the brain could boost participants' hypnotizability for about one hour. -- "We know hypnosis is an effective treatment for many different symptoms and disorders, in particular pain," said Afik Faerman, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in psychiatry and lead author of the study. "But we also know that not everyone benefits equally from hypnosis." -- Focused attention -- Approximately two-thirds of adults are at least somewhat hypnotizable, and 15% are considered highly hypnotizable, meaning they score 9 or 10 on a standard 10-point measure of hypnotizability. -- "Hypnosis is a state of highly focused attention, and higher hypnotizability improves the odds of your doing better with techniques using hypnosis," said David Spiegel, MD, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and a senior author of the study. -- Spiegel, the Jack, Lulu, and Sam Willson Professor in Medicine, has devoted decades to studying hypnotherapy and using it to help patients control pain, lower stress, stop smoking and more. Several years ago, Spiegel led a team that used brain imaging to uncover the neurobiological basis of the practice. They found that highly hypnotizable people had stronger functional connectivity between the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which is involved in information processing and decision making; and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, involved in detecting stimuli. -- "It made sense that people who naturally coordinate activity between these two regions would be able to concentrate more intently," Spiegel said. "It's because you're coordinating what you are focusing on with the system that distracts you." -- Shifting a stable trait -- With these insights, Spiegel teamed up with Nolan Williams, MD, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, who has pioneered non-invasive neurostimulation techniques to treat conditions such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and suicidal ideation. | H01 H02 R02 T01 | 159 |
| 2401-E007 | Adapting to a Growing Weather Threat: Understanding Tropical Cyclones | A new study reveals a steady increase in the number of people at risk from tropical cyclones and the days they threaten health and livelihoods. These findings can inform strategies for mitigating extreme weather impacts. | Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment | Nature | Press Rel | PubMed | As climate change drives more frequent and intense weather, finding new ways to adapt can be a matter of life or death. A new Stanford-led study reveals a steady increase in the number of people at risk from tropical cyclones and the number of days per year these potentially catastrophic storms threaten health and livelihoods. The findings could help relief agencies, development banks, and other organizations plan more effective strategies for mitigating extreme weather impacts. -- "Understanding the demographics of populations exposed to cyclones is crucial for understanding evolving risks," said study lead author Renzhi Jing, a postdoctoral scholar in the Stanford School of Medicine. -- "It's particularly important for risk mitigation and achieving other socially desirable objectives, such as education and poverty alleviation." -- Tropical cyclone are rotating systems of clouds and thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. -- Estimates of exposure to tropical cyclones are often regional rather than global, and do not consider population vulnerabilities. -- Researchers from Stanford, the RAND Corporation, and other institutions used a new model to combine demographic estimates with tropical cyclone wind fields estimates to construct a global profile of the populations exposed to these storms between 2002 and 2019. -- The analysis found that approximately 560 million people are exposed to cyclones yearly, the number of people exposed has increased across all cyclone intensities, and the average age of those exposed has shifted away from children toward people over 60. It also found that populations exposed to tropical cyclones tend to be more socioeconomically deprived than those unexposed within the same country, and this relationship is more pronounced for people exposed to higher-intensity storms. -- The findings suggest tropical cyclones can worsen existing inequalities, and highlight the need for targeted interventions to support vulnerable groups, according to the researchers. -- "Severe storms hit the poor the hardest, and could worsen socioeconomic and health inequalities," said study senior author Eran Bendavid, an associate professor of health policy in the Stanford School of Medicine and a senior fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. "Interventions for mitigating tropical cyclone impacts should address this vulnerability." | H01 E01 | 160 |
| 2402-E039 | Unlocking Ammonia Production: Green Transition for the Chemical Industry | Researchers have studied the surface of iron and ruthenium catalysts during the formation of ammonia, offering potential for more efficient materials and a greener chemical industry. | Stockholm University | Nature | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers at Stockholm University have for the first time been able to study the surface of iron and ruthenium catalysts when ammonia is formed from nitrogen and hydrogen; the results are published in the scientific journal Nature. A better knowledge of the catalytic process and the possibility of finding even more efficient materials opens the door for a green transition in the currently very CO2-intensive chemical industry. -- Ammonia, produced in the Haber-Bosch process, is currently one of the most essential base chemicals for the world to produce fertilizers, with an annual production of 110 million tones. -- The journal Nature proposed in 2001 that the Haber-Bosch process was the most critical scientific invention for humankind during the 20th century, since it has saved around 4 billion people's lives by preventing mass starvation. -- An estimation of the nitrogen content in our bodies' DNA and proteins shows that half of the atoms can be derived from Haber-Bosch. -- "In spite of 3 Nobel Prizes (1918, 1931, and 2007) for the Haber-Bosch process, it has not been possible to experimentally investigate the catalyst surface with surface-sensitive methods under real ammonia production conditions; experimental techniques with surface sensitivity at high enough pressures and temperatures had not been achievable. Consequently, different hypotheses about the state of the iron catalyst as being metallic or in a nitride, as well as the nature of the intermediate species of importance to the reaction mechanism, could not be unambiguously verified," says Anders Nilsson, professor of Chemical Physics at Stockholm University. -- "What enabled this study is that we have built a photoelectron spectroscopy instrument in Stockholm that allows studies of catalyst surfaces under high pressures. Thereby, we have been able to observe what happens when the reaction occurs directly," says David Degerman, Postdoc in Chemical Physics at Stockholm University. -- "We have opened a new door into understanding ammonia production catalysis with our new instrument where we now can detect reaction intermediates and provide evidence for the reaction mechanism." -- "To have our Stockholm instrument at one of the brightest x-ray sources in the world at PETRA III in Hamburg has been crucial to conduct the study," says Patrick Lömker, Researcher at Stockholm University. -- "We can now imagine the future with even brighter sources when the machine upgrades to PETRA IV." -- "We now have the tools to conduct research leading to new catalyst materials for ammonia production that can be used better to fit together with electrolysis-produced hydrogen for the green transition of the chemical industry," says Anders Nilsson. | T01 T02 | 161 |
| 2402-E010 | CO2-Neutral Concrete: Exploring Biochar's Potential to Reduce Carbon Footprint in Construction | Researchers at Empa's Concrete & Asphalt lab are investigating the potential of incorporating biochar into concrete to create CO2-neutral or even CO2-negative construction materials, using pellets made from biochar to replace conventional aggregates. | Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) | Journal of Cleaner Production | Press Rel | PubMed | The construction industry as a CO2 sink? Researchers at Empa's Concrete & Asphalt lab are working on this. By incorporating biochar into concrete, they are exploring the potential of CO2-neutral or even CO2-negative concrete. For optimal applicability, they process the biochar into pellets and use them to replace conventional aggregates. -- To achieve the goal of a climate-neutral Switzerland by 2050, strategies and processes with a negative CO2 balance are necessary. -- These so-called negative emission technologies (NET) are intended to counterbalane the remaining "hard-to-avoid" emissions in 2050 and should help ensure that we eventually achieve net zero. -- As one of the main emitters, the construction sector has a particular obligation. -- Around eight percent of global greenhouse gas emissions are caused by cement production. -- At the same time, initial efforts are emerging to use the construction sector, with its massive consumption of resources, as a possible carbon sink. -- What sounds paradoxical will succeed if we start "building with CO2" -- or rather, using carbon to produce building materials and thus removing it from the atmosphere in the long term. -- For such visions to become reality, a great deal of research is needed -- such as is currently being done at Empa's Concrete & Asphalt lab. -- A team led by Pietro Lura is developing a process for integrating biochar into concrete. -- Difficulties due to porosity | E01 T02 | 162 |
| 2402-E002 | Researchers Use Earth's Magnetic Field to Verify Event from the Old Testament | Researchers from four Israeli universities have developed a method for identifying burnt materials in archaeological excavations and estimating their firing temperatures. This technique has validated biblical accounts and can provide crucial information for interpreting archaeological findings. | Tel-Aviv University | PLOS ONE | Press Rel | PubMed | A breakthrough achieved by researchers from four Israeli universities -- Tel Aviv University, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Bar-Ilan University and Ariel University- will enable archaeologists to identify burnt materials discovered in excavations and estimate their firing temperatures. Applying their method to findings from ancient Gath (Tell es-Safi in central Israel), the researchers validated the Biblical account: "About this time Hazael King of Aram went up and attacked Gath and captured it. Then he turned to attack Jerusalem" (2 Kings 12, 18). They explain that unlike previous methods, the new technique can determine whether a certain item (such as a mud brick) underwent a firing event even at relatively low temperatures, from 200°C and up. This information can be crucial for correctly interpreting the findings. -- The multidisciplinary study was led by Dr. Yoav Vaknin from the Sonia & Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology, Entin Faculty of Humanities, at Tel Aviv University, and the Palaeomagnetic Laboratory at The Hebrew University. -- Other contributors included: Prof. Ron Shaar from the Institute of Earth Sciences at The Hebrew University, Prof. -- Erez Ben-Yosef and Prof. Oded Lipschits from the Sonia & Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology at Tel Aviv University, Prof. -- Aren Maeir from the Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology at Bar-Ilan University and Dr. Adi Eliyahu Beharfrom the Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology and the Department of Chemical Sciences at Ariel University. -- The paper has been published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE. -- Prof. Lipschits: "Throughout the Bronze and Iron Ages the main building material in most parts of the Land of Israel was mud bricks. This cheap and readily available material was used to build walls in most buildings, sometimes on top of stone foundations. That's why it's so important to understand the technology used in making these bricks." -- Dr. Vaknin adds: "During the same era dwellers of other lands, such as Mesopotamia where stone was hard to come by, would fire mud bricks in kilns to increase their strength and durability. This technique is mentioned in the story of the Tower of Babel in the Book of Genesis: "They said one to another, Come, let us make bricks and fire them thoroughly. -- So they used brick for stone"(Genesis 11, 3). Most researchers, however, believe that this technology did not reach the Land of Israel until much later, with the Roman conquest. Until that time the inhabitants used sun-dried mud bricks. Thus, when bricks are found in an archaeological excavation, several questions must be asked: First, have the bricks been fired, and if so, were they fired in a kiln prior to construction or in situ, in a destructive conflagration event? Our method can provide conclusive answers." -- The new method relies on measuring the magnetic field recorded and 'locked' in the brick as it burned and cooled down. | E01 | 163 |
| 2402-090 | Injectable Hydrogel Electrodes Offer Painless Treatment for Arrhythmia | Biomedical engineers at The Texas Heart Institute and The University of Texas at Austin have developed a groundbreaking hydrogel-based pacing modality for treating ventricular arrhythmia. This innovation could revolutionize cardiac rhythm management and improve pain management for patients with heart, lung, and blood diseases. | Texas Heart Institute | Nature Communications | Press Rel | PubMed | A breakthrough study led by Dr. Mehdi Razavi at The Texas Heart Institute (THI), in collaboration with a biomedical engineering team of The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) Cockrell School of Engineering led by Dr. Elizabeth Cosgriff-Hernandez, sets the foundation of a ground-breaking treatment regimen for treating ventricular arrhythmia. Their study published in Nature Communications demonstrates the design and feasibility of a new hydrogel-based pacing modality. -- The urgent need for an effective therapeutic regimen for ventricular arrhythmia inspired THI's Electrophysiology Clinical Research & Innovations (EPCRI) team, led by its director, Dr. Razavi, to partner with Dr. Cosgriff-Hernandez and her UT Austin Biomedical Engineering (UT Austin BME) team to co-develop an innovative strategy that addresses the pathophysiology of re-entrant arrhythmia. -- Ventricular arrhythmia, which occurs in the lower chambers of the heart or ventricles, is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in the United States. -- When heart rhythm abnormality occurs in a self-sustained manner, it is called re-entrant arrhythmia, which is usually fatal. -- "Re-entry occurs mainly from delayed conduction in scarred heart tissues, usually after coronary artery occlusion during a heart attack, which can be corrected by enabling pacing in these regions," said Dr. Razavi, a practicing cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist. -- "These hydrogels then can access the scarred tissue, thereby enabling direct pacing of the otherwise inaccessible regions of the heart." -- Given hydrogels' biostability, biocompatibility, tunable properties, and the ease of incorporating electrical conductivity, the scientists are exploring them as potential electrodes that can be easily delivered inside coronary veins. -- A clinical advantage of the unique system is that ischemia can be avoided by delivering the hydrogel using the veins. -- The researchers successfully deployed the innovative hydrogel technology through minimally invasive catheter delivery in a pig model. -- "The hydrogels have significant conductive properties that enable simultaneous pacing from multiple sites along the length of the hydrogel and create a conduction highway similar to those in Purkinje fibers," according to Dr. Cosgriff-Hernandez. | R01 | 164 |
| 2402-T003 | Nature-Inspired Solutions: Advancements in Advanced Materials and Solar Reflectivity | Prof. WANG Zuankai's research on cooling ceramic translates novel discoveries into sustainable applications, drawing inspiration from nature's brilliance. | The Hong Kong Polytechnic University | Science | Press Rel | PubMed | Scientific researchers draw inspiration from nature's brilliance as they seek to develop transformative solutions to unresolved challenges. Prof. WANG Zuankai, Associate Vice President (Research and Innovation) and Chair Professor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), has meticulously explored the intricacies of nature and made remarkable findings with very significant real-world applications. His recently published research on cooling ceramic successfully translates novel discovery into sustainable applications. -- Findings from his research project "Hierarchically structured passive radiative cooling ceramic with high solar reflectivity" were published in the journal Science. Together with Prof. -- Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation), Chair Professor of Thermal and Environmental Engineering of PolyU and co-author of the paper, Prof. -- Wang collaborated with a research team from the City University of Hong Kong on this innovation. -- With unwavering commitment to transformative research, the research team led by Prof. -- Chao and Prof. Wang has developed a passive radiative cooling ceramic (cooling ceramic) that can achieve highly efficient light scattering and a near-perfect solar reflectivity of 99.6%. This passive radiative cooling material demonstrates promising energy-saving potential with weather resistance and high mechanic strength, reducing the cooling demand of an indoor environment. -- "Our work on cooling ceramic exemplifies the power of learning from nature. It addresses a significant research gap in passive radiative cooling, specifically high solar reflectivity. Taking inspiration from the bio-whiteness observed in the whitest beetle, the researchers optimised the design of the scattering system, leading to a significant increase in solar reflectivity," said Prof. -- Wang. -- Beetle-inspired material to achieve 99.6% solar reflectivity -- This innovation was derived from the intricate biological structure of Cyphochilus, the whitest known beetle. | E01 | 165 |
| 2402-017 | Discovering "Housekeeping" Genes' Potential in Fighting Cancer | Genetic control elements called housekeeping cis-regulatory elements (HK-CREs) play crucial roles in maintaining cellular stability and may act as tumor suppressors in cancer. | The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo | Nucleic Acids Research | Press Rel | PubMed | Technological advancements have enabled scientists to comprehensively explore genetic control elements, unraveling the complexities of gene activation mechanisms in our genetic code. New evidence challenges the simplistic view that cis-regulatory elements (CREs) are mere on/off switches for genes, emphasizing their ability to exhibit complex behaviors, such as the simultaneous enhancement of gene activity and initiation of gene transcription, e.g., simultaneous enhancer and promoter activities. These switches aren't only important for the enhancement of specific genes but are crucial for the basic functions that keep our cells healthy. -- Now, a study conducted in Japan has revealed the existence of around 11,000 vital genetic switches active in every cell type -- housekeeping cis-regulatory elements (HK-CREs) -- that play a role in maintaining the stability and function of our cells, far beyond the regulation of housekeeping genes. -- This study was performed by scientists from the Laboratory of Functional Analysis in silico (Nakai-lab) at The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Japan: Professor Kenta Nakai, head of the laboratory, and Dr. Martin Loza, Assistant Professor, in collaboration with Dr. Alexis Vandenbon, Associate Professor, from the Institute of Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Japan. -- Their work was published in Nucleic Acids Research on December 12, 2023. -- Discussing his motivation behind this study, Dr. Loza states, "Given the significant association between cancer and mutations in epigenetic components, every small insight we gain could be key in the ongoing battle against this disease, which has tragically claimed innumerable lives. Through extensive bioinformatics analyses, we aimed to emphasize HK-CREs profound impact on fundamental cellular processes, including their potential as essential housekeeping tumor suppressors." The research team found that HK-CREs were not solely confined to regulating the well-studied housekeeping genes (HKGs), which only constituted less than 20% of the genes associated with these elements. -- Instead, these elements predominantly resided within core promoter regions of many more genes (around 8,000), indicating a broader regulatory role beyond typical housekeeping gene functions. -- By employing bioinformatics analyses and levering diverse public datasets, the team validated the robustness of HK-CREs across 50 randomly selected healthy cell types, confirming the location of HK-CREs within the genome. -- These elements were highly conserved, residing in unmethylated CpG-rich regions, a trait strongly associated with their housekeeping regulatory function. -- Sharing his concerns about the analysis, Dr. Lozastates, "By leveraging bioinformatics analyses of multiomics data, we offer an approach to harnessing publicly available datasets for exploring diverse biological mechanisms. We anticipate that employing similar workflows can significantly streamline analyses, cutting back both time and financial investments needed for comprehensive studies involving new data." -- The team remarked on the intricate cooperative interactions among housekeeping core promoters (HK-CPs), forming complex regulatory networks through promoter-promoter interactions. | H01 R01 | 166 |
| 2402-T007 | Stretchable Solar Cells: High-Performance Power Source for Wearable Devices | Researchers at the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering have implemented a stretchable organic solar cell with the world's highest photovoltaic conversion efficiency, offering potential as a power source for next-generation wearable electronic devices. | The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) | Joule | Press Rel | PubMed | Professor Bumjoon Kim's research team in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering succeeded in implementing a stretchable organic solar cell by applying a newly developed polymer material that demonstrated the world's highest photovoltaic conversion efficiency (19%) while functioning even when stretched for more than 40% of its original state. This new conductive polymer has high photovoltaic properties that can be stretched like rubber. The newly developed polymer is expected to play a role as a power source for next-generation wearable electronic devices. -- With the market for wearable electric devices growing rapidly, stretchable solar cells that can function under strain have received considerable attention as an energy source. -- To build such solar cells, it is necessary that their photoactive layer, which converts light into electricity, shows high electrical performance while possessing mechanical elasticity. -- However, satisfying both of these two requirements is challenging, making stretchable solar cells difficult to develop. -- On December 26, a KAIST research team from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE) led by Professor Bumjoon Kim announced the development of a new conductive polymer material that achieved both high electrical performance and elasticity while introducing the world's highest-performing stretchable organic solar cell. -- Organic solar cells are devices whose photoactive layer, which is responsible for the conversion of light into electricity, is composed of organic materials. -- Compared to existing non-organic material-based solar cells, they are lighter and flexible, making them highly applicable for wearable electrical devices. -- Solar cells as an energy source are particularly important for building electrical devices, but high-efficiency solar cells often lack flexibility, and their application in wearable devices have therefore been limited to this point. -- The team led by Professor Kim conjugated a highly stretchable polymer to an electrically conductive polymer with excellent electrical properties through chemical bonding, and developed a new conductive polymer with both electrical conductivity and mechanical stretchability. -- This polymer meets the highest reported level of photovoltaic conversion efficiency (19%) using organic solar cells, while also showing 10 times the stretchability of existing devices. | E01 T01 | 167 |
| 2401-048 | Beliefs About Drugs Influence Brain Activity: Study Uncovers Surprising Connection | Beliefs related to drugs can influence brain activity and behavior, similar to the effects of pharmacology, according to researchers at Mount Sinai. | The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine | Nature Mental Health | Press Rel | PubMed | Mount Sinai researchers have shown for the first time that a person's beliefs related to drugs can influence their own brain activity and behavioral responses in a way comparable to the dose-dependent effects of pharmacology. -- The implications of the study, which directly focused on beliefs about nicotine, are profound. -- They range from elucidating how the neural mechanisms underlying beliefs may play a key role in addiction, to optimizing pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments by leveraging the power of human beliefs. -- The study was published in the journal Nature Mental Health. -- "Beliefs can have a powerful influence on our behavior, yet their effects are considered imprecise and rarely examined by quantitative neuroscience methods," says Xiaosi Gu, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, and Neuroscience, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and senior author of the study. -- "We set out to investigate if human beliefs can modulate brain activities in a dose-dependent manner similar to what drugs do, and found a high level of precision in how beliefs can influence the human brain. This finding could be crucial for advancing our knowledge about the role of beliefs in addiction as well as a broad range of disorders and their treatments." -- To explore this dynamic, the Mount Sinai team, led by Ofer Perl, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Gu's lab when the study was conducted, instructed nicotine-dependent study participants to believe that an electronic cigarette they were about to vape contained either low, medium, or high strengths of nicotine, when in fact the level remained constant. -- Participants then underwent functional neuroimaging (fMRI) while performing a decision-making task known to engage neural circuits activated by nicotine. -- The scientists found that the thalamus, an important binding site for nicotine in the brain, showed a dose-dependent response to the subject's beliefs about nicotine strength, providing compelling evidence to support the relationship between subjective beliefs and biological substrates in the human brain. -- This effect was previously thought to apply only to pharmacologic agents. | H01 R02 T01 | 168 |
| 2401-E003 | New Insights on Tissue-Dependent Roles of JAK Signaling in Inflammation | Researchers have gained a deeper understanding of the roles of JAK inhibitors in inflammation, suggesting potential applications in a wider range of allergy and inflammatory disorders. | The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine | Cell | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have gained a deeper understanding of the nuanced roles of JAK inhibitors, or modulators, in inflammation across various cell types and tissues. Their findings suggest a more precise approach is required to potentially expand JAK inhibitor use to a wider range of allergy and inflammatory disorders. Details on the findings were published in the December 21, 2023, issue of the journal Cell. -- JAK1 is a key protein in the body that supports cell communication and controls the immune system. -- It is part of a group of proteins that pass signals from a cell's exterior to its interior. -- Controlling JAK1 activity is also important in managing conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and some cancers. -- Current JAK inhibitors work well against inflammation in diseases like eczema, but the study suggests a need for a nuanced approach in modulating JAK activity for conditions like asthma. -- The potential shift toward enhancing, rather than blocking, JAK activity in lung neurons could be a transformative strategy, distinct from traditional JAK inhibitors that mainly target immune cells, say the investigators. -- As part of the work, a mouse made with a patient-specific mutation in the gene for JAK1 revealed how this mutant protein causes disease and how it could potentially be harnessed for broader therapeutic use. -- The study showed that activated JAK1 signaling has tissue-specific effects, including an unexpected immunoregulatory role in lung sensory neurons, where it suppresses lung inflammation. -- "This may explain why JAK1-selective inhibitors, while highly successful in atopic dermatitis, have not advanced for asthma treatment and implies that JAK1 signaling has varying or even opposing effects in different cell types and tissues," says lead study author Brian Kim, MD, MTR, FAAD, the Sol and Clara Kest Professor of Dermatology, Vice Chair for Research, and Director of the Mark Lebwohl Center for Neuroinflammation and Sensation at Icahn Mount Sinai. -- The study involved a type of JAK1 gain-of-function (GOF) mutation, first reported by study co-author Stuart Turvey, MBBS, DPHIL, FRCPC in 2017, from patients with an immune dysregulatory and hypereosinophilic syndrome characterized by severe eczema and asthma. | H01 R01 T01 | 169 |
| 2401-T013 | High-Speed Terahertz Detection: Advancing 6G/7G Technology with 2D Plasmons | A high-speed, high-sensitivity terahertz-wave detector operating at room temperature could advance the development of next-generation technology. | Tohoku University | Nanophotonics | Press Rel | PubMed | A research group has developed a high-speed, high-sensitivity terahertz-wave detector operating at room temperature, paving the way for advancements in the development of next generation 6G/7G technology. -- Details of their breakthrough were published in the journal Nanophotonics on November 9, 2023. -- The enhancement of current communications speeds will rely on terahertz (THz) waves. -- THz waves are electromagnetic waves within the THz range, which falls between the microwave and infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, typically spanning frequencies from 300 gigahertz to 3 THz. -- Still, the fast and sensitive detection of THz waves at room temperature is challenging for conventional electronic- or photonic-based semiconductor devices. -- This is where two-dimensional plasmons come in. In a semiconductor field-effect transistor, there is a two-dimensional electron channel where a collective charge-density quanta, i.e., two-dimensional plasmons, exist. -- These plasmons are excited states of electrons exhibiting fluid-like behaviors. -- Their nonlinear rectification effects, originating from these fluid-like behaviors, and their rapid response (not constrained by electron transit time) make them a promising means to detect THz waves at room temperature. -- "We discovered a 3D plasmonic rectification effect in THz wave detector," says Akira Satou, leader of the research group and associate professor at Tohoku University's Research Institute for Electrical Communication (RIEC). "The detector was based on an indium-phosphide high-electron mobility transistor and it enabled us to enhance the detection sensitivity more than one order of magnitude higher than conventional detectors based on 2D plasmons." -- The new detection method combined the traditional vertical hydrodynamic nonlinear rectification effect of 2D plasmons with the addition of a vertical diode-current nonlinearity. | T01 | 170 |
| 2401-T014 | Piezo Composites with Carbon Fibers: A Path to High-Strength Motion Sensors | By combining piezoelectric composites with unidirectional carbon fiber, an international research group has created a high-strength flexible device that converts human motion into electricity. This device can be used for efficient and self-powered sensors. | Tohoku University | Small | Press Rel | PubMed | An international research group has engineered a novel high-strength flexible device by combining piezoelectric composites with unidirectional carbon fiber (UDCF), an anisotropic material that provides strength only in the direction of the fibers. The new device transforms kinetic energy from the human motion into electricity, providing an efficient and reliable means for high-strength and self-powered sensors. -- Details of the group's research were published in the journal Small on Dec.14, 2023. -- Motion diction involves converting energy from the human motion into measurable electrical signals and is something crucial for ensuring a sustainable future. -- "Everyday items, from protective gears to sports equipment, are connected to the internet as part of the Internet of Things (IoT), and many of them are equipped with sensors that collect data," says Fumio Narita, co-author of the study and professor at Tohoku University's Graduate School of Environmental Studies. -- "And effective integration of these IoT devices into personal gear requires innovative solutions in power management and material design to ensure durability, flexibility." -- Mechanical energy can be utilized thanks to piezoelectric materials' ability to generate electricity when physically stressed. -- Meanwhile, carbon fiber lends itself to applications in the aerospace and automotive industries, sports equipment, and medical equipment because of its durability and lightness. -- "We wondered if personal protective equipment, made flexible using a combination of carbon fiber and a piezoelectric composite, could offer comfort, more durability, and sensing capabilities," says Narita. -- The group fabricated the device using a combination of unidirectional carbon fiber fabric (UDCF) and potassium sodium niobate (KNN) nanoparticles mixed with epoxy (EP) resin. -- The UDCF served as both an electrode and a directional reinforcement. | H02 E01 T01 T02 | 171 |
| 2401-061 | Hunt for Elusive Tetraneutrons Unveils New Research Opportunities | Scientists have investigated the possible emission rate of particle-stable tetraneutron, a four-neutron system, through thermal fission of 235U. Tetraneutron's existence has been highly debated, but its observation could unlock new insights into atomic nuclei. | Tokyo Institute of Technology | Physical Review C | Press Rel | PubMed | Tetraneutron is an elusive atomic nucleus consisting of four neutrons, whose existence has been highly debated by scientists. This stems primarily from our lack of knowledge about systems consisting of only neutrons, since most atomic nuclei are usually made of a combination of protons and neutrons. Scientists believe that the experimental observation of a tetraneutron could be the key to exploring new properties of atomic nuclei and answering the age-old question: Can a charge-neutral multineutron system ever exist? -- Two recent experimental studies reported the presence of tetraneutrons in bound state and resonant state (a state that decays with time but lives long enough to be detected experimentally). However, theoretical studies indicate that tetraneutrons will not exist in a bound state if the interactions between neutrons are governed by our common understanding of two or three-body nuclear forces. -- Intrigued, a team of researchers led by Associate Professor Hiroyuki Fujioka from Tokyo Institute of Technology set out to investigate the feasibility of bound tetraneutron emission. -- In their recent study published in Physical Review C, the team explored the possible emission rate of particle-stable tetraneutron via thermal neutron-induced fission of 235U (Uranium-235) in a nuclear reactor. -- "We are aware from previous literature that the dominant thermal fission process for 235U is binary fission, which leads to the emission of two heavy nuclear fragments together with 2.4 neutrons, on average. But there is a 0.2% probability of ternary fission, in which light nuclear fragments are emitted. We, therefore, chose this route for our experiment under the assumption that the hypothetically bound tetraneutron could be a ternary particle in uranium fission," explains Dr. Fujioka. -- The team adopted the well-known instrumental neutron activation analysis method, where a trace element in a chosen sample is irradiated and activated by the capture of thermal neutrons. -- For this study, 88SrCO3 was chosen as the target sample and was irradiated for two hours at a thermal power of 5 MW in a nuclear research reactor. -- The team also performed γ-ray spectroscopy for the irradiated sample to detect signals corresponding to a possible tetraneutron emission. -- The 88Sr nuclei were expected to convert into 91Sr with a Q value (change in mass between the initial and final states of a reaction expressed in terms of energy units) of 20 MeV minus the binding energy of the tetraneutron. -- Since 91Sr is unstable, its radioactive decay followed by the release of γ-rays would indicate the emission of particle-stable tetraneutrons. | Z01 | 172 |
| 2401-E011 | The Evolutionary Timeline of Diminished Boric Acid and Urea Transportation | Aquaporin 10 water channels in humans have different permeabilities compared to those in pufferfishes. Researchers have studied the evolutionary timeline that led to these differences, providing insights into the variable substrate selection mechanisms among Aqp10s. | Tokyo Institute of Technology | Genome Biology and Evolution | Press Rel | PubMed | Aquaporin (Aqp) 10 water channels in humans allow the free passage of water, glycerol, urea, and boric acid across cells. However, Aqp10.2b in pufferfishes allows only the passage of water and glycerol and not urea and boric acid. Researchers from the Tokyo Institute of Technology sought to understand the evolutionary timeline that resulted in the variable substrate selection mechanisms among Aqp10s. Their results indicate that Aqp10.2 in ray-finned fishes may have reduced or lost urea and boric acid permeabilities through evolution. -- Aquaporins (Aqps) are proteins that form water channels in the membranes of living cells, including those of bacteria, fungi, animals, and plants. -- These channels facilitate water transportation across cells more rapidly than diffusion through the membrane phospholipid bilayer. -- Aqp10 belongs to the aquaglyceroporin subfamily of water channels. -- These proteins facilitate many of our body's physiological processes, including gut function, liver and fat cell metabolism, and skin elasticity. -- Water and solutes, such as glycerol, urea, and boric acid, get transported through human Aqp10 depending on concentration gradients across the membrane. -- Sarcopterygians, which include coelacanths, lungfish, and tetrapods (such as amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals), are known to have a single gene that codes for Aqp10. -- In contrast, actinopterygians, such as ray-finned fishes, have paralogs, or near-identical copies, of the aqp10 gene, such as aqp10.1 and aqp10.2. Interestingly, the ray-finned Japanese pufferfish has paralog called aqp10.2b that shows permeability to water and glycerol but not to urea and boric acid. -- To understand how these functional differences between solute permeabilities in Aqp10 in humans and pufferfish may have evolved, a team of researchers from the School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), Department of Advanced Bioscience, Faculty of Agriculture, Kindai University, Department of Integrative Biology at Michigan State University, Aquamarine Fukushima AMF, and Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science analyzed Aqp10s in different species. -- The study was published in Genome Biology and Evolution on December 01, 2023. | R01 E02 E03 T01 | 173 |
| 2402-057 | In Pursuit of the Elusive Tetraneutrons: New Discoveries Through Thermal Fission | Researchers have investigated the possible emission rate of the elusive tetraneutron, a four-neutron system, shedding light on the properties of atomic nuclei. | Tokyo Institute of Technology | Physical Review C | Press Rel | PubMed | Tetraneutron is an elusive atomic nucleus consisting of four neutrons, whose existence has been highly debated by scientists. This stems primarily from our lack of knowledge about systems consisting of only neutrons, since most atomic nuclei are usually made of a combination of protons and neutrons. Scientists believe that the experimental observation of a tetraneutron could be the key to exploring new properties of atomic nuclei and answering the age-old question: Can a charge-neutral multineutron system ever exist? -- Two recent experimental studies reported the presence of tetraneutrons in bound state and resonant state (a state that decays with time but lives long enough to be detected experimentally). However, theoretical studies indicate that tetraneutrons will not exist in a bound state if the interactions between neutrons are governed by our common understanding of two or three-body nuclear forces. -- Intrigued, a team of researchers led by Associate Professor Hiroyuki Fujioka from Tokyo Institute of Technology set out to investigate the feasibility of bound tetraneutron emission. -- In their recent study published in Physical Review C, the team explored the possible emission rate of particle-stable tetraneutron via thermal neutron-induced fission of 235U (Uranium-235) in a nuclear reactor. -- "We are aware from previous literature that the dominant thermal fission process for 235U is binary fission, which leads to the emission of two heavy nuclear fragments together with 2.4 neutrons, on average. But there is a 0.2% probability of ternary fission, in which light nuclear fragments are emitted. We, therefore, chose this route for our experiment under the assumption that the hypothetically bound tetraneutron could be a ternary particle in uranium fission," explains Dr. Fujioka. -- The team adopted the well-known instrumental neutron activation analysis method, where a trace element in a chosen sample is irradiated and activated by the capture of thermal neutrons. -- For this study, 88SrCO3 was chosen as the target sample and was irradiated for two hours at a thermal power of 5 MW in a nuclear research reactor. -- The team also performed γ-ray spectroscopy for the irradiated sample to detect signals corresponding to a possible tetraneutron emission. -- The 88Sr nuclei were expected to convert into 91Sr with a Q value (change in mass between the initial and final states of a reaction expressed in terms of energy units) of 20 MeV minus the binding energy of the tetraneutron. -- Since 91Sr is unstable, its radioactive decay followed by the release of γ-rays would indicate the emission of particle-stable tetraneutrons. | Z01 | 174 |
| 2402-034 | Unveiling the Hidden Identity of Leukemia: Insights for Diagnosis and Treatment | Researchers have identified molecular characteristics and drug sensitivity of myeloid/natural killer cell precursor acute leukemia, aiding in clinical diagnoses and therapeutic development. | Tokyo Medical and Dental University | Science Advances | Press Rel | PubMed | Leukemia is a common term used to refer to a form of blood cancer. However, there are different types of leukemia depending on the cell type involved. One unique form is myeloid/natural killer (NK) cell precursor acute leukemia (MNKPL). Because of its rarity, there is no consensus on the specific characteristics needed to clinically identify this disease. In a recent article published in Science Advances, a team led by researchers at Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) used various approaches to better assess the molecular profile and drug sensitivity characteristics of MNKPL. -- MNKPL was only first proposed as a leukemia subtype in 1997. -- Extramedullary involvement is one of the hallmarks of MNKPL. -- It is prevalent in East Asian countries. Although the immunological phenotype of MNKPL was explored previously, a full genetic characterization of this cancer type had not been performed. -- These details would help support more accurate diagnoses for patients, which would lead to more appropriate therapeutic decisions. -- Therefore, the TMDU group aimed to investigate MNKPL on a single-cell level. -- "A single-cell exploration of MNKPL would not only help us better understand its clinical and genomic features, but also clarify the specific cellular origin of this disease," says Dr. Akira Nishimura, lead author of the study. -- The team first used what is known as a multiomics approach to investigate MNKPL patient samples. -- They used various sequencing technologies to determine if there were any relevant mutations in specific genes, look for expression differences in certain signaling pathways at the RNA level, and examine any unique DNA methylation patterns. -- "Our results demonstrate that MNKPL has molecular qualities that are distinct from other similar cancers, such as acute myeloid leukemia, T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and mixed-phenotype acute leukemia," explains Dr. Masatoshi Takagi, senior author. | R01 | 175 |
| 2402-T008 | Unleashing Turbulent Dynamics: New Framework Explores Data Synchronization | Researchers have developed a novel theoretical framework that treats Data Assimilation (DA) as a stability problem, shedding light on the origins of the critical length scale in predicting turbulent flows. | Tokyo University of Science | Physical Review Letters | Press Rel | PubMed | Data Assimilation (DA) is an important mathematical method for predicting turbulent flows for weather forecasting. However, the origins of the critical length scale, a crucial parameter in this method, and its dependence on the Reynolds number are not well understood. Now, researchers have developed a novel theoretical framework that treats DA as a stability problem to explain this parameter. This framework can contribute significantly to turbulence research and inspire novel data-driven methods to predict turbulence. -- Weather forecasting is important for various sectors, including agriculture, military operations, and aviation, as well as for predicting natural disasters like tornados and cyclones. -- It relies on predicting the movement of air in the atmosphere, which is characterized by turbulent flows resulting in chaotic eddies of air. -- However, accurately predicting this turbulence has remained significantly challenging owing to the lack of data on small-scale turbulent flows, which leads to the introduction of small initial errors. -- These errors can, in turn, lead to drastic changes in the flow states later, a phenomenon known as the chaotic butterfly effect. -- To address the challenge of limited data on small-scale turbulent flows, a data-driven method known as Data Assimilation (DA) has been employed for forecasting. -- By integrating various sources of information, this approach enables the inference of details about small-scale turbulent eddies from their larger counterparts. -- Notably, within the framework of DA methods, a crucial parameter known as the critical length scale has been identified. -- This critical length scale represents the point below which all relevant information about small-scale eddies can be extrapolated from the larger ones. -- Reynold's number, an indicator of the turbulence level in fluid flow, plays a pivotal role in this context, with higher values suggesting increased turbulence. | E01 | 176 |
| 2402-088 | RSV Infects Nerve Cells and Causes Inflammation and Damage, Study Reveals | A new study from Tulane University reveals that respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can infect nerve cells and cause nerve damage, challenging the belief that it only affects the respiratory tract. This discovery suggests a potential link between RSV and neurological or developmental disorders. | Tulane University | The Journal of Infectious Diseases | Press Rel | PubMed | Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a common infection in children and senior adults, can also infect nerve cells and trigger inflammation leading to nerve damage, according to a new Tulane University study. -- RSV can cause mild symptoms such as coughing, sneezing and fever or lead to more severe conditions such as pneumonia or bronchiolitis. -- But since the disease was first discovered in 1956, it has been thought to only infect the respiratory tract. -- This study, published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, is the first to prove that RSV can penetrate nerve cells and may provide the clearest link between RSV and reported neurological symptoms in children. -- RSV has been previously detected in the spinal fluid of children with seizures. -- Additionally, 40% of RSV-positive children under the age of 2 have shown acute encephalopathy, brain damage that can result in confusion, memory loss or cognitive difficulties. -- The findings underscore the potential long-term impacts of the disease, as well as the importance of preventative measures such as the two RSV vaccines approved by the FDA in 2023. -- "This is the most common respiratory virus in the first years of life as well as an impactful virus among the elderly," said Dr. Giovanni Piedimonte, Tulane University vice president for research and professor of pediatrics, biochemistry and molecular biology. -- "This adds a new dimension to the importance of RSV vaccines for both the elderly and mothers to protect their babies." -- Researchers studied the virus using 3D peripheral nerve cultures grown from stem cells and rat embryos. | H01 H02 R02 | 177 |
| 2402-T011 | Greek Mythology-Inspired Drug Shows Promise for Parkinson's Treatment | Inspired by Greek mythology, researchers have created a chimera compound that fights a toxic cause of Parkinson's disease in two ways. This potential medicine targets Parkinson's-causing RNA and encourages the cell to recycle it, offering new possibilities for treating the disease. | UF Health | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | Press Rel | PubMed | Like the Greek mythological beast with a snake's tail and two ferocious heads, a potential Parkinson's medicine created in the lab of chemist Matthew Disney, Ph.D., is also a type of chimera bearing two heads. One seeks out a key piece of Parkinson's-causing RNA, while the other goads the cell to chop it to pieces for recycling. -- The research is described in the Jan. 9 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, or PNAS. -- Parkinson's is a frustrating and all too common disease. Slowly, people with Parkinson's lose brain cells and other neurons needed to make the neurotransmitter dopamine. -- This progressive loss leads them to develop rigid, tense muscles and tremors, and causes difficulties with sleep, mood, speech, eating and movement. -- Commonly used treatments include drugs that replace the dopamine. -- Other treatments, such as deep-brain stimulation, help with movement problems that develop as the disease worsens. -- But while these types of treatments alleviate symptoms, they are not a cure, come with side effects and do not change the trajectory of the disease. -- An estimated 500,000 people in the United States live with Parkinson's. -- "To change the course of this disease, we need to address its cause. For many Parkinson's patients, that apparent cause is the accumulation of a toxic protein called alpha-synuclein, in and around their neurons," said Disney, the endowed Institute Professor and chair of the chemistry department at The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology in Jupiter, Florida. -- Unfortunately, alpha-synuclein has proven an especially challenging protein to medicate due to its unruly, disorganized form and lack of clear druggable structures, Disney added. | H01 H02 R02 | 178 |
| 2401-032 | Nanodrones Revolutionize Cancer Treatment: Breakthrough Research Unveiled | Researchers have developed "NK cell-engaging nanodrones" capable of selectively targeting and eliminating cancer cells, presenting a breakthrough in cancer treatment. | Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology(UNIST) | Nano Today | Press Rel | PubMed | A groundbreaking study led by Professor Sebyung Kang and Professor Sung Ho Park in the Department of Biological Sciences at UNIST has unveiled a remarkable breakthrough in cancer treatment. The research team has successfully developed unprecedented "NK cell-engaging nanodrones" capable of selectively targeting and eliminating cancer cells, offering a potential solution for intractable types of cancers. -- The innate lymphoid cells known as natural killer (NK) cells play a vital role in the body's immune response against cancer. -- Numerous efforts have been made to harness the power of NK cells to develop effective cancer therapies. -- Now, the research team has designed and fabricated exceptional NK cell-engaging nanodrones, referred to as NKeNDs, using AaLS protein cage nanoparticles. -- These groundbreaking NKeNDs simultaneously display cancer-targeting ligands, such as HER2Afb or EGFRAfb, and NK cell-recruiting ligands, aCD16Nb, on the surface of the AaLS through the SpyCatcher/SpyTag protein ligation system. -- The dual ligand-displaying NKeNDs, named HER2 @NKeND and EGFR@NKeND, have demonstrated the ability to selectively bind to HER2-overexpressing SK-OV-3 cells and EGFR-overexpressing MDA-MB-468 cells, respectively, as well as human NK cells. -- The physical engagement of human NK cells with the target cancer cells mediated by the NKeNDs activates the NK cells, enabling them to effectively eliminate the target cancer cells in vitro. -- Remarkably, in SK-OV-3 tumor-bearing mice, the administration of HER2 @NKeNDs along with human PBMCs facilitates the infiltration of activated human NK cells into the tumor sites. -- As a result, tumor growth is significantly suppressed without causing noticeable side effects. -- This groundbreaking study showcases a novel approach to developing cancer-specific NK cell engagers by utilizing protein cage nanoparticles and recombinant cancer cell binders. | H01 R01 | 179 |
| 2401-T010 | Breakthrough in Organic Semiconductor Synthesis Opens Doors to Advanced Electronic Devices | The synthesis of a novel molecule opens up possibilities for the development of advanced electronic devices using organic semiconductors. | Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology(UNIST) | Angewandte Chemie International Edition | Press Rel | PubMed | A team of researchers led by Professor Young S. Park at UNIST's Department of Chemistry has achieved a significant breakthrough in the field of organic semiconductors. Their successful synthesis and characterization of a novel molecule called "BNBN anthracene" has opened up new possibilities for the development of advanced electronic devices. -- Organic semiconductors play a crucial role in improving the movement and light properties of electrons in carbon-centered organic electronic devices. -- The team's research focused on enhancing the chemical diversity of these semiconductors by replacing carbon-carbon (C−C) bonds with isoelectronic boron-nitrogen (B−N) bonds. -- This substitution allows for precise modulation of the electronic properties without significant structural changes. -- The researchers successfully synthesized the BNBN anthracene derivative, which contains a continuous BNBN unit formed by converting the BOBN unit at the zigzag edge. -- Compared to conventional anthracene derivatives composed solely of carbon, the BNBN anthracene exhibited significant variations in the C−C bond length and a larger highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy gap. -- In addition to its unique properties, the BNBN anthracene derivative demonstrated promising potential for application in organic electronics. -- When used as the blue host in an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), the BOBN anthracene exhibited a remarkably low driving voltage of 3.1V, along with higher efficiency in terms of current utilization, energy efficiency, and light emission. -- The research team further confirmed the properties of the BNBN anthracene derivative by studying its crystal structure using an X-ray diffractometer. -- This analysis revealed structural changes, such as bonding length and angle, resulting from the boron-nitrogen (BN) bonding. | E01 T01 | 180 |
| 2402-028 | Smart Skin Bacteria: Treating Acne with Engineered Proteins | Researchers have successfully engineered a skin bacterium to produce a protein that regulates sebum production, potentially treating acne without disturbing the skin's microbiome. | Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Barcelona | Nature Biotechnology | Press Rel | PubMed | International research led by the Translational Synthetic Biology Laboratory of the Department of Medicine and Life Sciences (MELIS) at Pompeu Fabra University has succeeded in efficiently engineering Cutibacterium acnes -a type of skin bacterium- to produce and secrete a therapeutic molecule suitable for treating acne symptoms. The engineered bacterium has been validated in skin cell lines and its delivery has been validated in mice. This finding opens the door to broadening the way for engineering non-tractable bacteria to address skin alterations and other diseases using living therapeutics. -- The research team is completed by scientists from the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (Idibell), the University of Barcelona, the Protein Technologies Facility of the Centre for Genomic Regulation, Phenocell SAS, Medizinische Hochschule Brandenburg Theodor Fontane, Lund University, and Aarhus University. -- Acne is a common skin condition caused by the blockage or inflammation of the pilosebaceous follicles. -- Its appearance can vary, ranging from whiteheads and blackheads to pustules and nodules, mainly on the face, forehead, chest, upper back and shoulders. -- Although acne is most common among adolescents, it can affect people of all ages. -- The most severe cases of acne are treated with antibiotics to kill bacteria living in the follicles, or isotretinoin (known as Accutane), a vitamin A derivative, which induces the death of sebocytes, the epithelial skin cells that produce sebum. -- However, these treatments can cause serious side effects such as breaking skin microbiome homeostasis -because they are not selectively killing bacteria- or photosensitivity, in the case of antibiotics, or birth defects or extreme scaling of skin, in the case of isotretinoin. -- The results of the study, published today in Nature Biotechnology, show that researchers have successfully edited the genome of Cutibacterium acnes to secrete and produce NGAL protein known to be a mediator of the acne drug, isotretinoin, that has been shown to reduce sebum by inducing the death of sebocytes. -- "We have developed a topical therapy with a targeted approach, using what nature already has. We engineered a bacterium that lives in the skin and make it produce what our skin needs. Here, we focused on treating acne, but this platform can be extended to several other indications," says Nastassia Knödlseder, first author of the study. -- Broadening the way of engineering bacteria | H01 R01 | 181 |
| 2402-070 | Discovering the Body's 'Oven' Regulator: Protein EPAC1 and Weight Loss | The protein EPAC1 has been identified as a potential target to increase brown fat mass and activity, aiding in weight loss. | Universitatsklinikum Bonn | Nature Cell Biology | Press Rel | PubMed | Brown fat cells convert energy into heat -- a key to eliminating unwanted fat deposits. In addition, they also protect against cardiovascular diseases. Researchers from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the Transdisciplinary Research Area "Life & Health" at the University of Bonn have now identified the protein EPAC1 as a new pharmacological target to increase brown fat mass and activity. The long-term aim is to find medicines that support weight loss. The results of the study have now been published in the journal Nature Cell Biology. -- Obesity is defined as a pathological increase in white fat, and has become a major problem worldwide, with a greatly increased risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke. -- "Exercise and dieting are not enough to effectively and permanently shed the pounds," says corresponding author Prof. -- Alexander Pfeifer, Director of the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University Hospital Bonn and member of the Transdisciplinary Research Areas (TRA) "Life & Health" and "Sustainable Futures" at the University of Bonn. -- "Our energy-dense foods lead to energy being stored in white fat. But losing weight isn´t that easy, as the body saves energy in response to a low-calorie diet. So our goal is to achieve additional energy release." -- Aim are therapies that keep the energy balance in equilibrium -- Brown fat cells, on the other hand, act as a biological oven and ensure, for example, that newborn babies can cope with cold exposure after birth. -- However, adults hardly have any brown fat, and it can be found mainly in young and slim people. -- "We therefore asked how brown fat mass can be increased while simultaneously reducing bad white fat," says Bonn postdoctoral researcher and first author Dr. Laia Reverte-Salisa. -- Together with researchers from the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Helmholtz Munich and the University of Toulouse-Paul Sabatier, the Bonn team investigated the cAMP signaling pathway in fat metabolism that plays a central role in fat cells. | H01 R01 | 182 |
| 2402-E027 | Membrane Transport Mechanism: New Insight into Bacterial Cell Processes | Certain bacterial membrane transporters function like freight elevators, transporting substances through the cell membrane into the interior of the cell, and understanding these mechanisms could have implications for various fields of research. | Universitatsklinikum Bonn | Nature Communications | Press Rel | PubMed | Some bacterial membrane transporters work almost like freight elevators to transport substances through the cell membrane into the interior of the cell. The transporter itself spans the bacterial membrane. Like a forklift, a soluble protein outside the bacterium transports the substance to the "elevator" and unloads its cargo there. The freight elevator transports it to the inside of the cell, in other words to another floor. -- Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn, in collaboration with a team from the University of York, have now studied the interaction between the transporter and its soluble substrate binding protein. -- Interestingly, they adapt precisely to each other during the transportation process. -- As this happens very quickly, the researchers virtually "blocked" the elevator by specifically inserting anchors, so-called disulphide bridges. -- This enabled them to prove that only the loaded "forklift" fits the "elevator" if it is on the right floor. -- This makes transportation really effective. The study has now been published in the journal Nature Communications. -- Like all cells, bacteria are also surrounded by a cell membrane. -- This thin layer of lipids encloses nutrients, genetic material and proteins of the cell. -- However, certain substances must be able to pass through the membrane. -- For example, substances that help pathogens to evade the human body's immune response. | Z01 | 183 |
| 2402-081 | Blocking Inflammation to Reduce ALS Symptoms, New Study Suggests | In a study led by Chantelle Sephton, a professor at Université Laval's Faculty of Medicine, it was found that changes in neurons in people with ALS activate immune cells, and lowering inflammation could potentially reduce symptoms of the disease. | Université Laval | Acta Neuropathologica Communications | Press Rel | PubMed | In people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), changes in neurons appear to activate immune cells. Lowering the inflammation could reduce the symptoms of the disease, according to a study led by Chantelle Sephton, a professor at Université Laval's Faculty of Medicine. -- ALS is caused by the loss of upper motor neurons, located in the brain, and lower motor neurons, which extend from the spinal cord to the muscles. -- Using a genetically modified mouse model, Chantelle Sephton and her team found that structural changes in the upper neurons occurred prior to disease symptoms. -- The study suggests that these morphological changes send a signal to microglia and astrocytes, the immune cells of the central nervous system. -- When they arrive, their effect is protective, but if they stay too long, they become toxic to neurons. -- This leads to a reduction in synaptic connections between motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, which in turn results in a reduction in synaptic connections with muscles. -- These changes lead to atrophy and loss of motor function. -- Given this correlation between symptoms and immune response, the research team wondered whether it might be possible to restore synaptic connections by blocking inflammation. -- " We tested a semi-synthetic drug based on Withaferin A, an extract of the Ashwagandha plant, which has been used for thousands of years in traditional Indian medicine," explains CERVO Research Center affiliate Chantelle Sephton. -- The drug blocks inflammation and allows motor neurons to return to a more normal state. | R02 E03 | 184 |
| 2401-T012 | Sodium's High-Pressure Transformation Unveils Secrets of Stars and Planets | The chemical bonding behind sodium's transformation from a metal to an insulator at high pressure has been revealed in a new study. | University at Buffalo | Angewandte Chemie International Edition | Press Rel | PubMed | Travel deep enough below Earth's surface or inside the center of the Sun, and matter changes on an atomic level. -- The mounting pressure within stars and planets can cause metals to become nonconducting insulators. -- Sodium has been shown to transform from a shiny, gray-colored metal into a transparent, glass-like insulator when squeezed hard enough. -- Now, a University at Buffalo-led study has revealed the chemical bonding behind this particular high-pressure phenomenon. -- While it's been theorized that high pressure essentially squeezes sodium's electrons out into the spaces between atoms, researchers' quantum chemical calculations show that these electrons still very much belong to the surrounding atoms and are chemically bonded to each other. -- "We're answering a very simple question of why sodium becomes an insulator, but predicting how other elements and chemical compounds behave at very high pressures will potentially give insight into bigger-picture questions," says Eva Zurek, Ph.D., professor of chemistry in the UB College of Arts and Sciences and co-author of the study, which was published in Angewandte Chemie, a journal of the German Chemical Society. -- "What's the interior of a star like? How are planets' magnetic fields generated, if indeed any exist? And how do stars and planets evolve? This type of research moves us closer to answering these questions." -- The study confirms and builds upon the theoretical predictions of the late renowned physicist Neil Ashcroft, whose memory the study is dedicated to. -- It was once thought that materials always become metallic under high pressure -- like the metallic hydrogen theorized to make up Jupiter's core -- but Ashcroft and Jeffrey Neaton's seminal paper two decades ago found some materials, like sodium, can actually become insulators or semiconductors when squeezed. -- They theorized that sodium's core electrons, thought to be inert, would interact with each other and the outer valence electrons when under extreme pressure. | H02 E01 T01 T02 | 185 |
| 2401-041 | Enhanced Brain Delivery of Antibodies for Treating Brain Diseases: Research Breakthrough | Researchers have found a way to overcome the blood-brain barrier and deliver antibody therapeutics to the brain, opening up new possibilities for treating brain diseases. | University of Alabama at Birmingham | Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology | Press Rel | PubMed | The blood-brain barrier blocks the entry of antibodies into the brain. This limits the potential use of antibody therapeutics to treat brain diseases, such as brain tumors. -- Elsewhere in the body, more than 100 United States Food and Drug Administration-approved therapeutic antibodies are used by medical teams to treat cancers and autoimmune, infectious and metabolic diseases. Finding ways to transport therapeutic antibodies across the blood-brain barrier -- from the peripheral blood stream into the central nervous system -- could create effective treatments that act in the brain. -- In a study published in the journal Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham report that the site-directed addition of an FDA-approved, biodegradable polymer at the hinge and near hinge regions of the therapeutic antibody trastuzumab effectively facilitated the brain delivery of this human monoclonal IgG1 antibody. Trastuzumab is used to treat breast cancer and several other cancers. -- Preliminary work on this novel platform included in vitro and mouse-model experiments. Researchers say the delivery system still needs to be optimized and tested further, yet note their simple methodology converts antibody therapeutics to a brain-deliverable form that maintains the antibody's medical functionality. -- "The concerns of brain-entry haunt the development of brain-disease-targeting antibody therapeutics, impeding the medical translations of laboratory-generated antibodies to clinical practices," said Masakazu Kamata, Ph.D., leader of the study and an associate professor in the UAB Department of Microbiology. "In this context, this simple methodology has great potential to serve as the platform to not only repurpose the current antibody therapeutics, but also encourage the design of novel antibodies, for the treatment of brain diseases." -- The biocompatible polymer used was poly 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine, or PMPC, with chain lengths of 50, 100 or 200 monomers. The researchers had already discovered that this non-immunogenic polymer, which the FDA has approved as a coating material for transplantable devices, could bind to two receptors on brain microvascular endothelial cells composing the blood-brain barrier, and those cells could then move the polymer across the blood-brain barrier by transcytosis. Transcytosis is a specialized transport whereby extracellular cargo is brought inside the cell, shuttled across the cytoplasm to the other side of the cell, and then released. -- The UAB researchers were able to cleave four interchain disulfide bonds in the trastuzumab IgG1 hinge and near hinge regions, creating thiol groups. Each thiol group was then conjugated to a chain of the PMPC to create trastuzumab molecules with one of the three chain lengths, which they denoted as Tmab-PMPC50, Tmab-PMPC100 and Tmab-PMPC200. -- Each of these modified antibodies still maintained trastuzumab-specific binding to cells expressing the HER2 antigen, the target of trastuzumab. Both the Tmab-PMPC50 and the Tmab-PMPC100 were internalized into HER2-positive cells and promoted antibody-dependent cell death, which is the medical functionality by which trastuzumab kills HER2+ breast cancer cells. -- The researchers then showed that PMPC conjugation of trastuzumab enhanced blood-brain barrier penetration through the epithelial cells on the blood-brain barrier via the transcytosis pathway. The translocatable Tmab-PMPC100 was the best at efficient blood-brain barrier penetration while retaining trastuzumab's epitope recognition, the ability of the antibody to bind to its antigen target. -- In a mouse model, both Tmab-PMPC100 and Tmab-PMPC200 were about fivefold better at brain penetration than native trastuzumab. In preliminary in vitro and mouse-model experiments, the polymer-modified trastuzumab did not induce neurotoxicity, did not show adverse effects in the liver, and did not disrupt the integrity of the blood-brain barrier. | H01 R01 R02 E03 T01 | 186 |
| 2401-E017 | Ecological Restoration May Save Coral Atoll Islands from Rising Seas | Ecological restoration shows potential for protecting coral atoll islands from rising seas caused by climate change. This finding offers hope for preserving these vulnerable ecosystems. | University of Auckland | Trends in Ecology & Evolution | Press Rel | PubMed | Ecological restoration may save coral atoll islands from the rising seas of climate change, according to an international team of scientists, conservationists, and an indigenous leader. -- While global carbon emission reduction is imperative, local measures could be the key to the islands outpacing sea levels, they argue today in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution. -- "Far from being doomed, in their natural state most coral atoll islands could adapt to sea level rise," says Dr Sebastian Steibl from the University of Auckland in New Zealand, lead author of the study. -- "This paper is a global call to identify and quantify the best measures for restoring atoll island growth." -- The world's 320 tropical coral atolls are made up of thousands of islands and are a treasure trove of biodiversity, homes to millions of turtles and seabirds. -- These islands are naturally growing up to 1 cm a year by accreting sediment -- enough to outpace most predictions of sea level rise. -- Ecologically restoring this natural process holds the key to climate change resilience for the islands, says the team of scientists, who are already trialling restoration methods on atolls such as Tetiaroa and Palmyra in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Aldabra in the western Indian Ocean. -- While densely populated islands such as in the Maldives will still need human-engineered solutions most coral atoll islands are sparsely inhabited and excellent candidates for restoration, the scientists say. -- "Restoration of atoll island ecosystems is a proven conservation action that can significantly improve the health of the surrounding coral reef habitat," says island resilience scientist and co-author Dr Alex Wegmann from The Nature Conservancy in California. -- The climate damage fund announced at COP28 is one potential mechanism for funding local restoration. | E01 E02 | 187 |
| 2401-001 | Light Color Plays Less Role in Sleep Than Initially Thought | Researchers from the University of Basel and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have compared the influence of different light colors on the human body to determine if the color of light affects sleep. Their findings contradict a previous study conducted in mice. | University of Basel | Nature Human Behaviour | Press Rel | PubMed | Light in the evening is thought to be bad for sleep. However, does the color of the light play a role? Researchers from the University of Basel and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) compared the influence of different light colors on the human body. The researchers' findings contradict the results of a previous study in mice. -- Vision is a complex process. The visual perception of the environment is created by a combination of different wavelengths of light, which are decoded as colours and brightness in the brain. Photoreceptors in the retina first convert the light into electrical impulses: with sufficient light, the cones enable sharp, detailed, and coloured vision. Rods only contribute to vision in low light conditions allowing for different shades of grey to be distinguished but leaving vision much less precise. The electrical nerve impulses are finally transmitted to ganglion cells in the retina and then via the optic nerve to the visual cortex in the brain. This region of the brain processes the neural activity into a coloured image. -- What influences the internal clock? -- Ambient light however does not only allow us to see, it also influences our sleep-wake rhythm. Specialised ganglion cells are significantly involved in this process, which -- like the cones and rods -- are sensitive to light and react particularly strongly to short-wavelength light at a wavelength of around 490 nanometres. If light consists solely of short wavelengths of 440 to 490 nanometres, we perceive it as blue. If short-wavelength light activates the ganglion cells, they signal to the internal clock that it is daytime. The decisive factor here is how intense the light is per wavelength; the perceived colour is not relevant. -- "However, the light-sensitive ganglion cells also receive information from the cones. This raises the question of whether the cones, and thereby the light colour, also influence the internal clock. After all, the most striking changes in brightness and light colour occur at sunrise and sunset, marking the beginning and end of a day," says Dr. Christine Blume. At the Centre for Chronobiology of the University of Basel, she investigates the effects of light on humans and is the first author of a study investigating the effects of different light colours on the internal clock and sleep. The team of researchers from the University of Basel and the TUM has now published its findings in the scientific journal "Nature Human Behaviour." -- Light colours in comparison -- "A study in mice in 2019 suggested that yellowish light has a stronger influence on the internal clock than blueish light," says Christine Blume. In humans, the main effect of light on the internal clock and sleep is probably mediated via the light-sensitive ganglion cells. "However, there is reason to believe that the colour of light, which is encoded by the cones, could also be relevant for the internal clock." -- To get to the bottom of this, the researchers exposed 16 healthy volunteers to a blueish or yellowish light stimulus for one hour in the late evening, as well as a white light stimulus as a control condition. The light stimuli were designed in such a way that they differentially activated the colour-sensitive cones in the retina in a very controlled manner. However, the stimulation of the light-sensitive ganglion cells was the same in all three conditions. Differences in the effect of the light were therefore directly attributable to the respective stimulation of the cones and ultimately the colour of the light. -- "This method of light stimulation allows us to separate the light properties that may play a role in how light effects humans in a clean experimental way," says Manuel Spitschan, Professor of Chronobiology and Health at the Technical University of Munich, who was also involved in the study. -- In order to understand the effects of the different light stimuli on the body, in the sleep laboratory the researchers determined whether the internal clock of the participants had changed depending on the colour of the light. Additionally, they assessed how long it took the volunteers to fall asleep and how deep their sleep was at the beginning of the night. The researchers also enquired about their tiredness and tested their ability to react, which decreases with increasing sleepiness. | H02 R02 | 188 |
| 2401-071 | Mouse Study Unveils How the Brain Deals with the Unexpected | Researchers at the University of Basel are using mice to understand how reactions to unexpected events develop in the growing brain, shedding light on the complex processes behind surprise in children and adults. | University of Basel | Science Advances | Press Rel | PubMed | For children, the world is full of surprises. Adults, on the other hand, are much more difficult to surprise. And there are complex processes behind this apparently straightforward state of affairs. Researchers at the University of Basel have been using mice to decode how reactions to the unexpected develop in the growing brain. -- Babies love playing peekaboo, continuing to react even on the tenth sudden appearance of their partner in the game. -- Recognizing the unexpected is an important cognitive ability. -- After all, new can also mean dangerous. -- The exact way in which surprises are processed in the brain changes as we grow, however: unusual stimuli are much more quickly categorized as "important" or "uninteresting," and are significantly less surprising the second and third time they appear. -- This increased efficiency makes perfect sense: new stimuli may gain our attention, but do not cause an unnecessarily strong reaction that costs us energy. -- While this may appear trivial at first, so far there has been very little research into this fact in the context of brain development. -- Experiments with young mice conducted by Professor Tania Barkat's research team have now begun to decode how the developing brain processes surprising sounds and what changes as we grow up. The researchers have reported on their findings in the journal Science Advances. -- Strange sounds -- In their experiments, the researchers used sequences of sounds in which a different tone was heard at irregular intervals in between a series of identical ones. | H01 R02 | 189 |
| 2401-052 | Mindfulness-Exercise Combo Boosts Mental Health and Changes Exercise Habits | Combining mindfulness with exercise can improve mental health and well-being, potentially helping individuals establish and maintain exercise habits, suggests a study from the University of Bath. | University of Bath | Mental Health and Physical Activity | Press Rel | PubMed | For people looking to start 2024 with a new routine to feel fitter and happier, a new study from the University of Bath suggests that combining mindfulness with exercise could be your key to success. -- A study, published in the academic journal Mental Health and Physical Activity, suggests that life changes which combine both physical activity and mindfulness are most effective at lifting mood and improving health and wellbeing. -- Both physical activity and mindfulness practice have well established psychological benefits. -- However, by reviewing existing research studies, this is one of the first to show how the positive effects can be increased when the two are combined. -- Its findings suggest that mindfulness can help to unlock exercise by helping to motivate people to start in the first place, whilst overcoming minor pain, discomfort or feelings of failure when exercising gets hard. -- Analysis of existing research found mindfulness to be highly effective at reducing worry, stress, anxiety, and helping people to live healthier, happier lives. -- The benefits for mental and physical health from mindfulness were found in people with and without health issues. -- The study was conducted by psychologist Masha Remskar, an expert in behaviour change, mindfulness and exercise based at the University of Bath, with support from the Medito Foundation -- a mindfulness non-profit with a mission to build a more mindful world. -- Through its work, Medito has developed a mindfulness meditation app -- a free alternative to paid-for services such as Headspace and Calm. -- It is collaborating with Bath to help improve people's mental wellbeing but also to help them get more active. | H01 H02 T02 | 190 |
| 2402-091 | Overhaul Epidemic Modelling to Include Social Networks, Scientists Urge | Models used to predict epidemic spread have a major flaw as they do not consider the underlying network structure of transmission. This highlights the need for more accurate models that take into account the complex interconnectedness of individuals in a population. | University of Birmingham | Journal of Physics: Complexity | Press Rel | PubMed | Models used by scientists to predict how epidemics will spread have a major flaw since they do not take into account the structure of the networks underlying transmission. -- According to a new study from the University of Birmingham, modelling used to forecast the effects of diseases, such as Covid-19, can significantly overestimate the number of infections that will occur in an epidemic "wave." -- The research, published today (9th January) in the Journal of Physics: Complexity¸ comes as the Covid inquiry continues to investigate what went wrong with the Government's handling of the pandemic, and what should be done better in the future. -- Currently, epidemic modelling does not usually factor in that people are connected by a network of contacts where transmission might occur. -- Instead, many of these models, such as the ones that were used to inform decisions concerning Covid-19, make the assumption of "random mixing." -- Dr Samuel Johnson, Associate Professor in Applied Mathematics at the University of Birmingham, who conducted the study said: "It has been known for a long time that the properties of social networks are important for epidemic spreading, we can see this in action when those who were exposed to Covid-19 through mixing with infected individuals were contacted to let them know of their exposure. But because we do not have a way of knowing the whole network of millions of people, modellers usually do the best they can and assume random mixing, i.e. that anyone could infect anyone else. The problem is that the properties of this network can completely change the outcomes predicted." -- The research considers that if these networks are heterogeneous, meaning that some people have a lot more contacts than others, then epidemic "waves" may be much smaller than predicted by standard models. -- Dr Johnson continues: "This is partly because fewer people get infected for a given transmissibility. But also, if you look at data on infections through a random-mixing lens you will overestimate transmissibility, and these two errors compound each other." -- In the paper, a simple version of these models shows two epidemic waves looking initially the same, but in the random-mixing case nearly 90% of people eventually become infected, whereas on a "scale free" (heterogeneous) network it is only 20%. -- Dr Johnson also explores how changes in networks over time can lead to multiple waves of an epidemic, even after "herd immunity" has apparently been reached with previous waves. | R01 | 191 |
| 2402-E003 | Mystery of How Predatory Bacteria Recognize Prey Finally Solved | New research may have solved the mystery of how natural antimicrobial predatory bacteria recognize and kill other bacteria. This discovery has significant implications for understanding bacterial interactions and developing new antimicrobial strategies. | University of Birmingham | Nature Microbiology | Press Rel | PubMed | A decades-old mystery of how natural antimicrobial predatory bacteria are able to recognize and kill other bacteria may have been solved, according to new research. -- In a study published today (4th January) in Nature Microbiology, researchers from the University of Birmingham and the University of Nottingham have discovered how natural antimicrobial predatory bacteria, called Bdellovibrio bacterivorous, produce fibre-like proteins on their surface to ensnare prey. -- This discovery may enable scientists to use these predators to target and kill problematic bacteria that cause issues in healthcare, food spoilage and the environment. -- Professor of Structural Biology at the University of Birmingham, Andrew Lovering said: "Since the 1960s Bdellovibrio bacterivorous has been known to hunt and kill other bacteria by entering the target cells and eating them from the inside before later bursting out. The question that had stumped scientists was 'how do these cells make a firm attachment when we know how varied their bacterial targets are?'" -- Professor Lovering and Professor Liz Sockett, from the School of Life Sciences at the University of Nottingham, have been collaborating in this field for almost 15 years. -- The breakthrough came when Sam Greenwood an undergraduate student, and Asmaa Al-Bayati, a PhD student in the Sockett lab, discovered that the Bdellovibrio predators lay down a sturdy vesicle (a "pinched-off" part of the predator cell envelope) when invading their prey. -- Professor Liz Sockett explained: "The vesicle creates a kind of airlock or keyhole allowing Bdellovibrio entry into the prey cell. We were then able to isolate this vesicle from the dead prey, which is a first in this field. The vesicle was analysed to reveal the tools used during the preceding event of predator/prey contact. We thought of it as a bit like a locksmith leaving the pick, or key, as evidence, in the keyhole. -- "By looking at the vesicle contents, we discovered that because Bdellovibrio doesn't know which bacteria it will meet, it deploys a range of similar prey recognition molecules on its surface, creating lots of different 'keys' to 'unlock' lots of different types of prey." -- The researchers then undertook an individual analysis of the molecules, demonstrating that they form long fibres, approximately ten times longer than common globular proteins. -- This allows them to operate at a distance and "feel" for prey in the vicinity. | H01 | 192 |
| 2401-E045 | Ancient Predatory Worms Unearthed: Fossils Shed Light on Early Cambrian Predators | Fossils of a new group of animal predators in Greenland reveal a previously unknown dynasty of predators from over 518 million years ago. | University of Bristol | Science Advances | Press Rel | PubMed | Fossils of a new group of animal predators have been located in the Early Cambrian Sirius Passet fossil locality in North Greenland. These large worms may be some of the earliest carnivorous animals to have colonised the water column more than 518 million years ago, revealing a past dynasty of predators that scientists didn't know existed. -- The new fossil animals have been named Timorebestia, meaning 'terror beasts' in Latin. -- Adorned with fins down the sides of their body, a distinct head with long antennae, massive jaw structures inside their mouth and growing to more than 30cm in length, these were some of the largest swimming animals in the Early Cambrian times. -- "We have previously known that primitive arthropods were the dominant predators during the Cambrian, such as the bizarre-looking anomalocaridids," said Dr Jakob Vinther from the University of Bristol's Schools of Earth Sciences and Biological Sciences, a senior author on the study. -- "Our research shows that these ancient ocean ecosystems were fairly complex with a food chain that allowed for several tiers of predators. -- "Timorebestia were giants of their day and would have been close to the top of the food chain. That makes it equivalent in importance to some of the top carnivores in modern oceans, such as sharks and seals back in the Cambrian period." -- Inside the fossilised digestive system of Timorebestia, the researchers found remains of a common, swimming arthropod called Isoxys. "We can see these arthropods was a food source many other animals," said Morten Lunde Nielsen, a former PhD student at Bristol and part of the current study. -- "They are very common at Sirius Passet and had long protective spines, pointing both forwards and backwards. However, they clearly didn't completely succeed in avoiding that fate, because Timorebestia munched on them in great quantities." -- Arrow worms are one of the oldest animal fossils from the Cambrian. -- While arthropods appear in the fossil record about 521 to 529 million years ago, arrow worms can be traced back at least 538 million years back in time. | H01 E01 E02 | 193 |
| 2402-075 | Exploring the Neuropsychological Effects: How Rapid-Acting Antidepressants Improve Mood | Rapid-acting antidepressants can modulate affective biases associated with learning and memory, according to new research. | University of Bristol | Science Translational Medicine | Press Rel | PubMed | Rapid-acting antidepressants, including ketamine, scopolamine and psilocybin, have been found to have immediate and lasting positive effects on mood in patients with major depressive disorder but how these effects arise is unknown. New research led by the University of Bristol explored their neuropsychological effects and found that all three of these drugs can modulate affective biases associated with learning and memory. -- The paper, published in Science Translational Medicine today [10 January] was carried out in collaboration with researchers at Compass Pathways, Boehringer Ingelheim, and the University of Cambridge. -- Negative affective biases are a core feature of major depressive disorder. -- Affective biases occur when emotions alter how the brain processes information and negative affective biases are thought to contribute to the development and continuation of depressed mood. -- The research team used an affective bias test, based on an associative learning task, to investigate the effects of rapid-acting antidepressants (RAADs) in rats. -- They found that all the treatments were able to reduce negative affective biases associated with past experiences but there were additional characteristics of the dissociative anaesthetic, ketamine, and the serotonergic psychedelic, investigational COMP360 psilocybin (Compass Pathways' proprietary formulation of synthetic psilocybin), which could explain why the effects of a single treatment can be long-lasting. -- The findings suggest that these sustained effects are due to adaptive changes in the brain circuits which control affective biases, and these can influence how past experiences are remembered. -- The effects at low doses were very specific to affective bias modulation and were localised to the prefrontal cortex of the brain, a region known to play an important role in mood. -- Emma Robinson, Professor of Psychopharmacology in the School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience at Bristol, and lead author, said: "Using a behavioural task we showed that drugs that are believed to have rapid and sustained benefits in depressed patients, specifically modulate affective biases associated with past experiences, something which we think is really important for understanding why they can improve a patient's mood so quickly. -- "We also found differences in how ketamine, scopolamine and COMP360 psilocybin interact with these neuropsychological mechanisms which may explain why the effects of a single treatment in human patients can be long-lasting, days (ketamine) to months (psilocybin). | H01 H02 R02 | 194 |
| 2402-083 | High Humidity and Temperature in Pregnancy Influence Blood Pressure Changes in Childhood | New research from the University of Bristol, published in JACC: Advances, suggests that outdoor humidity and temperature levels during pregnancy may impact the future blood pressure of the unborn child. This highlights the potential influence of environmental factors on fetal development. | University of Bristol | JACC: Advances | Press Rel | PubMed | Outdoor humidity and temperature levels during pregnancy could affect the future blood pressure of the unborn child, according to new research by the University of Bristol, published in JACC: Advances. -- The study, part of the LongITools project, has shown that exposure to relative humidity and temperature levels during pregnancy was related to blood pressure changes in the children. -- Higher relative humidity in pregnancy was associated with a steeper increase in blood pressure, and prenatal exposure to higher temperature with a slower increase in blood pressure, especially in childhood from age 3 to 10 years. -- Although an increase in blood pressure is normal during this age range, these weather-related factors were associated with a different rate of increase, especially in childhood. -- Previous studies have mostly measured blood pressure at a single time point, predominantly focusing on single exposures, particularly air pollution. -- In this study, using repeated measures of blood pressure, researchers aimed to assess the association of a range of prenatal urban environmental exposures with changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure from childhood to early adulthood. -- The study analysed repeated blood pressure measurements in over 7,000 participants aged between 3 and 24 years from Bristol's Children of the 90s study, a world-leading longitudinal study, to assess the relationship of various characteristics of the urban environment in pregnancy with blood pressure from childhood to early adulthood. -- Analyses were repeated in four independent European cohorts in over 9,000 individuals in Finland, France and the Netherlands. -- The research team explored 43 different measures of noise, air pollution, built environment, natural spaces, traffic, meteorology, and unhealthy food environment, and found that prenatal outdoor temperature and humidity could influence changes in blood pressure, especially in childhood. -- Overall, the study showed: | H01 E01 | 195 |
| 2402-E048 | Switching Gears in Flight: Hummingbirds' Mental Strategies Revealed | New research by University of British Columbia (UBC) zoologists reveals that hummingbirds use different sensory strategies to control their flight, depending on whether they're hovering or in forward motion. | University of British Columbia | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences | Press Rel | PubMed | Hummingbirds use two distinct sensory strategies to control their flight, depending on whether they're hovering or in forward motion, according to new research by University of British Columbia (UBC) zoologists. -- "When in forward fight, hummingbirds rely on what we call an 'internal forward model' -- almost an ingrained, intuitive autopilot -- to gauge speed," says Dr. Vikram B. Baliga, lead author of a new study on hummingbird locomotion published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. "There's just too much information coming in to rely directly on every visual cue from your surroundings." -- "But when hovering or dealing with cues that might require a change in altitude, we found they rely much more on real-time, direct visual feedback from their environment." -- The findings not only provide insights on how the tiny, agile birds perceive the world during transitions in flight, but could inform the programming of onboard navigation for next generation autonomous flying and hovering vehicles. -- Hummingbird flight recorder -- The researchers had hummingbirds perform repeated flights from a perch to a feeder in a four-metre tunnel. -- To test how the birds reacted to a variety of visual stimuli, the team projected patterns on the chamber's front and side walls. -- Each flight was videoed. -- In some scenarios, the researchers projected vertical stripes moving at various speeds on the side walls to mimic degrees of forward motion. -- Sometimes, horizontal stripes on the side mimicked changes in altitude. | E02 | 196 |
| 2401-E042 | The Hidden Connection Between Kelp Forests and Beaches: A Symphony of Synchrony | The relationship between kelp forests and beaches is more connected than previously thought, with implications for the beach food web as climate changes. | University of California - Davis | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | Press Rel | PubMed | The Santa Barbara Channel's kelp forests and its sandy beaches are intimately connected. Giant kelp, the foundation species of rocky reefs, serves as a major part of the beach food web as fronds of the giant seaweed break away from the forest and are transported to the beach. But the relationship goes deeper. -- In a paper published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of scientists demonstrated that kelp forests can do more than supply food to tiny, hungry crustaceans living in the sand. -- They can also influence the dynamics of the sandy beach food web. -- "The amount of kelp on the reef changes through time in a way where the peaks and low points in abundance across several kelp forests are matched together," said lead author Jonathan Walter, a senior researcher at the University of California, Davis, and its Center for Watershed Sciences. -- "That's what we refer to as synchrony. It is related to the ability of systems to persist in the face of changing environmental conditions. A little asynchrony allows systems to be resistant to fluctuations and therefore more stable." -- The study uncovers the role of synchrony in the beach food web, with broader implications as the climate shifts in ways that might change how linked ecosystems perform their functions. -- Revealing synchrony's role in these ecosystems fills a key knowledge gap in our understanding of the connection of reef and beach. -- "The kelp forest and the beach are both highly dynamic ecosystems," said co-author Jenny Dugan, a coastal marine ecologist at UC Santa Barbara. -- "How the dynamics of those two ecosystems interact and behave is the key question here, especially with the beach system so dependent on the kelp forest." -- Though a natural and ubiquitous phenomenon, synchrony and its implications are not yet fully understood. | H01 E01 E03 T01 | 197 |
| 2402-E035 | The Choreography of Kelp: Connecting Forests to the Beach | The Santa Barbara Channel's kelp forests and sandy beaches have a symbiotic relationship, with giant kelp serving as a major part of the beach food web. | University of California - Davis | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | Press Rel | PubMed | The Santa Barbara Channel's kelp forests and its sandy beaches are intimately connected. Giant kelp, the foundation species of rocky reefs, serves as a major part of the beach food web as fronds of the giant seaweed break away from the forest and are transported to the beach. But the relationship goes deeper. -- In a paper published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of scientists demonstrated that kelp forests can do more than supply food to tiny, hungry crustaceans living in the sand. They can also influence the dynamics of the sandy beach food web. -- "The amount of kelp on the reef changes through time in a way where the peaks and low points in abundance across several kelp forests are matched together," said lead author Jonathan Walter, a senior researcher at the University of California, Davis, and its Center for Watershed Sciences. "That's what we refer to as synchrony. It is related to the ability of systems to persist in the face of changing environmental conditions. A little asynchrony allows systems to be resistant to fluctuations and therefore more stable." -- The study uncovers the role of synchrony in the beach food web, with broader implications as the climate shifts in ways that might change how linked ecosystems perform their functions. -- Revealing synchrony's role in these ecosystems fills a key knowledge gap in our understanding of the connection of reef and beach. -- "The kelp forest and the beach are both highly dynamic ecosystems," said co-author Jenny Dugan, a coastal marine ecologist at UC Santa Barbara. "How the dynamics of those two ecosystems interact and behave is the key question here, especially with the beach system so dependent on the kelp forest." -- In sync -- Though a natural and ubiquitous phenomenon, synchrony and its implications are not yet fully understood. -- The research team sought to understand whether and how kelp wrack (detritus) could affect the beach ecosystem's dynamics. For instance, how might species respond to the changing environment, and how resilient is the beach ecosystem to disturbances? -- To address these questions, the study used long-term data from UCSB's Santa Barbara Coastal Long Term Ecological Research site, which is supported by the National Science Foundation. The team's model was built on a time series of wind, wave, wrack, and beach-width data at five sandy beaches over 11 years. | H01 E01 E03 | 198 |
| 2401-E039 | Octopus-Inspired Technology for Deception and Signaling: Inspiration from Nature | Researchers draw inspiration from the greater blue-ringed octopus to develop a technological platform with color-changing capabilities for various fields. | University of California - Irvine | Nature Communications | Press Rel | PubMed | With a split-second muscle contraction, the greater blue-ringed octopus can change the size and color of the namesake patterns on its skin for purposes of deception, camouflage and signaling. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have drawn inspiration from this natural wonder to develop a technological platform with similar capabilities for use in a variety of fields, including the military, medicine, robotics and sustainable energy. -- According to its inventors, new devices made possible by this innovation will benefit from dynamically adjustable fluorescent and spectroscopic properties, ease of manufacturing, and potential for scaling to areas large enough to cover vehicles, billboards and even buildings. -- The bio-inspired creation is the subject of a study published recently in Nature Communications. -- Hapalochlaena lunulata is a species of octopus native to the Western Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean. -- It uses a neurotoxin venom to stun its prey and can ward off predators with a flash of its blue rings. -- These iridescent circles on a brown background on the creature's skin are what drew the attention of the UCI researchers. -- "We are fascinated by the mechanisms underpinning the blue-ringed octopus' ability to rapidly switch its skin markings between hidden and exposed states," said senior co-author Alon Gorodetsky, UCI professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering. -- "For this project, we worked to mimic the octopus' natural abilities with devices from unique materials we synthesized in our laboratory, and the result is an octopus-inspired deception and signaling system that is straightforward to fabricate, functions for a long time when operated continuously, and can even repair itself when damaged." -- The architecture of the innovation calls for a thin film consisting of wrinkled blue rings surrounding brown circles -- much like those on the octopus -- sandwiched between a topmost transparent proton-conducting electrode and an underlying acrylic membrane, with another identical electrode underneath. -- Further technical creativity by the researchers occurs at the molecular level as they explored the use of acenes, which are organic compounds made up of linearly fused benzene rings. | T01 | 199 |
| 2402-E033 | Octopus-Inspired Technology: Deception, Camouflage, and Signaling at Your Command | Researchers have been inspired by the color-changing abilities of the blue-ringed octopus to develop a technological platform with applications in various fields, including the military, medicine, robotics, and sustainable energy. | University of California - Irvine | Nature Communications | Press Rel | PubMed | With a split-second muscle contraction, the greater blue-ringed octopus can change the size and color of the namesake patterns on its skin for purposes of deception, camouflage and signaling. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have drawn inspiration from this natural wonder to develop a technological platform with similar capabilities for use in a variety of fields, including the military, medicine, robotics and sustainable energy. -- According to its inventors, new devices made possible by this innovation will benefit from dynamically adjustable fluorescent and spectroscopic properties, ease of manufacturing, and potential for scaling to areas large enough to cover vehicles, billboards and even buildings. -- The bio-inspired creation is the subject of a study published recently in Nature Communications. -- Hapalochlaena lunulata is a species of octopus native to the Western Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean. -- It uses a neurotoxin venom to stun its prey and can ward off predators with a flash of its blue rings. -- These iridescent circles on a brown background on the creature's skin are what drew the attention of the UCI researchers. -- "We are fascinated by the mechanisms underpinning the blue-ringed octopus' ability to rapidly switch its skin markings between hidden and exposed states," said senior co-author Alon Gorodetsky, UCI professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering. -- "For this project, we worked to mimic the octopus' natural abilities with devices from unique materials we synthesized in our laboratory, and the result is an octopus-inspired deception and signaling system that is straightforward to fabricate, functions for a long time when operated continuously, and can even repair itself when damaged." -- The architecture of the innovation calls for a thin film consisting of wrinkled blue rings surrounding brown circles -- much like those on the octopus -- sandwiched between a topmost transparent proton-conducting electrode and an underlying acrylic membrane, with another identical electrode underneath. -- Further technical creativity by the researchers occurs at the molecular level as they explored the use of acenes, which are organic compounds made up of linearly fused benzene rings. | T01 | 200 |
| 2402-043 | Adolescent Drug Overdoses: A Grim Reality in the U.S. | New research reveals that 22 adolescents die each week in the U.S. from drug overdoses, primarily driven by fentanyl in counterfeit pills. The study identifies 19 hotspot counties with high overdose rates and emphasizes the urgent need for intervention and prevention strategies. | University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences | New England Journal of Medicine | Press Rel | PubMed | An average of 22 adolescents 14 to 18 years of age died in the U.S. each week in 2022 from drug overdoses, raising the death rate for this group to 5.2 per 100,000 -- driven by fentanyl in counterfeit pills, new research finds. -- Adolescent overdoses had more than doubled among this group between 2019 and 2020, and have since intensified to such an extent that the death count equals a high school classroom each week, and is now the third largest cause of pediatric deaths behind firearm-related injuries and motor vehicle collisions. -- The increase is, however, not due to more illicit drug use -- which has in fact fallen over the years; for example, excluding cannabis, the rate of any illicit drug use among just 12th graders had fallen from about 21% to 8% in the 20 years since 2002. -- Instead, the increase is the result of drugs becoming deadlier due to fentanyl, which is increasingly found in counterfeit oxycodone, benzodiazepines and other prescription pills that fall into the hands of adolescents. -- But educators, physicians, and mental health practitioners can be instrumental in helping to stem this tide through pointed questions and guidance about drug use and the dangers that counterfeit pills present, the researchers write in a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine. In addition, policymakers can focus on "hotspot" counties, most in western states, with particularly high overdose deaths. -- "Teenagers are likely to be unaware of just how high-risk experimenting with pills has become, given the recent rise in counterfeit tablets" said study co-author Joseph Friedman, a researcher at UCLA. -- "It's often impossible to tell the difference with the naked eye between a real prescription medication obtained from a doctor and a counterfeit version with a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl. It's urgent that teenagers be given accurate information about the real risks, and strategies to keep themselves and their friends safe." -- The researchers found that adolescent overdoses were occurring at double the national average in Arizona, Colorado and Washington State between 2020 and 2022. -- They identified 19 hotspot counties -- that is, those with at least 20 overdose deaths and death rates higher than the national average, with Maricopa County in Arizona and Los Angeles County having the most fatal overdoses at 117 and 111, respectively, during this period. -- The other 17 counties are Orange County, California (61 deaths), Cook County, Illinois (56), San Bernardino County, California (54), King County, Washington (52), Riverside County, California (41), San Diego County, California (36), Tarrant County, Texas (35), Clark County, Nevada (31), Kern County, California (30), Pima County, Arizona (29), Adams County, Colorado (25), Denver County, Colorado (24), Jackson County, Missouri (24), Santa Clara County, California (24), Bernalillo County, New Mexico (23), Davidson County, Tennessee (21), and Marion County, Indiana (21). | H01 E01 | 201 |
| 2402-T013 | Rising Hospitalizations: Scooter Injuries Triple in the US from 2016-2020 | Scooter injuries in the U.S. have almost tripled from 2016 to 2020, resulting in an increase in severe injuries and higher healthcare costs. This rise in injuries poses a significant financial burden on the healthcare system and calls for increased safety measures for scooter riders. | University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences | Journal of the American College of Surgeons. | Press Rel | PubMed | UCLA-led research finds that scooter injuries nearly tripled across the U.S. from 2016 to 2020, with a concurrent increase in severe injuries requiring orthopedic and plastic surgery over the same period. -- The study, which compared national trends in scooter and bicycle injuries during the period, also found that costs to treat those injuries rose five-fold, highlighting the financial strain these injuries pose to the healthcare system -- a finding that "underscores a critical juncture for discerning the underlying causes of injuries and informing policies for injury prevention," the researchers note. -- The study will be published January 9 in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American College of Surgeons. -- "Considering the rise in the number of hospitalizations and major operations for scooter-related injuries, it's crucial to elevate safety standards for riders," said lead author Nam Yong Cho, a third-year medical student at UCLA and a research associate at the UCLA Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Laboratories. -- "Advocating for improved infrastructure, including enforced speed limits and dedicated lanes, is also vital to minimize risks for vehicles, scooter riders, and pedestrians alike." -- The researchers used the 2016-2020 National Inpatient Sample, a database maintained by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, to compare trends and outcomes for scooter-related and bicycle-related injuries. -- The database does not, however, differentiate between electric and non-electric scooters. -- Of nearly 93,000 patients who were hospitalized for injuries, about 6,100 (6.6%) resulted from scooter injuries. -- Overall, about 27% of people in the scooter cohort were under age 18 compared with 16% for the bicycle group. -- In addition, injuries were most frequent in the winter months (24% vs 20%), patients were insured by Medicaid (27% vs 24%); and scooter injuries led to more major operative interventions (56% vs 48%), which mainly included orthopedic and plastic surgery (89% vs 85%) and operations to the head (5% vs 4%). | Z01 | 202 |
| 2401-044 | High-Fat Diets Impact Genes Linked to Health: Study Urges Eating Less Fat | High-fat diets not only impact obesity and colon cancer, but also affect the immune system, brain function, and potentially increase COVID-19 risk, according to a new study. | University of California - Riverside | Scientific Reports | Press Rel | PubMed | A UC Riverside study to motivate your new year's resolutions: it demonstrates that high-fat diets affect genes linked not only to obesity, colon cancer and irritable bowels, but also to the immune system, brain function, and potentially COVID-19 risk. -- While other studies have examined the effects of a high-fat diet, this one is unusual in its scope. UCR researchers fed mice three different diets over the course of 24 weeks where at least 40% of the calories came from fat. Then, they looked not only at the microbiome, but also at genetic changes in all four parts of the intestines. -- One group of mice ate a diet based on saturated fat from coconut oil, another got a monounsaturated, modified soybean oil, a third got an unmodified soybean oil high in polyunsaturated fat. Compared to a low-fat control diet, all three groups experienced concerning changes in gene expression, the process that turns genetic information into a functional product, such as a protein. -- "Word on the street is that plant-based diets are better for you, and in many cases that's true. However, a diet high in fat, even from a plant, is one case where it's just not true," said Frances Sladek, a UCR cell biology professor and senior author of the new study. -- A new Scientific Reports paper about the study documents the many impacts of high-fat diets. Some of the intestinal changes did not surprise the researchers, such as major changes in genes related to fat metabolism and the composition of gut bacteria. For example, they observed an increase in pathogenic E. coli and a suppression of Bacteroides, which helps protect the body against pathogens. -- Other observations were more surprising, such as changes in genes regulating susceptibility to infectious diseases. "We saw pattern recognition genes, ones that recognize infectious bacteria, take a hit. We saw cytokine signaling genes take a hit, which help the body control inflammation," Sladek said. 'So, it's a double whammy. These diets impair immune system genes in the host, and they also create an environment in which harmful gut bacteria can thrive." -- The team's previous work with soybean oil documents its link to obesity and diabetes, both major risk factors for COVID. This paper now shows that all three high-fat diets increase the expression of ACE2 and other host proteins that are used by COVID spike proteins to enter the body. -- Additionally, the team observed that high-fat food increased signs of stem cells in the colon. "You'd think that would be a good thing, but actually they can be precursors to cancer," Sladek said. -- In terms of effects on gene expression, coconut oil showed the greatest number of changes, followed by the unmodified soybean oil. Differences between the two soybean oils suggest that polyunsaturated fatty acids in unmodified soybean oil, primarily linoleic acid, play a role in altering gene expression. -- Negative changes to the microbiome in this study were more pronounced in mice fed the soybean oil diet. This was unsurprising, as the same research team previously documented other negative health effects of high soybean oil consumption. | H01 R01 R02 E01 E03 | 203 |
| 2401-059 | Scientists Reign in Chaotic Protein Fueling Majority of Cancers | MYC, a protein linked to the worsening of human cancer cases, may be controlled by researchers, offering hope for new treatments. | University of California - Riverside | Journal of the American Chemical Society | Press Rel | PubMed | Meet MYC, the shapeless protein responsible for making the majority of human cancer cases worse. UC Riverside researchers have found a way to rein it in, offering hope for a new era of treatments. -- In healthy cells, MYC helps guide the process of transcription, in which genetic information is converted from DNA into RNA and, eventually, into proteins. -- "Normally, MYC's activity is strictly controlled. In cancer cells, it becomes hyper active, and is not regulated properly," said UCR associate professor of chemistry Min Xue. -- "MYC is less like food for cancer cells and more like a steroid that promotes cancer's rapid growth," Xue said. -- "That is why MYC is a culprit in 75% of all human cancer cases." -- At the outset of this project the UCR research team believed that if they could dampen MYC's hyperactivity, they could open a window in which the cancer could be controlled. -- However, finding a way to control MYC was challenging because unlike most other proteins, MYC has no structure. -- "It's basically a glob of randomness," Xue said. "Conventional drug discovery pipelines rely on well-defined structures, and this does not exist for MYC." -- A new paper in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, on which Xue is the senior author, describes a peptide compound that binds to MYC and suppresses its activity. -- In 2018, the researchers noticed that changing the rigidity and shape of a peptide improves its ability to interact with structureless protein targets such as MYC. | H01 R01 E01 | 204 |
| 2402-055 | Taming the Chaotic Protein: A Breakthrough in Fighting Cancer | MYC, a protein associated with worsening human cancer cases, has been targeted by UC Riverside researchers, offering hope for improved cancer treatments. | University of California - Riverside | Journal of the American Chemical Society | Press Rel | PubMed | Meet MYC, the shapeless protein responsible for making the majority of human cancer cases worse. UC Riverside researchers have found a way to rein it in, offering hope for a new era of treatments. -- In healthy cells, MYC helps guide the process of transcription, in which genetic information is converted from DNA into RNA and, eventually, into proteins. -- "Normally, MYC's activity is strictly controlled. In cancer cells, it becomes hyper active, and is not regulated properly," said UCR associate professor of chemistry Min Xue. -- "MYC is less like food for cancer cells and more like a steroid that promotes cancer's rapid growth," Xue said. -- "That is why MYC is a culprit in 75% of all human cancer cases." -- At the outset of this project the UCR research team believed that if they could dampen MYC's hyperactivity, they could open a window in which the cancer could be controlled. -- However, finding a way to control MYC was challenging because unlike most other proteins, MYC has no structure. -- "It's basically a glob of randomness," Xue said. "Conventional drug discovery pipelines rely on well-defined structures, and this does not exist for MYC." -- A new paper in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, on which Xue is the senior author, describes a peptide compound that binds to MYC and suppresses its activity. -- In 2018, the researchers noticed that changing the rigidity and shape of a peptide improves its ability to interact with structureless protein targets such as MYC. | H01 R01 E01 | 205 |
| 2402-072 | Skin Aging and the Microbiome: New Links Discovered by Researchers | The skin microbiome may be linked to signs of skin aging, according to recent findings. | University of California - San Diego | Frontiers in Aging | Press Rel | PubMed | The effects of aging and external factors like UV exposure on skin are well documented. As people age or spend more time in the sun, their skin tends to become drier and more wrinkled, -- Recent findings have identified an exciting potential new link to signs of skin aging -- the skin microbiome, the collection of microorganisms that inhabits our skin. The results come from a collaborative study carried out by researchers at the Center for Microbiome Innovation (CMI) at the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) and L'Oréal Research and Innovation. -- Their work was published in Frontiers in Aging on January 11, 2024, in an article entitled "A multi-study analysis enables identification of potential microbial features associated with skin aging signs." To the best of the team's knowledge, the study is the first to isolate microbes associated specifically with signs of skin aging and skin health, rather than chronological age. -- Combining CMI's sophisticated data analysis abilities with L'Oréal's knowledge and expertise in skin health assessment, the study comprehensively examined data collected during 13 studies that L'Oréal had carried out in the past, consisting of 16S rRNA amplicon sequence data and corresponding skin clinical data for over 650 female participants, aged 18 -- 70. While each of the studies included in the analysis had focused on one particular area of interest -- for example, crow's feet wrinkles or moisture loss -- this multi-study analysis collated the data to search for trends related to specific microbes while accounting for other variables, such as age. -- "Previous studies have shown that the types of microbes on our skin change fairly predictably with age," said corresponding author Se Jin Song, the CMI Director of Research. "Our skin also changes physiologically with age; for example, we gain wrinkles and our skin gets drier. But there is variation in what this looks like in people -- you've probably noticed that there are some people who have younger or older looking skin than many others their age. Using advanced statistical methods, we were able to tease apart the microbes that are associated with these types of aging signs for skin, like crow's feet wrinkles, from those that are associated with simply age as a chronological number." -- Two notable trends emerged from the analysis. First, the team found a positive association between skin microbiome diversity and lateral cantonal lines (crow's feet wrinkles), which are generally viewed as one of the key signs of skin aging. Second, they observed a negative correlation between microbiome diversity and transepidermal water loss, which is the amount of moisture that evaporates through the skin. In further exploring the trends, the researchers identified several potential biomarkers that warrant investigation as microorganisms of interest. It would be premature to infer causation or actionable insights, but the study's results have provided researchers with directions on the next steps to hone in on better understanding microbial associations with skin aging. -- "At L'Oréal, our commitment is to create beauty products that meet the unique needs of each individual. Our recent collaboration with the Center for Microbiome Innovation has shed light on the role of the skin microbiome in aging, particularly in how it affects wrinkles and overall skin quality," said co-author Qian Zheng, Head of Advanced Research, North America at L'Oréal. "This research is groundbreaking in identifying new microbial biomarkers linked to visible signs of aging like crow's feet wrinkles. It marks a significant step towards developing technologies for healthier, more youthful skin. We look forward to sharing new results as they become available, furthering the scientific community's understanding and contributing to advancing new skincare solutions." -- Future paths of investigation the team has suggested include metabolomics work to discover chemical biomarkers related to skin aging, as well as meta-transcriptomics research into potential targets for genetic engineering. Research into other layers of the skin has also been considered, as many studies focus on the outer skin due to the ease of sample collection. -- "While the study's findings represent an advance of our knowledge of the skin microbiome, we view them as just the beginning of a new phase of research," said co-author Rob Knight, the CMI Faculty Director and Professor of Pediatrics, Bioengineering, Computer Science & Engineering and Data Science at UC San Diego. "By confirming a link between the microbiome and skin health, we've laid the groundwork for further studies that discover specific microbiome biomarkers related to skin aging, and, one day, show how to modify them to generate novel and highly targeted recommendations for skin health." -- Additional co-authors include Tyler Myers, Shi Huang, and Shalisa T. Hansen, all at UC San Diego; and Amina Bouslimani, Cecile Clavaud, Anissa Azouaoui, Alban Ott, Audrey Gueniche, Charbel Bouez, Luc Aguilar, and Magali Moreau, all at L'Oréal Research and Innovation. | H01 | 206 |
| 2402-T018 | Unveiling the Origin of the Universe's Mysterious Radio Circles | The origin of the universe's giant odd radio circles has been traced back to shells formed by outflowing galactic winds, possibly from supernovae. These enigmatic circles contain entire galaxies and have puzzled astronomers since their discovery in 2019. | University of California - San Diego | Nature | Press Rel | PubMed | t's not every day astronomers say, "What is that?" After all, most observed astronomical phenomena are known: stars, planets, black holes and galaxies. But in 2019 the newly completed ASKAP (Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder) telescope picked up something no one had ever seen before: radio wave circles so large they contained entire galaxies in their centers. -- As the astrophysics community tried to determine what these circles were, they also wanted to know why the circles were. -- Now a team led by University of California San Diego Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics Alison Coil believes they may have found the answer: the circles are shells formed by outflowing galactic winds, possibly from massive exploding stars known as supernovae. -- Their work is published in Nature. -- Coil and her collaborators have been studying massive "starburst" galaxies that can drive these ultra-fast outflowing winds. -- Starburst galaxies have an exceptionally high rate of star formation. -- When stars die and explode, they expel gas from the star and its surroundings back into interstellar space. -- If enough stars explode near each other at the same time, the force of these explosions can push the gas out of the galaxy itself into outflowing winds, which can travel at up to 2,000 kilometers/second. -- "These galaxies are really interesting," said Coil, who is also chair of the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics. -- "They occur when two big galaxies collide. The merger pushes all the gas into a very small region, which causes an intense burst of star formation. Massive stars burn out quickly and when they die, they expel their gas as outflowing winds." | T02 | 207 |
| 2402-027 | Fruit Bats and Their Sweet Tooth: A Surprising Adaptation | While a high-sugar diet is harmful to humans, fruit bats thrive on a diet of sugary fruit, consuming up to twice their body weight each day. | University of California - San Francisco | Nature Communications | Press Rel | PubMed | A high-sugar diet is bad news for humans, leading to diabetes, obesity and even cancer. Yet fruit bats survive and even thrive by eating up to twice their body weight in sugary fruit every day. -- Now, UC San Francisco scientists have discovered how fruit bats may have evolved to consume so much sugar, with potential implications for the 37 million Americans with diabetes. The findings, published on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024 in Nature Communications, point to adaptations in the fruit bat body that prevent their sugar-rich diet from becoming harmful. -- Diabetes is the eighth leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and it's responsible for $237 billion in direct medical costs each year. -- "With diabetes, the human body can't produce or detect insulin, leading to problems controlling blood sugar," said Nadav Ahituv, PhD, director of the UCSF Institute for Human Genetics and co-senior author of the paper. "But fruit bats have a genetic system that controls blood sugar without fail. We'd like to learn from that system to make better insulin- or sugar-sensing therapies for people." -- Ahituv's team focused on evolution in the bat pancreas, which controls blood sugar, and the kidneys. They found that the fruit bat pancreas, compared to the pancreas of an insect-eating bat, had extra insulin-producing cells as well as genetic changes to help it process an immense amount of sugar. And fruit bat kidneys had adapted to ensure that vital electrolytes would be retained from their watery meals. -- "Even small changes, to single letters of DNA, make this diet viable for fruit bats," said Wei Gordon, PhD, co-first author of the paper, a recent graduate of UCSF's TETRAD program, and assistant professor of biology at Menlo College. "We need to understand high-sugar metabolism like this to make progress helping the one in three Americans who are prediabetic." -- A sweet tooth without consequences -- Each day, after 20 hours of sleep, fruit bats wake up for four hours to gorge on fruit. Then it's back to the roost. -- To understand how a fruit bat pulls off this feat of sugar consumption, Ahituv and Gordon collaborated with scientists from a variety of institutions, ranging from Yonsei University in Korea to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, to compare the Jamaican fruit bat to the big brown bat, which only eats insects. -- The researchers analyzed gene expression (which genes were on or off) and regulatory DNA (the parts of DNA that control gene expression) using a method for measuring both in individual cells. | H01 H02 R01 | 208 |
| 2402-046 | Preventing Hearing Loss: Could a Drug Be the Solution? | Researchers have discovered a gene that links deafness to cell death in the inner ear, opening doors for potential interventions to prevent hearing loss. | University of California - San Francisco | JCI Insight | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers have found a gene that links deafness to cell death in the inner ear in humans -- creating new opportunities for averting hearing loss. -- A person's hearing can be damaged by loud noise, aging and even certain medications, with little recourse beyond a hearing aid or cochlear implant. -- But now, UCSF scientists have achieved a breakthrough in understanding what is happening in the inner ear during hearing loss, laying the groundwork for preventing deafness. -- The research, published on Dec. 22, 2023, in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight, links animal studies on hearing loss with a rare type of inherited deafness in humans. -- In both cases, mutations to the TMTC4 gene trigger a molecular domino effect known as the unfolded protein response (UPR), leading to the death of hair cells in the inner ear. -- Intriguingly, hearing loss from loud noise exposure or drugs such as cisplatin, a common form of chemotherapy, also stems from activation of the UPR in hair cells, suggesting that the UPR may underly several different forms of deafness. -- There are several drugs that block the UPR -- and stop hearing loss -- in laboratory animals. -- The new findings make a stronger case for testing these drugs in people who are at risk of losing their hearing, according to the researchers. -- "Millions of American adults lose their hearing due to noise exposure or aging each year, but it's been a mystery what was going wrong," said Dylan Chan, MD, PhD, co-senior author on the paper and director of the Children's Communication Center (CCC) in the UCSF Department of Otolaryngology. -- "We now have solid evidence that TMTC4 is a human deafness gene and that the UPR is a genuine target for preventing deafness." | H01 E02 E03 | 209 |
| 2402-093 | Diagnostic Errors Common in Seriously Ill Hospitalized Adults, Study Shows | A study of seriously ill patients from academic medical centers found that nearly a quarter had experienced delayed or missed diagnoses. This highlights the importance of timely and accurate diagnosis in providing proper care and treatment. | University of California - San Francisco | JAMA Internal Medicine | Press Rel | PubMed | A study of seriously ill patients from academic medical centers across the country has found that nearly a quarter had a delayed or missed diagnosis. -- All the patients had either been transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) after being admitted or died in the hospital. -- The researchers concluded that three-quarters of these diagnostic errors contributed to temporary or permanent harm, and that diagnostic errors played a role in about one in 15 of the deaths. -- The most common errors identified in the study involved delayed rather than missed diagnoses, for example because a specialist was consulted too late or an alternate diagnosis was not considered soon enough, or because of problems ordering the correct test and interpreting the results. -- Using statistical methods, they estimated that eliminating these problems with assessment and testing would reduce the risk for diagnostic errors by approximately 40%. -- The study represents the largest assessment of diagnostic errors in which physicians reviewed each medical record. -- It appears Jan. 8, 2024, in JAMA Internal Medicine. -- Academic medical centers often see the most challenging cases, and the data can help them increase patient safety by coaching physicians, improving communication between healthcare teams and patients, and developing more accurate diagnostic tools and techniques. -- "Our study is similar to studies from the '90s describing the prevalence and impact of common patient safety events, such as medication errors, studies which catalyzed the patient safety movement," the paper's first author, Andrew Auerbach, MD, MPH, a professor in the UCSF in the Division of Hospital Medicine, said in reference to the groundbreaking 1999 Institute of Medicine report, "To Err is Human." "We hope our work provides a similar call to action to academic medical centers, researchers and policymakers." -- The data may also be useful in designing artificial intelligence (AI) that can summarize lengthy medical records, suggest alternative diagnoses when patients fail to improve and ensure that the correct tests are ordered. | H01 | 210 |
| 2402-049 | Cellular Cannibalism for Cancer Treatment: Unraveling a Mystery | Scientists have solved a 25-year-old cellular mystery, linking cannibalistic cells to a rare human immunodeficiency. The discovery may have implications for cancer treatment advancements. | University of California - Santa Barbara | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | Press Rel | PubMed | Scientists have solved a cellular murder mystery nearly 25 years after the case went cold. Following a trail of evidence from fruit flies to mice to humans revealed that cannibalistic cells likely cause a rare human immunodeficiency. Now the discovery shows promise for enhancing an up-and-coming cancer treatment. -- "This paper takes us from very fundamental cell biology in a fly, to explaining a human disease and harnessing that knowledge for a cancer therapy," said UC Santa Barbara's Denise Montell. -- "Each one of those steps feels like a major discovery, but here they are, all in one paper." -- Researchers in Montell's lab published their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and are now investigating the mechanisms and implications. -- An ancient gene -- The primary character in this story is a gene, Rac2, and the protein it encodes. -- Rac2 is one of three Rac genes in humans. "Rac is very ancient in evolution, so it must serve a fundamental function," said senior author Montell, Duggan Professor and Distinguished Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. -- Rac proteins help build a cell's scaffolding, called the cytoskeleton. -- The cytoskeleton is made of dynamic filaments that allow cells to maintain their shape or deform, as needed. -- In 1996, while studying a small group of cells in the fruit fly ovary, Montell determined that Rac proteins are instrumental in cell movement. | H01 R01 | 211 |
| 2401-065 | Paxlovid Treatment Shows No Benefits for Long COVID, Study Finds | The antiviral drug Paxlovid does not reduce the risk of long COVID in vaccinated, non-hospitalized individuals during their first COVID-19 infection. Additionally, more individuals experience rebound symptoms and test-positivity after taking Paxlovid than previously reported. | University of California San Francisco Medical Center | Journal of Medical Virology | Press Rel | PubMed | A team of researchers from UC San Francisco has found that Paxlovid (Nirmatrelvir-ritonavir) did not reduce the risk of developing long COVID for vaccinated, non-hospitalized individuals during their first COVID-19 infection. They also found a higher proportion of individuals with acute symptoms rebound and test-positivity than previously reported. -- The study appears Jan. 4, 2024, in the Journal of Medical Virology. -- Paxlovid treatment for acute COVID-19 has been shown to be effective for high-risk unvaccinated individuals. -- But the effect of the treatment on long COVID risk, including whether it protects vaccinated people from getting long COVID, has been less clear. -- The research team selected a group of vaccinated people from the UCSF Covid-19 Citizen Science study who had reported their first positive test for COVID-19 between March and August of 2022 and who were not hospitalized. -- Some of these participants reported taking oral Paxlovid treatment during the acute phase of their COVID infection, while others did not. -- In December of 2022, they were invited to answer a follow-up survey with questions about long COVID, COVID rebound symptoms and how long they continued to test positive. -- Researchers found the two groups were similar. About 16% of those treated with Paxlovid had long COVID symptoms compared to 14% of those who were not treated with the medication. -- Commonly reported symptoms included fatigue, shortness of breath, confusion, headache, and altered taste and smell. -- Those who took Paxlovid and then went on to develop long COVID reported as many long COVID symptoms as those who were not treated with Paxlovid. | R01 | 212 |
| 2402-061 | Paxlovid's Disappointing Results: No Reduction in Long COVID Risk | Paxlovid does not reduce the risk of long COVID in vaccinated individuals, but it does increase rebound symptoms and test-positivity rates. | University of California San Francisco Medical Center | Journal of Medical Virology | Press Rel | PubMed | A team of researchers from UC San Francisco has found that Paxlovid (Nirmatrelvir-ritonavir) did not reduce the risk of developing long COVID for vaccinated, non-hospitalized individuals during their first COVID-19 infection. They also found a higher proportion of individuals with acute symptoms rebound and test-positivity than previously reported. -- The study appears Jan. 4, 2024, in the Journal of Medical Virology. -- Paxlovid treatment for acute COVID-19 has been shown to be effective for high-risk unvaccinated individuals. But the effect of the treatment on long COVID risk, including whether it protects vaccinated people from getting long COVID, has been less clear. -- The research team selected a group of vaccinated people from the UCSF Covid-19 Citizen Science study who had reported their first positive test for COVID-19 between March and August of 2022 and who were not hospitalized. Some of these participants reported taking oral Paxlovid treatment during the acute phase of their COVID infection, while others did not. In December of 2022, they were invited to answer a follow-up survey with questions about long COVID, COVID rebound symptoms and how long they continued to test positive. -- Researchers found the two groups were similar. About 16% of those treated with Paxlovid had long COVID symptoms compared to 14% of those who were not treated with the medication. Commonly reported symptoms included fatigue, shortness of breath, confusion, headache, and altered taste and smell. Those who took Paxlovid and then went on to develop long COVID reported as many long COVID symptoms as those who were not treated with Paxlovid. A small percentage of people developed severe long COVID, and those who had received Paxlovid were just as likely to have severe Long COVID symptoms as those who did not. -- Among individuals who experienced symptomatic improvement during Paxlovid treatment, 21% reported rebound symptoms. And among those with rebound symptoms, 10.8% reported one or more Long COVID symptom compared to 8.3% without rebound symptoms. For participants who repeated antigen testing after testing negative and completing treatment, 25.7% reported rebound test positivity. In total, 26.1% reported rebound symptoms or test positivity. -- "We found a higher proportion with clinical rebound than previously reported but did not identify an effect of post-treatment rebound on long COVID symptoms," said study first author Matthew Durstenfeld, MD, MAS, a cardiologist and UCSF assistant professor of Medicine. "Our finding that Paxlovid treatment during acute infection is not associated with lower odds of long COVID surprised us, but it is consistent with two other rigorously conducted studies finding no difference in post-COVID conditions between 4 and 6 months after infection." -- The authors note that the study may have been impacted by limitations arising from its observational nature with researchers relying on patient self-reporting of treatment and Long COVID symptoms. -- Authors: Other UCSF authors include Michael J. Peluso, Feng Lin, Noah D. Peyser, Carmen Isasi, Thomas W. Carton, Timothy J. Henrich, Steven G. Deeks, Jeffrey E. Olgin, Mark J. Pletcher, Alexis L. Beatty, Gregory M. Marcus, Priscilla Y. Hsue -- Funding: This work (Eureka Research Platform) was supported by NIH/NIBIB 3U2CEB021881-05S1. The COVID-19 Citizen Science Study is supported by Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) contract COVID-2020C2-10761 and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation contract INV-017206. Dr. Durstenfeld is supported by NIH/NHLBI grant K12HL143961. | R01 | 213 |
| 2401-E036 | Addressing Climate Crisis Requires Reducing Inequality, Say Researchers | Promoting climate-friendly behaviors requires addressing inequality to ensure everyone has the capacity to make changes. | University of Cambridge | Nature Climate Change | Press Rel | PubMed | In a report just published in the journal Nature Climate Change, researchers argue that tackling inequality is vital in moving the world towards Net-Zero -- because inequality constrains who can feasibly adopt low-carbon behaviours. -- They say that changes are needed across society if we are to mitigate climate change effectively. -- Although wealthy people have very large carbon footprints, they often have the means to reduce their carbon footprint more easily than those on lower incomes. -- The researchers say there is lack of political recognition of the barriers that can make it difficult for people to change to more climate-friendly behaviours. -- They suggest that policymakers provide equal opportunities for low-carbon behaviours across all income brackets of society. -- The report defines inequality in various ways: in terms of wealth and income, political influence, free time, and access to low-carbon options such as public transport and housing insulation subsidies. -- "It's increasingly acknowledged that there's inequality in terms of who causes climate change and who suffers the consequences, but there's far less attention being paid to the effect of inequality in changing behaviours to reduce carbon emissions," said Dr Charlotte Kukowski, a postdoctoral researcher in the University of Cambridge Departments of Psychology and Zoology, and first author of the report. -- She added: "People on lower incomes can be more restricted in the things they can do to help reduce their carbon footprint, in terms of the cost and time associated with doing things differently." -- The researchers found that deep-rooted inequalities can restrict people's capacity to switch to lower-carbon behaviours in many ways. -- For example: | E01 | 214 |
| 2402-086 | Ancient DNA Reveals Reasons for High Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer's Rates in Europe | By analyzing the bones and teeth of ancient humans, researchers have created the world's largest ancient human gene bank. This study provides insights into the historical spread of genes, diseases, and migration patterns, including the origins of neurodegenerative diseases and the influence of major migrations on certain populations. | University of Cambridge | Nature | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers have created the world's largest ancient human gene bank by analysing the bones and teeth of almost 5,000 humans who lived across western Europe and Asia up to 34,000 years ago. -- By sequencing ancient human DNA and comparing it to modern-day samples, the international team of experts mapped the historical spread of genes -- and diseases -- over time as populations migrated. -- The 'astounding' results have been revealed in four trailblazing research papers published today (10 January 2024) in the same issue of Nature and provide new biological understanding of debilitating disorders. -- The extraordinary study involved a large international team led by Professor Eske Willerslev at the Universities of Cambridge and Copenhagen, Professor Thomas Werge at the University of Copenhagen, and Professor Rasmus Nielsen at University of California, Berkeley and involved contributions from 175 researchers from around the globe. -- The scientists found: -- The startling origins of neurodegenerative diseases including multiple sclerosis -- Why northern Europeans today are taller than people from southern Europe -- How major migration around 5,000 years ago introduced risk genes into the population in north-western Europe -- leaving a legacy of higher rates of MS today -- Carrying the MS gene was an advantage at the time as it protected ancient farmers from catching infectious diseases from their sheep and cattle -- Genes known to increase the risk of diseases such as Alzheimer's and type 2 diabetes were traced back to hunter gatherers | R01 R02 T02 | 215 |
| 2402-E021 | Climate Change Threatens Spanish Butterflies' Body Temperature Regulation Abilities | Butterfly populations in Catalonia are better at regulating their body temperature through basking in the sunshine compared to their UK counterparts, but rising global temperatures due to climate change may increase the risk of extinction for Spanish butterflies. | University of Cambridge | Journal of Animal Ecology | Press Rel | PubMed | Butterfly populations in Catalonia in northern Spain are better than their UK counterparts at regulating their body temperature by basking in the sunshine, but rising global temperatures due to climate change may put Spanish butterflies at greater risk of extinction. -- An international study, led by the University of Cambridge and the Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (IBE) in Barcelona, found that butterflies use different methods to regulate their body temperature. -- In Catalonia, butterflies tend to angle their wings towards the sun to warm up at lower temperatures, while British butterflies rely more on finding warm microclimates. -- However, as temperatures rise, both populations switch to heat-avoiding behaviour. -- As global temperatures rise, British butterflies may initially benefit, while Spanish butterflies may not be able to survive if they are not able to adapt quickly enough. -- However, habitat loss, particularly in the UK, is an equally important threat to butterflies. -- Diverse habitats offer butterflies a greater variety of microclimates, and initiatives such as 'no-mow May', allowing wildflowers to grow along roadsides, and planting more trees can help counter habitat loss. -- The results are reported in the Journal of Animal Ecology. -- Like all insects, butterflies are 'cold-blooded' and use their environment to regulate their internal temperature. -- Understanding how butterflies thermoregulate is important for predicting which species are most at risk from the effects of climate change. | E01 E02 E03 | 216 |
| 2402-T006 | Revealing Venusian Clouds: Researchers Solve Mystery of Missing Component | New research identifies the missing component in the chemistry of Venusian clouds, explaining their color and splotchiness in the UV range. | University of Cambridge | Science Advances. | Press Rel | PubMed | What are the clouds of Venus made of? Scientists know it's mainly made of sulfuric acid droplets, with some water, chlorine, and iron. Their concentrations vary with height in the thick and hostile Venusian atmosphere. But until now they have been unable to identify the missing component that would explain the clouds' patches and streaks, only visible in the UV range. -- In a new study published in Science Advances, researchers from the University of Cambridge synthesised iron-bearing sulfate minerals that are stable under the harsh chemical conditions in the Venusian clouds. -- Spectroscopic analysis revealed that a combination of two minerals, rhomboclase and acid ferric sulfate, can explain the mysterious UV absorption feature on our neighbouring planet. -- "The only available data for the composition of the clouds were collected by probes and revealed strange properties of the clouds that so far we have been unable to fully explain," said Paul Rimmer from the Cavendish Laboratory and co-author of the study. -- "In particular, when examined under UV light, the Venusian clouds featured a specific UV absorption pattern. What elements, compounds, or minerals are responsible for such observation?" -- Formulated on the basis of Venusian atmospheric chemistry, the team synthesized several iron-bearing sulfate minerals in an aqueous geochemistry laboratory in the Department of Earth Sciences. -- By suspending the synthesized materials in varying concentrations of sulfuric acid and monitor the chemical and mineralogical changes, the team narrowed down the candidate minerals to rhomboclase and acid ferric sulfate, of which the spectroscopic features were examined under light sources specifically designed to mimic the spectrum of solar flares (Paul Rimmer and Samantha Thompson's FlareLab at the Cavendish Laboratory). -- A photochemistry lab at Harvard collaborated in the research by providing measurements of the UV absorbance patterns of ferric iron under extreme acidic conditions, in an attempt to mimic the even more extreme Venusian clouds. -- The scientists are part of the newly established Origins Federation, which promotes such collaborative projects. -- "The patterns and level of absorption shown by the combination of these two mineral phases are consistent with the dark UV-patches observed in Venusian clouds," said co-author Clancy Zhijian Jiang, from the Department of Earth Sciences, Cambridge. | E01 T02 | 217 |
| 2401-T002 | Harnessing Electricity to Enhance Chemical Reactions: A Sustainable Breakthrough | Chemists have found a way to use electricity to enhance chemical reactions, making them more sustainable and advancing electrochemistry. | University of Chicago | Nature Catalysis | Press Rel | PubMed | As the world moves away from gas towards electricity as a greener power source, the to-do list goes beyond cars. The vast global manufacturing network that makes everything from our batteries to our fertilizers needs to flip the switch, too. -- A study from UChicago chemists found a way to use electricity to boost a type of chemical reaction often used in synthesizing new candidates for pharmaceutical drugs. -- Published Jan. 2 in Nature Catalysis, the research is an advance in the field of electrochemistry and shows a path forward to designing and controlling reactions -- and making them more sustainable. -- "What we want to do is understand what's happening at the fundamental level at the electrode interface, and use that to predict and design more efficient chemical reactions," said Anna Wuttig, UChicago Neubauer Family Assistant Professor and the senior author on the paper. -- "This is a step towards that eventual goal." -- Chemical complexity -- In certain chemical reactions, electricity can boost the output -- and because you can get the needed electricity from renewable sources, it could be part of making the worldwide chemical industry greener. -- But electrochemistry, as the field is known, is especially complex. -- There is much scientists don't know about the molecular interactions, especially because you have to insert a conductive solid (an electrode) into the mix to provide the electricity, which means the molecules interact with that electrode as well as with each other. -- To a scientist trying to untangle the roles each molecule is playing and in what order, this makes an already complicated process even more complicated. | H01 T01 | 218 |
| 2402-010 | Bacteria's Resourceful Ways in the Human Gut Revealed | Certain groups of bacteria in the gut have a wide range of genes that help them generate energy and influence human health. | University of Chicago | Nature Microbiology | Press Rel | PubMed | The gut microbiome is so useful to human digestion and health that it is often called an extra digestive organ. This vast collection of bacteria and other microorganisms in the intestine helps us break down foods and produce nutrients or other metabolites that impact human health in a myriad of ways. New research from the University of Chicago shows that some groups of these microbial helpers are amazingly resourceful too, with a large repertoire of genes that help them generate energy for themselves and potentially influence human health as well. -- The paper, published January 4, 2024, in Nature Microbiology, identified 22 metabolites that three distantly related families of gut bacteria use as alternatives to oxygen for respiration in the anaerobic environment of the gut. -- These bacteria also have up to hundreds of copies of genes for producing the enzymes that process these alternate metabolites -- many more than have been measured in bacteria that live outside the gut. -- These results suggest that anaerobic gut bacteria may have the ability to produce energy from hundreds of other compounds as well. -- "These are examples of some of the peculiar metabolisms that act on all these different metabolites produced by the gut microbiome," said Sam Light, PhD, Neubauer Family Assistant Professor of Microbiology at UChicago and senior author of the study. -- "This is interesting because one of the main ways the microbiome impacts our health is by making or modifying these small molecules that can then enter our bloodstream and act like drugs." -- At the organism level, we typically think of respiration as the process of breathing in oxygen. -- At the cellular level, respiration describes an energy-generating biochemical process. -- Most cells use oxygen for respiration, but in anaerobic environments like the inside of the intestine, cells have evolved to use other molecules. -- Cells possess two main types of metabolism to produce energy: fermentation and respiration. | H01 R01 | 219 |
| 2402-E032 | Efficiency Paradox Unveiled: The Hidden Costs of Input-Efficient Technologies | Input-efficient technologies like water-saving devices and fuel-saving stoves are often seen as a "win-win" solution for consumers and the environment, but a new study suggests that the benefits to consumers may actually be negative. | University of Chicago Press Journals | Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists | Press Rel | PubMed | To address natural resource scarcity, pollution, and other harmful effects of climate change, some scientists and policymakers emphasize the adoption of input-efficient technologies like water-saving devices and fuel-saving stoves. Proponents often refer to these input-efficient technologies as "win-win," for the benefits to their users and to the environment, and lament their low adoption rates by consumers, in what they call an "efficiency paradox." -- A paper published in the January 2024 issue of the Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists examines this paradox and finds that the benefits to consumers from input-efficiency adoption are, on average, negative. -- In "Input Efficiency as a Solution to Externalities and Resource Scarcity: A Randomized Controlled Trial," authors Francisco Alpizar, Maria Bernedo Del Carpio, and Paul J. Ferraro conclude that, with respect to the input-efficient technologies that they study, no efficiency paradox exists. -- Much of the data regarding the efficiency paradox has been taken from the energy-efficient context. -- In "Input Efficiency," the authors report instead on a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of water-efficient technology adoption. -- The trial took place in Costa Rica, where the overexploitation of public aquifers is a pressing concern. -- Nearly 900 households, from a group of over 1300 households, were selected at random to receive water-efficient showerheads and faucet aerators. -- Engineering methods predicted an average reduction in water use of about 30%, whereas the actual reduction in the trial was only about 9%. According to the authors, that gap between prediction and reality stemmed from a set of faulty engineering and behavioral assumptions. -- For example, engineers assume households do not change their behaviors after the technology is adopted, whereas survey data suggested that households often left the water running longer to compensate for the lower flow rate of the efficient devices. -- When the authors assess how the participating households value the water savings, which are both uncertain and realized over many years, and compared this value to the upfront cost of purchasing the technologies, they conclude that, for the average user, the net benefits of these input-efficient technologies are negative. | E01 T01 | 220 |
| 2401-015 | Spinal Cord Stimulation Shows Promise in Treating Depression, Study Finds | A pilot clinical trial led by researchers at the University of Cincinnati has found that electrical stimulation of the spinal cord is feasible and shows therapeutic potential for treating depression. | University of Cincinnati | Molecular Psychiatry | Press Rel | PubMed | A pilot clinical trial led by University of Cincinnati researchers at the Lindner Center of HOPE found electrical stimulation of the spinal cord is feasible, well-tolerated and shows therapeutic potential to treat depression. -- The results of the trial were published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry on Dec. 20. -- Research Background -- Principal investigator Francisco Romo-Nava, MD, PhD, said his research focuses on how brain-body communication is involved in psychiatric disorders. -- "We think that the connection between the brain and the body is essential for psychiatric disorders," said Romo-Nava, associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at UC, associate chief research officer for the Research Institute at the Lindner Center of HOPE and a UC Health physician scientist. "Many of the symptoms of mood disorders or eating disorders or anxiety disorders have to do with what one could interpret as dysregulation in this brain-body interaction." -- Romo-Nava said pathways of neurons located in the spinal cord convey information from the body to regions of the brain that are involved in the emotional experience we know as mood. When functioning properly, the brain uses this information to constantly make adjustments to help regulate a person's mood. -- While major depressive disorder can have many different causes, one contributor could be this pathway being overloaded with information. -- "For example, chronic stress could lead to a hyperactive brain-body circuit that eventually burns the system out and prevents it from adjusting itself in an effective and optimal way," Romo-Nava said. -- The research team looked at different ways to modulate this interaction between the brain and body and developed a novel approach through noninvasive spinal cord stimulation. Romo-Nava obtained a patent in 2020 for the stimulation method used after working with UC's Office of Innovation. -- The spinal cord stimulation is designed to decrease the flow of information in the brain-body circuit so that the brain is better able to readjust and regulate itself. | H02 R02 | 221 |
| 2402-041 | Thirdhand Smoke and Children: A Harmful Combination | Researchers conducted a study on surfaces in smoking households and discovered concerning results, further highlighting the health risks associated with secondhand smoke and its connection to cancer. | University of Cincinnati | Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology | Press Rel | PubMed | It's long been established that secondhand smoke is a detriment to health and linked to cancer. -- Now, researchers are looking more closely at thirdhand smoke, which is the presence of toxic tobacco by-products that remain on surfaces such as furniture, décor, walls and floors. -- In a new study, published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, researchers tested the surfaces in smoking households where children reside and found troubling results, says Ashley Merianos, a tobacco researcher at the University of Cincinnati who led the study. -- Researchers found nicotine on surfaces in all of the children's homes and detected the presence of a tobacco-specific carcinogen (called NNK) in nearly half of the homes, she says. -- The study reported that the NNK levels on surfaces and vacuumed dust were similar, which Merianos says indicates that surfaces and dust can be similar reservoirs and sources of thirdhand smoke exposure for children. -- "This is critically important and concerning, since NNK is considered the most potent carcinogen for tobacco-induced cancers," says Merianos, an associate professor in UC's School of Human Services. -- Additional findings include: -- Children living in lower-income households had higher levels of NNK and nicotine found on home surfaces. -- Children living in homes that did not ban indoor smoking had higher levels of NNK and nicotine found on surfaces. -- Merianos says that NNK and nicotine were still detected in homes with voluntary indoor smoking bans, which highlights the persistence of thirdhand smoke pollutants on surfaces in children's homes. | H01 R01 | 222 |
| 2402-E005 | Dual-Effect Substances Show Promise in Treating Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis | Scientists have identified substances that have a dual effect against tuberculosis, making the bacteria less pathogenic for human immune cells and enhancing the activity of conventional antibiotics. This finding offers potential avenues for improving tuberculosis treatment. | University of Cologne | Cell Chemical Biology | Press Rel | PubMed | A research team has detected various substances that have a dual effect against tuberculosis: They make the bacteria causing the disease less pathogenic for human immune cells and boost the activity of conventional antibiotics. -- In cooperation with research partners in Germany and France, the infectious disease specialist Dr Jan Rybniker and his team at University Hospital Cologne and the University of Cologne's Faculty of Medicine have identified new, antibiotic molecules that target Mycobacterium tuberculosis and make it less pathogenic for humans. -- In addition, some of the discovered substances may allow for a renewed treatment of tuberculosis with available medications -- including strains of the bacterium that have already developed drug resistance. -- The research has been published in the article 'Discovery of dual-active ethionamide boosters inhibiting the Mycobacterium tuberculosis ESX-1 secretion system' in Cell Chemical Biology. -- Tuberculosis (TB) -- or 'consumption', as it used to be called -- mainly affects the lungs, but can also damage other organs. -- If diagnosed early and treated with antibiotics, it is curable. -- Although the disease is relatively rare in most western European countries, it still ranks among the infectious diseases that claim the most lives worldwide: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), only Covid-19 was deadlier than TB in 2022. -- The disease also caused almost twice as many deaths as HIV/AIDS. -- More than 10 million people continue to contract TB every year. -- This is mainly due to insufficient access to medical treatment in many countries. | R01 | 223 |
| 2401-075 | Newly Diagnosed Migraine Disorder Increases Crash Risk in Older Drivers. | Older adult drivers who are recently diagnosed with migraines are three times more likely to have a motor vehicle crash, according to a study from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. | University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus | Journal of the American Geriatrics Society | Press Rel | PubMed | A new study from researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus finds that older adult drivers who are recently diagnosed with migraines are three times as likely to experience a motor vehicle crash. Older adult drivers who reported having ever had migraines in the past were no more likely to have a motor vehicle crash than those without migraines. -- Additionally, study results, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, explored the relationships medications commonly prescribed for migraine management have with increased crash risk. -- "Migraine headaches affect more than 7% of U.S. adults over the age of 60," says Carolyn DiGuiseppi, MPH, PhD, MD, professor with the Colorado School of Public Health and study lead author. -- "The US population is aging, which means increasing numbers of older adult drivers could see their driving abilities affected by migraine symptoms previously not experienced. These symptoms include sleepiness, decreased concentration, dizziness, debilitating head pain and more." -- Researchers conducted a five-year longitudinal study of more than 2,500 active drivers aged 65-79 in five sites across the United States. -- Participants were categorized as having previously been diagnosed with migraine symptoms (12.5%), no previous diagnosis but experienced symptoms during the study timeframe (1.3%) or never migraine respondents. -- Results indicate those with previous diagnosis did not have a different likelihood of having crashes after baseline, while those with new onset migraines were three times as likely to experience a crash within one year of diagnosis. -- However, previously diagnosed drivers experienced more hard braking events compared to adults who had never experienced a migraine. -- Additionally, researchers examined the role medications commonly prescribed for migraines have in motor vehicle events and found that there was no impact on the relationship between migraines and either crashes or driving habits. -- However, few participants in the study sample were using acute migraine medications. | H01 H02 E01 | 224 |
| 2402-E057 | Acidic Threat to Antarctic Waters: Biodiversity at Risk Without Emissions Reduction | New research from the University of Colorado Boulder warns that without drastic reductions in global emissions, the Antarctic Ocean could become too acidic for many species living there. | University of Colorado at Boulder | Nature Communications | Press Rel | PubMed | The acidity of Antarctica's coastal waters could double by the end of the century, threatening whales, penguins and hundreds of other species that inhabit the Southern Ocean, according to new research from the Univeristy of Colorado Boulder. -- Scientists projected that by 2100, the upper 650 feet (200 meters) of the ocean -- where much marine life resides -- could see more than a 100% increase in acidity compared with 1990s levels. -- The paper, appeared Jan. 4 in the journal Nature Communications. -- "The findings are critical for our understanding of the future evolution of marine ecosystem health," said Nicole Lovenduski, the paper's co-author and the interim director of CU Boulder's Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR). -- The oceans play an important role as a buffer against climate change by absorbing nearly 30% of the CO2 emitted worldwide. -- But as more CO2 dissolves in the oceans, the seawater becomes more acidic. -- "Human-caused CO2 emissions are at the heart of ocean acidification," said Cara Nissen, the paper's first author and a research scientist at INSTAAR. -- The Southern Ocean, which surrounds Antarctica, is particularly susceptible to acidification, partly because colder water tends to absorb more CO2. Ocean currents in the area also contribute to the relatively acidic water conditions. -- Using a computer model, Nissen, Lovenduski and the team simulated how the seawater of the Southern Ocean would change in the 21st century. -- They found it would become more acidic by 2100, and the situation would be severe if the world fails to cut emissions. | H01 R01 E01 | 225 |
| 2401-E016 | Researchers Develop 'Methane Cleaner' for Livestock and Wastewater Plants | Researchers have used light and chlorine to eliminate low-concentration methane from the air, bringing us closer to removing greenhouse gases from various sources. This discovery has implications for combating climate change. | University of Copenhagen - Faculty of Science | Environmental Research Letters | Press Rel | PubMed | In a spectacular new study, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have used light and chlorine to eradicate low-concentration methane from air. The result gets us closer to being able to remove greenhouse gases from livestock housing, biogas production plants and wastewater treatment plants to benefit the climate. The research has just been published in the journal Environmental Research Letters. -- The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has determined that reducing methane gas emissions will immediately reduce the rise in global temperatures. The gas is up to 85 times more potent of a greenhouse gas than CO2, and more than half of it is emitted by human sources, with cattle and fossil fuel production accounting for the largest share. -- A unique new method developed by a research team at the University of Copenhagen's Department of Chemistry and spin-out company Ambient Carbon has succeeded in removing methane from air. -- "A large part of our methane emissions comes from millions of low-concentration point sources like cattle and pig barns. In practice, methane from these sources has been impossible to concentrate into higher levels or remove. But our new result proves that it is possible using the reaction chamber that we've have built," says Matthew Stanley Johnson, the UCPH atmospheric chemistry professor who led the study. -- Earlier, Johnson presented the research results at COP 28 in Dubai via an online connection and in Washington D.C. at the National Academy of Sciences, which advises the US government on science and technology. -- Reactor cleans methane from air -- Methane can be burnt off from air if its concentration exceeds 4 percent. But most human-caused emissions are below 0.1 percent and therefore unable to be burned. -- To remove methane from air, the researchers built a reaction chamber that, to the uninitiated, looks like an elongated metal box with heaps of hoses and measuring instruments. Inside the box, a chain reaction of chemical compounds takes place, which ends up breaking down the methane and removing a large portion of the gas from air. -- "In the scientific study, we've proven that our reaction chamber can eliminate 58 percent of methane from air. And, since submitting the study, we have improved our results in the laboratory so that the reaction chamber is now at 88 percent," says Matthew Stanley Johnson. -- Chlorine is key to the discovery. Using chlorine and the energy from light, researchers can remove methane from air much more efficiently than the way it happens in the atmosphere, where the process typically takes 10-12 years. | E01 E03 T01 | 226 |
| 2402-E023 | Genomics Solves a Mystery: How the Bushpig Influenced African Biodiversity Patterns | A scientific study on the iconic African bushpig sheds light on the evolutionary relationships and movement of large mammals across Africa, helping to understand the interplay between evolution, geography, and prehistoric human activities in shaping biodiversity patterns. | University of Copenhagen - Faculty of Science | Nature Communications | Press Rel | PubMed | Africa has a huge diversity of large mammals, but their evolutionary relationships and movement across the continent over time often remain a mystery. A new scientific study sheds light on longstanding questions about the interplay between evolution and geography in one of these mammals, namely the iconic African bushpig, and helps settle a major question regarding prehistoric human activities shaping biodiversity patterns in Africa. -- In the ongoing biodiversity crisis, large terrestrial animals are more threatened by extinction than any other group of organisms. The African continent holds an impressively intact large-mammal community, but there is still a lot we do not know about how these species evolved, became diverse and adapted to the changing climate and habitats. Many of these questions can be addressed by investigating the genomes and genetic variation across species. -- New research, published in Nature Communications, uses genomics to answer these evolutionary questions that have been debated amongst scientists for decades: 1) how and when did bushpigs cross the Mozambique Channel and arrive at the island of Madagascar, 2) is there one or two species of bushpigs? -- "This study is a result of a large international collaboration with researchers from Africa and Europe. We sequenced 67 complete bushpig genomes and by using a range of different genetic analyses, we were able to address these long-standing puzzles in African evolution and biogeography," explains one of the senior authors of the study, Associate Professor at the Department of Biology, Rasmus Heller. -- Were pigs ferried across the channel during the Medieval era? -- The island of Madagascar separated from the African mainland around 160 million years ago, resulting in a largely unique flora and fauna. Remarkably, the bushpig is the only large, wild terrestrial mammal species that has somehow historically crossed the 400-kilometer-wide Mozambique Channel and made it from mainland Africa to the island of Madagascar. -- "Our study establishes that the bushpig was introduced to Madagascar ≈1,000-5,000 years ago from South/South-East Africa," Rasmus states. Their arrival therefore coincides with the arrival of humans to Madagascar from a region around southern Africa. Rasmus continues: "The likely explanation for this is that people transported these bushpigs across the channel. These results contradict previously published studies which dated the arrival of bushpigs ≈480,000 years ago, well before humans were present on the island." It has been suggested that some endemic Madagascar species might have arrived by rafting as passengers on floats of vegetation. -- "Intriguingly, our results raise a host of new questions: was the bushpig actually brought to Madagascar as a somewhat domesticated species? There is no archaeological or other evidence of bushpig domestication ever occurring, despite them being an important source of protein for many rural communities. And who was it that transported these animals to Madagascar? Was it Bantu-speakers, Austronesian-speakers or both? These questions and others still remain to be explored," explains Renzo F. Balboa, postdoc at the Department of Biology and one of the leading authors of the study. -- Does two actually equal one? -- African bushpigs, which primarily are found in East/Southern Africa, and red river hogs, which are found in West/Central Africa, were considered the same species in the past, but were subsequently redefined as two species around the 1990s, largely due to their quite distinctive looks. | E01 E02 | 227 |
| 2401-010 | Light Levels Impact Mental Health and Climate Change Could Exacerbate It | In Finland, the number of sick days taken due to depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders is significantly higher in late autumn compared to other seasons. Manic episodes related to bipolar disorder, on the other hand, occur more frequently in the spring and summer when there are more daylight hours. | University of Eastern Finland | Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences | Press Rel | PubMed | In Finland, there is a clear increase in the number of sick days taken due to depression, anxiety and sleep disorders in October and November, whereas the number of absences is lower than expected between June and September. In late autumn, the number of sick days taken is almost twice as high as in the summer and about a quarter higher than in early autumn. On the other hand, manic episodes related to bipolar disorder occur more frequently than expected during the spring and summer, when there are more daylight hours, and less frequently than expected during darker times of year. -- The results can be found in a study funded by the Research Council of Finland. -- The study was conducted as a part of the Climate Change and Health research programme. -- The aim of the study was to investigate the connection between changing light levels and mental health. -- It is expected that due to climate change, winters in Finland will become darker while summers will become brighter. -- During the study, Kela's sick leave register was used to analyse the seasonal timing of a total of 636,543 sick leaves that were due to mental health reasons over a period of 12 years. -- The analyses examined whether the expected number of absences was above or below the expected number of sick leaves. -- "Previous studies have found that some people experience so-called winter depression (seasonal affective disorder) during the dark season. In addition to the typical symptoms of depression, kaamos depression involves an increased appetite and weight gain along with excess sleepiness, which means sleeping for longer and feeling tired during the day. The symptoms of winter depression can often be alleviated through bright light therapy," says Timo Partonen, a Research Professor at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. -- Seasonal variation can increase workloads in the workplace and in health services particularly in the autumn, when the most common types of sick leaves -- absences due to depression, anxiety and sleep disorders -- are starting to occur often. -- "It's also worth considering if there are other explanations for the phenomenon apart from a dark season. For example, is there an exceptionally high amount of psychosocial stress in the workplace during autumn, which then leads to an increasing number of sick leaves," says Professor of Psychology Marianna Virtanen from the University of Eastern Finland. | H01 H02 E01 | 228 |
| 2401-013 | Middle Managers' Work Altered by the Introduction of Artificial Intelligence | Integrating artificial intelligence systems into service teams in the financial services field increases demands on middle management, setting new expectations on interactions, human relations, and leadership. | University of Eastern Finland | Journal of Service Research | Press Rel | PubMed | The introduction of artificial intelligence is a significant part of the digital transformation bringing challenges and changes to the job descriptions among management. A study conducted at the University of Eastern Finland shows that integrating artificial intelligence systems into service teams increases demands imposed on middle management in the financial services field. In that sector, the advent of artificial intelligence has been fast and AI applications can implement a large proportion of routine work that was previously done by people. Many professionals in the service sector work in teams which include both humans and artificial intelligence systems, which sets new expectations on interactions, human relations, and leadership. -- The study analysed how middle management had experienced the effects of integration of artificial intelligence systems on their job descriptions in financial services. -- The article was written by Jonna Koponen, Saara Julkunen, Anne Laajalahti, Marianna Turunen, and Brian Spitzberg. -- The study was funded by the Academy of Finland and was published in the Journal of Service Research. -- Integrating AI into service teams is a complex phenomenon -- Interviewed in the study were 25 experienced managers employed by a leading Scandinavian financial services company. -- Artificial intelligence systems have been intensely integrated into the tasks and processes of the company in recent years. -- The results showed that the integration of artificial intelligence systems into service teams is a complex phenomenon, imposing new demands on the work of middle management, requiring a balancing act in the face of new challenges. -- "The productivity of work grows when routine tasks can be passed on to artificial intelligence. On the other hand, a fast pace of change makes work more demanding, and the integration of artificial intelligence makes it necessary to learn new things constantly. Variation in work assignments increases and managers can focus their time better on developing the work and on innovations. Surprisingly, new kinds of routine work also increase, because the operations of artificial intelligence need to be monitored and checked," says Assistant Professor Jonna Koponen. -- Is AI a tool or a colleague? | T01 | 229 |
| 2401-006 | Light Exercise Could Reverse Childhood Obesity Linked to Sedentary Lifestyle | Increased sedentary time during childhood and adolescence is directly linked to childhood obesity, but new research suggests that light physical activity can reverse this adverse process. | University of Exeter | Nature Communications | Press Rel | PubMed | Increased sedentary time as a child through adolescence is directly linked to childhood obesity, but new research has found light physical activity may completely reverse the adverse process. -- The study -- conducted in collaboration with between University of Exeter, University of Eastern Finland, University of Bristol, and University of Colorado and published in Nature Communications -- is the largest and longest follow-up to objectively measure physical activity and fat mass, using the University of Bristol's Children of the 90s data (also known as the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children). The study included 6,059 children (53 percent female) aged 11 years who were followed up until the age of 24. -- Recent reports concluded that more than 80 percent of adolescents across the globe do not meet the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended average of 60 minutes a day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. -- It is estimated that physical inactivity will have caused 500 million new cases of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, or other noncommunicable diseases by 2030, costing £21-million annually. -- This alarming forecast regarding the morbid danger of physical inactivity necessitates urgent research on the most effective preventive approach. -- Yet results from this new study shows that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is up to ten times less effective than light physical activity in decreasing overall gain in fat mass. -- Dr Andrew Agbaje of the University of Exeter led the study and said: "These new findings strongly emphasise that light physical activity may be an unsung hero in preventing fat mass obesity from early life. It is about time the world replaced the mantra of 'an average of 60 minutes a day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity' with 'at least 3 hours a day of light physical activity'. Light physical activity appears to be the antidote to the catastrophic effect of sedentary time in the young population." -- During the study, a waist-worn accelerometer measured sedentary time, light physical activity, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among participants at ages 11, 15, and 24 years. -- Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry-measured fat mass and skeletal muscle mass were also collected at the same ages and fasting blood samples were repeatedly measured for glucose, insulin, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. -- In addition, blood pressure, heart rate, smoking status, socio-economic status, and family history of cardiovascular disease were measured and controlled for in the analyses. | H01 R01 | 230 |
| 2401-035 | Health and Lifestyle Factors Key in Reducing Young-Onset Dementia Risk: New Study | The development of young-onset dementia is influenced by various risk factors beyond genetics, highlighting the need for new prevention strategies. | University of Exeter | JAMA Neurology | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers have identified a wide range of risk factors for young-onset dementia. The findings challenge the notion that genetics are the sole cause of the condition, laying the groundwork for new prevention strategies. -- The largescale study identified 15 risk factors, which are similar to those for late-onset dementia. -- For the first time, they indicate that it may be possible to reduce the risk of young-onset dementia by targeting health and lifestyle factors. -- Relatively little research has been done on young-onset dementia, though globally there are around 370,000 new cases of young-onset dementia each year. -- Published in JAMA Neurology, the new research by the University of Exeter and Maastricht University followed more than 350,000 participants younger than 65 across the United Kingdom from the UK Biobank study. -- The team evaluated a broad array of risk factors ranging from genetic predispositions to lifestyle and environmental influences. -- The study revealed that lower formal education, lower socioeconomic status, genetic variation, lifestyle factors such as alcohol use disorder and social isolation, and health issues including vitamin D deficiency, depression, stroke, hearing impairment and heart disease significantly elevate risk of young-onset dementia -- Professor David Llewellyn of the University of Exeter emphasized the importance of the findings: "This breakthrough study illustrates the crucial role of international collaboration and big data in advancing our understanding of dementia. There's still much to learn in our ongoing mission to prevent, identify, and treat dementia in all its forms in a more targeted way. This is the largest and most robust study of its kind ever conducted. Excitingly, for the first time it reveals that we may be able to take action to reduce risk of this debilitating condition, through targeting a range of different factors. -- Dr Stevie Hendriks, Researcher at Maastricht University, said: "Young-onset dementia has a very serious impact, because the people affected usually still have a job, children, and a busy life. The cause is often assumed to be genetic, but for many people we don't actually know exactly what the cause is. This is why we also wanted to investigate other risk factors in this study." -- Sebastian Köhler, Professor of Neuroepidemiology at Maastricht University, said: "We already knew from research on people who develop dementia at older age that there are a series of modifiable risk factors. In addition to physical factors, mental health also plays an important role, including avoiding chronic stress, loneliness and depression. The fact that this is also evident in young-onset dementia came as a surprise to me, and it may offer opportunities to reduce risk in this group too." | H01 H02 R01 R02 | 231 |
| 2401-049 | Chronic Ear Infections Delay Language Development: Long-Term Impact Revealed | Chronic ear infections can lead to temporary hearing loss, which can affect language skills in children even years later. | University of Florida | International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology | Press Rel | PubMed | Ear infections are a common childhood experience, but a new study suggests parents should take these infections seriously to preserve their children's language development. That's because each ear infection can potentially impair hearing with fluid building up behind the eardrum. -- New research from University of Florida scientists reveals that when ear infections become chronic, this repeated, temporary hearing loss can lead to deficits in auditory processing and language development in children years later. -- "Ear infections are so common that we tend to dismiss them as having no long-term effect. We should take all ear infections seriously," said Susan Nittrouer, lead researcher and a UF professor of speech, language, and hearing sciences in the College of Public Health and Health Professions. -- "Parents should be aware that their child may have some middle ear fluid without it being painful and work with their doctor to monitor their child closely." -- Nittrouer and Joanna Lowenstein, a researcher in the UF Health Clinical and Translational Science Institute, studied the auditory processing and language development of 117 children from ages 5 to 10 years both with and without a history of chronic ear infections in early childhood. -- On average, children with several ear infections before three years of age had smaller vocabularies and a harder time matching similar sounding words than children with few or no ear infections. -- They also had difficulty detecting changes in sounds, a sign of problems in their brain's auditory processing centers. -- One takeaway, Nittrouer says, is for parents, physicians, and speech pathologists to continue monitoring children long after the last preschool earache fades away. -- Some language deficits may only reveal themselves in later grades. -- "As children go through school, the language they're required to use becomes more complex," said Nittrouer. | H01 R02 | 232 |
| 2402-E013 | Uncovering a New Threat: Understanding the Impact of Wind and Solar Energy on Birds | Animal ecologists have developed an analytical approach to better understand the threat posed by wind and solar energy facilities to bird populations, as concerns about declining bird numbers continue to grow. | University of Florida | Conservation Biology | Press Rel | PubMed | As concerns over the world's declining bird population mount, animal ecologists developed an analytical approach to better understand one of the latest threats to feathered creatures: the rise of wind and solar energy facilities. -- "Bird mortality has become an unintended consequence of renewable energy development," said Hannah Vander Zanden, an assistant professor of biology at the University of Florida. -- "If we want to minimize or even offset these fatalities, especially for vulnerable populations, we need to identify the geographic origin of affected birds. In other words, are the dead birds local or are they coming from other parts of North America?" -- Birds can be killed when they collide with wind turbines, fly into solar panels they mistake for bodies of water or become singed by the intense heat from concentrating solar power plants. -- While the death rate of birds due to these energy facilities is far less than deaths due to domestic cats and collisions with building, efforts to mitigate this problem is important, scientists say. -- Vander Zanden and colleagues performed geospatial analyses of stable hydrogen isotope data obtained from feathers of 871 individual birds found dead at solar and wind energy facilities in California, representing 24 species. -- Their analysis of natural-occurring markers in the feathers provided information about where the feathers were grown based on the water the birds consumed. -- "With these markers, we could determine whether the bird was local or if it was migrating from somewhere else," said Vander Zanden, who is the principal investigator of UF's Animal Migration and Ecology Lab. -- Results from the study, which were published Friday in the journal Conservation Biology, show that the birds killed at the facilities were from a broad area across the continent. -- Their geographical origins varied among species and included a mix of local and nonlocal birds. | E01 E02 E03 | 233 |
| 2402-E040 | Pawprints Speak Volumes: Researchers Study Elusive Bobcats through DNA | Scientists have used DNA from animal tracks to study the ancestry and microbial community of bobcats without direct sampling of the animals. | University of Florida | Biological Conservation | Press Rel | PubMed | One Sunday morning in February of 2021, Dave Duffy's kids told him they had just seen a bobcat through the window of their home near the University of Florida's Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience outside St. Augustine, Florida. They knew their dad would want to know, because they had helped him countless times take samples of animal tracks in hopes of studying the creatures that left them. -- Initially skeptical -- bobcats are rarely spotted during the day out in the open -- Duffy eventually went to check and there they were: six clear bobcat prints in the sandy soil. -- With his kids' help, he scooped up small soil samples from the footprints and tucked them away for later. -- In their latest research, Duffy and his team showed that they could readily recover bobcat DNA from the serendipitous tracks. -- In collaboration with the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens they also showed that DNA recovered from bobcat pawprints can be used to determine the animals' ancestral background and even identify its unique microbial community. -- All from the errant DNA left behind long after the animal has left the area. -- This kind of information can help scientists conserve rare or endangered species, even those, like bobcats, that are usually difficult to track. -- "Bobcats, like many other species, are experiencing changes in their ranges, mostly due to humans," said Duffy, a professor at the Whitney Lab who noted that the lab itself has encroached on the native bobcats' range just as all development in the area has. -- "Being able to track where they are, what habitats they're using, and what areas they're in can help inform better management." -- Duffy and the team of researchers from UF reported their findings in November in the journal Biological Conservation. It's just the latest from a team that has refined methods for studying environmental DNA, or eDNA, the genetic detritus left behind by all living things as they move through the world. | E02 | 234 |
| 2402-069 | Promising Treatment for Prostate Cancer: Inhibitor KMI169 Shows Massive Potential | Researchers have developed an active substance that shows promise as a treatment option for treatment-resistant prostate cancer. | University of Freiburg | Nature Communications | Press Rel | PubMed | More than 65,000 men fall ill with prostate cancer each year in Germany. Twelve thousand of them develop a treatment-resistant form which eventually ends in death. Now, a team of researchers from the Medical Faculty at the University of Freiburg has developed an active substance that might in future represent a new treatment option. This substance, known as KMI169, targets an enzyme that plays an important role in the development of prostate cancer. The inhibitor displayed massive potential in among others cancer cells that were resistant to conventional treatments. -- Researchers from the Department of Urology at the Freiburg University Medical Center as well as the Institut für Pharmazeutische Wissenschaften at the University of Freiburg published their study in Nature Communications on 2 January 2024. -- "We've had our eye on the enzyme KMT9 as a possible target in prostate cancer for a long time. The development of this specific inhibitor is now a decisive step in combating prostate cancer far more effectively," explains study head Professor Roland Schüle, Academic Director of the Department of Urology at the Freiburg University Medical Center and Dr. Eric Metzger, group leader in Schüle's department.The substance's potential use against treatment-resistant forms of cancer makes it especially valuable. -- "This treatment-resistance means that the classic antihormonal treatment often fails within a few months and the disease then progresses rapidly. The inhibitor we've developed offers us a highly innovative therapeutic approach here," says Schüle. -- New approach also relevant to bladder cancer -- Using cell cultures, the groups headed by Schüle and co-author Professor Manfred Jung, head of the Chemical Epigeneticsgroup of the Institut für Pharmazeutische Wissenschaften, have shown that the enzyme KMT9, known as a methyltransferase, is a critical factor in the development and progress of certain types of cancer such as prostate or bladder cancer. "The inhibitor fits snugly like a key in its lock and blocks the functioning of KMT9 and therefore also the growth of both prostate and bladder cancer cells," says Jung. The development of KMI169 was guided by crystal structure analysis of KMT9 and numerous other studies. "We modified the compound many times to increase its potency, selectivity and medicinal properties." | R01 | 235 |
| 2402-E050 | Lamprey Embryos Unraveled: Insights into Vertebrate Head Evolution | Scientists from Japan have used cutting-edge microscopic techniques to investigate lamprey embryos, finally providing insights into the evolution of the vertebrate head. | University of Fukui | iScience | Press Rel | PubMed | Since the 18th century, several theories regarding the origin of the vertebrate head have been proposed. However, owing to the lack of molecular and morphological studies, the question of whether the vertebrate head evolved as a modified embryonic segment or originated as an independent unsegmented head remains unanswered. Now, scientists from Japan have investigated lamprey embryos using cutting-edge microscopic techniques to reveal interesting insights about vertebrate head evolution, clarifying an unresolved mystery in basic science. -- The origin of the vertebrate skull is a topic of much debate among evolutionary biologists. -- Some believe that the vertebrate head has developed as a result of modification of the segmental elements of the trunk, such as the vertebrae and somites. -- On the other hand, others believe that the vertebrate head has evolved as a new, unsegment body part, unrelated to other widely observed embryonic segments somites. -- Interestingly, previous studies on embryos have revealed the presence of some vestiges of somites in the head mesoderm (e.g., head cavities and somitomeres). However, homology between trunk somites and such head segments has been controversial. -- The failure to understand the evolutionary origins of the vertebrate head is also attributable to the lack of studies on extant species such as lampreys, which are known to share several traits with fossil jawless vertebrates and retain primitive traits related to the head mesoderm. -- While some studies have focused on the embryonic morphology of lampreys, they have often fallen short because of challenges like tissue destruction and acidic fixation during examination, making it difficult to observe the formation of head mesoderm and trunk somites. -- Now, however, a research team led by Assistant Professor Takayuki Onai from the University of Fukui, Japan, has utilized advanced techniques like transmission electron microscopy and serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM) to understand the development of the head mesoderm and somites in lamprey embryos. -- The researchers also analyzed the morphology and gene expression patterns of cephalochordate and hemichordate (both being invertebrates) to understand the origins of somites and head mesoderm from an evolutionary perspective. -- This paper was made available online in iScience on November 13, 2023, and is co-authored by Dr. Noritaka Adachi from Aix-Marseille Université, Dr. Hidetoshi Urakubo from the National Institute for Physiological Sciences (NIPS), Dr. Fumiaki Sugahara from Hyogo Medical University, Dr. Toshihiro Aramaki from Osaka University, Dr. Mami Matsumoto from NIPS and Nagoya City University, and Dr. Nobuhiko Ohno from NIPS and Jichi Medical University. | T01 | 236 |
| 2401-009 | Night Owls More Prone to Artery Calcification, Study Suggests | A study from the University of Gothenburg reveals that artery calcification is nearly twice as common in night owls compared to early birds, indicating the importance of circadian function in cardiovascular health. | University of Gothenburg | Sleep Medicine | Press Rel | PubMed | Artery calcification is almost twice as common in night owls compared to early birds, according to a study from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Circadian function appears to be particularly important during the early stages of cardiovascular disease. -- Atherosclerosis involves fatty deposits accumulating on the inside of the arteries, making it harder for blood to pass through. -- The disease develops over a very long period of time and is not noticed until it leads to blood clots causing angina, heart attack, or stroke. -- Previous research has shown that people with late-night habits have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but this is the first study to show how circadian rhythms specifically affect calcification of the arteries. -- Coronary artery calcification -- The study, which has been published in the journal Sleep Medicine, involved 771 men and women aged between 50 and 64, all of whom are part of the larger population study SCAPIS. -- The degree of artery calcification in the heart's coronary arteries was examined using computer tomography. -- Participants themselves indicated their so called chronotype on a five-point scale: extreme morning type, moderate morning type, intermediate type, moderate evening type, or extreme evening type. -- Of the 771 participants, 144 identified as extreme morning types, and 128 as extreme evening types. -- Among the group who were most alert in the morning, 22.2% had pronounced artery calcification -- the lowest proportion of all five chronotypes. | H02 R01 E02 T01 | 237 |
| 2401-E019 | Exploring the Connections Between Pacific Islanders and the Ocean | Pacific Islanders celebrate the connections between their islands and the surrounding ocean. However, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are underrepresented in ocean science, sparking the question of their absence in the field. | University of Hawaii at Manoa | Oceanography | Press Rel | PubMed | n Hawaiʻi and across much of Oceania, Pacific Islanders celebrate the connections between their islands and the ocean that surrounds them. "As descendants of the ocean, the dearth of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) in ocean science seems inconsonant," writes a team of authors that includes University of Hawai'i (UH) at Mānoa faculty, students, and alumni in an article in a special issue of the journal Oceanography, "Building Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Ocean Sciences. The authors ask, "Where are all our island people in the ocean sciences?" -- "To understand the root causes of this disparity and potential solutions, UH faculty, staff and students approached this problem through the lens of voyagers, examining the past course of history of the peoples of the Pacific and attempts to make headwinds in programs focused on increasing participation in ocean sciences," said co-author Rosie Alegado, associate professor in the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST). -- The article highlights programs in SOEST that are aimed at reducing barriers for Native Hawaiians in the geosciences -- including summer bridge programs, internships, and other professional development programs. And, in better defining the persistent, systemic, and collective barriers that NHPI face within the western society and the academy, the authors identify gaps that conventional professional development programs aimed at minoritized groups in the geosciences have been unsuccessful in filling. -- "One of the biggest gaps that we found related to Native Hawaiian-serving programs within the ocean sciences is that while many may be culturally based, few are Native Hawaiian led," said lead author Haunani Kane, SOEST assistant professor. "Native Hawaiians are often overlooked in the development and leadership of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander-serving programs. Programs led by Native Hawaiian scientists and community members ensure that they are culturally centered safe spaces for students to collectively grow their identities as both Native Hawaiians and scientists." -- Importantly, the authors shared lessons learned from building two waʻa (canoes)-programs specifically designed to carry students forward toward futures that center oceanic ways of knowing. -- SOEST Maile Mentoring Bridge -- The SOEST Maile Mentoring Bridge program (Maile) was founded in 2013 with the goal of attracting and retaining more NHPIs into geoscience degree programs and careers. The foundation of Maile was to build and foster robust partnerships with neighboring community colleges within the UH system. Maile mentees are carefully paired with experienced mentors -- SOEST graduate students, postdocs, or recent graduates. -- "Looking back on the last 10 years of my life, the Maile Mentoring program has made such a huge impact," said Diamond Tachera, study co-author and alumni and co-director of Maile. "As an undergraduate student, it was so important for me to see people, especially wāhine (women), who looked like me working and thriving in their scientific fields. Being part of the Maile ʻohana as a graduate student mentor also helped me to build confidence in myself as I continued to struggle to find my place and identity in academia. I will be forever grateful for the support and aloha that comes with being part of the Maile ʻohana." -- "I believe the Maile Mentoring program has been successful because it places an emphasis on meeting the needs of the whole student, not just their research endeavors," said Alegado. "In focusing on creating a nurturing environment in SOEST, we place a stronger emphasis on retention of students, not just recruitment, which increases completion and graduation rates for NHPI." -- The MEGA Lab | E01 | 238 |
| 2401-T005 | New Evidence Supports the Existence of Quark-Matter Cores in Massive Neutron Stars | New theoretical analysis suggests that there is a high likelihood of massive neutron stars containing cores of deconfined quark matter. | University of Helsinki | Nature Communications | Press Rel | PubMed | New theoretical analysis places the likelihood of massive neutron stars hiding cores of deconfined quark matter between 80 and 90 percent. The result was reached through massive supercomputer runs utilizing Bayesian statistical inference. -- Neutron-star cores contain matter at the highest densities reached in our present-day Universe, with as much as two solar masses of matter compressed inside a sphere of 25 km in diameter. -- These astrophysical objects can indeed be thought of as giant atomic nuclei, with gravity compressing their cores to densities exceeding those of individual protons and neutrons manyfold. -- These densities make neutron stars interesting astrophysical objects from the point of view of particle and nuclear physics. -- A longstanding open problem concerns whether the immense central pressure of neutron stars can compress protons and neutrons into a new phase of matter, known as cold quark matter. -- In this exotic state of matter, individual protons and neutrons no longer exist. -- "Their constituent quarks and gluons are instead liberated from their typical color confinement and are allowed to move almost freely," explains Aleksi Vuorinen, professor of theoretical particle physics at the University of Helsinki. -- A Strong Phase Transition May Still Ruin the Day -- In a new article just published in Nature Communications, a team centred at the University of Helsinki provided a first-ever quantitative estimate for the likelihood of quark-matter cores inside massive neutron stars. -- They showed that, based on current astrophysical observations, quark matter is almost inevitable in the most massive neutron stars: a quantitative estimate that the team extracted placed the likelihood in the range of 80-90 percent. | E01 T01 T02 | 239 |
| 2401-007 | Thorough Compilation of Sleep and Emotion Research Published by Psychologist | Losing sleep not only makes us tired, but it can also increase anxiety, degrade mood, and undermine our emotional functioning, according to a study by University of Houston Professor of Psychology Candice Alfano. | University of Houston | Psychological Bulletin | Press Rel | PubMed | Losing sleep is actually something to lose sleep about. It doesn't just make us tired -- it can increase anxiety, degrade mood and altogether undermine our emotional functioning, according to a study by University of Houston Professor of Psychology Candice Alfano, who is senior author on the report. The study, published by the American Psychological Association in the journal Psychological Bulletin, synthesized more than 50 years of research on sleep deprivation and mood. -- "Emotions govern virtually every aspect of our daily lives, and depriving ourselves of sleep seems to be a sure way to elect a terrible governor. Our findings confirm that even when sleep is only mildly deficient, there are measurable negative changes in how we react to everyday events," reports Alfano, who is also director of the Sleep and Anxiety Center of Houston. -- Two of Alfano's colleagues, Cara Palmer and Joanne Bower, are co-first authors of the report. -- "In our largely sleep-deprived society, quantifying the effects of sleep loss on emotion is critical for promoting psychological health," said Palmer, an assistant professor at Montana State University. -- "This study represents the most comprehensive synthesis of experimental sleep and emotion research to date, and provides strong evidence that periods of extended wakefulness, shortened sleep duration, and nighttime awakenings adversely influence human emotional functioning." -- The team analyzed data from 154 studies spanning five decades, with 5,715 total participants. -- In all those studies, researchers disrupted participants' sleep for one or more nights. -- In some experiments, participants were kept awake for an extended period. -- In others, they were allowed a shorter-than-typical amount of sleep, and in others they were periodically awakened throughout the night. -- Each study also measured at least one emotion-related variable after the sleep manipulation, such as participants' self-reported mood, their response to emotional stimuli, and measures of depression and anxiety symptoms. | H02 | 240 |
| 2401-024 | New Antibiotic Shows Promise Against Superbug C Diff | In a phase-one human clinical trial, a University of Houston pharmacist researcher has demonstrated the potential of a new antibiotic, Omadacycline, in combating the superbug C diff, a common hospital-acquired infection. | University of Houston | The Journal of Infectious Diseases | Press Rel | PubMed | In a phase-one human clinical trial, a University of Houston pharmacist researcher has demonstrated that a newer generation tetracycline antibiotic, called Omadacycline, may be a promising tool in combating the resilient bacteria Clostridioides difficile (C diff), which causes an infection often picked up in hospitals. C diff brings on diarrhea and colitis, an inflammation of the colon, and is responsible for nearly 500,000 infections annually in the United States. -- The fight against C diff takes its toll internally, including a significant disruption of gut microbiota, usually by broad-spectrum antibiotics, leading to loss of colonization resistance to C difficile. -- Omadacycline demonstrated a low likelihood of causing C diff in clinical trials, but no one understood why. -- Kevin Garey, Robert L. Boblitt Endowed Professor of Drug Discovery at the UH College of Pharmacy, assessed the pharmacokinetics and gut microbiome effects of oral Omadacycline in comparison to Vancomycin, another possible C diff drug. -- Vancomycin is used to treat C diff but is not good at eliminating it over the long-term. -- Garey's team investigated whether Omadacycline, given orally, achieves high concentration in the gut and the effect on the gut microbiome, the healthy bacteria that lives in the colon. -- "Our research shows off the coolness of the microbiome. Omadacycline caused a distinctly different effect on the microbiome than Vancomycin. This could explain why Omadacycline is a safe drug to give to patients at high risk for C diff infection. This could become a new method in drug development to see if antibiotics are not only killing the bacteria causing infections (the bad bugs) but not causing harm to the beneficial microbes that live in our body (the good bugs)," said Garey, whose results were published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases. "I would hope that this becomes a normal part of the antibiotic drug development process." -- In the study, 16 healthy volunteers tolerated Omadacycline with no safety differences compared to the other antibiotic. -- A rapid initial increase in fecal concentration of Omadacycline was observed compared to Vancomycin, with maximum concentrations achieved within 48 hours. -- Rapid increase is a good thing -- it means the active drug is getting to the site of the infection faster. | R01 | 241 |
| 2401-046 | Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy Linked to Language Delays: New Study | Acetaminophen use during pregnancy has been associated with language delays in early childhood, according to a study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau | Pediatric Research | Press Rel | PubMed | Acetaminophen is considered the safest over-the-counter pain reliever and fever reducer available during pregnancy. Studies have shown that 50%-65% of women in North America and Europe take acetaminophen during pregnancy. A new study from researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign explored the relationship between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and language outcomes in early childhood. It found that increasing acetaminophen use was associated with language delays. -- The findings are reported in the journal Pediatric Research. -- Earlier studies have found associations between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and poorer child communication skills. -- But those studies used measures of language development that were less precise than the methods applied in the current study, said Megan Woodbury, who led the research as a graduate student with U. of I. comparative biosciences professor emerita Susan Schantz. -- The work was conducted as part of the Illinois Kids Development Study, which explores how environmental exposures in pregnancy and childhood influence child development. -- Schantz is the IKIDS principal investigator. Woodbury is now a postdoctoral researcher at Northeastern University in Boston. -- "The previous studies had only asked pregnant people at most once a trimester about their acetaminophen use," Woodbury said. -- "But with IKIDS, we talked to our participants every four to six weeks during pregnancy and then within 24 hours of the kid's birth, so we had six time points during pregnancy." -- The language analyses involved 298 2-year-old children who had been followed prenatally, 254 of whom returned for further study at age 3. -- For the 2-year-olds, the researchers turned to the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories, which asks a parent to report on the child's vocabulary, language complexity and the average length of the child's longest three utterances. | H01 | 242 |
| 2401-E015 | Genetic Sequencing Uncovers Unexpected Source of Pathogens in Floodwaters | Local rivers and streams, not pig farms, were the source of Salmonella enterica contamination along coastal North Carolina after Hurricane Florence in 2018. This research challenges previous assumptions about the contamination source. | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau | GeoHealth | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers report in the journal Geohealth that local rivers and streams were the source of the Salmonella enterica contamination along coastal North Carolina after Hurricane Florence in 2018 -- not the previously suspected high number of pig farms in the region. -- These findings have critical implications for controlling the spread of disease caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens after flooding events, particularly in the coastal regions of developing countries that are being highly impacted by the increase in tropical storms. -- The study, led by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign civil and environmental engineering professor Helen Nguyen and graduate student Yuqing Mao, tracks the presence and origin of S. enterica from environmental samples from coastal North Carolina using genetic tracing. -- "Infections caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens are responsible for approximately 2.8 million human illnesses and 36,000 deaths per year in the U.S. alone," Nguyen said. -- "These infections spread easily across the globe and are a major burden on burgeoning health care systems, but they are preventable through mitigation." -- The study reports that because human and animal fecal genetic markers are often found in flood waters, it is commonly assumed wastewater sources, septic systems and livestock farms are responsible for spreading antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genetic material into the environment. -- However, no known studies have conclusively identified contaminant source points. -- "Coastal North Carolina is a great case study area because there is a high concentration of swine farms and private septic systems, and coastal flooding caused by tropical storms is fairly common," Nguyen said. -- Three weeks after Hurricane Florence, Nguyen's team collected 25 water samples from water bodies downstream of the swine farms in agricultural production areas in North Carolina, 23 of which contained the S. enterica bacteria. -- "We analyzed free-floating genetic markers -- chromosomes and plasmids -- using high-fidelity whole-genome sequencing and found that S. enterica in the samples collected after Hurricane Florence were not from animals or manure," Nguyen said. | E01 E02 | 243 |
| 2402-006 | The Hidden Costs of Overcoming Adversity for Minority Youth | Overcoming adversity may have physiological costs for minority youth, according to a new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. | University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences | Journal of Youth and Adolescence | Press Rel | PubMed | When youth thrive despite difficult circumstances, they are usually lauded for their accomplishments. However, overcoming adversity may have a hidden physiological cost, especially for minority youth. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign looks at physiological changes among high-striving minority youth in early adolescence. -- "In the past decade, researchers have observed a phenomenon termed 'skin-deep resilience.' Historically, youth from disadvantaged backgrounds who 'beat the odds' were assumed to have universally positive outcomes. They are achieving academically, avoiding problematic behaviors, and scoring well on psychological measures. Outwardly these youth are seen as resilient, but these emerging 'skin-deep resilience' findings suggest this success may come at a cost to their physical health," explained lead author Allen Barton, assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies and an Illinois Extension specialist in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at U. of I. -- Skin-deep resilience has appeared particularly in samples of racial and ethnic minority youth, who are more likely to experience various stressors such as discrimination, disadvantaged neighborhoods, and socioeconomic risk. -- Studies exploring skin-deep resilience have found evidence of a health toll in outwardly resilient young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds, including higher risk of inflammation, immune cell aging, metabolic disorders, and chronic disease. -- But Barton and his colleagues wondered if physiological changes could be detected among high-striving minority youth at even younger ages, such as early adolescence. -- "For 10-year-olds, trying to find indicators of wear and tear in the body can be challenging because youth at this age generally are not manifesting any clinical or subclinical symptoms yet," he said. -- "Given that, in the current study, we examined whether accelerated puberty development could be one physiological change that might serve as an indicator of the skin-deep resilience pattern. Prior research has suggested that stressful conditions can result in earlier onset of puberty, as well as faster progression." -- The researchers used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, a large-scale project conducted by the National Institutes of Health that follows 11,000 youth and their parents across 21 sites in the U.S. Barton and his colleagues analyzed baseline data from 9- and 10-year-olds, as well as follow-up assessments one year later. -- Their sample included 7,712 participants: 66% White, 13.4% Black, and 20.6% Hispanic. -- As expected, high executive functioning -- cognitive processes related to planning, problem-solving, and goal direction -- at baseline was associated with positive outward adjustment, including fewer conduct problems and rule-breaking behaviors one year later among Black or Hispanic participants. | H01 H02 R02 | 244 |
| 2402-T004 | Coal's Unexpected Role: Fueling Next-Generation Electronic Devices | A joint research effort has shown how coal can play a vital role in next-generation electronic devices, highlighting the need to reevaluate its economic role as the country transitions to other means of energy production. | University of Illinois Grainger College of Engineering | Communications Engineering | Press Rel | PubMed | Coal is an abundant resource in the United States that has, unfortunately, contributed to climate change through its use as a fossil fuel. As the country transitions to other means of energy production, it will be important to consider and reevaluate coal's economic role. A joint research effort from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the National Energy Technology Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company has shown how coal can play a vital role in next-generation electronic devices. -- "Coal is usually thought of as something bulky and dirty, but the processing techniques we've developed can transform it into high-purity materials just a couple of atoms thick," said Qing Cao, a U. of I. materials science & engineering professor and a co-lead of the collaboration. -- "Their unique atomic structures and properties are ideal for making some of the smallest possible electronics with performance superior to state-of-the art." -- A process developed by the NETL first converts coal char into nanoscale carbon disks called "carbon dots" that the U. of I. research group demonstrated can be connected to form atomically thin membranes for applications in both two-dimensional transistors and memristors, technologies that will be critical to constructing more advanced electronics. -- These results are reported in the journal Communications Engineering. -- Perfect for 2D electronics -- In the ongoing search for smaller, faster and more efficient electronics, the final step will be devices made with materials just one or two atoms thick. -- It is impossible for devices to be smaller than this limit, and their small scale often makes them operate much quicker and consume far less energy. -- While ultrathin semiconductors have been extensively studied, it is also necessary to have atomically thin insulators -- materials that block electric currents -- to construct working electronic devices like transistors and memristors. -- Atomically thin layers of carbon with disordered atomic structures can function as an excellent insulator for constructing two-dimensional devices. | E01 T01 | 245 |
| 2402-T024 | Probing Macroscopic Quantum Effects in Darkness | Theoretical physicists propose an experiment involving a fast-moving object rolling through a curvy ramp to generate a macroscopic quantum superposition state. This pioneering experiment could provide valuable insights into quantum mechanics. | University of Innsbruck | Physical Review Letters | Press Rel | PubMed | Be fast, avoid light, and roll through a curvy ramp: This is the recipe for a pioneering experiment proposed by theoretical physicists in a recent paper published in Physical Review Letters. An object evolving in a potential created through electrostatic or magnetic forces is expected to rapidly and reliably generate a macroscopic quantum superposition state. -- The boundary between everyday reality and the quantum world remains unclear. -- The more massive an object, the more localized it becomes when being made quantum through cooling down its motion to the absolute zero. -- Researchers, led by Oriol Romero-Isart from the Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information (IQOQI) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) and the Department of Theoretical Physics at the University of Innsbruck, propose an experiment in which an optically levitated nanoparticle, cooled to its ground state, evolves in a non-optical ("dark") potential created by electrostatic or magnetic forces. -- This evolution in the dark potential is expected to rapidly and reliably generate a macroscopic quantum superposition state. -- Laser light can cool a nanoscale-sized glass sphere to its motional ground state. -- Left alone, bombarded by air molecules and scattering incoming light, such glass spheres quickly heat up and leave the quantum regime, limiting quantum control. -- To avoid this, the researchers propose letting the sphere evolve in the dark, with the light switched off, guided solely by nonuniform electrostatic or magnetic forces. -- This evolution is not only fast enough to prevent heating by stray gas molecules but also lifts the extreme localization and imprints unequivocally quantum features. -- The recent paper in Physical Review Letters also discusses how this proposal circumvents the practical challenges of these type of experiments. | T01 | 246 |
| 2401-E012 | Diversity in Plant Species Increases Farming Yield: Solving a Mystery | Planting diverse crops instead of a single species boosts agricultural yield by reducing the prevalence of soil pathogens harmful to plants. This research confirms the benefits of crop rotation and mixed planting practices. | University of Kansas | Nature Communications | Press Rel | PubMed | A study appearing in Nature Communications based on field and greenhouse experiments at the University of Kansas shows how a boost in agricultural yield comes from planting diverse crops rather than just one plant species: Soil pathogens harmful to plants have a harder time thriving. -- "It's commonly observed that diverse plant communities can be more productive and stable over time," said corresponding author James Bever, senior scientist with the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research and Foundation Distinguished Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at KU. "Range lands with numerous species can show increased productivity. But the reason for this has been a bit of a mystery." -- While crop rotation and other farming and gardening practices long have reflected benefits of a mix of plants, the new research puts hard data to one important mechanism underpinning the observation: the numbers of microorganisms in the soil that eat plants. -- "Diverse agricultural communities have the potential to keep pathogens at bay, resulting in greater yields," Bever said. -- "What we show is that a major driver is the specialization of pathogens, particularly those specific to different plant species. These pathogens suppress yields in low-diversity communities. A significant advantage of rangeland diversity is that less biomass is consumed by pathogens, allowing more biomass for other uses, such as cattle. The same process is crucial for agricultural production." -- The new data was developed at the University of Kansas using field experiments at the KU Field Station, along with greenhouse assays and feedback modeling using computers. -- This project was supported by large collaborative grants to KU from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. -- "We conducted an experiment manipulating the number of plants in a plot and varying precipitation levels -- we had from one up to six species in a plot," Bever said. -- "Then, we evaluated the composition of the soil-pathogen microbiome. What we found is that the variation in pathogen composition in monocultures significantly predicted the yield when combined. When there are distinct pathogen communities, mixing them leads to a greater release of pathogens from your neighbors. The worst scenario is when a neighboring crop has the same pathogens. In that case, you're experiencing double density -- your crop pathogens and those from your neighbor crop." -- At KU, Bever's collaborators included associate specialist Peggy Schultz as well as Haley Burrill and Laura Podzikowski, both of whom earned doctorates at KU and now are postdoctoral researchers at the University of Oregon and KU, respectively. | E03 T01 | 247 |
| 2401-002 | Researchers Urge Nutritional Quality for Climate Smart Agriculture in Africa | According to a major research study, farmers in sub-Saharan Africa should shift away from growing maize and focus on resilient crops that provide key micronutrients for the population while being adaptable to climate change. | University of Leeds | Nature Food | Press Rel | PubMed | Farmers in sub-Saharan Africa need to diversify away from growing maize and switch to crops that are resilient to climate change and supply key micronutrients for the population, say researchers. -- Maize is a staple crop across the region where it is grown and consumed in vast quantities. -- Led by Dr Stewart Jennings from the University of Leeds, the study argues that diversification towards fruits, vegetables and crops such as cassava, millet and sorghum will improve nutrition security in the country, with people getting sufficient micronutrients essential for good health. -- The study also says the quantity of food produced must increase -- and unless yields are boosted to an unprecedented level, more land will have to be brought into agricultural production. -- Sub-Saharan Africa is home to around 1.2 billion people, and according to figures from the World Bank, the population will grow by an additional 740 million people by 2050. -- Farmers will have to boost the amount of food grown at a time when climate change will result in increasingly extreme conditions, affecting what crops can be grown. -- The researchers say the population is at risk of "food and nutrition insecurity" unless effective ways of adapting to climate change are identified. Integral to any decisions is a requirement that crops need to be nutritious and provide sufficient energy for the population. -- Professor Jennie Macdiarmid, from the Rowett Institute at the University of Aberdeen and one of the authors of the paper, said: "The study has highlighted the need to place nutrition at the heart of agricultural policy to avoid the long-term unintended consequence of failing to produce food that can deliver the nutritional needs of the population. -- "If policy solutions focus only on increasing production of calories and adapting to be climate smart, it is likely there will be negative consequences for health through nutritionally poor diets." -- The study -- Stakeholder-driven transformative adaptation is needed for climate-smart nutrition security in sub-Saharan Africa - is published in the scientific journal Nature Food. | E01 | 248 |
| 2401-022 | Link Between Childhood Adversity and Early Mortality Risk Explored | Groundbreaking research conducted by the University of Limerick, Ireland, has shed new light on the correlation between childhood adversity and the increased risk of early death. | University of Limerick | Psychosomatic Medicine | Press Rel | PubMed | Groundbreaking University of Limerick, Ireland research has shed new light on the link between childhood adversity and future risk of death. -- A major international study led by researchers at UL and published in the journal of Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine has examined the association between adverse childhood experiences and the increased risk of premature mortality. -- Adverse childhood experiences such as emotional and physical abuse, household instability, socioeconomic climate and ill health can lead to people having a shorter life, but it was not clear how. -- The researchers believed that, as individuals with these adverse experiences in their childhood can suffer from lower self-acceptance and purpose in life, that these could be a pathway or a 'mechanism' linking these experiences to future mortality risk. -- The new study, which followed 6,128 people across 24 years in the United States, found that self-acceptance -- positive attitudes towards oneself and acknowledging and accepting multiple aspects of yourself -- and purpose in life -- a sense of a goal-directed direction in life -- do explain part of the reason why childhood adversity is related to future longevity. -- The project was led by Associate Professor of Psychology at University of Limerick Dr Páraic Ó Súilleabháin, Director of the Personality, Individual Differences and Biobehavioural Health Laboratory and member of the Health Research Institute. -- The work was conducted in collaboration with others from University of Limerick, West Virginia University, Open University of the Netherlands, University of Minnesota, and Florida State University. -- Commenting on the study, Dr Ó Súilleabháin said: "It is very important to find the ways in which experiences such as these early in life can have an impact across our lives. We have previously found that these experiences are related to a shortening of life expectancy. It is important to understand the mechanisms linking them, so that ways to increase life expectancy can be identified. -- "We found that self-acceptance and purpose in life are very important in the link between these childhood experiences and risk of death in adulthood. In other words, of all the possible factors in the link between childhood adversity and risk of future death, it appears that self-acceptance and purpose in life are two important drivers." -- The research team used the 'Midlife in the United States Survey' to test whether these factors were indirect pathways that increased the association between adverse childhood experiences and mortality hazards over 24 years of follow-up. | H01 E01 | 249 |
| 2401-045 | Synthetic Antibiotic Shows Promise Against 'Superbugs': Research Raises Hope | A new synthetic antibiotic developed by researchers at the University of Liverpool is more effective than existing drugs in combating antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" like MRSA. | University of Liverpool | European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry | Press Rel | PubMed | A new synthetic antibiotic developed by University of Liverpool researchers is shown to be more effective than established drugs against 'superbugs' such as MRSA, a new study shows. -- The study demonstrates the potent activity of the antibiotic, teixobactin, against bacterial biofilms. -- Biofilms are clusters of bacteria that are attached to a surface and/or to each other -- which are associated with serious chronic infections in humans. -- Nearly five million people lose their lives due to antibiotic resistance-associated infections and millions more live with poor quality of life due to treatment failures. -- Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is increasing and an AMR review commissioned by the UK Government has predicted that by 2050 an additional 10 million people will succumb to drug resistant infections each year. -- The development of new antibiotics which can be used as a last resort when other drugs are ineffective is a crucial area of study for healthcare researchers around the world. -- This work builds on pioneering research by the University's Dr Ishwar Singh, an expert in antimicrobial drug discovery and development and medicinal chemistry. -- A team of researchers led by Dr Singh developed simplified synthetic versions of the natural molecule teixobactin, which is used by producer bacteria to kill other bacteria in soil. -- They have tested a unique library of synthetic versions of the 'game changing' antibiotic, optimising key features of the drug to enhance its efficacy and safety, plus enabling it to be inexpensively produced at scale. -- For this latest study, the researchers designed and synthesised highly potent teixobactin analogues but swapped out key bottleneck building block L-allo-enduracididine with the commercially available low cost simplified building blocks such as non proteogenic amino acids. | H01 R01 | 250 |
| 2401-E032 | Evolution Hinders Climate Solutions: Human Cultural Evolution Causes Environmental Conflict | Human cultural evolution may hinder efforts to solve environmental problems like climate change, necessitating a change in human evolution. | University of Maine | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences | Press Rel | PubMed | Central features of human evolution may stop our species from resolving global environmental problems like climate change, says a new study led by the University of Maine. -- Humans have come to dominate the planet with tools and systems to exploit natural resources that were refined over thousands of years through the process of cultural adaptation to the environment. University of Maine evolutionary biologist Tim Waring wanted to know how this process of cultural adaptation to the environment might influence the goal of solving global environmental problems. What he found was counterintuitive. -- The project sought to understand three core questions: how human evolution has operated in the context of environmental resources, how human evolution has contributed to the multiple global environmental crises and how global environmental limits might change the outcomes of human evolution in the future. -- Waring's team outlined their findings in a new paper published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. Other authors of the study include Zach Wood, UMaine alumni, and Eörs Szathmáry, a professor at Eötvös LorándUniversity in Budapest, Hungary. -- Human expansion -- The study explored how human societies' use of the environment changed over our evolutionary history. The research team investigated changes in the ecological niche of human populations, including factors such as the natural resources they used, how intensively they were used, what systems and methods emerged to use those resources and the environmental impacts that resulted from their usage. -- This effort revealed a set of common patterns. Over the last 100,000 years, human groups have progressively used more types of resources, with more intensity, at greater scales and with greater environmental impacts. Those groups often then spread to new environments with new resources. -- The global human expansion was facilitated by the process of cultural adaptation to the environment. This leads to the accumulation of adaptive cultural traits -- social systems and technology to help exploit and control environmental resources such as agricultural practices, fishing methods, irrigation infrastructure, energy technology and social systems for managing each of these. -- "Human evolution is mostly driven by cultural change, which is faster than genetic evolution. That greater speed of adaptation has made it possible for humans to colonize all habitable land worldwide," says Waring, associate professor with the UMaine Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions and the School of Economics. -- Moreover, this process accelerates because of a positive feedback process: as groups get larger, they accumulate adaptive cultural traits more rapidly, which provides more resources and enables faster growth. | H01 E01 E02 T02 | 251 |
| 2401-T011 | Unlocking the Mystery of Non-Reciprocal Interactions in Molecules | Researchers have discovered non-reciprocal interactions between molecules without external forces, challenging the traditional reciprocal law. | University of Maine | Chem | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers from the University of Maine and Penn State discovered that molecules experience non-reciprocal interactions without external forces. -- Fundamental forces such as gravity and electromagnetism are reciprocal, where two objects are attracted to each other or are repelled by each other. -- In our everyday experience, however, interactions don't seem to follow this reciprocal law. -- For example, a predator is attracted to prey, but the prey tends to flee from the predator. -- Such non-reciprocal interactions are essential for complex behavior associated with living organisms. -- For microscopic systems such as bacteria, the mechanism of non-reciprocal interactions have been explained by hydrodynamic or other external forces, and it was previously thought that similar types of forces could explain interactions between single molecules. -- In work published in the Cell Press journal Chem, UMaine theoretical physicist R. Dean Astumian and collaborators Ayusman Sen and Niladri Sekhar Mandal at Penn State have published a different mechanism by which single molecules can interact non-reciprocally without hydrodynamic effects. -- This mechanism invokes the local gradients of reactants and products due to the reactions facilitated by every chemical catalyst, a biological example of which is an enzyme. -- Because the response of a catalyst to the gradient depends on the catalyst's properties, it is possible to have a situation in which one molecule is repelled by, but attracts, another molecule. -- The authors' "Eureka moment" occurred when, in their discussion, they realized that a property of every catalyst known as the kinetic asymmetry controls the direction of response to a concentration gradient. | T01 | 252 |
| 2401-E033 | Examining Climate Mobilities in South Florida: Perspectives from Local Practitioners | South Florida climate adaptation professionals discuss the challenges of adapting to increasing sea level rise and climate mobility. | University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science | Oxford Open Climate Change | Press Rel | PubMed | As climate change continues to impact people across South Florida, the need for adaptive responses becomes increasingly important. -- A recent study led by researchers at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, assessed the perspectives of 76 diverse South Florida climate adaptation professionals. -- The study titled, "Practitioner perspectives on climate mobilities in South Florida" was published in the December issue of the Journal Oxford Open Climate Change, and explores the expectations and concerns of practitioners from the private sector, community-based organizations, and government agencies about the region's ability to adapt in the face of increasing sea level rise and diverse consequences for where people live and move, also known as climate mobility. -- Conducted through extensive interviews, the research underscores the growing significance of climate mobility as a crucial adaptive response in the face of increased climate challenges. -- While previous studies have primarily focused on resident perspectives on mobility, this study delves into the views of professionals, offering insights that could potentially shape future strategies and outcomes. -- "This study is a deep dive aiming to understand the perspectives of leading experts on where we are right now in our climate responses in South Florida," said Katharine Mach, lead author of the study and a professor and chair of the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the Rosenstiel School. -- "These types of conversations are crucial to our prospects for unleashing innovations and successes in regional climate adaptations and preparedness." -- Key findings reveal a consensus among the professionals about the inevitability of various forms of climate mobilities in South Florida. -- Anticipated movements of people and infrastructure assets away from hazardous areas were highlighted, indicating an urgent need for comprehensive adaptation planning. -- However, while recognizing the necessity of climate mobility strategies, the interviewed practitioners expressed concerns regarding the current impact of such movements. | E01 | 253 |
| 2402-E006 | Understanding Climate Mobilities in South Florida: Perspectives from Practitioners | A study exploring the perspectives of climate adaptation professionals in South Florida highlights the region's ability to adapt to increasing sea-level rise and its consequences. As climate change impacts the area, adaptive responses become crucial for the well-being of communities. | University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science | Oxford Open Climate Change | Press Rel | PubMed | As climate change continues to impact people across South Florida, the need for adaptive responses becomes increasingly important. -- A recent study led by researchers at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, assessed the perspectives of 76 diverse South Florida climate adaptation professionals. -- The study titled, "Practitioner perspectives on climate mobilities in South Florida" was published in the December issue of the Journal Oxford Open Climate Change, and explores the expectations and concerns of practitioners from the private sector, community-based organizations, and government agencies about the region's ability to adapt in the face of increasing sea level rise and diverse consequences for where people live and move, also known as climate mobility. -- Conducted through extensive interviews, the research underscores the growing significance of climate mobility as a crucial adaptive response in the face of increased climate challenges. -- While previous studies have primarily focused on resident perspectives on mobility, this study delves into the views of professionals, offering insights that could potentially shape future strategies and outcomes. -- "This study is a deep dive aiming to understand the perspectives of leading experts on where we are right now in our climate responses in South Florida," said Katharine Mach, lead author of the study and a professor and chair of the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the Rosenstiel School. -- "These types of conversations are crucial to our prospects for unleashing innovations and successes in regional climate adaptations and preparedness." -- Key findings reveal a consensus among the professionals about the inevitability of various forms of climate mobilities in South Florida. -- Anticipated movements of people and infrastructure assets away from hazardous areas were highlighted, indicating an urgent need for comprehensive adaptation planning. -- However, while recognizing the necessity of climate mobility strategies, the interviewed practitioners expressed concerns regarding the current impact of such movements. | E01 | 254 |
| 2401-072 | Genetic Variants and Risk-Taking Linked to Male Bisexual Behavior | A new study suggests that risk-taking behavior may explain the persistence of genes associated with same-sex sexual behavior, particularly in male bisexuals, despite not resulting in offspring. | University of Michigan | Science Advances | Press Rel | PubMed | Because same-sex sexual behavior does not result in offspring, evolutionary biologists have long wondered how the genes associated with this behavior have persisted in the human genome, and whether they will remain in the future. -- A new University of Michigan-led study, scheduled for publication January 3 in the journal Science Advances, suggests that part of the explanation -- specifically for male bisexuals -- has to do with risk-taking behavior. -- The U-M researchers analyzed data from more than 450,000 participants of European ancestry in the United Kingdom's Biobank database of genetic and health information. -- Participants responded to a questionnaire that included the question, "Would you describe yourself as someone who takes risks?" -- The U-M analysis revealed that male heterosexuals who carry the genetic variants associated with bisexual behavior, which are known as BSB-associated alleles, father more children than average. -- Furthermore, men who describe themselves as risk-takers tend to have more children and are more likely to carry BSB-associated alleles. -- These and other observations suggest that male BSB-associated alleles confer reproductive benefits because of the shared genetic variants between male bisexual and risk-taking behaviors. -- "Our results suggest that male BSB-associated alleles are likely reproductively advantageous, which may explain their past persistence and predict their future maintenance," said U-M evolutionary biologist Jianzhi Zhang, the study's senior author. -- "These results also suggest that risk-taking behavior is the underlying cause of BSB-associated alleles' promotion of reproduction in heterosexuals. That is, the reproductive advantage of BSB-associated alleles is a byproduct of the reproductive advantage of risk-taking behavior," said Zhang, the Marshall W. Nirenberg Collegiate Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. -- The first author of the new study is U-M graduate student Siliang Song. | H01 | 255 |
| 2402-T025 | Decoding the Secrets of a 'Hot Saturn' and Its Star's Activity | Astronomers have used the James Webb Space Telescope to study the atmosphere of the exoplanet HAT-P-18 b, revealing its blend of gases, clouds, and the effects of its star's activity. This research sheds light on the mysteries of exoplanet atmospheres. | University of Montreal | Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society | Press Rel | PubMed | Led by researchers from Université de Montréal's Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx), a team of astronomers has harnessed the power of the revolutionary James Webb Space Webb Telescope (JWST) to study the "hot Saturn" exoplanet HAT-P-18 b. -- Their findings, published last month in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, paint a complete picture of the HAT-P-18 b's atmosphere while exploring the great challenge of distinguishing its atmospheric signals from the activity of its star. -- HAT-P-18 b is located over 500 light-years away with a mass similar to Saturn's but a size closer to that the larger planet Jupiter. -- As a result, the exoplanet has a "puffed-up" atmosphere that is especially ideal for analysis. -- Passing over a spotted star -- Observations from the JWST were taken while the HAT-P-18 b was passing in front of its Sun-like star. -- This moment is called a transit and is crucial to detect and further characterise an exoplanet from hundreds of light-years away with surprising precision. -- Astronomers don't observe light that is being emitted directly by the distant planet. -- Rather, they study how the central star's light is being blocked and affected by the planet orbiting it, and so must try to disentangle signals caused by the presence of the planet from those caused by the star's own properties. -- Just like our Sun, stars do not have uniform surfaces. They can have dark star spots and bright regions, which can create signals that mimic a planet's atmospheric attributes. | T02 | 256 |
| 2402-029 | Artificial Intelligence in Leukemia Diagnostics: Predicting Genetic Features from Microscopic Images | Artificial intelligence can predict genetic features of leukemia based on microscopic images of bone marrow smears, providing targeted treatment options. | University of Münster | Blood Advances | Press Rel | PubMed | Decisions on treatment for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) -- a highly aggressive form of leukemia -- are based, among other things, on a series of certain genetic features of the disease; but at the time when a diagnosis is made, this information is not available. However, evidence of these genetic anomalies is crucial in providing targeted treatment for patients at an early stage. As genetic testing is expensive and time-consuming, there is a great need for inexpensive, fast and broadly accessible tests to predict such anomalies. -- A team of IT specialists and physicians at the University of Münster and the University Hospital Münster has now published a study showing how a method based on artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to predict various genetic features on the basis of high-resolution microscopic images of bone marrow smears. -- As a result, decisions on a more precise treatment can be made in future directly on the day of the diagnosis, without the need to wait for genetic analyses. -- The results have been published in the journal Blood Advances. -- In this new method, the genetic aberrations were extracted directly from extremely high-resolution multi-gigabyte scans from whole bone marrow smears taken from more than 400 AML patients. -- The scans had a resolution of 270,000 times 135,000 pixels on average, with one image being several gigabytes in size. -- Proceeding from this enormous dataset, it was possible to extract more than two million single-cell images. -- "We developed a new type of Deep Learning method, fully automatic, which was trained for a complex task by means of machine learning technology," explains Prof. -- Benjamin Risse, who headed the work on algorithmic developments on the IT side. -- "In our case, the basic algorithm can automatically recognise the genetic features and the very fine patterns in big cytological images. The method then filtered the single-cell images into categories of different cell types, and it also showed any genetic aberrations. Interestingly, several patterns recognized by the algorithm can not be identified by human observers. This is for example because the patterns may be too faint or because extremely fine textures are involved which remain hidden to the human eye, despite excellent imaging," says Risse. | H01 T01 | 257 |
| 2402-047 | Infertility and CatSper Dysfunction: A Breakthrough Discovery | A study identifies CatSper, an ion channel controlling calcium levels in sperm, as a common cause of unexplained male infertility. The findings provide opportunities for improved diagnostics and care for infertile couples. | University of Münster | Journal of Clinical Investigation | Press Rel | PubMed | In half of the couples that are unable to conceive a child, the infertility is due to the man. A new study identifies the defective function of 'CatSper', an ion channel controlling calcium levels in sperm, as a common cause of seemingly unexplained male infertility. CatSper-deficient human sperm fail to fertilize the egg, because they cannot penetrate its protective vestments. Thus far, this sperm channelopathy has remained undetectable. Scientists from Münster, Germany, have unravelled CatSper´s role in infertility using a novel laboratory test that identifies affected men. Based on the results of the study, which has been published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, diagnostics and care of infertile couples can be improved. -- One in six couples fail to conceive a child. The underlying cause often remains unresolved. -- In fact, in about one third of infertile couples, the man´s semen analysis yields no abnormalities in the number, motility, or morphology of the sperm. -- This poses a problem: the lack of a clear diagnosis prevents an evidence-based selection of a therapy option. -- As a result, affected couples often experience unsuccessful treatments. -- How do men fail to conceive a child despite normal semen parameters? -- An interdisciplinary team of scientists from the University of Münster in Germany, set out to answer this question. -- 'For quite a while, we have considered CatSper a prime suspect' says Prof. -- Timo Strünker from the Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology (CeRA). Some years ago, Strünker and colleagues revealed that sperm use CatSper as a sensor to detect messenger molecules released by the egg. -- These molecules activate CatSper, which leads to an influx of calcium into the flagellum, changing its beating pattern. | H01 | 258 |
| 2402-T020 | Innovative Approach Allows Insertion of Single Carbon Atoms in Compounds | Chemists have developed a new method to adjust the size of carbon rings in cyclic compounds, which is crucial for the production of active ingredients in pharmaceuticals. By inserting a single carbon atom, they can precisely control the size of the ring, improving manufacturing efficiency. | University of Münster | Nature Catalysis | Press Rel | PubMed | Molecules with a central ring system play an important role in the search for active ingredients for new pharmaceutical products -- and it is important that the rings should have the correct size if the desired product is to be manufactured as efficiently as possible. For this purpose, an international team of chemists led by Prof. Frank Glorius (University of Münster) and Prof. Osvaldo Gutierrez (Texas A&M University, USA) have developed a precise and efficient tool using "single atom skeletal editing." Their new approach consists in inserting a single carbon atom into the carbon skeleton of cyclic compounds, enabling the ring size to be adjusted from five to six-membered rings. The team has now published the method in the journal Nature Catalysis. -- The results of the study, say the researchers, open up the way for the design and modification of complex molecular structures. -- Not only research but also industrial applications in pharmaceutical syntheses and in materials science could all benefit from the results. -- Skeletal editing is a method used by chemists to replace atoms within a ring system. -- "In earlier approaches," says Dr. Fu-Peng Wu from the University of Münster, "the focus was on the insertion of nitrogen atoms. By contrast, inserting a single carbon atom into an all-carbon ring is an enormous challenge. The carbon reagent needs to be compatible with various functional groups which determine the chemical properties of the molecule. In addition, the compound should be stable, easy to handle and susceptible to uncomplicated activation." In recent decades, only a small number of such reagents have been developed. -- The group led by Frank Glorius employed so-called photoredox catalysis, using light energy to drive the reaction. -- Using special reactive carbon fragments (radical carbynes), the researchers inserted single carbon atoms with various functional groups into indene. -- Indene is a starting material frequently used in the production of organic compounds, as is the product naphthalene. -- Osvaldo Gutierrez and his group carried out mechanistic computations in order to detect the underlying reaction mechanism in the radical chain. -- As postdoc Dr. Remy Lalisse says, "Our calculations seem to suggest that the reaction takes place via an initial addition of a diazomethyl radical to indene." | R01 E01 T02 | 259 |
| 2402-E018 | Picky Eaters: Male Southern Elephant Seals Stick to Their Favorite Foods | The southern elephant seal, one of Antarctica's top predators, is extremely selective in its choice of food, challenging the assumption that they will eat anything and everything. | University of New South Wales | Marine Ecology Progress Series | Press Rel | PubMed | As one of the top predators roaming Antarctica, the sizeable southern elephant seal has its fair selection of the menu. But it turns out they don't just want to eat anything and everything. -- According to new research led by UNSW Sydney, male southern elephant seals have their own favourite foods, and they like to stick with them. In other words, they're very fussy eaters. -- "They could have the pick of the buffet, and yet each male southern elephant seal eats a lot of the same food, which is just a fraction of what's on offer," says Andrea Cormack, lead author of the study and a PhD candidate at UNSW Science. "So, they are extremely picky eaters, each with their own unique favourite foods they go after, whether it be fish, squid species, crustaceans or octopus." -- The research, published in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series, is one of the first studies to analyse the diet of adult male southern elephant seals, who, despite their impressive size, are relatively understudied compared to females. -- "We didn't specifically compare males to females in this study," Ms Cormack says. "But females are known to maintain a fairly specialised diet between one another, just nowhere near as extreme as what we found with the males in our research." -- Unlocking chemical clues from whiskers -- Getting close enough to study the diet of male elephant seals in the wild can be challenging, given their powerful stature and aggressive temperament -- they can weigh up to four tonnes, dwarfing their more placid, smaller female counterparts. Instead, researchers analyse the composition of smaller hard tissues back in the lab that keep more detailed records of the animal's activity. -- For the study, the scientists inferred the eating habits of 31 male southern elephant seals from the Western Antarctic Peninsula by analysing a whisker sample from each seal that holds stable isotopes -- chemical clues about the food they've eaten in the past. Each whisker analysed in the study contained up to a year's worth of data about each seal's culinary preferences, allowing the team to assemble the most extensive picture of the male southern elephant seal diet to date. -- "These guys are out in the water foraging for months, and then fasting for two to three months on land during breeding season, so it's hard to gather a lot of information about their diet through study methods like stomach analysis," Ms Cormack says. "But by analysing hard tissues that store an inert chemical record of what they've eaten, we can start putting together the pieces about their eating habits." -- The researchers found nearly all male southern elephant seals are specialists, with individuals consistently eating the same food items over time with little variation in diet. Most of those could be considered extreme specialists, feeding on less than 20 per cent of their population's range of food types. Meanwhile, only one seal in the sample was a generalist and chose to eat a broad diet of various food sources. | H01 E02 T02 | 260 |
| 2401-079 | Linking Enlarged Spaces in Infant Brains to Higher Risk of Autism | Enlarged perivascular spaces in babies' brains, caused by excess cerebrospinal fluid, increase the likelihood of developing autism later in life. Disruptions to this process can lead to cognitive decline or developmental delays. | University of North Carolina Health Care | JAMA Network Open | Press Rel | PubMed | Throughout the day and night, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pulses through small fluid-filled channels surrounding blood vessels in the brain, called perivascular spaces, to flush out neuroinflammation and other neurological waste. A disruption to this vital process can lead to neurological dysfunction, cognitive decline, or developmental delays. -- For the first time, researchers Dea Garic, PhD, and Mark Shen, PhD, both at the UNC School of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry, discovered that infants with abnormally enlarged perivascular spaces have a 2.2 times greater chance of developing autism compared to infants with the same genetic risk. Their research also indicated that enlarged perivascular spaces in infancy are associated with sleep problems seven to 10 years after diagnosis. -- "These results suggest that perivascular spaces could serve as an early marker for autism," said Garic, assistant professor of psychiatry and a member of the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD). -- The researchers studied infants at increased likelihood for developing autism, because they had an older sibling with autism. They followed these infants from 6-24 months of age, before the age of autism diagnosis. Their study, published in JAMA Network Open, found that thirty percent of infants who later developed autism had enlarged perivascular spaces by 12 months. By 24 months of age, nearly half of the infants diagnosed with autism had enlarged perivascular spaces. -- The Importance of Cerebrospinal Fluid and Sleep -- Starting ten years ago, there has been a resurgence of research on the important functions of CSF in regulating brain health and development. Shen's lab was the first to report that excessive volume of CSF was evident at 6 months of age in infants who would later develop autism. The current study showed that excessive CSF volume at 6 months was linked to enlarged perivascular spaces at 24 months. -- Every six hours, the brain expels a wave of CSF that flows through perivascular spaces to remove potentially harmful neuroinflammatory proteins, such as amyloid beta, from building up in the brain. The CSF cleansing process is especially efficient when we are asleep, as the majority of CSF circulation and clearance occurs during sleep. -- Disrupted sleep, however, can reduce CSF clearance from perivascular spaces, leading to dilation or enlargement, but this has previously only been studied in animal studies or in human studies of adults. This is the first study of its kind in children. -- Shen, senior author of the JAMA Network Open paper, and Garic hypothesized that CSF abnormalities in infancy would be related to later sleep problems, based on Shen's earlier research. The current sleep analysis revealed children who had enlarged perivascular spaces at two years of age had higher rates of sleep disturbances at school age. -- "Since autism is so highly linked with sleep problems, we were in this unique position to examine CSF dynamics and sleep," said Garic, who is first author of the paper. "It was really striking to observe such a strong association separated by such a long period of time over childhood. But it really shows how perivascular spaces not only have an effect early in life, but they can have long term effects, too." | H01 H02 R02 E02 | 261 |
| 2402-E009 | Evolution Revealed: Unraveling the Patterns and Predictability of Genetic Change | A groundbreaking study challenges the notion that evolution is unpredictable, offering the potential for scientists to identify useful genes for addressing real-world issues like antibiotic resistance, disease, and climate change. | University of Nottingham | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | Press Rel | PubMed | A groundbreaking study has found that evolution is not as unpredictable as previously thought, which could allow scientists to explore which genes could be useful to tackle real-world issues such as antibiotic resistance, disease and climate change. -- The study, which is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), challenges the long-standing belief about the unpredictability of evolution, and has found that the evolutionary trajectory of a genome may be influenced by its evolutionary history, rather than determined by numerous factors and historical accidents. -- The study was led by Professor James McInerney and Dr. Alan Beavan from the School of Life Sciences at the University of Nottingham, and Dr. Maria Rosa Domingo-Sananes from Nottingham Trent University. -- "The implications of this research are nothing short of revolutionary," said Professor McInerney, the lead author of the study. -- "By demonstrating that evolution is not as random as we once thought, we've opened the door to an array of possibilities in synthetic biology, medicine, and environmental science." -- The team carried out an analysis of the pangenome -- the complete set of genes within a given species, to answer a critical question of whether evolution is predictable or whether the evolutionary paths of genomes are dependent on their history and so not predictable today. -- Using a machine learning approach known as Random Forest, along with a dataset of 2,500 complete genomes from a single bacterial species, the team carried out several hundred thousand hours of computer processing to address the question. -- After feeding the data into their high-performance computer, the team first made "gene families" from each of the gene of each genome. -- "In this way, we could compare like-with-like across the genomes," said Dr. Domingo-Sananes. -- Once the families had been identified, the team analysed the pattern of how these families were present in some genomes and absent in others. | E01 E03 | 262 |
| 2402-T019 | Revealing the True Colors of Neptune and Uranus | A new study reveals that Neptune and Uranus, known for their distinct blue and green colors respectively, are actually much closer in color than previously thought. This study provides a more accurate depiction of the ice giants' true shades. | University of Oxford | Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society | Press Rel | PubMed | Neptune is fondly known for being a rich blue and Uranus green -- but a new study has revealed that the two ice giants are actually far closer in colour than typically thought. -- The correct shades of the planets have been confirmed with the help of research led by Professor Patrick Irwin from the University of Oxford, which has been published today in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. -- He and his team found that both worlds are in fact a similar shade of greenish blue, despite the commonly-held belief that Neptune is a deep azure and Uranus has a pale cyan appearance. -- Astronomers have long known that most modern images of the two planets do not accurately reflect their true colours. -- The misconception arose because images captured of both planets during the 20th century -- including by NASA's Voyager 2 mission, the only spacecraft to fly past these worlds -- recorded images in separate colours. -- The single-colour images were later recombined to create composite colour images, which were not always accurately balanced to achieve a "true" colour image, and -- particularly in the case of Neptune -- were often made "too blue." -- In addition, the early Neptune images from Voyager 2 were strongly contrast enhanced to better reveal the clouds, bands, and winds that shape our modern perspective of Neptune. -- Professor Irwin said: "Although the familiar Voyager 2 images of Uranus were published in a form closer to 'true' colour, those of Neptune were, in fact, stretched and enhanced, and therefore made artificially too blue." -- "Even though the artificially-saturated colour was known at the time amongst planetary scientists -- and the images were released with captions explaining it -- that distinction had become lost over time." -- "Applying our model to the original data, we have been able to reconstitute the most accurate representation yet of the colour of both Neptune and Uranus." | T02 | 263 |
| 2402-T029 | Bridging the Reality Gap in Quantum Devices Through Machine Learning | A study has used machine learning to close the 'reality gap' in quantum devices, improving their predicted and observed behavior. This finding is a major step towards more accurate and reliable quantum devices. | University of Oxford | Physical Review X | Press Rel | PubMed | A study led by the University of Oxford has used the power of machine learning to overcome a key challenge affecting quantum devices. For the first time, the findings reveal a way to close the 'reality gap': the difference between predicted and observed behaviour from quantum devices. The results have been published in Physical Review X. -- Quantum computing could supercharge a wealth of applications, from climate modelling and financial forecasting, to drug discovery and artificial intelligence. -- But this will require effective ways to scale and combine individual quantum devices (also called qubits). A major barrier against this is inherent variability: where even apparently identical units exhibit different behaviours. -- Functional variability is presumed to be caused by nanoscale imperfections in the materials that quantum devices are made from. -- Since there is no way to measure these directly, this internal disorder cannot be captured in simulations, leading to the gap in predicted and observed outcomes. -- To address this, the research group used a "physics-informed" machine learning approach to infer these disorder characteristics indirectly. -- This was based on how the internal disorder affected the flow of electrons through the device. -- Lead researcher Associate Professor Natalia Ares (Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford) said: 'As an analogy, when we play "crazy golf" the ball may enter a tunnel and exit with a speed or direction that doesn't match our predictions. -- But with a few more shots, a crazy golf simulator, and some machine learning, we might get better at predicting the ball's movements and narrow the reality gap.' -- The researchers measured the output current for different voltage settings across an individual quantum dot device. | E01 T01 | 264 |
| 2402-E056 | Coral Resilience Unveiled: Adapting to Heat Stress in Changing Oceans | Monitoring two coral species off the coast of Hawaii, researchers have found that local adaptations allow certain populations to endure near-severe heat stress, providing hope for coral reefs facing climate change. | University of Pennsylvania | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | Press Rel | PubMed | From intensifying wildfires to record-breaking floods year on year, the effects of climate change have manifested in devastating outcomes on ecosystems that threaten species all over the world. One such ecosystem in peril is coral reefs, which play a major role in sustaining biodiversity in the planet's oceans but are facing increasingly severe conditions as waters heat up leading to a phenomenon known as marine heat waves. -- For nearly a decade, Katie Barott, assistant professor of biology at the University of Pennsylvania, has led a collaborative team of researchers studying two coral species in Hawaii to better understand their adaptability to the effects of climate change. -- Their recent paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences sheds light on this issue, revealing the complex and varied ways corals are adapting, or struggling to adapt, to the rapidly changing oceanic environment. -- "We tracked more than 40 large coral colonies over 10 years and found that certain species have an improved ability to endure and recover from subsequent marine heat waves after surviving one such event," Barott says. -- "It's a bit like working out; the more often you exercise, the easier it is to go through the same exercise stress." -- The researchers studied two dominant coral species in Kaneohe Bay in Oahu, Hawaii: rice coral, Montipora capitata, and finger coral, Porites compressa. Over the decade, these corals were subjected to significant marine heat waves in 2014, 2015, and 2019. -- These provided a unique opportunity to identify bleaching-resistant and bleaching-susceptible individuals of each species and then observe their responses to repeated heat stress. -- Their findings highlight the resilience of some corals while underscoring the vulnerability of others. -- "One of our key discoveries is the role of "acclimatization," says Kristen Brown, first author of the paper and a postdoctoral researcher in the Barott Lab. "This refers to the ability of some corals to adjust to higher temperatures, thereby reducing their susceptibility to bleaching, a phenomenon wherein corals expel the algae living in their tissues, causing them to turn white and increasing the risk of death." -- The researchers found that bleaching-resistant individuals of both coral species remained pigmented throughout the study period, suggesting a persistent form of thermal tolerance; however, pigmentation alone was not a definitive indicator of overall health or resilience. | H01 H02 E01 T02 | 265 |
| 2401-053 | AI Tool Sharpens Focus on Disease Insight in Medical Images | A new artificial intelligence tool allows for quick analysis of gene activities in medical images, providing valuable insights into diseases and tissue micro-environments. | University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine | Nature Biotechnology | Press Rel | PubMed | A new artificial intelligence tool that interprets medical images with unprecedented clarity does so in a way that could allow time-strapped clinicians to dedicate their attention to critical aspects of disease diagnosis and image interpretation. -- The tool, called iStar (Inferring Super-Resolution Tissue Architecture), was developed by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, who believe they can help clinicians diagnose and better treat cancers that might otherwise go undetected. -- The imaging technique provides both highly detailed views of individual cells and a broader look of the full spectrum of how people's genes operate, which would allow doctors and researchers to see cancer cells that might otherwise have been virtually invisible. -- This tool can be used to determine whether safe margins were achieved through cancer surgeries and automatically provide annotation for microscopic images, paving the way for molecular disease diagnosis at that level. -- A paper on the method, led by Daiwei "David" Zhang, PhD, a research associate, and Mingyao Li, PhD, a professor of Biostatistics and Digital Pathology, was published today in Nature Biotechnology. -- Li said that iStar has the ability to automatically detect critical anti-tumor immune formations called "tertiary lymphoid structures," whose presence correlates with a patient's likely survival and favorable response to immunotherapy, which is often given for cancer and requires high precision in patient selection. -- This means, Li said, that iStar could be a powerful tool for determining which patients would benefit most from immunotherapy. -- The development of iStar was taken on as part of the field of spatial transcriptomics, a relatively new field used to map gene activities within the space of tissues. -- Li and her colleagues adapted a machine learning tool called the Hierarchical Vision Transformer and trained it on standard tissue images. -- It begins by breaking down images into different stages, starting small and looking for fine details, then moving up and "grasping broader tissue patterns," according to Li. A network guided by the AI system within iStar uses the information from the Hierarchical Vision Transformer to then absorb all of that information and apply it to predict gene activities, often at near-single-cell resolution. | H01 R01 T01 T02 | 266 |
| 2402-005 | YAP and TAZ: The Dynamic Duo for Fetal Bone Development | YAP and TAZ proteins play a crucial role in bone development, providing insights into genetic diseases like osteogenesis imperfecta. | University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine | Developmental Cell | Press Rel | PubMed | A pair of proteins, YAP and TAZ, has been identified as conductors of bone development in the womb and could provide insight into genetic diseases such as osteogenesis imperfecta, known commonly as "brittle bone disease." This small animal-based research, published today in Developmental Cell and led by members of the McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, adds understanding to the field of mechanobiology, which studies how mechanical forces influence biology. -- "Despite more than a century of study on the mechanobiology of bone development, the cellular and molecular basis largely has remained a mystery," said the study's senior author, Joel Boerckel, PhD, an associate professor of Orthopaedic Surgery. -- "Here, we identify a new population of cells that are key to turning the body's early cartilage template into bone, guided by the force-activated gene regulating proteins, YAP and TAZ." -- By combing through the genes expressed by individual cells in developing mouse limbs, through single-cell sequencing, Boerckel and the study's first author, former Penn Bioengineering doctoral student Joseph Collins, PhD, along with their colleagues, found and described a class of cells that they named "'vessel-associated osteoblast precursors (VOPs)," which "invade" early cartilage alongside blood vessels. -- Since osteoblasts are the cells required to form (and fix) bones, these cells would essentially be the grandparents to bones, with osteoblasts being bones' parents. -- And, importantly, a pair of proteins called YAP and TAZ that are sensitive to the natural movement of the body -- which the team's previous work has shown is crucial to early bone development and regeneration -- serve as guides to the VOPs, passing on signals they glean from the body's mechanobiology. -- The researchers found that YAP and TAZ help direct blood vessel integration into the cartilage, a vital aspect of bone development. -- They were able to demonstrate this role by first genetically removing YAP and TAZ from human cell models, which appeared to stop angiogenesis, the process by which new blood vessels form. -- Then, the researchers treated those human cell models with a special variety of protein called CXCL12, which restored YAP and TAZ and restarted normal angiogenesis. -- The study is a result of a long-time collaboration with Dr. Niamh Nowlan of University College Dublin, whose laboratory focuses on how mechanical forces direct skeletal development in animal models and in human patients. | E02 T02 | 267 |
| 2402-039 | COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness in Children: Real-World Analysis Sheds Light | Vaccinated children and adolescents show significantly lower risk of COVID-19 infection and severe illness, with no increased cardiac complications. | University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine | Annals of Internal Medicine | Press Rel | PubMed | Children and adolescents who received one of the main COVID-19 vaccines were significantly protected from the illness and showed no increased signs of cardiac complications compared to young people who were not vaccinated, according to a new real-world study led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). When the Delta variant rose to prominence, the study showed that vaccinated young people were 98 percent less likely to be infected than their unvaccinated peers, and data indicated that the vaccine's effectiveness decline slightly when the Omicron variant became dominant. The paper was published today in Annals of Internal Medicine. -- In their analysis of 250,000 patients with around half of them received at least one dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine (the vaccine produced by a collaboration between Pfizer and BioNTech), the researchers -- led by Yong Chen, PhD, and Jeffrey Morris, PhD, both professors of Biostatistics at the Perelman School of Medicine, and Christopher Forrest, MD, PhD, a professor of Pediatrics at CHOP and Penn -- covered the periods in which the Delta and Omicron variants became dominant, in mid-2021 and 2022, respectively. -- While previous clinical trials established that the vaccines provided strong protection against infection for children and adolescents, limited evidence of the vaccine's performance existed beyond controlled settings. -- So, the researchers conducted one of the largest COVID-19 vaccine studies of children and adolescents in the United States with the assistance of data from electronic health records gleaned from a national network of pediatric medical centers, known as PEDSnet. -- "Our study has longer follow-up than any previous study, which enabled us to evaluate the real-world, long-term durability of vaccine protection against Delta and Omicron variants," said Chen. -- "Further, it covered a diverse representation of U.S. pediatric populations from primary care, specialty care, emergency department, testing centers, and inpatient settings." -- One of the main ideas behind the work, as stated by the study's first authors -- Qiong Wu, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow at Penn Medicine and Jiayi Tong, a PhD candidate in Biostatistics at Penn -- was to help address under-reporting in vaccine status to give a clearer picture of its effects. -- Yet, infection prevention wasn't the study's only area of focus. -- The researchers also explored potential effects on risk of heart conditions. -- "We found no indication of increased cardiac risks during either variant phase," said Morris. | H01 R01 | 268 |
| 2401-037 | Predicting Alzheimer's Dementia in Oldest Age Group: Severity of Amyloid Deposition Key | The severity of amyloid deposition in the brain, rather than age alone, is crucial in determining the effectiveness of new therapies for delaying the progression of Alzheimer's disease. | University of Pittsburgh | Neurology | Press Rel | PubMed | A new study indicates that severity of amyloid deposition in the brain -- not just age -- may be key to determining who will benefit from new anti-amyloid therapies to delay the progression of Alzheimer's disease. -- University of Pittsburgh clinicians and scientists report that the accumulation of toxic amyloid beta clumps that signal Alzheimer's disease pathology accelerates in old age but the baseline amyloid burden and the overall brain health going into this acceleration are more powerful predictors of who is most likely to progress to Alzheimer's. The paper was published today in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. -- "Understanding the complexity of the increased amyloid accumulation, when individuals are cognitively normal, is critical for improved implementation of dementia treatments," said corresponding author Oscar Lopez, M.D., professor of neurology at Pitt and chief of cognitive and behavioral neurology at UPMC. -- The presence and the overall quantity and distribution of amyloid beta, or A-beta, clumps in the brain are some of the most common neuropathologies associated with Alzheimer's. Yet, while people who are 80 and older have the highest prevalence of Alzheimer's-associated dementias, most studies that measured A-beta burden in the brain using imaging techniques have focused on younger populations. -- As such, the connection between A-beta and dementia in the oldest of the old have remained unclear. -- Lopez and his colleagues set to change that by examining the relationship between A-beta deposition and new cases of dementia in 94 elderly individuals who were cognitively unimpaired when the study launched. -- Participants were enrolled in the study at a mean age of 85 and followed for 11 years or until their passing, receiving at least two PET-scans over the course of the study. -- The rate of amyloid deposition in the brain of these individuals was compared with a younger group from the Australian Imaging, Biomarker, and Lifestyle (AIBL) study. -- Researchers observed a steady increase in A-beta accumulation in all participants over time, independent of their A-beta status at the beginning of the study. -- But this accumulation was significantly faster in patients in their 80s and older compared to participants in their late 60s, explaining the higher prevalence of A-beta in the oldest olds. | H01 R02 | 269 |
| 2401-E048 | Decoding Chicken Clucks: Humans Can Read the Emotions of Chickens | Humans can determine the emotions of chickens based on the sound of their clucks, according to a new study. | University of Queensland | Royal Society Open Science | Press Rel | PubMed | A University of Queensland-led study has found humans can tell if chickens are excited or displeased, just by the sound of their clucks. -- Professor Joerg Henning from UQ's School of Veterinary Science said researchers investigated whether humans could correctly identify the context of calls or clucking sounds made by domestic chickens, the most commonly farmed species in the world. -- "In this study, we used recordings of chickens vocalising in all different scenarios from a previous experiment," Professor Henning said. -- "Two calls were produced in anticipation of a reward, which we called the 'food' call and the 'fast cluck'. -- "Two other call types were produced in non-reward contexts, such as food being withheld, which we called the 'whine' and 'gakel' calls." -- The researchers played the audio files back to test whether humans could tell in which context the chicken sounds were made, and whether various demographics and levels of experience with chickens affected their correct identification. -- "We found 69 per cent of all participants could correctly tell if a chicken sounded excited or displeased," Professor Henning said. -- "This is a remarkable result and further strengthens evidence that humans have the ability to perceive the emotional context of vocalisations made by different species." -- Professor Henning said the ability to detect emotional information from vocalisation could improve the welfare of farmed chickens. -- "A substantial proportion of participants being able to successfully recognise calls produced in reward-related contexts is significant," he said. | H01 | 270 |
| 2401-E008 | Linking Ocean's Weather to Global Climate: Scientists Uncover Evidence | Scientists have found the first direct evidence linking ocean weather systems with global climate. This discovery provides a framework for better understanding the climate system. | University of Rochester | Science Advances | Press Rel | PubMed | An international team of scientists has found the first direct evidence linking seemingly random weather systems in the ocean with climate on a global scale. Led by Hussein Aluie, an associate professor in the University of Rochester's Department of Mechanical Engineering and staff scientist at the University's Laboratory for Laser Energetics, the team reported their findings in Science Advances. -- The ocean has weather patterns like what we experience on land, but on different time and length scales, says lead author Benjamin Storer, a research associate in Aluie's Turbulence and Complex Flow Group. -- A weather pattern on land might last a few days and be about 500 kilometers wide, while oceanic weather patterns such as swirling eddies last three to four weeks but are about one-fifth the size. -- "Scientists have long speculated that these ubiquitous and seemingly random motions in the ocean communicate with climate scales, but it has always been vague because it wasn't clear how to disentangle this complex system to measure their interactions," says Aluie. -- "We developed a framework that can do exactly that. What we found was not what people were expecting because it requires the mediation of the atmosphere." -- The group's goal was to understand how energy passes through different channels in the ocean throughout the planet. -- They used a mathematical method developed by Aluie in 2019, which was subsequently implemented into an advanced code by Storer and Aluie, that allowed them to study energy transfer across different patterns ranging from the circumference of the globe down to 10 kilometers. -- These techniques were then applied to ocean datasets from an advanced climate model and from satellite observations. -- The study revealed that ocean weather systems are both energized and weakened when interacting with climate scales, and in a pattern that mirrors the global atmospheric circulation. -- The researchers also found that an atmospheric band near the equator called the "intertropical convergence zone," which produces 30 percent of global precipitation, causes an intense amount of energy transfer, and produces ocean turbulence. | E01 | 271 |
| 2401-T018 | The Connection Between Atmospheric Oxygen and Advanced Technology on Alien Planets | In the search for extraterrestrial life, astrophysicists are considering both biological and technological markers. Oxygen, known for its importance in supporting life, could also indicate the presence of advanced technology on distant planets. | University of Rochester | Nature Astronomy | Press Rel | PubMed | In the quest to understand the potential for life beyond Earth, researchers are widening their search to encompass not only biological markers, but also technological ones. While astrobiologists have long recognized the importance of oxygen for life as we know it, oxygen could also be a key to unlocking advanced technology on a planetary scale. -- In a new study published in Nature Astronomy, Adam Frank, the Helen F. and Fred H. Gowen Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Rochester and the author of The Little Book of Aliens (Harper, 2023), and Amedeo Balbi, an associate professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Roma Tor Vergata, Italy, outline the links between atmospheric oxygen and the potential rise of advanced technology on distant planets. -- "We are ready to find signatures of life on alien worlds," Frank says. -- "But how do the conditions on a planet tell us about the possibilities for intelligent, technology-producing life?" -- "In our paper, we explore whether any atmospheric composition would be compatible with the presence of advanced technology," Balbi says. -- "We found that the atmospheric requirements may be quite stringent." -- Igniting cosmic technospheres -- Frank and Balbi posit that, beyond its necessity for respiration and metabolism in multicellular organisms, oxygen is crucial to developing fire -- and fire is a hallmark of a technological civilization. -- They delve into the concept of "technospheres," expansive realms of advanced technology that emit telltale signs -- called "technosignatures" -- of extraterrestrial intelligence. -- On Earth, the development of technology demanded easy access to open-air combustion -- the process at the heart of fire, in which something is burned by combining a fuel and an oxidant, usually oxygen. | R01 E01 T02 | 272 |
| 2401-047 | Path to Prevent Cognitive Decline After Radiation Exposure Identified: Exciting Findings | Microglia, the brain's immune cells, can trigger cognitive deficits after radiation exposure and may be a target for preventing these symptoms, according to researchers at the University of Rochester. | University of Rochester Medical Center | International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers at the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rochester find that microglia -- the brain's immune cells -- can trigger cognitive deficits after radiation exposure and may be a key target for preventing these symptoms. These findings, out today in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Biophysics, build on previous research showing that after radiation exposure microglia damage synapses, the connections between neurons that are important for cognitive behavior and memory. -- "Cognitive deficits after radiation treatment are a major problem for cancer survivors," M. Kerry O'Banion, MD, PhD, professor of Neuroscience, member of the Wilmot Cancer Institute, and senior author of the study said. -- "This research gives us a possible target to develop therapies to prevent or mitigate against such deficits in people who need brain radiotherapy." -- Using several behavioral tests, researchers investigated the cognitive function of mice before and after radiation exposure. -- Female mice performed the same throughout, indicating a resistance to radiation injury. -- However, researchers found male mice could not remember or perform certain tasks after radiation exposure. -- This cognitive decline correlates with the loss of synapses and evidence of potentially damaging microglial over-reactivity following the treatment. -- Researchers then targeted the pathway in microglia important to synapse removal. -- Mice with these mutant microglia had no cognitive decline following radiation. -- And others that were given the drug, Leukadherin-1, which is known to block this same pathway, during radiation treatment, also had no cognitive decline. | H01 H02 R01 R02 | 273 |
| 2401-054 | Calcium Channel Blockers Hold Promise for Reversing Muscle Weakness in Myotonic Dystrophy | Calcium channel blockers have shown promise in reversing muscle dysfunction in myotonic dystrophy type 1, according to researchers, offering a potential treatment for the disease. | University of Rochester Medical Center | Journal of Clinical Investigation | Press Rel | PubMed | New research has identified the specific biological mechanism behind the muscle dysfunction found in myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) and further shows that calcium channel blockers can reverse these symptoms in animal models of the disease. The researchers believe this class of drugs, widely used to treat a number of cardiovascular diseases, hold promise as a future treatment for DM1. -- "The main finding of our study is that combined calcium and chloride channelopathy is highly deleterious and plays a central role in the function impairment of muscle found in the disease," said John Lueck, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) in the Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology, and Neurology. -- "Our research also suggests that muscle impairment in DM1 is potentially mitigated by common clinically available calcium channel blockers and that calcium channel modulation is a potential therapeutic strategy." Lueck is lead author of the study, which appears in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. -- Toxic RNA disrupts muscle function -- Myotonic dystrophy is one of the most common forms of muscular dystrophy. -- People with the disease have muscle weakness and prolonged muscle tensing (myotonia), making it difficult to relax muscles after use. -- The disease also affects the eyes, heart, and brain, leading eventually to difficulty walking, swallowing, and breathing. -- More than 20 years ago, URMC neurologist Charles Thornton, MD, and others uncovered how a genetic flaw-a 'stutter' that results in thousands of repetitions of code on a segment of chromosome 19-gives rise to DM1. -- This repeat expansion, which grows longer over time, results in the creation of abnormal RNA which accumulates in the nucleus of cells and affects the normal processing of many other RNAs. -- Thornton is a co-author of the current study and the research was a collaboration between the Lueck and Thornton labs. | H01 R01 R02 E02 | 274 |
| 2402-045 | A Potential Neuromarker for Batten Disease: Advancing Clinical Trials | Brain processes in Batten disease may serve as biomarkers for measuring treatment outcomes in clinical trials. The disease progresses gradually, affecting cognitive function, motor skills, and vision loss. | University of Rochester Medical Center | Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders | Press Rel | PubMed | Early symptoms can be subtle. A child's personality and behavior may change, and clumsiness or stumbling develops between the ages of five and ten. Over time, cognitive impairment sets in, seizures emerge or worsen, vision loss begins, and motor skills decline. This is the course of Batten disease, a progressive inherited disorder of the nervous system that results from mutations to the CLN3 gene. -- "It is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder of childhood," said John Foxe, PhD, director of the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience and co-director of the University of Rochester Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (UR-IDDRC), "and while it is very rare, it is important to study and understand because it could inform what we know and how we treat it and other related rare diseases." -- A possible neuromarker -- In a new study, out today in theJournal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Foxe and a team of researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center may be closer to that goal of understanding. -- The paper describes how they measured changes in brain function of participants with CLN3 disease, also known as 'juvenile-onset' Batten disease. -- Researchers found that the functioning of the auditory sensory memory system -- the brain system required for short-term memory recall -- appears to decrease as the disease progresses. -- They revealed this by utilizing electroencephalographic recordings (EEG) to measure the brain activity of participants with and without Batten disease as they passively listened to simple auditory beeps. -- The participants simultaneously watched a video of their favorite movie while the brain responses to these beeps were being measured. -- In the participants with Batten disease, the EEG revealed a decline in the response from the auditory sensory memory system as the disease progressed. -- There were no significant changes among the other participants. | H01 H02 R02 | 275 |
| 2402-036 | Love and the Brain: The Science Behind Romantic Obsession | A part of the brain responsible for idealizing loved ones in romantic relationships has been identified through a new study. | University of South Australia | Behavioral Sciences | Press Rel | PubMed | Love is blind, the saying goes, and thanks to a world-first Australian study, we are now a step closer to understanding why. -- It is well known that romantic love changes the brain, releasing the so-called love hormone oxytocin, responsible for the euphoria we feel when falling in love. -- Now, researchers from the ANU, University of Canberra and University of South Australia have measured how a part of the brain is responsible for putting our loved one on a pedestal in that first flush of romance. -- In the world's first study investigating the link between the human brain's behavioural activation system (BAS) and romantic love, researchers surveyed 1556 young adults who identified as being "in love." -- The survey questions focused on the emotional reaction to their partner, their behaviour around them, and the focus they placed on their loved one above all else. -- It turns out that when we are in love, our brain reacts differently. -- It makes the object of our affections the centre of our lives. -- ANU lead researcher and PhD student Adam Bode says the study -- recently published in the journal Behavioural Sciences - sheds light on the mechanisms that cause romantic love. -- "We actually know very little about the evolution of romantic love," Bode says. -- "It is thought that romantic love first emerged some five million years ago after we split from our ancestors, the great apes. We know the ancient Greeks philosophized about it a lot, recognising it both as an amazing as well as traumatic experience. The oldest poem ever to be recovered was in fact a love poem dated to around 2000 BC." | R02 | 276 |
| 2402-078 | Ultraviolet Light Degrades Coronavirus, New Discovery Reveals | Light can be used to destroy infectious coronavirus particles on surfaces, providing a potential method for thorough disinfection. | University of Southampton | ACS Photonics | Press Rel | PubMed | New research has revealed how light can be used to destroy infectious coronavirus particles that contaminate surfaces. Scientists are interested in how environments, such as surgeries, can be thoroughly disinfected from viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 that caused the COVID-19 pandemic. -- SARS-CoV-2 viral particles are composed of a core of nucleic acid chains that contain the genetic information of the virus, surrounded by a lipid membrane with proteinous spikes sticking out. -- Each component is necessary for infection. -- Researchers from the University of Southampton investigated how ultraviolet laser light destroys the virus by impacting each of these critical components. -- By using a specialised ultraviolet laser at two different wavelengths the scientists were able to determine how each viral component degraded under the bright light. -- They found the genomic material was highly sensitive to degradation and protein spikes lost their ability to bind to human cells. -- UV light includes UVA, UVB and UVC light. Very little UVC light at frequencies below 280nm reaches the earth's surface from the sun. -- It is this lesser studied UVC light that the team in Southampton used for their study due to its disinfectant properties. -- UVC light is strongly absorbed by different viral components, including the genetic material (~260nm) and the proteinous spikes (~230nm), allowing the team to select laser frequencies of 266nm and 227nm for the project. -- University of Southampton scientists, led by Professor Sumeet Mahajan, worked closely with scientists from the laser manufacturer, called MSquared Lasers, and the resulting co-authored study has been published in a journal of the American Chemical Society called ACS Photonics. The team found that 266nm light caused RNA damage at low powers, affecting the genetic information of the virus. | R01 E01 | 277 |
| 2402-E017 | Promoting Crop Health: Scientists Engineer Plant Microbiome for Disease Resistance | Scientists have successfully engineered the microbiome of plants for the first time, increasing the prevalence of beneficial bacteria that can protect against disease, potentially reducing the need for harmful pesticides. | University of Southampton | Nature Communications | Press Rel | PubMed | Breakthrough could dramatically cut the use of pesticides and unlock other opportunities to bolster plant health -- Scientists have engineered the microbiome of plants for the first time, boosting the prevalence of 'good' bacteria that protect the plant from disease. -- The findings published in Nature Communications by researchers from the University of Southampton, China and Austria, could substantially reduce the need for environmentally destructive pesticides. -- There is growing public awareness about the significance of our microbiome -- the myriad of microorganisms that live in and around our bodies, most notably in our guts. -- Our gut microbiomes influence our metabolism, our likelihood of getting ill, our immune system, and even our mood. -- Plants too host a huge variety of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microorganisms that live in their roots, stems, and leaves. -- For the past decade, scientists have been intensively researching plant microbiomes to understand how they affect a plant's health and its vulnerability to disease. -- "For the first time, we've been able to change the makeup of a plant's microbiome in a targeted way, boosting the numbers of beneficial bacteria that can protect the plant from other, harmful bacteria," says Dr Tomislav Cernava, co-author of the paper and Associate Professor in Plant-Microbe Interactions at the University of Southampton. -- "This breakthrough could reduce reliance on pesticides, which are harmful to the environment. We've achieved this in rice crops, but the framework we've created could be applied to other plants and unlock other opportunities to improve their microbiome. For example, microbes that increase nutrient provision to crops could reduce the need for synthetic fertilisers." -- The international research team discovered that one specific gene found in the lignin biosynthesis cluster of the rice plant is involved in shaping its microbiome. | R01 E03 | 278 |
| 2401-051 | Newly Discovered Mutation Shields Against Parkinson's and Spurs Hope for Treatments | A genetic mutation in a small protein provides significant protection against Parkinson's disease and presents a potential avenue for treatment, according to a study from the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. | University of Southern California | Molecular Psychiatry | Press Rel | PubMed | A previously unidentified genetic mutation in a small protein provides significant protection against Parkinson's disease and offers a new direction for exploring potential treatments, according to a new USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology study. -- The variant, located in a mitochondrial microprotein dubbed SHLP2, was found to be highly protective against Parkinson's disease; individuals with this mutation are half as likely to develop the disease as those who do not carry it. The variant form of the protein is relatively rare and is found primarily in people of European descent. -- The findings appear on January 3, 2024, in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. -- First discovered by Pinchas Cohen at the USC Leonard Davis School in 2016, SHLP2 is made within the cell's mitochondria. -- Previous research from the Cohen Lab established that SHLP2 is associated with protection from aging-related diseases including cancer and that levels of the microprotein change in patients with Parkinson's disease; they rise as the body attempts to counteract the pathology of Parkinson's disease but often fail to mount additional production as the disease progresses. -- This latest finding builds upon the USC team's prior mitochondrial research and represents an advance at the intersection of longevity science, precision health, and microprotein discovery. -- "This study advances our understanding of why people might get Parkinson's and how we might develop new therapies for this devastating disease," said Cohen, professor of gerontology, medicine and biological sciences and senior author of the study. -- "Also, because most research is done on well-established protein-coding genes in the nucleus, it underscores the relevance of exploring mitochondrial-derived microproteins as a new approach to the prevention and treatment of diseases of aging." -- For this study, first author Su-Jeong Kim, an adjunct research assistant professor of gerontology at the USC Leonard Davis School, led a series of experiments that leveraged the Lab-developed microprotein discovery pipeline that begins with a big data-driven analysis to identify variants involved in disease. -- Thousands of human study subjects from the Health & Retirement Study, Cardiovascular Health Study, and Framingham Heart Study were screened for the SHLP2 variant. | H01 R01 R02 | 279 |
| 2401-069 | Hearing Aids Associated with Lower Mortality Risk for Hearing Loss Patients | A study shows that adults with hearing loss who regularly use hearing aids have a lower risk of mortality. However, only a small percentage of those who need hearing aids actually use them. | University of Southern California - Health Sciences | The Lancet Healthy Longevity | Press Rel | PubMed | Hearing loss affects approximately 40 million American adults, yet only one in 10 people who need hearing aids use them, research shows. -- Those who don't use hearing aids but should may want to make wearing them one of their New Year's resolutions, according to a new study from Keck Medicine of USC published today in The Lancet Healthy Longevity. -- "We found that adults with hearing loss who regularly used hearing aids had a 24% lower risk of mortality than those who never wore them," said Janet Choi, MD, MPH, an otolaryngologist with Keck Medicine and lead researcher of the study. -- "These results are exciting because they suggest that hearing aids may play a protective role in people's health and prevent early death." -- Previous research has shown that untreated hearing loss can result in a reduced life span (as well as other poor outcomes such as social isolation, depression and dementia). However, until now, there has been very little research examining if the use of hearing aids can reduce the risk of death. -- The study represents the most comprehensive analysis to date on the relationship between hearing loss, hearing aid use and mortality in the United States, according to Choi. -- Choi and her fellow researchers used data compiled by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999-2012 to identify almost 10,000 adults 20 years and older who had completed audiometry evaluations, a test used to measure hearing ability, and who filled out questionnaires about their hearing aid use. -- Researchers followed their mortality status over an average follow-up period of 10 years after their evaluations. -- A total of 1,863 adults were identified as having hearing loss. -- Of these, 237 were regular hearing aid users, which were characterized as those who reported wearing the aids at least once a week, five hours a week or half the time, and 1,483 were identified as never-users of the devices. | H01 R02 T01 | 280 |
| 2402-066 | Extending Lifespan with Hearing Aids: Lower Mortality Risk for Adults with Hearing Loss | Regular use of hearing aids lowers the risk of mortality in adults with hearing loss, yet only a fraction of those who need them use them. | University of Southern California - Health Sciences | The Lancet Healthy Longevity | Press Rel | PubMed | Hearing loss affects approximately 40 million American adults, yet only one in 10 people who need hearing aids use them, research shows. -- Those who don't use hearing aids but should may want to make wearing them one of their New Year's resolutions, according to a new study from Keck Medicine of USC published today in The Lancet Healthy Longevity. -- "We found that adults with hearing loss who regularly used hearing aids had a 24% lower risk of mortality than those who never wore them," said Janet Choi, MD, MPH, an otolaryngologist with Keck Medicine and lead researcher of the study. -- "These results are exciting because they suggest that hearing aids may play a protective role in people's health and prevent early death." -- Previous research has shown that untreated hearing loss can result in a reduced life span (as well as other poor outcomes such as social isolation, depression and dementia). However, until now, there has been very little research examining if the use of hearing aids can reduce the risk of death. -- The study represents the most comprehensive analysis to date on the relationship between hearing loss, hearing aid use and mortality in the United States, according to Choi. -- Choi and her fellow researchers used data compiled by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999-2012 to identify almost 10,000 adults 20 years and older who had completed audiometry evaluations, a test used to measure hearing ability, and who filled out questionnaires about their hearing aid use. -- Researchers followed their mortality status over an average follow-up period of 10 years after their evaluations. -- A total of 1,863 adults were identified as having hearing loss. -- Of these, 237 were regular hearing aid users, which were characterized as those who reported wearing the aids at least once a week, five hours a week or half the time, and 1,483 were identified as never-users of the devices. | H01 R02 T01 | 281 |
| 2401-060 | Blood Test Identifies Genetic Diseases in Unborn Babies | A new screening test called desNIPT can analyze all the genes in a fetus from a blood sample of the expectant mother, providing effective identification of alterations in fetal genes associated with congenital diseases. | University of Southern Denmark Faculty of Health Sciences | New England Journal of Medicine | Press Rel | PubMed | With the simplicity of a blood test, it will be possible in the future to screen pregnant women for serious genetic diseases in their unborn children. -- A research team from Odense University Hospital and the University of Southern Denmark has developed an innovative screening test. With a blood sample from the expectant mother, they can scrutinize all the genes in the fetus. -- In the recently published results of the research project in the New England Journal of Medicine, the researchers analyzed blood samples from 36 pregnant women. The findings indicate that the new test, named desNIPT, has demonstrated effectiveness in identifying alterations in fetal genes -- a leading factor in severe congenital diseases. -- "With our novel approach, we can now screen for the majority of known serious genetic syndromes using a simple blood test from the pregnant woman. Typically, this would otherwise require resorting to chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis," states Ieva Miceikaité from the Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark. -- "This implies that we now possess enhanced opportunities to pinpoint the genetic cause of developmental issues in the fetus," she adds. -- First-generation NIPT test -- desNIPT represents an evolution of first-generation NIPT (Non-Invasive Prenatal Test) method, enhancing it with significant improvements. NIPT involves conducting the test without requiring chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis, and it is administered prior to childbirth. -- In this approach, the fetal DNA found in the bloodstream of the pregnant woman is scrutinized, fundamentally transforming the capacity to screen for diseases in unborn children in recent years. -- DNA is released into the mother's bloodstream through the placenta. Thanks to the remarkable sensitivity of the desNIPT test, researchers can now identify genetic abnormalities in the fetus even when the quantity of fetal DNA in the mother's blood is minimal. -- Genetic disorders in fetuses can be identified through analysis of the mother's blood | H01 | 282 |
| 2402-018 | The Link between Hearing Loss and Dementia Risk | A link has been found between hearing loss and the development of dementia, indicating that cognitive functions may suffer due to increased energy spent on listening. | University of Southern Denmark Faculty of Health Sciences | JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery | Press Rel | PubMed | People who are hard of hearing spend more energy listening. That energy comes at the expense of other cognitive functions. Cognitive functions are the mental processes in the brain that enable us to think and solve problems, among other things. -- In a new study featuring data from 573,088 people, researchers from the Department of Clinical Research at the University of Southern Denmark have found a link between hearing loss and the development of dementia. -- The study is the largest of its kind to date. -- There is already an increase in the number of people with dementia. -- This is mainly due to the ageing of the population as a whole, but there are also other risk factors, such as lifestyle and hearing. -- "Previous studies have suggested that there could be a link between hearing loss and dementia. Our study is larger than the previous studies, and we have demonstrated a link between hearing loss and dementia, "says Assistant Professor Manuella Lech Cantuaria from the Department of Clinical Research at the University of Southern Denmark. -- Good news for hearing aid users -- The results of the study show that people affected by hearing loss have up to a 13% higher risk of developing dementia compared to people with normal hearing. -- The high risk is especially seen in people with severe hearing loss. -- The researchers also studied whether there was a difference in the risk depending on whether or not people wear hearing aids. | H01 R02 | 283 |
| 2402-056 | Identifying Genetic Diseases in Fetuses: A Revolutionary Blood Test | A new screening test called desNIPT can analyze all the genes in the fetus with a blood sample from the expectant mother, enabling early detection of alterations in fetal genes. | University of Southern Denmark Faculty of Health Sciences | New England Journal of Medicine | Press Rel | PubMed | With the simplicity of a blood test, it will be possible in the future to screen pregnant women for serious genetic diseases in their unborn children. -- A research team from Odense University Hospital and the University of Southern Denmark has developed an innovative screening test. With a blood sample from the expectant mother, they can scrutinize all the genes in the fetus. -- In the recently published results of the research project in the New England Journal of Medicine, the researchers analyzed blood samples from 36 pregnant women. The findings indicate that the new test, named desNIPT, has demonstrated effectiveness in identifying alterations in fetal genes -- a leading factor in severe congenital diseases. -- "With our novel approach, we can now screen for the majority of known serious genetic syndromes using a simple blood test from the pregnant woman. Typically, this would otherwise require resorting to chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis," states Ieva Miceikaité from the Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark. -- "This implies that we now possess enhanced opportunities to pinpoint the genetic cause of developmental issues in the fetus," she adds. -- First-generation NIPT test -- desNIPT represents an evolution of first-generation NIPT (Non-Invasive Prenatal Test) method, enhancing it with significant improvements. NIPT involves conducting the test without requiring chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis, and it is administered prior to childbirth. -- In this approach, the fetal DNA found in the bloodstream of the pregnant woman is scrutinized, fundamentally transforming the capacity to screen for diseases in unborn children in recent years. -- DNA is released into the mother's bloodstream through the placenta. Thanks to the remarkable sensitivity of the desNIPT test, researchers can now identify genetic abnormalities in the fetus even when the quantity of fetal DNA in the mother's blood is minimal. -- Genetic disorders in fetuses can be identified through analysis of the mother's blood | H01 | 284 |
| 2402-E008 | Africa's Raptors on the Brink: Extinction Crisis Threatens Bird of Prey Populations | Africa's birds of prey are facing an extinction crisis, with nearly 90% of examined species experiencing declines and over two-thirds potentially qualifying as globally threatened, according to an international team of researchers. | University of St. Andrews | Nature Ecology & Evolution | Press Rel | PubMed | An international team of researchers has found that Africa's birds of prey are facing an extinction crisis. -- The report, co-led by researchers from the School of Biology at the University of St Andrews and The Peregrine Fund, and published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution (4 January 2024), warns of declines among nearly 90% of 42 species examined, and suggests that more than two-thirds may qualify as globally threatened. -- Led by Dr Phil Shaw from St Andrews and Dr Darcy Ogada of The Peregrine Fund, the study combines counts from road surveys conducted within four African regions at intervals of c. 20-40 years and yields unprecedented insights into patterns of change in the abundance of savanna raptor species. -- It shows that large raptor species had experienced significantly steeper declines than smaller species, particularly on unprotected land, where they are more vulnerable to persecution and other human pressures. Overall, raptors had declined more than twice as rapidly outside of National Parks, Reserves and other protected areas than they had within. Worryingly, many species experiencing the steepest declines had suffered a double jeopardy, having also become much more dependent on protected areas over the course of the study. -- The study's authors conclude that unless many of the threats currently facing African raptors are addressed effectively, large, charismatic eagle and vulture species are unlikely to persist over much of the continent's unprotected land by the latter half of this century. -- The study also highlights steep declines among raptors that are currently classified as being of 'least concern' in the global Red List of threatened species. They include African endemics such as Wahlberg's Eagle, African Hawk-eagle, Long-crested Eagle, African Harrier-hawk and Brown Snake-eagle, as well as Dark Chanting-goshawk. All of these species have declined at rates suggesting that they may now be globally threatened. -- Several other familiar, widespread raptor species are now scarce or absent from unprotected land. They include one of Africa's most powerful raptors -- the Martial Eagle -- as well as the highly distinctive Bateleur. -- Dr Phil Shaw commented: "Since the 1970s, extensive areas of forest and savanna have been converted into farmland, while other pressures affecting African raptors have likewise intensified. With the human population projected to double in the next 35 years, the need to extend Africa's protected area network -- and mitigate pressures in unprotected areas -- is now greater than ever." -- Dr Darcy Ogada added: "Africa is at a crossroads in terms of saving its magnificent birds of prey. In many areas we have watched these species nearly disappear. One of Africa's most iconic raptors, the Secretarybird, is on the brink of extinction. There's no single threat imperiling these birds, it's a combination of many human-caused ones, in other words we are seeing deaths from a thousand cuts." -- Professor Ian Newton OBE FRS, FRSE, a world-leading ornithologist who was not involved in the study, commented: "This is an important paper which draws attention to the massive declines in predatory birds which have occurred across much of Africa during recent decades. This was the continent over which, only 50 years ago, pristine populations of spectacular raptors were evident almost everywhere, bringing excitement and wonder to visitors from many parts of the world. The causes of the declines are many -- from rampant habitat destruction to growing use of poisons by farmers and poachers and expanding powerline networks -- all ultimately due to expansions in human numbers, livestock grazing and other activities. Let us hope that more research can be done and, more importantly, that these birds can be protected over ever more areas, measures largely dependent on the education and goodwill of local people." | E02 E03 | 285 |
| 2402-026 | Online Activity During Daylight Saving Time: How Does it Change? | Daylight Saving Time influences internet habits, causing certain Google searches to occur earlier or later depending on the time change. | University of Surrey | Journal of Circadian Rhythms | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers noticed that after switching to DST, certain Google searches took place up to an hour earlier than usual. On the other hand, when clocks went back to standard time in autumn, these searches tended to occur later. -- The shift in search times varied across different search categories. -- Notably, the time of searches around sleep and health varied by less than 60 minutes over DST changes, hinting at a strong and robust role of the internal body clock in driving them. -- Professor Sara Montagnese, co-author of the study from the University of Surrey, said: -- "Our research calls for wider discussions about the health and wellbeing impact of DST and the complex relationship between our internal body clock and the time constraints imposed by society, which are collectively known as the "social clock," of which DST is part." -- Researchers analysed Google Trends data from Italy, covering 2015 to 2020. -- The team examined the relative search volume for 26 keywords, grouped into three categories: -- Sleep/health-related: includes search terms related to sleep patterns, sleep disorders, and overall health concerns. Terms such as "insomnia" and "melatonin" fall under this category. -- Medication: this category includes terms concerning drugs and pharmaceuticals. Terms like "painkiller" and Xanax" are included in this category. -- Non-sleep/health-related: this category covers terms that are unrelated to sleep or health. Examples include "spa" and "taxi." | H01 H02 | 286 |
| 2402-044 | AI Tool for COVID-19 Detection: High Accuracy from Chest X-Rays | Researchers have developed an AI system with over 98% accuracy in detecting COVID-19 from chest X-rays, a groundbreaking advancement published in Nature Scientific Reports. | University of Technology Sydney | Scientific Reports | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers have developed a groundbreaking Artificial Intelligence (AI) system that can rapidly detect COVID-19 from chest X-rays with more than 98% accuracy. The study results have just been published in Nature Scientific Reports. -- Corresponding author Professor Amir H Gandomi, from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Data Science Institute, said there was a pressing need for effective automated tools to detect COVID-19, given the significant impact on public health and the global economy. -- "The most widely used COVID-19 test, real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), can be slow and costly, and produce false-negatives. To confirm a diagnosis, radiologists need to manually examine a CT scans or X-rays, which can be time consuming and prone to error," said Professor Gandomi. -- "The new AI system could be particularly beneficial in countries experiencing high levels of COVID-19 where there is a shortage of radiologists. Chest X-rays are portable, widely available and provide lower exposure to ionizing radiation than CT scans," he said. -- Common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, difficulty breathing and a sore throat, however it can be difficult to distinguish COVID-19 from Flu and other types of pneumonia. -- The new AI system uses a deep learning-based algorithm called a Custom Convolutional Neural Network (Custom-CNN) that is able to quickly and accurately distinguish between COVID-19 cases, normal cases, and pneumonia in X-ray images. -- "Deep learning offers an end-to-end solution, eliminating the need to manually search for biomarkers. The Custom-CNN model streamlines the detection process, providing a faster and more accurate diagnosis of COVID-19," said Professor Gandomi. -- "If a PCR test or rapid antigen test shows a negative or inconclusive result, due to low sensitivity, patients may require further examination via radiological imaging to confirm or rule out the virus's presence. In this situation the new AI system could prove beneficial. -- "While radiologists play a crucial role in medical diagnosis, AI technology can assist them in making accurate and efficient diagnoses," said Professor Gandomi. -- The performance of the Custom-CNN model was evaluated via a comprehensive comparative analysis, with accuracy as the performance criterion. | H01 R01 T01 | 287 |
| 2401-057 | Overblown Fears Drive Our Secret-Keeping Behavior, Says Research | New research suggests that fears of judgment for keeping adverse information secret are overblown, both in and out of the workplace. | University of Texas at Austin | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology | Press Rel | PubMed | In and out of the workplace, people often keep adverse information about themselves secret because they worry that others will judge them harshly. But those fears are overblown, according to new research from the McCombs School of Business. -- In fact, when study participants pushed through fear to reveal a secret, those in whom they confided were significantly more charitable than they expected. -- "When we're thinking about conveying negative information about ourselves, we're focused on the content of the message," said study co-author Amit Kumar, assistant professor of marketing at Texas McCombs. -- "But the recipients are thinking about the positive traits required to reveal this secret, such as trust, honesty, and vulnerability." -- Kumar cites several key takeaways from the 12 experiments in his paper, co-authored with Michael Kardas of Oklahoma State University and Nicholas Epley of the University of Chicago. -- Too-Low Expectations. Researchers asked several groups to imagine revealing a negative secret and to predict how another person would judge them. -- Then they asked each participant to reveal the secret to that person, and they gathered the recipients' responses. -- The expected judgment was consistently worse than the actual judgment. -- Miscalibrated Expectations. People were driven to reveal or conceal based on how they thought others would evaluate them. -- "If we believe other people will think we're less trustworthy, that can really impact our decision to conceal information," Kumar says. | Z01 | 288 |
| 2402-052 | Debunking the Fear: The Real Reason Behind Our Secret-Keeping Habits | New research debunks the fear of adverse self-disclosure, suggesting that people's worries about judgment are exaggerated. | University of Texas at Austin | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology | Press Rel | PubMed | In and out of the workplace, people often keep adverse information about themselves secret because they worry that others will judge them harshly. But those fears are overblown, according to new research from the McCombs School of Business. -- In fact, when study participants pushed through fear to reveal a secret, those in whom they confided were significantly more charitable than they expected. -- "When we're thinking about conveying negative information about ourselves, we're focused on the content of the message," said study co-author Amit Kumar, assistant professor of marketing at Texas McCombs. -- "But the recipients are thinking about the positive traits required to reveal this secret, such as trust, honesty, and vulnerability." -- Kumar cites several key takeaways from the 12 experiments in his paper, co-authored with Michael Kardas of Oklahoma State University and Nicholas Epley of the University of Chicago. -- Too-Low Expectations. Researchers asked several groups to imagine revealing a negative secret and to predict how another person would judge them. -- Then they asked each participant to reveal the secret to that person, and they gathered the recipients' responses. -- The expected judgment was consistently worse than the actual judgment. -- Miscalibrated Expectations. People were driven to reveal or conceal based on how they thought others would evaluate them. -- "If we believe other people will think we're less trustworthy, that can really impact our decision to conceal information," Kumar says. | Z01 | 289 |
| 2402-T028 | Unraveling the Connection Between Quantum Entanglement and Topology | Researchers have demonstrated the ability to perturb pairs of interconnected quantum entangled particles without altering their shared properties. This advancement in quantum entanglement could have significant implications for various fields, including quantum computing. | University of the Witwatersrand | Nature Photonics | Press Rel | PubMed | For the first time, researchers from the Structured Light Laboratory (School of Physics) at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, led by Professor Andrew Forbes, in collaboration with string theorist Robert de Mello Koch from Huzhou University in China (previously from Wits University), have demonstrated the remarkable ability to perturb pairs of spatially separated yet interconnected quantum entangled particles without altering their shared properties. -- "We achieved this experimental milestone by entangling two identical photons and customising their shared wave-function in such a way that their topology or structure becomes apparent only when the photons are treated as a unified entity," explains lead author, Pedro Ornelas, an MSc student in the structured light laboratory. -- This connection between the photons was established through quantum entanglement, often referred to as 'spooky action at a distance', enabling particles to influence each other's measurement outcomes even when separated by significant distances. -- The research was published in Nature Photonics on 8 January 2024. -- The role of topology and its ability to preserve properties, in this work, can be likened to how a coffee mug can be reshaped into the form of a doughnut; despite the changes in appearance and shape during the transformation, a singular hole -- a topological characteristic -- remains constant and unaltered. -- In this way, the two objects are topologically equivalent. "The entanglement between our photons is malleable, like clay in a potter's hands, but during the moulding process, some features are retained," explains Forbes. -- The nature of the topology investigated here, termed Skyrmion topology, was initially explored by Tony Skyrme in the 1980s as field configurations displaying particle-like characteristics. -- In this context, topology refers to a global property of the fields, akin to a piece of fabric (the wave-function) whose texture (the topology) remains unchanged regardless of the direction in which it is pushed. -- These concepts have since been realised in modern magnetic materials, liquid crystals, and even as optical analogues using classical laser beams. -- In the realm of condensed matter physics, skyrmions are highly regarded for their stability and noise resistance, leading to groundbreaking advancements in high-density data storage devices. | T01 | 290 |
| 2402-025 | Uncovering the Neuroendocrine Factors Behind Social Anxiety in Male Mice | Estrogen receptor ß plays a crucial role in suppressing anxiety-like behavior in male mice, and its distribution and expression regions differ from estrogen receptor a. | University of Tsukuba | Neuroscience | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers from the University of Tsukuba have discovered that estrogen receptor (ER) β, expressed in the lateral septum of the limbic system, plays a crucial role in suppressing anxiety-like behavior exhibited by male mice in social situations. They also discovered that the distribution and expression region of ERβ differs from that of ERα. -- Estradiol (E2), a sex steroid hormone, plays an essential role in social behavior, including regulating social anxiety, which is anxiety experienced when unknown individuals are encountered. -- In males, testosterone secreted by the testes is converted to E2 in the brain, and the E2 binds to two types of estrogen receptors (ERs), ERα and ERβ, to regulate social behavior. -- However, its neuroendocrine basis has not been understood. In this study, the role of ERα and ERβ expressed in the lateral septum (LS), which regulates social anxiety, was investigated using male mice. -- The researchers first investigated the expression of ERα and ERβ in LS using genetically modified male mice. -- ERβ-expressing cells in the mice were labeled with red fluorescent protein, which revealed that the distributions of ERα and ERβ are different. -- Furthermore, the researchers investigated the knockdown effects of ERα or ERβ gene expression in the LS of male mice during situations of social and nonsocial anxiety. -- The results show that social anxiety increases with the inhibition of ERβ expression. -- Additionally, ERα- and ERβ-positive cells in the LS projected into different regions of the hypothalamus. -- Thus, the researchers concluded that ERα- and ERβ-expressing cells in LS are distinct cell populations with different localizations and neuronal projections, and the ERβ population plays a crucial role in neural circuitry that regulates anxiety-like behavior in social situations. | R02 | 291 |
| 2402-E045 | Ultra-Deep Water Cycles: Uncovering the Origins of Natural Spa Water | The origins of non-meteoric water in Japanese spa waters have been traced back to the lithosphere, with three primary sources identified. | University of Tsukuba | Journal of Hydrology | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers at the University of Tsukuba have made a groundbreaking discovery regarding the origins of non-meteoric water in natural spa waters located in central Japan. Based on numerical modeling, their results suggest that this water has been confined within the lithosphere for an extensive period of 1.5-5 million years. They identified three primary sources for this ancient water: the Philippine Sea Plate, the Pacific Plate, and ancient seafloor sediments, particularly in the Niigata and southwest Gunma regions. -- Although most natural spa waters primarily originate from atmospheric precipitation, such as rain and snow (known as meteoric water), the present study explored the unique qualities of certain spa waters. -- By analyzing the stable isotope compositions of hydrogen and oxygen in water molecules, researchers have identified distinct characteristics that indicate the presence of long-trapped lithospheric water. -- They traced the isotopic evolution of this water through sophisticated numerical modeling, and found that various types of water, including those found deep beneath the seafloor as well as in submarine mud volcanoes, coastal oil field brines, and volcanic steam from plate subduction zones, share a common evolutionary trajectory. -- Moreover, the researchers developed a novel method for reconstructing the original isotopic composition of lithospheric water by eliminating the effects of meteoric water contamination from the isotopic data of natural spa waters. -- Using this approach, the researchers calculated the isotopic composition of lithospheric waters at the depths of various spa sites and compared these values with those reconstructed from natural spa waters. -- Based on the geographical distribution of spa waters, they were categorized into three groups: those consistent with the subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate or the Pacific Plate and those showing minimal isotopic evolution and thus not aligning with either plate. -- These findings not only reveal the complex, three-dimensional structure and evolution of ultra-deep water circulation (>100 km deep) but also hold crucial implications for understanding the role of water in seismic and volcanic activities. -- This research paves the way for advancements in the prediction and forecasting of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. -- This work was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (grant nos. 15H02957 & 19H01370) from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. The authors thank all managers of individual studied spas for accepting water collection at the spa source. | E01 | 292 |
| 2402-T015 | Light Measurement Reveals Chemical Attributes of Spice Extracts | Researchers have developed a nondestructive method that uses light to evaluate the chemical constituents of spice extracts, including polyphenols and flavonoids. By employing machine learning techniques, they can accurately estimate the total amount of these compounds and their antioxidant properties. | University of Tsukuba | Food Chemistry | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers at the University of Tsukuba have developed a nondestructive method utilizing light to estimate the total amount of polyphenols and flavonoids in spice extracts, along with their antioxidant and reducing capacities. By comprehensively capturing the autofluorescence emitted by components, such as polyphenols and flavonoids, they have demonstrated the precise evaluation of chemical constituents using the application of machine learning methods. -- Spices and other plant-derived products contain many active components, such as polyphenols and flavonoids. -- However, even the slightest variations in conditions can considerably affect the extraction efficiency of these active components, posing challenges in determining the exact quantity of active components in the extract solution. -- In this study, researchers comprehensively measured the fluorescence emitted by polyphenols and flavonoids and analyzed the acquired data using machine learning methods. -- This approach yielded a highly accurate, simple, and rapid method of estimating the total polyphenol and flavonoid contents and antioxidant capacity. -- The crucial factor in achieving accuracy was to integrate measurements acquired at multiple concentrations. -- While the conventional practice during measuring fluorescence involves diluting the sample to a single concentration, the wide variation in component amounts in plant extracts renders determining a universally suitable dilution concentration. -- Consequently, the researchers conducted exhaustive fluorescence measurements at four different dilution levels and integrated this data into the machine learning process. -- Therefore, machine learning was able to accurately estimate important indices for evaluating spice extracts, including the total polyphenol content, total flavonoid content, antioxidant capacity, and reducing capacity. -- Notably, the optical measurement's estimation of total flavonoid content, in particular, represents a groundbreaking achievement, marking the effectiveness of this method where such estimations have not been conducted optically in the past. | H01 E03 | 293 |
| 2401-040 | Nematode Proteins Illuminate Synaptonemal Complex: Insight into Infertility | Biologists have developed a method for studying the interactions of the synaptonemal complex in nematode C. elegans, offering insights into the process of meiosis and genetic variability in reproductive cells. | University of Utah | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | Press Rel | PubMed | We have two copies of each chromosome in every cell in our bodies except in our reproductive cells. Sperm and egg cells contain a single copy of each chromosome with a unique mix of genes from our parents, an evolutionary trick to give our offspring genetic variability. The sperm and egg are made during meiosis, the process by which cells with two chromosome copies reduce their chromosome numbers to one. For meiosis to work, the two chromosomes must align perfectly and exchange the correct amount of genetic information. Any deviation puts fertility at risk. -- Enter the synaptonemal complex (SC), a zipper-like protein structure that lines up and anchors the two parental chromosomes together, end-to-end, to facilitate successful genetic exchanges. Failure to regulate this exchange is a leading cause of age-related infertility in humans and could compromise fertility across the tree of life. Humans, fungi, plants, worms and anything that reproduces sexually uses the SC to make reproductive cells, known as gametes. Despite its importance, we don't understand how proteins within the SC regulate chromosomal interactions because this multi-step process happens in internal organs and has been impossible to recreate in a lab. -- In a new study, University of Utah biologists developed a method for illuminating the intricate interactions of the SC in the nematode C. elegans. The authors identified a trio of protein segments that guide chromosomal interactions, and pinpointed the location where they interact with each other. Their novel method uses a technique known as genetic suppressor screening, which can serve as a blueprint for research on large cellular assemblies that resist traditional structural analysis. -- "This is a way to lock in on systems in cells that are too 'loosie-goosey' to use methods that rely on crystallization," said Ofer Rog, associate professor of biology at the U and senior author of the study. "A lot of the interactions in cells are loosely bonded together. The problem is that you can't look at it under an electron microscope because nothing is stable enough -- everything is constantly moving. Our approach allows you to study even the interactions that are relatively weak or transient." -- The study published on Dec. 6, 2023, in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). -- The birds and the bees… and the nematodes -- Let's dig into meiosis. Chromosomes are thread-like structures made of DNA that carry genetic information when cells divide and from generation to generation. Regular cells have a certain number of chromosomes; humans have 46 and C. elegans have 12. Chromosomes come in pairs called homologous chromosomes that carry the genes we inherited from each of our parents -- one from our mom, one from our dad. When meiosis begins, homologous chromosomes arrange themselves into elongated structures organized along a backbone called the axis. The axes of homologous pairs are aligned lengthwise to each other while at the same time, the synaptonemal complex (SC) forms between the parallel axes. The homologous pairs have matching genes arranged in the same order, with small variations within the genes -- these are the variations that make each individual unique. -- "You can think of it like a zipper," Rog explained. "The axes of the chromosomes are like the two sides of your shirt. The synaptonemal complex is kind of like the teeth of the zippers that lock onto each other and can pull and align the two sides of the shirt correctly." -- Scientist previously knew that the SC of C. elegans formed between homologs, but the U biologists are the first to pinpoint the exact position where the SC interacts with itself to facilitate genetic exchanges. -- "When you exchange information between the chromosomes, you want to make sure that at the end you still have two complete chromosomes," said Rog. "The way the cell does it is that the two chromosomes are perfectly aligned. So, when you exchange segments between them, you're not losing any information in the process. | E02 E03 | 294 |
| 2401-T007 | Decoding the Mysteries of Fog in Complex Terrain: A Northern Utah Study | Fog formation is a complex process that meteorologists struggle to forecast accurately due to its intricate physical processes. | University of Utah | Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society | Press Rel | PubMed | Of the world's various weather phenomena, fog is perhaps the most mysterious, forming and dissipating near the ground with fluctuations in air temperature and humidity interacting with the terrain itself. -- While fog presents a major hazard to transportation safety, meteorologists have yet to figure out how to forecast it with the precision they have achieved for precipitation, wind and other stormy events. -- This is because the physical processes resulting in fog formation are extremely complex, according to Zhaoxia Pu, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Utah. -- "Our understanding is limited. In order to accurately forecast fog we should better understand the process that controls fog formation," said Pu, who led a fog study focusing on a northern Utah valley. -- Now, in a recent paper published by the American Meteorological Society, Pu and her colleagues have reported their findings from the Cold Fog Amongst Complex Terrain (CFACT) project, conceived to investigate the life cycle of cold fog in mountain valleys. -- Also working on the project, funded by a $1.17 million grant from the National Science Foundation, were several other members of the U Department of Atmospheric Sciences, including Gannet Hallar and Sebastian Hoch, along with Eric Pardyjak of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, a group of scientists from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), and Dr. Ismail Gultepe from Ontario Tech University, Canada. -- Because it reduces visibility, fog poses serious hazards to the traveling public. -- For example, fog is the second leading cause of aircraft accidents after high winds. -- It leads to automobile crashes and disrupts ferry operations. -- Between 1995 and 2004 in the United States, 13,720 have died in fog-related accidents. | E01 | 295 |
| 2402-063 | Shedding Light on Infertility: Nematode Proteins Reveal Intricate Interactions | Biologists have developed a method to study the interactions of the synaptonemal complex, providing insights into cellular assemblies. | University of Utah | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | Press Rel | PubMed | We have two copies of each chromosome in every cell in our bodies except in our reproductive cells. Sperm and egg cells contain a single copy of each chromosome with a unique mix of genes from our parents, an evolutionary trick to give our offspring genetic variability. The sperm and egg are made during meiosis, the process by which cells with two chromosome copies reduce their chromosome numbers to one. For meiosis to work, the two chromosomes must align perfectly and exchange the correct amount of genetic information. Any deviation puts fertility at risk. -- Enter the synaptonemal complex (SC), a zipper-like protein structure that lines up and anchors the two parental chromosomes together, end-to-end, to facilitate successful genetic exchanges. Failure to regulate this exchange is a leading cause of age-related infertility in humans and could compromise fertility across the tree of life. Humans, fungi, plants, worms and anything that reproduces sexually uses the SC to make reproductive cells, known as gametes. Despite its importance, we don't understand how proteins within the SC regulate chromosomal interactions because this multi-step process happens in internal organs and has been impossible to recreate in a lab. -- In a new study, University of Utah biologists developed a method for illuminating the intricate interactions of the SC in the nematode C. elegans. The authors identified a trio of protein segments that guide chromosomal interactions, and pinpointed the location where they interact with each other. Their novel method uses a technique known as genetic suppressor screening, which can serve as a blueprint for research on large cellular assemblies that resist traditional structural analysis. -- "This is a way to lock in on systems in cells that are too 'loosie-goosey' to use methods that rely on crystallization," said Ofer Rog, associate professor of biology at the U and senior author of the study. "A lot of the interactions in cells are loosely bonded together. The problem is that you can't look at it under an electron microscope because nothing is stable enough -- everything is constantly moving. Our approach allows you to study even the interactions that are relatively weak or transient." -- The study published on Dec. 6, 2023, in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). -- The birds and the bees… and the nematodes -- Let's dig into meiosis. Chromosomes are thread-like structures made of DNA that carry genetic information when cells divide and from generation to generation. Regular cells have a certain number of chromosomes; humans have 46 and C. elegans have 12. Chromosomes come in pairs called homologous chromosomes that carry the genes we inherited from each of our parents -- one from our mom, one from our dad. When meiosis begins, homologous chromosomes arrange themselves into elongated structures organized along a backbone called the axis. The axes of homologous pairs are aligned lengthwise to each other while at the same time, the synaptonemal complex (SC) forms between the parallel axes. The homologous pairs have matching genes arranged in the same order, with small variations within the genes -- these are the variations that make each individual unique. -- "You can think of it like a zipper," Rog explained. "The axes of the chromosomes are like the two sides of your shirt. The synaptonemal complex is kind of like the teeth of the zippers that lock onto each other and can pull and align the two sides of the shirt correctly." -- Scientist previously knew that the SC of C. elegans formed between homologs, but the U biologists are the first to pinpoint the exact position where the SC interacts with itself to facilitate genetic exchanges. -- "When you exchange information between the chromosomes, you want to make sure that at the end you still have two complete chromosomes," said Rog. "The way the cell does it is that the two chromosomes are perfectly aligned. So, when you exchange segments between them, you're not losing any information in the process. | E02 E03 | 296 |
| 2402-087 | Largest Study of 'Magic Mushrooms' Investigates Psychoactive Psilocybin Production | Psilocybe fungi, commonly known as "magic mushrooms," have been found to hold potential for mental health treatment. Psilocybin and psilocin, the psychoactive compounds in these mushrooms, show promise in treating conditions such as PTSD, depression, and end-of-life care. | University of Utah | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | Press Rel | PubMed | Psilocybe fungi, known colloquially as "magic mushrooms," have held deep significance in Indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica for centuries. They captured the wider world's attention as a psychedelic staple in the 60s and 70s. Now, these infamous organisms are at the forefront of a mental health revolution. Psilocybin and psilocin, the psychoactive compounds found in nearly all species of Psilocybe, have shown promise as a treatment for conditions including PTSD, depression, and for easing end-of-life care. -- To utilize psilocybin as a therapeutic, scientists need an extensive roadmap of the compound's underlying genetics and evolution, information that doesn't exist. Our limited knowledge comes from research on just a fraction of the ~165 known species of Psilocybe. Most psilocybin-producing mushrooms haven't been studied since they were first discovered -- until now. -- A team of researchers led by the University of Utah and the Natural History Museum of Utah (NHMU) has completed the largest genomic diversity study for the genus Psilocybe. Their genomic analysis of 52 Psilocybe specimens includes 39 species that have never been sequenced. -- The authors found that Psilocybe arose much earlier than previously thought -- about 65 million years ago, right around when the dinosaur-killing asteroid caused a mass extinction event. They established that psilocybin was first synthesized in mushrooms in the genus Psilocybe, with four to five possible horizontal gene transfers to other mushrooms from 40 up to 9 million years ago. -- Their analysis revealed two distinct gene orders within the gene cluster that produces psilocybin. The two gene patterns correspond to an ancient split in the genus, suggesting two independent acquisitions of psilocybin in itsevolutionary history. The study is the first to reveal such a strong evolutionary pattern within the gene sequences underpinning the psychoactive proteins synthesis. -- "If psilocybin does turn out to be this kind of wonder drug, there's going to be a need to develop therapeutics to improve its efficacy. What if it already exists in nature?" said Bryn Dentinger, curator of mycology at NHMU and senior author of the study. "There's a wealth of diversity of these compounds out there. To understand where they are and how they're made, we need to do this kind of molecular work to use biodiversity to our advantage." -- All the study's Psilocybe DNA came from specimens in museum collections around the world. Twenty-three of the 52 specimens were "type specimens," the gold standard designating a species against which all other samples are measured. For example, say you identify a wild mushroom as a certain species of chanterelle -- you're betting that the mushroom you picked is the same as the physical material sitting in a box in a museum. The authors' molecular work on type species is a major contribution to mycology because it establishes an authoritative foundation for all future work on Psilocybe diversity in taxonomy. -- "These type specimens represent hundreds of years of thousands of scientists' collective effort to document diversity, way before people were thinking about DNA," said Alexander Bradshaw, postdoctoral researcher at the U and lead author of the study. "That's the beauty of it -- no one has really sequenced type specimens at this scale, and now we get to produce molecular and genomic data to the gold standard of Psilocybe types for people to compare against." -- The study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Jan. 9, 2024. -- A trip through time | Z01 | 297 |
| 2401-014 | Alzheimer's Discovery Reveals Harmful Effect of Tau Protein on Brain Cells | University of Virginia Alzheimer's researchers have discovered how harmful tau proteins damage essential brain cell instructions, potentially leading to new treatments for neurological disorders. | University of Virginia Health System | Alzheimer's & Dementia | Press Rel | PubMed | University of Virginia Alzheimer's researchers have discovered how harmful tau proteins damage the essential operating instructions for our brain cells, a finding which could lead to new treatments. -- The toxic protein, the researchers found, warps the shape of the nuclei of nerve cells, or neurons. -- This alters the function of genes contained inside and reprograms the cells to make more tau. -- While the protein has long been a prime suspect in Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative "tauopathies," the new research from UVA's George Bloom, Ph.D.; his recently graduated student Xuehan Sun, Ph.D.; and collaborators is among the first to identify concrete physical harms that tau causes to neurons. -- As such, it offers researchers exciting leads as they work to develop new treatments for Alzheimer's disease and tauopathies, which are now untreatable. -- "A lot of fantastic research has been done by other labs to learn how toxic tau spreads from neuron to neuron in the brain, but very little is known about exactly how this toxic tau damages neurons, and that question is the motivation for our new paper," said Bloom, of UVA's Departments of Biology, Cell Biology and Neuroscience, as well as the UVA Brain Institute, the Virginia Alzheimer's Disease Center and UVA's Program in Fundamental Neuroscience. -- "The toxic tau described here is actually released from neurons, so if we can figure out how to intercept it when it's floating around in the brain outside of neurons, using antibodies or other drugs, it might be possible to slow or halt progression of Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies." -- Alzheimer's and Tauopathies -- Tauopathies are characterized by the buildup of tau inside the brain. -- Alzheimer's disease is well known, but there are many other tauopathies, including frontotemporal lobar degeneration, progressive supranuclear palsy and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. | H01 R02 | 298 |
| 2401-056 | Healthy Omega-3 Fats Slow Deadly Pulmonary Fibrosis | Higher levels of omega-3, found in fish and nuts, are associated with better lung function and improved survival in individuals with pulmonary fibrosis. | University of Virginia Health System | CHEST | Press Rel | PubMed | Could healthy fats found in nuts and fish slow the progression of potentially deadly lung scarring known as pulmonary fibrosis and delay the need for lung transplants? -- UVA pulmonary researchers looked at the association between blood-plasma levels of omega-3 fatty acids -- the heart-healthy fats found in foods such as salmon and flaxseeds -- and the progression of pulmonary fibrosis, as well as how long patients could go without needing a transplant. -- The researchers found that higher levels of omega-3 were associated with better lung function and longer transplant-free survival. -- While more research is needed, the researchers say their findings warrant clinical trials to determine if interventions that raise omega-3 levels could be a useful tool to improve outcomes for patients with pulmonary fibrosis and other chronic lung diseases. -- "We found that higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood, which reflects several weeks of dietary intake, were linked to better lung function and longer survival," said researcher John Kim, MD, a pulmonary and critical care expert at UVA Health and the University of Virginia School of Medicine. -- "Our findings suggest omega-3 fatty acids might be a targetable risk factor in pulmonary fibrosis." -- Omega-3 and Pulmonary Fibrosis -- Omega-3 fatty acids have already been linked to a host of health benefits. -- Studies have suggested, for example, that they may lower the risk of heart disease, stroke-causing blood clots, breast cancer and other cancers, Alzheimer's disease and dementia. -- Kim and his colleagues wanted to determine if omega-3s could play a protective role in interstitial lung disease, a group of chronic lung diseases that can lead to pulmonary fibrosis. | H01 R01 R02 E02 E03 | 299 |
| 2402-E046 | Rare Exoplanet Discovery: Shedding Light on Earth-Like Planet Formation | The discovery of a small, cold exoplanet and its massive outer companion provides insights into the formation of planets like Earth. | University of Warwick | Astronomy & Astrophysics | Press Rel | PubMed | Astronomers have made the rare discovery of a small, cold exoplanet and its massive outer companion -- shedding light on the formation of planets like Earth. -- The findings include a planet with radius and mass between that of the Earth and Neptune, with a potential orbit around its host star of 146 days. The star system also contains an outer, large companion, 100 times the mass of Jupiter. -- This is a rare discovery, with exoplanets smaller and lighter than Neptune and Uranus being notoriously hard to detect, with only a few being identified to this day. Such rare systems are particularly interesting to better understand planetary formation and evolution; they are thought to be a key step for the detection of Earth-like planets around stars. -- The new planetary system is discovered around the star HD88986. This star has a similar temperature to the Sun with a slightly larger radius and is bright enough to be seen by keen observers at dark sky sites across the UK, such as Bannau Brycheiniog National Park (Brecon Beacons). -- This study, published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, is led by Neda Heidari, an Iranian postdoctoral fellow at the Institut d'astrophysique de Paris (IAP). In the UK, Thomas Wilson, a senior research fellow at the University of Warwick, co-led the analysis of satellite data including searching for new planets. The team also includes researchers at 29 other institutes from nine countries including Switzerland, Chile, and the USA. -- A cold, Neptune-like exoplanet -- The planetary system includes a cold planet smaller than Neptune, a so-called sub-Neptune, HD88986b. This planet has the longest orbital period (146 days) among known exoplanets smaller than Neptune or Uranus with precise mass measurements. -- Neda Heidari, IAP, explained: "Most of the planets we've discovered and measured for their mass and radius have short orbits, typically less than 40 days. To provide a comparison with our solar system, even Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, takes 88 days to complete its orbit. This lack of detection for planets with longer orbits raises challenges in understanding how planets form and evolve in other systems and even in our solar system. HD88986b, with its orbital period of 146 days, potentially has the longest known orbit among the population of small planets with precise measurements." -- HD88986b was detected using the SOPHIE -- a high-precision spectrograph (a machine that analyses wavelengths of light from exoplanets) at the Haute-Provence Observatory, France. SOPHIE detects and characterises exoplanets using the 'radial-velocity method'; measuring tiny motion variations of the star induced by planets orbiting it. -- These observations revealed the planet and allowed the team to estimate its mass to approximately 17 times that of the Earth. | E01 T02 | 300 |
| 2401-E040 | Detecting Asymptomatic Malaria: Understanding the Dynamic Lifecycle of the Parasite | Detecting malaria in asymptomatic individuals is crucial for controlling the disease's spread, as they can still transmit it. | University of Washington School of Medicine/UW Medicine | The Lancet Microbe | Press Rel | PubMed | Detecting malaria in people who aren't experiencing symptoms is vital to public health efforts to better control this tropical disease in places where the mosquito-borne parasite is common. Asymptomatic people harboring the parasite can still transmit the disease or become ill later, after initially testing negative. -- The dynamic lifecycle of this pathogen means that parasite densities can suddenly drop below the level of detection -- especially when older, less sensitive tests are used. Such fluctuations can make it difficult, when testing only at a single point in time, to determine if an apparently healthy person is in fact infected. -- Malaria can produce severe chills alternating with sweaty fevers, headaches, nausea and other distress. Yet many infected people can feel fine. -- A recent asymptomatic detection study was conducted in the Katawki District, Uganda, which has a high incidence of malaria. -- "We found that parasite dynamics and the parasite species present were highly variable among patients with low-level, asymptomatic infections," said UW Medicine malaria research Dr. Sean C. Murphy, one of the senior scientists on the study. He noted that sampling every other day or every third day was enough to detect a proportion of infections similar to daily sampling. However, testing once a week or less often, even with sophisticated diagnostics, could misclassify the true infection status of up to one-third of the individuals. -- This finding is important, Murphy said, for improving studies on the prevalence of malaria infection and, by extension, for clinical trials of malaria vaccines and therapeutics. Most of these trials use single-timepoint tests or repeated but infrequent tests to determine the infection status of asymptomatic participants. That approach is likely to miss infections if the participants' parasite densities drop below the limit of the test employed. -- Murphy is a physician-scientist and professor of laboratory medicine and pathology and microbiology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and chief of pathology and laboratory medicine at Seattle Children's. -- The project was a collaboration among the Murphy lab; Dr. Thomas Egwang and his research team including Tonny Owalla of Med Biotech Laboratories in Kampala, Uganda; and Dr. Jennifer E. Balkus, professor of epidemiology at the UW School of Public Health. Dr. Dianna E. B. Hergott, who was at the time a graduate student mentored by Murphy and Balkus, and Med Biotech's Owalla led the study. -- The Uganda-based team performed the community-based portions of the study. The participants were healthy, nonpregnant adults, ages 18 to 59, who were not taking antimalarial drugs, as well as older children, ages 8 to 17. -- "We instructed participants in how to collect one dried blood spot at home every day for up to 29 days," Owalla explained. The participants would come to the study clinic once a week to turn in that week's blood spots, obtain new blood spot cards, and have traditional blood draws. | H01 H02 | 301 |
| 2402-051 | The Mysterious Nature of Asymptomatic Malaria Revealed Through Its Life Cycle | Detecting malaria in asymptomatic individuals is crucial for public health efforts. The fluctuating parasite density in asymptomatic carriers can make it challenging to identify infection through single-point testing. | University of Washington School of Medicine/UW Medicine | The Lancet Microbe | Press Rel | PubMed | Detecting malaria in people who aren't experiencing symptoms is vital to public health efforts to better control this tropical disease in places where the mosquito-borne parasite is common. Asymptomatic people harboring the parasite can still transmit the disease or become ill later, after initially testing negative. -- The dynamic lifecycle of this pathogen means that parasite densities can suddenly drop below the level of detection -- especially when older, less sensitive tests are used. Such fluctuations can make it difficult, when testing only at a single point in time, to determine if an apparently healthy person is in fact infected. -- Malaria can produce severe chills alternating with sweaty fevers, headaches, nausea and other distress. Yet many infected people can feel fine. -- A recent asymptomatic detection study was conducted in the Katawki District, Uganda, which has a high incidence of malaria. -- "We found that parasite dynamics and the parasite species present were highly variable among patients with low-level, asymptomatic infections," said UW Medicine malaria research Dr. Sean C. Murphy, one of the senior scientists on the study. He noted that sampling every other day or every third day was enough to detect a proportion of infections similar to daily sampling. However, testing once a week or less often, even with sophisticated diagnostics, could misclassify the true infection status of up to one-third of the individuals. -- This finding is important, Murphy said, for improving studies on the prevalence of malaria infection and, by extension, for clinical trials of malaria vaccines and therapeutics. Most of these trials use single-timepoint tests or repeated but infrequent tests to determine the infection status of asymptomatic participants. That approach is likely to miss infections if the participants' parasite densities drop below the limit of the test employed. -- Murphy is a physician-scientist and professor of laboratory medicine and pathology and microbiology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and chief of pathology and laboratory medicine at Seattle Children's. -- The project was a collaboration among the Murphy lab; Dr. Thomas Egwang and his research team including Tonny Owalla of Med Biotech Laboratories in Kampala, Uganda; and Dr. Jennifer E. Balkus, professor of epidemiology at the UW School of Public Health. Dr. Dianna E. B. Hergott, who was at the time a graduate student mentored by Murphy and Balkus, and Med Biotech's Owalla led the study. -- The Uganda-based team performed the community-based portions of the study. The participants were healthy, nonpregnant adults, ages 18 to 59, who were not taking antimalarial drugs, as well as older children, ages 8 to 17. -- "We instructed participants in how to collect one dried blood spot at home every day for up to 29 days," Owalla explained. The participants would come to the study clinic once a week to turn in that week's blood spots, obtain new blood spot cards, and have traditional blood draws. | H01 H02 | 302 |
| 2401-076 | Unveiling the Workings of an Essential Protein Trafficking Complex | Using advanced cell imaging and genome editing technology, scientists have started unraveling the essential service provided by a collection of proteins, potentially informing the development of treatments for diseases like cancer, diabetes, and immune dysfunction. | University of Wisconsin-Madison | Nature Communications | Press Rel | PubMed | Like mail carriers who manage to deliver their parcels through snow, rain, heat and gloom, a critical group of mammalian proteins helps cells function properly even under less-than-ideal conditions. -- Using state-of-the-art cell imaging and genome editing technology, University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists have begun to unravel how this collection of proteins performs its essential service. -- The discovery could eventually help researchers better understand and develop new treatments for diseases like cancer, diabetes and those that cause immune dysfunction. -- Led by Anjon Audhya, a professor in the Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, the research team sought to better understand how the Coat Protein Complex II, or COPII, functions. -- COPII is an enormously important group of proteins responsible for transporting roughly a third of all proteins that function in mammalian cells. -- COPII was a subject of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, which was awarded to a trio of scientists for their work defining how proteins are sorted and transported around cells. -- This new research builds on some of those discoveries. -- There are millions of proteins inside mammalian cells, and they perform a wide variety of duties. -- Cells must ensure that proteins are moved efficiently to their proper places, so they can perform their cellular roles -- an intricate task requiring precision. -- Previous research identified COPII as an essential part of this process, but no one had recorded exactly how this set of proteins goes about packaging and transporting other proteins around cells. | H01 R01 | 303 |
| 2401-E009 | Multitasking Microbes: Bacteria Producing Two Products from Plant Fiber | Researchers have engineered bacteria that can produce multiple chemical products simultaneously from plant fiber. This discovery has the potential to make biofuels more sustainable and commercially viable. | University of Wisconsin-Madison | Applied and Environmental Microbiology | Press Rel | PubMed | We often look to the smallest lifeforms for help solving the biggest problems: Microbes help make foods and beverages, cure diseases, treat waste and even clean up pollution. Yeast and bacteria can also convert plant sugars into biofuels and chemicals traditionally derived from fossil fuels -- a key component of most plans to slow climate change. -- Now University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers have engineered bacteria that can produce two chemical products at the same time from underutilized plant fiber. And unlike humans, these multitasking microbes can do both things equally well. -- "To my knowledge, it's one of the first times you can make two valuable products simultaneously in one microbe," says Tim Donohue, UW-Madison professor of bacteriology and director of the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center. -- The discovery, detailed in a paper in the December issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology, could help make biofuels more sustainable and commercially viable. -- "In principle, the strategy lowers the net greenhouse gas emissions and improves the economics," Donohue says. "The amount of energy and greenhouse gas that you need to make two products in one pot is going to be less than running two pots to make one product in each pot." -- Every molecule counts -- The quest to replace fossil fuels with sustainable alternatives hinges on extracting the most possible value from renewable biomass. Just as with petrochemicals, every molecule counts: Low-volume, high-value products help keep fuel more affordable. -- One of the biggest barriers is a part of the plant cell wall called lignin. Lignin is the world's most abundant source of renewable aromatic carbons, but its irregular structure makes it notoriously difficult to break apart into useful components. -- That's why scientists with GLBRC have studied a bacterium named Novosphingobium aromaticivorans (sometimes referred to as simply Novo), which can digest many components of lignin and is relatively easy to genetically modify. -- In 2019, researchers engineered a strain of Novo that can produce a key ingredient of plastics like nylon and polyurethane known as PDC. More recently, a team in Donohue's lab discovered another modification that allows Novo to make a different plastic ingredient called ccMA. | H01 E01 E03 | 304 |
| 2401-E035 | Ants Treat Infected Wounds: Antibiotic Treatment Initiated by Conspecifics | Matabele ants recognize and treat infected wounds sustained during fights with termites. | University of Würzburg | Nature Communications | Press Rel | PubMed | The Matabele ants (Megaponera analis), which are widespread south of the Sahara, have a narrow diet: They only eat termites. Their hunting expeditions are dangerous because termite soldiers defend their conspecifics -- and use their powerful mandibles to do so. It is therefore common for the ants to be injured while hunting. -- If the wounds become infected, there is a significant survival risk. -- However, Matabele ants have developed a sophisticated healthcare system: they can distinguish between non-infected and infected wounds and treat the latter efficiently with antibiotics they produce themselves. -- This is reported by a team led by Dr Erik Frank from Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) Würzburg and Professor Laurent Keller from the University of Lausanne in the journal Nature Communications. -- Treatment Drastically Reduces Mortality -- "Chemical analyses in cooperation with JMU Professor Thomas Schmitt have shown that the hydrocarbon profile of the ant cuticle changes as a result of a wound infection," says Erik Frank. -- It is precisely this change that the ants are able to recognise and thus diagnose the infection status of injured nestmates. -- For treatment, they then apply antimicrobial compounds and proteins to the infected wounds. -- They take these antibiotics from the metapleural gland, which is located on the side of their thorax. -- Its secretion contains 112 components, half of which have an antimicrobial or wound-healing effect. | H01 E01 | 305 |
| 2401-E028 | Unveiling Primate Social Organization: Early Primates Likely Lived in Pairs | Contrary to previous beliefs, primates likely lived in pairs and were not solitary creatures in the early stages of primate evolution. | University of Zurich | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | Press Rel | PubMed | Primates -- and this includes humans -- are thought of as highly social animals. Many species of monkeys and apes live in groups. Lemurs and other Strepsirrhines, often colloquially referred to as "wet-nosed" primates, in contrast, have long been believed to be solitary creatures, and it has often been suggested that other forms of social organization evolved later. Previous studies have therefore attempted to explain how and when pair-living evolved in primates. -- More recent research, however, indicates that many nocturnal Strepsirrhines, which are more challenging to investigate, are not in fact solitary but live in pairs of males and females. -- But what does this mean for the social organization forms of the ancestors of all primates? -- And why do some species of monkey live in groups, while others are pair-living or solitary? -- Different forms of social organization -- Researchers at the Universities of Zurich and Strasbourg have now examined these questions. -- For their study, Charlotte Olivier from the Hubert Curien Pluridisciplinary Institute collected detailed information on the composition of social units in primate populations in the wild. -- Over several years, the researchers built a detailed database, which covered almost 500 populations from over 200 primate species, from primary field studies. -- More than half of the primate species recorded in the database exhibited more than one form of social organization. -- "The most common social organization were groups in which multiple females and multiple males lived together, for example chimpanzees or macaques, followed by groups with only one male and multiple females -- such as in gorillas or langurs," says last author Adrian Jaeggi from the University of Zurich. | E02 | 306 |
| 2401-E006 | New Larks Revealed in Africa: DNA Analysis of Museum Specimens | Researchers have analyzed DNA from museum specimens to study the relationships between closely related lark species in Africa. Two of these species have not been observed for decades, providing valuable insights into their genetic makeup. | Uppsala University | Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers at Uppsala University, together with colleagues at the Swedish Museum of Natural History, the University of Gothenburg, and institutions in seven other countries, have studied the relationships between five closely related species of larks that occur in Africa south of the Sahara. Two of these have not been observed for decades, so the researchers analysed DNA from museum specimens, some of which were over 100 years old. -- The DNA analyses revealed nine distinct evolutionary lines, which were estimated to have been separated for up to at least five million years -- which is about as long as humans and chimpanzees have been separated. -- Five of these branches on the tree of life are normally classified as different subspecies of Rufous-naped Lark Corypha africana and two of them as subspecies of Red-winged Lark Corypha hypermetra. Based on the genetic results, combined with extensive analyses of plumage, size/structure, vocalisations and behaviours, the researchers demonstrated that the relationships are considerably more complex and that the branches were previously missorted. -- They propose that the two species be split into seven. Conversely, the analyses showed that Ash's Lark Corypha ashi, which is only known from a few specimens collected in Somalia, is the same species as the slightly better-known Somali Lark Corypha somalica. -- Most of the 'new' species are extremely poorly known, and the paper describes songs and behaviours for the first time for several of them. -- After the article was accepted for publication, the lead author, Per Alström at Uppsala University, had the opportunity to study one of the least known 'new' species in north-western Zambia, on the border with Angola, in November 2023. -- "This species, which we propose be called Plains Lark Corypha kabalii, but which does not yet have a Swedish name, is even more distinct than we concluded based on the data we analysed earlier," Alström comments. -- "Among other things, it has a unique display behaviour, which is probably used both for defending a territory and attracting females. The Plains Lark male rapidly ascends to a height of a few metres, where it claps its wings to produce a rather strong sound before descending to the ground again on spread wings." -- Another recently published paper by largely the same research group presented the family tree for all but one of the more than 100 lark species of the world. That study confirmed that many species that are similar in appearance are not closely related at all, but likely developed similarities due to similar living conditions -- so-called convergent evolution. Conversely, some close relatives have diverged so much in appearance that their close relationship can no longer be traced in their external characteristics. | Z01 | 307 |
| 2401-E047 | Microbial Awakening Transforms High-Latitude Food Webs Amidst Permafrost Thaw | Climate warming is causing a shift from plant-based to fungal-based food webs in Arctic and boreal forests, which can impact nutrient cycling. | USDA Forest Service - Pacific Northwest Research Station | Nature Climate Change | Press Rel | PubMed | Alaska is on the front lines of climate change, experiencing some of the fastest rates of warming of any place in the world. And when temperatures rise in the state's interior -- a vast high-latitude region spanning 113 million acres -- permafrost there not only thaws, releasing significant amounts of its stored carbon back into the atmosphere where it further accelerates rising temperatures, but it decays. This decomposition has the potential to infuse above- and belowground food webs with carbon, which can affect energy flow between these critical ecological linkages and affect the species they support. -- One of these species is the tundra vole, one of four Arctic or boreal forest animals that Philip Manlick, a research wildlife biologist with the USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station in Juneau, Alaska, examined as part of his new study published today in the journal Nature Climate Change. Along with collaborators from the University of New Mexico and the University of Texas at Austin, Manlick used a novel technique to quantify the impacts of climate change on energy flow and carbon fluxes between plant-supported aboveground, or green, food webs and microbe-driven belowground, or brown, food webs using two species of vole, a shrew, and a spider as windows into the complex worlds. -- "Understanding how energy moves through food webs helps us understand how ecosystems function and how animals might respond to stressors like climate change," Manlick said. "In Arctic and boreal ecosystems, it's well known that the climate is warming, permafrost is melting, and microbes are flourishing. But we know very little about the impacts of this process on terrestrial food webs and the animals they support." -- A Novel Technique With Promise -- The novel technique at the heart of the study involved measuring unique carbon isotope "fingerprints" in essential amino acids that only plants, bacteria, and fungi can produce. Animals can only acquire these molecules through their diets. This allowed these essential amino acids to serve as a biomarker that helped the researchers track how carbon was moving between green and brown food webs, which, ultimately, helped them detect changes. -- "Scientists often argue about the importance of animals to ecosystem processes like carbon cycling, but when they eat resources from different food webs, they move carbon between storage pools," Manlick said. "In the future, we think this tool can be used to trace the fate of carbon through food webs to understand the functional roles of animals in ecosystem functions, like nutrient cycling." -- The study analyzed bone collagen from museum specimens of tundra and red-backed voles and masked shrews from the Bonanza Creek Experimental Forest near Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1990 and 2021, a sample that represented animals exposed to long-term climate warming. To study the effects of short-term climate warming on animals, the researchers sampled Arctic wolf spiders near Toolik Lake, Alaska. Some of the spiders were gathered as controls and others were exposed to 2 °C warming in outdoor compartmentalized habitats called "mesocosms" in which the scientists could increase temperature on a micro scale to simulate climate warming. -- At just over 12,000 acres, and encompassing interior forest and flood-plain habitats, Bonanza Creek Experimental Forest is an ideal site for studying the impacts of climate change on boreal forests and food webs because it provides a long-term record of change in interior Alaska. It was established by the USDA Forest Service 60 years ago and has been a National Science Foundation Long-term Ecological Research site since 1987. For Manlick, the site offers an opportunity to study how these boreal forest changes are affecting the animals living there and how the animals, themselves, affect forest processes through foraging and food web dynamics. -- Significant Shift in Energy Source -- Through their isotope analyses, Manlick and his colleagues detected significant changes in carbon assimilation in the mammals -- notably a shift from plant-based food webs to fungal-based food webs. In other words, fungi replaced plants as the main energy source -- with small mammals, like the shrews, assimilating up to 90 percent of their total carbon intake from fungal carbon, a more than 40-percent increase over historical specimens. | H01 H02 R01 E01 E02 E03 T01 | 308 |
| 2402-004 | Liraglutide: Enhancing Insulin Sensitivity Beyond Weight Loss | A study shows that a medication used to treat Type 2 diabetes and obesity can rapidly improve insulin sensitivity. | Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Diabetes | Press Rel | PubMed | A new study published in the journal Diabetes demonstrates that a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist, a member of a class of medication used to treat Type 2 diabetes and obesity, can lead to a rapid improvement in insulin sensitivity. -- Insulin sensitivity is how responsive cells are to insulin, an essential hormone that controls blood glucose levels. -- An increase in insulin sensitivity means insulin can more effectively lower the blood glucose. -- Reduced insulin sensitivity or insulin resistance is a feature of Type 2 diabetes. -- Thus, improved insulin sensitivity can reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes or improve its treatment. -- GLP-1R agonists are medications that influence metabolism, such as decreasing blood sugar levels by promoting insulin secretion. -- Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors block the degradation of the body's own endogenous GLP-1, as well as other peptide hormones such as glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP). -- "We know that GLP-1R agonists promote weight loss, but we were surprised to find that the GLP-1R agonist liraglutide also has rapid effects on insulin sensitivity, independent from weight loss," said Mona Mashayekhi MD, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism. -- "This effect requires activation of the GLP-1 receptor, but increasing the body's own endogenous GLP-1 through the use of the DPP4 inhibitor sitagliptin does not achieve similar effects." -- "Our research suggests that liraglutide, and presumably other GLP-1R agonists, are having important metabolic effects in a way that's different from increasing endogenous GLP-1 levels, even though they're using the same receptor. Future research will focus on potential mechanisms of how GLP-1R agonists are improving insulin sensitivity independent of weight loss." | R01 | 309 |
| 2402-E043 | The Rock That Creates Clouds: Unlocking the Mystery of Felspar Dust | Feldspar dust in the air plays a role in cloud formation due to its ability to efficiently attach water molecules, with tiny feldspar grains serving as nucleation seeds. | Vienna University of Technology | The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters | Press Rel | PubMed | Feldspar is a ubiquitous mineral and makes up about half of the Earth's crust. In the Earth's atmosphere, feldspars play a surprisingly important role. Fine powder carried by air influences cloud formation. Water molecules adhere better to feldspar dust than to other particles. Tiny feldspar grains, floating in the atmosphere, thus become excellent nucleation seeds, where water molecules stick and freeze, eventually forming a cloud. -- It is unclear why feldspar has this remarkable ability to bind water efficiently and enable cloud formation. -- Using a highly sensitive atomic force microscope, researchers at TU Wien have shown that the unique geometry of the feldspar surface provides the perfect anchoring point for OH groups of hydrogen and oxygen -- and subsequently for water. -- Images with atomic resolution -- "Researchers were considering several ideas why feldspar is such an effective nucleation seed," says Prof. -- Ulrike Diebold from the Institute of Applied Physics at TU Wien, who led the project. -- "It could be due to potassium atoms contained in feldspar, or perhaps certain defects in its crystal structure." -- To find out, TU researchers used a very sensitive atomic force microscope. -- In this microscope, the surface of the crystal is scanned with a fine tip point-by-point. -- The force between the tip and the surface produces an image with high resolution, where the position of each atom can be precisely determined. | E01 | 310 |
| 2401-E034 | Sinking Cities on the East Coast: Rapid Subsidence Increases Risks for Urban Areas | Major cities on the U.S. Atlantic coast are sinking faster than global sea level rise, posing risks to critical infrastructure. | Virginia Tech | PNAS Nexus | Press Rel | PubMed | Major cities on the U.S. Atlantic coast are sinking, in some cases as much as 5 millimeters per year -- a decline at the ocean's edge that well outpaces global sea level rise, confirms new research from Virginia Tech and the U.S. Geological Survey. -- Particularly hard hit population centers such as New York City and Long Island, Baltimore, and Virginia Beach and Norfolk are seeing areas of rapid "subsidence," or sinking land, alongside more slowly sinking or relatively stable ground, increasing the risk to roadways, runways, building foundations, rail lines, and pipelines, according to a study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences. -- "Continuous unmitigated subsidence on the U.S. East Coast should cause concern," said lead author Leonard Ohenhen, a graduate student working with Associate Professor Manoochehr Shirzaei at Virginia Tech's Earth Observation and Innovation Lab. -- "This is particularly in areas with a high population and property density and a historical complacency toward infrastructure maintenance." -- Shirzaei and his research team pulled together a vast collection of data points measured by space-based radar satellites and used this highly accurate information to build digital terrain maps that show exactly where sinking landscapes present risks to the health of vital infrastructure. -- Using the publicly available satellite imagery, Shirzaei and Ohenhen measured millions of occurrences of land subsidence spanning multiple years. -- They then created some of the world's first high resolution depictions of the land subsidence. -- These groundbreaking new maps show that a large area of the East Coast is sinking at least 2 mm per year, with several areas along the mid-Atlantic coast of up to 3,700 square kilometers, or more than 1,400 square miles, sinking more than 5 mm per year, more than the current 4 mm per year global rate of sea level rise. -- "We measured subsidence rates of 2 mm per year affecting more than 2 million people and 800,000 properties on the East Coast," Shirzaei said. -- "We know to some extent that the land is sinking. Through this study, we highlight that sinking of the land is not an intangible threat. It affects you and I and everyone, it may be gradual, but the impacts are real." | E01 | 311 |
| 2402-042 | Type 2 Diabetes Drugs and Alcohol Cravings: Surprising Connection Found | A new study analyzed social media posts and remote studies to show that drugs used to treat Type 2 diabetes and obesity can reduce alcohol cravings and consumption. | Virginia Tech | Scientific Reports | Press Rel | PubMed | In social media posts on the community network Reddit, users reported reduced cravings for alcohol when taking drugs intended to treat Type 2 diabetes and obesity. -- Across a number of threads -- with titles such as "Did scientists accidentally invent an anti-addiction drug?" and "I don't know if this is a side effect but ... Mounjaro makes me drink less!!!!!" -- users reported a changing relationship with beer, wine, and liquor. -- An analysis of those posts, together with a remote study of individuals with obesity who reported using semaglutide and tirzepatide, found that the drugs decreased cravings and reduced alcohol consumption, according to a study by Virginia Tech researchers published Nov. -- 28 in Scientific Reports. -- "These findings add to a growing literature that these medications may curb dangerous drinking habits," said Warren Bickel, Virginia Tech Carilion Behavioral Health Research Professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and corresponding author. -- What they did -- Scientists with the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute's Addiction Recovery Research Center combined two different studies to build on existing research, including studies that showed the drugs were effective in reducing alcohol consumption in animal models. -- The first was an analysis of more than 68,000 Reddit posts from 2009-23 that included terms linked to GLP-1 approved medications. -- Semaglutide is a GLP-1 agonist, a class of drugs that reduce blood sugar and energy intake by mimicking the actions of hormones released after eating. -- Among the keywords included in the search were Mounjaro, Wegovy, Ozempic, and Trulicity. | H01 R01 E02 | 312 |
| 2401-064 | Living Near Nature Boosts Mental and Physical Health for Seniors | Even a small increase in urban green and blue spaces, such as forests, in residential areas is associated with better mental and physical health in older adults, according to a study from Washington State University. | Washington State University | Health & Place | Press Rel | PubMed | Even small differences in the availability of urban green and blue spaces may be associated with better mental and physical health in older adults, according to a Washington State University study. -- The study's findings showed that having just 10% more forest space in a person's residential ZIP code was associated with reduced serious psychological distress, which covers mental health problems that require treatment and interfere with people's social lives, work or school. -- Similarly, a 10% increase in green space, tree cover, water bodies or trail length lowered the chance that older people reported their general health as poor or fair. -- "Our findings suggest that loss of our urban green and blue spaces due to rapid urbanization may not just have an environmental impact but could have a public health impact as well," said first study author Adithya Vegaraju, a medical student in the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. -- Published in the journal Health & Place, the study is based on health survey data from more than 42,000 people aged 65 and older who lived in urban areas of Washington state between 2011 and 2019. -- In their analysis, the researchers related survey respondents' general and mental health outcomes to different measures that quantified access to green and blue spaces, such as forests, parks, lakes and rivers, within their residential ZIP codes. -- Close to 2% of respondents showed signs of serious psychological distress and 19% reported having fair or poor general health. -- The researchers presented preliminary findings for this study at an American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in April 2023. -- Those findings looked only at the relationship between serious psychological distress and distance to the closest green and blue space. -- In this final published version of their study, the researchers looked at several additional measures, including the percentage of green space, tree canopy, forest area and open space within ZIP codes as well as the length of trails. | H01 H02 E01 E03 T02 | 313 |
| 2402-060 | Living Near Nature for Better Health: The Impact of Urban Green Spaces on Older Adults | A new study reveals that even minor differences in urban green and blue spaces can have positive effects on the mental and physical health of older adults, emphasizing the importance of access to nature. | Washington State University | Health & Place | Press Rel | PubMed | Even small differences in the availability of urban green and blue spaces may be associated with better mental and physical health in older adults, according to a Washington State University study. -- The study's findings showed that having just 10% more forest space in a person's residential ZIP code was associated with reduced serious psychological distress, which covers mental health problems that require treatment and interfere with people's social lives, work or school. -- Similarly, a 10% increase in green space, tree cover, water bodies or trail length lowered the chance that older people reported their general health as poor or fair. -- "Our findings suggest that loss of our urban green and blue spaces due to rapid urbanization may not just have an environmental impact but could have a public health impact as well," said first study author Adithya Vegaraju, a medical student in the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. -- Published in the journal Health & Place, the study is based on health survey data from more than 42,000 people aged 65 and older who lived in urban areas of Washington state between 2011 and 2019. -- In their analysis, the researchers related survey respondents' general and mental health outcomes to different measures that quantified access to green and blue spaces, such as forests, parks, lakes and rivers, within their residential ZIP codes. -- Close to 2% of respondents showed signs of serious psychological distress and 19% reported having fair or poor general health. -- The researchers presented preliminary findings for this study at an American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in April 2023. -- Those findings looked only at the relationship between serious psychological distress and distance to the closest green and blue space. -- In this final published version of their study, the researchers looked at several additional measures, including the percentage of green space, tree canopy, forest area and open space within ZIP codes as well as the length of trails. | H01 H02 E01 E03 T02 | 314 |
| 2402-013 | Hotter Climate, Hardier Mosquitoes | Certain populations of mosquitoes are better equipped to survive heat waves, according to new research from Washington University in St. Louis. | Washington University in St. Louis | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution | Press Rel | PubMed | Certain populations of mosquitoes are more heat tolerant and better equipped to survive heat waves than others, according to new research from Washington University in St. Louis. -- This is bad news in a world where vector-borne diseases are an increasingly global health concern. -- Most models that scientists use to estimate vector-borne disease risk currently assume that mosquito heat tolerances do not vary. -- As a result, these models may underestimate mosquitoes' ability to spread diseases in a warming world. -- Researchers led by Katie M. Westby, a senior scientist at Tyson Research Center, Washington University's environmental field station, conducted a new study that measured the critical thermal maximum (CTmax), an organism's upper thermal tolerance limit, of eight populations of the globally invasive tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus. -- The tiger mosquito is a known vector for many viruses including West Nile, chikungunya and dengue. -- "We found significant differences across populations for both adults and larvae, and these differences were more pronounced for adults," Westby said. -- The new study is published Jan. 8 in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. -- Westby's team sampled mosquitoes from eight different populations spanning four climate zones across the eastern United States, including mosquitoes from locations in New Orleans; St. Augustine, Fla.; Huntsville, Ala.; Stillwater, Okla.; St. Louis; Urbana, Ill.; College Park, Md.; and Allegheny County, Pa. -- The scientists collected eggs in the wild and raised larvae from the different geographic locations to adult stages in the lab, tending the mosquito populations separately as they continued to breed and grow. | R01 E01 | 315 |
| 2401-074 | Study Uncovers Mechanism Behind Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus Invasion | Scientists have discovered how the Eastern equine encephalitis virus attaches to a receptor in cells, leading to the development of a decoy molecule that protects against the virus's brain infection in mice. | Washington University School of Medicine | Cell | Press Rel | PubMed | An atomic-level investigation of how Eastern equine encephalitis virus binds to a key receptor and gets inside of cells also has enabled the discovery of a decoy molecule that protects against the potentially deadly brain infection, in mice. -- The study, from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is published Jan. 3 in the journal Cell. By advancing understanding of the complex molecular interactions between viral proteins and their receptors on animal cells, the findings lay a foundation for treatments and vaccines for viral infections. -- "Understanding how viruses engage with the cells they infect is a critical part of preventing and treating viral disease," said co-senior author Michael S. Diamond, MD, PhD, the Herbert S. Gasser Professor at Washington University. "Once you understand that, you have the foundation for developing vaccines and drugs to block it. In this study, it took us a long time to sort out the complexity associated with the particular receptor-virus interaction, but once we acquired this knowledge, we were able to design a decoy molecule that turned out to be very effective at neutralizing the virus and protecting mice from disease." -- Though infections of Eastern equine encephalitis virus in people are rare -- with only a few cases reported worldwide each year -- about one-third of those with the infection die, and many survivors suffer lasting neurological problems. Further, scientists predict that as the planet warms and climate change lengthens mosquito populations' seasons and geographical reach, risk of infection will grow. At present, there are no approved vaccines against the virus or specific medications to treat it. -- As a first step to finding ways to treat or prevent the deadly virus, Diamond and co-senior author Daved H. Fremont, PhD, a professor of pathology & immunology, set about investigating how the virus attaches to one of its key receptors -- a molecule called VLDLR, or very low density lipoprotein receptor. The molecule is found on the surface of cells in the brain and other parts of the body. Co-first author Lucas Adams, an MD/PhD student in the Fremont and Diamond laboratories, used cryo-electron microscopy to reconstruct the virus binding to the receptor in atomic-level detail. -- The results turned out to be unexpectedly complex. The molecule is composed of eight repeated segments, called domains, strung together like beads on a chain. Usually, a viral protein and its receptor fit together in one very specific way. In this case, however, two or three different spots on the viral surface proteins were capable of attaching to any of five of the molecule's eight domains. -- "What's really striking is that we find multiple binding sites, but the chemistry of each of the binding sites is very similar and also similar to the chemistry of binding sites for other viruses that interact with related receptors," said Fremont, who is also a professor of biochemistry & molecular biophysics and of molecular microbiology. "The chemistry just works out well for the way viruses want to attach to cell membranes." -- The domains that make up this molecule also are found in several related cell-surface proteins. Similar domains are found in proteins from across the animal kingdom. -- "Since they're using a molecule that naturally has repetitive domains, some of the alphaviruses have evolved to use the same strategy of attachment with multiple different domains in the same receptor," said Diamond, who is also a professor of medicine, of molecular microbiology, and of pathology & immunology. Alphaviruses include Eastern equine encephalitis virus and several other viruses that cause brain or joint disease. "There are sequence differences in the VLDLR receptor over evolution in different species, but since the virus has this flexibility in binding, it is able to infect a wide variety of species including mosquitoes, birds, rodents and humans." -- To block attachment, the researchers created a panel of decoy receptors by combining subsets of the eight domains. The idea was that the virus mistakenly would bind to the decoy instead of the receptor on cells, and the decoy with the virus attached could then be cleared away by immune cells. | H01 R01 R02 E01 E02 T02 | 316 |
| 2402-040 | Activating Brain Cells to Increase Life Span: Mice Study Shows Potential | The deterioration of the brain-body fat tissue communication pathway contributes to age-related health problems. | Washington University School of Medicine | Cell Metabolism | Press Rel | PubMed | In recent years, research has begun to reveal that the lines of communication between the body's organs are key regulators of aging. When these lines are open, the body's organs and systems work well together. But with age, communication lines deteriorate, and organs don't get the molecular and electrical messages they need to function properly. -- A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis identifies, in mice, a critical communication pathway connecting the brain and the body's fat tissue in a feedback loop that appears central to energy production throughout the body. -- The research suggests that the gradual deterioration of this feedback loop contributes to the increasing health problems that are typical of natural aging. -- The study -- published Jan. 8 in the journal Cell Metabolism -- has implications for developing future interventions that could maintain the feedback loop longer and slow the effects of advancing age. -- The researchers identified a specific set of neurons in the brain's hypothalamus that, when active, sends signals to the body's fat tissue to release energy. -- Using genetic and molecular methods, the researchers studied mice that were programmed to have this communication pathway constantly open after they reached a certain age. -- The scientists found that these mice were more physically active, showed signs of delayed aging, and lived longer than mice in which this same communication pathway gradually slowed down as part of normal aging. -- "We demonstrated a way to delay aging and extend healthy life spans in mice by manipulating an important part of the brain," said senior author Shin-ichiro Imai, MD, PhD, the Theodore and Bertha Bryan Distinguished Professor in Environmental Medicine and a professor in the Department of Developmental Biology at Washington University. -- "Showing this effect in a mammal is an important contribution to the field; past work demonstrating an extension of life span in this way has been conducted in less complex organisms, such as worms and fruit flies." -- These specific neurons, in a part of the brain called the dorsomedial hypothalamus, produce an important protein -- Ppp1r17. | H01 R02 | 317 |
| 2401-036 | Organoid Model Identifies Potential Pancreatic Cancer Treatment: Exciting Breakthrough | A drug screening system utilizing lab-grown tissues called organoids has identified a potential target for future pancreatic cancer treatments. | Weill Cornell Medicine | Cell Stem Cell | Press Rel | PubMed | A drug screening system that models cancers using lab-grown tissues called organoids has helped uncover a promising target for future pancreatic cancer treatments, according to a new study from researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine. -- In the study, published Dec. 26 in Cell Stem Cell, the scientists tested more than 6,000 compounds on their pancreatic tumor organoids, which contain a common pancreatic cancer-driving mutation. -- They identified one compound -- an existing heart drug called perhexiline maleate -- that powerfully suppresses the organoids' growth. -- The researchers discovered that the cancer-driving mutation in the organoids forces the abnormally high production of cholesterol, which the drug largely reverses. -- "Our findings identify hyperactive cholesterol synthesis as a vulnerability that may be targetable in most pancreatic cancers," said study co-senior author Dr. Todd Evans, vice chair for research in surgery, the Peter I. Pressman MD Professor in Surgery, and a member of the Hartman Institute for Therapeutic Organ Regeneration at Weill Cornell Medicine. -- "This study also highlights the value of using genetically well-defined organoids to model cancer and discover new treatment strategies," said co-senior author Dr. Shuibing Chen, director of the Center for Genomic Health, the Kilts Family Professor Surgery and a member of the Hartman Institute for Therapeutic Organ Regeneration at Weill Cornell Medicine. -- The other co-senior author was Dr. Fong Cheng Pan, a research assistant professor in the department of surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine during the study. -- The study's co-first authors were postdoctoral researcher Dr. Xiaohua Duan, instructor Dr. Tuo Zhang, and a visiting fellow, Dr. Lingling Feng, all at Weill Cornell Medicine during the study. -- A Tumor Organoid-Based Screening System -- Organoids have become popular tools for studying tissues in health and disease. | R01 | 318 |
| 2402-020 | MRI Method Enhances Tumor Characterization | A new MRI-based method can assess the cycling of water across membrane transporters, providing insights into tumor malignancy and treatment success. | Wiley | Angewandte Chemie International Edition | Press Rel | PubMed | The cycling of water across membrane transporters is an hallmark of the cell metabolism and is potentially of high diagnostic significance for the characterization of tumors and other diseases. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, an Italian research team has now introduced a new MRI-based method for assessing this water exchange. By this method, they were able to estimate the degree of malignancy and the success of treatments in mice tumor models. -- Not all cancers are equal. Depending on the type of tumor, a given treatment may be spot on or fail completely. -- For targeted, effective, treatment that is as gentle as possible, it is important to precisely locate the tumor and determine its malignancy. -- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides excellent time- and spatially resolved images for the characterization of tumors. -- During this procedure, the patient lies in a "tube" in which there is a very strong magnetic field. -- The spins of protons (the nuclei of hydrogen atoms) align themselves in this magnetic field. -- Radio waves are beamed in and synchronize the precessions of the spins, temporarily flipping some of them. -- Depending on the composition of the tissue, this "magnetization" is lost at different times (relaxation). This can be used to compute 3D images. -- Gadolinium contrast agents reduce the relaxation times. These agents are more concentrated in tumors because their blood vessels are particularly permeable. -- This increases the contrast and makes it easier to define the tumor. | H01 R01 T01 | 319 |
| 2402-E028 | Accounting for Plastic Persistence: Minimizing Environmental Impacts of Plastic Products | Adhering to a sustainability metric for plastic products could have substantial environmental and societal benefits, especially in the face of plastic pollution. Strategies to reduce plastic production and waste, along with improved design, are key. | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution | ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering | Press Rel | PubMed | With plastic pollution posing a significant threat to ecosystems and human health, various strategies to lessen this type of pollution include reducing the production of plastic, decreasing the generation of plastic waste, and improving the material and product design of plastic items. -- Now, researchers have developed a sustainability metric for the ecological design of plastic products that have low persistence in the environment. Adhering to this metric could provide substantial environmental and societal benefits, according to a new study led by researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), and published in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. -- "While plastic pollution threatens ecosystems and human health, the use of plastic products continues to increase. Limiting its harm requires design strategies for plastic products informed by the threats that plastics pose to the environment. Thus, we developed a sustainability metric for the eco-design of plastic products with low environmental persistence and uncompromised performance," according to the study. -- Designing single-use plastics using this approach can have a substantial impact. Analyses in the study say switching to alternative materials for single-use coffee cup lids, such as cellulose diacetate and polyhydroxyalkanoates, could reduce the environmental costs to society by hundreds of millions of dollars. -- In general, products are designed to be environmentally friendly primarily by balancing the trade-offs between various environmental concerns, such as greenhouse gas emissions and resource depletion, because there are some frameworks and data sets to estimate these types of impacts. Selecting one kind of plastic over another is often used to accomplish this goal. However, to date, no material selection framework has considered or quantified environmental persistence, or the time that a plastic item remains in the environment as pollution, as a key environmental concern. -- "What's important to determine is how can we design functional, sustainable, and benign materials, products, and processes that embody all of the principles of green materials engineering into the future world that we are going to live in," said lead author Bryan James, a materials scientist and engineer who is a postdoctoral investigator in WHOI's Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry Department. "What are the next set of strategies and tools that engineers, product designers, and even the average consumer can use to make the best choices for the environment, while not having to sacrifice on product performance?" -- To develop the sustainability metric, the researchers "integrated the environmental degradation rate of plastic into established material selection strategies, deriving material indices for environmental persistence. Our analysis identifies the materials and their properties that deserve development, adoption, and investment to create functional and less environmentally impactful plastic products," the study notes. -- Establishing and implementing a sustainability metric for persistence has been challenging because of the lack of sufficient data for the wide range of plastics used in consumer goods. Only recently have scientists had sufficient data on realistic environmental degradation rates of different types of plastic so that they can better consider different types of plastic properties and implement them in design. -- With this data, the researchers now show that while switching one plastic material for another can reduce a product's cost and embodied greenhouse gas emissions, that switch could provide a far greater benefit in terms of minimizing environmental lifetime, persistence. For example, if a product designer only considered cost and greenhouse gas emissions, polylactic acid would be a good choice. Yet, this material persists in the ocean. Comparatively, cellulose diacetate and polyhydroxyalkanoates, while currently only a bit more expensive than polylactic acid, can have lower greenhouse gas emissions and do not persist in the ocean. -- "Ninety-nine percent of the papers that have been published on plastic pollution tell us how bad it is. This paper is looking at the issue in a much more forward-thinking way, about how do you address a problem in a meaningful scientific way that's attainable, achievable, and economically viable," said co-author Christopher Reddy, senior scientist in WHOI's Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry Department. | Z01 | 320 |
| 2401-073 | New Method Shines Light on Hidden Damage of Mild Brain Injuries | Researchers have developed a new brain imaging method to diagnose mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) even when traditional MRI scans show no abnormalities. By loading MRI contrast agents onto immune cells, brain inflammation can be detected, improving patient care. | Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard | Science Translational Medicine | Press Rel | PubMed | Researchers have created a new brain imaging method that allows mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) to be diagnosed, even when existing imaging techniques like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) don't show any structural abnormalities. The technique involves loading gadolinium, a standard MRI contrast agent, into hydrogel-based micropatches that are attached to immune cells called macrophages. mTBIs cause inflammation in the brain, which produces signals that attract macrophages to migrate there. Coupling the gadolinium contrast agent to these cells enables MRI to reveal brain inflammation and increase the number of correctly diagnosed mTBI cases, improving patient care. The method is described in a new paper in Science Translational Medicine. -- "70-90% of reported TBI cases are categorized as 'mild,' yet as many as 90% of mTBI cases go undiagnosed, even though their effects can last for years and they are known to increase the risk of a host of neurological disorders including depression, dementia, and Parkinson's disease," said senior author Samir Mitragotri, Ph.D., in whose lab the research was performed. -- "Our cell-based imaging approach exploits immune cells' innate ability to travel into the brain in response to inflammation, enabling us to identify mTBIs that standard MRI imaging would miss." -- Mitragotri is a Core Faculty member of the Wyss Institute at Harvard University and the Hiller Professor of Bioengineering and Hansjörg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard's John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). -- Using immune cells to identify inflammation -- Most of us know someone who has had a concussion (another name for an mTBI), sometimes even more than one. -- But the vast majority of people who experience an mTBI are never properly diagnosed. -- Without that diagnosis, they can exacerbate their injuries by returning to normal activity before they're fully recovered, which can lead to further damage. -- Some studies even suggest that repeated mTBIs can lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the neurodegenerative disease that has been found to afflict more than 90% of professional American football players. -- Because the effects of mTBI are believed to be caused by "invisible" brain inflammation, members of the Mitragotri lab decided to leverage their experience with immune cells to create a better diagnostic. | H01 R02 | 321 |
| 2402-012 | Harnessing the Body's Cells to Heal Traumatic Brain Injury | Scientists have developed a new treatment for traumatic brain injuries that reduces brain lesions and inflammation levels. | Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard | PNAS Nexus | Press Rel | PubMed | Scientists have created a new treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI) that shrank brain lesions by 56% and significantly reduced local inflammation levels in pigs. The new approach leverages macrophages, a type of white blood cell that can dial inflammation up or down in the body in response to infection and injury. The team created disc-shaped microparticles called "backpacks" containing anti-inflammatory molecules, then attached them directly to the macrophages. These molecules kept the cells in an anti-inflammatory state when they arrived at the injury site in the brain, enabling them to reduce local inflammation and mitigate the damage caused. The research is reported in PNAS Nexus. -- "Every year, millions of people suffer from a TBI, but there is currently no treatment beyond managing symptoms. We have applied our cellular backpack technology -- which we previously used to improve macrophages' inflammatory response to cancerous tumors -- to deliver localized anti-inflammatory treatment in the brain, which helps mitigate the cascade of runaway inflammation that causes tissue damage and death in a human-relevant model," said senior author Samir Mitragotri, Ph.D., in whose lab the research was performed. -- Mitragotri is a Core Faculty member of the Wyss Institute at Harvard University and the Hiller Professor of Bioengineering and Hansjörg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard's John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). -- Stopping a runaway inflammation train -- More than a million people in the US suffer from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) every year, about 230,000 of them are hospitalized, and almost 70,000 die from TBI-related causes. -- There is currently no treatment for the damage caused to brain tissue during a TBI, beyond managing a patient's symptoms. -- One of the main drivers of TBI-caused damage is a runaway inflammatory cascade in the brain. -- As cells die from the impact, they release a cocktail of pro-inflammatory cytokine molecules that attract immune cells to clean up the damage. -- But the same cytokine molecules can also disrupt the blood-brain barrier, which causes blood to leak into the brain. -- Blood accumulation in the brain causes swelling, impaired oxygen delivery, and increased inflammation, and creates a vicious cycle of bleeding and damage that drives even more cell death. | H01 R01 R02 E01 | 322 |
| 2401-050 | Drug Target Identified for Alleviating Joint Degeneration: Hope for Osteoarthritis Patients. | Yale researchers have identified a drug target that may alleviate joint degeneration in osteoarthritis, offering hope for new therapies to prevent joint breakdown. | Yale University | Nature | Press Rel | PubMed | Yale researchers have identified a drug target that may alleviate joint degeneration associated with osteoarthritis, a debilitating condition that afflicts as many as 30 million people in the United States alone, which they report on Jan. 3 in the journal Nature. -- Pain relievers and lifestyle changes, such as exercise and reduced excess weight, have long been the therapies most commonly used to treat the joint stiffness and pain caused by degenerative disease, but there is a pressing need for therapies that can prevent joint breakdown that occurs in osteoarthritis. -- It is known that specialized proteins known as sodium channels found in cell membranes produce electrical impulses in "excitable" cells within muscles, the nervous system, and the heart. -- And in previous research, Yale's Stephen G. Waxmanidentified the key role of one particular sodium channel, called Nav1.7, in the transmission of pain signals. -- Now, the labs of Chuan-Ju Liu, the Charles W. Ohse Professor of Orthopedics, and Waxman, the Bridget M. Flaherty Professor of Neurology and professor of neuroscience and pharmacology, both at Yale School of Medicine, have found that the same Nav1.7 channels are also present in non-excitable cells that produce collagen and help maintain the joints in the body. -- Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, is a degenerative disease caused by the breakdown of cartilage that eases friction between the joints. -- It occurs most commonly in the hands, hips, and knees. -- In the new study, the researchers deleted Nav1.7 genes from these collagen-producing cells and significantly reduced joint damage in two osteoarthritis models in mice. -- They also demonstrated that drugs used to block Nav1.7 -- including carbamazepine, a sodium channel blocker currently used to treat epilepsy and trigeminal neuralgia -- also provided substantial protection from joint damage in the mice. -- "The function of sodium channels in non-excitable cells has been a mystery," Waxman said. | H01 R01 | 323 |
| 2402-032 | The War on Superbugs: A Shift in Perspective Needed, Researchers Say | Antimicrobial resistance continues to be a pressing global problem, and a shift in how it is approached is necessary for effective management. | York University | Perspectives on Politics | Press Rel | PubMed | From a wartime spread of antimicrobial resistant disease in Ukraine, to superbugs in China causing "white lung" pneumonia in children, 2023 brought no shortage of new evidence that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to be a pressing problem globally, and this pattern shows no sign of abating in 2024 unless a radical shift occurs. -- To truly tackle the issue of AMR, York University researchers with the Global Strategy Lab (GSL) argue it needs to be understood as a socio-ecological challenge that accepts AMR as a phenomenon stemming from natural evolutionary processes. -- In other words, the war on bugs can't be won; what's needed is a major change in how people live with it. -- "For the past hundred years, we've tried to address AMR like a medical problem. But we haven't really made much progress in actually mitigating the deeper drivers of the issue," says Isaac Weldon, a recent York PhD political science graduate and lead author of a new peer-reviewed article published today in the journal Perspectives on Politics journal. -- "We argue that there's a lot of potential to make progress by instead looking at it as a problem with our relationship with the microbial world and sustainability." -- AMR stems from both the natural tendency of bacteria, viruses and fungi to evolve as well as the acceleration of that process through human interventions such as an over-reliance or misuse of antibiotics in medical settings, to the routine use of antimicrobials in the livestock industry. -- Global data from 2019 showed more than a million deaths a year directly related to AMR, and the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have accelerated this process. -- Last year, GSL set up the AMR Policy Accelerator with $8.7 million from Wellcome Trust to deal with this urgent threat. -- While Weldon acknowledges that medical and technological innovation will be a crucial component in managing the issue, new antimicrobial drugs alone will not be the solution. -- "What we're currently doing is treating the symptoms and not the causes of AMR," says Weldon, also an investigator with GSL. | H01 R01 E01 | 324 |