(2100,'meningococcal B vaccine also protects against gonorrhea','meningococcal-b-vaccine-also-protects-against-gonorrhea','2022-04-13 18:16:58.048498',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Researchers at The University of Adelaide have found that the meningococcal B vaccine could improve protection against gonorrhoea in addition to protection against meningococcal B meningitis.</p><p>This significant finding, in a joint study with the Women\'s and Children\'s Hospital, coincides with a rise in gonorrhoea cases globally and increasing bacterial resistance to drugs used to treat the infection.</p><p>Led by 2022 South Australian of the Year, University of Adelaide Professor of Vaccinology, and Women\'s and Children\'s Hospital Senior Medical Practitioner Helen Marshall AM, the observational study found that two doses of the meningococcal B vaccine were 33 per cent effective against gonorrhoea in adolescents and young adults.</p><p>Professor Marshall said the research aims to reduce not only gonorrhoea infection, but also the long-term effects of gonorrhoea, including infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease and blindness in babies born to infected mothers.</p><p>\"With more than 106 million cases of gonorrhoea worldwide, and increasing at a rapid rate, the issue is firmly on the World Health Organisation\'s agenda,\" Professor Marshall said.</p><p>\"This research will feed into WHO\'s vaccine roadmap to evaluate the evidence about the ability of vaccines to prevent gonorrhoea. Traditionally, treatment for gonorrhoea has relied on antibiotics, but as these have become increasingly less effective due to antibiotic resistant strains, it is vital that we explore new and improved measures to battle this infection.</p><p>\"In South Australia, where we have a state-funded meningococcal B (MenB) vaccine program for infants, children and adolescents since 2019, we have been able to observe that its effectiveness against gonorrhoea in adolescents is about 33 per cent. Two years after introduction of the state-funded MenB vaccine program, we are already observing high effectiveness against meningococcal B disease and also moderate effectiveness in preventing gonorrhoea.</p><p>\"The unprecedented scale of South Australia\'s MenB vaccination programme offers valuable real-world evidence of the vaccine\'s effectiveness against meningococcal B meningitis in children and adolescents, and gonorrhoea in adolescents and young people. This information is vital to inform global meningitis vaccination programmes and policy decisions.\"</p><p>Left unchecked, gonorrhoea can spread to the blood and cause disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI). DGI is usually characterised by arthritis, tenosynovitis, and/or dermatitis and, ultimately, the condition can be life threatening. Professor Marshall\'s research has been published in <em>The Lancet Infectious Diseases</em> journal.</p>','2022-04-13 18:16:58.048498','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'University of Adelaide','Researchers have found that the meningococcal B vaccine could improve protection against gonorrhea in addition to protection against meningococcal B meningitis.\n',1,74,'<li>Bing Wang, Lynne Giles, Prabha Andraweera, Mark McMillan, Sara Almond, Rebecca Beazley, Janine Mitchell, Noel Lally, Michele Ahoure, Emma Denehy, Ann Koehler, Louise Flood, Helen Marshall. <strong>Effectiveness and impact of the 4CMenB vaccine against invasive serogroup B meningococcal disease and gonorrhoea in an infant, child, and adolescent programme: an observational cohort and case-control study</strong>. <em>The Lancet Infectious Diseases</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(21)00754-4\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1016/S1473-3099(21)00754-4</a>\n</li>'),(2101,'Undersea detector proves it’s swell','undersea-detector-proves-it’s-swell','2022-04-13 18:17:01.345945',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Highly energetic particles called muons are ever present in the atmosphere and pass through even massive objects with ease. Sensitive detectors installed along the Tokyo Bay tunnel measure muons passing through the sea above them. This allows for changes in the volume of water above the tunnel to be calculated. For the first time, this method was used to accurately detect a mild tsunami following a typhoon in 2021.</p><p>In the time it takes you to read this sentence, approximately 100,000 muon particles will have passed through your body. But don\'t worry, muons pass through ordinary matter harmlessly, and they can be extremely useful too. Professor Hiroyuki Tanaka from Muographix at the University of Tokyo has made his career out of exploring applications for muons. He\'s used them to see inside volcanoes and even detect evidence of ancient earthquakes. Recently, Tanaka and his international team of researchers have turned their focus to meteorological phenomena, in particular, tsunamis.</p><p>In September 2021, a typhoon approached Japan from the south. As it neared the land it brought with it ocean swells, tsunamis. On this occasion these were quite mild, but throughout history, tsunamis have caused great damage to many coastal areas around Japan. As the huge swell moved into Tokyo Bay, something happened on a microscopic level that\'s almost imperceptible. Atmospheric muon particles, generated by cosmic rays from deep space, were ever so slightly more scattered by the extra volume of water than they would be otherwise. This means the quantity of muons passing through Tokyo Bay varied as the ocean swelled.</p><p>\"The Tokyo-bay Seafloor Hyper KiloMetric Submarine Deep Detector (TS-HKMSDD) is the first underwater muon observatory in the world, and it detected varying muon activity during the tsunami,\" said Tanaka. \"This variation corresponds to the ocean swells which were measured by other methods. Combining these readings means we can use muographic data to accurately model changes in sea level, bypassing other methods which come with drawbacks.\"</p><p>There are other ways to measure changes in sea level, with physical mechanisms such as tide gauges, satellites, buoys, or sensors on the sea floor itself. But the TS-HKMSDD and future instruments based on it, installed in undersea tunnels, can be cheaper to build and run, easier to access, and they don\'t suffer from physical wear and tear as they have no moving parts. Critically though, the data from TS-HKMSDD is both real time and highly accurate, two key criteria that could make it suitable for a reliable early warning system.</p><p>\"Thanks to the success we\'ve had from early tests such as this, similar systems are already being trialed in the U.K. and Finland,\" said Tanaka. \"Obviously, an undertaking like this comes with challenges and installing delicate instruments in a busy tunnel could be difficult. But we are grateful for the cooperation of the agencies responsible for the Tokyo Bay tunnel. To the best of my knowledge, the tunnel is now the first active national road in the world defined as a laboratory.\"</p><p>Tanaka and his team have many other ways in store to make use of muons, including a possible way to accurately synchronize time around the world, and, related to that, a spatial positioning system far more accurate than current GPS.</p>','2022-04-13 18:17:01.345945','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'University of Tokyo','Highly energetic particles called muons are ever present in the atmosphere and pass through even massive objects with ease. Sensitive detectors installed along the Tokyo Bay tunnel measure muons passing through the sea above them. This allows for changes in the volume of water above the tunnel to be calculated. For the first time, this method was used to accurately detect a mild tsunami following a typhoon in 2021.\n',1,27,'<li>Hiroyuki K. M.Tanaka, Masaatsu Aichi, Szabolcs József Balogh, Cristiano Bozza, Rosa Coniglione, Jon Gluyas, Naoto Hayashi, Marko Holma, Jari Joutsenvaara, Osamu Kamoshida, Yasuhiro Kato, Tadahiro Kin, Pasi Kuusiniemi, Giovanni Leone, Domenico Lo Presti, Jun Matsushima, Hideaki Miyamoto, Hirohisa Mori, Yukihiro Nomura, Naoya Okamoto, László Oláh, Sara Steigerwald, Kenji Shimazoe, Kenji Sumiya, Hiroyuki Takahashi, Lee F. Thompson, Tomochika Tokunaga, Yusuke Yokota, Sean Paling, Dezső Varga. <strong>Periodic sea-level oscillation in Tokyo Bay detected with the Tokyo-Bay seafloor hyper-kilometric submarine deep detector (TS-HKMSDD)</strong>. <em>Scientific Reports</em>, 2022; 12 (1) DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-10078-2\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1038/s41598-022-10078-2</a>\n</li>'),(2102,'Scientists demonstrate that some tropical plants have potential to remove toxic heavy metals from the soil','scientists-demonstrate-that-some-tropical-plants-have-potential-to-remove-toxic-heavy-metals-from-the-soil','2022-04-13 18:17:03.392771',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">A team of researchers from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and Singapore\'s National Parks Board (NParks), has demonstrated that some plant species could help to remove toxic heavy metals and metalloids from contaminated soil.</p><p>Phytoremediation is the use of plants to extract and store contaminants from soil. As a first step to determine if candidate plants had phytoremediation abilities, the team examined samples of them for levels of heavy metals and metalloids. A high concentration detected suggested an ability to absorb the pollutants.</p><p>The study by the Singapore research team discovered that there are existing tropical plants which could potentially play a role in the remediation of contaminated lands. The plants examined in the study are widely available and include species that are native or naturalised to Singapore. They could thus, be introduced and removed from plots of land with minimal impact to ecosystems and could lead to the development of a sustainable and environmentally friendly way of managing contaminants in soil.</p><p>The findings were published in the scientific peer-reviewed journal <em>Environmental Pollution</em> in February.</p><p>Professor Lam Yeng Ming, Chair of NTU\'s School of Materials Science and Engineering, who co-led the study, said: \"In a small nation like Singapore, land may be repurposed to support new development plans, so it is important that we have a green and sustainable way to remediate land that is contaminated. We set out to uncover how to better make use of tropical plants to do phytoremediation and through advanced characterisation techniques, we showed how some of these tropical plant species can be an environmentally friendly and literally a \"green\" way to remove contaminants in soil. Phytoremediation also has benefits of cost effectiveness, simplicity of management, aesthetic advantages, and long-term applicability and sustainability. The strategy prevents erosion and metal leaching by stabilising or accumulating heavy metals, so that helps reduce the risk of contaminant spread.\"</p><p>The team conducted a field survey and collected soil and plant samples between March 2019 and January 2020. A total of 46 plant species were studied as potential candidates for phytoremediation.</p><p>Among them, 12 plant species, which include the commonly seen Cow Grass (<em>Axonopus compressus</em>), hyperaccumulators like the Brake Fern (<em>Pteris vittata</em>) and the Indian Pennywort (<em>Centella asiatica</em>), were effective for the accumulation of several types of heavy metals and metalloids.</p><p>The elements investigated in the study were heavy metals and metalloids that are potentially toxic to humans and animals, such as cadmium, arsenic, lead, and chromium. They occur naturally in soils, but rarely at toxic levels. However, they can accumulate and reach higher levels over a long period of time, as heavy metal particles from air pollution (e.g. vehicle emissions, construction activities) tend to accumulate and remain in the top layers of soil.</p><p>Other factors that could result in high levels of heavy metals in soil include the use of synthetic products such as pesticides, paints, batteries, industrial waste, and land application of industrial or domestic sludge.</p><p>To assess whether the levels of heavy metal were dangerous, the team used the Dutch Standard, which provides values for the acceptable threshold of environmental pollutants in soils. This mode of assessment has also been adopted by Singapore\'s government agencies.</p><p>Associate Professor Tan Swee Ngin, from the Academic Group of Natural Sciences and Science Education at NTU\'s National Institute of Education, who was the study\'s co-author, said: \"Our results revealed there were regions where levels of heavy metals and metalloids were relatively high and could affect the environment and the health of flora and fauna in Singapore. This would call for preventive actions, such as our method of using plants to remove these toxic materials, to be employed to minimise heavy metal contamination.\"</p><p>The NParks researchers involved in the study are from its Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology. They include Dr Subhadip Ghosh, Senior Researcher and Mr Mohamed Lokman Mohd Yusof, Senior Research Executive.</p><p>The development of this plant-based solution to improve soil quality is part of the University\'s efforts to mitigate our impact on the environment, that is aligned with the <strong>NTU 2025 strategic plan</strong>, which aims to develop sustainable solutions to address some of humanity\'s pressing grand challenges.</p><p><strong>Team\'s findings expand potential of environmentally friendly methods</strong></p><p>Phytoremediation could serve as a more environmentally friendly alternative to existing industrial options to remove the heavy metals from polluted soil, which include methods such as soil washing and acid leaching. These methods can be costly and may utilise harsh chemicals to remove pollutants from soil.</p><p>Heavy machinery to conduct excavation and transportation of soil is also usually required in such processes and these procedures may negatively affect the environment by affecting soil health and fertility. These methods also run a high risk of exposing humans or animals to the heavy metals.</p><p>However, phytoremediation is a slow and long-term commitment and requires prudent management in the removal and disposal of the contaminated plant samples. Using different types of efficient plants to carry out phytoremediation in polluted soils, and with enough growth cycles through repeated planting, can ultimately lead to reductions in the level of heavy metals and metalloids in the soil.</p><p>The joint research team is currently testing the plants on plots of land in Singapore that have high concentrations of heavy metals to better determine the effectiveness of the plants in an urban setting.</p><p>They are also testing the usage of other inorganic particles that are incorporated into plants and that can both help in the plant growth and improve the uptake of these contaminants by the plants. This will reduce the time taken for the absorption of the heavy metals and hence speed up the remediation time.</p>','2022-04-13 18:17:03.392771','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Nanyang Technological University','A team of researchers has demonstrated that some plant species could help to remove toxic heavy metals and metalloids from contaminated soil.\n',1,111,'<li>Yamin Wang, Swee Ngin Tan, Mohamed Lokman Mohd Yusof, Subhadip Ghosh, Yeng Ming Lam. <strong>Assessment of heavy metal and metalloid levels and screening potential of tropical plant species for phytoremediation in Singapore</strong>. <em>Environmental Pollution</em>, 2022; 295: 118681 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118681\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118681</a>\n</li>'),(2103,'Study finds 48 percent of young adults struggled with mental health in mid-2021','study-finds-48-percent-of-young-adults-struggled-with-mental-health-in-mid-2021','2022-04-13 18:17:06.439578',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">About half of young adults had mental health symptoms during the pandemic and more than a third of those were unable to access mental health therapy, a new UC San Francisco study found.</p><p>The study, published today in the <em>Journal of Adolescent Health</em>, used Household Pulse Survey (HPS) data from the U.S. Census Bureau to determine the prevalence of anxiety and/or depression symptoms in a sample of 2,809 adults ages 18-25 years. The data, collected in June through early July 2021, also included rates of mental health service utilization and unmet need for mental health therapy.</p><p>Forty-eight percent of young adults reported mental health symptoms and, among those with symptoms, 39% used prescription medications and/or received counseling, while 36% reported unmet counseling need. Female, Hispanic and uninsured young adults had the greatest unmet need, though these trends were not statistically significant.</p><p>The \"unmet need\" figures were a bit surprising, said Sally Adams, PhD, RN, specialist in UCSF\'s Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine.</p><p>\"Given that only about one third of those with symptoms received care, we might have expected to see closer to two-thirds reporting unmet need,\" said Adams. \"It could be that the people with symptoms who didn\'t report unmet need either didn\'t think their symptoms were serious enough for treatment or feared the stigma of needing mental health services.\"</p><p>While the rates of mental health symptoms in this study are high, they are a decline from a CDC study that found 63% of young adults were experiencing depression or anxiety a year earlier in June 2020.</p><p>Nonetheless, the consistent findings of significant mental health struggles among young adults highlight the importance of addressing barriers to care for this group, such as cost, stigma and confidentiality concerns, the authors wrote.</p><p>There is also a need to improve the size, distribution, and capacity of the mental health workforce, noted Charles Irwin Jr., MD, UCSF professor of pediatrics.</p><p>\"Despite the development of virtual platforms for providing mental health services, the current need for services far exceeds the capacity to provide them,\" he said</p><p>Identification and treatment of mental health symptoms are crucial for promoting young adults\' present and future well-being across the life course, wrote the authors.</p><p><strong>Authors:</strong> Study co-authors include Jason Schaub, MPH, M. Jane Park, MPH, and Claire Brindis, DrPH, who are all affiliated with UCSF\'s National Adolescent and Young Adult Health Information Center; and Jason Nagata, MD, an assistant professor in UCSF\'s Department of Pediatrics.</p><p><strong>Funding:</strong> This study was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) (under #U45MC27709, Adolescent and Young Adult Health Capacity Building Program), with supplemental support from HRSA grants #UA6MC27378 and T71MC0003, and the American Heart Association Career Development Award (CDA34760281).</p>','2022-04-13 18:17:06.439578','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'University of California - San Francisco','About half of young adults had mental health symptoms during the pandemic and more than a third of those were unable to access mental health therapy, a new study found.\n',1,39,'<li>Sally H. Adams, Jason P. Schaub, Jason Nagata, M. Jane Park, Claire D. Brindis, Charles E. Irwin. <strong>Young Adult Anxiety or Depressive Symptoms and Mental Health Service Utilization During the COVID-19 Pandemic</strong>. <em>Journal of Adolescent Health</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.02.023\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.02.023</a>\n</li>'),(2104,'Blood type may offer insights into risk of blood clot in people with cancer','blood-type-may-offer-insights-into-risk-of-blood-clot-in-people-with-cancer','2022-04-13 18:17:08.220789',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">A new <em>Blood Advances</em> study suggests that people with cancer and non-O blood types, such as types A, B, and AB, face an increased risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE), or blood clots in the veins, three months after their initial diagnosis. Scientists have long strived to understand the risk factors for VTE, the leading cause of preventable hospital deaths in the United States. Existing assessments use factors like tumor or cancer type to detect those at high risk of VTE. Yet, many patients without these diagnoses still develop life-threatening blood clots but go unidentified.</p><p>VTE includes deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot that typically forms in the deep veins of the leg, and pulmonary embolism (PE), a life-threatening condition that occurs when a blood clot breaks free and becomes lodged in the arteries of the lung. While these blood clots can affect anyone, existing research suggests that those with non-O blood types are more likely to develop VTE. Cancer and cancer therapies also increase one\'s chances of developing blood clots, and while people with severe forms of cancer are more likely to develop VTE, less research exists on the risk among patients with cancers less associated with thrombosis.</p><p>In the study, researchers investigated the role of non-O blood types in participants\' likelihood of developing VTE. They collected data from 1,708 adult participants with a new or recurrent cancer diagnosis from the Vienna Cancer and Thrombosis Study (CATS) data set. Researchers grouped participants first by blood type, then sorted them based on their tumor classification. Patients with pancreatic, gastroesophageal, and brain cancer tumors were considered to have high risk diagnoses. While tumor type can be useful in identifying people more likely to develop VTE, many people with less severe tumors still experience dangerous blood clots, and therefore may require additional monitoring and treatment. The study findings suggest blood typing may serve as another important predictive measure.</p><p>\"We\'ve known tumor type helps determine the baseline risk for VTE. But we continue to see that these risk assessments fail to capture all cancer patients who develop these blood clots,\" explained study author Cornelia Englisch, an MD-PhD student at the Medical University of Vienna. \"By solely assessing tumor type, we miss up to 50% of people who develop VTE.\"</p><p>Their results indicated that patients with non-O blood types were more likely to develop VTE three months after their diagnosis or reoccurrence of cancer. According to Dr. Englisch, this association did not appear at the time of diagnosis because cancer therapies increase patients\' likelihood of developing blood clots, making blood type a less significant predictor of VTE during early stages of treatment. Those with tumors outside of the high-risk disease category with non-O blood type were more likely to develop blood clots independent of time, showing that exclusively depending on tumor type to detect VTE risk may cause many patients to fall through the cracks.</p><p>Dr. Englisch noted that while novel, these findings are exploratory and still require additional study. Going forward, the investigators also aim to better understand the biological mechanisms underlying these findings. They hope that blood typing can serve as a useful tool in risk assessments for cancer-associated VTE in the future.</p><p>\"Blood typing is easy to perform, can be done worldwide, and doesn\'t require any specialized background knowledge or equipment,\" said Dr. Englisch. \"And of course, every risk factor that we identify helps us to understand these life-threatening complications in cancer patients better. Perhaps this will create awareness for the role blood types can play as clinical biomarkers.\"</p>','2022-04-13 18:17:08.220789','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'American Society of Hematology','A new study suggests that people with cancer and non-O blood types, such as types A, B, and AB, face an increased risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE), or blood clots in the veins, three months after their initial diagnosis. Scientists have long strived to understand the risk factors for VTE, the leading cause of preventable hospital deaths in the United States. Existing assessments use factors like tumor or cancer type to detect those at high risk of VTE. Yet, many patients without these diagnoses still develop life-threatening blood clots but go unidentified.\n',1,27,'<li>Cornelia Englisch, Florian Moik, Stephan Nopp, Markus Raderer, Ingrid Pabinger, Cihan Ay. <strong>ABO blood group type and risk of venous thromboembolism in patients with cancer</strong>. <em>Blood Advances</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1182/bloodadvances.2021006283\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1182/bloodadvances.2021006283</a>\n</li>'),(2105,'Climate change affects landscape freeze-thaw but not in the same way everywhere','climate-change-affects-landscape-freeze-thaw-but-not-in-the-same-way-everywhere','2022-04-13 20:43:21.267301',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">As any resident of northern climates knows, a seasonal thaw is never straightforward. The freeze-thaw process can last over a period of months and historically was mitigated by predictable air temperature and snow cover depth.</p><p>Climate change, however, warms the air and thins the snow, and therefore can affect this cycle. According to a new study by Concordia researchers published in the Nature journal <em>Scientific Reports</em>, this can have major impacts on greenhouse gas emissions in the north and urban infrastructure in the south.</p><p>Using a new statistical framework and by analysing datasets from the National Snow and Ice Data Center, Princeton University and the Dorval, Quebec-based Canadian Meteorological Centre, the researchers demonstrate how increasing air temperatures and decreasing snow cover work in tandem to increase the effects of climate change in a non-linear fashion, meaning that they work to amplify the overall impact felt on the ground.</p><p>Furthermore, they affect Quebec\'s distinct ecological regions differently, presenting policy makers and residents with unique problems.</p><p>\"The historical data shows there is a vivid divide between Quebec\'s northern areas and the southern parts of the province, where the majority of Quebec\'s population and assets reside,\" says Ali Nazemi, an associate professor in Concordia\'s Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and the principal investigator of the project and co-author of the paper. The paper\'s lead author is Concordia graduate Shadi Hatami, PhD 21, currently a postdoctoral fellow at McGill.</p><p><strong>Compounding problems</strong></p><p>The researchers note that air temperature, snow cover and freeze-thaw cycles are closely linked. A thick layer of snow acts as a blanket for frozen soil in winter. As the snow cover decreases, the warmer air penetrates the ground and thaws begin earlier.</p><p>In the far northern regions of the province, such changes result in fewer days of frozen soil, meaning that there is an increased likelihood of a release of thousands of tons of greenhouse gases like carbon and methane into the atmosphere.</p><p>These added gases will act to intensify the effects of climate change.</p><p>Further south, in the more densely populated areas around the St. Lawrence river valley, there will be more transitional days during the winter season, when the soil experiences a thaw and a freeze, with water repeatedly expanding and contracting as temperatures rise and drop. This will pose an added strain on already fragile road, bridge and water infrastructure.</p><p>\"By calculating these non-linear responses, we can try to quantify how many fewer frozen days we will see in the north and how many more transitional days we will see in the south under changes in temperature and snow depth conditions,\" says Nazemi.</p><p>\"This provides us with a way to approximate how many more tons of gases will be released into the atmosphere and how much more deterioration of our infrastructure we can expect.\"</p><p><strong>A quick reversion is also possible</strong></p><p>Just as rising temperatures and thinner snow cover leads to amplified thawing across the province\'s ecological zones, the authors point out that the reverse is also true, although with less intensity than warming.</p><p>In fact, lower air temperatures and more snow cover can also lead to amplified freezing and faster rebound, where the number of frozen days in the north and the number of transitional days in the south would revert closer to the historical average.</p><p>Nazemi believes this paper\'s strength depends on its powerful mathematics and the amount of data made available through various technologies such as satellite remote sensing.</p><p>Many previous studies have predicted a rise in greenhouse gas emissions from thawing permafrost, but these were often based on attempts to replicate the physics of the phenomenon in small areas with many assumptions.</p><p>The new method relies on the probability theory and statistical function based on data gathered from 25km x 25 km scale pixels of Quebec\'s territory.</p><p>\"We brought this newer mathematical analysis to quantify some factors that had not been quantified before,\" he says. \"We are now in the process of upscaling this methodology to cover the entire area of Canada and Alaska.\"</p>','2022-04-13 20:43:21.267301','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Concordia University','Researchers have use new statistical framework and analysis of datasets to demonstrate how increasing air temperatures and decreasing snow cover work in tandem to increase the effects of climate change in a non-linear fashion, meaning that they work to amplify the overall impact felt on the ground.\n',1,111,'<li>Shadi Hatami, Ali Nazemi. <strong>Compound changes in temperature and snow depth lead to asymmetric and nonlinear responses in landscape freeze–thaw</strong>. <em>Scientific Reports</em>, 2022; 12 (1) DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-06320-6\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1038/s41598-022-06320-6</a>\n</li>'),(2106,'Hubble sheds light on origins of supermassive black holes','hubble-sheds-light-on-origins-of-supermassive-black-holes','2022-04-13 20:43:39.380452',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Astronomers have identified a rapidly growing black hole in the early universe that is considered a crucial \"missing link\" between young star-forming galaxies and the first supermassive black holes. They used data from NASA\'s Hubble Space Telescope to make this discovery.</p><p>Until now, the monster, nicknamed GNz7q, had been lurking unnoticed in one of the best-studied areas of the night sky, the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey-North (GOODS-North) field.</p><p>Archival Hubble data from Hubble\'s Advanced Camera for Surveys helped the team determine that GNz7q existed just 750 million years after the big bang. The team obtained evidence that GNz7q is a newly formed black hole. Hubble found a compact source of ultraviolet (UV) and infrared light. This couldn\'t be caused by emission from galaxies, but is consistent with the radiation expected from materials that are falling onto a black hole.</p><p>Rapidly growing black holes in dusty, early star-forming galaxies are predicted by theories and computer simulations, but had not been observed until now.</p><p>\"Our analysis suggests that GNz7q is the first example of a rapidly growing black hole in the dusty core of a starburst galaxy at an epoch close to the earliest supermassive black hole known in the universe,\" explained Seiji Fujimoto, an astronomer at the Niels Bohr Institute of the University of Copenhagen and lead author of the Nature paper describing this discovery. \"The object\'s properties across the electromagnetic spectrum are in excellent agreement with predictions from theoretical simulations.\"</p><p>One of the outstanding mysteries in astronomy today is: How did supermassive black holes, weighing millions to billions of times the mass of the Sun, get to be so huge so fast?</p><p>Current theories predict that supermassive black holes begin their lives in the dust-shrouded cores of vigorously star-forming \"starburst\" galaxies before expelling the surrounding gas and dust and emerging as extremely luminous quasars. While extremely rare, both these dusty starburst galaxies and luminous quasars have been detected in the early universe.</p><p>The team believes that GNz7q could be a missing link between these two classes of objects. GNz7q has exactly both aspects of the dusty starburst galaxy and the quasar, where the quasar light shows the dust reddened color. Also, GNz7q lacks various features that are usually observed in typical, very luminous quasars (corresponding to the emission from the accretion disk of the supermassive black hole), which is most likely explained that the central black hole in GN7q is still in a young and less massive phase. These properties perfectly match with the young, transition phase quasar that has been predicted in simulations, but never identified at similarly high-redshift universe as the very luminous quasars so far identified up to a redshift of 7.6.</p><p>\"GNz7q provides a direct connection between these two rare populations and provides a new avenue toward understanding the rapid growth of supermassive black holes in the early days of the universe,\" continued Fujimoto. \"Our discovery provides an example of precursors to the supermassive black holes we observe at later epochs.\"</p><p>While other interpretations of the team\'s data cannot be completely ruled out, the observed properties of GNz7q are in strong agreement with theoretical predictions. GNz7q\'s host galaxy is forming stars at the rate of 1,600 solar masses per year, and GNz7q itself appears bright at UV wavelengths but very faint at X-ray wavelengths.</p><p>Generally, the accretion disk of a massive black hole should be very bright in both UV and X-ray light. But this time, although the team detected UV light with Hubble, X-ray light was invisible even with one of the deepest X-ray datasets. These results suggest that the core of the accretion disk, where X-rays originate, is still obscured; while the outer part of the accretion disk, where UV light originates, is becoming unobscured. This interpretation is that GNz7q is a rapidly growing black hole still obscured by the dusty core of its star-forming host galaxy.</p><p>\"GNz7q is a unique discovery that was found just at the center of a famous, well-studied sky field -- it shows that big discoveries can often be hidden just in front of you,\" commented Gabriel Brammer, another astronomer from the Niels Bohr Institute of the University of Copenhagen and a member of the team behind this result. \"It\'s unlikely that discovering GNz7q within the relatively small GOODS-North survey area was just \'dumb luck,\' but rather that the prevalence of such sources may in fact be significantly higher than previously thought.\"</p><p>Finding GNz7q hiding in plain sight was only possible thanks to the uniquely detailed, multiwavelength datasets available for GOODS-North. Without this richness of data GNz7q would have been easy to overlook, as it lacks the distinguishing features usually used to identify quasars in the early universe. The team now hopes to systematically search for similar objects using dedicated high-resolution surveys and to take advantage of the NASA James Webb Space Telescope\'s spectroscopic instruments to study objects such as GNz7q in unprecedented detail.</p><p>\"Fully characterizing these objects and probing their evolution and underlying physics in much greater detail will become possible with the James Webb Space Telescope,\" concluded Fujimoto. \"Once in regular operation, Webb will have the power to decisively determine how common these rapidly growing black holes truly are.\"</p><p>The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA\'s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, in Washington, D.C.</p><p><strong>Story Source:</strong></p>','2022-04-13 20:43:39.380452','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center','Astronomers have identified a rapidly growing black hole in the early universe that is considered a crucial \"missing link\" between young star-forming galaxies and the first supermassive black holes. They used data from NASA\'s Hubble Space Telescope to make this discovery.\n',1,56,'<li>S. Fujimoto, G. B. Brammer, D. Watson, G. E. Magdis, V. Kokorev, T. R. Greve, S. Toft, F. Walter, R. Valiante, M. Ginolfi, R. Schneider, F. Valentino, L. Colina, M. Vestergaard, R. Marques-Chaves, J. P. U. Fynbo, M. Krips, C. L. Steinhardt, I. Cortzen, F. Rizzo, P. A. Oesch. <strong>A dusty compact object bridging galaxies and quasars at cosmic dawn</strong>. <em>Nature</em>, 2022; 604 (7905): 261 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04454-1\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1038/s41586-022-04454-1</a>\n</li>'),(2107,'Treatment prevents hypoglycemia in children with hyperinsulinism','treatment-prevents-hypoglycemia-in-children-with-hyperinsulinism','2022-04-13 20:44:05.426722',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Researchers at Children\'s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have shown that a targeted treatment they developed is effective at controlling blood sugar in patients with hyperinsulinism (HI), a genetic disease in which the pancreas produces too much insulin. The findings, which were published today in <em>Diabetes Care</em>, provide further evidence that the treatment could prevent hypoglycemia in patients with HI and may preclude the need for a full removal of their pancreas, a current standard treatment for severe diffuse HI.</p><p>\"There are currently very few medical treatments for HI, and those treatments are of limited effectiveness while also associated with significant side effects,\" said senior study author Diva D. De León-Crutchlow, MD, Chief of the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes and Director of the Congenital Hyperinsulinism Center at Children\'s Hospital of Philadelphia. \"We are very excited about this study because by targeting the underlying pathophysiology, exendin-(9-39) offers potential therapeutic advantages over currently available therapies for HI, which could make a huge difference in the lives of the children we care for.\"</p><p>Congenital HI is the most common cause of persistent hypoglycemia in infants and children. Although about half of cases have no known genetic cause, the most common and severe form of HI is caused by a mutation in genes that encode the two subunits of the beta-cell ATP-sensitive potassium channel, a form of the disease known as K<sub>ATP</sub>HI. Patients with this form of the disease become hypoglycemic when fasting and also after a protein-rich meal, likely due to the glutamine in the protein stimulating the amplification of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor signaling on the beta-cell.</p><p>In prior studies, CHOP researchers have shown that administering exendin-(9-39), which blocks the GLP-1 receptor, through an intravenous infusion significantly increased fasting glucose levels in adolescents and adults with the K<sub>ATP</sub>HI form of the disease. They also showed that the agent inhibits insulin secretion in models of K<sub>ATP</sub>HI disease. Together, the results suggested that inhibiting GLP-1 signaling could be an effective means of controlling HI.</p><p>Given the success of prior studies, the researchers decided to test exendin-(9-39) in younger children with HI to see if the drug would have similar success in that population, not only during fasting but also after a meal. They enrolled 16 patients between the ages of 10 months and 15 years with persistent hypoglycemia due to HI, all but one of whom had genetically confirmed K<sub>ATP</sub>HI; the one patient without genetic confirmation had symptoms consistent with K<sub>ATP</sub>HI.</p><p>To test the effectiveness of the treatment, the researchers conducted a six-hour infusion of three different doses of exendin-(9-39) after patients had been fasting for approximately 12 hours and compared those effects with that of a control saline solution. Over the period of another two days, the researchers infused a subset of eight patients with either the highest dose of exendin-(9-39) or a saline control solution during a mixed meal tolerance test and an oral protein tolerance test.</p><p>The researchers found that exendin-(9-39) resulted in a 76% reduction in likelihood of fasting hypoglycemia in the mid-dose group and by 84% in the group receiving the highest dose. They found administering exendin-(9-39) during the protein challenge resulted in an 82% reduction in the likelihood of hypoglycemia. The mid-dose group also demonstrated a 20% increase in fasting glucose, while the higher dose resulted in a 28% increase in glucose after a meal and a 30% increase in glucose after a protein challenge. Of note, while the effect of exendin-(9-39) on fasting glucose seems to be mediated by suppression of insulin secretion, the effect on protein-induced hypoglycemia may be mediated by exendin-(9-39)-mediated increase on glucagon, suggesting the treatment might induce multiple mechanisms of blood sugar control.</p><p>\"This study is further evidence supporting the use of exendin-(9-39), which has been granted breakthrough therapy designation for the treatment of HI, and we look forward to moving this therapy into a phase 3 trial,\" Dr. De León-Crutchlow said.</p><p>This study was funded by grant 1R01FD004095-01A1 and by The Clifford and Katherine Goldsmith Foundation. The project described was supported by grant number UL1RR024134 from the National Center for Research Resources.</p>','2022-04-13 20:44:05.426722','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Children\'s Hospital of Philadelphia','Researchers have shown that a targeted treatment they developed is effective at controlling blood sugar in patients with hyperinsulinism (HI), a genetic disease in which the pancreas produces too much insulin. The findings provide further evidence that the treatment could prevent hypoglycemia in patients with HI and may preclude the need for a full removal of their pancreas, a current standard treatment for severe diffuse HI.\n',1,46,'<li>Darko Stefanovski, Mary E. Vajravelu, Stephanie Givler, Diva D. De León. <strong>Exendin-(9-39) Effects on Glucose and Insulin in Children With Congenital Hyperinsulinism During Fasting and During a Meal and a Protein Challenge</strong>. <em>Diabetes Care</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/dc21-2009\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.2337/dc21-2009</a>\n</li>'),(2108,'Immune response to parasitic worms','immune-response-to-parasitic-worms','2022-04-13 20:46:33.303569',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">According to the World Health Organization, more than 1 billion people are infected with parasitic helminths worldwide, but the prevention and treatment of helminth infection remain challenging. Research led by the University of Minnesota Medical School looked at if exposure to pathogens, in particular helminths, can stimulate the immune system and reduce predisposition for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).</p><p>\"We know that intestinal epithelial cells are first responders to invading gut parasites, through secreting cytokines that alarms and guides immune cells for worm expulsion,\" said Hai-Bin Ruan, PhD, an assistant professor at the U of M Medical School. \"We found that a unique glycosylation within epithelial cells, termed as O-GlcNAcylation, can be activated during helminth infections to orchestrate alarmin secretion and facilitate anti-helminth immune responses.\"</p><p>There is a growing interest in the use of helminth therapy for IBD, but clinical data have been inconclusive and the direct use of helminths has obvious safety and efficacy concerns. A greater understanding of host defense mechanisms against helminths is essential for the development of effective and safe treatments for intestinal infections and inflammation.</p><p>Published in <em>Immunity</em>, the study found that:</p><p>\"Our study established a novel post translational regulatory switch to turn on epithelial alarmin responses to fight helminth infections,\" said Ruan.</p><p>The research team plans to investigate how O-GlcNAc glycosylation is activated by helminth infections and how GSDMC protein is cleaved to form active membrane pores in human IBD in the future.</p><p>The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH/NIAID) and includes collaborators from Nanjing University, Xinxiang University, and University of Washington.</p>','2022-04-13 20:46:33.303569','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'University of Minnesota Medical School','New research looked at if exposure to pathogens, in particular helminths, can stimulate the immune system and reduce predisposition for inflammatory bowel disease.\n',1,91,'<li>Ming Zhao, Kaiqun Ren, Xiwen Xiong, Yue Xin, Yujie Zou, Jason C. Maynard, Angela Kim, Alexander P. Battist, Navya Koneripalli, Yusu Wang, Qianyue Chen, Ruyue Xin, Chenyan Yang, Rong Huang, Jiahui Yu, Zan Huang, Zengdi Zhang, Haiguang Wang, Daoyuan Wang, Yihui Xiao, Oscar C. Salgado, Nicholas N. Jarjour, Kristin A. Hogquist, Xavier S. Revelo, Alma L. Burlingame, Xiang Gao, Jakob von Moltke, Zhaoyu Lin, Hai-Bin Ruan. <strong>Epithelial STAT6 O-GlcNAcylation drives a concerted anti-helminth alarmin response dependent on tuft cell hyperplasia and Gasdermin C</strong>. <em>Immunity</em>, 2022; 55 (4): 623 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2022.03.009\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1016/j.immuni.2022.03.009</a>\n</li>'),(2109,'What do you see when you listen to music?','what-do-you-see-when-you-listen-to-music?','2022-04-13 20:46:35.740992',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Are we all imagining the same thing when we listen to music, or are our experiences hopelessly subjective? In other words, is music a truly universal language?</p><p>To investigate those questions, an international team of researchers (including a classical pianist, a rock drummer and a concert bassist) asked hundreds of people what stories they imagined when listening to instrumental music. The results appeared recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.</p><p>The researchers, led by Princeton\'s Elizabeth Margulis and Devin McAuley of Michigan State University, discovered that listeners in Michigan and Arkansas imagined very similar scenes, while listeners in China envisioned completely different stories.</p><p>\"These results paint a more complex picture of music\'s power,\" said Margulis, a professor of music who uses theoretical, behavioral and neuroimaging methodologies to investigate the dynamic experience of listeners. \"Music can generate remarkably similar stories in listeners\' minds, but the degree to which these imagined narratives are shared depends on the degree to which culture is shared across listeners.\"</p><p>The 622 participants came from three regions across two continents: two suburban college towns in middle America -- one in Arkansas and the other in Michigan -- and a group from Dimen, a village in rural China where the primary language is Dong, a tonal language not related to Mandarin, and where the residents have little access to Western media.</p><p>All three groups of listeners -- in Arkansas, Michigan and Dimen -- heard the same 32 musical stimuli: 60-second snippets of instrumental music, half from Western music and half from Chinese music, all without lyrics. After each musical excerpt, they provided free-response descriptions of the stories they envisioned while they listened.</p><p>The results were striking. Listeners in Arkansas and Michigan described very similar stories, often using the same words, while the Dimen listeners envisioned stories that were similar to each other but very different from those of American listeners.</p><p>For example, a musical passage identified only as W9 brought to mind a sunrise over a forest, with animals waking and birds chirping for American listeners, while those in Dimen pictured a man blowing a leaf on a mountain, singing a song to his beloved. For musical passage C16, Arkansas and Michigan listeners described a cowboy, sitting alone in the desert sun, looking out over an empty town; participants in Dimen imagined a man in ancient times sorrowfully contemplating the loss of his beloved.</p><p>Quantifying similarities between free-response stories required huge amounts of natural language data processing. The tools and strategies that they developed will be useful in future studies, said Margulis, who is also the director of Princeton\'s Music Cognition lab. \"Being able to map out these semantic overlaps, using tools from natural language processing, is exciting and very promising for future studies that, like this one, straddle the border between the humanities and the sciences.\"</p><p>\"It\'s amazing,\" said co-author Benjamin Kubit, a drummer and a postdoctoral research associate previously in the Princeton Neuroscience Institute and now in the Department of Music. \"You can take two random people who grew up in a similar environment, have them listen to a song they haven\'t heard before, ask them to imagine a narrative, and you\'ll find similarities. However, if those two people don\'t share a culture or geographical location, you won\'t see that same kind of similarity in experience. So while we imagine music can bring people together, the opposite can also be true -- it can distinguish between sets of people with a different background or culture.\"</p><p>Though the researchers had carefully ensured that the pieces they chose had never appeared in a movie soundtrack or any other setting that would prescribe visuals, the same music sparked very similar visuals in hundreds of listeners -- unless they had grown up in a different cultural context.</p><p>\"It\'s stunning to me that some of these visceral, hard-to-articulate, imagined responses we have to music can actually be widely shared,\" said Margulis. \"There\'s something about that that\'s really puzzling and compelling, especially because the way we encounter music in 2022 is often solitary, over headphones. But it turns out, it\'s still a shared experience, almost like a shared dream. I find it really surprising and fascinating -- with the caveat, of course, that it\'s not universally shared, but depends on a common set of cultural experiences.\"</p><p>Co-author Cara Turnbull, a concert bassist turned graduate student in musicology, said: \"It\'s just fascinating how much our upbringings shape us as individuals while also giving us enough common experiences that we relate to this media in ways that are simultaneously unique and shared.\"</p>','2022-04-13 20:46:35.740992','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Princeton  University','Music isn\'t a truly universal language, it turns out. A team of researchers has found that culture and background influence what we visualize when we listen to instrumental music we\'ve never heard before.\n',1,27,'<li>Elizabeth H. Margulis, Patrick C. M. Wong, Cara Turnbull, Benjamin M. Kubit, J. Devin McAuley. <strong>Narratives imagined in response to instrumental music reveal culture-bounded intersubjectivity</strong>. <em>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</em>, 2022; 119 (4) DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2110406119\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1073/pnas.2110406119</a>\n</li>'),(2110,'A new heat engine with no moving parts is as efficient as a steam turbine','a-new-heat-engine-with-no-moving-parts-is-as-efficient-as-a-steam-turbine','2022-04-13 20:46:38.147197',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Engineers at MIT and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have designed a heat engine with no moving parts. Their new demonstrations show that it converts heat to electricity with over 40 percent efficiency -- a performance better than that of traditional steam turbines.</p><p>The heat engine is a thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cell, similar to a solar panel\'s photovoltaic cells, that passively captures high-energy photons from a white-hot heat source and converts them into electricity. The team\'s design can generate electricity from a heat source of between 1,900 to 2,400 degrees Celsius, or up to about 4,300 degrees Fahrenheit.</p><p>The researchers plan to incorporate the TPV cell into a grid-scale thermal battery. The system would absorb excess energy from renewable sources such as the sun and store that energy in heavily insulated banks of hot graphite. When the energy is needed, such as on overcast days, TPV cells would convert the heat into electricity, and dispatch the energy to a power grid.</p><p>With the new TPV cell, the team has now successfully demonstrated the main parts of the system in separate, small-scale experiments. They are working to integrate the parts to demonstrate a fully operational system. From there, they hope to scale up the system to replace fossil-fuel-driven power plants and enable a fully decarbonized power grid, supplied entirely by renewable energy.</p><p>\"Thermophotovoltaic cells were the last key step toward demonstrating that thermal batteries are a viable concept,\" says Asegun Henry, the Robert N. Noyce Career Development Professor in MIT\'s Department of Mechanical Engineering. \"This is an absolutely critical step on the path to proliferate renewable energy and get to a fully decarbonized grid.\"</p><p>Henry and his collaborators have published their results today in the journal <em>Nature</em>. Co-authors at MIT include Alina LaPotin, Kevin Schulte, Kyle Buznitsky, Colin Kelsall, Andrew Rohskopf, and Evelyn Wang, the Ford Professor of Engineering and head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, along with collaborators at NREL in Golden, Colorado.</p><p><strong>Jumping the gap</strong></p><p>More than 90 percent of the world\'s electricity comes from sources of heat such as coal, natural gas, nuclear energy, and concentrated solar energy. For a century, steam turbines have been the industrial standard for converting such heat sources into electricity.</p><p>On average, steam turbines reliably convert about 35 percent of a heat source into electricity, with about 60 percent representing the highest efficiency of any heat engine to date. But the machinery depends on moving parts that are temperature- limited. Heat sources higher than 2,000 degrees Celsius, such as Henry\'s proposed thermal battery system, would be too hot for turbines.</p><p>In recent years, scientists have looked into solid-state alternatives -- heat engines with no moving parts, that could potentially work efficiently at higher temperatures.</p><p>\"One of the advantages of solid-state energy converters are that they can operate at higher temperatures with lower maintenance costs because they have no moving parts,\" Henry says. \"They just sit there and reliably generate electricity.\"</p><p>Thermophotovoltaic cells offered one exploratory route toward solid-state heat engines. Much like solar cells, TPV cells could be made from semiconducting materials with a particular bandgap -- the gap between a material\'s valence band and its conduction band. If a photon with a high enough energy is absorbed by the material, it can kick an electron across the bandgap, where the electron can then conduct, and thereby generate electricity -- doing so without moving rotors or blades.</p><p>To date, most TPV cells have only reached efficiencies of around 20 percent, with the record at 32 percent, as they have been made of relatively low-bandgap materials that convert lower-temperature, low-energy photons, and therefore convert energy less efficiently.</p><p><strong>Catching light</strong></p><p>In their new TPV design, Henry and his colleagues looked to capture higher-energy photons from a higher-temperature heat source, thereby converting energy more efficiently. The team\'s new cell does so with higher-bandgap materials and multiple junctions, or material layers, compared with existing TPV designs.</p><p>The cell is fabricated from three main regions: a high-bandgap alloy, which sits over a slightly lower-bandgap alloy, underneath which is a mirror-like layer of gold. The first layer captures a heat source\'s highest-energy photons and converts them into electricity, while lower-energy photons that pass through the first layer are captured by the second and converted to add to the generated voltage. Any photons that pass through this second layer are then reflected by the mirror, back to the heat source, rather than being absorbed as wasted heat.</p><p>The team tested the cell\'s efficiency by placing it over a heat flux sensor -- a device that directly measures the heat absorbed from the cell. They exposed the cell to a high-temperature lamp and concentrated the light onto the cell. They then varied the bulb\'s intensity, or temperature, and observed how the cell\'s power efficiency -- the amount of power it produced, compared with the heat it absorbed -- changed with temperature. Over a range of 1,900 to 2,400 degrees Celsius, the new TPV cell maintained an efficiency of around 40 percent.</p><p>\"We can get a high efficiency over a broad range of temperatures relevant for thermal batteries,\" Henry says.</p><p>The cell in the experiments is about a square centimeter. For a grid-scale thermal battery system, Henry envisions the TPV cells would have to scale up to about 10,000 square feet (about a quarter of a football field), and would operate in climate-controlled warehouses to draw power from huge banks of stored solar energy. He points out that an infrastructure exists for making large-scale photovoltaic cells, which could also be adapted to manufacture TPVs.</p><p>\"There\'s definitely a huge net positive here in terms of sustainability,\" Henry says. \"The technology is safe, environmentally benign in its life cycle, and can have a tremendous impact on abating carbon dioxide emissions from electricity production.\"</p><p>This research was supported, in part, by the U.S. Department of Energy.</p>','2022-04-13 20:46:38.147197','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Massachusetts Institute of Technology','Engineers have developed a heat engine with no moving parts that is as efficient as a steam turbine. The design could someday enable a fully decarbonized power grid, researchers say.\n',1,27,'<li>Alina LaPotin, Kevin L. Schulte, Myles A. Steiner, Kyle Buznitsky, Colin C. Kelsall, Daniel J. Friedman, Eric J. Tervo, Ryan M. France, Michelle R. Young, Andrew Rohskopf, Shomik Verma, Evelyn N. Wang, Asegun Henry. <strong>Thermophotovoltaic efficiency of 40%</strong>. <em>Nature</em>, 2022; 604 (7905): 287 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04473-y\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1038/s41586-022-04473-y</a>\n</li>'),(2111,'Infectious bacteria force host plants to feed them, study finds','infectious-bacteria-force-host-plants-to-feed-them,-study-finds','2022-04-13 20:46:43.178677',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">A species of bacteria that infect corn crops compel their hosts to produce a feast of nutrients that keeps the pathogens alive and thriving long before they start to kill the plant\'s cells, new research shows.</p><p>The study in young maize plants reveals that these bacteria not only generate food for themselves in crops they inhabit, but also coax life-sustaining water from the plants.</p><p>Though the lab conditions don\'t represent exactly what happens in the field, the research provides insights into fundamental processes central to the ability of a pathogen to cause a corn disease prevalent in the central and northeastern U.S. called Stewart\'s wilt. These bacteria are also creating problems for rice and jackfruit crops in parts of the Eastern hemisphere.</p><p>By confirming that a bacterial virulence factor, a protein called WtsE, initiates the mobilization of food and water into spaces where the bacteria reside, the study lays groundwork for future breeding of plants that can put the brakes on these bacterial survivalist tactics. Current breeding practices in corn are based on previous research that focused on boosting the plants\' immune response to these infectious bacteria, a species known as <em>Pantoea stewartii</em>.</p><p>\"No one has shown before that a dynamic flow of nutrients from plant to bacteria supports proliferation of the bacteria during the initial stages of infection. Our findings reveal a bacterial feeding frenzy,\" said lead study author David Mackey, professor of horticulture and crop science at The Ohio State University.</p><p>\"There have been no targeted efforts to control nutrient availability as a means to control <em>Pantoea stewartii</em>, or other plant pathogenic bacteria that rely on proteins similar to WtsE for their virulence. This opens up an opportunity for us to look at the mechanism of how WtsE accomplishes this. How is it manipulating the plant cells?\"</p><p>The research is published today (April 13, 2022) in <em>Cell Host &amp; Microbe</em>.</p><p>The research focuses on a phase called biotrophy: After infecting a plant, the bacteria initially parasitize living host cells and multiply dramatically. Only later do the bacteria start killing plant cells to release further nutrients and cause disease.</p><p>In the field, corn flea beetles carry <em>Pantoea stewartii</em> and deposit the bacteria in wound sites the beetles create when feeding on crop stems and leaves. Infections then spread unevenly from these sites.</p><p>For this study, Mackey and colleagues infiltrated maize seedlings with a powerful dose of the infectious bacteria, creating a series of uniformly infected leaves. This model system made it possible for the researchers to determine that the release of nutrients and water preceded the death of plant cells.</p><p>The team zeroed in on observing the actions of WtsE, one of a class of proteins in pathogenic bacteria known as type III effectors. These proteins are transported from the bacteria into infected plant cells to both suppress plant immunity and, as discovered in the case of <em>Pantoea stewartii</em>, promote availability of water and food.</p><p>All of this activity takes place in the apoplast, a relatively dry compartment on the interior of a plant tissue but outside of the plant cells. That dryness is relevant, because one of WtsE\'s tricks is promoting the availability of water in this space. A leading hypothesis has been that this condition, called \"water soaking,\" results from dying plant cells spilling their contents into the apoplast when bacteria begin their lethal attack.</p><p>\"This is one of the main points we showed: Infection causes water to accumulate in the apoplast well in advance of killing the plant cells. It\'s an active process and it\'s dependent on the WtsE effector,\" said Mackey, also a professor of molecular genetics.</p><p>And then, once hydrated, the apoplast begins to fill with nutrients that function as sources of nitrogen and carbon for the bacteria -- sugars, amino acids and organic acids that are generated and consumed in much higher quantities than exist in the apoplast of a healthy plant.</p><p>The researchers confirmed the massive size of the feast by removing the bacteria from the plants and measuring how much carbon and nitrogen they had taken up in a specific period of time -- which was 6 and 30 times higher, respectively, than that present in the apoplast of an uninfected plant.</p><p>\"It\'s not like the bacteria arrived and ate what was already available,\" Mackey said. \"Plants are relinquishing sources of carbon and nitrogen into the apoplast, where they are assimilated by the bacteria. Additionally, the plant metabolic networks respond to the depletion by making more of those compounds. It\'s a really dynamic process and the WtsE effector drives that process.\"</p><p>The role of the effector was confirmed genetically -- mutant bacteria lacking WtsE were unable to accomplish these same tasks.</p><p>With these findings, Mackey\'s lab is now positioned to pinpoint how WtsE is able to coerce maize into doing its bidding -- and specifically, which plant proteins the effector hijacks for help -- which could inform future resistant breeding practices.</p><p>This work was supported by Ohio State\'s Translational Plant Sciences Graduate Program, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Science Foundation and the Korean Rural Development Administration.</p><p>Co-authors include Irene Gentzel, Laura Giese, Gayani Ekanayake, Kelly Mikhail and Wanying Zhao, all of Ohio State, and Jean-Christophe Cocuron and Ana Paula Alonso of the University of North Texas.</p>','2022-04-13 20:46:43.178677','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Ohio State University','A species of bacteria that infect corn crops compel their hosts to produce a feast of nutrients that keeps the pathogens alive and thriving long before they start to kill the plant\'s cells, new research shows.\n',1,130,'<li>Irene Gentzel, Laura Giese, Gayani Ekanayake, Kelly Mikhail, Wanying Zhao, Jean-Christophe Cocuron, Ana Paula Alonso, David Mackey. <strong>Dynamic nutrient acquisition from a hydrated apoplast supports biotrophic proliferation of a bacterial pathogen of maize</strong>. <em>Cell Host &amp; Microbe</em>, 2022; 30 (4): 502 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2022.03.017\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1016/j.chom.2022.03.017</a>\n</li>'),(2112,'Structural racism and pandemic stressors associated with postpartum depression and anxiety among Black individuals, study finds','structural-racism-and-pandemic-stressors-associated-with-postpartum-depression-and-anxiety-among-black-individuals,-study-finds','2022-04-13 20:46:45.730561',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">The combined effects of systemic and interpersonal racism layered on top of negative experiences within the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with depression and anxiety among Black people in the postpartum period, according to a new study by researchers in The Intergenerational Exposome Program (IGNITE) of Children\'s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The findings were published today in <em>JAMA Psychiatry</em>.</p><p>\"The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on the Black community, in large part due to structural racism and its impact on the social determinants of health, and our study shows this impact extended to the effects on the postpartum period,\" said study first author Wanjikũ F.M. Njoroge, MD, Medical Director of the Young Child Clinic, Associate Chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and PolicyLab Faculty at Children\'s Hospital of Philadelphia. \"Not only does this research point to an urgent need for policies that address the pandemic\'s mental health effects on Black pregnant people, but it also highlights the need to follow the babies and toddlers of these people through early childhood to understand any potential impacts on their development and intervene where necessary.\"</p><p>The researchers sought to examine how the joint effects of structural and interpersonal racism, two endemic conditions, and the COVID-19 pandemic, an epidemic condition, contributed to postpartum mental health outcomes in Black individuals before and after birth. To do so, they analyzed data from a large birthing cohort participating in a longitudinal study related to the pandemic and perinatal health. Participants delivered in one of two urban hospitals within the University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia. The researchers looked at data from a total of 151 Black patients to understand the impacts of multiple forms of racism on their postpartum mental health.</p><p>Participants answered a series of questions about their COVID-19 pandemic experiences, interpersonal racism, and mental health status. The researchers also used geocoding of zip codes based on census data as well as examinations of electronic medical record data to assess factors like income inequality, home ownership, education level and insurance type. Additionally, they mapped participants based on Home Owners\' Loan Corporation (HOLC) redlining boundaries and assigned participants a risk grade from A (minimal) to D (hazardous) based on their street address.</p><p>The researchers found that nearly all participants (91%) expressed at least one significant pregnancy-related COVID-19 worry, and a large majority (81%) reported at least one moderate concern related to delivery and the postpartum period. A total of 44 participants (29%) screened positive for postpartum depression.</p><p>In their analysis, the researchers found that worse experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, reports of interpersonal racism, and living in an area of greater historical redlining were all uniquely associated with postpartum depression. Additionally, the association between racism and poor postpartum mental health was magnified with worse COVID-19 experiences. Indeed, those with more negative COVID-19 experiences combined with higher interpersonal and systemic general racism scores were at the highest risk of meeting screening criteria for postpartum depression and anxiety.</p><p>\"These findings underscore that the key to better serving Black patients is to appreciate the cascading effect structural racism has on all aspects of life, including pregnancy,\" said co-author Michal A. Elovitz, MD, co-Principal Investigator of the primary study and the Hilarie L. Morgan and Mitchell L Morgan President\'s Distinguished Professor in Women\'s Health in the Perelman School of Medicine at Penn. \"Importantly, we, as a medical community, have failed to adequately address and attend to mental health issues among birthing individuals. This study emphasizes an even additional need to focus on the mental health among Black birthing people. We are hopeful that there will be increased efforts -- both clinically and in research -- to address the impact of structural racism on the mental and physical well-being of Black individuals\"</p>','2022-04-13 20:46:45.730561','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Children\'s Hospital of Philadelphia','A study found the combined effects of structural racism and the pandemic, known as a \'syndemic,\' were associated with negative postpartum mental health.\n',1,39,'<li>Wanjikũ F. M. Njoroge, Lauren K. White, Rebecca Waller, Markolline Forkpa, Megan M. Himes, Kadina Morgan, Jakob Seidlitz, Barbara H. Chaiyachati, Ran Barzilay, Sara L. Kornfield, Julia Parish-Morris, Yuheiry Rodriguez, Valerie Riis, Heather H. Burris, Michal A. Elovitz, Raquel E. Gur. <strong>Association of COVID-19 and Endemic Systemic Racism With Postpartum Anxiety and Depression Among Black Birthing Individuals</strong>. <em>JAMA Psychiatry</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.0597\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.0597</a>\n</li>'),(2113,'Early human habitats linked to past climate shifts','early-human-habitats-linked-to-past-climate-shifts','2022-04-13 20:46:47.324296',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">A study published in <em>Nature</em> by an international team of scientists provides clear evidence for a link between astronomically-driven climate change and human evolution.</p><p>By combining the most extensive database of well-dated fossil remains and archeological artefacts with an unprecedented new supercomputer model simulating earth\'s climate history of the past 2 million years, the team of experts in climate modeling, anthropology and ecology was able to determine under which environmental conditions archaic humans likely lived.</p><p>The impact of climate change on human evolution has long been suspected, but has been difficult to demonstrate due to the paucity of climate records near human fossil-bearing sites. To bypass this problem, the team instead investigated what the climate in their computer simulation was like at the times and places humans lived, according to the archeological record. This revealed the preferred environmental conditions of different groups of hominins[1]. From there, the team looked for all the places and times those conditions occurred in the model, creating time-evolving maps of potential hominin habitats.</p><p>\"Even though different groups of archaic humans preferred different climatic environments, their habitats all responded to climate shifts caused by astronomical changes in earth\'s axis wobble, tilt, and orbital eccentricity with timescales ranging from 21 to 400 thousand years,\" said Axel Timmermann, lead author of the study and Director of the IBS Center for Climate Physics (ICCP) at Pusan National University in South Korea.</p><p>To test the robustness of the link between climate and human habitats, the scientists repeated their analysis, but with ages of the fossils shuffled like a deck of cards. If the past evolution of climatic variables did not impact where and when humans lived, then both methods would result in the same habitats. However, the researchers found significant differences in the habitat patterns for the three most recent hominin groups (<em>Homo sapiens</em>, <em>Homo neanderthalensis</em> and <em>Homo heidelbergensis</em>) when using the shuffled and the realistic fossil ages. \"This result implies that at least during the past 500 thousand years the real sequence of past climate change, including glacial cycles, played a central role in determining where different hominin groups lived and where their remains have been found,\" said Prof. Timmermann.</p><p>\"The next question we set out to address was whether the habitats of the different human species overlapped in space and time. Past contact zones provide crucial information on potential species successions and admixture,\" said Prof. Pasquale Raia from the Università di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy, who together with his research team compiled the dataset of human fossils and archeological artefacts used in this study. From the contact zone analysis, the researchers then derived a hominin family tree, according to which Neanderthals and likely Denisovans derived from the Eurasian clade of <em>Homo heidelbergensis </em>around 500-400 thousand years ago, whereas <em>Homo sapiens\'</em> roots can be traced back to Southern African populations of late <em>Homo heidelbergensis </em>around 300 thousand years ago<em>. </em></p><p><em>\"</em>Our climate-based reconstruction of hominin lineages is quite similar to recent estimates obtained from either genetic data or the analysis of morphological differences in human fossils, which increases our confidence in the results,\" remarks Dr. Jiaoyang Ruan, co-author of the study and postdoctoral research fellow at the IBS Center for Climate Physics.</p><p>The new study was made possible by using one of South Korea\'s fastest supercomputers named Aleph. Located at the headquarters of the Institute for Basic Science in Daejeon, Aleph ran non-stop for over 6 months to complete the longest comprehensive climate model simulation to date. \"The model generated 500 Terabytes of data, enough to fill up several hundred hard disks,\" said Dr. Kyung-Sook Yun, a researcher at the IBS Center for Climate Physics who conducted the experiments. \"It is the first continuous simulation with a state-of-the-art climate model that covers earth\'s environmental history of the last 2 million years, representing climate responses to the waxing and waning of ice-sheets, changes in past greenhouse gas concentrations, as well as the marked transition in the frequency of glacial cycles around 1 million years ago,\" adds Dr. Yun.</p><p>\"So far, the paleoanthropological community has not utilized the full potential of such continuous paleoclimate model simulations. Our study clearly illustrates the value of well-validated climate models to address fundamental questions on our human origins,\" says Prof. Christoph Zollikofer from the University of Zurich, Switzerland and co-author of the study.</p><p>Going beyond the question of early human habitats, and times and places of human species\' origins, the research team further addressed how humans may have adapted to varying food resources over the past 2 million years. \"When we looked at the data for the five major hominin groups, we discovered an interesting pattern. Early African hominins around 2-1 million years ago preferred stable climatic conditions. This constrained them to relatively narrow habitable corridors. Following a major climatic transition about 800 thousand year ago, a group known under the umbrella term <em>Homo heidelbergensis</em> adapted to a much wider range of available food resources, which enabled them to become global wanderers, reaching remote regions in Europe and eastern Asia,\" said Elke Zeller, PhD student at Pusan National University and co-author of the study.</p><p>\"Our study documents that climate played a fundamental role in the evolution of our genus <em>Homo. </em>We are who we are because we have managed to adapt over millennia to slow shifts in the past climate,\" says Prof. Axel Timmermann.</p><p>[1]This study considers the following hominin species: <em>Homo sapiens</em>, <em>Homo neanderthalensis</em>, <em>Homo heidelbergensis</em> (including African and Eurasian populations), <em>Homo erectus</em> and early African <em>Homo</em> (including <em>Homo ergaster</em> and <em>Homo habilis</em>).</p><p>Youtube link: <a href=\"https://youtu.be/MNJ-RnhBVkU\">https://youtu.be/MNJ-RnhBVkU</a></p><p><strong>Story Source:</strong></p>','2022-04-13 20:46:47.324296','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Institute for Basic Science','A study provides clear evidence for a link between astronomically-driven climate change and human evolution.\n',1,27,'<li>Axel Timmermann, Kyung-Sook Yun, Pasquale Raia, Jiaoyang Ruan, Alessandro Mondanaro, Elke Zeller, Christoph Zollikofer, Marcia Ponce de León, Danielle Lemmon, Matteo Willeit, Andrey Ganopolski. <strong>Climate effects on archaic human habitats and species successions</strong>. <em>Nature</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04600-9\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1038/s41586-022-04600-9</a>\n</li>'),(2114,'Comprehensive map of human blood stem cell development','comprehensive-map-of-human-blood-stem-cell-development','2022-04-13 20:46:50.324207',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">UCLA scientists and colleagues have created a first-of-its-kind roadmap that traces each step in the development of blood stem cells in the human embryo, providing scientists with a blueprint for producing fully functional blood stem cells in the lab.</p><p>The research, published today in the journal <em>Nature</em>, could help expand treatment options for blood cancers like leukemia and inherited blood disorders such as sickle cell disease, said Dr. Hanna Mikkola of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA, who led the study.</p><p>Blood stem cells, also called hematopoietic stem cells, have the ability to make unlimited copies of themselves and to differentiate into every type of blood cell in the human body. For decades, doctors have used blood stem cells from the bone marrow of donors and the umbilical cords of newborns in life-saving transplant treatments for blood and immune diseases. However, these treatments are limited by a shortage of matched donors and hampered by the low number of stem cells in cord blood.</p><p>Researchers have sought to overcome these limitations by attempting to create blood stem cells in the lab from human pluripotent stem cells, which can potentially give rise to any cell type in the body. But success has been elusive, in part because scientists have lacked the instructions to make lab-grown cells differentiate into self-renewing blood stem cells rather than short-lived blood progenitor cells, which can only produce limited blood cell types.</p><p>\"Nobody has succeeded in making functional blood stem cells from human pluripotent stem cells because we didn\'t know enough about the cell we were trying to generate,\" said Mikkola, who is a professor of molecular, cell and developmental biology in the UCLA College and a member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.</p><p>The new roadmap will help researchers understand the fundamental differences between the two cell types, which is critical for creating cells that are suitable for use in transplantation therapies, said UCLA scientist Vincenzo Calvanese, a co-first author of the research, along with UCLA\'s Sandra Capellera-Garcia and Feiyang Ma.</p><p>\"We now have a manual of how hematopoietic stem cells are made in the embryo and how they acquire the unique properties that make them useful for patients,\" said Calvanese, who is also a group leader at University College London. The de-identified data are available to the public on the website The Atlas of Human Hematopoietic Stem Cell Development.</p><p>The research team, which included scientists from Germany\'s University of Tübingen and Australia\'s Murdoch Children\'s Research Institute, created the resource using single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics, new technologies that enable scientists to identify the unique genetic networks and functions of thousands of individual cells and to reveal the location of these cells in the embryo.</p><p>The data make it possible to follow blood stem cells as they emerge from the hemogenic endothelium and migrate through various locations during their development, starting from the aorta and ultimately arriving in the bone marrow. Importantly, the map unveils specific milestones in their maturation process, including their arrival in the liver, where they acquire the special abilities of blood stem cells.</p><p>To explain the maturation process, Mikkola compares immature blood stem cells to aspiring surgeons. Just as surgeons need to go through different stages of training to learn how to perform surgeries, immature blood stem cells must move through different locations to learn how to do their job as blood stem cells.</p><p>The research group also pinpointed the exact precursor in the blood vessel wall that gives rise to blood stem cells. This discovery clarifies a longstanding controversy about the stem cells\' cellular origin and the environment that is needed to make a blood stem cell rather than a blood progenitor cell.</p><p>Now that the researchers have identified specific molecular signatures associated with the different phases of human blood stem cell development, scientists can use this resource to see how close they are to making a transplantable blood stem cell in the lab.</p><p>\"Previously, if we tried to create a blood stem cell from a pluripotent cell and it didn\'t transplant, we wouldn\'t know where in the process we failed,\" Mikkola said. \"Now, we can place the cells in our roadmap to see where we\'re succeeding, where we\'re falling short and fine-tune the differentiation process according to the instructions from the embryo.\"</p><p>In addition, the map can help scientists understand how blood-forming cells that develop in the embryo contribute to human disease. For example, it provides the foundation for studying why some blood cancers that begin in utero are more aggressive than those that occur after birth.</p><p>\"Now that we\'ve created an online resource that scientists around the world can use to guide their research, the real work is starting,\" Mikkola said. \"It\'s a really exciting time to be in the field because we\'re finally going to be seeing the fruits of our labor.\"</p><p>The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation, the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, the Swedish Research Council, the European Molecular Biology Organization, the Swiss National Science Foundation and the UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center (including support from the Rose Hills Foundation and the center\'s training program).</p>','2022-04-13 20:46:50.324207','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'University of California - Los Angeles','Scientists have created a new roadmap that traces each step in the development of blood stem cells in the human embryo, providing scientists with a blueprint for producing fully functional blood stem cells in the lab. The research could help expand treatment options for blood cancers like leukemia and inherited blood disorders such as sickle cell disease.\n',1,29,'<li>Vincenzo Calvanese, Sandra Capellera-Garcia, Feiyang Ma, Iman Fares, Simone Liebscher, Elizabeth S. Ng, Sophia Ekstrand, Júlia Aguadé-Gorgorió, Anastasia Vavilina, Diane Lefaudeux, Brian Nadel, Jacky Y. Li, Yanling Wang, Lydia K. Lee, Reza Ardehali, M. Luisa Iruela-Arispe, Matteo Pellegrini, Ed G. Stanley, Andrew G. Elefanty, Katja Schenke-Layland, Hanna K. A. Mikkola. <strong>Mapping human haematopoietic stem cells from haemogenic endothelium to birth</strong>. <em>Nature</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04571-x\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1038/s41586-022-04571-x</a>\n</li>'),(2115,'Mutations across animal kingdom shed new light on aging','mutations-across-animal-kingdom-shed-new-light-on-aging','2022-04-13 20:46:55.792854',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">The first study to compare the accumulation of mutations across many animal species has shed new light on decades-old questions about the role of these genetic changes in ageing and cancer. Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute found that despite huge variation in lifespan and size, different animal species end their natural life with similar numbers of genetic changes.</p><p>The study, published today (13 April 2022) in <em>Nature</em>, analysed genomes from 16 species of mammal, from mice to giraffes. The authors confirmed that the longer the lifespan of a species, the slower the rate at which mutations occur, lending support to the long-standing theory that somatic mutations play a role in ageing.</p><p>Genetic changes, known as somatic mutations, occur in all cells throughout the life of an organism. This is a natural process, with cells acquiring around 20 to 50 mutations per year in humans. Most of these mutations will be harmless, but some of them can start a cell on the path to cancer or impair the normal functioning of the cell.</p><p>Since the 1950s, some scientists have speculated that these mutations may play a role in ageing. But the difficulty of observing somatic mutations has made it challenging to study this possibility. In the last few years, technological advances have finally allowed genetic changes to be observed in normal tissues, raising hopes of answering this question<sup>1</sup>.</p><p>Another long-standing question is Peto\'s paradox. Since cancers develop from single cells, species with larger bodies (and therefore more cells) should theoretically have a much higher risk of cancer. Yet cancer incidence across animals is independent of body size. Animal species with large bodies are believed to have evolved superior mechanisms to prevent cancer. Whether one such mechanism is a reduction in the accumulation of genetic changes in their tissues has remained untested.</p><p>In this study, researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute set out to test these theories by using new methods to measure somatic mutation in 16 mammalian species, covering a wide range of lifespans and body masses<sup>2</sup>. This included species such as human, mouse, lion, giraffe, tiger, and the long-lived, highly cancer-resistant naked mole-rat, with samples provided by a number of organisations including the Zoological Society of London.</p><p>Whole-genome sequences were generated from 208 intestinal crypts<sup>3</sup> taken from 48 individuals, to measure mutation rates in single intestinal stem cells.</p><p>Analysis of the patterns of mutations (or mutational signatures) provided information on the processes at work. The researchers found that somatic mutations accumulated linearly over time and that they were caused by similar mechanisms across all species, including humans, despite their very different diets and life histories.</p><p>Evidence of a possible role of somatic mutations in ageing was provided by the researchers\' discovery that the rate of somatic mutation decreased as the lifespan of each species increased.</p><p>Dr Alex Cagan, a first author of the study from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said: \"To find a similar pattern of genetic changes in animals as different from one another as a mouse and a tiger was surprising. But the most exciting aspect of the study has to be finding that lifespan is inversely proportional to the somatic mutation rate. This suggests that somatic mutations may play a role in ageing, although alternative explanations may be possible. Over the next few years, it will be fascinating to extend these studies into even more diverse species, such as insects or plants.\"</p><p>The search for an answer to Peto\'s paradox goes on, however. After accounting for lifespan, the authors found no significant association between somatic mutation rate and body mass, indicating that other factors must be involved in larger animals\' ability to reduce their cancer risk relative to their size.</p><p>Dr Adrian Baez-Ortega, a first author of the study from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said: \"The fact that differences in somatic mutation rate seem to be explained by differences in lifespan, rather than body size, suggests that although adjusting the mutation rate sounds like an elegant way of controlling the incidence of cancer across species, evolution has not actually chosen this path. It is quite possible that every time a species evolves a larger size than its ancestors -- as in giraffes, elephants and whales -- evolution might come up with a different solution to this problem. We will need to study these species in greater detail to find out.\"</p><p>Despite vast differences in lifespan and body mass between the 16 species studied, the quantity of somatic mutations acquired over each animal\'s lifetime was relatively similar. On average a giraffe is 40,000 times bigger than a mouse, and a human lives 30 times longer, but the difference in the number of somatic mutations per cell at the end of lifespan between the three species only varied by around a factor of three.</p><p>Dr Simon Spiro, ZSL (Zoological Society of London) wildlife veterinary pathologist, said: \"Animals often live much longer in zoos than they do in the wild, so our vets\' time is often spent dealing with conditions related to old age. The genetic changes identified in this study suggest that diseases of old age will be similar across a wide range of mammals, whether old age begins at seven months or 70 years, and will help us keep these animals happy and healthy in their later years.\"</p><p>Understanding the exact causes of ageing remains an unsolved question and an area of active investigation. Ageing is likely to be caused by the accumulation of multiple types of damage to our cells and tissues throughout life, including somatic mutations, protein aggregation and epigenetic changes, among others. Comparing the rates of these processes across species with very different lifespans can shed light on their role in ageing.</p><p>Dr Inigo Martincorena, senior author of the study from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said: \"Ageing is a complex process, the result of multiple forms of molecular damage in our cells and tissues. Somatic mutations have been speculated to contribute to ageing since the 1950s, but studying them had remained difficult. With the recent advances in DNA sequencing technologies, we can finally investigate the roles that somatic mutations play in ageing and in multiple diseases. That this diverse range of mammals end their lives with a similar number of mutations in their cells is an exciting and intriguing discovery.\"</p>','2022-04-13 20:46:55.792854','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute','A new study compares the accumulation of mutations across many animal species and has shed new light on decades-old questions about the role of these genetic changes in ageing and cancer. Researchers found that despite huge variation in lifespan and size, different animal species end their natural life with similar numbers of genetic changes.\n',1,184,'<li>Alex Cagan, Adrian Baez-Ortega, Natalia Brzozowska, Federico Abascal, Tim H. H. Coorens, Mathijs A. Sanders, Andrew R. J. Lawson, Luke M. R. Harvey, Shriram Bhosle, David Jones, Raul E. Alcantara, Timothy M. Butler, Yvette Hooks, Kirsty Roberts, Elizabeth Anderson, Sharna Lunn, Edmund Flach, Simon Spiro, Inez Januszczak, Ethan Wrigglesworth, Hannah Jenkins, Tilly Dallas, Nic Masters, Matthew W. Perkins, Robert Deaville, Megan Druce, Ruzhica Bogeska, Michael D. Milsom, Björn Neumann, Frank Gorman, Fernando Constantino-Casas, Laura Peachey, Diana Bochynska, Ewan St. John Smith, Moritz Gerstung, Peter J. Campbell, Elizabeth P. Murchison, Michael R. Stratton, Iñigo Martincorena. <strong>Somatic mutation rates scale with lifespan across mammals</strong>. <em>Nature</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04618-z\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1038/s41586-022-04618-z</a>\n</li>'),(2116,'Pre-school children’s emotional eating partly shaped by innate food drive','pre-school-children’s-emotional-eating-partly-shaped-by-innate-food-drive','2022-04-13 20:47:05.183306',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">New research at Aston University is helping to unpick the complex connections between the eating habits of children and their mothers.</p><p>The research, by PhD student Rebecca Stone, surveyed 185 mothers of young children aged between three and five, asking about their eating habits and those of their children. The findings are published in the <em>Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics</em>.</p><p>Children pick up lots of behaviours by copying their parents -- and this is true of their eating habits as well. The aim of the new research was to see how much of children\'s emotional eating is explained by the way mothers use food as part of their parenting practices as well as the children\'s own attitudes to food more generally.</p><p>\'Emotional eating\' is when we turn to food, such as cakes, chocolate and snacks, not because we\'re hungry but to compensate for when we\'re feeling sad, low or anxious. The survey included questions for mothers about how much they and their children ate in response to emotional states. It also asked about how much children were motivated by food and driven to eat or ask for food throughout the day, which is known as \'food approach\' behaviour.</p><p>Stone also asked mothers about the feeding practices that they used with their children -- in particular about whether they used food to reward children for good behaviour, or visibly restricted their child\'s access to foods, for example having foods in the house but forbidding them. These practices have been shown to make children more interested in food and have also been linked to greater emotional eating in children.</p><p>When Stone analysed the responses, she found that children who were very motivated by food were more likely to pick up emotional eating behaviour from their parents. Stone used a complex statistical method, known as moderated mediation analysis, to decipher how the different aspects of the relationship interacted: emotional eating in the mother, how she parented the child around food, the child\'s food approach tendencies and emotional eating.</p><p>Professor Claire Farrow, who was one of Stone\'s PhD supervisors at Aston University, said: \"This study demonstrates that the way that children develop eating behaviours is very complex, and that emotional eating appears to be shaped in part by an innate drive towards food. In this study we found that parenting practices interact with children\'s eating tendencies and that children who are the most driven to approach food are the most influenced by feeding practices that can lead to emotional eating. These findings suggests that a \'one size fits all\' approach to child feeding isn\'t always appropriate and that some children are more susceptible to the influence of behaviours that can lead to emotional eating.\"</p><p>Stone agreed: \"Our findings suggest that children who were more motivated to eat were more predisposed to associate food with emotions. Our research supports the idea that emotional eating is a learned behaviour which children often develop in pre-school years, but that some children are more vulnerable to developing emotional eating than others\"</p><p>Although common amongst parents, the research also highlights that using food as a reward or visibly restricting the child\'s access to certain foods -- even in children as young as three -- can be problematic. Giving a piece of chocolate as a reward or telling children they can only have one biscuit as a \'treat\' is likely to create an emotional response in the child which they then connect to those foods.</p><p>Stone said: \"The research suggests that restricting food in front of children who are already more motivated by food tends to backfire and makes children crave restricted foods even more. What seems to work best is known as \'covert restriction\' -- not letting children know that some foods are restricted (for example, not buying foods that you do not want your child to eat) and avoiding instances where you have to tell children that they are not allowed certain foods.\"</p><p>The researchers suggest parents looking for practical advice on healthy eating and fussy eating should check out the Child Feeding Guide, a free online resource created by Professor Claire Farrow, Professor Emma Haycraft &amp; Dr Gemma Witcomb at Aston and Loughborough Universities.</p>','2022-04-13 20:47:05.183306','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Aston University','New research is helping to unpick the complex connections between the eating habits of children and their mothers. The research surveyed 185 mothers of young children aged between three and five, asking about their eating habits and those of their children.\n',1,105,'<li>Rebecca A. Stone, Emma Haycraft, Jacqueline Blissett, Claire Farrow. <strong>Preschool-Aged Children’s Food Approach Tendencies Interact with Food Parenting Practices and Maternal Emotional Eating to Predict Children’s Emotional Eating in a Cross-Sectional Analysis</strong>. <em>Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2022.02.001\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1016/j.jand.2022.02.001</a>\n</li>'),(2117,'Discovery of wheat’s clustered chemical defenses creates new avenues for research','discovery-of-wheat’s-clustered-chemical-defenses-creates-new-avenues-for-research','2022-04-13 20:47:07.620737',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">A research collaboration has helped to explain the chemical defenses that protect wheat plants against disease -- opening potential new avenues of study in this globally cultivated crop.</p><p>Researchers at the John Innes Centre leveraged recent advances in mapping of bread wheat\'s complex genome to make the discovery.</p><p>The Osbourn and Uauy groups collaborated to generate data that led to the discovery of several sets of genes in wheat that are switched on when the plant is attacked by disease-causing microbes.</p><p>These genes are found in six so-called biosynthetic gene clusters in the wheat genome. Gene clusters that produce defense molecules have also previously been found in other cereal crops such as oat and rice.</p><p>To find out what chemicals are produced by these clusters the researchers isolated genes of interest and introduced them into the plant Nicotiana benthamiana, a close relative of tobacco. This transient expression technique enabled rapid analysis of the biochemical pathways encoded by the clusters.</p><p>The researchers found that the clusters encoded a versatile set of molecules including triterpenes, diterpenes and flavonoids, including a previously unknown molecule which was named ellarinacin.</p><p>The group are continuing their work on deciphering other molecules produced by the gene clusters and understanding how they contribute to protection of wheat against pests and disease.</p><p>Wheat is one of the most important cereal crops and supplies one fifth of the calories consumed by humans worldwide. Despite its agricultural importance, little is known about the chemicals wheat produces in response to pest and pathogen attacks.</p><p>Knowing genetic pathways produce certain useful chemicals means that these gene combinations could be bred into wheat varieties to make them more resistant to diseases at a time when climate change is making this more of a problem.</p><p>The study which appears in the journal PNAS also found that Brachypodium distachyon, a wild grass relative of wheat contained a pathogen-induced variation of the Ellarinacin cluster, which produces a structurally similar compound, brachynacin.</p><p>The paper highlights the start of a significant new direction for wheat research explains Dr Polturak.</p><p>\"Our genomics-driven approach has allowed us to identify compounds that are produced in wheat only under certain conditions -- in this case pathogen attack. Finding these molecules by the \'classical\' approach of chemical analysis of wheat extracts would be challenging.\"</p><p>Professor Anne Osbourn, a group leader at the John Innes Centre and an author of the paper said: \"From knowing little about wheat defense compounds, we have now discovered six previously unknown pathways for biosynthesis of defence compounds in wheat, including entirely new chemicals that haven\'t been reported before. Our work continues, to investigate what these molecules are doing in wheat, how they contribute to defence against pathogens, and how the whole network of pathogen-induced gene clusters is regulated.\"</p>','2022-04-13 20:47:07.620737','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'John Innes Centre','Research collaboration has helps to explain the chemical defenses that protect wheat plants against disease.\n',1,132,'<li>Guy Polturak, Martin Dippe, Michael J. Stephenson, Rajesh Chandra Misra, Charlotte Owen, Ricardo H. Ramirez-Gonzalez, John F. Haidoulis, Henk-Jan Schoonbeek, Laetitia Chartrain, Philippa Borrill, David R. Nelson, James K.M. Brown, Paul Nicholson, Cristobal Uauy, Anne Osbourn. <strong>Pathogen-induced biosynthetic pathways encode defense-related molecules in bread wheat</strong>. <em>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</em>, 2022; 119 (16) DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2123299119\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1073/pnas.2123299119</a>\n</li>'),(2118,'New polymer materials make fabricating optical interconnects easier','new-polymer-materials-make-fabricating-optical-interconnects-easier','2022-04-13 20:47:10.151969',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Researchers have developed new polymer materials that are ideal for making the optical links necessary to connect chip-based photonic components with board-level circuits or optical fibers. The polymers can be used to easily create interconnects between photonic chips and optical printed circuit boards, the light-based equivalent of electronic printed circuit boards.</p><p>\"These new materials and the processes they enable could lead to powerful new photonic modules based on silicon photonics,\" said research team leader Robert Norwood from the University of Arizona. \"They could also be useful for optical sensing or making holographic displays for augmented and virtual reality applications.\"</p><p>Silicon photonics technology allows light-based components to be integrated onto a tiny chip. Although many of the basic building blocks of silicon photonic devices have been demonstrated, better methods are needed to fabricate the optical connections that link these components together to make more complex systems.</p><p>In the journal <em>Optical Materials Express</em>, the researchers report new polymer materials that feature a refractive index that can be adjusted with ultraviolet (UV) light and low optical losses. These materials allow a single-mode optical interconnect to be printed directly into a dry film material using a low cost, high throughput lithography system that is compatible with the CMOS manufacturing techniques used to make chip-based photonic components.</p><p>\"This technology makes it more practical to fabricate optical interconnects, which can be used to make the Internet -- especially the data centers that make it run -- more efficient,\" said Norwood. \"Compared to their electronic counterparts, optical interconnects can increase data throughput while also generating less heat. This reduces power consumption and cooling requirements.\"</p><p><strong>Replacing wires with light</strong></p><p>The research expands on a vinylthiophenol polymer material system known as S-BOC that the investigators developed previously. This material has a refractive index that can be modified using UV illumination. In the new work, the researchers partially fluorinated S-BOC to improve its light efficiency. The new material system, called FS-BOC, exhibits lower optical propagation losses than many other optical interconnect materials.</p><p>\"With this material we can use a process that we call SmartPrint to directly write optical interconnections between different optical printed circuit board elements, such as ion-exchange (IOX) glass waveguides provided by our collaborator Lars Brusberg from Corning Incorporated,\" said Norwood.</p><p>To perform the SmartPrint process, a FS-BOC film is applied directly to a photonic component. No mechanical alignment is needed because the optical interconnect is made using a maskless lithography system that calculates where the interconnect is required by looking at the components and then writing the optical interconnect into the polymer using photoexposure. No additional processing is necessary other than briefly heating the polymer film to 90 °C. Because the fabrication approach is maskless, writing patterns can be changed without making a new photomask.</p><p><strong>Creating a connection</strong></p><p>To demonstrate the new materials, the researchers deposited them directly onto ion-exchange glass waveguide arrays, which are commonly used for integrated photonic devices. They then printed the coupling features needed to allow light to travel out of one IOX waveguide, propagate into the newly fabricated polymer interconnect, and then enter a second IOX waveguide adjacent to the initial IOX waveguide.</p><p>According to the researchers, the polymer optical interconnects worked well and showed low propagation and coupling losses, which means very little light was lost as it traveled within the interconnect or between it and the other components.</p><p>The researchers are now working to improve the material\'s refractive index contrast and performance at high temperatures. \"A higher refractive index contrast would make the material more tolerant to manufacturing variations while high temperature performance is likely needed for the interconnect to withstand solder reflow processes, which take place above 200 °C,\" said Norwood.</p>','2022-04-13 20:47:10.151969','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Optica','Researchers have developed new polymer materials that are ideal for making the optical links necessary to connect chip-based photonic components with board-level circuits or optical fibers. These materials can be used to easily create interconnects between photonic chips and optical printed circuit boards, the light-based equivalent of electronic printed circuit boards.\n',1,97,'<li>Julie I. Frish, Tristan S. Kleine, Roland Himmelhuber, Sasaan Showghi, Abhinav Nishant, Kyung-Jo Kim, Linan Jiang, Kaitlyn P. Martin, Lars Brusberg, Stanley Pau, Thomas L. Koch, Jeffrey Pyun, Robert A. Norwood. <strong>Rapid photolithographic fabrication of high density optical interconnects using refractive index contrast polymers</strong>. <em>Optical Materials Express</em>, 2022; 12 (5): 1932 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OME.454195\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1364/OME.454195</a>\n</li>'),(2119,'Tumors change their metabolism to spread more effectively','tumors-change-their-metabolism-to-spread-more-effectively','2022-04-13 20:47:15.308083',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Cancer cells can disrupt a metabolic pathway that breaks down fats and proteins to boost the levels of a byproduct called methylmalonic acid, thereby driving metastasis, according to research led by scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine. The findings open a new lead for understanding how tumors metastasize, or spread to other tissues, and hints at novel ways to block the spread of cancer by targeting the process.</p><p>The new results, published March 31 in Nature Metabolism, show that metastatic tumors suppress the activity of a key enzyme in propionate metabolism, the process by which cells digest certain fatty acids and protein components. Suppressing the enzyme increases production of methylmalonic acid (MMA). That, in turn, causes the cells to become more aggressive and invasive.</p><p>Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, and metastasis drives much of that mortality. Once a tumor begins to metastasize to different tissues and organs around the body, it can quickly become difficult or impossible to treat. However, researchers have made few inroads in understanding how a tumor cell acquires the ability to metastasize.</p><p>\"A lot of work has been focused on primary tumor initiation and growth, or examining the metastatic tumor, but to go from the primary tumor to the metastatic tumor, that transition has not been studied very extensively,\" said co-senior author Dr. John Blenis, the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Professor in Cancer Research, professor of pharmacology and associate director of basic science of the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine.</p><p>To address that gap, Dr. Blenis and his colleagues have worked for several years to characterize the metabolic changes that cells undergo during the metastatic transition. That effort previously revealed that as people age, their bodies produce more serum MMA (although the source remains unknown), and that higher MMA levels drive worse cancer outcomes. Healthy cells also produce MMA, though, so in the new study Dr. Blenis\'s team probed the metabolite\'s cancer-related activities more deeply.</p><p>\"Cancer cells themselves can hijack the pathway that makes methylmalonic acid and this forms a feed-forward cycle that drives cancer progression towards more aggressive and more metastatic forms,\" said co-first author Dr. Vivien Low, a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Blenis\'s lab. The other co-first authors Dr. Ana Gomes and Dr. Didem Ilter, were also postdoctoral fellows in the lab at the time of the study. Dr. Gomes is now a faculty member and Dr. Ilter is a research scientist at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center &amp; Research Institute.</p><p>The discovery adds to a growing body of work showing that specific products of metabolism, called oncometabolites, can drive many aspects of cancer progression and metastasis.</p><p>While the new paper focused on various models of breast cancer, Dr. Low said the team is now analyzing other types of cancer cells as well, where they expect to find similar mechanisms operating. The scientists are also searching for ways to attack the process.</p><p>\"Metastasis is responsible for about 80 to 90 percent of cancer-related mortality, so if we can predict when someone has the potential to develop metastatic tumors, or treat those metastatic tumors that might have this pathway up-regulated, then we might have a very effective, novel therapy,\" Dr. Blenis said.</p>','2022-04-13 20:47:15.308083','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Weill Cornell Medicine','Cancer cells can disrupt a metabolic pathway that breaks down fats and proteins to boost the levels of a byproduct called methylmalonic acid, thereby driving metastasis, according to new research. The findings open a new lead for understanding how tumors metastasize, or spread to other tissues, and hints at novel ways to block the spread of cancer by targeting the process.\n',1,89,'<li>Ana P. Gomes, Didem Ilter, Vivien Low, Stanislav Drapela, Tanya Schild, Edouard Mullarky, Julie Han, Ilaria Elia, Dorien Broekaert, Adam Rosenzweig, Michal Nagiec, Joana B. Nunes, Bethany E. Schaffer, Anders P. Mutvei, John M. Asara, Lewis C. Cantley, Sarah-Maria Fendt, John Blenis. <strong>Altered propionate metabolism contributes to tumour progression and aggressiveness</strong>. <em>Nature Metabolism</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s42255-022-00553-5\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1038/s42255-022-00553-5</a>\n</li>'),(2120,'Act of sabotage determines mammalian embryonic development','act-of-sabotage-determines-mammalian-embryonic-development','2022-04-13 21:50:30.954679',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Alternative splicing is a fundamental biological process that allows cells to make many different types of mRNAs and proteins from a limited number of genes. For many animals, including humans, it is a feature that is essential for the development of complex cells such as muscles or neurons.</p><p>Its fundamental importance means that alternative splicing is a very tightly regulated process. But a new study published today in the journal <em>Science Advances</em> has found evidence that the regulation of alternative splicing, which rarely goes wrong in healthy cells, goes haywire in an unexpected place -- the cells of a newly formed embryo.</p><p>Researchers at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona made the discovery after creating an atlas of splicing events during the early development of cows, humans and mice.</p><p>They found that when human embryos are balls of just 8 cells, they express a huge variety of alternative mRNAs, so much so that the splicing diversity was the highest ever recorded across any cell or tissue studied to date. When the embryos transitioned to the next stage of development, their splicing activity returned to normal.</p><p>According to the authors of the study, this is evidence that the regulation of alternative splicing collapses temporarily at a crucial stage of development known as zygotic genome activation. This is when an early embryo transitions from using maternal resources such as proteins and RNA and making its own.</p><p>Importantly, the researchers believe the newly-discovered phenomenon occurs because it is developmentally programmed -- a purposeful act of sabotage. \"We think this happens because there are instructions in our genome that tell a few genes to not do their job at that developmental stage. The embryo cells mess up their splicing on purpose and they do so for a functional reason,\" says ICREA Research Professor Manuel Irimia, senior author of the study.</p><p>An important clue for why the regulation of splicing fails at this crucial moment lies in the function of the proteins affected. The researchers found that splicing failure destroyed proteins responsible for responding to DNA damage.</p><p>\"We saw that the DNA damage response at this stage of development was low. While splicing failure isn\'t the only factor affecting this defense mechanism, it\'s partly responsible for destroying the proteins involved. We don\'t know why this happens, but it\'s possibly because transcription itself carries a risk of DNA damage. As embryos activate their genome for the first time and start to transcribe, there may be trade-offs involved in order to avoid developmental failure.\" says Dr. Barbara Pernaute, postdoctoral researcher at the CRG and co-first author of the study.</p><p>According to Dr. Pernaute, these results improve our understanding of how embryos develop during these early stages and could open doors for improvements in assisted reproductive technologies.</p><p>The findings could also be useful for advancing research efforts in the creation of totipotent cells from stem cells, a long-term aspiration for regenerative medicine. As these early embryonic cells are truly totipotent cells, knowledge of the mechanism could lead to advances that reverse engineer stem cells to induce totipotency.</p><p>\"Recent studies carried out by other research groups around the world have shown that artificially inducing the mechanism we find in our study transforms stem cells into totipotent cells. We believe these programmed splicing failures also occur in other physiological contexts. We are only just scratching the surface for the importance this mechanism has for biological processes,\" concludes Dr. Irimia.</p>','2022-04-13 21:50:30.954679','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Center for Genomic Regulation','Alternative splicing is a fundamental biological process that allows cells to make many different types of mRNAs and proteins from a limited number of genes. For many animals, including humans, it is a feature that is essential for the development of complex cells such as muscles or neurons. A new study finds evidence that the regulation of alternative splicing, which rarely goes wrong in healthy cells, goes haywire in an unexpected place -- the cells of a newly formed embryo. The findings could pave the way for advances in assisted reproductive technologies and stem cell biology.\n',1,29,'<li>Christopher D. R. Wyatt, Barbara Pernaute, André Gohr, Marta Miret-Cuesta, Lucia Goyeneche, Quirze Rovira, Marion C. Salzer, Elvan Boke, Ozren Bogdanovic, Sophie Bonnal, Manuel Irimia. <strong>A developmentally programmed splicing failure contributes to DNA damage response attenuation during mammalian zygotic genome activation</strong>. <em>Science Advances</em>, 2022; 8 (15) DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abn4935\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1126/sciadv.abn4935</a>\n</li>'),(2121,'Diverse life forms may have evolved earlier than previously thought','diverse-life-forms-may-have-evolved-earlier-than-previously-thought','2022-04-13 21:50:32.938987',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Diverse microbial life existed on Earth at least 3.75 billion years ago, suggests a new study led by UCL researchers that challenges the conventional view of when life began.</p><p>For the study, published in <em>Science Advances</em>, the research team analysed a fist-sized rock from Quebec, Canada, estimated to be between 3.75 and 4.28 billion years old. In an earlier <em>Nature</em> paper (see below) the team found tiny filaments, knobs and tubes in the rock which appeared to have been made by bacteria.</p><p>However, not all scientists agreed that these structures -- dating about 300 million years earlier than what is more commonly accepted as the first sign of ancient life -- were of biological origin.</p><p>Now, after extensive further analysis of the rock, the team have discovered a much larger and more complex structure -- a stem with parallel branches on one side that is nearly a centimetre long -- as well as hundreds of distorted spheres, or ellipsoids, alongside the tubes and filaments.</p><p>The researchers say that, while some of the structures could conceivably have been created through chance chemical reactions, the \"tree-like\" stem with parallel branches was most likely biological in origin, as no structure created via chemistry alone has been found like it.</p><p>The team also provide evidence of how the bacteria got their energy in different ways. They found mineralised chemical by-products in the rock that are consistent with ancient microbes living off iron, sulphur and possibly also carbon dioxide and light through a form of photosynthesis not involving oxygen.</p><p>These new findings, according to the researchers, suggest that a variety of microbial life may have existed on primordial Earth, potentially as little as 300 million years after the planet formed.</p><p>Lead author Dr Dominic Papineau (UCL Earth Sciences, UCL London Centre for Nanotechnology, Centre for Planetary Sciences and China University of Geosciences) said: \"Using many different lines of evidence, our study strongly suggests a number of different types of bacteria existed on Earth between 3.75 and 4.28 billion years ago.\"</p><p>\"This means life could have begun as little as 300 million years after Earth formed. In geological terms, this is quick -- about one spin of the Sun around the galaxy.\"</p><p>\"These findings have implications for the possibility of extraterrestrial life. If life is relatively quick to emerge, given the right conditions, this increases the chance that life exists on other planets.\"</p><p>For the study, the researchers examined rocks from Quebec\'s Nuvvuagittuq Supracrustal Belt (NSB) that Dr Papineau collected in 2008. The NSB, once a chunk of seafloor, contains some of the oldest sedimentary rocks known on Earth, thought to have been laid down near a system of hydrothermal vents, where cracks on the seafloor let through iron-rich waters heated by magma.</p><p>The research team sliced the rock into sections about as thick as paper (100 microns) in order to closely observe the tiny fossil-like structures, which are made of haematite, a form of iron oxide or rust, and encased in quartz. These slices of rock, cut with a diamond-encrusted saw, were more than twice as thick as earlier sections the researchers had cut, allowing the team to see larger haematite structures in them.</p><p>They compared the structures and compositions to more recent fossils as well as to iron-oxidising bacteria located near hydrothermal vent systems today. They found modern-day equivalents to the twisting filaments, parallel branching structures and distorted spheres (irregular ellipsoids), for instance close to the Loihi undersea volcano near Hawaii, as well as other vent systems in the Arctic and Indian oceans.</p><p>As well as analysing the rock specimens under various optical and Raman microscopes (which measure the scattering of light), the research team also digitally recreated sections of the rock using a supercomputer that processed thousands of images from two high resolution imaging techniques. The first technique was micro-CT, or microtomography, which uses X-rays to look at the haematite inside the rocks. The second was focused ion beam, which shaves away miniscule -- 200 nanometre-thick -- slices of rock, with an integrated electron microscope taking an image in-between each slice.</p><p>Both techniques produced stacks of images used to create 3D models of different targets. The 3D models then allowed the researchers to confirm the haematite filaments were wavy and twisted, and contained organic carbon, which are characteristics shared with modern-day iron-eating microbes.</p><p>In their analysis, the team concluded that the haematite structures could not have been created through the squeezing and heating of the rock (metamorphism) over billions of years, pointing out that the structures appeared to be better preserved in finer quartz (less affected by metamorphism) than in the coarser quartz (which has undergone more metamorphism).</p><p>The researchers also looked at the levels of rare earth elements in the fossil-laden rock, finding that they had the same levels as other ancient rock specimens. This confirmed that the seafloor deposits were as old as the surrounding volcanic rocks, and not younger imposter infiltrations as some have proposed.</p><p>Prior to this discovery, the oldest fossils previously reported were found in Western Australia and dated at 3.46 billion years old, although some scientists have also contested their status as fossils, arguing they are non-biological in origin.</p><p>The new study involved researchers from UCL Earth Sciences, UCL Chemical Engineering UCL London Centre for Nanotechnology, and the Centre for Planetary Sciences at UCL and Birkbeck College London, as well as from the U.S. Geological Survey, the Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada, the Carnegie Institution for Science, the University of Leeds, and the China University of Geoscience in Wuhan.</p><p>The research received support from UCL, Carnegie of Canada, Carnegie Institution for Science, the China University of Geoscience in Wuhan, the National Science Foundation of China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the 111 project of China.</p><p><strong>Story Source:</strong></p>','2022-04-13 21:50:32.938987','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'University College London','Researchers analyzed a fist-sized rock from Quebec, Canada, estimated to be between 3.75 and 4.28 billion years old. In an earlier article, the team found tiny filaments, knobs and tubes in the rock which appeared to have been made by bacteria. However, not all scientists agreed that these structures -- dating about 300 million years earlier than what is more commonly accepted as the first sign of ancient life -- were of biological origin. Now, after extensive further analysis of the rock, the team have discovered a much larger and more complex structure -- a stem with parallel branches on one side that is nearly a centimeter long -- as well as hundreds of distorted spheres, or ellipsoids, alongside the tubes and filaments. The researchers say that, while some of the structures could conceivably have been created through chance chemical reactions, the \'tree-like\' stem with parallel branches was most likely biological in origin, as no structure created via chemistry alone has been found like it.\n',1,54,'<li>Dominic Papineau, Zhenbing She, Matthew S. Dodd, Francesco Iacoviello, John F. Slack, Erik Hauri, Paul Shearing, Crispin T. S. Little. <strong>Metabolically diverse primordial microbial communities in Earth’s oldest seafloor-hydrothermal jasper</strong>. <em>Science Advances</em>, 2022; 8 (15) DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abm2296\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1126/sciadv.abm2296</a>\n</li>'),(2122,'Researchers load CAR T cells with oncolytic virus to treat solid cancer tumors','researchers-load-car-t-cells-with-oncolytic-virus-to-treat-solid-cancer-tumors','2022-04-13 21:50:38.892014',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Researchers at Mayo Clinic\'s Center for Individualized Medicine have devised an immunotherapy technique that combines chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapy, or CAR-T cell therapy, with a cancer-killing virus to more effectively target and treat solid cancer tumors.</p><p>The combination approach, published in<em> Science Translational Medicine, </em>involves loading CAR-T cells, which are engineered to look for antigens on cancer cells, with an oncolytic virus. Oncolytic viruses are naturally occurring viruses that can infect and break down cancer cells. They either naturally replicate well in cancer cells or can be engineered to selectively target cancer cells.</p><p>The study suggests CAR-T cells can deliver the oncolytic virus to the tumor. Then the virus can infiltrate tumor cells, replicate to bust the cells open, and stimulate a potent immune response.</p><p>\"This approach allows the tumor to be killed by the virus as well as by the CAR-T cells,\" explains Richard Vile, Ph.D., co-leader of the Gene and Virus Therapy Program within Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. \"In addition, when the virus is delivered, it turns the tumor into a very inflammatory environment, which the patient\'s own immune system then sees and starts to attack.\"</p><p>The therapeutic strategy addresses two major challenges that make solid tumors difficult to treat with CAR-T cell therapy alone. First, the oncolytic virus can break down the molecular shield that some solid tumors use to avoid an immune system attack. Second, the virus can invade into the core of the cancer cells -- a near-impossible feat for immune cells alone, which often lose their power in the attempt.</p><p>The researchers also found that the combination approach provided an immune memory phenotype against the tumor.</p><p>\"By putting the virus onto the CAR-T, we activate them against both the virus and the tumor, and they acquire immunological memory,\" Dr. Vile says. \"This allows us to give a boost with the virus at a later time point, which in turn makes the CAR-T cells wake up again and undergo additional rounds of killing the tumor.\"</p><p>Using mouse models, Dr. Vile and his team delivered the dual therapy intravenously to treat pediatric and adult high-grade glioma, as well as melanoma in the skin. They found that the combination therapy led to high cure rates in tumors in multiple sites without causing significant toxicity. They also found it resulted in apparent protection in the cured mice against tumor recurrence.</p><p>\"Clinically, delivering the therapy systemically is a potential advantage because you could possibly treat patients with metastatic disease without having to inject each tumor,\" Dr. Vile explains.</p><p>Next, Dr. Vile emphasizes it will be important to be cautious about how well studies in animal models of cancer will translate into patient care.</p><p>\"Nonetheless, we are hopeful that we will be able to take this strategy into clinical trials within a year or two,\" Dr. Vile says. \"By doing such trials at Mayo Clinic, it will be possible to see if we can add a further level of efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy to the treatment of solid tumors of different types.\"</p><p><strong>Acknowledgments</strong></p><p>This work was funded in part by Fraternal Order of Eagles Cancer Research Fund, Fellowship Program, The European Research Council, The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation, Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic Ventures, the NIH (R01CA175386, R01CA108961, P50 CA210964 to R.G. Vile), a grant from Terry and Judith Paul, and a research grant from Oncolytics Biotech Inc. The salary of A. Huff and C. Driscoll was supported in part by grant T32 AI132165 from the National Institutes of Health.</p>','2022-04-13 21:50:38.892014','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Mayo Clinic','Researchers have devised an immunotherapy technique that combines chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapy, or CAR-T cell therapy, with a cancer-killing virus to more effectively target and treat solid cancer tumors.\n',1,89,'<li>Laura Evgin, Tim Kottke, Jason Tonne, Jill Thompson, Amanda L. Huff, Jacob van Vloten, Madelyn Moore, Josefine Michael, Christopher Driscoll, Jose Pulido, Eric Swanson, Richard Kennedy, Matt Coffey, Houra Loghmani, Luis Sanchez-Perez, Gloria Olivier, Kevin Harrington, Hardev Pandha, Alan Melcher, Rosa Maria Diaz, Richard G. Vile. <strong>Oncolytic virus–mediated expansion of dual-specific CAR T cells improves efficacy against solid tumors in mice</strong>. <em>Science Translational Medicine</em>, 2022; 14 (640) DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.abn2231\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1126/scitranslmed.abn2231</a>\n</li>'),(2123,'Pandemic may have intensified U.S. workplace prejudice against East Asian and Hispanic colleagues','pandemic-may-have-intensified-u.s.-workplace-prejudice-against-east-asian-and-hispanic-colleagues','2022-04-13 21:50:46.923084',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">A new, U.S.-based survey study suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic may have amplified prejudicial attitudes against East Asian and Hispanic colleagues in the workplace. Neeraj Kaushal, Yao Lu and Xiaoning Huang of Columbia University, New York, and Northwestern University, Chicago, present these findings in the open-access journal <em>PLOS ONE</em> on April 13.</p><p>Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, instances of discrimination and hate crimes towards minorities have increased, particularly against Chinese Americans. Most reported instances have occurred in public and involved strangers. However, because workplace discrimination is less likely to be reported, the potential impacts of the pandemic on workplace attitudes towards ethno-racial minorities have been unclear.</p><p>Kaushal and colleagues analyzed survey data collected early in the pandemic, in August 2020, from 3,837 working-age American adults. Each participant received one of two versions of the survey; one opened with a brief description of the state of the pandemic, followed by questions about how COVID-19 had impacted respondents personally and, given a hypothetical workplace scenario, their preference for working with a hypothetical colleague from a certain ethno-racial group. The second version asked about the hypothetical colleague first, before asking about the personal impact of COVID-19.</p><p>Statistical analysis of the survey responses suggests that priming participants with a description and questions about the pandemic reduced their acceptance of East Asians as hypothetical colleagues and supervisors, and also reduced acceptance of hypothetical Hispanic colleagues, supervisors, and staff.</p><p>Participants who had lost their jobs due to COVID-19, as well as those from counties with higher COVID-19 rates and lower concentrations of East Asians, showed greater prejudice towards East Asians in their responses. No evidence was found for prejudice against hypothetical white, Black, or South Asian coworkers.</p><p>These findings suggest the possibility that the pandemic amplified health and economic insecurities among Americans, thereby exacerbating prejudice against minority groups in the workplace. Prior research suggests that such prejudices increase the likelihood of discriminatory actions, which can have both short- and long-term cross-generation impacts on minorities -- including reduced economic opportunities and productivity, harms to mental and physical health, and reduced integration with society.</p><p>The authors add: \"Our findings highlight a dimension of prejudice, intensified during the pandemic, which has been largely underreported and missing from the current discourse. Workplace discrimination can alienate minorities and sow seeds of distrust that can have long-term impacts spilling across generations.\"</p>','2022-04-13 21:50:46.923084','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'PLOS','A new, U.S.-based survey study suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic may have amplified prejudicial attitudes against East Asian and Hispanic colleagues in the workplace.\n',1,27,'<li>Neeraj Kaushal, Yao Lu, Xiaoning Huang. <strong>Pandemic and prejudice: Results from a national survey experiment</strong>. <em>PLOS ONE</em>, 2022; 17 (4): e0265437 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265437\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1371/journal.pone.0265437</a>\n</li>'),(2124,'High cardiovascular risk is associated with symptoms of depression','high-cardiovascular-risk-is-associated-with-symptoms-of-depression','2022-04-13 21:50:51.860488',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Cardiovascular risk factors are associated with an increased risk of depression in older adults, according to a new study published April 13 in the open-access journal <em>PLOS ONE</em> by Sandra Martín-Peláez of University of Granada, Spain, and colleagues.</p><p>Cardiovascular disease and depression are thought to be closely related due to similar risk factors, including inflammation and oxidative stress. Although it has been shown that depression could be a risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease, studies analyzing the potential impact of cardiovascular health on developing depression are scarce.</p><p>In the new study, the researchers used data from an ongoing 6-year multi-center randomized trial in Spain which analyzes the effect of a Mediterranean Diet on men aged 55-75 and women aged 60-75 with overweight or obesity. 6,545 individuals with no cardiovascular or endocrine disease at baseline were included in the current analysis. A cardiovascular risk score according to the Framingham-based REGICOR function was calculated for each person, dividing participants into low (LR), medium (MR), or high/very high (HR) cardiovascular risk groups. Depressive status was gauged using a questionnaire at baseline and after 2 years of follow-up.</p><p>At baseline, women in the HR group showed higher odds of depressive status than LR women (OR 1.78 95% CI 1.26-2.50). In addition, among all participants with baseline total cholesterol below 160 mg/mL, MR and HR individuals showed higher odds of depression than LR (MR: OR 1.77 95% CI 1.13-2.77; HR: OR 2.83 95% CI 1.25-6.42). On the contrary, among participants with total cholesterol of 280 mg/mL or higher, MR and HR individuals had a lower risk of depression than LR (MR: OR 0.26 95% CI 0.07-0.98; HR: OR 0.23 95% CI 0.05-0.95). After two years, during which time all individuals were instructed to follow a Mediterranean Diet as part of the trial, participants, on average, decreased their depressive status score, with the greatest decreases seen for MR and HR participants with high baseline cholesterol levels.</p><p>The authors conclude that high and very high cardiovascular risk are associated with depressive symptoms, especially in women, and that the role of other factors, such as adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, deserves further research.</p><p>The authors add: \"High cardiovascular risk, especially in women, is associated with symptoms of depression in the elderly.\"</p>','2022-04-13 21:50:51.860488','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'PLOS','Cardiovascular risk factors are associated with an increased risk of depression in older adults, according to a new study.\n',1,27,'<li>Sandra Martín-Peláez, Lluis Serra-Majem, Naomi Cano-Ibáñez, Miguel Ángel Martínez-González, Jordi Salas-Salvadó, Dolores Corella, Camille Lassale, Jose Alfredo Martínez, Ángel M. Alonso-Gómez, Julia Wärnberg, Jesús Vioque, Dora Romaguera, José López-Miranda, Ramón Estruch, Francisco J. Tinahones, José Lapetra, Fernando Fernández-Aranda, Aurora Bueno-Cavanillas, Josep A. Tur, Vicente Martín, Xavier Pintó, Miguel Delgado-Rodríguez, Pilar Matía, Josep Vidal, Clotilde Vázquez, Lidia Daimiel, Emili Ros, Estefanía Toledo, Stephanie K. Nishi, Jose V. Sorli, Mireia Malcampo, M. Ángeles Zulet, Anaí Moreno-Rodríguez, Raquel Cueto-Galán, Diego Vivancos-Aparicio, Antoni Colom, Antonio García-Ríos, Rosa Casas, M Rosa Bernal-López, Jose Manuel Santos-Lozano, Zenaida Vázquez, Carlos Gómez-Martínez, Carolina Ortega-Azorín, Jose Luís del Val, Itziar Abete, Amaia Goikoetxea-Bahon, Elena Pascual, Nerea Becerra-Tomás, Juan J. Chillarón, Almudena Sánchez-Villegas. <strong>Contribution of cardio-vascular risk factors to depressive status in the PREDIMED-PLUS Trial. A cross-sectional and a 2-year longitudinal study</strong>. <em>PLOS ONE</em>, 2022; 17 (4): e0265079 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265079\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1371/journal.pone.0265079</a>\n</li>'),(2125,'Vegan diets for dogs may be linked with better health, and could be less hazardous, than meat-based diets','vegan-diets-for-dogs-may-be-linked-with-better-health,-and-could-be-less-hazardous,-than-meat-based-diets','2022-04-13 21:50:58.235369',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">A survey study of the guardians of more than 2,500 dogs explored links between dog diet and health outcomes, suggesting that nutritionally sound vegan diets may be healthier and less hazardous than conventional or raw meat-based diets. Andrew Knight of the University of Winchester, U.K., and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal <em>PLOS ONE</em> on April 13, 2022.</p><p>Many factors may influence dog guardians to choose unconventional diets for their pets, including concerns regarding the environment, the treatment of animals used as food, and the health of their pets. However, research into the health effects of conventional versus unconventional dog diets has been limited.</p><p>To help clarify the potential health effects of different dog diets, Knight and colleagues analyzed survey data from guardians of 2,536 dogs fed either a conventional meat, raw meat, or vegan diet. The survey included questions about the dogs\' health, including the number of veterinary visits, use of medications, and specific dog health disorders.</p><p>Statistical analysis of the survey results suggested that, overall, dogs on conventional diets were less healthy than dogs on raw meat or vegan diets. Dogs on raw meat diets appeared to be healthier than those on vegan diets. However, the researchers noted several factors that prevent a conclusion that raw meat diets are healthier. For one, in the study, dogs on raw meat diets were significantly younger than dogs on vegan diets, which could help explain why they appeared to be healthier. Additionally, dogs on raw meat diets were less likely to be taken to a veterinarian; while this could be a sign of better health, prior research has indicated that guardians of dogs on raw meat diets are less likely to seek veterinary advice.</p><p>Further research is needed to confirm whether a raw meat or a vegan diet is associated with better dog health outcomes. The researchers suggest that large-scale, cross-sectional, and longitudinal studies of dogs, maintained on different diets, which utilizes data such as results of veterinary clinical examinations and veterinary medical histories, could yield results of greater reliability. Still, prior research has linked raw meat diets to increased risk of pathogens and nutritional deficiencies. In light of both the new and prior findings, the researchers suggest that a nutritionally sound vegan diet may in fact be the healthiest and least hazardous choice for dogs.</p><p>The authors add: \"We believe our study of 2,536 dogs is by far the largest study published to date, exploring health outcomes of dogs fed vegan and meat-based diets. It analyzed a range of objective data, as well as owner opinions and reported veterinary assessments of health. It revealed that the heathiest and least hazardous dietary choices for dogs, are nutritionally sound vegan diets.\"</p>','2022-04-13 21:50:58.235369','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'PLOS','A survey study of the guardians of more than 2,500 dogs explored links between dog diet and health outcomes, suggesting that nutritionally sound vegan diets may be healthier and less hazardous than conventional or raw meat-based diets.\n',1,194,'<li>Andrew Knight, Eason Huang, Nicholas Rai, Hazel Brown. <strong>Vegan versus meat-based dog food: Guardian-reported indicators of health</strong>. <em>PLOS ONE</em>, 2022; 17 (4): e0265662 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265662\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1371/journal.pone.0265662</a>\n</li>'),(2126,'Busy mothers did less breastfeeding in 19th century Netherlands','busy-mothers-did-less-breastfeeding-in-19th-century-netherlands','2022-04-13 21:51:01.750942',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">A 19th century rural Dutch village had unusually low rates of breastfeeding, likely because mothers were busy working, according to a study published April 13, 2022 in the open-access journal <em>PLOS ONE </em>by Andrea L. Waters-Rist of the University of Western Ontario and colleagues.</p><p>Artificial feeding of infants, as opposed to breastfeeding, is considered a fairly modern practice, much rarer before the advent of commercially available alternatives to breast milk. However, studies of past populations in Europe have found that breastfeeding practices can vary significantly with regional cultural variation. In this study, researchers examine a 19th century dairy farming rural village in the Netherlands to explore factors linked to lower rates of breastfeeding.</p><p>Breastfeeding leaves its mark in the bones of infants in the form of altered ratios of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes. In this study, researchers tested isotopic signatures in the remains of 277 individuals, including nearly 90 infants and children, from Beemster, North Holland. They found little to no evidence of breastfeeding, surprising given that this community exhibits features commonly associated with breastfeeding communities of the time, such as a Protestant population of moderate socioeconomic status, and mothers commonly working in or near the home.</p><p>Since other evidence indicates that mothers in 19th century Beemster were commonly working as dairy farmers, the researchers suspect that a high workload and a ready supply of cow\'s milk as an alternative infant food source were important factors contributing to these low rates of breastfeeding. At a few urban archaeological sites, mothers who worked long factory shifts have been found to have low rates of breastfeeding, but a similar phenomenon has not been found in a rural population until now. Future study on more sites will help elucidate how regional cultural practices impacted rates of breastfeeding over time, and in turn, how these factors have impacted infant health over recent centuries.</p><p>The authors add: \"Artificial feeding of infants is not just a recent phenomenon. Female dairy farmers from 19th century Netherlands chose to not breastfeed, or to wean their infants at a young age, because of the availability of fresh cow\'s milk and high demands on female labor.\"</p>','2022-04-13 21:51:01.750942','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'PLOS','A 19th century rural Dutch village had unusually low rates of breastfeeding, likely because mothers were busy working, according to a new study.\n',1,20,'<li>Andrea L. Waters-Rist, Kees de Groot, Menno L. P. Hoogland. <strong>Isotopic reconstruction of short to absent breastfeeding in a 19th century rural Dutch community</strong>. <em>PLOS ONE</em>, 2022; 17 (4): e0265821 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265821\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1371/journal.pone.0265821</a>\n</li>'),(2127,'Family structure associated with delinquency for adolescents, Swedish study finds','family-structure-associated-with-delinquency-for-adolescents,-swedish-study-finds','2022-04-13 21:51:06.313336',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Adolescents living in single-father, single-mother, father-stepmother and mother-stepfather families report more delinquency than those living with both their parents, according to a new study published this week in the open-access journal <em>PLOS ONE</em> by Robert Svensson and Björn Johnson of Malmö University, Sweden.</p><p>Previous studies have found that not living with both parents is positively associated with delinquency, but family living arrangements have been highly simplified -- only comparing living with both parents versus not living with both parents, for instance. In the new study, the researchers used data from four cross-sectional surveys carried out between 2016 and 2019 in southern Sweden. Self-reported information on nine delinquent behaviors -- such as shoplifting, graffiti or robbing someone -- as well as detailed family structure was available for 3,838 adolescents aged 14 and 15.</p><p>Among all participants, those living with both mother and father or living in a \"symmetrical\" arrangement -- in which parents live separately and share custody but are both single or both have new partners -- were involved in delinquency to a lesser extent than those with other family living structures. Compared to adolescents living with a mother and father, delinquent behavior was more common among those living with a single father (incident rate ratio [IRR] 1.898), a single mother (IRR 1.661), a father and stepmother (IRR 1.606) or a mother and stepfather (IRR 2.044). In addition, \"asymmetrical\" arrangements, in which only one parent had a new partner, was associated with more delinquency. Many of the associations between family structure and delinquency declined when adjusted for data on parental attachment and monitoring. The authors conclude that the use of more detailed categorization of family structure can shed light on the contributing factors of delinquency.</p><p>The authors add: \"This study shows that it is important to move on to the use of more detailed categorizations of family structure in relation to delinquency, and to increase our knowledge about the group of adolescents that moves between parents and especially about the different constellations of asymmetrical and symmetrical living arrangements.\"</p>','2022-04-13 21:51:06.313336','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'PLOS','Adolescents living in single-father, single-mother, father-stepmother and mother-stepfather families report more delinquency than those living with both their parents, according to a new study.\n',1,27,'<li>Robert Svensson, Björn Johnson. <strong>Does it matter in what family constellations adolescents live? Reconsidering the relationship between family structure and delinquent behaviour</strong>. <em>PLOS ONE</em>, 2022; 17 (4): e0265964 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265964\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1371/journal.pone.0265964</a>\n</li>'),(2128,'Layered controls can significantly curb exposure to COVID-19','layered-controls-can-significantly-curb-exposure-to-covid-19','2022-04-13 21:51:10.907003',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, a team at the U.S. Department of Energy\'s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory set out to better understand how well face masks, ventilation, and physical distancing can cut down transmission of airborne pathogens like SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.</p><p>Using a new computational model that simulates the life cycle of pathogen-laden particles, the researchers found that a combination of distancing of six feet, universal mask-wearing, and increased room ventilation could reduce the risk of infection by more than 98 percent in more than 95 percent of scenarios studied.</p><p>\"Wide adoption of layered controls dramatically reduces exposure to existing airborne viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2, and will be critical to control outbreaks of novel airborne viruses in the future,\" said Laura Fierce, an atmospheric scientist formerly with Brookhaven Lab, now at DOE\'s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. \"These nonpharmaceutical interventions can be applied in combination with vaccinations.\"</p><p>The study is published in the journal <em>Indoor Air</em>. It focuses on how face masks and ventilation work alone and in combination with distancing to reduce the likelihood of someone inhaling virus-laden aerosol particles in particular scenarios -- namely, where an infectious person is speaking continuously in an indoor space for three-hours -- while also accounting for uncertainty in factors governing airborne transmission.</p><p>Fierce collaborated with Alison Robey and Catherine Hamilton -- who were participants in the DOE\'s Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program at Brookhaven -- to develop the model of respiratory aerosols and droplets used in the study. The model simulates how virus-laden particles move through the jet of air expelled by an infectious person and within the larger indoor space. It considers how expelled particles change in size as water evaporates, how pathogens within those particles become inactive, and how particles are removed through ventilation, deposition on surfaces, and gravitational settling.</p><p>The researchers\' simulations showed that exposure to airborne pathogens is significantly lowered by individual controls, such as face masks. But layering controls -- that is, using them in combination -- can be even more effective. According to the study, the combination of universal mask-wearing and distancing of even just three feet reduced a susceptible person\'s risk of infection by 99 percent. On the other hand, without the use of face masks, distancing of at least six feet was needed to avoid increased exposure to respiratory pathogens near an infectious person. The team also showed that increasing ventilation rates by completely replacing the air in a room with fresh or filtered air four times per hour reduces the risk of transmission by more than 70 percent, so long as the infectious person and susceptible person are distanced by at least six feet. On the other hand, ventilation does little to reduce the risk of infection when the infectious person is close by.</p><p>\"Our detailed modeling of respiratory particles shows how different controls on airborne transmission work in combination, which is important for prioritizing mitigation strategies for different indoor spaces,\" Fierce said.</p><p>This research was supported by the DOE Office of Science through the National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory, a consortium of DOE national laboratories focused on response to COVID-19, with funding provided by the Coronavirus CARES Act. This project was supported in part by the U.S. Department of Energy through the Office of Science, Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) under the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships Program (SULI). The quadrature-based model was originally developed with support from the DOE Atmospheric System Research program.</p>','2022-04-13 21:51:10.907003','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'DOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory','Using a new computational model that simulates the life cycle of pathogen-laden particles, researchers found that a combination of distancing of six feet, universal mask-wearing, and increased room ventilation could reduce the risk of infection by more than 98 percent in more than 95 percent of scenarios studied.\n',1,52,'<li>Laura Fierce, Alison J. Robey, Cathrine Hamilton. <strong>High efficacy of layered controls for reducing exposure to airborne pathogens</strong>. <em>Indoor Air</em>, 2022; 32 (2) DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ina.12989\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1111/ina.12989</a>\n</li>'),(2129,'Social connections influence brain structure of rhesus macaques','social-connections-influence-brain-structure-of-rhesus-macaques','2022-04-13 21:51:14.031953',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">What\'s the link between social life and brain structure? Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, the Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute at Inserm, and elsewhere are now one step closer to understanding this connection for rhesus macaques.</p><p>In work published in <em>Science Advances</em>, the team found that for these nonhuman primates the number of social connections predicted the size of key nodes in parts of the brain responsible for social decision-making and empathy<em>. </em>Specifically, the researchers determined that, for macaques with more grooming partners, the mid-superior temporal sulcus (STS) and ventral-dysgranular insula grew larger. They found no such link between brain structure and other variables like social status.</p><p>\"For the first time, we\'re able to relate the complexity of social lives of a group of living primates with brain structure,\" says Camille Testard, a fourth-year doctoral student in the Platt Labs at Penn and lead author of the paper.</p><p>Previous research on human social networks has hinted at this relationship, says Michael Platt, the James S. Riepe Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor. \"The literature, for example, ties variation in the size of the amygdala to the number of Facebook friends that you have. But it\'s hard to get granular data on human social interactions because we can\'t follow people around all day long,\" he says.</p><p>With the rhesus macaques living on Cayo Santiago, an island off the coast of Puerto Rico, however, it\'s a different story. Platt and colleagues have studied this group of free-ranging nonhuman primates for more than a decade. Part of that research has focused on grooming partners, which represent direct and important relationships for the macaques, as well as looking at the animals\' broader social networks, representing individuals they interact with indirectly.</p><p>After Hurricane Maria hit the island, for example, the researchers examined whether the macaques grew or shrunk their social networks in the face of more limited resources. Testard, who joined the lab in 2018, led the analysis for that study, which found that the animals became more social and more accepting of one another, forming new relationships in addition to those they already had.</p><p>Building on that and on previous work from collaborator Jérôme Sallet of Inserm, Testard also designed the current study. Here, the team recorded the detailed interactions of a social group of 68 adult rhesus macaques on Cayo Santiago, then examined five factors: social status, number of grooming partners, physical distance with other monkeys, connectedness to popular monkeys in the network, and what the researchers called \"betweenness,\" or the ability to act as a bridge between disconnected parts of the social network. They also collected brain scans for every individual in the social group, including 35 juvenile and infant macaques.</p><p>Analyzing the adult data, Testard and colleagues discovered that the more grooming partners individuals had, the larger their mid-STS and ventral-dysgranular insula were. \"It was very interesting to find these regions, as their importance is known for social cognition in humans,\" Sallet says. \"We also identified the mid-STS region in another study showing that activity in this region is modulated by the predictability of others\' behaviors.\"</p><p>One unexpected finding centered around the infants. According to Testard and colleagues, the work showed that young macaques weren\'t born with these differences in brain structure but, rather, the differences arose with development.</p><p>\"There\'s something about the skills it takes to make and maintain a lot of friendships that you get from parents. You\'d think it would be written into your brain when you\'re born, but it seems more likely to emerge from the patterns and interactions that you have,\" Platt says. \"Perhaps that means that if your mother is social and you\'ve got the capacity to be social, your brain can mature in the way that looks like the findings we\'ve uncovered. That\'s intriguing.\"</p><p>This negative result is telling, Sallet says. \"If we had seen the same correlation, it could mean that if you are born from a very popular mother then somehow you have a brain that predisposes you to become more popular later in life. Instead, what I think it suggests is that the modulation we observe is strongly driven by our social environments, maybe more than by our innate predisposition.\"</p><p>Though all these findings relate specifically to free-ranging rhesus macaques, they have possible implications for human behavior, in particular to understanding neurodevelopmental disorders like autism, according to Platt.</p><p>Such connections, however, are still in the distance. For now, the team is moving ahead with additional research studying Cayo Santiago\'s population of macaques, looking at facets like whether a natural disaster such as Hurricane Maria affects the animals\' brain structure and how social connectedness influences long-term survival. They\'ll continue to dive deeper into their most recent findings, too.</p><p>\"This is not some lab phenomenon. This is real life, the real world,\" Platt says. \"This work provides a baseline for understanding how these animals navigate. It\'s really thrilling and gratifying that this work done in the field is synergizing work we\'ve been doing in the lab for a long time.\"</p><p><em>Funding for this research came from the National Institutes of Health (grants R01MH118203, U01MH121260, R01MH096875, R01AG060931, and R00AG051764), the National Science Foundation (Grant 1800558), the Royal Society (Grant RGS/R1/191182), the National Center for Research Resources and the Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (Grant P40OD012217-25), the Blavatnik Family foundation, an IDEXLYON \"IMPULSION 2020\" grant (IDEX/ IMP/2020/14), and the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (grants 203139/Z/16/Z and WT101092MA).</em></p>','2022-04-13 21:51:14.031953','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'University of Pennsylvania','Scientists have found that social connections influence the brain structure of rhesus macaques. Specifically, the number of grooming partners an individual had predicted the size of brain areas associated with social decision-making and empathy.\n',1,149,'<li>Camille Testard, Lauren J. N. Brent, Jesper Andersson, Kenneth L. Chiou, Josue E. Negron-Del Valle, Alex R. DeCasien, Arianna Acevedo-Ithier, Michala K. Stock, Susan C. Antón, Olga Gonzalez, Christopher S. Walker, Sean Foxley, Nicole R. Compo, Samuel Bauman, Angelina V. Ruiz-Lambides, Melween I. Martinez, J. H. Pate Skene, Julie E. Horvath, Cayo Biobank Research Unit, James P. Higham, Karla L. Miller, Noah Snyder-Mackler, Michael J. Montague, Michael L. Platt, Jérôme Sallet. <strong>Social connections predict brain structure in a multidimensional free-ranging primate society</strong>. <em>Science Advances</em>, 2022; 8 (15) DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abl5794\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1126/sciadv.abl5794</a>\n</li>'),(2130,'Joystick-operated robot could help surgeons treat stroke remotely','joystick-operated-robot-could-help-surgeons-treat-stroke-remotely','2022-04-13 21:51:17.127887',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">MIT engineers have developed a telerobotic system to help surgeons quickly and remotely treat patients experiencing a stroke or aneurysm. With a modified joystick, surgeons in one hospital may control a robotic arm at another location to safely operate on a patient during a critical window of time that could save the patient\'s life and preserve their brain function.</p><p>The robotic system, whose movement is controlled through magnets, is designed to remotely assist in endovascular intervention -- a procedure performed in emergency situations to treat strokes caused by a blood clot. Such interventions normally require a surgeon to manually guide a thin wire to the clot, where it can physically clear the blockage or deliver drugs to break it up.</p><p>One limitation of such procedures is accessibility: Neurovascular surgeons are often based at major medical institutions that are difficult to reach for patients in remote areas, particularly during the \"golden hour\" -- the critical period after a stroke\'s onset, during which treatment should be administered to minimize any damage to the brain.</p><p>The MIT team envisions that its robotic system could be installed at smaller hospitals and remotely guided by trained surgeons at larger medical centers. The system includes a medical-grade robotic arm with a magnet attached to its wrist. With a joystick and live imaging, an operator can adjust the magnet\'s orientation and manipulate the arm to guide a soft and thin magnetic wire through arteries and vessels.</p><p>The researchers demonstrated the system in a \"phantom,\" a transparent model with vessels replicating complex arteries of the brain. With just an hour of training, neurosurgeons were able to remotely control the robot\'s arm to guide a wire through a maze of vessels to reach target locations in the model.</p><p>\"We imagine, instead of transporting a patient from a rural area to a large city, they could go to a local hospital where nurses could set up this system. A neurosurgeon at a major medical center could watch live imaging of the patient and use the robot to operate in that golden hour. That\'s our future dream,\" says Xuanhe Zhao, a professor of mechanical engineering and of civil and environmental engineering at MIT.</p><p>Zhao and his team have published their findings today in <em>Science Robotics</em>. MIT co-authors include lead author Yoonho Kim, Emily Genevriere, and Jaehun Choe, along with Pablo Harker, Robert Regenhardt, Justin Vranic, Adam Dmytriw, and Aman Patel at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and Marcin Balicki of Philips Research North America.</p><p><strong>Tilt and twist</strong></p><p>Endovascular surgery is a specialized, minimally invasive procedure that involves carefully twisting and guiding a thin medical wire through the body\'s arteries and vessels to a target location, in a way that avoids damaging vessel walls. The procedure typically requires years of training for a surgeon to master.</p><p>Robotic systems are being explored as assistive technologies in endovascular surgery. These systems mainly involve motor drives that advance and retract a wire while twisting it through the body\'s vasculature.</p><p>\"But having a robot twist with the same level of sophistication [as a surgeon] is challenging,\" Kim notes. \"Our system is based on a fundamentally different mechanism.\"</p><p>The team\'s new system builds on work from 2019, in which they demonstrated steering a magnetically controlled thread through a life-sized silicone model of the brain\'s blood vessels. They did so at the time using a handheld magnet, about the size of a soup can, that they manually manipulated.</p><p>They have since affixed the magnet to the end of a medical-grade robotic arm, which can be steered using a small joystick knob on a mouse. By tilting the joystick, researchers can tilt the magnet in an orientation that a magnetic wire can follow. Buttons on the mouse control a set of motorized linear drives, which advance and retract the wire to make it move forward and back.</p><p>The wire is as thin and flexible as a conventional neurovascular guidewire, with a soft, magnetically responsive tip that follows and bends in the direction of a magnetic field.</p><p><strong>Finding a path</strong></p><p>The team tested the robotic system in MGH\'s Catheter Lab -- an operating room with standard medical imaging equipment used in endovascular procedures. The researchers installed the robotic arm in the lab, along with a life-sized silicone model of blood vessels. They set the joystick, along with a monitor displaying a live video of the model, in a control room. From there, an operator watched the video while using the joystick to remotely steer the wire through the vessels.</p><p>The team trained a group of neurosurgeons to use the robotic system. After just one hour of training, each surgeon was able to successfully operate the system to guide the wire through complex vessels that are difficult to navigate with a manual guidewire.</p><p>The team also used the robotic system to clear simulated clots in difficult-to-reach areas in the model. They steered the guidewire through vessels, and around sharp corners and turns, to reach regions where the researchers simulated clots. Once they guided the wire to the clot, the surgeons proceeded with standard endovascular methods to thread a microcatheter along the wire to the site of the clot. They retracted the wire, leaving the catheter, which they then applied to successfully remove the clot.</p><p>\"The primary purpose of the magnetic guidewire is to get to the target location quickly and safely, so that standard devices like microcatheters can be used to deliver therapeutics,\" Kim says. \"Our system is like a pathfinder.\"</p><p>He hopes that the teleoperated system can help more patients receive time-critical treatment. He also sees benefits for surgeons, who typically perform such vascular procedures in the same room as the patient, while being exposed to radiation from X-ray imaging.</p><p>\"The neurosurgeons can operate the robot in another room or even in another city without repeated exposure to X-rays,\" Zhao says. \"We are truly excited about the potential impact of this technology on global health, given that stroke is one of the leading causes of death and long-term disability.\"</p><p>This research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and Phillips Research of North America.</p><p><strong>Story Source:</strong></p>','2022-04-13 21:51:17.127887','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Massachusetts Institute of Technology','Engineers developed a telerobotic system to help surgeons remotely treat patients experiencing stroke or aneurysm. With a modified joystick, surgeons may control a robotic arm at another hospital to operate on a patient.\n',1,27,'<li>Yoonho Kim, Emily Genevriere, Pablo Harker, Jaehun Choe, Marcin Balicki, Robert W. Regenhardt, Justin E. Vranic, Adam A. Dmytriw, Aman B. Patel, Xuanhe Zhao. <strong>Telerobotic neurovascular interventions with magnetic manipulation</strong>. <em>Science Robotics</em>, 2022; 7 (65) DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/scirobotics.abg9907\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1126/scirobotics.abg9907</a>\n</li>'),(2131,'Physics models better define what makes pasta al dente','physics-models-better-define-what-makes-pasta-al-dente','2022-04-13 22:04:41.167703',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Achieving the perfect al dente texture for a pasta noodle can be tough. Noodles can take different times to fully cook, and different recipes call for different amounts of salt to be added. To boot, sometimes noodles will stick to each other or the saucepan.</p><p>In <em>Physics of Fluids</em>, by AIP Publishing, researchers from the United States examined how pasta swells, softens, and becomes sticky as it takes up water. They combined measurements of pasta parameters, such as expansion, bending rigidity, and water content to solve a variety of equations to form a theoretical model for the swelling dynamics of starch materials.</p><p>Author Sameh Tawfick, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said exploring the properties of noodles was a straightforward pivot from the lab\'s main work of studying the fluid structure interaction of very flexible and deformable fibers, hairs, and elastic structures.</p><p>\"Over the last few years, we joked about how pasta noodle adhesion is very related to our work,\" he said. \"We then realized that specifically, the mechanical texture of noodles changes as function of cooking, and our analysis can demonstrate a relation between adhesion, mechanical texture, and doneness.\"</p><p>When the pandemic hit, the idea gained traction, and students and postdocs started working on it at home and in the lab.</p><p>The team observed how the noodles come together when lifted from a plate by a fork. This provided them with a grounding of how water-driven hygroscopic swelling affects pasta\'s texture.</p><p>As pasta cooked, the relative rate of the noodle\'s increase in girth exceeded the rate of lengthening by a ratio of 3.5 to 1 until it reached the firm texture of al dente, before becoming uniformly soft and overcooked.</p><p>As pasta is pulled from liquid, the liquid surface energy creates a meniscus that sticks noodles to one another, balancing the elastic resistance from bending the noodles and aided by adhesion energy from the surface tension of the liquid.</p><p>The degree to which a noodle was cooked was directly related to the length of the portion that adhered to its neighbors.</p><p>\"What surprised us the most is that the addition of salt to the boiling water completely changes the cooking time,\" Tawfick said. \"So, depending on how much salt is added to the boiling water, the time to reach al dente can be very different.\"</p><p>Tawfick hopes the group\'s work inspires others to find simple methods for studying soft materials and looks to investigate the role of salt in swelling.</p><p><strong>Story Source:</strong></p>','2022-04-13 22:04:41.167703','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'American Institute of Physics','Researchers examined how pasta swells, softens, and becomes sticky as it takes up water. They combined measurements of pasta parameters, such as expansion, bending rigidity, and water content to solve a variety of equations to form a theoretical model for the swelling dynamics of starch materials. The team observed how the noodles come together when lifted from a plate by a fork. This provided them with a grounding of how water-driven hygroscopic swelling affects pasta\'s texture.\n',1,27,'<li>Jonghyun Hwang, Jonghyun Ha, Ryan Siu, Yun Seong Kim, Sameh Tawfick. <strong>Swelling, softening, and elastocapillary adhesion of cooked pasta</strong>. <em>Physics of Fluids</em>, 2022; 34 (4): 042105 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/5.0083696\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1063/5.0083696</a>\n</li>'),(2132,'Climate change will reshuffle marine ecosystems in unexpected ways','climate-change-will-reshuffle-marine-ecosystems-in-unexpected-ways','2022-04-13 22:06:08.763383',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Warming of the oceans due to climate change will mean fewer productive fish species to catch in the future, according to a new Rutgers study that found as temperatures warm, predator-prey interactions will prevent species from keeping up with the conditions where they could thrive.</p><p>The new study, published in the journal <em>Proceedings of the Royal Society B</em>, presents a mixed picture of ocean health. Not only will large species and commercially important fisheries shift out of their historical ranges as climate warms, but they will likely not be as abundant even in their new geographic ranges. For instance, a cod fisherman in the Atlantic might still find fish 200 years from now but in significantly fewer numbers.</p><p>\"What that suggests from a fisheries perspective is that while the species we fish today will be there tomorrow, they will not be there in the same abundance. In such a context, overfishing becomes easier because the population growth rates are low,\" said study coauthor Malin Pinsky, an associate professor in Rutgers\' Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources. \"Warming coupled with food-web dynamics will be like putting marine biodiversity in a blender.\"</p><p>Previous studies of shifting habitat ranges focused on the direct impacts of climate change on individual species. While these \"one-at-a-time\" species projections offer insights into the composition of ocean communities in a warming world, they have largely failed to consider how food-web interactions will affect the pace of change.</p><p>The new study looked at trophic interactions -- the process of one species being nourished at the expense of another -- and other food-web dynamics to determine how climate change affects species\' ranges.</p><p>Using sophisticated computer models, the researchers determined that predator-prey interactions cause many species, especially large predators, to shift their ranges more slowly than climate.</p><p>\"The model suggests that over the next 200 years of warming, species are going to continually reshuffle and be in the process of shifting their ranges,\" said lead author E. W. Tekwa, a former Rutgers postdoc in ecology, evolution and natural resources now at the University of British Columbia. \"Even after 200 years, marines species will still be lagging behind temperature shifts, and this is particularly true for those at the top of the food web.\"</p><p>As climate warms, millions of species are shifting poleward in a dramatic reorganization of life on earth. However, our understanding of these dynamics has largely ignored a key feature of life -- animals and other organisms must eat. The researchers have filled this knowledge gap by examining how the basic need for nourishment affect species\' movements.</p><p>The researchers developed a \"spatially explicit food-web model\" that included parameters such as metabolism, body size and optimal temperature ranges. By accounting for climate change, their model revealed that dynamic trophic interactions hamper species\' ability to react quickly to warming temperatures. They also found that larger-bodied top predators stay longer than smaller prey in historical habitats, in part because of the arrival of new food sources to their pre-warming ranges.</p><p>\"These dynamics will not only be in one place but globally,\" Pinsky said. \"That does not bode well for marine life, and this is not an effect that has been widely recognized.\"</p>','2022-04-13 22:06:08.763383','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Rutgers University','Warming of the oceans due to climate change will mean fewer productive fish species to catch in the future, according to a new study that found as temperatures warm, predator-prey interactions will prevent species from keeping up with the conditions where they could thrive.\n',1,34,'<li>E. W. Tekwa, James R. Watson, Malin L. Pinsky. <strong>Body size and food–web interactions mediate species range shifts under warming</strong>. <em>Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</em>, 2022; 289 (1972) DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.2755\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1098/rspb.2021.2755</a>\n</li>'),(2133,'Beyond the honeybee: How many bee species does a meadow need?','beyond-the-honeybee:-how-many-bee-species-does-a-meadow-need?','2022-04-13 22:06:11.325832',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">A meadow\'s lush array of flowers needs a full phalanx of bees to pollinate them -- far more than just the honeybees and bumblebees that most people are familiar with, according to a new study by a team of researchers including University of Maryland entomologist Michael Roswell. A postdoctoral associate in the Department of Entomology, Roswell helped demonstrate that less common bees are much more important for ecosystem health than previously documented.</p><p>Previous research on bees as pollinators tended to focus on specific plants -- frequently crops -- or on entire communities of plants as if they were a single entity. This tended to over-emphasize the contribution of the most common bees, especially since 2% of the bee species provided 80% of the pollination in crops. But no previous work had asked the basic question: How many pollinator species are needed to pollinate all the species in a given community of plants?</p><p>Roswell and his colleagues have now shown that the more plant species there are, the more bee species are needed for pollination. They found that the less common bees often visited specific plants others didn\'t. Their findings shed new light on the role of rare species in ecosystems -- critical to conservation efforts because rare species are most at risk of extinction from habitat loss, pollution, climate change and other factors. The study appeared April 13, 2022, in the <em>Proceedings of the Royal Society B.</em></p><p>\"Our work shows that things that are rare in general, like infrequent visitors to a meadow, can still serve really important functions, like pollinating plants no one else pollinates,\" said Roswell, who studies diversity and pollination in the UMD Department of Entomology and is a co-author of the study. \"And that\'s a really good argument for why biodiversity matters.\"</p><p>The researchers surveyed 10 plots in New Jersey that included wild meadows and seeded fields over one year. They observed bees from over 180 species making nearly 22,000 visits to over 130 different plant species. The team used these encounters to estimate the pollination services each type of bee provided to each plant, because a plant\'s most frequent floral visitors are typically its most important pollinators.</p><p>Their analyses showed that an entire meadow community relied on 2 ½ to 7 ½ times more bee species for pollination than a single typical plant species does. They also found that the locally rare species accounted for up to 25% of the important pollinator species, and that number was greatest in meadows with the most plant diversity. This suggests that at larger scales like entire ecosystems, the number of locally rare species that are important for pollination is even greater.</p><p>\"We were looking at meadows that might be a few acres in size,\" Roswell said, \"but a typical bee flies over a couple of square miles, which is a really large and complicated landscape filled with lots of different kinds of plants that flower at different times and are visited by different insects. At that scale, even more diversity of pollinators is likely to be important.\"</p>','2022-04-13 22:06:11.325832','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'University of Maryland','Entomologists have now shown that the more plant species there are in a meadow, the more bee species are needed for pollination. They found that the less common bees often visited specific plants others didn\'t, shedding new light on the role of rare species in ecosystems -- critical to conservation efforts because rare species are most at risk of extinction from habitat loss, pollution, climate change and other factors.\n',1,54,'<li>Dylan T. Simpson, Lucia R. Weinman, Mark A. Genung, Michael Roswell, Molly MacLeod, Rachael Winfree. <strong>Many bee species, including rare species, are important for function of entire plant–pollinator networks</strong>. <em>Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</em>, 2022; 289 (1972) DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.2689\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1098/rspb.2021.2689</a>\n</li>'),(2134,'Additional COVID vaccine helps protect transplant patients','additional-covid-vaccine-helps-protect-transplant-patients','2022-04-13 22:46:18.470772',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Additional booster doses of vaccine against COVID-19 are particularly important for those who are immunosuppressed, namely those who have had solid organ transplants, a new study shows.</p><p>The study, published in the <em>Journal of Infectious Diseases</em>, shows that even after vaccination, patients taking immunosuppressive medications to prevent rejection of an organ transplant have higher risk for severe COVID-19 than those with competent immune systems.</p><p>But vaccination with three doses of an mRNA vaccine -- the first two COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in the U.S. are messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines -- led to substantially greater protection than two doses, the study shows.</p><p>\"The immune response to vaccination is often blunted in people with moderate to severe immunosuppression,\" said Wesley Self, MD, MPH, principal investigator of the study and associate professor of Emergency Medicine and Vice President for Clinical Research Networks and Strategy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. \"Hence, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a concern that immunocompromised people, such as those with a solid organ transplant, may not benefit from vaccination as much as immunocompetent people,\" he said.</p><p>Although the data in the study confirms that after vaccination patients taking immunosuppressive medications to prevent rejection of an organ transplant have higher risk for severe COVID- 19 than those with competent immune systems, there\'s also good news.</p><p>\"Additional vaccine doses appear to substantially increase the effectiveness of vaccination for transplant patients,\" Self said.</p><p>For example, among transplant patients, a regimen of two doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine was only 29% effective at preventing hospitalization due to COVID-19, while a regimen of three doses was 77% effective.</p><p>\"The results of this real world, multicenter collaborative study indicate that solid organ transplant recipients benefit from three doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, and support CDC recommended vaccine policies for a three-dose primary series in this vulnerable population,\" said Jennie Kwon, DO, MSCI, the first author of the study and assistant professor of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis and associate healthcare epidemiologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.</p><p>\"We believe these results demonstrate that solid organ transplant recipients remain at risk for COVID-19 despite vaccination and support the need for continued efforts to mitigate the risk of COVID in this population. It illustrates that booster vaccine doses are particularly important for immunosuppressed people,\" Self said, adding that fourth doses of the mRNA vaccines are now recommended for people with moderate-to-severe immunocompromising conditions, including solid organ transplant.</p><p>The study looked at 10,425 hospitalized patients across 21 hospitals -- 440 who had had solid organ transplants, 1,684 with other immunocompromising conditions and 8,301 whose immune systems were competent. Future analysis will be important to understand the effectiveness of fourth doses, the residual risk of severe COVID-19 among solid organ transplant recipients after four vaccine doses and the durability of protection. In addition, other measures to reduce the risk of COVID-19 among solid organ transplant recipients should be considered, including vaccination of close contacts, individual immune monitoring and infection prevention strategies such as face masking in public spaces and physical distancing.</p><p>The study is part of the IVY (The Influenza and Other Viruses in the Acutely Ill) Research Network, originally created in 2019 to investigate the epidemiology of severe illnesses caused by viral respiratory infections and the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing these illnesses. The network, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center, consists of 21 large adult hospitals geographically dispersed across the U.S. Self is principal investigator for the network.</p>','2022-04-13 22:46:18.470772','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Vanderbilt University Medical Center','Additional booster doses of vaccine against COVID-19 are particularly important for those who are immunosuppressed, namely those who have had solid organ transplants, a new study shows.\n',1,74,'<li>Jennie H Kwon, Mark W Tenforde, Manjusha Gaglani, H Keipp Talbot, Adit A Ginde, Tresa McNeal, Shekhar Ghamande, David J Douin, Jonathan D Casey, Nicholas M Mohr, Anne Zepeski, Nathan I Shapiro, Kevin W Gibbs, D Clark Files, David N Hager, Arber Shehu, Matthew E Prekker, Sean D Caspers, Matthew C Exline, Mena Botros, Michelle N Gong, Alex Li, Amira Mohamed, Nicholas J Johnson, Vasisht Srinivasan, Jay S Steingrub, Ithan D Peltan, Samuel M Brown, Emily T Martin, Akram Khan, Catherine L Hough, Laurence W Busse, Abhijit Duggal, Jennifer G Wilson, Cynthia Perez, Steven Y Chang, Christopher Mallow, Randal Rovinski, Hilary M Babcock, Adam S Lauring, Laura Felley, Natasha Halasa, James D Chappell, Carlos G Grijalva, Todd W Rice, Kelsey N Womack, Christopher J Lindsell, Kimberly W Hart, Adrienne Baughman, Samantha M Olson, Stephanie Schrag, Miwako Kobayashi, Jennifer R Verani, Manish M Patel, Wesley H Self. <strong>mRNA Vaccine Effectiveness Against COVID-19 Hospitalization Among Solid Organ Transplant Recipients</strong>. <em>The Journal of Infectious Diseases</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiac118\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1093/infdis/jiac118</a>\n</li>'),(2135,'Want to 3D print a kidney? Start by thinking small','want-to-3d-print-a-kidney?-start-by-thinking-small','2022-04-13 22:46:21.033158',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Human organ transplants offer a crucial lifeline to people with serious illnesses, but there are too few organs to go around: in the U.S. alone, there are more than 112,000 people currently waiting for transplants. The promise of 3D printing organs is one possible solution to address this shortage but has been fraught with complexity and technical barriers, limiting the type of organs that can be printed. Researchers at Stevens Institute of Technology are now pushing through these barriers by leveraging a decades-old technique to reproduce any tissue type.</p><p>The work, led by Robert Chang, an associate professor in the mechanical engineering department at Stevens\' Schaefer School of Engineering &amp; Science, could open up pathways for 3D printing any kind of organ at any time, even skin directly on an open wound.</p><p>\"Creating new organs to order and saving lives without the need for a human donor will be an immense benefit to healthcare,\" said Robert Chang, whose work appears in the April issue of <em>Scientific Reports</em>. \"However, reaching that goal is tricky because printing organs using \"bio-inks\" -- hydrogels laden with cultured cells -- requires a degree of fine control over the geometry and size of printed microfiber that current 3D printers simply can\'t achieve.\"</p><p>Chang and his team, including Ahmadreza Zaei, first author and doctoral candidate in Chang\'s lab, hope to change that by fast-tracking a new 3D printing process that uses microfluidics -- the precise manipulation of liquids through tiny channels -- to operate at a far smaller scale than has been possible. \"The recent publication aims to improve the controllability and predictability over the structure of the fabricated microtissues and microfibers enabled by microfluidic bioprinting technology,\" said Zaeri.</p><p>Most current 3D bio-printers are extrusion-based, squirting bio-ink out of a nozzle to create structures about 200 microns -- around a tenth as wide as a strand of spaghetti. A microfluidics-based printer could print biological objects measuring on the order of tens of micrometers on par with the single cellular scale.</p><p>\"The scale is very important, because it affects the biology of the organ,\" said Chang. \"We\'re operating at the scale of human cells, and that lets us print structures that mimic the biological features we\'re trying to replicate.\"</p><p>Besides operating on a smaller scale, microfluidics also enables multiple bio-inks, each containing different cells and tissue precursors, to be used interchangeably within a single printed structure, in much the same way that a conventional printer combines colored inks into a single vivid image.</p><p>That\'s important because while researchers have already created simple organs such as bladders by encouraging the tissue to grow on 3D-printed scaffolding, more complex organs such as livers and kidneys require many different cell types to be precisely combined. \"Being able to operate at this scale, while precisely mixing bio-inks, makes it possible for us to reproduce any tissue type,\" said Chang.</p><p>Scaling down 3D bio-printing requires painstaking research to figure out exactly how different process parameters such as channel structures, flow speed, and fluid dynamics affect the geometries and material properties of printed biological structures. To streamline that process, Chang\'s team created a computational model of a microfluidic printing head, enabling them to tweak settings and forecast outcomes without the need for laborious real-world experimentation.</p><p>\"Our computational model advances a formulaic extraction that can be used to predict the various geometrical parameters of the fabricated structures extruded from the microfluidic channels,\" said Zaeri.</p><p>The team\'s computational models accurately predicted the results of real-world microfluidic experiments, and Chang is using his model to guide experiments on the ways that biological structures with varies geometries can be printed. The results of this research work can be used in the printing of combined multiple cell-types bio-ink that can replicate the tissue with gradients geometrical and compositional properties found at the intersection of bone and muscle.</p><p>Chang is also exploring using microfluidic-enabled 3D printing for the in-situ creation of skin and other tissues, enabling patients to have replacement tissues printed directly into a wound. \"This technology is still so new that we don\'t know precisely what it will enable,\" he said. \"But we know it will open the door to creating new structures and important new types of biology.\"</p>','2022-04-13 22:46:21.033158','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Stevens Institute of Technology','Human organ transplants offer a crucial lifeline to people with serious illnesses, but there are too few organs to go around: in the U.S. alone, there are more than 112,000 people currently waiting for transplants. The promise of 3D printing organs is one possible solution to address this shortage but has been fraught with complexity and technical barriers, limiting the type of organs that can be printed. Researchers are now pushing through these barriers by leveraging a decades-old technique to reproduce any tissue type.\n',1,27,'<li>Ahmadreza Zaeri, Ralf Zgeib, Kai Cao, Fucheng Zhang, Robert C. Chang. <strong>Numerical analysis on the effects of microfluidic-based bioprinting parameters on the microfiber geometrical outcomes</strong>. <em>Scientific Reports</em>, 2022; 12 (1) DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-07392-0\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1038/s41598-022-07392-0</a>\n</li>'),(2136,'Cell treatment slows disease in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients','cell-treatment-slows-disease-in-duchenne-muscular-dystrophy-patients','2022-04-13 23:52:33.944781',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">A cell therapy developed by the executive director of the Smidt Heart Institute stabilizes weakened muscles-including the heart muscle-in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients, a new study published in the international peer-reviewed journal <em>The Lancet </em>shows.</p><p>If the HOPE-2 study\'s success is duplicated in the upcoming multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled HOPE-3 clinical trial, the intravenous cell therapy could become the first Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment for Duchenne patients with advanced disease.</p><p>\"This therapy is unique in that it addresses two vital needs in patients with Duchenne: physical movement and a healthy heart,\" said Eduardo Marbán, MD, PhD, executive director of the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai, the Mark S. Siegel Family Foundation Distinguished Professor, an author on the study and the inventor of cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs), progenitor cells derived from human heart tissue, which have been used in multiple clinical trials.</p><p>Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a rare, inherited disorder that mostly affects males. It\'s caused by mutations on a gene on the X chromosome that interferes with the production of a protein called dystrophinthat muscles need to function. Children born with such mutations have muscle weakness throughout their bodies. This makes it difficult for them to do normal activities like run, jump, climb stairs, stand up after sitting and pedal a bicycle. They can also become extremely sick when muscles in their hearts and respiratory organs weaken.</p><p>The prognosis for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy is bleak. Most use a wheelchair by the time they are teenagers and don\'t typically live into their 30s. There is no cure for the disease. Currently, the only approved medical treatments are aimed at delaying loss of the ability to walk; nothing is available for patients with more advanced disease, who now outnumber those with milder symptoms.</p><p>\"The HOPE-2 trial is a game changer for muscular dystrophy,\" said Craig M. McDonald, MD, the trial\'s principal investigator and the professor and chair of physical medicine and rehabilitation and professor of pediatrics, from University of California, Davis Health, one of several sites participating in the trial. \"For the first time, we have a treatment which markedly slows loss of arm function and preserves heart function in Duchenne patients. The cells are given intravenously, and only four times a year, so the treatment is not burdensome for patients and their families.\"</p><p>Other experimental therapies aim to get the body to make dystrophin. The therapy studied in this Phase II clinical trial takes a different approach. It uses heart cells called cardiospheres, or CDCs, which are a type of progenitor cells derived from human heart tissue, to improve the function of skeletal muscle and the heart, at least partly by blunting inflammation. Skeletal muscle mediates voluntary movement, such as that of the arms, while the heart pumps blood throughout the body to sustain life.</p><p>\"This therapeutic approach makes it possible for everyone with DMD to benefit regardless of their exact genetic mutation, which can vary from child to child,\" Marbán said. \"The fact that the cells help both heart and skeletal muscle is notable, as no other treatments have done so.\"</p><p>The trial was sponsored by Capricor Therapeutics, a San Diego- based biotechnology company, which holds a worldwide, exclusive license for this technology and intellectual property and manufactures the cell treatment under the product name of CAP-1002.</p><p>\"We are extremely encouraged by the results of the HOPE-2 study,\" said Linda Marbán, PhD, Capricor\'s CEO. \"We now have conducted HOPE-Duchenne and HOPE-2, the Phase I and Phase II clinical trials using CAP-1002 to treat late-stage DMD patients. These showed statistically significant improvements in upper limb and/or cardiac function in the treatment groups. We are in the process of initiating a Phase III pivotal study, called HOPE-3, which the FDA has signaled as the next step toward product approval for the serious unmet need of DMD.\"</p><p>The study included 20 boys from multiple hospitals across the U.S. All were 10 or older and all had Duchenne muscular dystrophy.</p><p>Each patient in the trial had what investigators classified as \"moderate upper limb impairment,\" meaning their function ranged from being able to raise both arms simultaneously above their heads by flexing at the elbow to being able to raise one or two hands to the mouth, but not bring a cup to it.</p><p>\"Children with DMD eventually become dependent on their arms for most of their activities, such as eating and operating their wheelchair,\" McDonald said. \"Any improvement in upper limb function can make a huge difference.\"</p><p>Eight children were randomly assigned to receive the cell therapy and 12 were randomly assigned to receive the placebo. The cells and placebo were administered intravenously every three months for a year. The study was double-blinded, meaning neither the doctors nor patients knew who was getting the treatment or placebo.</p><p>Results showed patients who were given CAP-1002 experienced less loss of ability in their upper limbs after 12 months than patients who received the placebo. Although children given CAP-1002 still lost some upper limb movement during that period, they did so at a rate that was 71% slower than in children who didn\'t receive the therapy.</p><p>Heart function also improved in children given the cell-based therapy versus the placebo -- an important finding since heart failure is a main cause of death in people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.</p><p>The new <em>Lancet</em> study is the latest in Marbán\'s body of work that harnesses CDCs to improve heart function. Results from the earlier CADUCEUS trial, published in <em>The Lancet</em> in 2014, showed that infusing CDCs into the hearts of heart attack survivors significantly reduced their heart attack scars. The present study uses intravenous cell delivery, which is much easier than cardiac infusion.</p><p>The treatment appears to be safe. One child experienced a severe allergic reaction to CAP-1002 during a second intravenous infusion and required an injection of epinephrine and hospitalization. After that, the investigators put the children on a pre-treatment drug regimen to reduce the risk of allergic reactions. Only one child experienced an allergic reaction after this was implemented, and he did not require medication or hospitalization.</p><p>More studies are needed to learn whether the effects of this therapy last longer than 12 months and prolong the lives of children with DMD.</p><p>\"Here we show the promise of cell therapy in preventing the progression of heart disease in a rare genetic disease, but there is good reason to believe that such therapy may one day be used for more common forms of heart failure,\" Marbán said.</p>','2022-04-13 23:52:33.944781','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Cedars-Sinai Medical Center','A cell therapy stabilizes weakened muscles--including the heart muscle -- in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients, a new study shows.\n',1,189,'<li>Craig M McDonald, Eduardo Marbán, Suzanne Hendrix, Nathaniel Hogan, Rachel Ruckdeschel Smith, Michelle Eagle, Richard S Finkel, Cuixia Tian, Joanne Janas, Matthew M Harmelink, Arun S Varadhachary, Michael D Taylor, Kan N Hor, Oscar H Mayer, Erik K Henricson, Pat Furlong, Deborah D Ascheim, Siegfried Rogy, Paula Williams, Linda Marbán, Russell Butterfield, Anne Connolly, Francesco Muntoni, Nanette C. Joyce, Maya Evans, Mehrdad Abedi, Prasanth Surampudi, Sanjay Jhawar, Jonathan G. Dayan, Colleen Anthonisen, Erica Goude, Alina Nicorici, Omaid Sarwary, Poonam Prasad, Jayoon Baek, Andrew Newton, Hannah Johnson, Kyle Kusmik, Lauri Filar, Angie Edmondson, Irina Rybalsky, Wendy Chouteau, Anthony F. Giordano, Aixa Rodriguez, Kristan Anderson, Germaine Wezel, Melisa Vega, Julie Duke, Jorge Collado, Matthew Civitello, Julie Wells, Erika Pyzik, Rebecca Rehborg, Michelle Brown, Jennifer Van Eyk, Russell G. Rogers. <strong>Repeated intravenous cardiosphere-derived cell therapy in late-stage Duchenne muscular dystrophy (HOPE-2): a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial</strong>. <em>The Lancet</em>, 2022; 399 (10329): 1049 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)00012-5\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1016/S0140-6736(22)00012-5</a>\n</li>'),(2137,'Seeing more deeply into nanomaterials','seeing-more-deeply-into-nanomaterials','2022-04-13 23:52:48.116390',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">From designing new biomaterials to novel photonic devices, new materials built through a process called bottom-up nanofabrication, or self-assembly, are opening up pathways to new technologies with properties tuned at the nanoscale. However, to fully unlock the potential of these new materials, researchers need to \"see\" into their tiny creations so that they can control the design and fabrication in order to enable the material\'s desired properties.</p><p>This has been a complex challenge that researchers from Columbia Engineering and the U.S. Department of Energy\'s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have overcome for the first time, imaging the inside of a novel material self-assembled from nanoparticles with seven nanometer resolution, about 1/100,000 of the width of a human hair. In a new paper published April 6, 2022, in <em>Science</em><em>, </em>the researchers showcase the power of their new high-resolution x-ray imaging technique to reveal the inner structure of the nanomaterial.</p><p>The team designed the new nanomaterial using DNA as a programmable construction material, which enables them to create novel engineered materials for catalysis, optics, and extreme environments. During the creation process of these materials, the different building blocks made of DNA and nanoparticles shift into place on their own based on a defined \"blueprint\" -- called a template -- designed by the researchers. However, to image and exploit these tiny structures with x-rays, they needed to convert them into inorganic materials that could withstand x-rays while providing useful functionality. For the first time, the researchers could see the details, including the imperfections within their newly arranged nanomaterials.</p><p>\"While our DNA-based assembly of nanomaterials offers a tremendous level of control to fine-tune the properties we desire, they don\'t form perfect structures that correspond fully to the blueprint. Thus, without detailed 3D imaging with single-particle resolution, it is impossible to understand how to design effective self-assembled systems, how to tune the assembly process, and to what degree a material\'s performance is affected by imperfections,\" said corresponding author Oleg Gang, professor of chemical engineering and of applied physics and materials science at  Columbia Engineering, and a scientist at Brookhaven\'s Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN).</p><p><strong>Creating new nanostructures at Columbia and Brookhaven labs</strong></p><p>As a DOE Office of Science user facility, the CFN offers a wide range of tools for creating and investigating novel nanomaterials. It was at the labs of the CFN and at Columbia Engineering where Gang and his team first built and studied new nanostructures. Using both DNA-based assembly as a new fabrication tool at the nanoscale and precise templating with inorganic materials that can coat DNA and nanoparticles, the researchers were able to demonstrate a novel type of complex 3D architecture.</p><p>\"When I joined the research team five years ago, we had studied the surface of our assemblies really well, but the surface is only skin deep. If you can\'t go further, you\'ll never see that there\'s a blood system or bones underneath. Since the assembly inside our materials drives their performance, we wanted to go deeper to figure out how it worked,\" said Aaron Noam Michelson, first author of the study who was a PhD student with Gang and is now a postdoc at the CFN.</p><p>And deeper the team went, collaborating with the researchers at the Hard X-ray Nanoprobe (HXN) beamline at the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II), another DOE Office of Science user facility located at Brookhaven Lab. NSLS-II enables researchers to study materials with nanoscale resolution and exquisite sensitivity by providing ultrabright light ranging from infrared to hard x-rays.</p><p>\"At NSLS-II, we have many tools that can be used to learn more about a material depending on what you are interested in. What made HXN interesting for Oleg and his work was that you can see the actual spatial relationships between objects within the structure at the nanoscale. But, at that time when we first talked about this research, \'seeing into\' these tiny structures was already at the limit of what the beamline could do,\" said Hanfei Yan, also a corresponding author of the study and a beamline scientist at HXN.</p><p><strong>Overcoming hurdles </strong></p><p>To push through this challenge, the researchers discussed the various hurdles they needed to overcome. At the CFN and Columbia, the team had to figure out how they could build the structures with desired organization and how to convert them into an inorganic replica that can withstand powerful x-ray beams, while at NSLS-II the researchers had to tune the beamline by improving the resolution, data acquisition, and many other technical details.</p><p>\"I think the best way to describe our progress is in terms of performance. When we first tried to take data at HXN, it took us three days and we got part of a data set. The second time we did this, it took us two days, and we got most of a whole data set, but our sample got destroyed in the process. By the third time it took a little over 24 hours, and we got a full data set. Each of these steps was about six months apart,\" said Michelson.</p><p>Yan added: \"Now we can finish it in a single day. The technique is mature enough that we also offer it to other users who would want to use our beamline to investigate their sample. Seeing into samples on this scale is interesting for fields such as microelectronics and battery research.\"</p><p><strong>Leveraging Brookhaven\'s beamline</strong></p><p>The team leveraged the beamline\'s abilities in two ways. They not only measured the phase contrast of the x-rays passing through the samples, but they also collected the x-ray fluorescence -- the emitted light -- from the sample. By measuring the phase contrast, the researchers could better distinguish the foreground from the background of their sample.</p><p>\"Measuring the data was only half the battle; now we needed to translate the data into meaningful information about order and imperfection of self-assembled systems. We wanted to understand what type of defects can occur in these systems and what is their origin. Until this point, this information was only available through computation. Now we can really see this experimentally, which is super exciting and, literally, eye-opening for the future development of complex designed nanomaterials,\" said Gang.</p><p><strong>New software tools to manage data</strong></p><p>Together, the researchers developed new software tools to help untangle the large amount of data into chunks that could be processed and understood. One major challenge was being able to validate the resolution they achieved. The iterative process that finally led to the groundbreaking new resolution stretched over several months before the team had verified the resolution through both standard analysis and machine-learning approaches.</p><p>\"It took my whole PhD to get here but I personally feel very gratified for being part of this collaboration. I was able to get involved in every step of the way from making the samples to running the beamline. All the new skills I have learned on this journey will be useful for everything that lies ahead,\" said Michelson.</p><p><strong>Next steps</strong></p><p>Even though the team has reached this impressive milestone, they are far from done. They already set their sights on the next steps to further push the boundaries of the possible.</p><p>\"Now that we have gone through the data analysis process, we plan to make this part easier and faster for future projects, especially when further beamline improvements enable us to collect data even faster. The analysis is currently the bottleneck when doing high-resolution tomography work at HXN,\" said Yan.</p><p>Gang added, \"Aside from continuing to push the performance of the beamline, we also plan to use this new technique to dive deeper into the relationships between defects and properties of our materials. We plan to design more complex nanomaterials using DNA self-assembly that can be studied using HXN. In this way we can see how well the structure is built internally and connect this to the process of the assembly. We are developing a new bottom-up fabrication platform that we would not be able to image without this new capability.\"</p><p>By understanding this connection between material\'s properties and the assembly process, the researchers hope to unlock the path to fine-tuning these materials for future applications in designed nanomaterials for batteries and catalysis, for light manipulation, and for desired mechanical responses.</p>','2022-04-13 23:52:48.116390','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science','Researchers have overcome imaging the inside of a novel material self-assembled from nanoparticles with seven nanometer resolution, about 1/100,000 of the width of a human hair. The researchers now showcase the power of their new high-resolution x-ray imaging technique to reveal the inner structure of the nanomaterial.\n',1,27,'<li>Aaron Michelson, Brian Minevich, Hamed Emamy, Xiaojing Huang, Yong S. Chu, Hanfei Yan, Oleg Gang. <strong>Three-dimensional visualization of nanoparticle lattices and multimaterial frameworks</strong>. <em>Science</em>, 2022; 376 (6589): 203 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abk0463\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1126/science.abk0463</a>\n</li>'),(2138,'Rotating blue laser light reveals unimagined dynamics in living cells','rotating-blue-laser-light-reveals-unimagined-dynamics-in-living-cells','2022-04-13 23:53:12.490928',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">When cities transform into a colorful world of lights as darkness falls, it\'s often only possible to estimate their contours, which depending on the perspective can draw the attention to key details or trivia. In fluorescence microscopy, biological cells are marked with fluorescent dyes and excited to luminesce in specific areas by optical switches- like a city at night. However, this light is usually too faint for small, rapid objects, or even goes out after a while. This is known as \" fluorescence bleaching.\" Now, a new approach developed by Prof. Dr. Alexander Rohrbach and his team in the Laboratory for Bio- and Nano-Photonics at the University of Freiburg has found a way to make the smallest objects clearly visible without fluorescence. In this way, cellular structures or virus-sized particles can be observed 100 to 1,000 times longer, ten to 100-times faster and with almost doubled resolution than with fluorescence microscopy. While fluorescence microscopy records what you might call \"night-time images\" of structures, ROCS microscopy takes \"day-time images\" -- opposites that can complement each other excellently. Rohrbach and his colleagues describe various applications of the technology in the latest issue of <em>Nature Communications</em>.</p><p><strong>Blue laser directed illuminates object at oblique angle </strong></p><p>The technology they use is known as \'Rotating Coherent Scattering\' (ROCS) and uses a rapidly-rotating blue laser beam. \"We are exploiting several physical phenomena familiar from everyday life,\" explains Rohrbach, \"First, small objects like molecules, viruses or cell structures scatter -- or distribute -- blue light the most, which is known from the air molecules in the atmosphere and that we perceive as blue sky.\" Small objects scatter and direct roughly ten-times more blue than red light particles to the camera and thereby transmit valuable information.</p><p>Secondly, ROCS targets a blue laser at a highly oblique angle on the biological objects, because this markedly increases contrast and resolution. This is familiar to us already as well: if you hold a wine glass at an angle to the light it\'s far easier to spot dirt or fingerprints. Thirdly, the scientists illuminate the object successively from each direction with the oblique laser beam, because illumination from only one direction would produce a lot of artifacts.</p><p><strong>100 images per second of living cells</strong></p><p>The Freiburg physicist and engineers from the Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK) rotate the oblique laser beam a hundred times per second around the object and thereby produce 100 images per second. \"So in ten minutes we already have 60,000 images of living cells, which turn out to be far more dynamic than previously thought,\" says Rohrbach. Dynamic analyses like this demand enormous computing power to process just one minute of visual material, however. Therefore, a variety of computer algorithms and analytical processes first had to be developed so that the data could be properly interpreted.</p><p>Together with his colleague Dr. Felix Jünger and in cooperation with various Freiburg research groups, Rohrbach was able to demonstrate the capacity of the microscope using various cell systems: \"Our primary aim wasn\'t to generate pretty pictures or films of the unexpectedly high dynamic of cells -- we wanted to gain new biological insights.\" For instance, the ROCS technology enabled them to observe how mast cells open small pores in just a few milliseconds when stimulated, in order to eject spherical granules at an inexplicably high force and speed. The granules contain the transmitter histamine, which can subsequently lead to allergic reactions.</p><p><strong>Observing the </strong><strong>binding behavior of virus-sized particles </strong></p><p>In another series of experiments, the researchers were able to observe how tiny virus-sized particles dance in incredible speed around the rugged surface of scavenger cells, taking several tries to find a binding point on the cell. These observations served as pretests for currently running studies about the binding behavior of coronaviruses.</p><p>In addition, the ROCS technology has been used within the collaborative research cluster CRC 1425 about the formation of scars in cardiac lesions. Fibroblasts, that is scar tissue cells, form 100 nanometers thin tubes, so-called nano-tubes, which are 1,000-times thinner than a hair. By this new technology Jünger and Rohrbach were able to discover that these tubes vibrate thermally on a milliseconds scale, but this motion wanes over time. According to mathematical analyses of activity, this indicates a mechanical stiffening of the nano-tubes.</p><p>In other experiments the scientists were finally able to observe over many thousands of images how filopodia -- the \"fingers\" of scavenger cells -- search their environment for prey using a complex dither movement and how filopodia can alter their cytoskeleton at previously unknown speeds.</p><p><strong>Story Source:</strong></p>','2022-04-13 23:53:12.490928','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'University of Freiburg','When cities transform into a colorful world of lights as darkness falls, it\'s often only possible to estimate their contours, which depending on the perspective can draw the attention to key details or trivia. In fluorescence microscopy, biological cells are marked with fluorescent dyes and excited to luminesce in specific areas by optical switches- like a city at night. However, this light is usually too faint for small, rapid objects, or even goes out after a while. This is known as \'fluorescence bleaching.\' Now, researchers have developed a new way to make the smallest objects clearly visible without fluorescence. In this way, cellular structures or virus-sized particles can be observed 100 to 1,000 times longer, ten to 100-times faster and with almost doubled resolution than with fluorescence microscopy.\n',1,53,'<li>Felix Jünger, Dominic Ruh, Dominik Strobel, Rebecca Michiels, Dominik Huber, Annette Brandel, Josef Madl, Alina Gavrilov, Michael Mihlan, Caterina Cora Daller, Eva A. Rog-Zielinska, Winfried Römer, Tim Lämmermann, Alexander Rohrbach. <strong>100 Hz ROCS microscopy correlated with fluorescence reveals cellular dynamics on different spatiotemporal scales</strong>. <em>Nature Communications</em>, 2022; 13 (1) DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29091-0\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1038/s41467-022-29091-0</a>\n</li>'),(2139,'Total economic burden of MS in United States is more than $85 billion','total-economic-burden-of-ms-in-united-states-is-more-than-$85-billion','2022-04-13 23:53:15.350250',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">The estimated cost of multiple sclerosis (MS) reached $85.4 billion in 2019 in the United States, according to a new report published in the April 13, 2022, online issue of <em>Neurology<sup>®</sup></em>, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. In addition, when researchers compared people with MS to people without MS they found that excess medical costs represent 74% of the overall economic burden of MS. The excess medical cost per person was $65,612 that year.</p><p>These costs not only reflect the cost of medications and health care. Neurologic disability can prevent people with MS from working or limit employment opportunities and reduce earnings. Also, many family members need to leave their employment to be caregivers. These costs are also reflected in this analysis as non-medical costs.</p><p>\"Multiple sclerosis is an expensive disease to treat and the debilitating effects of MS can result in considerable disruption to daily living including work, physical independence, mobility and social interaction,\" said study author Bruce Bebo, PhD, of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in New York, NY. \"The findings of this study help underscore the burden of MS in the US and our hope is our results will inform decision-making regarding MS-related health resources.\"</p><p>Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system which is made up of the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. MS is chronic and can be unpredictable and disabling. Symptoms may include fatigue, numbness and tingling, loss of balance, weakness and problems with vision. An estimated 1 million people in the United States live with MS, and it affects more women than men. While there are medications to treat symptoms of the disease, there is currently no cure for MS.</p><p>For the study, researchers reviewed Medicare and insurance claims to determine direct medical costs, looking at a total of 10,589 people with MS and another 105,893 people without MS matched for age and sex. They calculated the per person direct medical costs for 2017, 2018 and 2019, and then calculated the average one-year cost. Researchers also surveyed 946 study participants and their caregivers about indirect costs, such as job loss or lost productivity on the job, cost of paid and unpaid caregivers, and home modifications.</p><p>Researchers found an estimated total economic burden in the U.S. of $85.4 billion. That amount included $63.3 billion in direct medical costs as well as $22.1 billion in indirect non-medical costs. Prescription medications were the largest component with $37.9 billion, amounting to about 54% of direct medical costs, followed by drugs administered in the clinic with $6.7 billion or about 12%, and outpatient care with $5.5 billion or 9%.</p><p>The average excess medical costs for a person with MS compared to a person without MS was $65,612. That included $35,154 for medication, the largest proportion of this cost.</p><p>The annual cost for a person taking MS medications ranged from $57,202 to $92,719.</p><p>\"The costs of MS are very high not only on a personal level but a national level as well,\" Bebo said. \"Our results suggested a possible role for additional policy initiatives to better support individuals and families affected, in terms of providing treatment and long-term care, work-site support, employment, and occupational training. These measures could reduce the economic burden of MS and help improve the lives of those living with MS and their family caregivers.\"</p><p>Bebo added, \"Right now, in the U.S. there are about one million adults with MS and we estimated that by 2039, there will be nearly 1.2 million people living with MS. With this, the economic burden will increase to $108.1 billion.\"</p><p>A limitation of this study was that the indirect and non-medical costs were estimated using a self-administered survey and relied on respondents\' memory, meaning some costs may have not been accurately reported.</p><p>The study was commissioned and paid for by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.</p>','2022-04-13 23:53:15.350250','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'American Academy of Neurology','The estimated cost of multiple sclerosis (MS) reached $85.4 billion in 2019 in the United States, according to a new report. In addition, when researchers compared people with MS to people without MS they found that excess medical costs represent 74% of the overall economic burden of MS. The excess medical cost per person was $65,612 that year.\n',1,153,'<li>Bruce Bebo, Inna Cintina, Nicholas LaRocca, Leslie Ritter, Bari Talente, Daniel Hartung, Surachat Ngorsuraches, Mitchell Wallin, Grace Yang. <strong>Economic Burden of Multiple Sclerosis in the United States: Estimate of Direct and Indirect Costs</strong>. <em>Neurology</em>, 2022 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000200150\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1212/WNL.0000000000200150</a>\n</li>'),(2140,'Show them the money: Pay the vaccine-hesitant to get their COVID-19 shots','show-them-the-money:-pay-the-vaccine-hesitant-to-get-their-covid-19-shots','2022-04-13 23:53:18.288624',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Never dismiss the power of money to persuade. A study initiated before the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines has found that a $1000 incentive for the vaccine-hesitant could boost vaccine rates up to 87 percent.</p><p>At the time, that number was considered sufficient to confer herd immunity. With COVID-19 variants now proliferating globally, notions of herd immunity have changed. But the authors say their findings are still valuable, given that much of the developing world has yet to become fully vaccinated, and as public health officials continue to encourage vaccination as a powerful tool against serious health effects.</p><p>\"It\'s even a bigger question than vaccines and COVID. This is part of a larger set of ?dilemmas called collective action problems -- such as how do we convince people to take action to mitigate climate change,\" says Vivek Nandur, a doctoral student in behavioural economics at the University of Toronto\'s Rotman School of Management and one of three study co-authors. \"This speaks to that and how monetary incentives can be used to influence larger behaviour change.\"</p><p>Some 2,500 study participants, recruited online in December 2020, were asked if they planned to get the vaccine or, if they would accept it under one of three conditions -- if it were free, if it was effective against COVID-19, or if it had no side effects.,</p><p>Those who answered \"yes\" varied from 68 percent in the \"free vaccine\" category to 75 percent for those in the \"no side effects\" group. Some 70 percent of participants in the no conditions group said they would get vaccinated.</p><p>All participants who answered \"no,\" were then asked how much money would incentivize them to accept the vaccine. A $500 cash incentive brought the percentage of vaccine willing up to 80 percent. But the $1000 cash incentive, the maximum, raised that figure to nearly 87 percent.</p><p>Between 13 and 15 percent of participants were unwilling to accept the vaccine under any circumstances. But Nandur said the results support other findings that show that the vaccine hesitant are not a homogeneous group and that public health strategies need to be similarly nuanced and targeted. Even cash incentives are not a panacea, and can potentially backfire, given other conditions.</p><p>As one example, \"offering the vaccine for free in our experiment seems to make people a bit warier, which is confusing and likely needs more examination,\" Nandur said.</p><p>Money aside, people were more willing to take the vaccine if it was shown as effective against COVID-19, or had no side effects. Hesitancy was stronger among younger people than older ones, and among political conservatives.</p><p>The study was published in<em> Humanities and Social Sciences Communications.</em></p><p>Nandur co-authored the study with David Soberman, a professor of marketing and the Canadian National Chair of Strategic Marketing at the Rotman School, and Ganesh Iyer of the Haas School of Business at the University of Berkley.</p><p>The researchers have since looked at the effects of a 2021 policy by the government of West Virginia to offer $100 savings bonds to people aged 16 to 35 who get vaccinated. The policy was introduced to boost the state\'s lagging vaccination rate from 52 to beyond 70 percent.</p>','2022-04-13 23:53:18.288624','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management','A study initiated before the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines has found that a $1000 incentive for the vaccine-hesitant could boost vaccine rates up to 87 percent. The study also speaks to how monetary incentives can be used to influence larger behavior change.\n',1,74,'<li>Ganesh Iyer, Vivek Nandur, David Soberman. <strong>Vaccine hesitancy and monetary incentives</strong>. <em>Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</em>, 2022; 9 (1) DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/s41599-022-01074-y\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1057/s41599-022-01074-y</a>\n</li>'),(2141,'Ice shards in Antarctic clouds let more solar energy reach Earth’s surface','ice-shards-in-antarctic-clouds-let-more-solar-energy-reach-earth’s-surface','2022-04-13 23:53:21.132321',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Clouds come in myriad shapes, sizes and types, which control their effects on climate. New research led by the University of Washington shows that splintering of frozen liquid droplets to form ice shards inside Southern Ocean clouds dramatically affects the clouds\' ability to reflect sunlight back to space.</p><p>The paper, published March 4 in the open-access journal <em>AGU Advances,</em> shows that including this ice-splintering process improves the ability of high-resolution global models to simulate clouds over the Southern Ocean -- and thus the models\' ability to simulate Earth\'s climate.</p><p>\"Southern Ocean low clouds shouldn\'t be treated as liquid clouds,\" said lead author Rachel Atlas, a UW doctoral student in atmospheric sciences. \"Ice formation in Southern Ocean low clouds has a substantial effect on the cloud properties and needs to be accounted for in global models.\"</p><p>Results show that it\'s important to include the process whereby icy particles collide with supercooled droplets of water causing them to freeze and then shatter, forming many more shards of ice. Doing so makes the clouds dimmer, or decreases their reflectance, allowing more sunlight to reach the ocean\'s surface.</p><p>The difference between including the details of ice formation inside the clouds versus not including them was 10 Watts per square meter between 45 degrees south and 65 degrees south in the summer, which is enough energy to have a significant effect on temperature.</p><p>The study used observations from a 2018 field campaign that flew through Southern Ocean clouds, as well as data from NASA\'s CERES satellite and the Japanese satellite Himawari-8.</p><p>Ice formation reduces clouds\' reflectance because the ice particles form, grow and fall out of the cloud very efficiently.</p><p>\"The ice crystals deplete much of the thinner cloud entirely, therefore reducing the horizontal coverage,\" Atlas said. \"Ice crystals also deplete some of the liquid in the thick cores of the cloud. So the ice particles both reduce the cloud cover and dim the remaining cloud.\"</p><p>In February, which is summer in the Southern Ocean, about 90% of the skies are covered with clouds, and at least 25% of those clouds are affected by the type of ice formation that was the focus of the study. Getting clouds right, especially in the new models that use smaller grid spacing to include clouds and storms, is important for calculating how much solar radiation reaches Earth.</p><p>\"The Southern Ocean is a massive global heat sink, but its ability to take heat from the atmosphere depends on the temperature structure of the upper ocean, which relates to the cloud cover,\" Atlas said.</p><p>Co-authors of the study are Chris Bretherton, a UW professor emeritus of atmospheric sciences now at the Allen Institute for AI in Seattle; Marat Khairoutdinov at Stony Brook University in New York; and Peter Blossey, a UW research scientist in atmospheric sciences. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation.</p>','2022-04-13 23:53:21.132321','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'University of Washington','Clouds come in myriad shapes, sizes and types, which control their effects on climate. New research shows that splintering of frozen liquid droplets to form ice shards inside Southern Ocean clouds dramatically affects the clouds’ ability to reflect sunlight back to space.\n',1,163,'<li>R. L. Atlas, C. S. Bretherton, M. F. Khairoutdinov, P. N. Blossey. <strong>Hallett‐Mossop Rime Splintering Dims Cumulus Clouds Over the Southern Ocean: New Insight From Nudged Global Storm‐Resolving Simulations</strong>. <em>AGU Advances</em>, 2022; 3 (2) DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2021AV000454\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1029/2021AV000454</a>\n</li>'),(2142,'COVID-19 therapy: Better in combination than alone','covid-19-therapy:-better-in-combination-than-alone','2022-04-13 23:53:25.397867',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">There is a steadily growing arsenal of drugs for COVID-19. Researchers from Charité -- Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) and Freie Universität (FU) Berlin have studied the mechanisms of action of antiviral and anti-inflammatory drugs. Their findings, which have been published in <em>Molecular Therapy, </em>show that treatment effects were best with combination therapy involving both types of drugs. This treatment regimen also had the additional benefit of increasing the time window available for antibody therapy.</p><p>SARS-CoV-2 infections continue to result in hospitalizations. According to estimates by the Robert Koch Institute, the current COVID-19 hospitalization rate is approximately six to seven per 100,000 of the resident population. Hospitalized COVID-19 patients now have access to a range of drugs which can reduce the severity of the disease or, in the most severe cases, reduce the risk of death. Some of these drugs target the virus itself; others fight the inflammation associated with infection.</p><p>First-line treatments include monoclonal antibodies and dexamethasone, a drug with strong anti-inflammatory properties. Antibody treatments neutralize the virus by sticking to the surface of its spike protein, preventing it from entering human cells. This type of treatment is used within seven days after symptom onset. Hospitalized COVID-19 patients who require oxygen therapy usually receive dexamethasone, a glucocorticoid which, for approximately 60 years, has been used to treat inflammatory conditions caused by an overactive immune response. In COVID-19, too, the drug has been shown to reliably dampen the body\'s inflammatory response. However, as the drug is associated with various side effects, including an increased risk of fungal infections, it should only be used in a specific and targeted manner.</p><p>Researchers from Charité, the MDC\'s Berlin Institute of Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB) and FU Berlin have now studied the mechanisms of action of both types of treatment. \"We uncovered evidence to suggest that combination therapy of antibodies and dexamethasone is more effective than either of these treatments alone,\" says first author Dr. Emanuel Wyler, a researcher at the BIMSB\'s \'RNA Biology and Posttranscriptional Regulation\' research group, which is led Prof. Dr. Markus Landthaler. As not all lung compartments can be studied using lung tissue samples obtained from patients, the research group\'s first step last year was to search for a suitable model. That task fell to co-last author Dr. Jakob Trimpert, a veterinarian and research group leader at the FU Berlin\'s Institute of Virology, who subsequently developed COVID-19 hamster models. As animals which both contract the same virus variants as humans and develop similar disease symptoms, hamsters have proven the most important non-transgenic model for the study of COVID-19. Symptoms and progression, however, vary between different species of hamster. While symptoms usually remain moderate in Syrian hamsters, for example, Roborovski hamsters will develop severe disease reminiscent of that seen in COVID-19 patients requiring intensive care.</p><p>\"In the current study, we tested the effects of single and combined antiviral and anti-inflammatory therapies for COVID-19, meaning we used the existing models with monoclonal antibodies, dexamethasone, or a combination of the two,\" explains Dr. Trimpert. The FU Berlin\'s veterinary pathologists then examined infected lung tissue under a microscope to establish the extent of lung tissue damage. Dr. Trimpert and his team also determined the quantities of infectious virus and viral RNA present in the tissues at various time points. This enabled the researchers to check whether and how viral activity might change over the course of treatment. \"Thanks to a detailed analysis of various COVID-19 parameters, which is only possible in an animal model, we were able to improve our understanding of the basic mechanisms of action of two important COVID-19 drugs. Moreover, we found clear evidence of the potential benefits associated with a combination therapy of monoclonal antibodies and dexamethasone,\" says Dr. Trimpert.</p><p>Using single-cell analyses, the researchers demonstrated the drugs\' effects on the complex interplay of various cellular signaling pathways and the number of immune cells present. Individual cells obtained from a particular sample were loaded onto a chip, where they were first barcoded and then encapsulated into minute droplets of aqueous fluid. Once prepared, the single cells underwent RNA sequencing, a process used to establish the sequence of genetic building blocks which a cell has just read. Thanks to barcoding, this RNA is later identifiable as originating from a particular cell, enabling the researchers to determine cellular function at the single-cell level with a high degree of accuracy. \"We were able to observe that the antibodies are effective at reducing the amount of virus present,\" explains Dr. Wyler. He adds: \"This was not much use in our model, though.\" This is because it is not the virus that damages the lung tissue, but the strong inflammatory response triggered by the virus. The immune cells fighting the invading pathogens release messenger substances to call in reinforcements. When these defensive forces arrive in large numbers, the lungs can become clogged. \"Obstructed blood vessels and unstable vessel walls can subsequently result in acute lung failure,\" explains Dr. Wyler.</p><p>A surprise came in the shape of the well-known drug dexamethasone. \"This anti-inflammatory exerts a particularly strong effect on a specific kind of immune cell known as neutrophils,\" says the study\'s co-last author Dr. Geraldine Nouailles, Research Group Leader at Charité\'s Department of Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell responsible for mounting a prompt response to viral and bacterial infections. \"The corticosteroid preparation suppresses the immune system and prevents the neutrophils from producing messenger substances which would attract other immune cells,\" explains Dr. Nouailles. She continues: \"This makes the drug extremely effective at preventing an escalation of the immune response.\"</p><p>The best treatment outcomes were achieved when the researchers administered a combination of antiviral and anti-inflammatory treatments. \"This type of combination therapy is not included in existing clinical guidelines,\" emphasizes Dr. Nouailles. \"What is more, current guidance stipulates that, in high-risk patients, antibody therapy can only be given in the first seven days following symptom onset. In clinical practice, dexamethasone is only used once a patient requires oxygen therapy, i.e., at an extremely advanced stage of the disease. Its use in combination, however, opens entirely new treatment time windows.\" This new approach must now be evaluated in clinical trials before it can be adopted in clinical practice.</p>','2022-04-13 23:53:25.397867','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin','There is a steadily growing arsenal of drugs for COVID-19. Researchers have studied the mechanisms of action of antiviral and anti-inflammatory drugs. Their findings show that treatment effects were best with combination therapy involving both types of drugs. This treatment regimen also had the additional benefit of increasing the time window available for antibody therapy.\n',1,91,'<li>Emanuel Wyler, Julia M. Adler, Kathrin Eschke, G. Teixeira Alves, Stefan Peidli, Fabian Pott, Julia Kazmierski, Laura Michalick, Olivia Kershaw, Judith Bushe, Sandro Andreotti, Peter Pennitz, Azza Abdelgawad, Dylan Postmus, Christine Goffinet, Jakob Kreye, S Momsen Reincke, Harald Prüss, Nils Blüthgen, Achim D. Gruber, Wolfgang M. Kuebler, Martin Witzenrath, Markus Landthaler, Geraldine Nouailles, Jakob Trimpert. <strong>Key benefits of dexamethasone and antibody treatment in COVID-19 hamster models revealed by single-cell transcriptomics</strong>. <em>Molecular Therapy</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ymthe.2022.03.014\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1016/j.ymthe.2022.03.014</a>\n</li>'),(2143,'Genomic time machine in sea sponges','genomic-time-machine-in-sea-sponges','2022-04-14 04:06:26.883723',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Sponges in coral reefs, less flashy than their coral neighbors but important to the overall health of reefs, are among the earliest animals on the planet. New research from the University of New Hampshire examines coral reef ecosystems with a novel approach to understanding the complex evolution of sponges and the microbes that live in symbiosis with them. With this \"genomic time machine,\" researchers can predict aspects of reef and ocean ecosystems through hundreds of millions of years of dramatic evolutionary change.</p><p>\"This work shows how microbiomes have evolved in a group of organisms over 700 million years old,\" said Sabrina Pankey, a postdoctoral researcher and lead author of the study. \"Sponges are increasing in abundance on reefs in response to climate change and they play an enormous role in water quality and nutrient fixation.\"</p><p>In the study, recently published in the journal <em>Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</em>, the significance of the work transcends sponges, providing a new approach to understanding the past based on genomics. The researchers characterized almost 100 sponge species from across the Caribbean using a machine-learning method to model the identity and abundance of every member of the sponges\' unique microbiomes, the community of microbes and bacteria that live within them in symbiosis. They found two distinct microbiome compositions that led to different strategies sponges used for feeding (sponges capture nutrients by pumping water through their bodies) and protecting themselves against predators -- even among species that grew side by side on a reef.</p><p>\"If we can reconstruct the evolutionary history of complex microbial communities like this, we can say a lot about the Earth\'s past,\" said David Plachetzki, associate professor of molecular, cellular and biomedical sciences and study co-author. \"Research like this could reveal aspects of the chemical composition of the Earth\'s oceans going back to before modern coral reefs even existed, or it could provide insights on the tumult that marine ecosystems experienced in the aftermath of the greatest extinction in history that took place about 252 million years ago.\"</p><p>The types of symbiotic communities the researchers describe in this paper are very complex, yet they can show they evolved independently multiple times. They say that there is something very specific about what these microbial communities are doing. Sponges dozens of times have decided that this diverse arrangement of microbes works for them.</p><p>Leveraging this new genomic approach, the researchers found that the origin of one of these distinct microbiomes, which had a high microbial abundance (HMA) of more than a billion microbes per gram of tissue, occurred at a time when the Earth\'s oceans underwent a significant change in biogeochemistry coincident with the origins of modern coral reefs.</p><p>The project was funded by National Science Foundation Dimensions of Biodiversity and Biological Oceanography Program.</p><p>The University of New Hampshire inspires innovation and transforms lives in our state, nation and world. More than 16,000 students from all 50 states and 71 countries engage with an award-winning faculty in top-ranked programs in business, engineering, law, health and human services, liberal arts and the sciences across more than 200 programs of study. A Carnegie Classification R1 institution, UNH partners with NASA, NOAA, NSF and NIH, and received $260 million in competitive external funding in FY21 to further explore and define the frontiers of land, sea and space.</p>','2022-04-14 04:06:26.883723','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'University of New Hampshire','Sponges in coral reefs, less flashy than their coral neighbors but important to the overall health of reefs, are among the earliest animals on the planet. New research examines coral reef ecosystems with a novel approach to understanding the complex evolution of sponges and the microbes that live in symbiosis with them. With this \'genomic time machine,\' researchers can predict aspects of reef and ocean ecosystems through hundreds of millions of years of dramatic evolutionary change.\n',1,27,'<li>M. Sabrina Pankey, David C. Plachetzki, Keir J. Macartney, Marianela Gastaldi, Marc Slattery, Deborah J. Gochfeld, Michael P. Lesser. <strong>Cophylogeny and convergence shape holobiont evolution in sponge–microbe symbioses</strong>. <em>Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41559-022-01712-3\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1038/s41559-022-01712-3</a>\n</li>'),(2144,'Tear-free hair brushing? All you need is math','tear-free-hair-brushing?-all-you-need-is-math','2022-04-14 04:06:28.086829',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">As anyone who has ever had to brush long hair knows, knots are a nightmare. But with enough experience, most learn the tricks of detangling with the least amount of pain -- start at the bottom, work your way up to the scalp with short, gentle brushes, and apply detangler when necessary.</p><p>L. Mahadevan, the Lola England de Valpine Professor of Applied Mathematics, of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, and of Physics, learned the mechanics of combing years ago while brushing his young daughter\'s hair.</p><p><em>\"</em>I recall that detangling spray seemed to work sometimes, but I still had to be careful to comb gently, by starting from the free ends,\" said Mahadevan. \"But I was soon fired from the job as I was not very patient.\"</p><p>While Mahadevan lost his role as hairdresser, he was still a scientist and the topology, geometry and mechanics of detangling posed interesting mathematical questions that are relevant to a range of applications including textile manufacturing and chemical processes such as polymer processing.</p><p>In a new paper, published in the journal <em>Soft Matter,</em> Mahadevan and co-authors Thomas Plumb Reyes and Nicholas Charles, explore the mathematics of combing and explain why the brushing technique used by so many is the most effective method to detangle a bundle of fibers.</p><p>To simplify the problem, the researchers simulated two helically entwined filaments, rather than a whole head of hair.</p><p>\"Using this minimal model, we study the detangling of the double helix via a single stiff tine that moves along it, leaving two untangled filaments in its wake,\" said Plumb-Reyes, a graduate student at SEAS. \"We measured the forces and deformations associated with combing and then simulated it numerically.\"</p><p>\"Short strokes that start at the free end and move towards the clamped end remove tangles by creating a flow of a mathematical quantity called the \'link density\' that characterizes the amount that hair strands that are braided with each other, consistent with simulations of the process\" said Nicholas Charles, a graduate student at SEAS.</p><p>The researchers also identified the optimal minimum length for each stroke -- any smaller and it would take forever to comb out all the tangles and any longer and it would be too painful.</p><p>The mathematical principles of brushing developed by Plumb-Reyes, Charles and Mahadevan were recently used by Professor Daniela Rus and her team at MIT to design algorithms for brushing hair by a robot.</p><p>Next, the team aims to study the mechanics of brushing curlier hair and how it responds to humidity and temperature, which may lead to a mathematical understanding of a fact every person with curly hair knows: never brush dry hair.</p><p>This research was supported by funds from the US National Science Foundation, and the Henri Seydoux Fund.</p>','2022-04-14 04:06:28.086829','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences','Scientists explore the mathematics of combing and explain why the brushing technique used by so many is the most effective method to detangle a bundle of fibers.\n',1,25,'<li>Thomas B. Plumb-Reyes, Nicholas Charles, L. Mahadevan. <strong>Combing a double helix</strong>. <em>Soft Matter</em>, 2022; 18 (14): 2767 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/D1SM01533H\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1039/D1SM01533H</a>\n</li>'),(2145,'New COVID-19 nasal spray outperforms current antibody treatments in mice','new-covid-19-nasal-spray-outperforms-current-antibody-treatments-in-mice','2022-04-14 04:06:31.182710',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">A new protein-based antiviral nasal spray developed by researchers at Northwestern University, University of Washington and Washington University at St. Louis is being advanced toward Phase I human clinical trials to treat COVID-19.</p><p>Designed computationally and refined in the laboratory, the new protein therapies thwarted infection by interfering with the virus\' ability to enter cells. The top protein neutralized the virus with similar or greater potency than antibody treatments with Emergency Use Authorization status from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Notably, the top protein also neutralized all tested SARS-CoV-2 variants, something that many clinical antibodies have failed to do.</p><p>When researchers administered the treatment to mice as a nasal spray, they found that the best of these antiviral proteins reduced symptoms of infection -- or even prevented infection outright.</p><p>The findings were published yesterday (April 12) in the journal <em>Science Translational Medicine.</em></p><p>This work was led by Northwestern\'s Michael Jewett; David Baker and David Veesler at the University of Washington School of Medicine; and Michael S. Diamond at WashU.</p><p>To begin, the team first used supercomputers to design proteins that could stick to vulnerable sites on the surface of the novel coronavirus, targeting the spike protein. This work was originally reported in 2020 in the journal <em>Science</em>.</p><p>In the new work, the team reengineered the proteins -- called minibinders -- to make them even more potent. Rather than targeting just one site of the virus\' infectious machinery, the minibinders simultaneously bind to three sites, making the drug less likely to detach.</p><p>\"SARS-CoV-2\'s spike protein has three binding domains, and common antibody therapies may only block one,\" Jewett said. \"Our minibinders sit on top of the spike protein like a tripod and block all three. The interaction between the spike protein and our antiviral is among the tightest interactions known in biology. When we put the spike protein and our antiviral therapeutic in a test tube together for a week, they stayed connected and never fell apart.\"</p><p>Jewett is a professor of chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern\'s McCormick School of Engineering and director of Northwestern\'s Center for Synthetic Biology. Andrew C. Hunt, a graduate research fellow in Jewett\'s laboratory, is the paper\'s co-first author.</p><p>As the SARS-CoV-2 virus has mutated to create new variants, some treatments have become less effective in fighting the ever-evolving virus. Just last month, the FDA paused several monoclonal antibody treatments, for example, due to their failure against the BA.2 omicron subvariant.</p><p>Unlike these antibody treatments, which failed to neutralize omicron, the new minibinders maintained potency against the omicron variant of concern. By blocking the virus\' spike protein, the new antiviral prevents it from binding to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, which is the entry point for infecting the body. Because the novel coronavirus and its mutant variants cannot infect the body without binding to the ACE2 receptor, the antiviral also should work against future variants.</p><p>\"To enter the body, the spike protein and ACE2 receptor engage in a handshake,\" Jewett said. \"Our antiviral blocks this handshake and, as a bonus, has resistance to viral escape.\"</p><p>In addition to losing effectiveness, current antibody therapies also come with several problems: They are difficult to develop, expensive and require a healthcare professional to administer. They also require complicated supply chains and extreme refrigeration, which is often unavailable in low-resource settings.</p><p>The new antiviral solves all these problems. As opposed to monoclonal antibodies, which are made by cloning and culturing living mammalian cells, the new antiviral treatment is produced large-scale in microorganisms like E. coli, making them more cost-effective to manufacture. Not only is the new therapy stable in high heat, which could further streamline manufacturing and decrease the cost of goods for clinical development, it also holds promise for being self-administered as a one-time nasal spray, bypassing the need for medical professionals.</p><p>The researchers imagine that it could be available at the pharmacy and used as a preventative measure to treat infections.</p><p>This study, \"Multivalent designed proteins neutralize SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and confer protection against infection in mice,\" was supported by The Audacious Project at the Institute for Protein Design; Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1156262, INV-004949); Burroughs Wellcome Fund; Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Program; David and Lucile Packard Foundation; Helen Hay Whitney Foundation; Open Philanthropy Project; Pew Biomedical Scholars Award; Schmidt Futures; Wu Tsai Translational Investigator Fund; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, including a fellowship from the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation; Department of Defense (NDSEG-36373, W81XWH-21-1-0006, W81XWH-21-1-0007, W81XWH-20-1-0270-2019, AI145296, and AI143265); Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (HR0011835403 contract FA8750-17-C-0219); Defense Threat Reduction Agency (HDTRA1-15-10052, HDTRA1-20-10004); European Commission (MSCA CC-LEGO 792305); National Institutes of Health (1P01GM081619, R01GM097372, R01GM083867, T32GM007270, S10OD032290); National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (DP1AI158186, HHSN272201700059C, R37 AI1059371, R01 AI145486); National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01DK117914, R01DK130386, U01DK127553, F31DK130550); National Institute of General Medical Sciences (R01GM120553); NHLBI Progenitor Cell Biology Consortium (U01HL099997, UO1HL099993); National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (UG3TR002158); United World Antiviral Research Network; Fast Grants; T90 Training Grant; and with federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHSN272201700059C).</p>','2022-04-14 04:06:31.182710','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Northwestern University','Current antibody treatments block SARS-CoV-2 by binding to one of three binding sites on the spike protein. A new protein-based antiviral binds to all three sites on the spike protein, making it more effective than current therapies. The new therapy also is low-cost, easy to manufacture, does not require complicated supply chains with extreme refrigeration and potentially could be self-administered.\n',1,88,'<li>Andrew C. Hunt, James Brett Case, Young-Jun Park, Longxing Cao, Kejia Wu, Alexandra C. Walls, Zhuoming Liu, John E. Bowen, Hsien-Wei Yeh, Shally Saini, Louisa Helms, Yan Ting Zhao, Tien-Ying Hsiang, Tyler N. Starr, Inna Goreshnik, Lisa Kozodoy, Lauren Carter, Rashmi Ravichandran, Lydia B. Green, Wadim L. Matochko, Christy A. Thomson, Bastian Vögeli, Antje Krüger, Laura A. VanBlargan, Rita E. Chen, Baoling Ying, Adam L. Bailey, Natasha M. Kafai, Scott E. Boyken, Ajasja Ljubetič, Natasha Edman, George Ueda, Cameron M. Chow, Max Johnson, Amin Addetia, Mary Jane Navarro, Nuttada Panpradist, Michael Gale, Benjamin S. Freedman, Jesse D. Bloom, Hannele Ruohola-Baker, Sean P. J. Whelan, Lance Stewart, Michael S. Diamond, David Veesler, Michael C. Jewett, David Baker. <strong>Multivalent designed proteins neutralize SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and confer protection against infection in mice</strong>. <em>Science Translational Medicine</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.abn1252\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1126/scitranslmed.abn1252</a>\n</li>'),(2146,'Nanoparticles could enable a more sensitive and durable rapid COVID-19 test','nanoparticles-could-enable-a-more-sensitive-and-durable-rapid-covid-19-test','2022-04-14 10:44:35.936291',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Rapid antigen tests can quickly and conveniently tell a person that they are positive for COVID-19. However, because antibody-based tests aren\'t very sensitive, they can fail to detect early infections with low viral loads. Now, researchers reporting in <em>ACS Sensors </em>have developed a rapid test that uses molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles, rather than antibodies, to detect SARS-CoV-2. The new test is more sensitive and works under more extreme conditions than antibody-based tests.</p><p>The gold standard test for COVID-19 diagnosis remains the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Although this test is highly sensitive and specific, it generally takes 1-2 days to get a result, is expensive and requires special lab equipment and trained personnel. In contrast, rapid antigen tests are fast (15-30 minutes), and people can take them at home with no training. However, they lack sensitivity, which sometimes results in false negatives. Also, the tests use antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 for detection, which can\'t withstand wide ranges of temperature and pH. Marloes Peeters and Jake McClements at Newcastle University, Francesco Canfarotta at MIP Diagnostics, and colleagues wanted to make a low-cost, rapid, robust and highly sensitive COVID-19 test that uses molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (nanoMIPs) instead of antibodies.</p><p>The researchers produced nanoMIPs against a small fragment, or peptide, of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein by creating molecular imprints, or molds, in the nanoparticles. These nanoscale binding cavities had a suitable size and shape to recognize and bind the imprinted peptide and, therefore, the entire protein. They attached the nanoparticles that bound most strongly to the peptide to printed electrodes. After showing that the nanoMIPs could bind SARS-CoV-2, they developed a 3D-printed prototype device that detects binding of the virus by measuring changes in temperature.</p><p>When the team added samples from seven patient nasopharyngeal swabs to the device, the liquid flowed over the electrode, and the researchers detected a change in temperature for samples that had previously tested positive for COVID-19 by RT-PCR. The test required only 15 minutes, and preliminary results indicated that it could detect a 6,000-times lower amount of SARS-CoV-2 than a commercial rapid antigen test. Unlike antibodies, the nanoMIPs withstood warm temperatures -- which could give the test a longer shelf life in hot climates -- and acidic pH -- which might make it useful for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater and saliva samples. However, to prove that the test has a lower false negative rate than existing rapid antigen tests, it must be tested on many more patient samples, the researchers say.</p><p>The authors acknowledge funding and support from Newcastle University, the Rosetrees Trust, the Wellcome Trust, MIP Diagnostics and the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique.</p>','2022-04-14 10:44:35.936291','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'American Chemical Society','Researchers have developed a rapid test that uses molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles, rather than antibodies, to detect SARS-CoV-2. The new test is more sensitive and works under more extreme conditions than antibody-based tests.\n',1,137,'<li>Jake McClements, Laure Bar, Pankaj Singla, Francesco Canfarotta, Alan Thomson, Joanna Czulak, Rhiannon E. Johnson, Robert D. Crapnell, Craig E. Banks, Brendan Payne, Shayan Seyedin, Patricia Losada-Pérez, Marloes Peeters. <strong>Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Nanoparticles Enable Rapid, Reliable, and Robust Point-of-Care Thermal Detection of SARS-CoV-2</strong>. <em>ACS Sensors</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.2c00100\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1021/acssensors.2c00100</a>\n</li>'),(2147,'Coronaviruses evolve to recognize glycans of their host species','coronaviruses-evolve-to-recognize-glycans-of-their-host-species','2022-04-14 10:44:38.733094',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">When coronaviruses jump species -- as SARS-CoV-2 is thought to have done from bats or pangolins to humans -- they must quickly adapt to their new host. For example, they must evolve to recognize the unique sugar molecules, or glycans, that decorate proteins on the host cell\'s surface. Now, researchers reporting in <em>ACS Infectious Diseases </em>have characterized the binding of proteins from several animal and human coronaviruses to glycans called sialic acids, revealing host-specific patterns of binding.</p><p>Sialic acids are negatively charged, nine-carbon sugar molecules that cap the ends of sugar chains attached to proteins on the cell\'s surface. In vertebrates, <em>N</em>-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) and <em>N</em>-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) are the most common forms of sialic acids. Enzymes can add acetyl groups to various places on these molecules, making more than 10 molecular variants of each. Geert-Jan Boons and colleagues wanted to characterize the repertoire of sialic acid variants recognized by two viral proteins, the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein and hemagglutinin-esterase (HE), from several animal and human coronaviruses.</p><p>The researchers used chemical and enzymatic treatments to prepare a complete library of acetylated Neu5Ac and Neu5Gc variants. They printed these molecules onto a glass slide to produce a microarray. Next, the team used a fluorescent antibody detection system to determine whether the RBD and HE from bovine, rabbit, equine and canine coronaviruses bound to specific spots on the microarray. Because human coronavirus HEs have lost the ability to bind sialic acid-containing carbohydrates, they tested only the RBD from the human coronavirus OC43, which typically causes mild cold-like symptoms. The researchers found that HE from each species bound less to Neu5Gc than Neu5Ac variants. The RBDs from each species bound to both Neu5Ac and Neu5Gc variants, but with different patterns. The results revealed that coronaviruses have fine-tuned their specificities to adapt to the sialic acid variants of their host. This information could provide important insights into the factors driving cross-species transmission, helping scientists to predict and prevent future outbreaks, the researchers say.</p><p>The authors acknowledge funding and support from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, the Human Frontier Science Program Organization, the Council for Chemical Sciences of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research and the China Scholarship Council.</p>','2022-04-14 10:44:38.733094','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'American Chemical Society','Researchers have characterized the binding of proteins from several animal and human coronaviruses to glycans called sialic acids, revealing host-specific patterns of binding.\n',1,36,'<li>Zeshi Li, Lin Liu, Luca Unione, Yifei Lang, Raoul J. de Groot, Geert-Jan Boons. <strong>Synthetic O-Acetyl-N-glycolylneuraminic Acid Oligosaccharides Reveal Host-Associated Binding Patterns of Coronaviral Glycoproteins</strong>. <em>ACS Infectious Diseases</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00046\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00046</a>\n</li>'),(2148,'Edible, fluorescent silk tags can suss out fake medications','edible,-fluorescent-silk-tags-can-suss-out-fake-medications','2022-04-14 10:44:40.576800',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Recent developments such as the explosion of online pharmacies and supply chain issues have made it easier for counterfeiters to profit from fake or adulterated medications. Now, researchers reporting in <em>ACS Central Science</em> have created edible tags with fluorescent silk proteins, which could be placed directly on pills or in a liquid medicine. The codes within the tags can be read by a smartphone app to verify the source and quality of these pharmaceuticals.</p><p>Online pharmacies have taken off in recent years, delivering many types of medications directly to consumers\' homes. Some of these businesses are legitimate, but others operate illegally, supplying counterfeit drugs that are substandard, incorrectly labeled or laced with unwanted components. In addition, global supply chain problems have made it easy for fake medications to infiltrate the market. To instill trust in consumers, pharma companies label the outside packaging of their products with bar codes, QR codes, holograms and radio frequency identifiers, allowing distributors and retailers to manage products throughout the supply chain. Yet there aren\'t equivalent codes for consumers to verify the source of individual pills or liquid doses inside a container. Researchers have developed fluorescent synthetic materials, such as microfibers and nanoparticles, as tracking codes, but the substances are potentially unsafe to consume. So, Seong-Wan Kim, Young Kim and colleagues wanted to see whether silk, which is an edible and \"generally recognized as safe\" material, could be placed directly onto medications and made to fluoresce, helping consumers make sure their purchases are what they claim to be.</p><p>The researchers genetically modified silkworms to produce silk fibroins -- edible proteins that gives silk fibers their strength -- with either a cyan, green or red fluorescent protein attached. They dissolved the fluorescent silk cocoons to create fluorescent polymer solutions, which they applied onto a thin, 9-mm-wide film of white silk in a seven-by-seven grid. Shining blue violet, blue, and green light onto the grid revealed the 3D cyan, green and red square patterns, respectively. Using optical filters over the phone\'s camera, an app the team designed can scan the fluorescent pattern, decoding the digitized key using a deep learning algorithm and opening up a webpage, which could host information about the drug\'s source and authenticity. And because some liquid medications are alcohol-based, the researchers placed a coded silk film in a clear bottle of Scotch whisky, and found that the fluorescent code was still readable with the app. Finally, the researchers showed that the fluorescent silk proteins are broken down by gastrointestinal enzymes, suggesting that the silk codes are not only edible but also can be digested by the body. The researchers say that placing these edible code appliqués onto pills or in liquid doses could empower patients and their care providers to avoid the unintentional consumption of fake treatments.</p><p>The authors acknowledge funding from the Cooperative Research Program for Agriculture Science &amp; Technology Development from Rural Development Administration of the Republic of Korea, the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the Trask Innovation Fund from Purdue University.</p>','2022-04-14 10:44:40.576800','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'American Chemical Society','Recent developments such as the explosion of online pharmacies and supply chain issues have made it easier for counterfeiters to profit from fake or adulterated medications. Now, researchers have created edible tags with fluorescent silk proteins, which could be placed directly on pills or in a liquid medicine. The codes within the tags can be read by a smartphone app to verify the source and quality of these pharmaceuticals.\n',1,203,'<li>Jung Woo Leem, Hee-Jae Jeon, Yuhyun Ji, Sang Mok Park, Yunsang Kwak, Jongwoo Park, Kee-Young Kim, Seong-Wan Kim, Young L. Kim. <strong>Edible Matrix Code with Photogenic Silk Proteins</strong>. <em>ACS Central Science</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acscentsci.1c01233\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1021/acscentsci.1c01233</a>\n</li>'),(2149,'Food insecurity doubled likelihood of foregoing or delaying medical care during first year of COVID-19 pandemic in U.S.','food-insecurity-doubled-likelihood-of-foregoing-or-delaying-medical-care-during-first-year-of-covid-19-pandemic-in-u.s.','2022-04-14 18:32:49.324537',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Individuals experiencing food insecurity -- a household\'s lack of consistent access to adequate food resources -- in the U.S. during the first year of the pandemic were more than twice as likely to forego or delay medical care due to cost concerns compared to food-secure households, according to a survey led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.</p><p>Conducted in December 2020, the survey also found that racial and ethnic minority groups and lower-income individuals were significantly more likely to face food insecurity compared to whites and higher-income individuals.</p><p>The findings were published online April 13 in the <em>American Journal of Public Health. </em></p><p>For their study, the researchers conducted a nationally representative online survey of 8,481 adults aged 18 and older between December 15 and December 21, 2020. The researchers found that nearly one in five adults -- 18.8 percent -- reported experiencing food insecurity at some point during the previous 30 days. Of those experiencing food insecurity, nearly 3 in 10 (27.4 percent) reported delaying or foregoing medical care in the last month.</p><p>In addition to delaying any medical care during the prior month, individuals with food insecurity were also two to three times more likely to have delayed or foregone specific types of care during the first nine months of the pandemic, including skipping a treatment or test recommended by a doctor, not going to a recommended follow-up visit, and not filling a prescription.</p><p>The link between food insecurity and foregoing medical treatment is well documented. This study is thought to be the first to investigate this relationship during the pandemic.</p><p>\"We already know that people who struggle with maintaining a healthy diet are at higher risk of many health problems, including those that can make them more vulnerable to COVID-19,\" says Jaclyn Bertoldo, MPH, RDN, the lead author of the study and a Bloomberg American Health Fellow and DrPH student at the Bloomberg School. \"Delaying or postponing care could compound the risk of COVID-19 complications and contribute to widening health disparities in the pandemic and well after it ends.\"</p><p>The researchers also found that food insecurity disproportionately affected racial and ethnic minority groups and low-income people. Non-Hispanic Blacks were nearly two times as likely as whites to face food insecurity, and Hispanics more than one and a half times as likely as whites. People who had lost a job or more than half of their income due to the pandemic were three and a half times more likely to experience food insecurity.</p><p>\"Individuals experiencing food insecurity often make difficult tradeoffs between food and other basic needs, including health care,\" says Julia Wolfson, PhD, co-lead author of the study and an assistant professor in the Department of International Health at the Bloomberg School. \"Policies to help offset the cost of food, such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Benefits, or food stamps, are critical to provide food insecure households with needed money.\"</p><p>The authors note that tying SNAP benefits to inflation and more frequently adjusting benefit levels is important to help low-income families afford the true cost of food. They also add that continuing to expand access to Medicaid and working toward more affordable health insurance and prescription drug prices can also help low-income families avoid needing to choose between health care and food.</p><p>This survey was part of the National Pandemic Pulse project, a series of comprehensive surveys led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University. Begun in September 2020, the series\' surveys measure disparities and inequities in the experience and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p>\"Food insecurity and delayed or foregone medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic<em>\"</em> was written by Jaclyn Bertoldo, Julia A. Wolfson, Samantha M. Sundermeir, Jeffrey Edwards, Dustin Gibson, Smisha Agarwal, and Alain Labrique.</p><p>The study was funded by the Johnson &amp; Johnson Foundation through the National Pandemic Pulse project.</p>','2022-04-14 18:32:49.324537','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health','Individuals with food insecurity were also two to three times more likely to have delayed or foregone specific types of care, including skipping a recommended treatment, test or follow-up visit, and not filling a prescription, according to a new study.\n',1,27,'<li>Jaclyn Bertoldo, Julia A. Wolfson, Samantha M. Sundermeir, Jeffrey Edwards, Dustin Gibson, Smisha Agarwal, Alain Labrique. <strong>Food Insecurity and Delayed or Forgone Medical Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic</strong>. <em>American Journal of Public Health</em>, 2022; 112 (5): 776 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.306724\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.2105/AJPH.2022.306724</a>\n</li>'),(2150,'Researchers create miniature wide-angle camera with flat metalenses','researchers-create-miniature-wide-angle-camera-with-flat-metalenses','2022-04-14 18:42:19.169426',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Researchers have designed a new compact camera that acquires wide-angle images of high-quality using an array of metalenses -- flat nanopatterned surfaces used to manipulate light. By eliminating the bulky and heavy lenses typically required for this type of imaging, the new approach could enable wide-angle cameras to be incorporated into smartphones and portable imaging devices for vehicles such as cars or drones.</p><p>Tao Li and colleagues from Nanjing University in China report their new ultrathin camera in <em>Optica</em>, Optica Publishing Group\'s journal for high-impact research. The new camera, which is just 0.3 centimeters thick, can produce clear images of a scene with a viewing angle of more than 120 degrees.</p><p>Wide-angle imaging is useful for capturing large amounts of information that can create stunning, high-quality images. For machine vision applications such as autonomous driving and drone-based surveillance, wide-angle imaging can enhance performance and safety, for example by revealing an obstacle you couldn\'t otherwise see while backing up in a vehicle.</p><p>\"To create an extremely compact wide-angle camera, we used an array of metalenses that each capture certain parts of the wide-angle scene,\" said Li. \"The images are then stitched together to create a wide-angle image without any degradation in image quality.\"</p><p><strong>Miniaturizing the wide-angle lens</strong></p><p>Wide-angle imaging is usually accomplished with a fish-eye compound lens or other type of multilayer lens. Although researchers have previously tried to use metalenses to create wide-angle cameras, they tend to suffer from poor image quality or other drawbacks.</p><p>In the new work, the researchers used an array of metalenses that are each carefully designed to focus a different range of illumination angles. This allows each lens to clearly image part of a wide-angle object or scene. The clearest parts of each image can then be computationally stitched together to create the final image.</p><p>\"Thanks to the flexible design of the metasurfaces, the focusing and imaging performance of each lens can be optimized independently,\" said Li. \"This gives rise to a high quality final wide-angle image after a stitching process. What\'s more, the array can be manufactured using just one layer of material, which helps keep cost down.\"</p><p><strong>Seeing more with flat lenses</strong></p><p>To demonstrate the new approach, the researchers used nanofabrication to create a metalens array and mounted it directly to a CMOS sensor, creating a planar camera that measured about 1 cm × 1 cm × 0.3 cm. They then used this camera to image a wide-angle scene created by using two projectors to illuminate a curved screen surrounding the camera at a distance of 15 cm.</p><p>They compared their new planar camera with one based on a single traditional metalens while imaging the words \"Nanjing University\" projected across the curved screen. The planar camera produced an image that showed every letter clearly and had a viewing angle larger than 120°, more than three times larger than that of the camera based on a traditional metalens.</p><p>The researchers note that the planar camera demonstrated in this research used individual metalenses just 0.3 millimeters in diameter. They plan to enlarge these to about 1 to 5 millimeters to increase the camera\'s imaging quality. After optimization, the array could be mass produced to reduce the cost of each device.</p><p><strong>Story Source:</strong></p>','2022-04-14 18:42:19.169426','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Optica','Researchers have designed a new, ultrathin camera that acquires wide-angle, high-quality images using a metalens array. This approach eliminates bulky and heavy lenses, possibly enabling the incorporation of wide-angle cameras into smartphones and other portable imaging devices.\n',1,206,'<li>Ji Chen, Xin Ye, Shenglun Gao, Yuxin Chen, Yunwei Zhao, Chunyu Huang, Kai Qiu, Shining Zhu, Tao Li. <strong>A planar wide-angle-imaging camera enabled by metalens array</strong>. <em>Optica</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OPTICA.446063\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1364/OPTICA.446063</a>\n</li>'),(2151,'Study tracks COVID-19 antibodies over time','study-tracks-covid-19-antibodies-over-time','2022-04-14 18:42:24.466130',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">The antibodies generated by Pfizer\'s COVID-19 vaccine rise more slowly and decline more quickly than those generated by the Moderna vaccine, according to a new study from UVA Health. The study also finds that older recipients of the Pfizer vaccine generated fewer antibodies than did younger recipients -- but this wasn\'t the case for Moderna, where age did not appear to be a factor.</p><p>The researchers determined that both vaccines generated similar peak levels of COVID-fighting antibodies. This result is at odds with a prior report from the same group that showed antibodies were higher after Moderna, but they say the discrepancy likely can be explained by the faster rate at which the Pfizer antibodies decline. It will be important for future research to consider time frame from vaccination carefully when assessing peak antibody response, they say.</p><p>\"It is not surprising that antibody levels fall after vaccination,\" said Behnam Keshavarz PhD, an immunologist at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. \"But we were struck by how rapidly the antibodies fell after the mRNA vaccines, particularly the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.\"</p><p><strong>Tracking the COVID-19 Vaccines</strong></p><p>Keshavarz and colleagues tracked post-vaccination antibody levels in 234 UVA employees over 10 months. In total, 114 had received Pfizer\'s vaccine and 114 had received Moderna\'s, while six had received Johnson &amp; Johnson\'s single shot.</p><p>A week to 20 days after their second dose, recipients of Pfizer\'s and Moderna\'s mRNA vaccines had antibody levels that were approximately 50 times higher those seen in the J&amp;J recipients. Shortly thereafter antibodies from both Pfizer and Moderna began to drop, but the drop was more precipitous for Pfizer.</p><p>After six months, Pfizer vaccine recipients had antibody levels lower than both the Moderna recipients and patients who had been hospitalized with severe COVID-19 six months prior. (Patients who suffer severe COVID are thought to generate more antibodies than people who recover from mild cases.)</p><p>The scientists note that while the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are similar, there are differences in their formulations and the amount of mRNA they contain. This could explain the differences in antibody response they generate. Time between doses also could be a significant factor.</p><p>It\'s important to understand that antibody levels are a relatively crude tool to assess vaccine effectiveness; doctors aren\'t even sure there\'s a direct correlation between antibody level and COVID-19 protection. Antibody levels naturally decline, whether after vaccination or illness, but the immune system remembers how to make the necessary antibodies when again confronted by the virus. Time has already told the most important story: All three vaccines examined in UVA\'s study have performed remarkably well in protecting against severe illness, hospitalization and death.</p><p>Understanding how antibody levels decline, however, may help doctors and policymakers gauge when booster shots are needed, and who should receive them. For example, the study found that older recipients of Pfizer\'s vaccine generated fewer antibodies than did younger recipients. This was true in the first three weeks and confirmed four to six months later. But this wasn\'t the case for Moderna recipients -- age didn\'t appear to have a significant effect. This raises the possibility that booster shots may be of more benefit to older Pfizer recipients than to older Moderna recipients, though this idea would need more study.</p><p>The researchers also noticed that there was a trend for men to generate fewer antibodies than did women, but, contrary to a prior report, this was ultimately deemed statistically insignificant.</p><p>The scientists note that it remains unclear if the greater antibody response generated by the Moderna vaccine translates into better real-world protection. But the study, they say, may help explain emerging differences in COVID-19 infection rates seen among recipients of the different vaccines.</p><p>\"Both Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna have proven very effective in protecting against severe disease, but our study builds on others that have shown some subtle differences in outcomes that favor Moderna,\" said senior author Jeffrey Wilson, MD, PhD. \"This could particularly be true in higher risk populations, such as older subjects or those who have conditions with suppressed immune systems.\"</p><p><strong>Findings Published</strong></p><p>The researchers have published their findings in the scientific journal<em> Frontiers in Immunology</em>. The research team consisted of Behnam Keshavarz, Nathan E. Richards, Lisa J. Workman, Jaimin Patel, Lyndsey M. Muehling, Glenda Canderan, Deborah D. Murphy, Savannah G. Brovero, Samuel M. Ailsworth, Will H. Eschenbacher, Emily C. McGowan, Barbara J. Mann, Michael R. Nelson, Alexandra Kadl, Judith A. Woodfolk, Thomas A.E. Platts-Mills and Jeffrey M. Wilson. Platts-Mills and Wilson disclosed that they have received assay support from Thermo-Fisher/Phadia unrelated to the study. Wilson also has received consultancy fees from the company unrelated to the research.</p><p>The work was supported by UVA\'s Manning COVID-19 Research Fund, a UVA School of Medicine GAP Award, an American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Faculty Development Award and National Institutes of Health grants R37-AI20565 and R21-AI160334.</p>','2022-04-14 18:42:24.466130','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'University of Virginia Health System','A new study of COVID-19 antibodies shows that Pfizer vaccine antibodies fall faster than Moderna -- and for Pfizer recipients, age matters.\n',1,74,'<li>Behnam Keshavarz, Nathan E. Richards, Lisa J. Workman, Jaimin Patel, Lyndsey M. Muehling, Glenda Canderan, Deborah D. Murphy, Savannah G. Brovero, Samuel M. Ailsworth, Will H. Eschenbacher, Emily C. McGowan, Barbara J. Mann, Michael R. Nelson, Alexandra Kadl, Judith A. Woodfolk, Thomas A.E. Platts-Mills, Jeffrey M. Wilson. <strong>Trajectory of IgG to SARS-CoV-2 After Vaccination With BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 in an Employee Cohort and Comparison With Natural Infection</strong>. <em>Frontiers in Immunology</em>, 2022; 13 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.850987\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.3389/fimmu.2022.850987</a>\n</li>'),(2152,'Graphene-hBN breakthrough to spur new LEDs, quantum computing','graphene-hbn-breakthrough-to-spur-new-leds,-quantum-computing','2022-04-14 18:42:26.294186',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">In a discovery that could speed research into next-generation electronics and LED devices, a University of Michigan research team has developed the first reliable, scalable method for growing single layers of hexagonal boron nitride on graphene.</p><p>The process, which can produce large sheets of high-quality hBN with the widely used molecular-beam epitaxy process, is detailed in a study in <em>Advanced Materials</em>.</p><p>Graphene-hBN structures can power LEDs that generate deep-UV light, which is impossible in today\'s LEDs, said Zetian Mi, U-M professor of electrical engineering and computer science and a corresponding author of the study. Deep-UV LEDs could drive smaller size and greater efficiency in a variety of devices including lasers and air purifiers.</p><p>\"The technology used to generate deep-UV light today is mercury-xenon lamps, which are hot, bulky, inefficient and contain toxic materials,\" Mi said. \"If we can generate that light with LEDs, we could see an efficiency revolution in UV devices similar to what we saw when LED light bulbs replaced incandescents.\"</p><p>Hexagonal boron nitride is the world\'s thinnest insulator while graphene is the thinnest of a class of materials called semimetals, which have highly malleable electrical properties and are important for their role in computers and other electronics.</p><p>Bonding hBN and graphene together in smooth, single-atom-thick layers unleashes a treasure trove of exotic properties. In addition to deep-UV LEDs, graphene-hBN structures could enable quantum computing devices, smaller and more efficient electronics and optoelectronics and a variety of other applications.</p><p>\"Researchers have known about the properties of hBN for years, but in the past, the only way to get the thin sheets needed for research was to physically exfoliate them from a larger boron nitride crystal, which is labor-intensive and only yields tiny flakes of the material,\" Mi said. \"Our process can grow atomic-scale-thin sheets of essentially any size, which opens a lot of exciting new research possibilities.\"</p><p>Because graphene and hBN are so thin, they can be used to build electronic devices that are much smaller and more energy-efficient than those available today. Layered structures of hBN and graphene can also exhibit exotic properties that could store information in quantum computing devices, like the ability to switch from a conductor to an insulator or support unusual electron spins.</p><p>While researchers have tried in the past to synthesize thin layers of hBN using methods like sputtering and chemical vapor deposition, they struggled to get the even, precisely ordered layers of atoms that are needed to bond correctly with the graphene layer.</p><p>\"To get a useful product, you need consistent, ordered rows of hBN atoms that align with the graphene underneath, and previous efforts weren\'t able to achieve that,\" said Ping Wang, a postdoctoral researcher in electrical engineering and computer science. \"Some of the hBN went down neatly, but many areas were disordered and randomly aligned.\"</p><p>The team, made up of electrical engineering and computer science, materials science and engineering, and physics researchers, discovered that neat rows of hBN atoms are more stable at high temperature than the undesirable jagged formations. Armed with that knowledge, Wang began experimenting with molecular-beam epitaxy, an industrial process that amounts to spraying individual atoms onto a substrate.</p><p>Wang used a terraced graphene substrate -- essentially an atomic-scale staircase -- and heated it to around 1600 degrees Celsius before spraying on individual boron and active nitrogen atoms.The result far exceeded the team\'s expectations, forming neatly ordered seams of hBN on the graphene\'s terraced edges, which expanded into wide ribbons of material.</p><p>\"Experimenting with large amounts of pristine hBN was a distant dream for many years, but this discovery changes that,\" Mi said. \"This is a big step toward the commercialization of 2D quantum structures.\"</p><p>This result would not have been possible without collaboration from a variety of disciplines. The mathematical theory that underpinned some of the work involved researchers in electrical engineering and computer science and materials science and engineering, from U-M and Yale University.</p><p>Mi\'s lab developed the process, synthesized the material and characterized its interactions with light. Then, materials scientists and engineers at U-M and collaborators at Ohio State University studied its structural and electrical properties in detail.</p><p>Emmanouil Kioupakis, associate professor of materials science and engineering at U-M, and Jay Gupta, professor of physics at OSU, are also corresponding authors of the paper.</p><p>The research was supported by the Michigan Engineering Blue Sky Initiative, Army Research Office, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy and the W.M. Keck Foundation.</p>','2022-04-14 18:42:26.294186','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'University of Michigan','In a discovery that could speed research into next-generation electronics and LED devices, a research team has developed a reliable, scalable method for growing single layers of hexagonal boron nitride on graphene.\n',1,27,'<li>Ping Wang, Woncheol Lee, Joseph P. Corbett, William H. Koll, Nguyen M. Vu, David Arto Laleyan, Qiannan Wen, Yuanpeng Wu, Ayush Pandey, Jiseok Gim, Ding Wang, Diana Y. Qiu, Robert Hovden, Mackillo Kira, John T. Heron, Jay A. Gupta, Emmanouil Kioupakis, Zetian Mi. <strong>Scalable Synthesis of Monolayer Hexagonal Boron Nitride on Graphene with Giant Bandgap Renormalization</strong>. <em>Advanced Materials</em>, 2022; 2201387 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adma.202201387\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1002/adma.202201387</a>\n</li>'),(2153,'Lies that \'might\' eventually come true seem less unethical','lies-that-\'might\'-eventually-come-true-seem-less-unethical','2022-04-14 18:42:29.340989',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">People may be willing to condone statements they know to be false and even spread misinformation on social media if they believe those statements could become true in the future, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.</p><p>Whether the situation involves a politician making a controversial statement, a business stretching the truth in an advertisement or a job seeker lying about their professional skills on a resume, people who consider how a lie might become true subsequently think it is less unethical to tell because they judge the lie\'s broader message (or \"gist\") as truer. The study was published in APA\'s <em>Journal of Personality and Social Psychology</em>.</p><p>\"The rise in misinformation is a pressing societal problem, stoking political polarization and eroding trust in business and politics. Misinformation in part persists because some people believe it. But that\'s only part of the story,\" said lead author Beth Anne Helgason, a doctoral student at the London Business School. \"Misinformation also persists because sometimes people know it is false but are still willing to excuse it.\"</p><p>This study was sparked by cases in which leaders in business and politics have used claims that \"it might become true in the future\" to justify statements that are verifiably false in the present.</p><p>To explore why people might be willing to condone this misinformation, researchers conducted six experiments involving more than 3,600 participants. The researchers showed participants in each study a variety of statements, clearly identified as false, and then asked some participants to reflect on predictions about how the statements might become true in the future.</p><p>In one experiment, researchers asked 447 MBA students from 59 different countries who were taking a course at a UK business school to imagine that a friend lied on their resume, for example by listing financial modeling as a skill despite having no prior experience. The researchers then asked some participants to consider the possibility of the lie becoming true (e.g., \"Consider that if the same friend enrolls in a financial modeling course that the school offers in the summer, then he could develop experience with financial modeling\"). They found that students thought it was less unethical for a friend to lie when they imagined whether their friend might develop this skill in the future.</p><p>In another experiment, 599 American participants viewed six markedly false political statements designed to appeal to either conservatives or liberals, including, \"Millions of people voted illegally in the last presidential election\" and, \"The average top CEO makes 500 times more than the average worker.\" Each statement was clearly labelled as false by reputable, non-partisan fact-checkers. Participants were then asked to generate their own predictions about how each statement might become true in the future. For instance, they were told that \"It\'s a proven fact that the average top CEO currently makes 265 times more money than the average American worker,\" then asked to respond to the open-ended prompt, \"The average top CEO will soon make 500 times more money than the average American worker if …\"</p><p>The researchers found that participants on both sides of the political aisle who imagined how false statements could eventually become true were less likely to rate the statement as unethical than those who did not because they were more likely to believe its broader meaning was true. This was especially the case when the false statement fit with their political views. Importantly, participants knew these statements were false, yet imagining how they might become true made people find them more excusable.</p><p>Even prompting the participants to think carefully before judging the falsehoods did not change how ethical the participants found the statements, said study co-author Daniel Effron, PhD, a professor of organizational behavior at the London Business School.</p><p>\"Our findings are concerning, particularly given that we find that encouraging people to think carefully about the ethicality of statements was insufficient to reduce the effects of imagining a future where it might be true,\" Effron said. \"This highlights the negative consequences of giving airtime to leaders in business and politics who spout falsehoods.\"</p><p>The researchers also found that participants were more inclined to share misinformation on social media when they imagined how it might become true, but only if it aligned with their political views. This suggests that when misinformation supports one\'s politics, people may be willing to spread it because they believe the statement to be essentially, if not literally, true, according to Helgason.</p><p>\"Our findings reveal how our capacity for imagination affects political disagreement and our willingness to excuse misinformation,\" Helgason said. \"Unlike claims about what is true, propositions about what might become true are impossible to fact-check. Thus, partisans who are certain that a lie will become true eventually may be difficult to convince otherwise.\"</p>','2022-04-14 18:42:29.340989','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'American Psychological Association','People may be willing to condone statements they know to be false and even spread misinformation on social media if they believe those statements could become true in the future, according to new research.\n',1,27,'<li>Beth Anne Helgason, Daniel A. Effron. <strong>It might become true: How prefactual thinking licenses dishonesty.</strong>. <em>Journal of Personality and Social Psychology</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000308\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1037/pspa0000308</a>\n</li>'),(2154,'A drug that treats alcoholism may be the next anti-anxiety medication','a-drug-that-treats-alcoholism-may-be-the-next-anti-anxiety-medication','2022-04-14 18:42:31.262807',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Alcoholism, if left untreated, could have dangerous repercussions. Thus, it is no surprise that there are a range of drugs developed to treat this condition. Of these drugs, disulfiram (DSF) is approved by the Food and Drug Agency (FDA) for the treatment of alcoholism. DSF primarily inhibits the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), which is responsible for the metabolism of alcohol.</p><p>Could the inhibitory effects of DSF extend to signaling molecules as well? According to recent studies, DSF in fact inhibits a cytoplasmic protein known as FROUNT, which controls the direction in which certain immune cells migrate. DSF blocks FROUNT from interacting with two chemokine receptors known as CCR2 and CCR5, which are involved in important cellular signaling pathways.</p><p>A few studies suggest that chemokine receptors may be involved in the regulation of emotional behaviors in rodents. However, there is a lack of data on the exact association between FROUNT-chemokine signaling and DSF. To clarify this link, a team comprising Prof. Akiyoshi Saitoh from Tokyo University of Science and other researchers from institutes across Japan conducted a study examining the pharmacological properties of DSF. The study, which was published online on March 7, 2022 in <em>Frontiers in Pharmacology</em>, describes how the research team used an elevated plus-maze (EPM) test -- which is used to screen for anxiolytic drugs -- to study the effects of DSF in mice.</p><p>The EPM apparatus consists of four arms set in a cross pattern, connected to a central square. Two arms are protected by vertical boundaries, whereas two have unprotected edges. Usually, mice with anxiety prefer to spend time in the closed arms.</p><p>In this case, some mice were administered diazepam (a drug commonly used to treat anxiety) and others, DSF. These mice were then placed in the EPM apparatus, and their activity was monitored. To their surprise, the team found that mice treated with DSF spent significantly more time in the open arms of the apparatus, which indicates that they were less anxious. The team also tested the anxiolytic effects of a more potent FROUNT inhibitor, known as DSF-41, and observed similar results.</p><p>What\'s interesting is that these behavioral changes were similar to those observed in mice treated with diazepam. How exactly did DSF achieve this?</p><p>The team had previously discovered that increased extracellular glutamate (which is an important amino acid and neurotransmitter) levels are associated with increased anxiety in mice.</p><p>\"We propose that DSF inhibits FROUNT protein and the chemokine signaling pathways under its influence, which may suppress presynaptic glutamatergic transmission in the brain,\" says Prof. Saitoh. \"This, in turn, attenuates the levels of glutamate in the brain, reducing overall anxiety.\"</p><p>The team was also pleasantly surprised to find that in contrast with diazepam, DSF treatment did not lead to adverse effects such as amnesia, coordination disorders, or sedation.</p><p>According to Prof. Saitoh, \"These results indicate that DSF can be used safely by elderly patients suffering from anxiety and insomnia and has the potential to become a breakthrough psychotropic drug.\"</p><p>What are the long-term implications of these results? Dr. Saitoh explains, \"We plan to further clarify how DSF exerts its pharmaceutical actions. Hopefully, we will also be able to elucidate the exact role of the FROUNT molecule in the central nervous system.\"</p><p>This is one of the first studies to reveal that DSF exhibits anti-anxiety properties comparable to those of existing benzodiazepines without exhibiting any side effects observed with benzodiazepines. Hopefully, DSF\'s inhibitory activity against FROUNT functioning could be explored for successful anxiolytic drug development.</p>','2022-04-14 18:42:31.262807','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Tokyo University of Science','Disulfiram is a drug used to treat chronic alcoholism. However, studies suggest that it also inhibits chemokine receptor signaling pathways that are associated with the regulation of anxiety in rodents. Now, researchers show that disulfiram can effectively reduce anxiety without causing any of the adverse effects that are linked to other anxiolytic drugs. Thus, disulfiram could potentially become a safe and effective anti-anxiety drug.\n',1,203,'<li>Akiyoshi Saitoh, Yoshifumi Nagayama, Daisuke Yamada, Kosho Makino, Toshinori Yoshioka, Nanami Yamanaka, Momoka Nakatani, Yoshino Takahashi, Mayuna Yamazaki, Chihiro Shigemoto, Misaki Ohashi, Kotaro Okano, Tomoki Omata, Etsuko Toda, Yoshitake Sano, Hideyo Takahashi, Kouji Matsushima, Yuya Terashima. <strong>Disulfiram Produces Potent Anxiolytic-Like Effects Without Benzodiazepine Anxiolytics-Related Adverse Effects in Mice</strong>. <em>Frontiers in Pharmacology</em>, 2022; 13 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.826783\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.3389/fphar.2022.826783</a>\n</li>'),(2155,'Study helps explain how xanthan gum, a common food additive, is processed in the gut','study-helps-explain-how-xanthan-gum,-a-common-food-additive,-is-processed-in-the-gut','2022-04-14 18:42:34.137712',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">If you\'re a reader of food labels, you\'ve likely encountered an ingredient called xanthan gum in everything from yogurt to baked goods to salad dressing. Xanthan gum is commonly added to processed foods, foods that have been altered from their natural state and which make up almost 70 percent of the typical U.S. diet. It is often used as a thickener due to its unique ability to make liquids more viscous.</p><p>A new study led by Matthew Ostrowski, Ph.D. and Eric Martens, Ph.D. of the University of Michigan Medical School Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and Sabina Leanti La Rosa, Ph.D. and Phillip Pope, Ph.D. of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, examines the ability of the human gut microbiome to digest this relatively recently introduced food ingredient.</p><p>Xanthan gum processing appears to be driven by one microbe, a bacterium from the family Ruminococcaceae, which breaks down the carbohydrates in xanthan gum. A different gut bacterium, <em>Bacteroides intestinalis</em>, feeds on the smaller carbohydrates released by the Ruminococcaceae bacterium. Bacterial consumption of xanthan gum likely leads to the production of short-chain fatty acids that play roles in intestinal health and can contribute to total caloric intake.</p><p>Furthermore, the genetic signatures of these gut bacteria are relatively absent in samples from microbiomes of people from non-industrialized countries, hinting that widespread consumption of the food additive may actively alter the gut microbiome. The team also found that mice microbiomes are able to process xanthan gum, which may imply that the ability to process the substance may have already been present in the mammalian gut to some degree.</p><p>Ostrowski states, \"While xanthan gum is generally considered safe, our results suggest that its widespread consumption may be enriching our microbiomes for bacteria that consume it. Our study is the first step in understanding how new food ingredients could be changing our microbiomes and whether these changes are good or bad. This may be especially important for people who consume above-average amounts of xanthan gum, such as people with celiac disease and those following gluten-free diets.\"</p>','2022-04-14 18:42:34.137712','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan','A new study examines the ability of the human gut microbiome to digest xanthan gum, a relatively recently introduced food ingredient found in many processed foods.\n',1,12,'<li>Matthew P. Ostrowski, Sabina Leanti La Rosa, Benoit J. Kunath, Andrew Robertson, Gabriel Pereira, Live H. Hagen, Neha J. Varghese, Ling Qiu, Tianming Yao, Gabrielle Flint, James Li, Sean P. McDonald, Duna Buttner, Nicholas A. Pudlo, Matthew K. Schnizlein, Vincent B. Young, Harry Brumer, Thomas M. Schmidt, Nicolas Terrapon, Vincent Lombard, Bernard Henrissat, Bruce Hamaker, Emiley A. Eloe-Fadrosh, Ashootosh Tripathi, Phillip B. Pope, Eric C. Martens. <strong>Mechanistic insights into consumption of the food additive xanthan gum by the human gut microbiota</strong>. <em>Nature Microbiology</em>, 2022; 7 (4): 556 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41564-022-01093-0\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1038/s41564-022-01093-0</a>\n</li>'),(2156,'Chemical synthesis: Golden wedding for molecules','chemical-synthesis:-golden-wedding-for-molecules','2022-04-14 18:42:37.231345',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">In chemistry, there are structures that are particularly stable, such as the so-called \"benzene ring\" consisting of six interconnected carbon atoms. Such rings form the structural basis for graphite and graphene, but they also occur in many dyes -- such as the jeans dye indigo and in many drugs such as aspirin.</p><p>When chemists wanted to build such rings in a targeted manner, they used so-called coupling reactions, which usually bear the name of their inventors: for example, the Diels-Alder reaction, the Ullmann reaction, the Bergman cyclization or the Suzuki coupling. Now there is another one that does not yet have a name. It was discovered by a team from Empa together with the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz.</p><p><strong>Everything in the dry</strong></p><p>The Empa researchers omitted liquids in their chemical synthesis and instead attached the starting materials to a gold surface in an ultra-high vacuum. The starting material (diisopropyl-p-terphenyl) can be observed resting calmly in the cooled-down scanning tunneling microscope before the researchers turn up the heat.</p><p><strong>Turn up the heating -- movement on the dance floor</strong></p><p>At room temperature, nothing happens yet, but at about 200 degrees Celsius, an amazing reaction occurs that would never happen in liquids: the two isopropyl groups -- which are normally completely inactive from a chemical point of view -- combine to form a benzene ring. The reason: due to the firm \"adhesion\" on the gold surface, a hydrogen atom is first loosened and then released from the molecule. This creates carbon radicals that are waiting for new partners. And there are many partners on the gold surface. At 200 degrees Celsius, the molecules vibrate and perform rapid pirouettes -- there is a lot of movement on the golden dance floor. So what belongs together soon gets together.</p><p><strong>And once again everything in slow motion</strong></p><p>Matchmaking on the golden surface has two advantages. First, there is no need for coercion: the reaction takes place without mediating boric acids or halogen atoms flying away. It is a coupling involving only saturated hydrocarbons. The starting materials are cheap and easy to obtain, and there are no toxic byproducts.</p><p>The second advantage is that the researchers can watch every step of the reaction -- another thing that is not possible with classical, \"liquid\" chemistry. The Empa team simply turns up the heating of the gold surface gradually. At 180 degrees Celsius, the molecules have only connected one arm with their neighbors, the second still protrudes freely into the dance floor. If one now cools down the gold surface inside a scanning tunneling microscope, one can view and \"photograph\" the molecules just before they are \"married off.\" This is exactly what the researchers did. Thus, the reaction mechanism can been followed in the form of \"snapshots.\"</p><p><strong>Opportunities for a \"new\" chemistry</strong></p><p>The researchers and their colleagues expect two kinds of effects to emerge from the current work. First, the \"snapshot method\" could also be suitable for elucidating completely different reaction mechanisms. At Empa, instruments are being developed that use ultrashort laser pulses in a scanning tunneling microscope to elucidate such chemical reactions step by step. This could provide additional insights into chemical reactions and soon shake up many an old theory.</p><p>However, the research results \"from the dry\" could also be useful to further develop \"liquid\" chemistry. So far, most of the reactions documented in the literature have come from classical liquid chemistry, and scanning probe researchers have been able to recreate these experiments. In the future, certain reactions could also be designed in the scanning tunneling microscope and later transferred to liquid or gaseous chemistry.</p><p><strong>Story Source:</strong></p>','2022-04-14 18:42:37.231345','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA)','Chemical syntheses in liquids and gases take place in three-dimensional space. Random collisions between molecules have to result in something new in an extremely short time. But there is another way: on a gold surface under ultrahigh vacuum conditions, molecules lying still next to each other can be made to combine - even those that would never \'want\' to react with each other in a liquid. Researchers have now discovered such a reaction. Best of all, the experts can \'take pictures\' and watch every step of the reaction.\n',1,30,'<li>Amogh Kinikar, Marco Di Giovannantonio, José I. Urgel, Kristjan Eimre, Zijie Qiu, Yanwei Gu, Enquan Jin, Akimitsu Narita, Xiao-Ye Wang, Klaus Müllen, Pascal Ruffieux, Carlo A. Pignedoli, Roman Fasel. <strong>On-surface polyarylene synthesis by cycloaromatization of isopropyl substituents</strong>. <em>Nature Synthesis</em>, 2022; 1 (4): 289 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s44160-022-00032-5\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1038/s44160-022-00032-5</a>\n</li>'),(2157,'Colon cancer: How mutation of the APC gene disrupts lymphocyte migration','colon-cancer:-how-mutation-of-the-apc-gene-disrupts-lymphocyte-migration','2022-04-14 18:42:50.418431',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">In patients with familial adenomatous polyposis, a genetic disease predisposing to colon cancer, mutations of the APC gene induce the formation of intestinal polyps, but also reduce immune system activity. In a new study, researchers from the Institut Pasteur, INSERM<sup>(1)</sup> and Université Paris Cité describe the mechanisms that modify the structure of T lymphocytes and hinder their migration towards the tumors to be destroyed. This discovery, published in the journal <em>Science Advances</em> on April 13, 2022, provides new perspectives on the migration of immune cells, a key process in antitumor immune defense.</p><p>As its name suggests, familial adenomatous polyposis is transmitted from generation to generation. The cause: mutations of the tumor suppressor gene <em>APC</em> (adenomatous polyposis coli). People who inherit these mutations develop hundreds, possibly thousands, of polyps in their colon from adolescence, then colorectal cancer<sup>(2)</sup> in adulthood if the polyps are not surgically removed. \"As it\'s a hereditary disease, all of the body\'s cells carry the mutation and can be affected in different ways,\" explains Andrés Alcover, Head of the Lymphocyte Cell Biology Unit at the Institut Pasteur and joint senior author of the study. \"Today we know that these mutations disrupt the functioning of colon cells but also cells of the immune system.\"</p><p>In previous studies, the team of researchers from the Institut Pasteur, CNRS and Inserm -- funded by the French Cancer League since 2018<sup>(3)</sup> -- demonstrated the dual impact of <em>APC</em> mutations. Not only do these mutations prevent intestinal epithelial cells from differentiating correctly and cause them to form tissue growths (polyps), they also adversely affect the functioning of immune cells, thereby preventing them from effectively combating polyps and tumors. Two mechanisms that together promote the growth of tumors.</p><p>In order to better understand what prevents immune cells from fulfilling their role, the researchers this time decided to take a closer look at the T lymphocytes whose mission is to detect and destroy tumors by infiltrating them. To this end, biologists and clinical research physicians of the Institut Pasteur\'s ICAReB platform, Dr. Hélène Laude and Dr. Marie-Noëlle Ungeheuer, approached the patient association POLYPOSES FAMILIALES France. A new clinical research project involving the association recruited patient volunteers for the collection of blood samples. \"Thanks to the association, we met patients and also clinicians specialized in polyposis. We learned a lot about this complex pathological condition, the experience of patients and families, and the different levels of disease severity. We recognize the valuable role of the patients, who were highly motivated to take part in the study, and the input of specialists,\" pointed out Andrés Alcover.</p><p>The naturally mutated T lymphocytes present in the blood of these patients were cultured then subjected to several <em>in vitro</em> experiments. Using several microdevices -- filters, channels, protein substrates and layers of vascular endothelial cells -- the researchers could compare the behavior of diseased lymphocytes with that of lymphocytes from healthy volunteers. They studied how lymphocytes moved along biological surfaces similar to blood vessel walls, but also how easily they could separate cells and cross tightly packed cell layers.</p><p>\"In order to move along blood vessel walls, cross them and reach the tumor to be infiltrated, healthy lymphocytes change their morphology. Something akin to a large adhesive foot, supported by the lymphocyte\'s cytoskeleton, grows longer in the direction of migration. This polarization is essential for movement in the right direction,\" explains Marta Mastrogiovanni, researcher in the Institut Pasteur\'s Lymphocyte Cell Biology Unit and lead author of the study. In mutated lymphocytes, the microtubules making up the cytoskeleton are disorganized and there are fewer adhesion proteins. The cells lose their polarity and their \'muscles\'.\"</p><p>Although the mutated T lymphocytes are not necessarily moving more slowly than healthy lymphocytes, they adhere less well to the walls and have more difficulty moving in a given direction and passing through the walls. In short, this research showed their migration to be less effective. \"This discovery is important because the motility of immune cells is a key process in antitumor immune defense. \"We know that the immune system is very important in combating pathogens but we sometimes forget that it also contributes to combating cancer cells,\" concludes Vincenzo Di Bartolo, researcher in the Institut Pasteur\'s Lymphocyte Cell Biology Unit and joint senior author of the study.</p><p>(1) Collaborative project: Institut Pasteur, Department of Immunology and Center for Translational Science (CRT, ICAReB), and Institut Pasteur, Institut Cochin, Institut Curie, and Institut Pierre-Gilles de Gennes.</p><p>(2) Familial adenomatous polyposis accounts for 1% of all colorectal cancers.</p><p>(3) Funding via the French Cancer League (La Ligue Contre Le Cancer), 2018-2022 \"Équipe Labellisée\" program, the Institut Pasteur and Inserm. Marta Mastrogiovanni was funded by the Pasteur-Paris University International Doctoral Program and the European Union Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement 665807 and La Ligue Contre Le Cancer, doctoral grant 4th year of PhD.</p>','2022-04-14 18:42:50.418431','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Institut Pasteur','In patients with familial adenomatous polyposis, a genetic disease predisposing to colon cancer, mutations of the APC gene induce the formation of intestinal polyps, but also reduce immune system activity. In a new study, researchers describe the mechanisms that modify the structure of T lymphocytes and hinder their migration towards the tumors to be destroyed. This discovery provides new perspectives on the migration of immune cells, a key process in antitumor immune defense.\n',1,91,'<li>Marta Mastrogiovanni, Pablo Vargas, Thierry Rose, Céline Cuche, Elric Esposito, Marie Juzans, Hélène Laude, Amandine Schneider, Mathilde Bernard, Sophie Goyard, Charlotte Renaudat, Marie-Noëlle Ungeheuer, Jérôme Delon, Andrés Alcover, Vincenzo Di Bartolo. <strong>The tumor suppressor adenomatous polyposis coli regulates T lymphocyte migration</strong>. <em>Science Advances</em>, 2022; 8 (15) DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abl5942\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1126/sciadv.abl5942</a>\n</li>'),(2158,'HIV: The antibodies of \'post-treatment controllers\'','hiv:-the-antibodies-of-\'post-treatment-controllers\'','2022-04-14 18:42:53.371505',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">A very small percentage of people with HIV-1, known as \"post-treatment controllers\" (PTCs), are able to control their infection after interrupting all antiretroviral therapy. Understanding the fundamental mechanisms that govern their immune response is essential in order to develop HIV-1 vaccines, novel therapeutic strategies to achieve remission, or both. A recent study investigated the humoral immune response -- also known as antibody-mediated immunity -- in some PTCs in whom transient episodes of viral activity were observed. The researchers have shown their humoral immune response to be both effective and robust, which could help to control the infection in the absence of treatment.</p><p>The findings of this study, carried out in collaboration with teams from Institut Pasteur, Inserm and Paris Public Hospitals Group (AP-HP) and supported by ANRS | Emerging Infectious Diseases and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), were published in <em>Nature Communications</em> on April 11, 2022.</p><p>A very small percentage of people with HIV-1 and who received early treatment maintained over several years have the capacity to control the virus over the long-term when their treatment is interrupted. However, the mechanisms of this control have not been fully elucidated.</p><p>The team of researchers, led by Dr. Hugo Mouquet, director of the Laboratory of Humoral Immunology at Institut Pasteur (partner research organization of Université Paris Cité), conducted an exhaustive study in PTCs in order to characterize their humoral response (i.e. their production of B cells and specific antibodies), compared with non-controllers.</p><p>The scientists have shown that the humoral immune response profiles vary according to the activity of the virus observed in the subjects.</p><p>In PTCs who experience short episodes in which the virus resumes low-level activity after interruption of treatment, transient exposure to the viral antigens induces:</p><p>This specific, multifunctional, and robust humoral response could help to control their infection in the absence of treatment.</p><p>However, other PTCs in whom the virus continuously remains undetectable after treatment interruption do not develop a strong humoral response. The control mechanisms in these patients continue to be investigated in the VISCONTI study.</p><p>The discovery of these two types of humoral immune response, which depend on the profile of the PTCs, sheds new light on the phenomenon of HIV control. For Dr. Mouquet, researcher at Institut Pasteur and principal investigator of the study, \"<em>these findings show that early antiretroviral treatment can facilitate the optimal development of humoral immune responses, in some cases countering viral rebound after treatment interruption.</em>\" The example of the immune response of the PTCs having short episodes of \"awakening\" of the virus could even inspire novel therapeutic or vaccine strategies.</p><p><strong>ANRS VISCONTI: to improve understanding of the HIV control mechanisms in \"post-treatment controllers\"</strong></p><p>The \"post-treatment controllers\" whose samples were used for this research are part of the VISCONTI (Viro-Immunological Sustained COntrol after Treatment Interruption) study, coordinated by Dr. Asier Sáez-Cirión (Institut Pasteur) and Dr. Laurent Hocqueloux (Orleans Regional Hospital) and supported by ANRS for several years. This is the largest cohort of long-term \"post-treatment controllers.\"</p><p>It includes 30 patients who had received early treatment that was maintained for several years. Upon interruption of their antiretroviral therapy, they are able to control their viremia for a period exceeding 20 years in some cases. VISCONTI therefore provides the proof of concept of a possible and sustained state of remission for HIV-1-infected patients. It has paved the way for the development of novel therapies that target remission from the infection -- if not its eradication. The objective is to enable people living with HIV-1 to stop their antiretroviral treatment on a lasting basis, while maintaining viremia at the lowest level and avoiding the risk of transmission of the virus.</p>','2022-04-14 18:42:53.371505','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Institut Pasteur','A very small percentage of people with HIV-1, known as \'post-treatment controllers\' (PTCs), are able to control their infection after interrupting all antiretroviral therapy. Understanding the fundamental mechanisms that govern their immune response is essential in order to develop HIV-1 vaccines, novel therapeutic strategies to achieve remission, or both. A recent study investigated the humoral immune response -- also known as antibody-mediated immunity -- in some PTCs in whom transient episodes of viral activity were observed. The researchers have shown their humoral immune response to be both effective and robust, which could help to control the infection in the absence of treatment.\n',1,88,'<li>Luis M. Molinos-Albert, Valérie Lorin, Valérie Monceaux, Sylvie Orr, Asma Essat, Jérémy Dufloo, Olivier Schwartz, Christine Rouzioux, Laurence Meyer, Laurent Hocqueloux, Asier Sáez-Cirión, Hugo Mouquet, Thierry Prazuck, Barbara De Dieuleveult, Firouzé Bani-Sadr, Maxime Hentzien, Jean-Luc Berger, Isabelle Kmiec, Gilles Pichancourt, Safa Nasri, Gilles Hittinger, Véronique Lambry, Anne-Cécile Beauey, Gilles Pialoux, Christia Palacios, Martin Siguier, Anne Adda, Jane Foucoin, Laurence Weiss, Marina Karmochkine, Mohamed Meghadecha, Magali Ptak, Dominique Salmon-Ceron, Philippe Blanche, Marie-Pierre Piétri, Jean-Michel Molina, Olivier Taulera, Caroline Lascoux-Combe, Diane Ponscarme, Jeannine Delgado Bertaut, Djamila Makhloufi, Matthieu Godinot, Valérie Artizzu, Yazdan Yazdanpanah, Sophie Matheron, Cindy Godard, Zélie Julia, Louis Bernard, Frédéric Bastides, Olivier Bourgault, Christine Jacomet, Emilie Goncalves, Agnès Meybeck, Thomas Huleux, Pauline Cornavin, Yasmine Debab, David Théron, Patrick Miailhes, Laurent Cotte, Sophie Pailhes, Stanislas Ogoudjobi, Jean Paul Viard, Marie-Josée Dulucq, Loïc Bodard, Francoise Churaqui, Thomas Guimard, Laetitia Laine. <strong>Transient viral exposure drives functionally-coordinated humoral immune responses in HIV-1 post-treatment controllers</strong>. <em>Nature Communications</em>, 2022; 13 (1) DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29511-1\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1038/s41467-022-29511-1</a>\n</li>'),(2159,'How mechanical stimuli trigger cellular signalling','how-mechanical-stimuli-trigger-cellular-signalling','2022-04-14 18:42:56.808853',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Breathing, seeing, hearing -- the family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is involved in a variety of physiological processes and is also the cause of diverse diseases. As has now been discovered by a team of scientists led by Professor Ines Liebscher from Leipzig University, some members of the GPCR family respond to mechanical stimuli. In collaboration with Chinese research groups, they have achieved another milestone on the way to understanding the mechanism by which this receptor class is activated. For the first time, they were able to describe the structure of specific active receptors. Their findings have now been published in the journal<em> Nature. </em></p><p>\"GPCRs are involved in almost all physiological processes in the body. GPCRs allow humans to see, control their immune system, direct hormone balance,\" explained Professor Ines Liebscher from the Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Medicine, emphasising: \"They have been the focus of our research for many years now, and research on GPCRs is of such outstanding importance because the majority of approved drugs target this receptor family.\" GPCRs are receptors that transmit their signals via so-called G proteins, which is why they are also called G protein-coupled receptors -- or GPCRs for short.</p><p>The researchers in Leipzig focus their work on a special class of receptors, known as adhesion GPCRs. In collaboration with several Chinese teams of scientists, the research groups led by Professor Ines Liebscher and Professor Torsten Schöneberg have now been able to describe the structure of special receptor molecules in their active state. This data supports findings from seven years ago at the Leipzig institute that these receptors are activated by a tethered agonist within the molecule. Furthermore, the Leipzig researchers showed that mechanical stimuli play a crucial role in the activation by the tethered agonist. It is still not fully understood how our body\'s own cells are able to interpret mechanics -- in the form of vibration, gravitational forces, relative cell movement or swelling -- as a signal. \"Our research has established the basis for our partners from China to structurally elucidate a scenario of how mechanical stimuli are recognised in the molecule and transmitted as signals,\" said Liebscher, a medical scientist and biochemist. \"The results can be found in the current study.\"</p><p><strong>Functional nature of mechanosensitive receptors elucidated</strong></p><p>\"About one-third of the GPCR family are still orphans, meaning that either their function or activation is unknown. With our current research, we have made a decisive contribution to better understanding GPCR structures,\" said co-author Schöneberg, director of the Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry. \"The new study findings are of landmark importance when it comes to developing future forms of therapy,\" concluded Liebscher. She is a member of the steering committee in the EU-funded COST Action Adher´n Rise CA18240, which she successfully secured in 2019. This network of scientists from 28 European countries aims to promote, stimulate and implement research on adhesion G protein-coupled receptors (aGPCRs) \"from bench to bedside.\" The latest findings and approaches to adhesion GPCR research will also be presented at the international conference 4GPCRnet, of which Professor Liebscher is co-organiser. This high-level meeting will be held on 26 to 29 September 2022 on Leipzig University\'s Augustusplatz campus.</p><p>The current research project is part of Collaborative Research Centre 1423 \"Structural Dynamics of GPCR Activation and Signaling,\" a research network funded by the German Research Foundation, led by Leipzig University and also involving the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Charité -- Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine. Researchers with backgrounds in biochemistry, biomedicine and computational science collaborate across the boundaries of their respective institutions and disciplines for a comprehensive understanding of the structure and dynamics of GPCRs.</p>','2022-04-14 18:42:56.808853','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Universität Leipzig','Breathing, seeing, hearing -- the family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is involved in a variety of physiological processes and is also the cause of diverse diseases. Some members of the GPCR family respond to mechanical stimuli. Researchers have now achieved a milestone on the way to understanding the mechanism by which this receptor class is activated. They were able to describe the structure of specific active receptors.\n',1,48,'<li>Yu-Qi Ping, Peng Xiao, Fan Yang, Ru-Jia Zhao, Sheng-Chao Guo, Xu Yan, Xiang Wu, Chao Zhang, Yan Lu, Fenghui Zhao, Fulai Zhou, Yue-Tong Xi, Wanchao Yin, Feng-Zhen Liu, Dong-Fang He, Dao-Lai Zhang, Zhong-Liang Zhu, Yi Jiang, Lutao Du, Shi-Qing Feng, Torsten Schöneberg, Ines Liebscher, H. Eric Xu, Jin-Peng Sun. <strong>Structural basis for the tethered peptide activation of adhesion GPCRs</strong>. <em>Nature</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04619-y\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1038/s41586-022-04619-y</a>\n</li>'),(2160,'Pollution from cooking emissions hangs in the air','pollution-from-cooking-emissions-hangs-in-the-air','2022-04-14 18:43:01.074361',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Organic aerosols -- such as those released in cooking -- may stay in the atmosphere for several days, because of nanostructures formed by fatty acids as they are released into the air.</p><p>By identifying the processes which control how these aerosols are transformed in the atmosphere, scientists will be able to better understand and predict their impact on the environment and the climate.</p><p>Experts at the Universities of Birmingham and Bath have used instruments at the Diamond Light Source and the Central Laser Facility, both based at the Harwell Campus in Oxford, to probe the behaviour of thin films of oleic acid -- an unsaturated fatty acid commonly released when cooking.</p><p>In the study, published in <em>Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, </em>they were able to analyse the particular molecular properties that control how rapidly aerosol emissions can be broken down in the atmosphere.</p><p>Then, using a theoretical model combined with experimental data the team was able to predict the amount of time aerosols generated from cooking may hang around in the environment.</p><p>These types of aerosols have long been associated with poor air quality in urban areas, but their impact on human-made climate change is hard to gauge. That\'s because of the diverse range of molecules found within aerosols, and their varying interactions with the environment.</p><p>By identifying the nanostructure of molecules emitted during cooking that slows down the break-up of organic aerosols, it becomes possible to model how they are transported and dispersed into the atmosphere.</p><p>Lead author Dr Christian Pfrang, of the University of Birmingham\'s School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, said: \"Cooking aerosols account for up to 10 per cent of particulate matter (PM) emissions in the UK. Finding accurate ways to predict their behaviour will give us much more precise ways to also assess their contribution to climate change.\"</p><p>Co-author Dr Adam Squires, of the University of Bath, said: \"We\'re increasingly finding out how molecules like these fatty acids from cooking can organise themselves into bilayers and other regular shapes and stacks within aerosol droplets that float in the air, and how this completely changes how fast they degrade, how long they persist in the atmosphere, and how they affect pollution and weather.\"</p><p>The research was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and the data was produced and analysed using the University of Birmingham\'s BlueBEAR high performance and high throughput computing service. BlueBEAR employs some of the latest technology to deliver fast and efficient processing capacity for researchers while minimizing energy consumption by using direct, on-chip, water cooling.</p>','2022-04-14 18:43:01.074361','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'University of Birmingham','Organic aerosols -- such as those released in cooking -- may stay in the atmosphere for several days, because of nanostructures formed by fatty acids as they are released into the air.\n',1,27,'<li>Adam Milsom, Adam M. Squires, Andrew D. Ward, Christian Pfrang. <strong>The impact of molecular self-organisation on the atmospheric fate of a cooking aerosol proxy</strong>. <em>Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics</em>, 2022; 22 (7): 4895 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-4895-2022\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.5194/acp-22-4895-2022</a>\n</li>'),(2161,'Scientists identify novel approach to preventing seizures','scientists-identify-novel-approach-to-preventing-seizures','2022-04-14 18:43:17.199952',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Scientists at Trinity College Dublin have announced a significant advance in our understanding of epilepsy, as they have identified a potential method of preventing damaging seizure activity.</p><p>Epilepsy is a chronic central nervous system (CNS) disorder affecting approximately 1% of the population and 50 million people worldwide. It is characterised by recurrent, spontaneous seizures caused by disrupted electrical activity in the brain.</p><p>While the brain accounts for just 2% of human body mass, it expends almost 20% of the body\'s daily energy production. In order to maintain this high energy demand brain cells are nourished by an intricate network of capillaries that forms the so-called blood-brain barrier (BBB). Such is the extent of these capillaries, we estimate that every brain cell is essentially nourished by its own capillary.</p><p>Fundamentally, it is disruption to the integrity of these capillaries and the BBB that the Trinity scientists believe is a key driver of seizure activity in humans. Promisingly though, their new research shows that restoring that integrity can prevent seizures.</p><p>\"Our findings suggest that designing medicines aimed at stabilising the integrity of blood vessels in the brain may hold promise in treating patients who are currently non-responsive to anti-seizure medications,\" said Dr Matthew Campbell, Associate Professor in Trinity\'s School of Genetics and Microbiology.</p><p>\"This work represents one of the first conclusive studies that pinpoints a key feature of seizures that has to date not been studied in great molecular detail.\"</p><p>Importantly, the work was translational in nature and included both basic and clinical research arms involving patients diagnosed with epilepsy. Using similar techniques in humans and in pre-clinical models, the scientists were able to show that BBB disruption was a key driver of seizure activity.</p><p>Added to this, they were able to show that restoring BBB integrity could prevent seizures -- and it is this finding that holds real potential in moving the discoveries closer to a real and meaningful therapy.</p><p>Dr Chris Greene, Postdoctoral research fellow and first author of the study, added:</p><p>\"We are excited about the potential our findings hold for advancing the field of epilepsy research as well as other neurological conditions. In fact, stabilising the integrity of blood vessels in the brain could have relevance for a wide range of other diseases and we are just at the beginning of the process in driving the research forward.\"</p><p>A multidisciplinary team of geneticists, neurologists, neuropathologists and neurosurgeons from Trinity, RCSI, St James\'s Hospital, Beaumont Hospital and Uppsala University were involved in the study. Additionally, the work formed part of a major collaboration between Trinity and the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)-funded centre, FutureNeuro.</p><p>Commenting on the clinical significance of the findings, Prof. Colin Doherty, Professor of Epilepsy in Trinity,said:</p><p>\"This work was the culmination of many years of collaboration between both clinical and basic research groups. It simply wouldn\'t have been possible without the commitment of patients and their interest in getting involved in research studies aimed at better understanding their condition.\"</p><p>The research, published this week in the international journal, <em>Nature Communications, </em>was supported by the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) FutureNeuro Centre, the Irish Research Council (IRC), the St James\'s Hospital foundation and the Ellen Mayston Bates bequest in the Trinity Foundation.</p>','2022-04-14 18:43:17.199952','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Trinity College Dublin','Scientists have announced a significant advance in our understanding of epilepsy, as they have identified a potential method of preventing damaging seizure activity. Brain cells are nourished by an intricate network of capillaries that forms the so-called blood-brain barrier (BBB). Fundamentally, it is disruption to the integrity of these capillaries and the BBB that a group of scientists believe is a key driver of seizure activity in humans. Promisingly though, their new research shows that restoring that integrity can prevent seizures.\n',1,27,'<li>Chris Greene, Nicole Hanley, Cristina R. Reschke, Avril Reddy, Maarja A. Mäe, Ruairi Connolly, Claire Behan, Eoin O’Keeffe, Isobel Bolger, Natalie Hudson, Conor Delaney, Michael A. Farrell, Donncha F. O’Brien, Jane Cryan, Francesca M. Brett, Alan Beausang, Christer Betsholtz, David C. Henshall, Colin P. Doherty, Matthew Campbell. <strong>Microvascular stabilization via blood-brain barrier regulation prevents seizure activity</strong>. <em>Nature Communications</em>, 2022; 13 (1) DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29657-y\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1038/s41467-022-29657-y</a>\n</li>'),(2162,'About 1 in 4 adults has an often-missed liver disorder linked to higher heart disease risk','about-1-in-4-adults-has-an-often-missed-liver-disorder-linked-to-higher-heart-disease-risk','2022-04-14 18:43:22.168566',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">It is estimated that about one in four adults worldwide has a liver condition that is a risk factor for heart disease, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published today in the Association\'s peer-reviewed journal <em>Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.</em> The condition, called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), occurs when abnormally elevated amounts of fat are deposited in the liver, sometimes resulting in inflammation and scarring. The prevalence of NAFLD is an estimate, given the challenges in diagnosing the condition, which are detailed in the statement.</p><p>An American Heart Association scientific statement is an expert analysis of current research and may inform future guidelines. Professional organizations specializing in gastroenterology have previously published statements on the condition, however, they focus on liver toxicity (including scarring, cirrhosis and liver cancer) rather than heart disease risk. This is the Association\'s first statement about NAFLD.</p><p>\"Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common condition that is often hidden or missed in routine medical care. It is important to know about the condition and treat it early because it is a risk factor for chronic liver damage and cardiovascular disease,\" said P. Barton Duell, M.D., FAHA, chair of the statement writing committee and professor of medicine in the Knight Cardiovascular Institute and Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Clinical Nutrition at Oregon Health &amp; Science University in Portland, Oregon.</p><p>There are two types of NAFLD: one when only fat is present in the liver (called non-alcoholic fatty liver), and the other when inflammation and scarring are also present (called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH). Excess alcohol intake can cause similar fat deposits and liver dysfunction, so the term NAFLD is used to differentiate between disease caused by excess alcohol intake vs. disease without alcohol as the underlying cause.</p><p>NAFLD may go undiagnosed for years, thus, the statement emphasizes the need for awareness and monitoring for NAFLD, access to improved screening tools and treatment and highlights the lifestyle changes to help prevent and treat the disorder.</p><p><strong>NAFLD raises heart disease risk</strong></p><p>Heart disease is the leading cause of death in people with NAFLD. The diseases share many of the same risk factors, including metabolic syndrome (elevated blood sugar and blood triglycerides, increased abdominal fat and high blood pressure); Type 2 diabetes; impaired glucose tolerance (prediabetes); and obesity. However, people with NAFLD are at higher risk of heart disease than people who have the same heart disease risk factors without the liver condition.</p><p><strong>NAFLD may sometimes be prevented</strong></p><p>NAFLD is often preventable by maintaining a healthy body weight, exercising regularly, eating a heart-healthy foods diet and managing conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and elevated triglycerides (a type of fat) in the blood. Genetic factors also play a role in whether a person develops NAFLD and whether it leads to NASH, cirrhosis or liver cancer.</p><p>\"Although healthy living can help avert NAFLD in many individuals, some may develop NAFLD despite their best efforts,\" Duell said. \"At the other end of the spectrum, some individuals may have a genetic makeup that protects them from developing NAFLD despite having obesity, Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, unhealthy dietary habits or being sedentary.\"</p><p><strong>NAFLD can go undiagnosed for years</strong></p><p>Most people with NAFLD are undiagnosed, creating a barrier to optimal medical management, according to the statement. The initial stages of NAFLD generally have no symptoms and people feel well, and routine blood tests may not show liver abnormalities. Often, elevated liver enzymes in blood, a possible sign of NAFLD, may be misattributed to a side effect of medication or to recent alcohol consumption. In addition, the absence of elevated liver enzyme levels does not rule out NAFLD or NASH.</p><p>According to the statement, a specialized ultrasound that measures liver elasticity, fat and stiffness (a result of scarring) in the liver can detect NAFLD. This type of liver scan is a noninvasive way to help diagnose and monitor treatment in NAFLD and NASH, yet it is underused. Liver biopsy is the definitive test for the diagnosis of more advanced stages of NAFLD, however, it is invasive and expensive.</p><p>\"The lack of awareness of the high prevalence of NAFLD contributes to underdiagnosis,\" said Duell. \"Individuals with risk factors for NAFLD warrant more careful screening.\"</p><p><strong>If diagnosed in time, liver damage may be reversible</strong></p><p>\"Part of the good news about managing NAFLD is that healthy eating, regular exercise and weight loss or avoiding weight gain are all valuable interventions to improve health in most of us, regardless of whether we have NAFLD,\" said Duell.</p><p>Lifestyle changes are the cornerstone of treatment for early NAFLD. Dietary recommendations include reducing fat intake, limiting the consumption of simple sugars and choosing more fiber-rich vegetables and whole grains. A Mediterranean-style diet is the only specific dietary pattern recommended by a consortium of professional groups for the treatment of NAFLD and NASH. Avoiding alcohol is encouraged since even light alcohol intake can aggravate NAFLD and interfere with the liver\'s ability to heal.</p><p>Consultation with a dietitian may help people with NAFLD plan and maintain a healthful diet and lose weight, if needed. The statement cites research showing that losing 10% of body weight dramatically reduced liver fat and improved fibrosis, with lower levels of improvement with at least a 5% loss in body weight. Research also supports 20-30 minutes of physical activity per day to decrease liver fat and improve insulin sensitivity even in the absence of weight loss.</p><p>Medications may be needed to treat Type 2 diabetes, lower cholesterol or reduce weight. Weight loss surgery may be appropriate for some people because the resulting, marked weight loss can be an effective intervention for NAFLD. Optimal care may also involve consulting with a lipid specialist, endocrinologist or gastroenterologist.</p><p>This scientific statement was prepared by the volunteer writing group on behalf of the American Heart Association\'s Council on Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology; the Council on Hypertension; the Council on the Kidney in Cardiovascular Disease; the Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health; and the Council on Peripheral Vascular Disease. American Heart Association scientific statements promote greater awareness about cardiovascular diseases and stroke issues and help facilitate informed health care decisions. Scientific statements outline what is currently known about a topic and what areas need additional research. While scientific statements may inform the development of guidelines, they do not make treatment recommendations. American Heart Association guidelines provide the Association\'s official clinical practice recommendations.</p><p>Co-authors are Vice Chair Francine Welty, M.D.; Michael Miller, M.D.; Alan Chait, M.D.; Gmerice Hammond, M.D., M.P.H.; Zahid Ahmad, M.D.; David E. Cohen, M.D., Ph.D.; Jay D. Horton, M.D.; Gregg S. Pressman, M.D.; Peter P. Toth, M.D., Ph.D. A</p>','2022-04-14 18:43:22.168566','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'American Heart Association','It is estimated that about one in four adults worldwide has an abnormal build-up of fat in the liver, called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD can lead to permanent liver damage, and heart disease is the leading cause of death in people with fatty liver disease. Because NAFLD is often missed in routine medical screening, the new scientific statement raises awareness and understanding about its link to heart disease and to outline how to prevent and diagnose the condition.\n',1,146,'<li>P. Barton Duell, Francine K. Welty, Michael Miller, Alan Chait, Gmerice Hammond, Zahid Ahmad, David E. Cohen, Jay D. Horton, Gregg S. Pressman, Peter P. Toth. <strong>Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Cardiovascular Risk: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association</strong>. <em>Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1161/ATV.0000000000000153\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1161/ATV.0000000000000153</a>\n</li>'),(2163,'Management researchers prescribe possible remedy in opioid misuse','management-researchers-prescribe-possible-remedy-in-opioid-misuse','2022-04-14 18:43:28.949604',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">A decision-support framework developed by management science researchers from The University of Texas at Dallas could help clinicians objectively identify and estimate harms and benefits of opioid use for pain management.</p><p>In a study published online Feb. 3 in the INFORMS journal <em>Decision Analysis</em>, Naveen Jindal School of Management researchers explored how clinicians make decisions when prescribing opioids and developed a quantitative model of the process that incorporates multiple factors.</p><p>\"The ongoing opioid epidemic has been a serious public health problem, and prescription opioids play a role in this problem,\" said Dr. Metin Cakanyildirim, professor of operations management and one of the study\'s authors. \"Opioid drugs are initially prescribed to treat pain, but their use can potentially lead to adverse effects of drug tolerance, increased sensitivity to pain, dependence, addiction and overdose.\"</p><p>According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 14,000 people died in 2019 from overdoses involving prescription opioids.</p><p>Cakanyildirim and first author Abdullah Gokcinar, a doctoral student in operations management, were motivated by the opportunity to use management science tools to manage a nonmonetary process -- pain -- occurring outside business contexts.</p><p>To provide an analytical framework for evidence-based opioid prescribing, they collaborated with pain researchers Dr. Ted Price BS\'97, Ashbel Smith Professor of neuroscience in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and director of the Center for Advanced Pain Studies, and Dr. Meredith Adams, assistant professor of anesthesiology at Wake Forest School of Medicine.</p><p>Opioid decision-making incorporates recovery time and pain intensity, as well as gender, age and drug-use history, Gokcinar said. When prescribing opioids, a clinician faces several uncertainties, including opioid tolerance and hypersensitivity.</p><p>CDC guidelines direct clinicians to prescribe the lowest effective dose of opioids. The agency emphasizes evaluation of trade-offs in opioid use and directs clinicians to assess pain, check patient opioid history, discuss adverse effects and observe patient cues for drug abuse.</p><p>Although recent guidelines loosely limit prescription amounts, the exact prescription decision is left to the clinician, who typically mentally accounts for the trade-offs of beneficial versus adverse effects.</p><p>By quantifying this mental process, the researchers built a framework that could lead to prescription decision-support tools. The framework incorporates several parameters related to pain and recovery time, as well as adverse effects such as discomfort, dependence, tolerance and hypersensitivity.</p><p>The analysis found that over- and under-prescribing occur due to clinical uncertainties and lack of estimation and evaluation methods. Accurately incorporating adverse effects into the decision-support framework yields pain-management models for chronic, acute and persistent pain types.</p><p>The models provide optimal prescriptions to minimize the total pain, discomfort and suffering, and can reduce overprescribing, Gokcinar said.</p><p>\"The clinician can measure the patient\'s pain, approximate its trajectory and estimate the discomfort during opioid use along with the risk of addiction or overdose,\" he said. \"Inputting these and other factors into a decision-support framework that balances benefits and adverse effects of opioids yields an optimal prescription.\"</p><p><strong>Additional Framework Applications</strong></p><p>Gokcinar said that such a framework could also be adapted to host patient data, including administered dosages, and to facilitate the review of a patient\'s pain treatment, transfer of information back and forth between clinicians during and after a patient handover, and benchmarking of these treatments across clinics.</p><p>The study found that clinicians who initially prescribe opioids before handing over their patients to another provider are prone to underestimating the adverse effects. A framework could draw a clinician\'s attention to the adverse effects or limit their prescription until the handover, he said.</p><p>\"Using this model could pave the road toward frequently prescribing reduced amounts of opioids and hence adjusting prescriptions -- known as adaptive treatment -- according to patient statuses,\" Gokcinar said. \"Without such decision support, clinicians are forced to quickly come up with good prescriptions by combining their patient observations with their experiences. This is not an easy task to perform well repetitively in stressful settings.\"</p><p>For patients, having a framework in place could help them understand that reduced amounts of opioids will maintain the long-term health of their nervous system.</p><p>\"That might mean suffering more today to suffer less later,\" Cakanyildirim said. \"Pain management can be a long-term process and requires patients to be less myopic and more forward-looking.\"</p><p>Using real-life data of daily reported pain levels and opioid use from Flaredown, a mobile app that helps users track their diseases and medication, the researchers inferred the timing and severity of adverse effects. Also, using data from surgery patients in a clinical setting, the researchers compared the suggestions of their models to clinical practice.</p><p>Once the models are validated in a clinical setting, they could potentially support balanced opioid prescribing. They also could aid policymakers in evaluating prescription policies.</p><p>Cakanyildirim said the researchers plan to further their work by collaborating with medical professionals and pain clinics to study information conveyed by patient questionnaires, assessments via telemedicine and adaptive treatment approaches.</p>','2022-04-14 18:43:28.949604','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'University of Texas at Dallas','A team of researchers developed a framework that may help clinicians objectively identify and estimate harms and benefits of opioid use for pain management.\n',1,27,'<li>Abdullah Gökçınar, Metin Çakanyıldırım, Theodore Price, Meredith C. B. Adams. <strong>Balanced Opioid Prescribing via a Clinical Trade-Off: Pain Relief vs. Adverse Effects of Discomfort, Dependence, and Tolerance/Hypersensitivity</strong>. <em>Decision Analysis</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/deca.2021.0447\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1287/deca.2021.0447</a>\n</li>'),(2164,'Research reveals human-driven changes to distinctive foraging patterns in North Pacific Ocean','research-reveals-human-driven-changes-to-distinctive-foraging-patterns-in-north-pacific-ocean','2022-04-14 18:43:31.293277',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">The first large-scale study of its kind has uncovered more than 4,000 years\' worth of distinctive foraging behaviour in a species once driven to the brink of extinction.</p><p>An international team of researchers, led by the University of Leicester, identified long-term patterns in the behaviour of the short-tailed albatross (<em>Phoebastria albatrus</em>) in the North Pacific Ocean by studying isotopes found in archaeological and museum-archived samples of the bird, dating as far back as 2300 BCE.</p><p>Their findings, published today (Thursday) in <em>Communications Biology</em>, show long-term patterns in foraging behaviour for the short-tailed albatross for the first time -- and demonstrate how individual birds foraged the same hyper-localised sites for thousands of years in spite of the species\' huge potential foraging range across thousands of miles of Pacific coastline and open ocean.</p><p>But this behaviour, a demonstration of long-term individual foraging site fidelity (LT-IFSF), can pose significant risks for animals who specialise in areas which may be impacted by human activity.</p><p>The short-tailed albatross was brought to the brink of extinction by feather hunters between the 1880s and 1930s and though careful conservation has resulted in exponential population growth in recent decades, this trend of LT-IFSF has not been observed in the last century.</p><p>Dr Eric Guiry is Lecturer in Biomolecular Archaeology at the University of Leicester and corresponding author for the study, which focused on two locations close to Yuquot, Canada, and compared findings to sites in the USA, Russia and Japan. He said:</p><p>\"Understanding migratory behaviour is critical for global biodiversity restoration because it helps identify vulnerable regions for environmental protection.</p><p>\"Although evidence for the extent and depth of LT-IFSF across other species is still emerging, the extreme distances and time scale of the behaviour seen here indicates that this foraging strategy may be a fundamental, density-driven adaptation that could become widespread again as recovering animal populations reach pre-industrial levels.\"</p><p>The research team from Leicester, the Land of Maquinna Cultural Society (Canada), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium) and Simon Fraser University (Canada) were able to track this foraging behaviour by examining stable carbon and nitrogen isotope compositions in samples of bone collagen.</p><p>In contrast to most other tissues such as muscle or feather, which turn over on a scale of days, weeks, or months), isotopic compositions from bone collagen, which remodels slowly over the entire lifespan on an individual, reflect an average of foods consumed over the last several years of an individual\'s life.</p><p>This provides a unique perspective for exploring lifetime trends in animal diet and migration behaviour.</p><p>By mapping these biological markers against known isotopic baselines across the species\' foraging range, linked to factors such as sea surface temperature and CO<sub>2</sub> concentrations, the researchers were able to build up a picture of the short-tailed albatross\' migratory and foraging behaviour over hundreds of generations.</p><p>But, crucially, as this behaviour is no longer observed among these birds, their findings show this hyper-specialised foraging in specific locations disappeared after the birds were hunted to near extinction in the 1880s, when only a handful of birds remained. Dr Guiry continued:</p><p>\"We think this behaviour could be driven by competition among birds, meaning that, as the population recovers, we could see it re-emerge. This kind information is important because it provides advanced warning that monitoring for this remarkable behaviour, which can make the birds more vulnerable to human impacts, may need close attention.</p><p>\"One of the most exciting findings, however, is actually quite a positive note. Our data also indicate that Indigenous communities at Yuquot were harvesting these birds with little impact on their population for thousands of years.</p><p>\"Not only does this tell us something about the long-term sustainability of Indigenous marine resource use at Yuquot, it provides a clear example of how people and the short-tailed albatross can co-exist.\"</p><p><strong>Story Source:</strong></p>','2022-04-14 18:43:31.293277','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'University of Leicester','The first large-scale study of its kind has uncovered more than 4,000 years\' worth of distinctive foraging behavior in a species once driven to the brink of extinction.\n',1,34,'<li>Eric. J. Guiry, Margaretta James, Christina Cheung, Thomas C. A. Royle. <strong>Four millennia of long-term individual foraging site fidelity in a highly migratory marine predator</strong>. <em>Communications Biology</em>, 2022; 5 (1) DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s42003-022-03310-2\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1038/s42003-022-03310-2</a>\n</li>'),(2165,'COVID-19: Vaccination greatly reduces infectious viral load, study finds','covid-19:-vaccination-greatly-reduces-infectious-viral-load,-study-finds','2022-04-14 18:43:36.824372',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Measuring the viral load of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 is one of the main factors in evaluating the infectiousness of COVID-19 patients. Viral load can be influenced by the infecting SARS-CoV-2 variant as well as the vaccination status of the patient.</p><p>A research team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG) measured the infectious viral load of nearly 600 symptomatic patients to detect possible differences between the original virus, Delta and Omicron sublineage BA.1, as well as according to vaccination status. They discovered that Delta causes a higher viral load than the original virus and the Omicron variant. For Delta and Omicron breakthrough infections, vaccination drastically reduces the viral load. In the case of Omicron, however, the decrease was only observed after three doses of vaccine. Furthermore, Omicron\'s very high infectiousness is seemingly related to factors other than viral load alone. These results, to be read in the journal <em>Nature Medicine</em>, highlight the benefit of vaccination for public health in addition to individual protection against the severe form of the disease, and remind us that variants of the virus must be closely monitored to prevent further massive outbreaks.</p><p>The diagnosis of COVID-19 consists of a PCR test performed on a nasopharyngeal or salivary swab. \"This test is very effective in identifying infected people, but does not indicate whether they are infectious, that is, capable of transmitting the virus to other people,\" says Isabella Eckerle, professor in the Department of Medicine at UNIGE Faculty of Medicine and head of the HUG-UNIGE Centre for Emerging Viral Diseases, who led this work. \"However, the notion of contagiousness is essential for deciding on collective prevention measures, such as periods of isolation.\"</p><p>PCR tests can only detect the presence of viral RNA, but do not indicate whether the virus is still intact and able to spread. The measurement of the infectious viral load necessarily involves culturing the virus for several days in a biosafety level 3 laboratory, a procedure impossible to perform routinely.</p><p><strong>Lower viral load due to vaccination </strong></p><p>Since the beginning of the pandemic, samples taken at the HUG screening centre have been kept for research purposes, with the authorisation of the persons concerned. \"We were able to reanalyze samples from previous waves of the disease,\" explains Benjamin Meyer, a researcher at the Centre for Vaccinology in the Department of Pathology and Immunology at UNIGE Faculty of Medicine. \"We measured the infectious viral load of 3 cohorts of patients during the first 5 symptomatic days to compare the viral load caused by the original virus (118 samples, spring 2020), the Delta variant (293 samples, fall 2021) and the Omicron variant sublineage BA.1 (154 samples, winter 2022), as well as, for the last two cohorts, whether a significant difference could be detected in vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.\"</p><p>Overall, the infectious viral load for the Delta cohort was significantly higher than that of the cohort with the original virus. However, people infected by Delta who received two doses of mRNA vaccine had a significantly lower infectious viral load than unvaccinated people. \"For the Omicron cohort, contrary to what can be assumed given its rapid spread, the infectious viral load was overall lower than that of the Delta cohort,\" says Isabella Eckerle. In contrast, only people who were boosted (that is, having received three doses of the vaccine) had their viral load decreased; people who received two doses only had no benefit in this regard compared to unvaccinated people. \"This is immunologically consistent: many vaccines require 3 doses spaced several months apart to induce a sustained immune response, such as that against Hepatitis B virus,\" explains Isabella Eckerle.</p><p><strong>Omicron: a variant far away from the previous ones</strong></p><p>Why is the Omicron variant so contagious, if the viral load it induces is lower than its predecessors? \"We still don\'t know, but our data suggest that other infectious mechanisms are at play,\" explains Pauline Vetter, clinic director at the HUG-UNIGE Center for Emerging Diseases. \"It is now clear that the mutations of Omicron strongly differentiate it from other variants, allowing it to partially escape the vaccine, and diminish the effectiveness of some antiviral treatments used so far.\" However, vaccination has been shown to be useful in limiting the occurrence of severe symptoms and most likely also the transmission of the virus. Indeed, in countries where the population, especially the elderly, is poorly vaccinated, Omicron has proven to be just as deadly.</p><p>The Geneva study also shows that the knowledge acquired for previous variants must be updated every time a new variant emerges to be able to adapt the means of combating COVID-19. \"In view of our results, the greatest caution should be exercised in the face of a virus whose evolution is not fully understood, and against which currently existing treatments lose some of their effectiveness,\" conclude the authors.</p><p>This work was carried out thanks to grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), the Pictet Group\'s Fondation Ancrage bienfaisance and the HUG Private Foundation.</p>','2022-04-14 18:43:36.824372','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Université de Genève','By comparing the infectious viral load caused by ancestral SARS-CoV-2 as well as by the Delta and Omicron variants, scientists highlight the benefits of vaccination.\n',1,21,'<li>Olha Puhach, Kenneth Adea, Nicolas Hulo, Pascale Sattonnet, Camille Genecand, Anne Iten, Frédérique Jacquérioz Bausch, Laurent Kaiser, Pauline Vetter, Isabella Eckerle, Benjamin Meyer. <strong>Infectious viral load in unvaccinated and vaccinated individuals infected with ancestral, Delta or Omicron SARS-CoV-2</strong>. <em>Nature Medicine</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41591-022-01816-0\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1038/s41591-022-01816-0</a>\n</li>'),(2166,'Exercise during pregnancy reduces the risk of Type-2 Diabetes in offspring','exercise-during-pregnancy-reduces-the-risk-of-type-2-diabetes-in-offspring','2022-04-14 18:43:45.495997',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">A new study has demonstrated that maternal exercise during pregnancy improves the metabolic health of offspring, even when the mother is obese or on a high-fat diet. Physical exercise by the mother induces the placenta to secrete the key protein SOD3, resulting in a lowered risk of diabetes for the offspring. The findings in the paper identified the mechanisms behind this process.</p><p>The results were published in the Journal <em>Diabetes </em>on March 15, 2022.</p><p><strong>A worrying trend</strong></p><p>Maternal obesity and type 2 diabetes are on the rise. Over 30% of women of childbearing age in Western and Asian countries are classified as obese. Meanwhile, 630 million people are expected to be living with type 2 diabetes by 2045. Children born to obese mothers or mothers with type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of diabetes, even after going on to live healthy lives.</p><p>\"With the growth of maternal obesity, a worrying cycle is forming where the risks of diabetes gets passed down from generation to generation,\" says assistant professor Joji Kusuyama from Tohoku University\'s Interdisciplinary Institute for Frontier Sciences (FRIS), and lead author of the study. \"Stopping this cycle is a critical and pressing medical problem.\"</p><p>In the research group with Kusuyama was Laurie Goodyear, Nathan Makarewicz, Brent Albertson, Ana Alves-Wagner, Royce Conlin, Noah Prince, Christiano Alves, Krithika Ramachandran, and Michael Hirshman from the Joslin Diabetes Center; Chisayo Kozuka from RIKEN\'s Center for Integrative Medical Sciences; Toshihisa Hatta from Kanazawa\'s Medical University; Yang Xiudong and Yang Xia from the University of Texas at Houston; and Ryoichi Nagatomi from Tohoku University\'s Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering.</p><p>Previously, the group showed that exercise during pregnancy has tremendous benefits on an offspring\'s metabolic health, demonstrating that placenta-derived SOD3, which stands for supuroexide dismutase 3, plays a key role in transmitting the benefits of maternal exercise to the offspring. Building on this, the team set out to understand how SOD3 prevents the negative effects of obesity being passed from mother to child and found that SOD3 inhibited high-fat diet-induced abnormalities in the offspring\'s glucose metabolism.</p><p><strong>The link between maternal and childhood obesity</strong></p><p>Histone methylation plays a fundamental role in epigenetic modification -- heritable changes to strands of DNA that do not affect the inherited base pairs. Methyl group (-CH3) attaches to an amino acid in the tail of histone proteins that wrap DNA, sometimes activating gene expression, sometimes inhibiting it.</p><p>When a mother consumes a diet heavy in fat, the histone H3 trimethylation H3K4me3 gets decreased in the fetal liver and hinders the expression of glucose metabolism genes.</p><p>This, the researchers discovered, is caused by two things. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) -- oxygen in a reactivated and activated state which aids the body\'s metabolism and cellular functions -- becomes elevated. Meanwhile, WDR82, a key protein that regulates histone methyltransferase, becomes oxidative, impairing protein functions.</p><p>The harmful effects of a maternal high-fat diet on an offspring\'s metabolism are reversed by maternal exercise. Genetic manipulation demonstrated that placental SOD3 is indispensable for the protective effects of maternal exercise on offspring.</p><p>The study also highlighted how crucial exercise is for negating this. When the researchers infused N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an antioxidant that boosts performance in the liver, into the fetal liver, it did not reproduce the results of SOD3. This suggests the naturally produced SOD3 from exercise during pregnancy is pivotal for the offspring\'s metabolic wellbeing.</p><p><strong>Implications for the future</strong></p><p>Given the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of exercise, encouraging mothers to exercise could help reverse the alarming rates of obesity and type-2 diabetes. The merits of SOD3 may not be limited to the metabolism stresses Kusuyama. \"There may be wider benefits of this protein on other organs in the child. We are currently looking into the modifications in placenta tissue brought about by SOD3 that may have positive lifelong impacts on children.\"</p><p>The authors caution the study is only at the preclinical stage and its applicability to humans requires further studies. Additionally, certain aspects of the signaling pathway require further investigation.</p>','2022-04-14 18:43:45.495997','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Tohoku University','Exercising during pregnancy bestows a wealth of benefits upon a child. New research suggests that exercise may also help reduce the offspring\'s chances of getting type 2 diabetes. Researchers uncovered how SOD3, a key protein released by the placenta after exercise, improves the metabolic health of offspring and negates the impacts of maternal obesity and poor diets.\n',1,22,'<li>Joji Kusuyama, Nathan S. Makarewicz, Brent G. Albertson, Ana Barbara Alves-Wagner, Royce H. Conlin, Noah B Prince, Christiano R. R. Alves, Krithika Ramachandran, Chisayo Kozuka, Yang Xiudong, Yang Xia, Michael F. Hirshman, Toshihisa Hatta, Ryoichi Nagatomi, Eva S. Nozik, Laurie J. Goodyear. <strong>Maternal Exercise-Induced SOD3 Reverses the Deleterious Effects of Maternal High Fat Diet on Offspring Metabolism Through Stabilization of H3K4me3 and Protection Against WDR82 Carbonylation</strong>. <em>Diabetes</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/db21-0706\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.2337/db21-0706</a>\n</li>'),(2167,'Could releasing ‘handbrake’ immune cells help supercharge immunity?','could-releasing-‘handbrake’-immune-cells-help-supercharge-immunity?','2022-04-14 18:43:50.417716',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">T cells are immune cells that help our bodies fight disease by seeking and destroying unhealthy cells.</p><p>Regulatory T cells, or Treg cells, put the brakes on T cells, preventing them from misbehaving and attacking the body\'s healthy tissues.</p><p>Researchers have now discovered a way to release the \"handbrake\" hold that Treg cells have over normal T cells and intentionally put them into overdrive.</p><p>Lifting this restraint could supercharge the response of T cells and lead to better treatment options for cancers and infections, where patients would benefit from rapid clearance of the unhealthy cells.</p><p>The research, led by Dr Charis Teh, Simon Preston, Associate Professor Daniel Gray and Professor Marc Pellegrini, is published in Science Immunology.</p><p>At a glance</p><p><strong>Boosted response</strong></p><p>The team blocked the activity of an enzyme in Treg cells to assess its role in the immune response.</p><p>They found the enzyme, known as caspase-8, controlled the survival of Treg cells in a manner that depended on the immune environment.</p><p>Restraining the enzyme in healthy settings enabled Treg cells to survive and accumulate. But when they blocked caspase-8 in Treg cells during an infection, this triggered a form of cell death called necroptosis.</p><p>Associate Professor Daniel Gray said inhibiting caspase-8 in Treg cells is a critical step that releases their restraint of T cells.</p><p>\"Releasing this \"handbrake\" would greatly assist patients fighting certain debilitating conditions, such as chronic infections, as the T cells are then able to work overtime to drive the infection down or away.</p><p>\"But there is risk when too many Treg cells die, as this can lead to autoimmune conditions like diabetes and multiple sclerosis.</p><p>\"Knowing where the immune response can be supercharged to a level that will boost immunity, but not cause autoimmune disease, will be integral to advancing new immunotherapies in the future. Our research findings bring the scientific field closer to establishing this threshold.\"</p><p><strong>A therapeutic window</strong></p><p>By testing a clinically approved drug on human Treg cells, the researchers found they died more readily than normal T cells. This discovery identified a \"therapeutic window\" where Treg cells could be targeted for death while sparing normal T cells.</p><p>\"If we were to target caspase-8 in Treg cells correctly, we could temporarily reduce their suppression on the immune system to enable better defence against certain infections and cancers,\" Dr Teh said.</p><p>\"Our findings have revealed a new role for this enzyme that could be exploited to fine tune the balance of the immune response to pathogens, cancer and healthy, normal cells.\"</p>','2022-04-14 18:43:50.417716','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Walter and Eliza Hall Institute','Researchers have found a way to supercharge immune cells that could enable them to clear disease and infections faster\n',1,91,'<li>Charis E. Teh, Simon P. Preston, Alissa K. Robbins, Michael D. Stutz, James Cooney, Michelle P. Clark, Antonia N. Policheni, Cody C. Allison, Liana Mackiewicz, Philip Arandjelovic, Gregor Ebert, Marcel Doerflinger, Tania Tan, Lucille C. Rankin, Peggy P. Teh, Gabrielle T. Belz, Axel Kallies, Andreas Strasser, Marc Pellegrini, Daniel H. D. Gray. <strong>Caspase-8 has dual roles in regulatory T cell homeostasis balancing immunity to infection and collateral inflammatory damage</strong>. <em>Science Immunology</em>, 2022; 7 (69) DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciimmunol.abn8041\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1126/sciimmunol.abn8041</a>\n</li>'),(2168,'Unlocking the molecular mechanism of PTSD treatment','unlocking-the-molecular-mechanism-of-ptsd-treatment','2022-04-14 18:43:55.261316',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a difficult-to-cure mental health condition that is caused by experiencing a traumatizing event, such as interpersonal violence or disaster. While sufferers of PTSD have existed across all of human history and the condition is even observed in animals, the diagnosis of this condition only appeared in the 1970s after the Vietnam War. PTSD patients are widely known to suffer from various symptoms from recurring flashbacks, anxiety, and negative alteration in cognition.</p><p>Currently, various treatment options, such as antidepressants or cognitive behavioral therapy, are used to treat PTSD. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the only class of antidepressants that are approved for the treatment of PTSD. However, the medications have drawbacks of delayed action and are not effective in some patients.</p><p>Cognitive-behavioral therapies, such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), are also frequently used to treat PTSD. However, such fear extinction therapies are not effective in half of the patients. Moreover, even when the therapy is successful, PTSD is notorious for the recurrence of symptoms. Such relapse of previously treated PTSD is called \"spontaneous recovery,\" which is a subject of many studies.</p><p>In the past, studies have pointed out that activities in glutamatergic neurons are an important part of the pathophysiology of PTSD. Particular interest is in the effects of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) on these neurons, which is responsible for controlling synaptic plasticity related to learning and memory.</p><p>To tackle PTSD by its roots, the researchers from the Center for Cognition and Sociality within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) in conjunction with Yale University explored the molecular mechanism of PTSD treatment. In their latest research, published in Molecular Psychiatry, the IBS team tested a PTSD trial drug called NYX-783 in mice and examined the molecular mechanism of its actions. NYX-783 is a newly discovered drug that is known to modulate the NMDAR functions in neurons.</p><p>There are two established rodent models of PTSD: auditory fear conditioning (AFC) and single-prolonged stress (SPS) models. For auditory fear conditioning, the mice were habituated to an environment and subjected to a combination of a tone and electric shock for fear conditioning to induce PTSD. To induce single prolonged stress, some of the mice were exposed to multiple stressors to induce single prolonged stress before the fear conditioning. It should be noted that stressful experience before fear conditioning is well known to cause further difficulties in PTSD treatment later on.</p><p>The mice were then placed in a new environment and subjected to a series of memory extinction procedures in an attempt to remove their traumatic memories. To augment the cognitive behavioral therapy, the researchers tested the performance of NYX-783 alongside ketamine, which is a known rapid-acting antidepressant medication. It was discovered that injecting the mice with the drug 1 hour before fear extinction therapy resulted in the highest success rate of treatment.</p><p>After the treatment, the mice were monitored for freezing behavior upon hearing the same sound in order to measure the level of fear that they are experiencing. It was confirmed that mice injected with NYX-783 fared much better than those injected with ketamine or saline controls. The drug was particularly effective in suppressing spontaneous recovery, or unwanted return of PTSD. The drug behaved differently depending on the gender of the mice, with female mice responding more positively to treatment than male mice.</p><p>To explore the mechanism of the treatment, these experiments were repeated in conjunction with genetic manipulation. First, it was discovered that NYX-783 inhibits fear memories and suppresses spontaneous recovery of those memories by modulating NMDA receptors, specifically by acting on the GluN2B subunit. In order to test this, the researchers knocked down the GluN2B subunit of NMDARs by manipulating the <em>Grin2b</em> gene using viral vectors. As expected, the efficacy of the drug mostly diminished when the receptors were knocked down in glutamatergic neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex. In particular, the <em>Grin2b</em> knockdown mutant exhibited spontaneous recovery, even if it was injected with NYX-783.</p><p>On the other hand, the performance of the drug was not affected when the same receptors were knocked down in GABAergic interneurons. Interestingly, it was found that knocking down the NMDA receptors in the interneurons alone was capable of reducing spontaneous recovery. The group believed this is most likely through reducing the interneuron\'s inhibitory effects on the main neuron.</p><p>However, this doesn\'t entirely preclude the possibility of NYX-783 acting on the inhibitory interneurons. The authors noted, \"<em>Grin2b</em> knockdown in interneurons without NYX-783 already shows low freezing during spontaneous recovery. Because of this floor effect, we may not see a further reduction in freezing with NYX-783 during spontaneous recovery even if NYX-783 acts via GluN2B on glutamatergic neurons.\" While it is believed that the drug\'s activity on the glutamatergic neuron is more important for behavioral output, more research may be necessary to confirm this.</p><p>Lastly, the team found that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is highly important for synaptic plasticity, is necessary for the extinction of memory. When the authors suppressed BDNF activity in mice brains using antibody treatment, it blunted most of the effect of NYX-783 on inhibition of spontaneous recovery.</p><p>Corresponding author LEE Boyoung from the Center for Cognition and Sociality commented, \"Together, these findings suggest that NYX-783, a novel NMDAR positive modulator, may be an effective medication for PTSD. Although clinical studies of this compound are ongoing, these findings suggest that the development of NMDAR modulators may be a viable strategy to treat PTSD.\"</p>','2022-04-14 18:43:55.261316','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Institute for Basic Science','Unlocking the molecular mechanism of PTSD treatment. Scientists discover that modulating NMDA receptor activity is the key to successful treatment.\n',1,39,'<li>Boyoung Lee, Santosh Pothula, Min Wu, Hyeyeon Kang, Matthew J. Girgenti, Marina R. Picciotto, Ralph J. DiLeone, Jane R. Taylor, Ronald S. Duman. <strong>Positive modulation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors in the mPFC reduces the spontaneous recovery of fear</strong>. <em>Molecular Psychiatry</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41380-022-01498-7\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1038/s41380-022-01498-7</a>\n</li>'),(2169,'Vitamin E can boost immunotherapy responses by reinvigorating dendritic cells','vitamin-e-can-boost-immunotherapy-responses-by-reinvigorating-dendritic-cells','2022-04-14 18:43:58.136230',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Combining a retrospective analysis of clinical records with in-depth laboratory studies, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered that vitamin E can enhance immunotherapy responses by stimulating the activity of dendritic cells in the tumor. The findings were published today in <em>Cancer Discovery</em>.</p><p>The researchers demonstrated that vitamin E directly binds and blocks the activity of the SHP1 checkpoint protein in dendritic cells, which increases antigen presentation and primes T cells for an anti-tumor immune response. The results point to possible new therapeutic approaches to improve immunotherapy outcomes, including combinations with vitamin E as well as directly targeting SHP1 in dendritic cells.</p><p>\"This study broadens our understanding of factors that can influence responses to immunotherapies,\" said corresponding author Dihua Yu, M.D., Ph.D., chair <em>ad interim</em> of Molecular &amp; Cellular Oncology. \"We demonstrated that vitamin E can reinvigorate dendritic cell antigen presentation via the inhibition of SHP1. These results indicate that vitamin E-treated or SHP1-silenced dendritic cells and dendritic cell-derived extracellular vesicles could be developed as potent immunotherapies for future clinical applications.\"</p><p><strong>Vitamin E connected with improved immunotherapy responses</strong></p><p>Immune checkpoint inhibitors, a type of immunotherapy, provide long-lasting responses for many patients with cancer, but not all benefit. There is a need to understand these varied responses in order to improve outcomes for more patients.</p><p>Dietary supplements are thought to boost immunity, but little is known about the effects of supplements on immunotherapy activity. To explore the connection, the researchers performed a retrospective analysis of clinical data from MD Anderson patients treated with immunotherapy.</p><p>Patients with melanoma who took vitamin E while on anti-PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors had significantly improved survival compared to patients who didn\'t take vitamin E or multivitamins. This finding was replicated in an independent mixed cohort of patients with breast, colon and kidney cancers. However, patients taking vitamin E while being treated with chemotherapy did not experience the same benefits, suggesting the effects were unique to chemotherapy.</p><p>Next, the researchers demonstrated that vitamin E enhanced responses to checkpoint inhibitors in immunogenic mouse models of breast cancer and melanoma. However, models with low levels of tumor-infiltrating dendritic cells did not benefit from vitamin E, suggesting the effects were dependent on these cells.</p><p><strong>Deciphering the effects of vitamin E on dendritic cells</strong></p><p>Dendritic cells are a specific class of immune cells responsible for presenting abnormal proteins  -- called antigens -- to prime T cells, which is an essential step in the anti-tumor immune response. However, tumor-associated dendritic cells can become dysfunctional due to suppressive signals in the tumor microenvironment.</p><p>The researchers demonstrated that the vitamin E treatment led to upregulation of several activation markers on the dendritic cells. Additionally, dendritic cells from tumors treated with vitamin E promoted more T cell proliferation relative to controls, suggesting vitamin E enhanced the priming step.</p><p>Through molecular and structural studies, the researchers discovered that vitamin E enters dendritic cells and binds to the SHP1 protein -- which acts as a checkpoint to regulate dendritic cell activity -- to block its activity and enhance dendritic cells\' functionality to prime T cells.</p><p>Blocking SHP1 genetically mimicked the results with vitamin E, leading to increased antigen presentation that stimulated T cell anti-tumor responses. Similarly, blocking SHP1 enhanced antigen presentation in extracellular vesicles released by dendritic cells -- another important mode of communication between dendritic cells and T cells.</p><p><strong>Targeting SHP1 may be a novel therapeutic strategy</strong></p><p>As vitamin E appears to improve the antigen presentation of dendritic cells, the researchers investigated whether vitamin E could enhance responses from therapies known to release tumor antigens and recruit dendritic cell infiltration.</p><p>Laboratory findings demonstrated that vitamin E treatment could augment the effects of cancer vaccines and immunogenic chemotherapies combined with checkpoint inhibitors, including in a model of immunotherapy-resistant pancreatic cancer.</p><p>\"SHP1 is an attractive target to effectively activate dendritic cells for the development of potent immunotherapy,\" said lead author Xiangliang Yuan, Ph.D., research scientist in Molecular &amp; Cellular Oncology. \"This work yielded important insights on the interaction between vitamin E and SHP1 that will guide us to develop more specific allosteric SHP1 inhibitors. Compellingly, it appears that unleashing dendritic cells by inhibiting SHP1 may be an advantageous strategy to enhance antitumor immunity.\"</p><p>The research team is now exploring opportunities with clinical collaborators at MD Anderson to prospectively evaluate the effects of vitamin E in combination with checkpoint inhibitors and other immunotherapies. Team members also are exploring opportunities to develop a targeted SHP1 inhibitor as well as SHP1-modified dendritic cells and dendritic cell-derived extracellular vesicles as novel future therapeutic options.</p><p>This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (R01CA184836, R01CA208213, R01CA231149, P30CA016672, P01CA092584, R35CA220430), METAVivor (56675, 58284), the MD Anderson Duncan Family Institute for Cancer Prevention and Risk Assessment, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) (RP180813), the Robert A. Welch Chair in Chemistry, and the Hubert L. &amp; Olive Stringer Distinguished Chair in Basic Science.</p>','2022-04-14 18:43:58.136230','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center','Using retrospective clinical data and in-depth lab studies, researchers have discovered that vitamin E can enhance immunotherapy responses by stimulating dendritic cells in the tumor.\n',1,89,'<li>Xiangliang Yuan, Yimin Duan, Yi Xiao, Kai Sun, Yutao Qi, Yuan Zhang, Zamal Ahmed, Davide Moiani, Jun Yao, Hongzhong Li, Lin Zhang, Arseniy E. Yuzhalin, Ping Li, Chenyu Zhang, Akosua Badu-Nkansah, Yohei Saito, Xianghua Liu, Wen-Ling Kuo, Haoqiang Ying, Shao-Cong Sun, Jenny C. Chang, John A. Tainer, Dihua Yu. <strong>Vitamin E Enhances Cancer Immunotherapy by Reinvigorating Dendritic Cells via Targeting Checkpoint SHP1</strong>. <em>Cancer Discovery</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1158/2159-8290.CD-21-0900\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1158/2159-8290.CD-21-0900</a>\n</li>'),(2170,'Phase 3 clinical trial results lead to approval of oral drug for red blood cell disorder','phase-3-clinical-trial-results-lead-to-approval-of-oral-drug-for-red-blood-cell-disorder','2022-04-14 18:44:00.401776',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Researchers have published the results of a clinical trial that led the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to recently approve mitapivat for the treatment of adults with pyruvate kinase deficiency -- a rare genetic condition that leads to the destruction of red blood cells, or hemolytic anemia. The primary results from the global, phase 3, randomized, placebo-controlled ACTIVATE trial, which was conducted by an international team including investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), are published in the <em>New England Journal of Medicine</em>.</p><p>\"The lifelong anemia associated with pyruvate kinase deficiency results in chronic fatigue, reduced exercise tolerance, and a reduced ability to concentrate at work or school, which can make it a challenge to get through even a normal day,\" says lead author Hanny Al-Samkari, MD, a hematologist and clinical investigator at MGH and an assistant professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. \"Moreover, most patients develop other potentially serious complications, like iron overload in the liver and/or heart (which can cause cancer or death), osteoporosis, gallbladder disease, blood clots, and other issues.\"</p><p>Pyruvate kinase deficiency is characterized by mutations in the <em>PKLR </em>gene that encodes the pyruvate kinase enzyme in red blood cells. This enzyme is critical for maintaining red blood cells\' energy levels and, therefore, their normal life span. Mitapivat can activate and stabilize the mutated pyruvate kinase that\'s expressed in patients\' red blood cells, thereby restoring the enzyme\'s activity.</p><p>\"This is a \'disease modifying\' therapy because it targets the underlying problem to improve or eliminate anemia and potentially prevent or reverse many of the other complications associated with pyruvate kinase deficiency,\" says Al-Samkari. \"It is the first disease-modifying medication for pyruvate kinase deficiency, which up until now has been treated only with supportive measures like blood transfusion or removing a patient\'s spleen.\"</p><p>In the ACTIVATE trial designed and conducted by Al-Samkari and his colleagues, 80 patients were randomized to receive either mitapivat (5 mg twice daily, with potential escalation to 20 or 50 mg twice daily) or placebo for 24 weeks. The primary end point was a hemoglobin response (an indicator of red blood cell levels) that was sustained at two or more scheduled assessments at weeks 16, 20, and 24.</p><p>Sixteen of the 40 patients (40%) who received mitapivat had a hemoglobin response, compared with none of the patients who received placebo. Patients who received mitapivat also had a greater response than those who received placebo with respect to secondary end points, which included other markers of red blood cell health. Patients treated with mitapivat also had a significant improvement in quality of life compared with patients receiving placebo as measured by disease-specific instruments.</p><p>The most common adverse events were nausea (in 18% of patients in the mitapivat group and 23% of patients in the placebo group) and headache (in 15% of patients in the mitapivat group and 33% of patients in the placebo group).</p><p>\"The opportunity to develop a disease-modifying therapy for a disease like pyruvate kinase deficiency not only helps patients with this disease but also brings hope to patients with other similar disorders,\" says Al-Samkari. \"Because energy is everything to red blood cells, this drug may help patients with more common anemias like sickle cell disease and thalassemia. We are looking at this right now in other clinical trials, and early studies have been very promising.\"</p><p>Additional study authors include Frédéric Galactéros, MD, PhD, Andreas Glenthøj, MD, Jennifer A. Rothman, MD, Oliver Andres, MD, Rachael F. Grace, MD, Marta Morado-Arias, MD, D. Mark Layton, M.B., BS, Koichi Onodera, MD, Madeleine Verhovsek, MD, Wilma Barcellini, MD, Satheesh Chonat, MD, Malia P. Judge, BS, Erin Zagadailov, PharmD, Rengyi Xu, PhD,?Peter Hawkins, PhD, Vanessa Beynon, MD, Sarah Gheuens, MD, PhD, and Eduard J. van Beers, MD.</p><p>This work was supported by Agios Pharmaceuticals.</p>','2022-04-14 18:44:00.401776','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Massachusetts General Hospital','Results from a phase 3 clinical indicate that the oral drug mitapivat is safe and effective for treating adults with pyruvate kinase deficiency, a genetic condition that causes red blood cell destruction. The trial\'s results led to the drug\'s approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in February.\n',1,27,'<li>Hanny Al-Samkari, Frédéric Galactéros, Andreas Glenthøj, Jennifer A. Rothman, Oliver Andres, Rachael F. Grace, Marta Morado-Arias, D. Mark Layton, Koichi Onodera, Madeleine Verhovsek, Wilma Barcellini, Satheesh Chonat, Malia P. Judge, Erin Zagadailov, Rengyi Xu, Peter Hawkins, Vanessa Beynon, Sarah Gheuens, Eduard J. van Beers. <strong>Mitapivat versus Placebo for Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency</strong>. <em>New England Journal of Medicine</em>, 2022; 386 (15): 1432 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2116634\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1056/NEJMoa2116634</a>\n</li>'),(2171,'The link between transit use and early COVID cases','the-link-between-transit-use-and-early-covid-cases','2022-04-14 18:44:03.854792',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Researchers from Georgia Tech\'s Colleges of Engineering and Computing have completed the first published study on the link between America\'s mass transit use and Covid-19 cases at the beginning of the pandemic.</p><p>Using data from the Federal Highway Administration\'s National Household Travel Survey, the team looked at the nation\'s 52 largest metropolitan areas and each community\'s likelihood of riding buses and trains. They then compared the numbers with the 838,000 confirmed Covid cases on the Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering\'s dashboard from Jan. 22 -- May 1, 2020.</p><p>The timeframe covers the initial days, weeks, and months of the pandemic, before mask mandates were in place and prior to widespread social distancing. Ventilation on public transit had yet to be addressed, along with other public health measures that have since become the norm.</p><p>The study found that cities with high-usage public transportation systems displayed higher per capita Covid incidence. This was true when other factors, such as education, poverty levels, and household crowding, were accounted for. The association continued to be statistically significant even when the model was run without data from transit-friendly New York City.</p><p>The paper, \"Investigating the association between mass transit adoption and COVID-19 infections in US metropolitan areas,\" is published in the journal <em>Science of the Total Environment</em>. While the researchers don\'t suggest that transit is the sole cause of the high incidence rates, they say it could have been an important factor early in the pandemic.</p><p>\"This is what we expected, but we wanted to run the models to know for sure. Policymakers shouldn\'t make decisions based on what they assume to be true,\" said Michael Thomas, one of the study\'s co-authors and a Ph.D. student in Georgia Tech\'s School of Computational Science and Engineering. \"This study is similar to dusting off a dinosaur dig site and finding a leg bone. This isn\'t the entire dinosaur. There are many ways of making the argument about Covid spread, and transit is just part of it.\"</p><p>The team got the idea of tracking transit and Covid cases after watching early reports from Wuhan, China, and reflecting on how differences in public transportation systems may factor into pandemic spread patterns. As assumptions were being made about how American cities should react based on ridership patterns on the other side of the globe, Professor John Taylor thought the pandemic shouldn\'t be treated as a \"one size fits all\" situation.</p><p>\"In the initial months of the pandemic, models were being developed here at home based on incidence rates in Wuhan. But, in terms of mass transit ridership behavior, China\'s may be far different than what we see in American cities,\" said Taylor, Frederick Law Olmsted Professor and associate chair for graduate programs and research innovation in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. \"For instance, people in Chinese urban areas often stand in long, single file lines as they wait for trains and buses. We don\'t. Different spread patterns can develop because of differences in mass transit behaviors.\"</p><p>Taylor\'s primary research focuses on the dynamics that can occur at the intersection of human and engineered networks, such as how people change electricity consumption behaviors and changing mobility patterns in natural disasters. Pandemics were on his research radar before Covid became a household name, as Taylor wanted to create better models to forecast the spread of illnesses. His first research effort in this direction was tracking the Ebola virus that reached Texas in 2014.</p><p>In the fall of 2019, Thomas was working as a biostatistician at the Georgia Department of Public Health when he spoke with Taylor about pursuing his Ph.D. Thomas submitted his application to Georgia Tech that November -- just four months before Covid shut down America.</p><p>The two, along with study co-author and senior research engineer Neda Mohammadi, are now creating models to predict the spread of future illnesses among populations. They\'re also looking to demonstrate how researchers can modify those models for better accuracy.</p><p>\"If engineers and scientists can better understand the factors of community spread, policymakers can make faster, more accurate decisions to protect public health,\" said Thomas. \"In transportation, for example, it could lead to quicker decisions to restrict the number of people on buses. Or policies to stagger vehicle departure times more consistently. Studies like ours provide a basis for those decisions.\"</p><p>Having more accurate models also takes varying human behavior into account, according to the researchers. Just as people in Wuhan wait for public transportation differently than those here in America, cities can differ from each other.</p><p>\"Your pandemic is different than your neighbor\'s,\" said Mohammadi. \"Pandemic spread isn\'t the same from city to city, nor is ridership. Decision makers often look to other communities to see how they\'re responding to shape their actions. That\'s not always accurate. Models need to be customizable because populations don\'t react uniformly. It\'s our goal to improve decision making to be easier, faster, and more accurate for the next pandemic.\"</p>','2022-04-14 18:44:03.854792','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Georgia Institute of Technology','A new study looks at the association between America\'s mass transportation usage and case counts in opening months of the pandemic.\n',1,114,'<li>Michael M. Thomas, Neda Mohammadi, John E. Taylor. <strong>Investigating the association between mass transit adoption and COVID-19 infections in US metropolitan areas</strong>. <em>Science of The Total Environment</em>, 2022; 811: 152284 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152284\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152284</a>\n</li>'),(2172,'Exposure assessment for Deepwater Horizon oil spill: Health outcomes','exposure-assessment-for-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill:-health-outcomes','2022-04-14 20:25:26.359620',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Nearly 12 years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, scientists are still examining the potential health effects on workers and volunteers who experienced oil-related exposures.</p><p>To help shape future prevention efforts, one West Virginia University researcher -- Caroline Groth, assistant professor in the School of Public Health\'s Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics -- has developed novel statistical methods for assessing airborne exposure. Working with collaborators from multiple institutions, Groth has made it possible for researchers to characterize oil spill exposures in greater detail than has ever been done before.</p><p>With very few Ph.D. biostatisticians in the area of occupational health, there were few appropriate statistical methodologies for the assessment of inhalation exposures for the GuLF STUDY, a study launched by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences shortly after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The purpose of the study, which is the largest ever following an oil spill: examine the health of persons involved in the response and clean-up efforts. Groth was part of the exposure assessment team tasked with characterizing worker exposures and led by Patricia Stewart and Mark Stenzel.</p><p>Groth\'s statistical methods, which she began in 2012, laid the framework for a crucial step for determining whether there are associations between exposures and health outcomes from the oil spill and clean-up work, which involved over 9,000 vessels deployed in the Gulf of Mexico waters across Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi and tens of thousands of workers on the water and on land.</p><p>The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is considered the largest marine oil spill in the history of the U.S.</p><p>\"Workers were exposed differently based on their activities, time of exposure, etc., and our research team\'s goal was to develop exposure estimates for each of those scenarios and then link them to the participants\' work history through an \'exposure matrix,\'\" Groth said.</p><p>These methods make it possible for other researchers to estimate individuals\' levels of exposure and link it to their health outcomes.</p><p>Additionally, Groth uncovered a new way of accounting for exposures that instruments cannot detect. The threshold at which exposures cannot be detected is referred to as the LOD, or limit of detection. Groth\'s methods go beyond that limit, accounting for the fact that there is uncertainty in exposure measurements below the LOD.</p><p>\"Basically, what happens is the instrument reports undetectable, or \'zero,\'\" Groth explained. \"Previously, less reliable approaches were likely used -- such as replacing it with a single value or forecasting. Those approaches do not consider actual variability in the data which, if not considered, can lead to inaccurate exposure estimates. However, we know with certainty they cannot be \'zero.\'</p><p>\"We know it\'s between that threshold and zero, and there is likely variability in these measurements that we should account for. Our methods allow us to account for this variability and get a quantitative estimate of concentration.\"</p><p>Her findings, along with her team\'s, were recently published in the Annals of Work Exposures and Health. Dale Sandler, chief of the Epidemiology Branch and senior investigator at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, said the efforts of Groth -- who served as primary author for two of the manuscripts and co-author for eight published manuscripts -- and her colleagues have opened new doors.</p><p>\"The Gulf Long-term Follow-up Study is larger and more long-term than research on other oil spills, but the major defining feature of the study is the level of detail on potential oil-spill exposures and the extensive efforts made to characterize the exposures of those who helped to clean up following this environmental and potential public health disaster,\" Sandler, principal investigator of the study, said. \"Dr. Groth, who has played a key role in characterizing the chemical exposures of persons participating in the GuLF Study, and her colleagues have allowed us to characterize respiratory exposures to a broad class of chemicals resulting from the oil spill.\"</p><p>Research continues to be conducted, with plans to continue following these workers for additional health effects going forward to determine if any exposures were associated with detrimental health outcomes. Both Groth and Sandler see the effort as an important step to identifying factors that contribute to long-term safety and health.</p><p>Sandler added, \"This will help us identify links between specific exposures and health effects and could help us identify targets for future prevention efforts.\"</p>','2022-04-14 20:25:26.359620','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'West Virginia University','Mathematicians have developed statistical methods that lay the framework for the crucial first step of determining whether there are any linkages between exposures and health outcomes from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which is considered the largest marine oil spill in the history of the U.S.\n',1,148,'<li>Deborah C Glass. <strong>Evaluating the Exposures of Clean-up Personnel after an Oil Spill</strong>. <em>Annals of Work Exposures and Health</em>, 2022; 66 (Supplement_1): i1 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/annweh/wxab103\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1093/annweh/wxab103</a>\n</li>'),(2173,'Factors including extreme winds, topography and vegetation influenced the severity of burns from Oregon\'s devastating 2020 megafires','factors-including-extreme-winds,-topography-and-vegetation-influenced-the-severity-of-burns-from-oregon\'s-devastating-2020-megafires','2022-04-14 20:25:31.172044',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">In early September 2020, severe winds, high heat, and prolonged drought conditions led to the explosive growth of wildfires along the western slopes of the Cascades Mountains in the Pacific Northwest. The fires engulfed enormous tracts of forestland, destroyed communities, took dozen of lives, and cost hundreds of millions to fight.</p><p>In a first-of-its-kind study examining burn patterns from the 2020 Labor Day fires, researchers at Portland State University studied the influence of weather, topography, vegetation and other factors on burn severity in areas where the fires killed more than 75% of the trees. Their research confirms that extreme winds over the Labor Day holiday were the primary driver of the destructive force of the fires yet demonstrates how forest vegetation structure (e.g., canopy height, the age of trees, etc.) and topography played a significant role in burn severity patterns.</p><p>The paper, \"Extreme Winds Alter Influence of Fuels and Topography on Megafire Burn Severity in Seasonal Temperate Rainforests under Record Fuel Aridity,\" was recently published in the journal <em>Fire</em>.</p><p>According to the study\'s co-author, Andrés Holz, associate professor of geography at Portland State, the wet temperate forests of the Cascade Mountains in the Pacific Northwest have a history of experiencing megafires of the scale of those that burned in 2020, but none had occurred since the early twentieth century. Because the scope and scale of the burns were unprecedented in modern times, they provided the research team a unique opportunity to gain a better understanding of the factors that influence the high severity of burns in these rainforests, including those on the western slopes of the Cascades. That understanding can inform planning for future land-use management in forestlands and the social and ecological impacts of extreme fire events in the context of a warming planet.</p><p>The research team developed maps for the extent and burn severity for five megafires and examined fire activity over two time periods: September 7-9, 2020, during which extreme winds fueled the explosive growth of the fires, and September 10-17, 2020, during which the fires continued burning under calm wind conditions. They then examined how the forest structure and topography influenced high-burn severity patterns, whether winds affected the relationship between those factors, and how high burn severity was affected by land management practices associated with land ownership.</p><p>\"90% of the burning occurred during high winds,\" said Dr. Cody Every, a Research Associate in the Department of Environmental Science and Management at Portland State and the study\'s lead author. \"But we also found that vegetation structure and canopy height were significant in determining where the fire burned more severely.\"</p><p>The research team found that areas with younger trees and low canopy height and cover were particularly susceptible to high mortality rates. As Holz pointed out, this finding is of particular consequence to lumber production in the state, where trees grown on plantations are typically younger, uniformly spaced and located near communities and critical infrastructure.</p><p>Drawing on the historical record, the team, which included Portland State researchers Dr. Sebastian Busby and Associate Professor Max Nielsen-Pincus, also suggests that wildfire managers should anticipate re-burns in some areas affected by the 2020 megafires. Recently burned forests typically have higher flammability than unburned areas until the younger forest canopy closes again and finer fuels are shaded.</p><p>Given the composition of the temperate rainforests of the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains, where fuel proliferates, and the relationships between factors that contribute to megafires, the research team suggests that treatments such as prescribed fires and fuel reduction are not a practical approach to preventing future conflagrations. Instead, the team argues that we should focus on promoting resilient forests, increasing community preparedness, early suppression response, and hardening infrastructure.</p>','2022-04-14 20:25:31.172044','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Portland State University','In a new study examining burn patterns from the 2020 Labor Day fires, researchers studied the influence of weather, topography, vegetation and other factors on burn severity in areas where the fires killed more than 75% of the trees. Their research confirms that extreme winds over the Labor Day holiday were the primary driver of the destructive force of the fires yet demonstrates how forest vegetation structure (e.g., canopy height, the age of trees, etc.) and topography played a significant role in burn severity patterns.\n',1,42,'<li>Cody Evers, Andrés Holz, Sebastian Busby, Max Nielsen-Pincus. <strong>Extreme Winds Alter Influence of Fuels and Topography on Megafire Burn Severity in Seasonal Temperate Rainforests under Record Fuel Aridity</strong>. <em>Fire</em>, 2022; 5 (2): 41 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/fire5020041\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.3390/fire5020041</a>\n</li>'),(2174,'Seafloor spreading has been slowing down','seafloor-spreading-has-been-slowing-down','2022-04-14 20:25:56.205485',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">A new global analysis of the last 19 million years of seafloor spreading rates found they have been slowing down. Geologists want to know why the seafloor is getting sluggish.</p><p>New oceanic crust forms continuously along rifts thousands of miles long on the seafloor, driven by plate tectonics. As subduction pulls old crust down, rifts open up like fissures in an effusive volcano, drawing hot crust toward the surface. Once at the surface, the crust begins to cool and gets pushed away from the rift, replaced by hotter, younger crust.</p><p>This cycle is called seafloor spreading, and its rate shapes many global processes, including sea level and the carbon cycle. Faster rates tend to cause more volcanic activity, which releases greenhouse gases, so deciphering spreading rates helps contextualize long-term changes in the atmosphere.</p><p>Today, spreading rates top out around 140 millimeters per year, but peaked around 200 millimeters per year just 15 million years ago in some places, according to the new study. The study was published in the AGU journal <em>Geophysical Research Letters</em>, which publishes high-impact, short-format reports with immediate implications spanning all Earth and space sciences.</p><p>The slowdown is a global average, the result of varying spreading rates from ridge to ridge. The study examined 18 ridges, but took a particularly close look at the eastern Pacific, home to some of the globe\'s fastest spreading ridges. Because these slowed greatly, some by nearly 100 millimeters per year slower compared to 19 million years ago, they dragged down the world\'s average spreading rates.</p><p>It\'s a complex problem to solve, made more difficult by the seafloor\'s slow and steady self-destruction.</p><p>\"We know more about the surfaces of some other planets than we do our own seafloor,\" said Colleen Dalton, a geophysicist at Brown University who led the new study. \"One of the challenges is the lack of perfect preservation. The seafloor is destroyed, so we\'re left with an incomplete record.\"</p><p>The seafloor is destroyed in subduction zones, where oceanic crust slides under continents and sinks back into the mantle, and is reforged at seafloor spreading ridges. This cycle of creation and destruction takes about every 180 million years, the age of the oldest seafloor. The crust\'s magnetic record tracks this pattern, producing identifiable strips every time the Earth\'s magnetic field reverses.</p><p>Dalton and her co-authors studied magnetic records for 18 of the world\'s largest spreading ridges, using seafloor ages and their areas to calculate how much ocean crust each ridge has produced over the last 19 million years. Each ridge evolved a little differently: some lengthened, some shrank; some sped up, but almost all slowed down. The overall result of Dalton\'s work is that average seafloor spreading slowed down by as much as 40% over that time.</p><p>The driver here might be located at subduction zones rather than spreading ridges: for example, as the Andes grow along the western edge of the South American continent, the mountains push down on the crust.</p><p>\"Think of it as increased friction between the two colliding tectonic plates,\" Dalton said. \"A slowdown in convergence there could ultimately cause a slowdown in spreading at nearby ridges.\" A similar process could have operated underneath the Himalaya, with the rapidly growing range slowing spreading along the ridges in the Indian Ocean.</p><p>However, Dalton points out, this added friction can\'t be the only driver of the slowdown, because she found slowing rates globally and mountain growth is regional. Larger-scale processes, like changes in mantle convection, could also be playing a role. In all likelihood, she concludes, it\'s a combination of both. To learn more, Dalton hopes to collect absolute plate speeds, rather than the relative speeds used in this study, which will better allow her to determine the cause of the slowdown.</p>','2022-04-14 20:25:56.205485','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'American Geophysical Union','A new global analysis of the last 19 million years of seafloor spreading rates found they have been slowing down. Geologists want to know why the seafloor is getting sluggish.\n',1,104,'<li>Colleen A. Dalton, Douglas S. Wilson, Timothy D. Herbert. <strong>Evidence for a Global Slowdown in Seafloor Spreading Since 15 Ma</strong>. <em>Geophysical Research Letters</em>, 2022; 49 (6) DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2022GL097937\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1029/2022GL097937</a>\n</li>'),(2175,'Giant stars undergo dramatic weight loss program','giant-stars-undergo-dramatic-weight-loss-program','2022-04-14 20:26:01.877250',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Astronomers at the University of Sydney have found a slimmer type of red giant star for the first time. These stars have undergone dramatic weight loss, possibly due to the presence a greedy neighbour. Published in <em>Nature Astronomy</em>, the discovery is an important step forward to understanding the life of stars in the Milky Way -- our closest stellar neighbours.</p><p>There are millions of \'red giant\' stars found in our galaxy. These cool and luminous objects are what our Sun will become in four billion years. For some time, astronomers have predicted the existence of slimmer red giants. After finding a smattering of them, the University of Sydney team can finally confirm their existence.</p><p>\"It\'s like finding Waldo,\" said lead author, PhD candidate Mr Yaguang Li from the University of Sydney. \"We were extremely lucky to find about 40 slimmer red giants, hidden in a sea of normal ones. The slimmer red giants are either smaller in size or less massive than normal red giants.\"</p><p>How and why did they slim down? Most stars in the sky are in binary systems -- two stars that are gravitationally bound to each other. When the stars in close binaries expand, as stars do as they age, some material can reach the gravitational sphere of their companion and be sucked away. \"In the case of relatively tiny red giants, we think a companion could possibly be present,\" Mr Li said.</p><p><strong>An intragalactic treasure hunt</strong></p><p>The team analysed archival data from NASA\'s Kepler space telescope. From 2009 to 2013, the telescope continuously recorded brightness variations on tens of thousands of red giants. Using this incredibly accurate and large dataset, the team conducted a thorough census of this stellar population, providing the groundwork for spotting any outliers.</p><p>Two types of unusual stars were revealed: very low-mass red giants, and underluminous (dimmer) red giants.</p><p>The very low-mass stars weigh only 0.5 to 0.7 solar mass -- around half the weight of our Sun. If the very low-mass stars had not suddenly lost weight, their masses would indicate they were older than the age of the Universe -- an impossibility.</p><p>\"So, when we first obtained the masses of these stars, we thought there was something wrong with the measurement,\" Mr Li said. \"But it turns out there wasn\'t.\"</p><p>The underluminous stars, on the other hand, have normal masses, ranging from 0.8 to 2.0 solar mass. \"However, they are much less \'giant\' than we expect,\" said study co-author, Dr Simon Murphy from the University of Southern Queensland. \"They\'ve slimmed down somewhat and because they\'re smaller, they\'re also fainter, hence \'underluminous\' compared to normal red giants.\"</p><p>Only seven such underluminous stars were found, and the authors suspect many more are hiding in the sample. \"The problem is that most of them are very good at blending in. It was a real treasure hunt to find them,\" Dr Murphy said.</p><p>These unusual data points could not be explained by simple expectations from stellar evolution. This led the researchers to conclude that another mechanism must be at work, forcing these stars to undergo dramatic weight loss: theft of mass by nearby stars.</p><p><strong>Stellar population census</strong></p><p>The researchers relied on asteroseismology -- the study of stellar vibrations -- to determine the properties of the red giants.</p><p>Traditional methods to study a star are limited to their surface properties, for example, surface temperature and luminosity. By contrast, asteroseismology, which uses sound waves, probes beneath this. \"The waves penetrate the stellar interior, giving us rich information on another dimension,\" Mr Li said.</p><p>The researchers could precisely determine stars\' evolutionary stages, masses, and sizes with this method. And when they looked at the distributions of these properties, something unusual was immediately noticed: some stars have tiny masses or sizes.</p><p>\"It is highly unusual for a PhD student to make such an important discovery,\" said Professor Tim Bedding, Mr Li\'s academic supervisor. \"By sifting carefully through data from NASA\'s Kepler space telescope, Yaguang spotted something that everyone else had missed.\"</p>','2022-04-14 20:26:01.877250','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'University of Sydney','Astronomers have found a slimmer type of red giant star for the first time. These stars have undergone dramatic weight loss, possibly due to a greedy companion. The discovery is an important step forward to understanding the life of stars in the Milky Way -- our closest stellar neighbors.\n',1,192,'<li>Yaguang Li, Timothy R. Bedding, Simon J. Murphy, Dennis Stello, Yifan Chen, Daniel Huber, Meridith Joyce, Dion Marks, Xianfei Zhang, Shaolan Bi, Isabel L. Colman, Michael R. Hayden, Daniel R. Hey, Gang Li, Benjamin T. Montet, Sanjib Sharma, Yaqian Wu. <strong>Discovery of post-mass-transfer helium-burning red giants using asteroseismology</strong>. <em>Nature Astronomy</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41550-022-01648-5\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1038/s41550-022-01648-5</a>\n</li>'),(2176,'Key characteristics of immune cells in ovarian cancer','key-characteristics-of-immune-cells-in-ovarian-cancer','2022-04-14 20:26:04.299052',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Ovarian cancer is a difficult to diagnose malignancy that is often caught at a more advanced stage. Treatments for this cancer have changed little over the past few decades, with surgery and chemotherapy being the most common therapeutic approaches. Immunotherapy, a type of treatment that activates a patient\'s immune system to target cancer cells, has been successful in many diseases but not ovarian cancer and it is unclear why.</p><p>Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center want to improve their understanding of the immune environment in ovarian cancer in hopes of making immunotherapy an option for these patients. In a new study published in<em> Cancer Cell,</em> they report on key characteristics of immune cells in ovarian cancer and identify cell types important for mediating an immune response.</p><p>Checkpoint inhibitors are a specific type of immunotherapy that work by activating an immune cell called T cells. In order for checkpoint inhibitors to work, patients must have T cells that are ready to be activated in close proximity to tumor cells. Ovarian cancer is considered a type of tumor that should be impacted by checkpoint inhibitors because of T cell presence; yet clinical studies in ovarian cancer for these drugs have not been successful.</p><p>Moffitt researchers, led by Immunology Department Chair Jose Conejo-Garcia, M.D., Ph.D., wanted to determine whether ovarian cancer has the proper T cells to initiate an immune response and characterize the properties of the T cells present within ovarian cancer tumors. They performed a comprehensive analysis of ovarian cancer patient samples at the single-cell and tissue levels. They discovered that ovarian cancer is an immunogenic type of tumor that should be impacted by drugs that activate the immune system; however, immune activity against tumor cells is dependent on a small subset of immune cells.</p><p>The researcher team analyzed the types of T cells present in ovarian tumors and discovered that tissue-resident memory like T cells do a better job of recognizing tumor cells than T cells that are circulating and infiltrating the tumor. They also discovered that tissue-resident memory like T cells arise from circulating T cells and undergo a differentiation process into a tissue-resident memory stem cell that can generate T cells that actively target cancer cells. Some of these active T cells will eventually differentiate into an exhausted, inactivated state. The researchers confirmed that tissue-resident memory stem cells were important for anti-tumor immune activity by demonstrating that high numbers of them were associated with improved patient survival in ovarian cancer.</p><p>Interestingly, some of these lymphocytes show features of trogocytosis, a process where T cells take up a chunk of the membrane of target tumor cells. A trajectory of differentiation of tissue-resident memory T cells from stemness to irreversible exhaustion, in addition to evidence of trogocytic activity, identifies the T cells truly relevant to determine ovarian cancer patients\' outcome.</p><p>These results demonstrate that ovarian cancer, despite resistance to existing immunotherapies, is indeed an immunogenic disease and provide a roadmap for the design of improved immunotherapy options, which could be applicable to other tumors with similar mutational burden.</p><p>This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health (R01CA157664, R01CA124515, R01CA178687, R01CA211913, U01CA232758, R01CA184185, RO1CA262121, T32CA009140, P30CA076292) and the American Cancer Society.</p>','2022-04-14 20:26:04.299052','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute','Researchers want to improve their understanding of the immune environment in ovarian cancer in hopes of making immunotherapy an option for these patients. Researchers now report on key characteristics of immune cells in ovarian cancer and identify cell types important for mediating an immune response.\n',1,27,'<li>Carmen M. Anadon, Xiaoqing Yu, Kay Hänggi, Subir Biswas, Ricardo A. Chaurio, Alexandra Martin, Kyle K. Payne, Gunjan Mandal, Patrick Innamarato, Carly M. Harro, Jessica A. Mine, Kimberly B. Sprenger, Carla Cortina, John J. Powers, Tara Lee Costich, Bradford A. Perez, Chandler D. Gatenbee, Sandhya Prabhakaran, Douglas Marchion, Mirjam H.M. Heemskerk, Tyler J. Curiel, Alexander R. Anderson, Robert M. Wenham, Paulo C. Rodriguez, Jose R. Conejo-Garcia. <strong>Ovarian cancer immunogenicity is governed by a narrow subset of progenitor tissue-resident memory T cells</strong>. <em>Cancer Cell</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2022.03.008\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1016/j.ccell.2022.03.008</a>\n</li>'),(2177,'Huge Amazon swamp carbon stores under threat','huge-amazon-swamp-carbon-stores-under-threat','2022-04-14 20:26:06.814623',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">The largest peatlands in the Amazon rainforest, which hold a vast, concentrated amount of carbon, are under increasing threat from changing land use, research suggests. Urgent protection is needed to prevent carbon gas emissions from decomposing peat swamps in lowland Peruvian Amazonia (LPA) -- which are bigger than previously thought.</p><p>Scientists discovered small but growing areas of deforestation across the LPA, including an 11-fold increase in CO<sub>2</sub> emissions linked to mining, between 2000 and 2016.</p><p>The research, led by the Universities of Edinburgh and St Andrews used field, satellite and land-cover data to estimate harmful greenhouse gas emissions, develop maps and create the first data-driven peat thickness models of Peru\'s tropical peatlands.</p><p>Field teams including scientists from Peru\'s Insituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana, the University of Leeds and other collaborating institutions mapped new stretches of peat swamps and estimated the distribution of peat across Peruvian Amazonia for the first time.</p><p>At 62,714 km<sup>2</sup> -- an area approximately the size of Sri Lanka -- the peatlands contain twice as much carbon as previously estimated.</p><p>Peat in the LPA stores around 5.4 billion tonnes of carbon, which is almost as much as all of Peru\'s forests but in just five percent of its land area, showing how valuable a resource these peatlands are, experts say.</p><p>Tropical peatlands are among the most carbon dense ecosystems in the world but agriculture expansion, infrastructure development and mining has led to the loss of large peatland areas.</p><p>Deforestation and drainage inhibits the accumulation of essential organic matter in the swamps and promotes rapid decomposition of peat, which in turn releases large quantities of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide into the atmosphere.</p><p>Drained peatlands are also prone to fires which can lead to a large and rapid increase of emissions.</p><p>In recognition of these threats, Peru has passed legislation which, for the first time, mandates the explicit protection of its peatlands for climate-change mitigation.</p><p>Enforcing this legislation will depend on continued mapping of peatland distribution and upon further investigation of its carbon storage.</p><p>Dr Adam Hastie, Postdoctoral Researcher from the School of GeoSciences, who led the study, said: \"We knew that Peru contained substantial peatlands but we previously only had ground data from a few regions, and we didn\'t realise how extensive the peatlands were.</p><p>Our high-resolution maps can be used to directly inform conservation and climate mitigation policies and actions such as Nationally Determined Contributions to the Paris Agreement, to avoid further degradation and CO<sub>2</sub> emissions.\"</p><p>Dr Ian Lawson, Senior Lecturer from the University of St Andrews, who led the international team, said: \"Peatlands are increasingly recognized as carbon hotspots and a key component of the planet\'s carbon cycle. They store half of all the soil carbon on the planet, but they\'re vulnerable to human pressures. It\'s important for all of us that we know where they are so that we can protect them and help to mitigate climate change.</p><p>This work is the latest result of more than a decade of sustained international collaboration. It has taken a lot of effort by the team, making measurements and collecting samples throughout the swamp forests, to produce this first map of peatlands covering all of Peru\'s Amazonian region. The next step is to apply the same methods in other parts of the Amazon Basin. There\'s still a lot to be learned.\"</p><p>Dr Dennis del Castillo Torres, from the Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonia Peruana and project partner of the study, said: \"Our peatlands in Peru have the potential to mitigate climate change because the sustainable use of the most abundant peatland palm species, Mauritia flexuosa, can be promoted.\"</p><p>Dr Euridice Honorio Coronado, NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellow at the University of St Andrews and co-author, added: \"Conserving peatlands will also support livelihoods and prevent a situation like South-East Asia where almost 80 per cent of peatlands have been cleared and drained.\"</p><p>The study, published in Nature GeoScience, was funded by NERC, Leverhulme Trust, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Wildlife Conservation Society, Concytec/British Council/Embajada Británica, Lima/Newton Fund, the governments of the United States of America &amp; Norway Knowledge Exchange Fellowship.</p><p>The team thanked SERNANP, SERFOR and GERFOR for providing research permits, and the indigenous and local communities, research stations and tourist companies for giving consent and allowing access to the forests.</p>','2022-04-14 20:26:06.814623','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'University of Edinburgh','The largest peatlands in the Amazon rainforest, which hold a vast, concentrated amount of carbon, are under increasing threat from changing land use, research suggests.\n',1,34,'<li>Adam Hastie, Eurídice N. Honorio Coronado, José Reyna, Edward T. A. Mitchard, Christine M. Åkesson, Timothy R. Baker, Lydia E. S. Cole, César. J. Córdova Oroche, Greta Dargie, Nállarett Dávila, Elsa Carla De Grandi, Jhon Del Águila, Dennis Del Castillo Torres, Ricardo De La Cruz Paiva, Frederick C. Draper, Gerardo Flores, Julio Grández, Kristell Hergoualc’h, J. Ethan Householder, John P. Janovec, Outi Lähteenoja, David Reyna, Pedro Rodríguez-Veiga, Katherine H. Roucoux, Mathias Tobler, Charlotte E. Wheeler, Mathew Williams, Ian T. Lawson. <strong>Risks to carbon storage from land-use change revealed by peat thickness maps of Peru</strong>. <em>Nature Geoscience</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41561-022-00923-4\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1038/s41561-022-00923-4</a>\n</li>'),(2178,'Nova outbursts are apparently a source for cosmic rays','nova-outbursts-are-apparently-a-source-for-cosmic-rays','2022-04-14 20:26:09.267695',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Light on, light off -- this is how one could describe the behavior of the nova, which goes by the name RS Ophiuchi (RS Oph). Every 15 years or so, a dramatic explosion occurs in the constellation of the Serpent Bearer. Birthplaces of a nova are systems in which two very different stars live in a parasitic relationship: A white dwarf, a small, burned-out and tremendously dense star -- a teaspoon of its matter weighs about 1 ton -- orbits a red giant, an old star that will soon burn up.</p><p>The dying giant star feeds the white dwarf with matter shedding its outer hydrogen layer as the gas flows onto the nearby white dwarf. This flow of matter continues, until the white dwarf over(h)eats itself. The temperature and pressure in the newly gained stellar shells become too large and are flung away in a gigantic thermonuclear explosion. The dwarf star remains intact and the cycle begins again -- until the spectacle repeats itself.</p><p><strong>Explosion in the high-energy range</strong></p><p>It had been speculated that such explosions involve high energies. The two MAGIC telescopes recorded gamma rays with the value of 250 gigaelectronvolts (GeV), among the highest energies ever measured in a nova. By comparison, the radiation is a hundred billion times more energetic than visible light.</p><p>MAGIC was able to make its observations following initial alerts from other instruments measuring at different wavelengths. \"The spectacular eruption of the RS Ophiuchi shows that the MAGIC telescopes\' fast response really pays off: It takes them no more than 30 seconds to move to a new target,\" said David Green, a scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Physics and one of the authors of the paper.</p><p><strong>Accelerated protons as a part of cosmic rays </strong></p><p>After the explosion, several shock fronts propagated through the stellar wind from the Red Giant and the interstellar medium surrounding the binary system. These shock waves work like a giant power plant in which particles are accelerated to near the speed of light. The combined measurements suggest that the gamma rays emanate from energetic protons, nuclei of hydrogen atoms.</p><p>\"This also makes nova outbursts a source of cosmic rays,\" explains David Green. \"However, they tend to play the role of local heroes -- meaning to only contribute to the cosmic rays in the close neighborhood. The big players for cosmic rays are supernova remnants. The shock fronts created from stellar explosions are far more violent compared to novae.</p><p>To fully understand the complicated interplay of violent events with the interstellar medium in the Milky Way, more observations like those reported now will be necessary. The MAGIC collaboration will therefore continue to look for \"restless\" objects in our Galaxy and beyond.</p><p><strong>Story Source:</strong></p>','2022-04-14 20:26:09.267695','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Max Planck Institute for Physics','The MAGIC telescopes have observed the nova RS Ophiuchi shining brightly in gamma rays at extremely high energy. The Gamma rays emanate from protons that are accelerated to very high energies in the shock front following the explosion. This suggests that novae are also a source of the ubiquitous cosmic radiation in the universe which consists mainly of protons rich in energy, which race through space at almost the speed of light.\n',1,195,'<li>V. A. Acciari, S. Ansoldi, L. A. Antonelli, A. Arbet Engels, M. Artero, K. Asano, D. Baack, A. Babić, A. Baquero, U. Barres de Almeida, J. A. Barrio, I. Batković, J. Becerra González, W. Bednarek, L. Bellizzi, E. Bernardini, M. Bernardos, A. Berti, J. Besenrieder, W. Bhattacharyya, C. Bigongiari, A. Biland, O. Blanch, H. Bökenkamp, G. Bonnoli, Ž. Bošnjak, G. Busetto, R. Carosi, G. Ceribella, M. Cerruti, Y. Chai, A. Chilingarian, S. Cikota, S. M. Colak, E. Colombo, J. L. Contreras, J. Cortina, S. Covino, G. D’Amico, V. D’Elia, P. Da Vela, F. Dazzi, A. De Angelis, B. De Lotto, A. Del Popolo, M. Delfino, J. Delgado, C. Delgado Mendez, D. Depaoli, F. Di Pierro, L. Di Venere, E. Do Souto Espiñeira, D. Dominis Prester, A. Donini, D. Dorner, M. Doro, D. Elsaesser, V. Fallah Ramazani, L. Fariña Alonso, A. Fattorini, M. V. Fonseca, L. Font, C. Fruck, S. Fukami, Y. Fukazawa, R. J. García López, M. Garczarczyk, S. Gasparyan, M. Gaug, N. Giglietto, F. Giordano, P. Gliwny, N. Godinović, J. G. Green, D. Green, D. Hadasch, A. Hahn, T. Hassan, L. Heckmann, J. Herrera, J. Hoang, D. Hrupec, M. Hütten, T. Inada, K. Ishio, Y. Iwamura, I. Jiménez Martínez, J. Jormanainen, L. Jouvin, D. Kerszberg, Y. Kobayashi, H. Kubo, J. Kushida, A. Lamastra, D. Lelas, F. Leone, E. Lindfors, L. Linhoff, S. Lombardi, F. Longo, R. López-Coto, M. López-Moya, A. López-Oramas, S. Loporchio, B. Machado de Oliveira Fraga, C. Maggio, P. Majumdar, M. Makariev, M. Mallamaci, G. Maneva, M. Manganaro, K. Mannheim, L. Maraschi, M. Mariotti, M. Martínez, A. Mas Aguilar, D. Mazin, S. Menchiari, S. Mender, S. Mićanović, D. Miceli, T. Miener, J. M. Miranda, R. Mirzoyan, E. Molina, A. Moralejo, D. Morcuende, V. Moreno, E. Moretti, T. Nakamori, L. Nava, V. Neustroev, M. Nievas Rosillo, C. Nigro, K. Nilsson, K. Nishijima, K. Noda, S. Nozaki, Y. Ohtani, T. Oka, J. Otero-Santos, S. Paiano, M. Palatiello, D. Paneque, R. Paoletti, J. M. Paredes, L. Pavletić, P. Peñil, M. Persic, M. Pihet, P. G. Prada Moroni, E. Prandini, C. Priyadarshi, I. Puljak, W. Rhode, M. Ribó, J. Rico, C. Righi, A. Rugliancich, N. Sahakyan, T. Saito, S. Sakurai, K. Satalecka, F. G. Saturni, B. Schleicher, K. Schmidt, T. Schweizer, J. Sitarek, I. Šnidarić, D. Sobczynska, A. Spolon, A. Stamerra, J. Strišković, D. Strom, M. Strzys, Y. Suda, T. Surić, M. Takahashi, R. Takeishi, F. Tavecchio, P. Temnikov, T. Terzić, M. Teshima, L. Tosti, S. Truzzi, A. Tutone, S. Ubach, J. van Scherpenberg, G. Vanzo, M. Vazquez Acosta, S. Ventura, V. Verguilov, C. F. Vigorito, V. Vitale, I. Vovk, M. Will, C. Wunderlich, T. Yamamoto, D. Zarić, F. Ambrosino, M. Cecconi, G. Catanzaro, C. Ferrara, A. Frasca, M. Munari, L. Giustolisi, J. Alonso-Santiago, M. Giarrusso, U. Munari, P. Valisa. <strong>Proton acceleration in thermonuclear nova explosions revealed by gamma rays</strong>. <em>Nature Astronomy</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41550-022-01640-z\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1038/s41550-022-01640-z</a>\n</li>'),(2179,'How to balance biodiversity goals with limited economic resources','how-to-balance-biodiversity-goals-with-limited-economic-resources','2022-04-14 20:26:11.439530',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">In 2019, a landmark report gave the world its first report card on biodiversity loss. There was one crystal clear conclusion: human actions threaten more species with global extinction than ever before.</p><p>According to the IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) report, currently 25 percent, or 1 million species, are threatened with extinction. The drivers of change have only accelerated in the past 50 years. The human population has doubled to 8 billion, contributing to climate change, land and sea-use change, overexploitation of resources and pollution. Two-thirds of the oceans are impacted. 85 percent of wetlands have been lost.</p><p>As a result of these stark data findings, the IPBES agreement fingered human land-use changes as the primary culprit.</p><p>Now, an ASU research team has developed the first-of-its-kind study that combines conservation with practical economic tools for a case study of Colombia, South America, a high priority but underfunded country for biodiversity conservation.</p><p>\"We focused on the case study of the country of Colombia to demonstrate an approach to maximize the biodiversity benefits from limited conservation funding while ensuring that landowners maintain economic returns equivalent to agriculture,\" said Leah Gerber, who was lead author of the IPBES report, and is a professor of conservation science in the School of Life Sciences and founding director of the Center for Biodiversity Outcomes (CBO) at Arizona State University.</p><p>While they found that Colombia would need to substantially increase its conservation spending,</p><p>the study developed a prioritization map that permits policymakers to target conservation actions toward regions where conservation benefits are the highest and economic impacts are low -- giving the biggest ecological bang for the buck.</p><p>To do so, Gerber teamed up with Colombia native Camila Guerrero-Pineda, who, just three years ago, left her home country to join ASU and be mentored as a graduate student by Gerber and Gwenllian D. Iacona, assistant research professor at the School of Life Sciences, to ultimately make a difference back home.</p><p>\"It\'s fair to categorize that Colombia is a megadiverse country\" said Guerrero-Pineda. \"It arguably has some of the greatest biodiversity in the world, given its size, and a lot of scientists and academics in Colombia fear the ecological consequences of human actions.\"</p><p>Now, she is the first author and a first-year ASU School of Life Sciences and Conservation Innovation Lab graduate student who contributed their results in the  journal <em>Nature Sustainability.</em></p><p><strong>Cattle, coca and biodiversity</strong></p><p>Colombia ranks among one of just 17 megadiverse countries in the world.</p><p>Colombia possesses a unique geography and natural beauty as the only South American country with combined coastlines of the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Seas, along with the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, which at 13,000m, is the world\'s highest coastal mountain range.</p><p>Human actions now threaten the only freshwater species of its kind, the pink river dolphin. The cotton-top tamarin. The Orinoco crocodile. The 100-pound, giant capybara rodent. The spectacled bear. Plants (flor de mayo orchid), amphibians (golden poison frog) and butterflies (Colombian eighty-eight) too.</p><p>All unique species to Colombia. And all could vanish.</p><p>In the South American continent, Colombia stands out as a region that has retained its biodiversity, one of the few silver linings due to a long history of violent, human conflicts. Prior to a 2016 peace agreement, Colombia had government instability and a decades long guerrilla war led by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, and other minor groups.</p><p>\"FARC had a lot of control over the forests, and it prevented a lot of economic development\" said Guerrero-Pineda. Since the FARC controlled the forest for coca leaf (the plant used to produce cocaine) production and the drug trade to finance five decades of asymmetrical warfare, one effect was to prevent unbridled development -- and inadvertently preserve biodiversity.</p><p>In the ASU-led study, they found that the probability of transformation to cattle and other crops decreases with distance to roads, while the probability of transformation to coca increases. These results suggest that coca crops are grown in more isolated areas, away from roads, compared with cattle.</p><p>The presence of FARC was the most influential variable determining the fate of the deforested area, as the odds of forest conversion to coca crops over conversion to cattle or other crops in areas with presence of FARC is 308.04% higher than the odds in areas without FARC.</p><p>\"It also prevented a lot of scientific monitoring because scientists were afraid of going into the forests,\" said Guerrero-Pineda.</p><p>But Colombia now stands at a biodiversity crossroads. The 2016 peace agreement has now brought unprecedented development. During the past 5 years alone, GDP growth has been 5-6% every year.</p><p>During that time, the deforestation rate rose by 44% after the peace agreement. Palm oil production, logging, mining, and gas oil extraction are some of the leading culprits besides agriculture development.</p><p>Do nothing, and Gerber\'s team estimates the current biodiversity loss rate could increase by 50% by 2033.</p><p><strong>Paradise lost or opportunity cost?</strong></p><p>But how does Colombia preserve its biodiversity while balancing the need for economic development? Gerber\'s team thinks they found a new blueprint to not only aid Colombia, but also extend to other policymakers in other countries to help make a difference.</p><p>For the first time, they applied a unique quantitative model that relates conservation investment to national biodiversity outcomes.</p><p>\"The methods developed here offer an approach to identifying areas of greatest conservation returns on investment by balancing cost of conservation action, measured as opportunity cost for agriculture, and biodiversity impacts,\" said study lead author Camila Guerrero-Pineda.</p><p>When it comes to development, everything economically comes down to opportunity costs.</p><p>An extreme example of the choices nations must make is often referred to as the \"Guns versus butter\" model of economics. It refers to whether a country is more interested in spending money on war or feeding their people -- but it can\'t do both, and there are always going to be tradeoffs.</p><p>In Colombia\'s case, it\'s economic development versus biodiversity outcomes. Or more colloquially, parks versus parking lots. Preservation versus development.</p><p>Their team modeled the opportunity cost of conservation (OCC) to agriculture as an approximation of the expected cost of compensating a landowner for avoiding conversion of their property.</p><p>\"Opportunity cost is what you\'re missing out on or what you\'re not doing because of a decision to do something else,\" said Guerrero-Pineda. \"What that means is that someone is not going to be able to use the land that is going to be used for conservation.\"</p><p>They assumed in the modeling of a protection cost that deforestation can be counteracted by compensating the land owner, either by purchase, such as the setting the sale value of a parcel equal to its expected future cash flow, or as continued payments for ecosystem services.</p><p>To avoid this additional biodiversity loss, Gerber\'s groups estimated that Colombia would have to invest $37-39 million USD annually in the best and worst-case scenarios of deforestation. According to them, this means an increase in its conservation spending of 7.69-10.16 million USD per year. Avoiding this decline (preventing further loss) would require $61-63 million USD annually, which is more than twice the conservation spending before the peace agreement.</p><p>\"Our strategy for targeting conservation funding involves first identifying regions with a high</p><p>risk of forest conversion to agriculture [such as cattle ranching or other crops],\" said Gerber.</p><p>\"More broadly, the research agenda is around incorporating cost into decision-making to achieve the most outcomes, given limited resources.\"</p><p>They found that the Andean region contains the highest mean OCC, reflecting a very strong probability of agricultural conversion of the remaining forests. Following closely behind were the Pacific, the Caribbean and the Orinoquía regions. The Amazon region, the one with the lowest mean probability of agricultural conversion, had the greatest forest cover percentage and the greatest forest area, had a much lower OCC.</p><p>\"One of the things we\'re excited about with this work is that it\'s a demonstration of the potential of this idea of using return on investment for thinking about allocated conservation resources,\" said co-author Gwenllian D. Iacona. \"And so, we took these two high profile approaches that are out there, called the Waldron Model and the Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metric, and we put them together so country-level decision makers can make the best-informed decisions at that type of scale.\"</p><p>Their results can also assist in the planning of land preservation and national parks. In Colombia, the National Natural Park System is working to declare five new protected areas, and to expand three more. This builds on evidence showing that more effective and lasting conservation outcomes are achieved when governance empowers local communities and support their environmental stewardship, including indigenous communities, reserves and Afro-Colombian lands.</p><p><strong>More to come</strong></p><p>\"I think Camila\'s work really sets us up to assist entities, whether they be countries or companies, in quantitatively measuring the impact of conservation interventions on different metrics, whether they need biodiversity or climate mitigation, or other types of conservation strategies,\" said Gerber. \"I\'m optimistic that we\'ll be able to build and scale this to improve conservation outcomes more generally.\"</p><p>\"Camila, for example, in the summer, will be working on a collaborative USAID project with Conservation International in Peru and we\'re going to be applying a similar approach to identify green economic growth pathways.\"</p><p>Their approach is another prime example of ASU\'s commitment to advance research to finding practical solutions of social, economic and today\'s urgent environmental challenges.</p><p>\"So, in that sense, Camila\'s foundational work is not only novel, but also represents a practical foundation for broad applications globally,\" said Gerber. \"We\'re exploring applications in several other countries and for additional sustainable development goals. By coupling this work with market-based incentives, this work offers to rapidly accelerate our ability to achieve sustainable development goals.\"</p>','2022-04-14 20:26:11.439530','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Arizona State University','In 2019, a landmark report gave the world its first report card on biodiversity loss. There was one crystal clear conclusion: human actions threaten more species with global extinction than ever before. Now, a research team has reviewed combining conservation with practical economic tools using a case study of Colombia, South America, a high priority but underfunded country for biodiversity conservation.\n',1,27,'<li>Camila Guerrero-Pineda, Gwenllian D. Iacona, Louise Mair, Frank Hawkins, Juha Siikamäki, Daniel Miller, Leah R. Gerber. <strong>An investment strategy to address biodiversity loss from agricultural expansion</strong>. <em>Nature Sustainability</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41893-022-00871-2\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1038/s41893-022-00871-2</a>\n</li>'),(2180,'Chlorinated water supplies don’t disturb healthy gut microbiomes in young children','chlorinated-water-supplies-don’t-disturb-healthy-gut-microbiomes-in-young-children','2022-04-14 20:26:14.533248',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">More than 2,000 children die every day around the world simply because they lack clean drinking water, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.</p><p>Engineers, including those at Tufts, have devised simple, low-cost ways to purify drinking water in low-income countries using chlorine, but a common concern is that adding chlorine to water could harm the beneficial bacteria in children\'s developing gut microbiomes, which play an important role in keeping health intact.</p><p>Now a team of scientists led by Tufts, the University of California at Berkeley, the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh, and Eawag in Switzerland have found that using chlorine to treat drinking water in Dhaka, Bangladesh does not disrupt the normal population of bacteria in the digestive tract of children, in addition to reducing diarrhea and antibiotic use.</p><p>The children\'s microbiomes -- tested from stool samples collected one year after the dispensers were installed -- had a similar diversity and abundance of bacteria as children who didn\'t receive chlorinated water. Some slight differences were observed, including the enrichment of beneficial bugs and increases in the presence of some antibiotic resistance genes, but those changes were small and the overall make-up of their microbiomes was similar.</p><p>While chlorine inactivates microorganisms present in water during storage, transport, and delivery through the tap, this study suggests that it\'s not killing the good bacteria after the chlorinated water is consumed. In fact, by keeping the bad bugs out of the water supply, chlorination is allowing kids\' microbiomes to thrive and do their good work maintaining health.</p><p>That\'s very important especially in the first few years of life. The gut microbiome of infants is seeded at birth, then grows and stabilizes to its adult-like state by the time a child is about three years old. The progressive colonization by different bacteria in the microbiome may be important to several developmental milestones related to metabolism and weight maintenance, allergy development, disease susceptibility, and even mental health.</p><p>\"No doubt further studies may be helpful for understanding all the long-term health effects of drinking chlorinated water,\" said Maya Nadimpalli, research assistant professor in civil and environmental engineering at Tufts, \"but this study makes it clear that the microbiome is protected after at least one year of exposure, so that the benefits of water chlorination -- which can save hundreds of thousands of lives each year -- continue to outweigh diminishing concerns about its safety.\"</p><p>Amy Pickering, formerly of Tufts and now Blum Center Distinguished Chair in Global Poverty and Practice at the University of California, Berkeley, has been working on developing and field testing automated chlorination devices that are compatible with water infrastructure in Africa and Asia.</p><p>\"It\'s very encouraging that such a widely used and low-cost water treatment method doesn\'t harm children\'s developing microbiomes,\" said Pickering, who led the original trial and this study\'s research team.</p><p>Nadimpalli, whose research is conducted in collaboration with the Stuart B. Levy Center for Integrated Management of Antimicrobial Resistance at Tufts, notes that since children in Bangladesh are frequently exposed to pathogens, they are also treated with antibiotics at a rate five times higher than children in the U.S.</p><p>\"The treatments themselves have a harmful effect on diversity in the gut microbiome, and you end up with worse health outcomes and potentially more antibiotic-resistant pathogens,\" she said. \"So chlorination can help reduce incidence of disease, limit use of antibiotics, and still keep microbiomes healthy.\"</p>','2022-04-14 20:26:14.533248','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Tufts University','Scientists find chlorinated water supplies in Bangladesh have little effect on the abundance and diversity of bacteria in children\'s guts. This set of bacteria, or gut microbiome, plays an important role in maintaining health as children grow older.\n',1,105,'<li>Maya L. Nadimpalli, Val F. Lanza, Maria Camila Montealegre, Sonia Sultana, Erica R. Fuhrmeister, Colin J. Worby, Lisa Teichmann, Lea Caduff, Jenna M. Swarthout, Yoshika S. Crider, Ashlee M. Earl, Joe Brown, Stephen P. Luby, Mohammad Aminul Islam, Timothy R. Julian, Amy J. Pickering. <strong>Drinking water chlorination has minor effects on the intestinal flora and resistomes of Bangladeshi children</strong>. <em>Nature Microbiology</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41564-022-01101-3\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1038/s41564-022-01101-3</a>\n</li>'),(2181,'Your mental health may impact your chances of breakthrough COVID','your-mental-health-may-impact-your-chances-of-breakthrough-covid','2022-04-14 20:26:17.392522',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">A new study led by UC San Francisco has shown that people who are vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, and have a history of certain psychiatric conditions, have a heightened risk of COVID-19 -- a finding that may be related to impaired immune response as well as risky behaviors associated with some disorders.</p><p>The researchers from UCSF and the San Francisco VA Health Care System found that patients over 65 with substance abuse, psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder, adjustment disorder and anxiety, faced increased risks of up to 24% for breakthrough COVID. For those under 65, risks were up to 11% higher than for those without a psychiatric history.</p><p>For both age groups, data was adjusted for age, sex, race, ethnicity and vaccine type, as well as for smoking and underlying conditions like obesity, diabetes, sleep apnea, cardiovascular, lung, kidney and liver diseases, HIV and cancer.</p><p>In the study, which publishes on April 14, 2022, in <em>JAMA Network Open</em>, researchers tracked data from more than a quarter of a million U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs patients, who had completed their vaccine regimen and had at least one test for SARS-CoV-2. Just over a half (51.4%) of the patients had received at least one psychiatric diagnosis within the last five years and 14.8% developed breakthrough COVID, confirmed by a positive test.</p><p><strong>Waning Immunity, Less Protection to New Variants May Explain Higher Rates</strong></p><p>\"Our research suggests that increased breakthrough infections in people with psychiatric disorders cannot be entirely explained by socio-demographic factors or pre-existing conditions,\" said senior author Aoife O\'Donovan, PhD, of the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences and the San Francisco VA Health Care System. \"It\'s possible that immunity following vaccination wanes more quickly or more strongly for people with psychiatric disorders and/or they could have less protection to newer variants.\"</p><p>A study earlier this year, led by the same UCSF researchers, found that people with elevated anxiety and probable post-traumatic stress disorder, conditions associated with impulsivity, were more likely to engage in behaviors that put them at higher risk for COVID.</p><p>The average age of the 263,697 participants was 66 and 90.8% were male. Overall, those participants with psychiatric disorders had a 3% increased risk for breakthrough COVID infections in 2021, when adjusted for both demographic factors and pre-existing conditions, compared with participants without a psychiatric history. But the risk was 24% higher for over-65s with substance abuse, 23% higher for those with psychotic disorders, 16% higher for bipolar disorder, 14% for adjustment disorder and 12% for anxiety.</p><p>Surprisingly, given the greater incidence of breakthrough infections among younger people, this study showed significantly smaller effects in the under-65s group. Moreover, risks were 10% lower in participants with psychotic disorders compared to those without a psychiatric diagnosis -- a decrease that O\'Donovan attributes to possible lower socialization among younger people with psychotic disorders compared with older people who \"may be less socially isolated because of their greater burden of ill health and contacts with caregivers.\"</p><p>However, risks for breakthrough infections associated with substance abuse, adjustment disorder, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder were all higher in the younger cohort than their peers without a psychiatric diagnosis -- 11%, 9%, 4% and 3%, respectively.</p><p><strong>Higher Need for In-Person Care May Mean Increased Risk</strong></p><p>First author Kristen Nishimi, PhD, also of the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences and the San Francisco VA Health Care System, believes the higher incidence of breakthrough infection among older participants may be due to \"decreased immunological response to vaccine that has been associated with some psychiatric disorders, which may be more substantial in older adults.\"</p><p>It\'s also possible that older adults with psychiatric disorders \"may require more frequent in-person care, which could increase their interactions with the health care system,\" she noted.</p><p>Breakthrough risks for other non-psychiatric conditions were also calculated and adjusted for factors like obesity and smoking status, as well as other underlying conditions. The researchers found that patients with chronic kidney disease had an increased risk of 23%, compared with 20% for HIV, 19% for cardiovascular disease, 18% for COPD and 13% for sleep apnea.</p><p>This shows that certain psychiatric conditions, particularly in the 65-plus group, face risks that are on a par with other conditions, said O\'Donovan. \"Mental health is important to consider in conjunction with other risk factors,\" she said, \"and some patients should be prioritized for boosters and other critical preventive efforts.\"</p><p><strong>Co-Authors:</strong> Thomas C. Neylan, MD, of San Francisco VA Health Care System and UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences; Daniel Bertenthal, MPH, of San Francisco VA Health Care System; Karen H. Seal, MD, of UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, UCSF Department of Medicine and San Francisco VA Health Care System.</p><p><strong>Funding:</strong> This work was supported by a UCSF Department of Psychiatry Rapid Award and UCSF Faculty Resource Fund Award to O\'Donovan. Nishimi and Bertenthal are supported by awards from the Department of Veterans Affairs</p>','2022-04-14 20:26:17.392522','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'University of California - San Francisco','A new study has shown that people who are vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, and have a history of certain psychiatric conditions, have a heightened risk of COVID-19 -- a finding that may be related to impaired immune response as well as risky behaviors associated with some disorders.\n',1,39,'<li>Kristen Nishimi, Thomas C. Neylan, Daniel Bertenthal, Karen H. Seal, Aoife O’Donovan. <strong>Association of Psychiatric Disorders With Incidence of SARS-CoV-2 Breakthrough Infection Among Vaccinated Adults</strong>. <em>JAMA Network Open</em>, 2022; 5 (4): e227287 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.7287\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.7287</a>\n</li>'),(2182,'Pandemic adversely impacts already stressed national forests, research finds','pandemic-adversely-impacts-already-stressed-national-forests,-research-finds','2022-04-14 20:26:22.189300',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Many human experiences were uniquely altered during the COVID-19 pandemic including a significant rise in the number of people seeking outdoor recreation options during quarantine. In a series of studies looking at this trend, researchers at the University of New Hampshire found a dramatic increase during the pandemic of visitors to the parks and protected areas of New England that resulted in significant social, situational and ecological impacts on people\'s behavior, decision making and experience quality.</p><p>\"At the height of the pandemic, in the summer of 2020, outdoor recreation visitation within New England national forests increased by more than 60%, or approximately two million visitors, a majority of which came from out of state,\" said Michael Ferguson, assistant professor of recreation management and policy. \"While it was great to see so many people rediscovering the outdoors and taking advantage of recreation opportunities, it also raised questions and concerns about these already overwhelmed natural resources.\"</p><p>The extensive suite of research, which includes a study recently published in the journal <em>Society and Natural Resources</em>, assesses the status of the so-called outdoor renaissance at the peak of the pandemic by examining visitation increases and shifts in behavior and decision making at the White Mountain National Forest and the Green Mountain National Forest. While the pandemic fueled visitation issues, these national forests were already seeing significant problems as early as 2017, including social (crowding and conflict), situational (site access and litter) and ecological (snowpack and ticks). During the summer of 2020, resource managers at the White Mountain National Forest commissioned the researchers to take a closer look at these concerns. The results of this study, published in the Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, found never-before-seen visitation numbers resulting in even more pervasive recreation challenges including long traffic lines, lack of parking, trail congestion and unprecedented instances of overcrowding and discord.</p><p>However, researchers found for the most part, visitors were largely able to cope and deal with most of the situations they encountered, but the one factor that was consistently difficult for them to tolerate was visitor conflict. This included arguments or disagreements, mostly between in-state and out-of-state visitors, largely based on perceived violations of pandemic safety protocols like not wearing masks or honoring physical distancing.</p><p>\"Our data and modeling suggest that approximately 10% of annual visitation, which represents nearly 400,000 visitors, noted they would likely never return for outdoor recreation because of the issues they experienced,\" said Ferguson.</p><p>To validate these initial findings, the researchers took a deeper dive into the impact of the pandemic on outdoor recreation visitors, with a specific focus on historically marginalized populations. This paper, published in the Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, confirmed the huge surge in national forest visitation during the pandemic and explored the significant increase in adverse interactions. The researchers also found that historically marginalized populations stated unique hurdles. For instance, low income visitors reported significantly less substitution options as opposed to high income visitors and female visitors reported significantly higher instances of conflict during the pandemic.</p><p>\"COVID-19 unleashed a phenomenon that we didn\'t anticipate,\" said Ferguson. \"It really changed the outdoor recreation experience and the manner in which these resources and experiences must be managed.\"</p><p>Researchers say more studies are needed to determine next steps but hope this extensive research will help pinpoint continued issues and improve the decision-making process for resource managers, elected officials and visitors. The study team also noted that many parks and protected areas across the country experienced similar issues and moved to managed access systems to combat increasing visitation. Researchers are hopeful that future studies will help determine the best solutions for the New England national forest system.</p><p>Funding for this research was provided by the USDA Forest Service.</p>','2022-04-14 20:26:22.189300','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'University of New Hampshire','Researchers found a dramatic increase during the pandemic of visitors to the parks and protected areas of New England that resulted in significant social, situational and ecological impacts on people\'s behavior, decision making and experience quality.\n',1,114,'<li>Michael D. Ferguson, Kyle McIntosh, Donald B. K. English, Lauren A. Ferguson, Robert Barcelona, Georgia Giles, Olivia Fraser, Marianne Leberman. <strong>The Outdoor Renaissance: Assessing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic upon Outdoor Recreation Visitation, Behaviors, and Decision-Making in New England’s National Forests</strong>. <em>Society &amp; Natural Resources</em>, 2022; 1 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08941920.2022.2055247\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1080/08941920.2022.2055247</a>\n</li>'),(2183,'Spatial maps of melanoma','spatial-maps-of-melanoma','2022-04-14 20:26:32.423466',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Melanoma is a somewhat unusual cancer -- one that blooms before our very eyes, often on sun-exposed skin, and can quickly become deadly as it turns our own skin against us and spreads to other organs.</p><p>Fortunately, when caught early, melanoma can often be cured by simple surgery, and there are now better treatments for advanced cases, including immunotherapies that prime a patient\'s immune system to fight off the cancer.</p><p>However, much remains unknown about melanoma, including the details of how it develops in the earliest stages, and how to best identify and treat the most dangerous early cases.</p><p>Now, a team at Harvard Medical School has created spatial maps at the single-cell level that reveal, in unprecedented detail, how melanoma cells and nearby cells, including immune cells, interact as a tumor develops.</p><p>The maps, described in <em>Cancer Discovery</em>, offer insights into how interactions between cells change as melanoma advances, and how cancer cells suppress the immune system as they take over.</p><p>\"The main purpose was to understand the early events in melanoma that lead to the development of a tumor,\" said lead author Ajit Nirmal, a research fellow at Harvard Medical School.</p><p>The HMS team is building the maps into a melanoma atlas that will be freely available to the scientific community as part of the National Cancer Institute\'s Human Tumor Atlas Network. They hope that eventually, the atlas can serve as a jumping-off point for scientists to study how to prevent melanoma and how to treat it in its nascent stages before it becomes full-blown cancer. The ultimate goal of these efforts is to aid doctors in diagnosing melanoma and to help them prescribe tailored treatment based on each patient\'s individual tumor profile.</p><p>\"This was an opportunity to study melanoma at its inception, and collect a resource of information that we can share with the community,\" said Sandro Santagata, an HMS associate professor of pathology at Brigham and Women\'s Hospital and co-senior author on the paper with Peter Sorger, the HMS Otto Krayer Professor of Systems Pharmacology.</p><p><strong>Mapping the unknown </strong></p><p>In recent years, a considerable amount of melanoma research has focused on two areas: DNA sequencing of early tumor samples to understand the genetic changes that occur as this particular cancer arises and single-cell RNA sequencing of the tumor\'s immediate surroundings -- the so-called tumor microenvironment -- to profile the types of cells present. However, researchers have remained largely in the dark about how tumor cells and nearby cells are physically arranged in space, and how these cells interact on a molecular level as melanoma develops.</p><p>\"What we still do not know is how the microenvironment is organized to allow a tumor to grow,\" Nirmal said. \"In theory, immune cells are supposed to identify tumor cells and kill them off very quickly, but clearly something has gone wrong, and that\'s one of the primary reasons why we want spatial resolution.\"</p><p>Such spatial resolution, along with fine-scale molecular data, became possible to achieve only recently with the advent of more advanced single-cell imaging technologies, including cyclic immunofluorescence, orCyCIF, a multiplexed imaging technique developed by the Sorger lab.</p><p>In the new paper, the researchers combined CyCIF imaging data with 3D high-resolution microscopy and fine-scale RNA sequencing to create maps capturing where cells are located and how they interact as normal tissue morphs into melanoma.</p><p>\"We\'re able to see everything from normal skin to early lesions to invasive melanoma, sometimes all in one piece of tissue,\" Santagata said. \"You end up with this map of how melanoma is developing right in front of you.\"</p><p>The maps reveal what Santagata describes as \"the battle between tumor cells and immune cells\" that results in melanoma succumbing when immune cells are victorious, and melanoma progressing when tumor cells win.</p><p>Specifically, the maps showed that in the earliest stages of melanoma, so-called precursor lesions were composed of similar types and proportions of cells as normal skin, but these cells had a drastically different pattern of interaction, which included signs of immunosuppression.</p><p>\"This indicates that there\'s probably some level of restructuring within the tumor microenvironment that could potentially aid the development of the tumor,\" Nirmal said.</p><p>In early melanoma, PD-L1 -- a protein that suppresses the immune system and allows cancer to flourish -- was not expressed in tumor cells but was present in adjacent immune cells called myeloid cells. As the tumor grew, PD-L1-expressing myeloid cells interacted increasingly with T cells primed to kill tumor cells. This interaction between immune cells, rather than between cancer cells and immune cells, may be a mechanism the cancer uses to tamp down the immune system so it can progress unchecked.</p><p>\"That may mean that the immune system is being suppressed, or inactivated, by itself, and not directly by the cancer,\" Sorger said.</p><p>Immunotherapies that inhibit PD-L1 and its binding partner PD-1 and thereby unleash the immune system against the tumor have revolutionized treatment for advanced melanoma. However, not all patients with melanoma respond, and these therapies have not been as effective at treating some other cancers. Thus, Sorger hopes that basic research on PD-L1 expression will provide a foundation for understanding which patients with melanoma are most likely to benefit from immunotherapies and how scientists can make the therapies work in more cancers. The insights may also illuminate therapeutic strategies for melanomas that remain resistant to available treatments.</p><p>In more advanced melanoma, the state of the cancer cells differed depending on their physical location. Cells in the middle of a tumor that were surrounded by other cancer cells behaved markedly differently from cells on the outer edges of the tumor that could interact with nearby immune cells and stromal cells. This finding suggests that this cellular mixed bag -- known as tumor heterogeneity -- may partly be due to epigenetic changes that occur in tumor cells as they interact with other cell types, Nirmal said. Understanding tumor heterogeneity is important, he added, for understanding why and how some parts of a tumor survive treatment, while others do not, especially in the context of therapies that target specific molecular pathways.</p><p><strong>Zooming out</strong></p><p>Taken together, the findings demonstrate that \"these local environments involve many more physical interactions between cells than we might have thought,\" Sorger said. \"The cells are actually in an incredibly dense, communicating network.\"</p><p>\"The neighborhoods of the tumor cells and the interactions between cells tell us how the tumor may progress, and that\'s an entirely new form of biomarker that hasn\'t been applied before,\" Santagata added. \"With these new spatial maps, we have the ability to link cellular interactions with physiologic behavior, and, eventually, clinical outcomes.\"</p><p>With the paper, the researchers are releasing the largest imaging-based melanoma dataset to date -- and the entire dataset will be freely available through Minerva, an online visualization tool the lab developed to make complex data easier to understand and use. Now, the team is working on adding more melanoma samples to the project, with the goal of gaining a better understanding of which features and interactions can be considered typical.</p><p>\"We want to be able to say what happens recurrently, rather than idiosyncratically. Quantity has a quality all its own, and so scaling this is a critical step,\" Sorger said.</p><p>The researchers are building the maps into an open-source melanoma atlas within the Human Tumor Atlas Network that captures the full range of molecular interactions between cells in different stages of disease. They envision the atlas having a similar impact as earlier atlases of cancer genomics, including The Cancer Genome Atlas. Ultimately, they hope that their work will propel novel insights in melanoma that lead to precision-targeted individualized treatments based on a patient\'s tumor characteristics.</p><p>\"There is no precision medicine without diagnostics,\" Sorger said, yet 85 to 90 percent of cancers are diagnosed based on tissue samples alone. He thinks the process of diagnosing and treating melanoma could be improved by incorporating multiplexed imaging techniques, like CyCIF, that provide fine-scale molecular information about the tumor ecosystem and comparing results to a melanoma atlas.</p><p>The study was funded by the NIH (U2C-CA233262; K99- CA256497), the Ludwig Center at HMS, the NCI (R50-CA252138), the Finnish Medical Foundation, and the Relander Foundation.</p><p>Additional authors include Zoltan Maliga, Tuulia Vallius, Alyce Chen, Connor Jacobson, Roxanne Pelletier, Clarence Yapp, Raquel Arias-Camison, and Yu-An Chen of HMS; and Christine Lian, George Murphy, and Brian Quattrochi of Brigham and Women\'s Hospital.</p>','2022-04-14 20:26:32.423466','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Harvard Medical School','Melanoma is a somewhat unusual cancer -- one that blooms before our very eyes, often on sun-exposed skin, and can quickly become deadly as it turns our own skin against us and spreads to other organs. Fortunately, when caught early, melanoma can often be cured by simple surgery, and there are now better treatments for advanced cases, including immunotherapies that prime a patient\'s immune system to fight off the cancer. However, much remains unknown about melanoma, including the details of how it develops in the earliest stages, and how to best identify and treat the most dangerous early cases. Spatial maps of melanoma reveal how individual cells interact as cancer progresses.\n',1,90,'<li>Ajit J. Nirmal, Zoltan Maliga, Tuulia Vallius, Brian Quattrochi, Alyce A. Chen, Connor A. Jacobson, Roxanne J. Pelletier, Clarence Yapp, Raquel Arias-Camison, Yu-An Chen, Christine G. Lian, George F. Murphy, Sandro Santagata, Peter K. Sorger. <strong>The spatial landscape of progression and immunoediting in primary melanoma at single cell resolution</strong>. <em>Cancer Discovery</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1158/2159-8290.CD-21-1357\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1158/2159-8290.CD-21-1357</a>\n</li>'),(2184,'A novel computing approach to recognizing chaos','a-novel-computing-approach-to-recognizing-chaos','2022-04-14 20:26:40.938927',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Chaos isn\'t always harmful to technology, in fact, it can have several useful applications if it can be detected and identified.</p><p>Chaos and its chaotic dynamics are prevalent throughout nature and through manufactured devices and technology. Though chaos is usually considered a negative, something to be removed from systems to ensure their optimal operation, there are circumstances in which chaos can be a benefit and can even have important applications. Hence a growing interest in the detection and classification of chaos in systems.</p><p>A new paper published in <em>EPJ B </em>authored by Dagobert Wenkack Liedji and Jimmi Hervé Talla Mbé of the Research unit of Condensed Matter, Electronics and Signal Processing, Department of Physics, University of Dschang, Cameroon, and Godpromesse Kenné, from Laboratoire d\' Automatique et d\'Informatique Appliquée, Department of Electrical Engineering, IUT-FV Bandjoun, University of Dschang, Cameroon, proposes using the single nonlinear node delay-based reservoir computer to identify chaotic dynamics.</p><p>In the paper, the authors show that the classification capabilities of this system are robust with an accuracy of over 99 per cent. Examining the effect of the length of the time series on the performance of the method they found higher accuracy achieved when the single nonlinear node delay-based reservoir computer was used with short time series.</p><p>Several quantifiers have been developed to distinguish chaotic dynamics in the past, prominently the largest Lyapunov exponent (LLE), which is highly reliable and helps display numerical values that help to decide on the dynamical state of the system.</p><p>The team overcame issues with the LLE like expense, need for the mathematical modelling of the system, and long-processing times by studying several deep learning models finding these models obtained poor classification rates. The exception to this was a large kernel size convolutional neural network (LKCNN) which could classify chaotic and nonchaotic time series with high accuracy.</p><p>Thus, using the Mackey-Glass (MG) delay-based reservoir computer system to classify nonchaotic and chaotic dynamical behaviours, the authors showed the ability of the system to act as an efficient and robust quantifier for classifying non-chaotic and chaotic signals.</p><p>They listed the advantages of the system they used as not necessarily requiring the knowledge of the set of equations, instead, describing the dynamics of a system but only data from the system, and the fact that neuromorphic implementation using an analogue reservoir computer enables the real-time detection of dynamical behaviours from a given oscillator.</p><p>The team concludes that future research will be devoted to deep reservoir computers to explore their performances in classifications of more complex dynamics.</p>','2022-04-14 20:26:40.938927','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Springer','A new paper proposes using the single nonlinear node delay-based reservoir computer to identify chaotic dynamics.\n',1,27,'<li>Dagobert Wenkack Liedji, Jimmi Hervé Talla Mbé, Godpromesse Kenné. <strong>Chaos recognition using a single nonlinear node delay-based reservoir computer</strong>. <em>The European Physical Journal B</em>, 2022; 95 (1) DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1140/epjb/s10051-022-00280-6\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1140/epjb/s10051-022-00280-6</a>\n</li>'),(2186,'Key signaling pathway in immune cells could be new Alzheimer’s target','key-signaling-pathway-in-immune-cells-could-be-new-alzheimer’s-target','2022-04-14 21:27:50.912689',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Inhibiting an important signaling pathway in brain-resident immune cells may calm brain inflammation and thereby slow the disease process in Alzheimer\'s and some other neurodegenerative diseases, suggests a study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The findings point to the possibility of new therapeutic strategies against neurodegenerative diseases, which are relatively common in older adults and so far have no effective, disease-modifying treatments.</p><p>Brain inflammation, especially via the activation of immune cells in the brain called microglia, has long been noted as a common feature of neurodegenerative diseases. The spread of abnormal, thread-like aggregates -- \"tangles\" -- of a neuronal protein called tau is another frequent feature of these disorders.</p><p>In the study, which appeared April 12 in <em>Nature Communications</em>, the researchers showed that the tau tangles help trigger the inflammatory activation of microglia, via a multifunctional signaling pathway called the NF-κB pathway. Inhibiting microglial NF-κB signaling in a tau-based Alzheimer\'s mouse model largely pulled the immune cells out of their inflammatory state and reversed the animals\' learning and memory problems.</p><p>\"Our findings suggest restraining overactive NF-κB may be a good therapeutic strategy in Alzheimer\'s and other tau-mediated neurodegenerative diseases,\" said senior author Dr. Li Gan, director of the Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer\'s Disease Research Institute and the Burton P. and the Judith B. Resnick Distinguished Professor in Neurodegenerative Diseases in the Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute at Weill Cornell Medicine.</p><p>Tau tangles are found inside neurons in affected brain areas in Alzheimer\'s, Parkinson\'s, Pick disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, frontotemporal dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases. Experiments have shown that tangles, when injected into animal brains, can seed the formation of new tangles, creating a chain-reaction in which the tangles spread to other brain regions. Autopsy studies in Alzheimer\'s and other \"tauopathies\" indicate that this spread of tangles often tracks closely the progress of disease.</p><p>The tangles\' precise role in harming brain cells has never been fully understood. However, prior studies have suggested that tau tangles can interact with microglia, in a way that drives the microglia into an inflammatory, disease-associated state. In this inflamed state, the microglia, which normally try to consume the tau tangles, become relatively inefficient at doing so. Much of the tau ends up being not digested but, rather, disgorged from the microglia, in forms that tend to seed new tangles.</p><p>In the new study, Dr. Gan and her team found evidence from cell culture and mouse experiments that tau tangles push microglia into this disease-linked inflammatory state mainly by activating the NF-κB signaling pathway within them. In a Alzheimer\'s mouse model with tau-tangle mainly driven by seeded tau, they showed that keeping the NF-κB pathway overactive in microglia enhanced the seeding and spread of tangles, which propel further NF-κB activation. By contrast, shutting off NF-κB blocked this vicious cycle, and markedly lessened the spread of the tangles.</p><p>In another tau mouse model, with tau tangle formed in aged neurons, the researchers showed that the inactivation of microglial NF-κB shifted the microglia almost entirely out of their inflammatory, disease-associated state, restoring a much more normal cell appearance and pattern of gene activity. This shift, which suppresses microglia from disgorging toxic tau seeds, strikingly, prevented key cognitive/memory deficits the mice normally develop in this model.</p><p>\"Taken together, our experiments suggest that tau\'s toxic effects on cognition require microglial NF-κB signaling,\" said co-senior author Dr. Wenjie Luo, associate professor of research in neuroscience in the Appel Alzheimer\'s Disease Research Institute and the Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute at Weill Cornell.</p><p>Over the past two decades, many experimental Alzheimer\'s treatments have aimed to slow or stop the disease process by targeting amyloid plaques and more recently tau tangles. So far, all these efforts have failed in large-scale clinical trials. The new findings suggest that future drugs taming overactive microglial NF-κB signaling might fare better, Dr. Gan said.</p><p>Her lab is now following up with further research to detail more precisely how microglial NF-κB signaling, which affects the activities of at least hundreds of other microglial genes, impairs neurons and leads to cognitive and memory deficits. The researchers will investigate how to restrain specific aspects of overactive NF-κB signaling without affecting the normal function of brain\'s immune cells.</p>','2022-04-14 21:27:50.912689','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Weill Cornell Medicine','Inhibiting an important signaling pathway in brain-resident immune cells may calm brain inflammation and thereby slow the disease process in Alzheimer\'s and some other neurodegenerative diseases, suggests a new study. The findings point to the possibility of new therapeutic strategies against neurodegenerative diseases, which are relatively common in older adults and so far have no effective, disease-modifying treatments.\n',1,179,'<li>Chao Wang, Li Fan, Rabia R. Khawaja, Bangyan Liu, Lihong Zhan, Lay Kodama, Marcus Chin, Yaqiao Li, David Le, Yungui Zhou, Carlo Condello, Lea T. Grinberg, William W. Seeley, Bruce L. Miller, Sue-Ann Mok, Jason E. Gestwicki, Ana Maria Cuervo, Wenjie Luo, Li Gan. <strong>Microglial NF-κB drives tau spreading and toxicity in a mouse model of tauopathy</strong>. <em>Nature Communications</em>, 2022; 13 (1) DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29552-6\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1038/s41467-022-29552-6</a>\n</li>'),(2187,'Structures considered key to gene expression are surprisingly fleeting','structures-considered-key-to-gene-expression-are-surprisingly-fleeting','2022-04-14 22:14:29.465313',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">In human chromosomes, DNA is coated by proteins to form an exceedingly long beaded string. This \"string\" is folded into numerous loops, which are believed to help cells control gene expression and facilitate DNA repair, among other functions. A new study from MIT suggests that these loops are very dynamic and shorter-lived than previously thought.</p><p>In the new study, the researchers were able to monitor the movement of one stretch of the genome in a living cell for about two hours. They saw that this stretch was fully looped for only 3 to 6 percent of the time, with the loop lasting for only about 10 to 30 minutes. The findings suggest that scientists\' current understanding of how loops influence gene expression may need to be revised, the researchers say.</p><p>\"Many models in the field have been these pictures of static loops regulating these processes. What our new paper shows is that this picture is not really correct,\" says Anders Sejr Hansen, the Underwood-Prescott Career Development Assistant Professor of Biological Engineering at MIT. \"We suggest that the functional state of these domains is much more dynamic.\"</p><p>Hansen is one of the senior authors of the new study, along with Leonid Mirny, a professor in MIT\'s Institute for Medical Engineering and Science and the Department of Physics, and Christoph Zechner, a group leader at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden, Germany, and the Center for Systems Biology Dresden. MIT postdoc Michele Gabriele, recent Harvard University PhD recipient Hugo Brandão, and MIT graduate student Simon Grosse-Holz are the lead authors of the paper, which appears today in <em>Science</em>.</p><p><strong>Out of the loop</strong></p><p>Using computer simulations and experimental data, scientists including Mirny\'s group at MIT have shown that loops in the genome are formed by a process called extrusion, in which a molecular motor promotes the growth of progressively larger loops. The motor stops each time it encounters a \"stop sign\" on DNA. The motor that extrudes such loops is a protein complex called cohesin, while the DNA-bound protein CTCF serves as the stop sign. These cohesin-mediated loops between CTCF sites were seen in previous experiments.</p><p>However, those experiments only offered a snapshot of a moment in time, with no information on how the loops change over time. In their new study, the researchers developed techniques that allowed them to fluorescently label CTCF DNA sites so they could image the DNA loops over several hours. They also created a new computational method that can infer the looping events from the imaging data.</p><p>\"This method was crucial for us to distinguish signal from noise in our experimental data and quantify looping,\" Zechner says. \"We believe that such approaches will become increasingly important for biology as we continue to push the limits of detection with experiments.\"</p><p>The researchers used their method to image a stretch of the genome in mouse embryonic stem cells. \"If we put our data in the context of one cell division cycle, which lasts about 12 hours, the fully formed loop only actually exists for about 20 to 45 minutes, or about 3 to 6 percent of the time,\" Grosse-Holz says.</p><p>\"If the loop is only present for such a tiny period of the cell cycle and very short-lived, we shouldn\'t think of this fully looped state as being the primary regulator of gene expression,\" Hansen says. \"We think we need new models for how the 3D structure of the genome regulates gene expression, DNA repair, and other functional downstream processes.\"</p><p>While fully formed loops were rare, the researchers found that partially extruded loops were present about 92 percent of the time. These smaller loops have been difficult to observe with the previous methods of detecting loops in the genome.</p><p>\"In this study, by integrating our experimental data with polymer simulations, we have now been able to quantify the relative extents of the unlooped, partially extruded, and fully looped states,\" Brandão says.</p><p>\"Since these interactions are very short, but very frequent, the previous methodologies were not able to fully capture their dynamics,\" Gabriele adds. \"With our new technique, we can start to resolve transitions between fully looped and unlooped states.\"</p><p>The researchers hypothesize that these partial loops may play more important roles in gene regulation than fully formed loops. Strands of DNA run along each other as loops begin to form and then fall apart, and these interactions may help regulatory elements such as enhancers and gene promoters find each other.</p><p>\"More than 90 percent of the time, there are some transient loops, and presumably what\'s important is having those loops that are being perpetually extruded,\" Mirny says. \"The process of extrusion itself may be more important than the fully looped state that only occurs for a short period of time.\"</p><p><strong>More loops to study</strong></p><p>Since most of the other loops in the genome are weaker than the one the researchers studied in this paper, they suspect that many other loops will also prove to be highly transient. They now plan to use their new technique study some of those other loops, in a variety of cell types.</p><p>\"There are about 10,000 of these loops, and we\'ve looked at one,\" Hansen says. \"We have a lot of indirect evidence to suggest that the results would be generalizable, but we haven\'t demonstrated that. Using the technology platform we\'ve set up, which combines new experimental and computational methods, we can begin to approach other loops in the genome.\"</p><p>The researchers also plan to investigate the role of specific loops in disease. Many diseases, including a neurodevelopmental disorder called FOXG1 syndrome, could be linked to faulty loop dynamics. The researchers are now studying how both the normal and mutated form of the FOXG1 gene, as well as the cancer-causing gene MYC, are affected by genome loop formation.</p><p>The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Mathers Foundation, a Pew-Stewart Cancer Research Scholar grant, the Chaires d\'excellence Internationale Blaise Pascal, an American-Italian Cancer Foundation research scholarship, and the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics.</p>','2022-04-14 22:14:29.465313','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Massachusetts Institute of Technology','Scientists find that loops in the genome may be much rarer and shorter-lived than previously thought, lasting only tens of minutes, which suggests current theories of how loops influence gene expression may need to be revised.\n',1,27,'<li>Michele Gabriele, Hugo B. Brandão, Simon Grosse-Holz, Asmita Jha, Gina M. Dailey, Claudia Cattoglio, Tsung-Han S. Hsieh, Leonid Mirny, Christoph Zechner, Anders S. Hansen. <strong>Dynamics of CTCF- and cohesin-mediated chromatin looping revealed by live-cell imaging</strong>. <em>Science</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abn6583\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1126/science.abn6583</a>\n</li>'),(2188,'Declining nitrogen availability found in our nitrogen-rich world','declining-nitrogen-availability-found-in-our-nitrogen-rich-world','2022-04-14 22:14:35.871420',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\"><strong> </strong>Since the mid-20th century, research and discussion have focused on the negative effects of excess nitrogen on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. However, new evidence indicates that the world is now experiencing a dual trajectory in nitrogen availability. Following years of attention to surplus nitrogen in the environment, our evolving understanding has led to new concerns about nitrogen insufficiency in areas of the world that do not receive significant inputs of nitrogen from human activities. In a new review paper, \"Evidence, Causes, and Consequences of Declining Nitrogen Availability in Terrestrial Ecosystems,” in the journal <em>Science</em>, a multi-institutional team of researchers describes the causes of declining nitrogen availability and how it affects ecosystem function.</p><p>“There is both too much nitrogen and too little nitrogen on Earth at the same time,” said Rachel Mason, lead author on the paper and former postdoctoral scholar at the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center.</p><p>Over the last century, humans have more than doubled the global supply of reactive nitrogen through industrial and agricultural activities. This nitrogen becomes concentrated in streams, inland lakes, and coastal bodies of water, sometimes resulting in eutrophication, low-oxygen dead zones, and harmful algal blooms. These negative impacts of excess nitrogen have led scientists to study nitrogen as a pollutant. However, rising carbon dioxide and other global changes have increased demand for nitrogen by plants and microbes, and the research team’s newly published paper demonstrates that nitrogen availability is declining in many regions of the world, with important consequences for plant growth.</p><p>“These results show how the world is changing in complex and surprising ways,” said Peter Groffman, a co-author on the paper and a professor with the Advanced Science Research Center at the CUNY Graduate Center’s Environmental Science Initiative. “Our findings show the importance of having long-term data as well as focused synthesis efforts to understand these changes and the implications they have for ecosystem and human health and well-being.”</p><p>Researchers reviewed long-term global and regional studies and found evidence of declining nitrogen availability caused by multiple environmental changes, one being elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Atmospheric carbon dioxide has reached its highest level in millions of years, and terrestrial plants are exposed to about 50% more of this essential resource than just 150 years ago. Elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide fertilizes plants, allowing faster growth but diluting plant nitrogen in the process. These processes have been observed in experiments that artificially elevate carbon dioxide in the air around plants, and there is now evidence that plants in natural settings are responding in the same way.</p><p>Nitrogen is an essential element for plants and the animals that eat them. Gardens, forests, and fisheries are all more productive when they are fertilized with nitrogen. If plant nitrogen becomes less available, trees grow more slowly and their leaves are less nutritious to insects, potentially reducing growth and reproduction, not only of insects, but also the birds and bats that feed on them.</p><p>“When nitrogen is less available, every living thing holds on to the element for longer, slowing the flow of nitrogen from one organism to another through the food chain. This is why we can say that the nitrogen cycle is seizing up,” said Andrew Elmore, senior author on the paper, and a professor of landscape ecology at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and at the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center.</p><p>On top of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide, rising global temperatures also affect plant and microbial processes associated with nitrogen supply and demand. Warming often improves conditions for growth, which can result in longer growing seasons, leading plant nitrogen demand to exceed the supply available in soils. Disturbances, including wildfires, can also remove nitrogen from systems and reduce availability over time.</p><p>Nitrogen is an essential element for plant growth and its declining availability has the potential to constrain the ability of plants to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Currently, global plant biomass stores nearly as much carbon as is contained in the atmosphere, and biomass carbon storage increases each year. To the extent plant storage of carbon reduces atmospheric carbon dioxide, it contributes to reductions in the global warming potential of the atmosphere. However, declining nitrogen availability jeopardizes the annual increase in plant carbon storage by imposing limitations to plant growth. Therefore, climate change models that attempt to estimate carbon stored in biomass, including trends over time, need to account for nitrogen availability.</p><p>“Despite strong indications of declining nitrogen availability in many places and contexts, spatial and temporal patterns are not yet well enough understood to efficiently direct global management efforts,” said Elmore. In the future, these data could be assembled into an annual state of the nitrogen cycle report or a global map of changing nitrogen availability that would represent a comprehensive resource for scientists, managers, and policy-makers.</p>','2022-04-14 22:14:35.871420','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Advanced Science Research Center, GC/CUNY','Following years of attention to surplus nitrogen in the environment, our evolving understanding has led to new concerns about nitrogen insufficiency in areas of the world that do not receive significant inputs of nitrogen from human activities. A multi-institutional team of researchers now describes the causes of declining nitrogen availability and how it affects ecosystem function.\n',1,34,'<li>Rachel E. Mason, Joseph M. Craine, Nina K. Lany, Mathieu Jonard, Scott V. Ollinger, Peter M. Groffman, Robinson W. Fulweiler, Jay Angerer, Quentin D. Read, Peter B. Reich, Pamela H. Templer, Andrew J. Elmore. <strong>Evidence, causes, and consequences of declining nitrogen availability in terrestrial ecosystems</strong>. <em>Science</em>, 2022; 376 (6590) DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abh3767\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1126/science.abh3767</a>\n</li>'),(2189,'Open sharing of biotechnology research: Transparency versus security','open-sharing-of-biotechnology-research:-transparency-versus-security','2022-04-14 22:14:38.199509',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">As biotechnology advances, the risk of accidental or deliberate misuse of biological research like viral engineering is increasing. At the same time, \"open science\" practices like the public sharing of research data and protocols are becoming widespread. An article publishing April 14 in the open access journal <em>PLOS Biology</em> by James Smith and Jonas Sandbrink at the University of Oxford, UK, examines how open science practices and the risks of misuse interface and proposes solutions to the problems identified.</p><p>The authors grapple with a critically important issue that emerged with the advent of nuclear physics: how the scientific community should react when two values -- security and transparency -- are in conflict. They argue that in the context of viral engineering, open code, data, and materials may increase the risk of the release of enhanced pathogens. Openly available machine learning models could reduce the amount of time needed in the laboratory and make pathogen engineering easier.</p><p>To mitigate such catastrophic misuse, mechanisms that ensure responsible access to relevant dangerous research materials need to be explored. In particular, to prevent the misuse of computational tools, controlling access to software and data may be necessary.</p><p>Preprints, which have become widely used during the pandemic, make preventing the spread of risky information at the publication stage difficult. In response, the authors argue that oversight needs to take place earlier in the research lifecycle. Lastly, Smith and Sandbrink highlight that research preregistration, a practice promoted by the open science community to increase research quality, may harbor an opportunity to review and mitigate research risks.</p><p>\"In the face of increasingly accessible methods for the creation of possible pandemic pathogens, the scientific community needs to take steps to mitigate catastrophic misuse,\" say Smith and Sandbrink. \"Risk mitigation measures need to be fused into practices developed to ensure open, high-quality, and reproducible scientific research. To make progress on this important issue, open science and biosecurity experts need to work together to develop mechanisms to ensure responsible research with maximal societal benefit.\"</p><p>The authors propose several of those mechanisms, and hope that the research will spur innovation in this critically important yet critically neglected area. They show that science cannot be just open or closed: there are intermediate states that need to be explored, and difficult trade-offs touching on core scientific values may be needed. \"In contrast to the strong narrative towards open science that has emerged in recent years, maximizing societal benefit of scientific work may sometimes mean preventing, rather than encouraging, its spread,\" they conclude.</p>','2022-04-14 22:14:38.199509','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'PLOS','As biotechnology advances, the risk of accidental or deliberate misuse of biological research like viral engineering is increasing. At the same time, \'open science\' practices like the public sharing of research data and protocols are becoming widespread. An article examines how open science practices and the risks of misuse interface and proposes solutions to the problems identified.\n',1,27,'<li>James Andrew Smith, Jonas B. Sandbrink. <strong>Biosecurity in an age of open science</strong>. <em>PLOS Biology</em>, 2022; 20 (4): e3001600 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001600\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1371/journal.pbio.3001600</a>\n</li>'),(2190,'New research sheds fresh light on the \'presenteeism\'','new-research-sheds-fresh-light-on-the-\'presenteeism\'','2022-04-14 22:14:52.558537',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Employees who are unwell only engage in presenteeism when they have not met their daily work goals, according to new research from Trinity College Dublin.</p><p>The study, published in the <em>Journal of Occupational Health Psychology</em> recently, also found that working on a day when you feel ill drains mental energy which cannot be recovered the next day.</p><p>The study seeks to shed further light on the phenomenon of \'presenteeism\' -- defined by the researchers as continuing to work when experiencing ill-health. The practice has been labelled an \'800-pound gorilla\' by researchers in occupational health psychology because of the tremendous costs it inflicts on employees and organisations alike. These costs include burnout, impaired workability, and productivity loss.</p><p>This study led by Dr Wladislaw Rivkin, Associate Professor in Organisational Behaviour, Trinity, deepens our understanding of the harmful impact of presenteeism on employee effectiveness by demonstrating that depletion of mental resources is a key mechanism responsible for these harmful effects.</p><p>The research involved 126 employees logging their daily productivity across 12 workdays, resulting in 995 daily work observations. It was conducted during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 when all participants were working from home.</p><p>Dr Rivkin commented:</p><p>\"It is crucial to tackle daily presenteeism, especially for remote workers. Managers should openly discourage presenteeism by reassuring team members that if they feel unwell it is acceptable to reduce their daily work goals and instead tend to their health. In light of the energy-depleting nature of presenteeism if employees engage in presenteeism they should work on tasks that are inherently pleasant rather than tedious tasks that further drain their energy.</p><p>\"So, while it may seem a good idea to work despite ill health to deliver on work goals our research shows that this has a knock-on effect for remote workers\' performance on the next day as presenteeism drains employees\' psychological energy, which cannot be fully recovered after work.\"</p><p>The full paper was entitled \"Should I stay or should I go? The role of daily presenteeism as an adaptive response to perform at work despite somatic complaints for employee effectiveness.\"</p><p>Wlad Rivkin is an Associate Professor in Organisational Behaviour and Work Psychology whose research focuses on burnout, stress and other demands that people experience at work as well as what organisations can do to protect employee wellbeing and maintain their effectiveness. Other recent research projects include studies on the impact of commuting on employee wellbeing, the role of willpower in overcoming the negative effects of a bad night\'s sleep and how smartphone use during non-work time impacts on sleep quality.</p>','2022-04-14 22:14:52.558537','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'Trinity College Dublin','Employees who are unwell only engage in \'presenteeism\' -- continuing to work when experiencing ill-health -- when they have not met their daily work goals, according to new research.\n',1,160,'<li>Wladislaw Rivkin, Stefan Diestel, Fabiola H. Gerpott, Dana Unger. <strong>Should I stay or should I go? The role of daily presenteeism as an adaptive response to perform at work despite somatic complaints for employee effectiveness.</strong>. <em>Journal of Occupational Health Psychology</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000322\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1037/ocp0000322</a>\n</li>'),(2191,'Light amplification accelerates chemical reactions in aerosols','light-amplification-accelerates-chemical-reactions-in-aerosols','2022-04-14 22:14:55.995983',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">Aerosols in the atmosphere react to incident sunlight. This light is amplified in the interior of the aerosol droplets and particles, accelerating reactions. ETH researchers have now been able to demonstrate and quantify this effect and recommend factoring it into future climate models.</p><p>Liquid droplets and very fine particles can trap light -- similar to how light can be caught between two mirrors. As a result, the intensity of the light inside them is amplified. This also happens in very fine water droplets and solid particles in our atmosphere, i.e. aerosols. Using modern X-ray microscopy, chemists at ETH Zurich and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) have now investigated how light amplification affects photochemical processes that take place in the aerosols. They were able to demonstrate that light amplification causes these chemical processes to be two to three times faster on average than they would be without this effect.</p><p>Using the Swiss Light Source at the PSI, the researchers studied aerosols consisting of tiny particles of iron(III) citrate. Exposure to light reduces this compound to iron(II) citrate. X-ray microscopy makes it possible to distinguish areas within the aerosol particles composed of iron(III) citrate from those made up of iron(II) citrate down to a precision of 25 nanometres. In this way, the scientists were able to observe and map in high resolution the temporal sequence of this photochemical reaction in individual aerosol particles.</p><p><strong>Decay upon exposure to light</strong></p><p>\"For us, iron(III) citrate was a representative compound that was easy to study with our method,\" says Pablo Corral Arroyo, a postdoc in the group headed by ETH Professor Ruth Signorell and a lead author of the study. Iron(III) citrate stands in for a whole range of other chemical compounds that can occur in the aerosols of the atmosphere. Many organic and inorganic compounds are light-sensitive, and when exposed to light, they can break down into smaller molecules, which can be gaseous and therefore escape. \"The aerosol particles lose mass in this way, changing their properties,\" Signorell explains. Among other things, they scatter sunlight differently, which affects weather and climate phenomena. In addition, their characteristics as condensation nuclei in cloud formation change.</p><p>As such, the results also have an effect on climate research. \"Current computer models of global atmospheric chemistry don\'t yet take this light amplification effect into account,\" ETH Professor Signorell says. The researchers suggest incorporating the effect into these models in future.</p><p><strong>Non-uniform reaction times in the particles</strong></p><p>Now precisely mapped and quantified, the light amplification in the particles comes about through resonance effects. The light intensity is greatest on the side of the particle opposite the one the light is shining on. \"In this hotspot, photochemical reactions are up to ten times faster than they would be without the resonance effect,\" says Corral Arroyo. Averaged over the entire particle, this gives an acceleration by the above-mentioned factor of two to three. Photochemical reactions in the atmosphere usually last several hours or even days.</p><p>Using the data from their experiment, the researchers were able to create a computer model to estimate the effect on a range of other photochemical reactions of typical aerosols in the atmosphere. It turned out that the effect does not pertain just to iron(III) citrate particles, but all aerosols -- particles or droplets -- made of compounds that can react with light. And these reactions are also two to three times faster on average.</p>','2022-04-14 22:14:55.995983','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'ETH Zurich','Aerosols in the atmosphere react to incident sunlight. This light is amplified in the interior of the aerosol droplets and particles, accelerating reactions. Researchers have now been able to demonstrate and quantify this effect and recommend factoring it into future climate models.\n',1,27,'<li>Pablo Corral Arroyo, Grégory David, Peter A. Alpert, Evelyne A. Parmentier, Markus Ammann, Ruth Signorell. <strong>Amplification of light within aerosol particles accelerates in-particle photochemistry</strong>. <em>Science</em>, 2022; 376 (6590): 293 DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abm7915\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1126/science.abm7915</a>\n</li>'),(2193,'Drug reduced frequency of breathing pauses in sleep apnea','drug-reduced-frequency-of-breathing-pauses-in-sleep-apnea','2022-04-15 04:18:51.279382',' <p class=\"lead\" id=\"first\">A new University of Gothenburg study has paved the way for the first drug treatment for sleep apnea. Compared to before receiving the treatment, breathing pauses decreased with on average more than 20 per hour for patients given the drug.</p><p>The treatment that has been tested is carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibition, CA being an enzyme that serves to maintain a balance between carbonic acid and carbon dioxide in the body. Several drugs with CA inhibitory properties are already available on the market, and used for treatment of glaucoma, epilepsy and other disorders.</p><p>Previous research has not systematically tested whether CA inhibitors also might be used to treat obstructive sleep apnea. The current study was a randomized double-blind clinical trial, and 59 patients with moderate or severe sleep apnea completed it. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups receiving either 400 or 200 mg of the CA inhibitor, and a third group (the control group) that received placebo. The study lasted for four weeks.</p><p><strong>Fewer breathing pauses</strong></p><p>The results show that, overall, the treatment reduced the number of breathing pauses and promoted oxygenation during the night. A few patients experienced side effects, such as headache and breathlessness, which were more common in those receiving the highest dose.</p><p>The study results together with established safety data of the drug sulthiame provide support for continued research on CA inhibition as a new potential treatment for obstructive sleep apnea.</p><p>\"Among the patients who received the higher dosage of the drug, the number of breathing pauses decreased by approximately 20 per hour. For just over a third of patients in the study, only half of their breathing pauses were left, and in one in five the number fell by at least 60 percent,\" says Jan Hedner, Professor of Pulmonary Medicine.</p><p>The fact that several approved drugs in the CA inhibitor category are available on the market makes fast-tracking development of an approved drug for sleep apnea practicable. The drug used in this clinical trial was sulthiame, which is sometimes used to treat epilepsy in children.</p><p><strong>Treatment options needed</strong></p><p>Today, treatment for a patient with sleep apnea is either an oral appliance therapy or a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) mask. Both help to maintain airway patency during sleep.</p><p>\"These therapy options take time to get used to and, since they frequently are perceived as intrusive or bulky. Insufficient user time is therefore common. If we develop an effective drug, it will therefore make life easier for many patients and, in the long run, potentially also save more lives,\" says Ludger Grote, Senior Lecturer at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg.</p><p>The German pharmaceutical company Desitin Arzneimittel GmbH funded the trial, and the results are published in the <em>American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine</em>.</p>','2022-04-15 04:18:51.279382','uploads/news/logo.jpg',1,'University of Gothenburg','A new study has paved the way for the first drug treatment for sleep apnea. Compared to before receiving the treatment, breathing pauses decreased with on average more than 20 per hour for patients given the drug.\n',1,201,'<li>Jan Hedner, Kaj Stenlöf, Ding Zou, Erik Hoff, Corinna Hansen, Katrin Kuhn, Peter Lennartz, Ludger Grote. <strong>A Randomized Controlled Trial Exploring Safety and Tolerability of Sulthiame in Sleep Apnea</strong>. <em>American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine</em>, 2022; DOI: <a href=\"http://dx.doi.org/10.1164/rccm.202109-2043oc\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">10.1164/rccm.202109-2043oc</a>\n</li>'),