Content

The microscopic algae that live inside and provide nutrients to their reef-building coral hosts may be evolving in tandem with the corals they inhabit. A new study by Penn State biologists reveals that genetic differences within a species of these microalgal symbionts correspond to the coral species they inhabit, a discovery that could have implications for the conservation of these endangered corals.

This study aimed to assess the prognostic value of cTnI in COVID-19 patients.

Scientists from Japan, Europe and the USA have described a pathway leading to the accelerated flowering of plants in low-nitrogen soils. These findings could eventually lead to increases in agricultural production.

Australian scientists have found what could prove to be a new and effective way to treat a particularly aggressive blood cancer in children.

Researchers at the Department of Robotics Engineering at South Korea's Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) have developed and tested a new type of human-like mechanical hand that combines the benefits of existing robot hands while eliminating their weaknesses. They describe their new design in the journal Soft Robotics.

A genetic study of 840,000 people found that shifting sleep time earlier by just an hour decreases risk of major depression by 23%.

The new findings identify a potential contributor to microcephaly, a birth defect in which the head is underdeveloped and abnormally small.

A breast cancer therapy that requires just one shot of radiotherapy is as effective as traditional radiotherapy, and avoids potential damage to nearby organs.

In collaboration with Kanazawa University, researchers from Osaka City University used high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) to visualize at the nanometer level the movement of individual particles within the parasitic bacterium Mycoplasma mobile. After confirming the outline on the surface of the cell structure in an immobilized state with previous data gathered from electron microscopy, the team succeeded in visualizing the real-time movements of the internal structure by scanning the outside of the cell with HS-AFM.

A new study exploits the characteristic epigenetic signatures of childhood tumors to detect, classify and monitor the disease. The scientists analyzed short fragments of tumor DNA that are circulating in the blood. These "liquid biopsy" analyses exploit the unique epigenetic landscape of bone tumors and do not depend on any genetic alterations, which are rare in childhood cancers. This approach promises to improve personalized diagnostics and, possibly, future therapies of childhood tumors.

Understanding every step in the life cycle of a virus is crucial for identifying potential targets for treatment. Now, scientists at the Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria were able to show how a virus from the retrovirus family - the same family as HIV - protects its genetic information and becomes infectious. Furthermore, they show an unexpected flexibility of the virus. This study is published in the journal Nature Communications.

A new study published in Nature Scientific Reports has found that Methylene Blue, a century old medicine, has the potential to be a highly effective, broad-spectrum UV irradiation protector that absorbs UVA and UVB, repairs ROS and UV irradiation induced DNA damages, and is safe for coral reefs. The study suggests that Methylene Blue could become an alternative sunscreen ingredient that supports the environment and protects human skin health.

The technology using DNA-based genealogy that solved a double murder in Linköping opens completely new possibilities in investigating serious crime. LiU researchers are now involved in spreading new knowledge about the technology, which brings hope to police forces and has aroused major international interest.

Mount Sinai researchers created a machine learning model to determine COVID-19 patients most at risk for treatment requiring dialysis or critical illness leading to death.

The next generation of electric vehicle batteries, with greater range and improved safety, could be emerging in the form of lithium metal, solid-state technology.

New tool uses AI technology to assess the severity of lung infections and inform treatmentArtificial intelligence (AI) technology developed by researchers at the University of Waterloo is capable of assessing the severity of COVID-19 cases with a promising degree of accuracy.

App developers can improve the profitability of free apps by strategically deploying or eliminating their paid version counterparts over an app's lifetime.

Plastic pollution has been found in seawater, on beaches and inside marine animals at the Galapagos Islands.

People living in deprived, less affluent neighborhoods spent less time indoors at home during lockdown, according to a study that tracked data from millions of mobile phone users across the United States.

Corals are in trouble. All across the globe the diverse and dynamic ecosystems are taking huge hits year after year. The Great Barrier Reef has lost half of its coral since 1995. Scientists are seeing similar declines in reefs from Hawai'i to the Florida Keys and across the Indo-Pacific region.