Content

A massive volcanic eruption in Indonesia about 74,000 years ago likely caused severe climate disruption in many areas of the globe, but early human populations were sheltered from the worst effects, according to a Rutgers-led study.

DNA is composed of nucleobases represented by the letters A, T, G and C. But in a bacteriophage, another base, represented by the letter Z, exists. Scientists from the Institut Pasteur and the CNRS, in collaboration with the CEA, have now elucidated the biosynthesis pathway of this base. This work has been published in the April 30th, 2021 issue of Science.

To enable tissue renewal, human tissues constantly eliminate millions of cells, without jeopardizing tissue integrity, form and connectivity. The mechanisms involved in maintaining this integrity remain unknown. Scientists from the Institut Pasteur and the CNRS reveal a new process which allows eliminated cells to temporarily protect their neighbors from cell death, thereby maintaining tissue integrity. The results of the research were published in the journal Developmental Cell on June 2, 2021.

Scientists from the Institut Pasteur (CNRS joint unit), in collaboration with Hopital Europeen Georges Pompidou (AP-HP), Orleans Regional Hospital and Strasbourg University Hospital, demonstrated that the Delta variant is less sensitive to neutralizing antibodies than the Alpha variant.Sera from people vaccinated with two doses of mRNA vaccine effectively neutralized the Delta variant. Sera from individuals who had received a single dose of specific vaccines were inactive or barely active against the Delta and Beta variants.

In a mouse model, scientists from the Institut Pasteur, in collaboration with Inserm, Université de Paris and Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital (AP-HP) demonstrated that the immaturity of both the gut microbiota and epithelial barriers such as the gut and choroid plexus play a role in the susceptibility of newborn infants to bacterial meningitis caused by group B streptococcus (GBS). The findings were published in the journal Cell Reports on June 29, 2021

Food insecurity is a major problem in the US, and it worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides some relief, but millions of Americans still lack adequate access to healthy food. A new study from the University of Illinois proposes a potential solution.

Researchers analyzed almost 30,000 RT-PCR tests on swabs from 4,269 players in 2020: 11.7% turned out positive. The rate was the same as among front-line health workers.

Certain metabolites of bacteria from the intestine make immune cells more aggressive as a new study conducted by scientists from german universities in Würzburg and Marburg reveals. The findings could help improve cancer therapies.

The major cause of Parkinson's Disease is a dysregulation of immune genes central for fighting against viruses, a new study reveals. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen show that this dysregulation leads to a malfunction in the cell's powerhouse, which cannot produce sufficient energy for neurons to stay alive, causing them to gradually die.

Primary care clinicians face a heavy administrative burden, spending significantly more time using the electronic health record (EHR) than their counterparts in other specialties.

What The Study Did: Researchers characterized clinical content of ambulatory care among office-based compared with telemedicine visits in the United States before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What The Study Did: This survey study examined disparities in COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and approaches to improve vaccination rates among adults in China.

Daily step counts increased by approximately 1,200 among veterans who were given goals and participated in game-like interventions with loss-framed cash rewards

Researchers at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona describe the mechanism through which a non-toxic derivative of the tetanus neurotoxin (Hc-TeTx) may serve to treat depression and neurodegenerative diseases, as has already been demonstrated in animal models.

Scientists established an efficient genetic engineering platform in Pichia pastoris.

Although the giant panda is in practice a herbivore, its masticatory system functions differently from the other herbivores. Through the processes of natural selection, the giant panda's dietary preference has strongly impacted the evolution of its teeth and jaws. Researchers have solved the mystery of how the giant panda's special stomatognathic system functions.

Biologist Professor Lutz Becks and his team observe the genetic imprint of the surprisingly rapid transition from unicellular to multicellular life

A team of physicists from the Harvard-MIT Center for Ultracold Atoms and other universities has developed a special type of quantum computer known as a programmable quantum simulator capable of operating with 256 quantum bits, or "qubits."

New study finds more than 4,000 songbirds can taste sugar, contrary to conventional wisdom.

The NCyborg Project, a new stroke rehabilitation pattern based on brain-computer interface technology and brain-inspired intelligent robot technology, is a collaboration between China's Tongji Hospital and BrainCo. The two organizations will draw on these technologies to improve rehabilitation treatment and outcomes for stroke survivors.