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In a supramolecular realm: Advances in intracellular spaces with de novo designed peptide
Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) have set out to harness the potential of self-assembling peptides (SAPs) in intracellular spaces. They present a de novo designed peptide, Y15, which displays a strong tendency to assemble in cellular environments. The addition of Y15-tagged bioactive proteins can functionalize these assemblies, enhancing their utility and relevance by leaps and bounds.
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Mefloquine: A promising drug 'soldier' in the battle against COVID-19
In the 'war' that the world has been fighting against COVID-19, scientists have been scanning their arsenals of previously used drugs in hopes of finding any that can be used to treat the disease. One of the contenders under scrutiny, an anti-malarial drug called mefloquine shows great promise, according to a new breakthrough study by a team of Japanese scientists, perhaps giving us a better fighting chance.
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Using AI to predict 3D printing processes
Metal additive manufacturing (AM) experiments are slow and expensive. Engineers from the University of Illinois are using physics-informed neural networks to predict the outcomes of complex processes involved in AM. The team trained the model on supercomputers at the Texas Advanced Computing Center using experimental and simulated data. They recreated the dynamics of two benchmark experiments in metal AM. The method could lead to fast prediction tools for AM in the future.
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The rise and fall of elephants
Earth-historical events such as ice ages or the shifting of continental plates are mainly responsible for the evolutionary success of proboscideans, but also for their decline. This is the main conclusion of a study published this week in Nature Ecology & Evolution by an international research team from Spain, Finland, Great Britain, Germany and Argentina with the participation of the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin.
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For women workers in India, direct deposit is 'digital empowerment'
The study, published in the American Economic Review, found that a relatively simple intervention directed to poor women -- providing them access to their own bank accounts and direct deposit for their earnings from a federal workfare program, along with basic training on how to use local bank kiosks -- increased the amount they worked, both in the government program and for other employers.
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Scientists resurrect 'forgotten' genus of algae living in marine animals
resurrected the genus Philozoon by using modern technologies to thoroughly characterize two of the species of algae that biologist Patrick Geddes had investigated in the mid-to-late 19th century, along with six new related ones.
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Newly discovered genetic variants in a single gene cause neurodevelopmental disorder
Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered that genetic variants in a neuro-associated gene called SPTBN1 are responsible for causing a neurodevelopmental disorder. The study, published in Nature Genetics, is a first step in finding a potential therapeutic strategy for this disorder, and it increases the number of genes known to be associated with conditions that affect how the brain functions.
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Rewiring the adult brain — Scanning the mind of a blind Batman reveals that novel maps can emerge in the adult brain
The adult brain is more malleable than previously thought, according to researchers from IDC Herzliya. They trained a 50-year-old man, blind from birth, to "see" by ear, and found that neural circuits in his brain formed so-called topographic maps - a brain organization previously thought to emerge only in infancy. This finding, reported in Neuroimage, sheds new light on the brain's ability for change and holds promise to restore lost functions, for example, after a stroke
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Antidiabetic drug causes double the weight loss of competitor in Type 2 diabetes patients
Patients with Type 2 diabetes who were prescribed SGLT2 inhibitors lost more weight than patients who received GLP-1 receptor agonists, according to a University at Buffalo-led study.
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Chasing the cells that predict death from severe COVID-19
By studying T cells, a team of scientists at Gladstone Institutes has uncovered fundamental differences between patients who overcome severe COVID-19 and those who succumb to it. The team also found that dying patients harbor relatively large numbers of T cells able to infiltrate the lung, which may contribute to the extensive lung deterioration that is a hallmark of fatal COVID-19.
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Novel microscopy method at UT Southwestern provides look into future of cell biology
What if a microscope allowed us to explore the 3D microcosm of blood vessels, nerves, and cancer cells instantaneously in virtual reality? What if it could provide views from multiple directions in real time without physically moving the specimen and worked up to 100 times faster than current technology?
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Scientists reveal a new therapeutic vulnerability in pancreatic cancer
Reducing levels of a hormone prevented metastasis and prolonged survival in mice with pancreatic cancer, a study from Columbia has found, which could lead to new treatments for patients.
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Better predicting how plants and animals will weather climate extremes
A team of scientists has devised a more accurate way to predict the effects of climate change on plants and animals -- and whether some will survive at all.
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Unlocking the power of the microbiome
Not only animals and humans host a complex community of microorganisms -- plants do this as well. Researchers at ETH Zurich have recently published two new studies that shed light on fundamental aspects of these close -- and often overlooked -- relationships.
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New chatbot can explain apps and show you how they access hardware or data
Researchers at Aalto University have harnessed the power of chatbots to help designers and developers develop new apps and allow end users to find information on the apps on their devices. The chatbot 'Hey GUI' can answer questions by showing images and screenshots of apps, or through simple text phrases.
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Astonishing altitude changes in marathon flights of migratory birds
Extreme differences in flight altitude between day and night may have been an undetected pattern amongst migratory birds -- until now. The observation was made by researchers at Lund University in Sweden in a study of great snipes, where they also measured a new altitude record for migratory birds, irrespective of the species, reaching 8,700 meters.
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Fibromyalgia likely the result of autoimmune problems
New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London, in collaboration with the University of Liverpool and the Karolinska Institute, has shown that many of the symptoms in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) are caused by antibodies that increase the activity of pain-sensing nerves throughout the body.The results show that fibromyalgia is a disease of the immune system, rather than the currently held view that it originates in the brain.
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SARS-CoV-2 replication targets nasal ciliated cells early in COVID-19 infection
SARS-CoV-2 replication targets nasal ciliated cells early in COVID-19 infection. The establishment of nasal mucosal immunity against SARS-CoV-2 through a nasal vaccine could be the most efficient way to combat COVID-19 infection.
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Study identifies risk factors for severe COVID-19 in individuals with sickle cell disease
New research published today in the journal Blood Advances finds that certain factors, such as a history of severe pain episodes and coexisting organ conditions, increase the risk of severe COVID-19 illness, including hospitalization, in individuals living with sickle cell disease (SCD). According to researchers, the study results underscore the need for COVID-19 risk reduction strategies and vaccination for this medically vulnerable population.
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Catalyzing the conversion of biomass to biofuel
Zeolites are extremely porous materials: Ten grams can have an internal surface area the size of a soccer field. Their cavities make them useful in catalyzing chemical reactions and thus saving energy. An international research team has now made new findings regarding the role of water molecules in these processes. One important application is the conversion of biomass into biofuel.
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