Brain
Philadelphia, February 4, 2020 - Non-invasive prenatal tests (NIPTs) are used for fetal genetic disease screening in pregnant women. In contrast, invasive tests like amniocentesis carry the risk of causing fetal harm. A report in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, published by Elsevier, describes the development of a single-cell DNA assessment method with high sensitivity and specificity.
Altruistic helping -- the act of giving away something desirable, even at a cost to oneself - is perhaps no more evident than when it comes to food.
Human adults often respond to hungry people, whether through food banks or fundraisers, or by simply handing over their lunch. But when, and how, does that spirit of giving start?
Researchers at Seoul National University and Inha University in South Korea developed photo-sensitive artificial nerves that emulated functions of a retina by using 2-dimensional carbon nitride (C3N4) nanodot materials. Further, through the photo-sensitive artificial nerves which selectively detected ultraviolet (UV) light and processed the information, smart window platform was demonstrated for in-situ modulation of exposure to UV rays depending on the degree of UV exposure and risk.
FEBRUARY 3, 2020, NEW YORK -- A Ludwig Cancer Research study has devised a new type of chimeric antigen-receptor (CAR) T cell--a family of promising immunotherapies for cancer--that can be switched on and off on demand.
Baltimore, MD - February 3, 2020 - People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) appear to suffer malfunctions in a cell that produces a special coating around nerve fibers that facilitates efficient electrical communication across the brain. And correcting it could offer a potential new avenue for treatment, according to a new study published today in the journal Nature Neuroscience from scientists at the Lieber Institute for Brain Development (LIBD).
An international research group with Dr. Longjian Xie from the Bavarian Research Institute of Experimental Geochemistry & Geophysics (BGI) of the University of Bayreuth has succeeded for the first time in measuring the viscosity that silicate melt exhibit under the pressure and temperature conditions found in the lower earth mantle. The data obtained support the assumption that a bridgmanite-enriched rock layer was formed during the early history of the earth at a depth of around 1,000 kilometres - at the border to the upper mantle.
Bulky globular proteins require specialized transport systems for insertion into membranes. Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich researchers have determined the structure of such a system for the first time, and propose that it exploits the principle of the airlock.
Proteins often form assemblies and thereby perform sophisticated functions in cells as best exemplified by proteasomes, which are huge enzyme complexes functioning as proteolytic machines. In eukaryotes, this proteasome formation is not a spontaneous process but is assisted by several other proteins, termed proteasome-assembling chaperones. Paradoxically, archaeal genomes encode proteasome-assembling chaperone homologs, denoting a shared ancestry between genes, although archaeal proteasome formation is a spontaneous process not requiring these chaperones.
It is now possible to predict who the best candidate for receiving an organ transplant is, know whether clients of a bank will return the loans they request, choose the films that best coincide with the interests of consumers or even select someone's ideal partner. Mathematical algorithms constantly analyse millions of items of data, identify patterns and make predictions about all areas of life. But in most cases, the results give little more than a closed prediction that cannot be interpreted and which is often affected by biases in the original data.
(Boston)--For the first time, researchers describe the genetic program behind primordial lung progenitors--embryonic cells that give rise to all the cells that form the lining of the respiratory system after birth. They believe this study has long-term implications for the treatment of diseases affecting the respiratory system, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and cystic fibrosis.
DNA in preserved museum specimens can allow scientists to explore the history of species and humanities impact on the ecosystem, but samples are typically preserved in formaldehyde which can damage DNA and make very difficult to recover.
Researchers have used a vortex fluidic device (VFD) to speed up DNA extraction from an American lobster preserved in formaldehyde - with the results providing a roadmap for exploring DNA from millions of valuable and even extinct species in museums worldwide.
During embryogenesis in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the first cell division occurs transverse to the long axis of the fertilized egg. In a new study, biophysicists at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich have now shown how this axis is reliably selected.
Drifting algae in the Austral Ocean can bring invasive species to the Antarctic coasts, according to a study published in the journal Scientific Reports. The new study describes the first scientific evidence of a potentially invasive and colonial species -the marine bryozoan Membranipora membranacea- which reaches the Antarctic latitude islands in macroalgae that drift in the marine environment.
In a study probing the boundary between the classical and quantum worlds, researchers laser-cooled a tiny glass nanoparticle with the density of a solid object to a quantum state. The particle they cooled and manipulated, while quite small in itself, is millions of times larger and far more complex than the atomic-scale objects most often used to investigate quantum motion. The researchers' new method may allow for otherwise unachievable quantum manipulations of objects involving large masses and offers a promising new platform for studying macro-quantum physics more broadly.
Chestnut Hill, Mass. - Refugees from Bhutan and Somalia report high rates of approval for a new intervention program developed "for refugees, by refugees" to help strengthen immigrant families as they settle in the US, according to a new study by the Boston College team that developed and implemented the community-based initiative.