Brain
Scientists at the University of Eastern Finland and the University of Oxford have shown that small RNA molecules occurring naturally in cells, i.e. microRNAs, are also abundant in cell nuclei. Previously, microRNAs were mainly thought to be found in cytoplasm. The scientists also discovered that microRNA concentrations in cell nuclei change as a result of hypoxia. The findings strongly suggest that microRNAs play a role in the expression of genes in the cell nucleus. This observation is crucial for the development of novel gene therapy, among other things.
Scientists have helped unravel the protective - and potentially harmful - effect of iron in the body.
In a series of early-stage studies examining genetic data from over 500,000 people, a team of international scientists, led by Imperial College London, explored the role that iron plays in over 900 diseases.
The results reveal not only are naturally higher iron levels associated with a lower risk of high cholesterol levels, they also reduce the risk of arteries becoming furred with a build-up of fatty substances.
Skoltech scientists looked into the differences in the concentrations of multiple metabolites in healthy humans and individuals suffering from Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), gaining a deeper insight into the molecular processes that take place in the brain of autistic individuals. The results of the study were published in Nature's Communications Biology journal.
Hailed as a pioneer by Photonics Media for his previous discoveries of supercontinuum and Cr tunable lasers, City College of New York Distinguished Professor of Science and Engineering Robert R. Alfano and his research team are claiming another breakthrough with a new super class of photons dubbed "Majorana photons." They could lead to enhanced information on quantum-level transition and imaging of the brain and its working.
A new study by a team of CHU Sainte-Justine and Université de Montréal scientists has revealed that social media use and television viewing are linked to increases in adolescent depressive symptoms.
More than half of the world's active volcanoes are not monitored instrumentally. Hence, even eruptions that could potentially have rung an alarm can occur without people at risk having a clue of the upcoming disaster. As a first and early step towards a volcano early warning system, a research project headed by Sébastien Valade from the Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin) and the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam led to a new volcano monitoring platform which analyses satellite images using - amongst other methods - "artificial intelligence" (AI).
New Rochelle, NY, July 15, 2019--A new study has shown that videogames, when used as part of an emotional intelligence training program, can help teenagers evaluate, express, and manage their own emotions immediately after the training. The study design, interpretation of results, and implications of these findings are published in Games for Health Journal, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. publishers.
Natural compounds isolated from Nectandra leucantha, a neotropical tree species belonging to the laurel family (Lauraceae) and endemic to the Atlantic Rainforest biome in Brazil, where its common name is canela-seca or canela-branca, could result in new medications for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis and Chagas disease.
(MEMPHIS, Tenn. - July 15, 2019) Life depends on double-stranded DNA unwinding and separating into single strands that can be copied for cell division. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have determined at atomic resolution the structure of machinery that drives the process. The research appears today in the journal Nature Communications.
What The Study Did: This study of 1,600 older adults free of dementia at baseline examined whether accumulation over a lifetime of cognitive and social activities was associated with a slower rate of memory loss and a reduced risk of dementia, taking into account brain pathologies.
Authors: Xiuying Qi, Ph.D., and Weili Xu, M.D., Ph.D., of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China, are the corresponding authors.
(doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2019.2455)
A study of up to 4.4m adult participants has shown that those who were born pre-term (under 37 weeks gestation) are less likely to form romantic relationships, have sexual relations or experience parenthood than those who were born full term
Research from the University of Warwick suggests it's partly due to pre-term birth being associated with being more often withdrawn and shy, socially excluded and less likely to take risks in adolescence
In recent years, the idea of life on other planets has become less far-fetched. NASA announced June 27 that it will send a vehicle to Saturn's icy moon, Titan, a celestial body known to harbor surface lakes of methane and an ice-covered ocean of water, boosting its chance for supporting life.
A new study from The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, published this week in JAMA Network Open, finds that Accountable Care Organization (ACO)-reported care management and coordination activities were not associated with improved outcomes or lower spending for patients with complex needs.
MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, Mass. (July 12, 2019) --A research collaboration between Tufts University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences has led to the development of a significantly improved delivery mechanism for the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing method in the liver, according to a study published recently in the journal Advanced Materials. The delivery uses biodegradable synthetic lipid nanoparticles that carry the molecular editing tools into the cell to precisely alter the cells' genetic code with as much as 90 percent efficiency.
Being able to see green spaces from your home is associated with reduced cravings for alcohol, cigarettes and harmful foods, new research has shown.
The study, led by the University of Plymouth, is the first to demonstrate that passive exposure to nearby greenspace is linked to both lower frequencies and strengths of craving.
It builds on previous research suggesting exercising in nature can reduce cravings, by demonstrating the same may be true irrespective of physical activity.