Culture
Three papers published November 11 in Nature present major advances in understanding the evolution of birds and mammals, made possible by new methods for comparing the genomes of hundreds of species.
Comparative genomics uses genomic data to study the evolutionary relationships among species and to identify DNA sequences with essential functions conserved across many species. This approach requires an alignment of the genome sequences so that corresponding positions in different genomes can be compared, but that becomes increasingly difficult as the number of genomes grows.
Bo Li, Kai Kou, Research Fellows of IBS Center for Soft and Living Matter, Walter Kob, Professor of University of Montpellier and Institute Universitaire de France and Steve Granick, Director of the IBS Center for Soft and Living Matter report together in the 7833 issue of the journal Nature that onset of glass transition is a highly non-trivial process involving complex non-linear responses.
Scientists can now select individual cells from a population that grows on the surface of a laboratory dish and study their molecular contents. Developed by University of Toronto researchers, the new tool will enable a deeper study of stem cells and other rare cell types for therapy development.
The method is the first to marry cell microscopy with omics platforms to link the cells' physical parameters that are visible by eye, such as appearance, the presence of surface markers or cell-cell contacts, to their molecular makeup.
Looking for a bird's-eye view of human impact? A new study published in the journal Nature provides the most comprehensive picture yet of how human noise and light pollution affect birds throughout North America, including how these factors may interact with or mask the impacts of climate change.
Recent troubling findings suggest bird populations have declined by more than 30% in the last few decades. To develop effective strategies to reverse this trend, scientists and land managers need to understand what caused the decline.
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 11 A.M. ET, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 11, 2020
PITTSBURGH, Nov. 11, 2020 - Researchers from the Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine announced today in the journal Neuron that they've uncovered additional complexities behind mechanical allodynia--the sensation of pain from innocuous stimuli, such as light touch.
Carbon dioxide fuels photosynthesis, the process by which plants generate their food in the form of carbohydrates. The atmosphere's carbon dioxide levels are rapidly increasing, but there is uncertainty about whether plants can turn these extra resources into higher yields while retaining nutritional quality.
Researchers can now more accurately and precisely target specific proteins in yeast, mammalian cells and mice to study how knocking down specific protein traits can influence physical manifestation in a cell or organism.
The Japan-based team published their results on November 11th in Nature Communications.
A large international consortium led by scientists at Uppsala University and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard has sequenced the genome of 130 mammals and analysed the data together with 110 existing genomes to allow scientist to identify which are the important positions in the DNA. This new information can help both research on disease mutations in humans and how best to preserve endangered species. The study is published in Nature.
In 2030, one in three people in Europe will be over the age of 65, and all of these people will want to enjoy their old age and lead an active lifestyle. To be able to do so, however, it is crucial that people maintain their physical and mental health.
Wanted: simple and inexpensive prevention
In many neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's, protein aggregates form in the brain and are assumed to contribute to neuronal cell death. Yet there exists a cellular defence mechanism that counteracts these aggregates, known as amyloid fibrils, and can even dissolve fibrils already formed. This defence mechanism is based on the activity of molecular chaperones, i.e. protein folding helpers, of the heat shock protein 70 family (Hsp70).
Boston, MA -- In the last decade, concerns have emerged around finasteride, a drug used for treating male-pattern baldness and prostate gland enlargement. Organizations such as the Post-Finasteride Syndrome Foundation have warned about suicidality and psychological adverse events in people taking the drug. But studies on the association between finasteride and suicidality have been limited.
Toronto, ON - Hip fractures are one of the leading causes of hospitalization among older adults and are a strong predictor of mortality. There has been a steady and substantial decline in the incidence of hip fractures in the last four decades in much of the developed world including the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The reason for this trend is a medical mystery.
Toronto, ON - Young adults may be less susceptible to the serious adverse health effects of COVID-19, but they have not been absolved from economic and employment downturns -- and there has been little research on how employment insecurity has affected them. New research now shows a strong association between employment insecurity and common symptoms of anxiety and depression among young adults in the U.S.
A national study* of general practices in England has revealed the frequency of incidents of significant avoidable harm in primary care, and also important new details. For example, according to the research the main causes are diagnostic error (more than 60%), medication incidents (more than 25%) and delayed referrals (nearly 11%).
The study included 13 independent GPs undertaking a retrospective review of the case notes of more than 90,000 patients from 12** randomly selected general practices in three regions across England over a 12 month period.***
DALLAS - Nov. 11, 2020 - Even though repeated hits to the head are common in professional sports, the long-term effects of concussions are still poorly understood. While many believe that professional athletes who experience multiple concussions will end up with severe cognitive impairment later in life, a UT Southwestern study suggests that may not necessarily be the case.