Culture
Sugars and fats are the primary fuels that power every cell, tissue and organ. For most cells, sugar is the energy source of choice, but when nutrients are scarce, such as during starvation or extreme exertion, cells will switch to breaking down fats instead.
The mechanisms for how cells rewire their metabolism in response to changes in resource availability are not yet fully understood, but new research reveals a surprising consequence when one such mechanism is turned off: an increased capacity for endurance exercise.
New Rochelle, NY, August 13, 2020--A rational design approach created novel variants of adeno-associated viral (AAV) capsids. These have improved transduction properties in the mouse retina and cornea. as reported in the peer-reviewed journal Human Gene Therapy. Click here to read the full-text article free on the Human Gene Therapy website through September 13, 2020.
The efficient gene delivery of these variants was confirmed in non-human primate tissue.
"I'm fascinated with life, and that's why I want to break it."
Heavier mixed-breed dogs have higher health risks if neutered or spayed early, according to a new study from researchers at the University of California, Davis. The study found mixed-breed dogs weighing more than 44 pounds as adults are at higher risk for one or more joint disorders if neutered before 1 year of age. Dogs weighing up to 43 pounds had no increased risk for joint problems. The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
While there are many pests affecting cotton, the reniform nematode is one the most damaging, with the ability to cause annual losses of approximately $33 million within the Mid-Southern United States. Farmers struggle to manage this pest as commercially available resistance is not widespread and a limited number of products are commercially available for use in suppressing the reniform nematode.
One-third of the people who could benefit from a special type of savings account to cushion the blow of their health plan deductible aren't doing so, according to a new study.
And even among people who do open a health savings account (HSA), half haven't put any money into it in the past year. This means they may be missing a chance to avoid taxes on money that they can use to pay for their health insurance deductible and other health costs.
Obesity as assessed by body mass index is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and progression of kidney disease in those with chronic kidney disease (CKD). In this cohort of patients with CKD, Sankar D. Navaneethan et al studied whether different obesity measures such as intra-abdominal fat, liver fat, and subcutaneous fat (obtained using an MRI scan) were associated with known cardiometabolic risk factors. The authors further assessed whether physical function (measured using a 400m walk test) was independently associated with the same cardiometabolic risk factors.
Bottom Line: Adult survivors of childhood abdominal and pelvic cancers who had been treated with radiation therapy experienced abnormalities in body composition and had worse cardiometabolic health compared with the general population.
Journal in Which the Study was Published: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research
Author: Carmen Wilson, PhD, assistant member in the Epidemiology and Cancer Control department at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Breast screening women aged 40-49 reduces breast cancer mortality, with minimal increased overdiagnosis, according to a study led by Queen Mary University of London that looked at data from 160,000 women.
The UK, along with many other countries, has a breast cancer screening programme offering mammography to women aged 50-70 years every 3 years. However, uncertainty currently exists over whether to start screening at a younger age, including whether it might lead to overdiagnosis of breast cancer.
Children made up a very small proportion--just 1%--of all confirmed COVID-19 cases in England during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, despite the large numbers of them tested, reveals a study based on national monitoring data, and published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
The findings confirm that, unlike adults, children aren't an important source of COVID-19 infection, say the researchers.
The gender of the human remains found inside a cremation pyre pit in Beisamoun, Israel remains unknown. What is known is that the individual was a young adult injured by a flint projectile several months prior to their death in spring some 9,000 years ago. Preserved due to it being buried, the pit represents the oldest proof of direct (1) cremation in the Middle-East.
One of the hallmarks of severe COVID-19 is shortness of breath and significantly reduced levels of oxygen in the blood, called hypoxemia. Upon hospitalization, these patients are administered oxygen in an attempt to bring their levels back up to normal. However, a new study hints that this universal therapy may have unintended consequences via an unexpected source--the microbiome.
NEW YORK, NY (Aug. 12) -- Columbia researchers have uncovered an array of new genes that cause stillbirth, significantly increasing the understanding of the condition's genetic foundations. The findings suggest that genetic analysis could be used to counsel parents who have previously experienced stillbirth and to unlock new human biology.
ADELPHI, Md. -- In the future, a Soldier and a game controller may be all that's needed to teach robots how to outdrive humans.
At the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command's Army Research Laboratory and the University of Texas at Austin, researchers designed an algorithm that allows an autonomous ground vehicle to improve its existing navigation systems by watching a human drive. The team tested its approach--called adaptive planner parameter learning from demonstration, or APPLD--on one of the Army's experimental autonomous ground vehicles.
Entirely novel materials and known materials alike can be produced by means of self-organization in chemical systems. Applications range from sensors and batteries to fuel cells, among other technological possibilities.