Culture
Mycophenolic acid (MPA), discovered in 1893, was the first natural antibiotic to be isolated and crystallized in human history. Today, this fungal metabolite has been developed into multiple first-line immunosuppressive drugs to control immunologic rejection during organ transplantation and treat various autoimmune diseases.
However, the biogenesis of such an old and important molecule was an unsolved mystery for more than a century.
Researchers at The Westmead Institute for Medical Research have discovered brand new immune cells that are at the frontline of HIV infection. Known as CD11c+ dendritic cells, these new cells are more susceptible to HIV infection and can then transmit the virus to other cells.
Japanese scientists at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT), Teikyo University of Science, and Juntendo University have found -- in animal studies -- a close relationship between vortex flow and pressure differences in the ventricles, or lower chambers, of the heart. The new information could inform the development of new markers for cardiovascular dysfunction that can lead to heart failure.
Their findings were published on April, 2019 in the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology.
High-resolution microscopic images of the surface of dental enamel of lepidosauria, which is a subclass of reptiles including monitor lizards, iguanas, lizards, and tuatara, allow scientists to determine their dietary habits. The enamel wear patterns reveal significant differences between carnivores and herbivores, but also allow finer distinctions, such as between algae-, fruit-, and mollusk-eating species. These findings are the result of research by a team led by scientists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU).
Researchers from MIPT, Skoltech, the Joint Institute for High Temperatures of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Lomonosov Moscow State University have offered a new approach to oil composition analysis. They used high temperature and pressure to dissolve oil in water and analyze its composition. The new method is compliant with the green chemistry principle as it makes it possible to avoid using environmentally hazardous solvents. The paper was published in the Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry journal.
We usually think that trauma from war is related to the fact that soldiers have been under constant threat of death. New research shows a slightly different picture.
The types of trauma that Norwegian soldiers were exposed to in Afghanistan greatly affected the psychological aftermath of their experiences.
Psychologist Andreas Espetvedt Nordstrand and his research team have looked at how exposure to different types of traumatic experiences influenced Norwegian veterans who were in Afghanistan.
Washington, DC - When it comes to getting a date, there's any number of ways people can present themselves and their interests. One of the newer phenomena is a "foodie call" where a person sets up a date with someone they are not romantically interested in, for the purpose of getting a free meal. New research finds that 23 - 33% of women in an online study say they've engaged in a "foodie call."
The cumulative stresses caused by historic earthquakes could provide some explanation as to why and where they occur, according to new research.
Scientists have previously struggled to identify patterns for earthquakes happening in hazardous areas around the world, with the suggestion that they appear to strike largely at random.
However, a study published in Nature Communications suggests that Coulomb pre-stress - the static stress present on a fault plane prior to rupture - can go some way to explaining both historical and modern series of earthquakes.
CAMBRIDGE, MA -- MIT chemical engineers have devised a new way to create very tiny droplets of one liquid suspended within another liquid, known as nanoemulsions. Such emulsions are similar to the mixture that forms when you shake an oil-and-vinegar salad dressing, but with much smaller droplets. Their tiny size allows them to remain stable for relatively long periods of time.
Bacteria living on the skin of frogs could save them from a deadly virus, new research suggests.
Ranavirus kills large numbers of European common frogs - the species most often seen in UK ponds - and is one of many threats facing amphibians worldwide.
Scientists from the University of Exeter and ZSL's Institute of Zoology compared the bacteria living on frogs - known as their "microbiome" - from groups with varying history of ranavirus.
Chameleon prawns change colour to camouflage themselves as the seaweed around them changes seasonally, new research shows.
Unlike chameleons and cuttlefish, chameleon prawns (Hippolyte varians) take weeks to change colour, so the study - by the University of Exeter and the Federal University of ABC (Brazil) - shows that their abilities are suited to seasonal changes to their surroundings rather than rapidly adapting to new backgrounds.
Researchers have found no link between exposure to emissions from municipal waste incinerators (MWIs) and infant deaths or reduced foetal growth.
However, they show living closer to the incinerators themselves is associated with a very small increase in the risk of some birth defects, compared to the general population. But whether this is directly related to the incinerator or not remains unclear.
The findings come from the largest and most comprehensive analysis to date of the effects of municipal waste incinerators (MWIs) on public health in the UK.
SAN ANTONIO -- Nearly 6% of athletes and non-athletes were found to have the neurodegenerative disorder chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in the largest, and broadest, study conducted of the disease to date. The findings were published June 14 in the international journal Brain Pathology.
SAN ANTONIO -- June 20, 2019 -- NASA has selected Southwest Research Institute to lead the "Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere" (PUNCH) mission, a landmark Small Explorers Program mission that will image beyond the Sun's outer corona.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Scientists may have discovered more reasons to love chocolate.
A new study by researchers at the University of Illinois suggests that three of the phenolic compounds in cocoa bean shells have powerful effects on the fat and immune cells in mice, potentially reversing the chronic inflammation and insulin resistance associated with obesity.