Tech
Our biological processes rely on a system of communications -- cellular signals -- that set off chain reactions in and between target cells to produce a response. The first step in these often complex communications is the moment a molecule binds to a receptor on or in a cell, prompting changes that can trigger further signals that propagate across systems. From food tasting and blood oxygenation during breathing to drug therapy, receptor binding is the fundamental mechanism that unlocks a multitude of biological functions and responses.
Pyrite, or fool's gold, is a common mineral that reacts quickly with oxygen when exposed to water or air, such as during mining operations, and can lead to acid mine drainage. Little is known, however, about the oxidation of pyrite in unmined rock deep underground.
A new, multi-scale approach to studying pyrite oxidation deep underground suggests that fracturing and erosion at the surface set the pace of oxidation, which, when it occurs slowly, avoids runaway acidity and instead leaves behind iron oxide "fossils."
TORONTO, ON - An examination of two documented periods of climate change in the greater Middle East, between approximately 4,500 and 3,000 years ago, reveals local evidence of resilience and even of a flourishing ancient society despite the changes in climate seen in the larger region.
Importantly, Flinders University's Professor of Aquaculture Jian Qin - who led the study with Flinders colleague Professor Youhong Tang ¬- says this simple device could become commercially viable and enable a "real-time" monitoring of spoilage in seafood to ensure food safety for consumers.
The first author of this publication was Professor Yonghua Jiang, a visiting scholar from Jimei University, China. She estimates that this device can be a major cost saver for the seafood industry and retailers, as spoilage accounts for at least 10% of all seafood production.
LUGANO, 29 October, 2020 - Disruptive innovations in psoriasis are leading the way at EADV's 29th Congress, EADV Virtual. New data published today shows the first clinical evidence of modulating systemic inflammation by oral delivery of a non-living single strain commensal microbe. This new therapeutic class brings hope for a completely new way of treating this debilitating skin condition (1).
Drugs prescribed to high-risk stroke patients are costing the NHS hundreds of millions each year - but they are so effective, the service is actually saving money.
Analysis of stroke data showed that the cost to NHS England of prescribing direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) increased by £733m from 2011 to 2017, but resulted in a substantial 11% reduction in stroke cases. This reduction in the number of strokes, and the related expenses, means the cost of treating a patient in the first year after a stroke has dropped by 25%.
The Indian summer monsoon (ISM) and western North Pacific summer monsoon (WNPSM) are two major subcomponents of the Asian summer monsoon. The monsoon rainfall is the life-blood of more than half the world's population. A better understanding of the ISM and WNPSM variability is of vital importance both in a socio-economic and scientific sense.
A team of researchers have tested everything from t-shirts and socks to jeans and vacuum bags to determine what type of mask material is most effective at trapping the ultrafine particles which may contain viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19.
LEBANON, NH - A key hurdle in treating breast cancers is intratumoral heterogeneity, or the presence of multiple different cell populations within the same tumor that have distinct characteristics such as gene expression, metabolism and ability to divide, spread and grow. These cells can also respond with varying levels of sensitivity to standard therapies, and ultimately, are a contributing factor to therapeutic resistance.
Sticking to the bodies of sharks and other larger marine life is a well-known specialty of remora fishes (Echeneidae) and their super-powered suction disks on their heads. But a new study has now fully documented the "suckerfish" in hitchhiking action below the ocean's surface, uncovering a much more refined skillset that the fish uses for navigating intense hydrodynamics that come with trying to ride aboard a 100-ft. blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus).
Exposure to suboptimal doses of antimalarial drugs could, under certain circumstances, increase mala
Barcelona, October 28, 2020-. Exposure to suboptimal doses of the antiparasitic drug artemisinin could increase the sexual conversion rate of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, thereby increasing the probability of transmission, according to a study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), an institution supported by "la Caixa" Foundation. The findings, published in eLife, may have public health implications, particularly in the context of mass antimalarial drug administration campaigns.
RUDN University chemist suggested increasing the biofuel production efficiency with silica-supported
A chemist from RUDN University developed a silica-supported heteropolyacid system to produce ethers from waste products of the wood and paper industry and agriculture. Ethers can be used as biofuels, and the new method increases the efficiency of their production 4 to 10 times, thus reducing energy consumption and making the manufacturing of biofuels cheaper. The results of the study were published in the Molecular Catalysis journal.
Invented more than 15,000 years ago, knots represent one of the earliest technological breakthroughs at the dawn of human history that kick-started the subsequent rise of human civilisation. Even today, we are still relying on knots in our daily life. Shoelace knots, for instance, have played a critical role in keeping shoes firmly on our feet for generations. Although knots are ancient inventions, the scientific and mathematical significance of knots were only discovered about 200 years ago.
The Weak Equivalence Principle (WEP) is a key aspect of classical physics. It states that when particles are in freefall, the trajectories they follow are entirely independent of their masses. However, it is not yet clear whether this property also applies within the more complex field of quantum mechanics. In new research published in EPJ C, James Quach at the University of Adelaide, Australia, proves theoretically that the WEP can be violated by quantum particles in gravitational waves - the ripples in spacetime caused by colossal events such as merging black holes.
The functions and physical properties of solid materials, such as magnetic order and unconventional superconductivity, are greatly influenced by the orbital state of the outermost electrons (valence electrons) of the constituent atoms. In other words, it could be said that the minimal unit that determines a solid material's physical properties consists of the orbitals occupied by the valence electrons.