Tech
An international study by the Institute of Neuroscience of the UAB (INC-UAB), Emory University and Hospital Universitario La Paz, published in the PNAS journal, shows that patients suffering from Lesch-Nyhan, a rare neurological disease, present biochemical alterations in skin cells (fibroblasts), urine and cerebrospinal fluid. Researchers have also discovered why these alterations had not been observed before: the high levels of folic acid (B9 vitamin) usually used in cell cultures reverse them.
A new study led by Queen Mary University of London has demonstrated the effectiveness of using a novel light technology to monitor the presence of anti-drug antibodies in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), which can lead to drug resistance and treatment failure.
The researchers say that they have also applied the technology to COVID-19 for potential use in antibody testing to determine whether someone has previously been infected with the virus.
Using a unique combination of nanoscale imaging and chemical analysis, an international team of researchers has revealed a key step in the molecular mechanism behind the water splitting reaction of photosynthesis, a finding that could help inform the design of renewable energy technology.
INDIANAPOLIS - The largest study to date of electronic dental records delves into both previously inaccessible data and data from understudied populations with the ultimate goal of improving oral treatment outcomes. The work presents a learning health system - a mechanism for dentists to learn from their own experience and the experiences of fellow practitioners.
DeKalb, Ill. -- A new study finds that about 31 million people worldwide live in coastal regions that are "highly vulnerable" to future tropical storms and sea-level rise driven by climate change. But in some of those regions, powerful defenses are located just offshore.
Of those 31 million people, about 8.5 million directly benefit from the severe weather-protection of mangroves and coral reefs, key buffers that could help cushion the blow against future tropical storms and rising waters, according to the study published May 29 in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE.
A paper recently published in Nature Communications is the first to show a connection between demand from certain developed countries for agricultural commodities and the growing risk of malaria in the countries that supply those goods. The study was conducted by scientists affiliated with the School of Public Health of the University of São Paulo (FSP-USP) in Brazil and colleagues at the University of Sydney in Australia.
Amsterdam, NL, June 4, 2020 - Growth factors such as glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) were initially thought to be exciting new treatments for Parkinson's disease (PD), but trials have been disappointing. A panel of prominent leaders in the field convened to discuss whether there is a future for this approach and what any future PD trial involving GDNF and other GDNF family neurotrophic factors should consider.
At a glance:
Researchers have developed a synthetic microbial system to determine location of origin for objects
DNA-barcoded spores can be sprayed onto goods such as crops, manufactured products, and detected months to years later
The barcoded spores are safe, incapable of growing in the wild, and derived from common and safe microbe strains
Approach can help determine the source of foodborne illnesses
The explosion of mobile electronic devices, electric vehicles, drones and other technologies have driven demand for new lightweight materials that can provide the power to operate them. Researchers from the University of Houston and Texas A&M University have reported a structural supercapacitor electrode made from reduced graphene oxide and aramid nanofiber that is stronger and more versatile than conventional carbon-based electrodes.
ORLANDO, June 4, 2020 - Taking inspiration from nature's nanotech that creates the stunning color of butterfly wings, a University of Central Florida researcher is creating technology to make extremely low-power, ultra-high-definition displays and screens that are easier on the eyes.
One of the ways NASA observes tropical cyclones is by using infrared data that provides temperature information and indicates storm strength. The AIRS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite gathered that data and revealed Cristobal has the potential to generate heavy rainfall. That rainfall is now soaking Mexico and portions of Central America as Cristobal meanders.
When it fires, a neuron consumes significantly more energy than an equivalent computer operation. And yet, a network of coupled neurons can continuously learn, sense and perform complex tasks at energy levels that are currently unattainable for even state-of-the-art processors.
What does a neuron do to save energy that a contemporary computer processing unit doesn't?
Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), and an international research team have predicted that by 2050, mangroves will not be able to survive rising sea-levels if global carbon emissions are not reduced.
Using sedimentary archives from when the Earth underwent deglaciation up to 10,000 years ago, the researchers estimated the probability of mangrove survival under rates of sea-level rise corresponding to two climate scenarios - low and high carbon emissions.
Sometimes, breaking rules is not a bad thing. Especially when the rules are apparent laws of nature that apply in bulk material, but other forces appear in the nanoscale.
By analyzing 442 samples from three groups of children and adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), researchers have identified new immune classes of the disease that predict the likelihood of drug resistance and positive responses to immunotherapy. Their compendium of immune profiles in AML could enable clinicians to develop targeted and personalized immunotherapy regimens for patients, who must frequently cope with resistance to standard chemotherapies.