195 articles from TUESDAY 11.2.2020
Disease found in fossilized dinosaur tail afflicts humans to this day
Researchers at Tel Aviv University have identified a benign tumor found in a fossilized dinosaur tail as part of the pathology of LCH (Langerhans cell histiocytosis), a rare and sometimes painful disease that still afflicts humans, particularly children under the age of 10.
DIY tools TalkBox and SenseBox help people with disabilities to communicate
Researchers at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) have developed do-it-yourself (DIY) assistive technology prototypes that are revolutionizing how people with disabilities can access tools that will help them interact with the world. The tools are effective in different cultural contexts and were developed in close consultation with people with disabilities. A future step is to...
DNA misfolding in white blood cells increases risk for type 1 diabetes
In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers at Penn Medicine found, in mice, that changes in DNA sequence can trigger the chromosomes to misfold in a way that puts one at a heightened risk for Type 1 diabetes. The study, published today in Immunity, revealed that differences in DNA sequences dramatically changed how the DNA was folded inside the nucleus, ultimately affecting the regulation -- the...
Duchenne muscular dystrophy diagnosis improved by simple accelerometers
Testing for Duchenne muscular dystrophy can require specialized equipment, invasive procedures and high expense, but measuring changes in muscle function and identifying compensatory walking gait could lead to earlier detection. Researchers present a relative coupling coefficient, which can be used to quantify the factors involved in the human gait and more accurately screen for the disorder. They...
Foot-and-mouth-disease virus could help target the deadliest cancer
The foot-and-mouth-disease virus is helping scientists to tackle a common cancer with the worst survival rate -- pancreatic cancer.
Frailty can affect how well older adults fare following emergency surgery
A new study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society sought to gain more information about how frailty affects older adults in the months after surgery. The research team wanted to test their theory that these people would have a higher risk for death a year after surgery, have higher rates of being sent to long-term care facilities rather than to their homes, and have poorer health one...
Free radicals from immune cells are direct cause of salt-sensitive hypertension
In salt-sensitive hypertension, immune cells gather in the kidneys and shoot out free radicals, heightening blood pressure and damaging this pair of vital organs, scientists report.
Hot climates to see more variability in tree leafing as temperatures rise
A team of scientists led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory found that while all regions of the country can expect an earlier start to the growing season as temperatures rise, the trend is likely to become more variable year-over-year in hotter regions.
How some butterflies developed the ability to change their eyespot size
New insight on how a butterfly species developed the ability to adjust its wing eyespot size in response to temperature has been published today in eLife.
How the brain's immune system could be harnessed to improve memory
Inflammation can send the brain's immune cells into damaging hyperdrive, an effect that has been linked to neurodegenerative diseases that affect memory, like dementia. A new study finds these same immune cells can also be activated to have the reverse effect, powering memory and learning.
Hybrid transistor improves next-generation displays
A simple, cost-effective technique uses solution-based printing to make better ultrathin transistors.
Injectable drug for faster healing of bone fractures prepares for clinical trials
Novosteo, a Purdue University-affiliated startup, is moving closer to the start of clinical trials for a novel injectable drug that is targeted to heal broken bones faster and strengthen weak bones.
Inquiry-based labs give physics students experimental edge
New Cornell University research shows that traditional physics labs, which strive to reinforce the concepts students learn in lecture courses, can actually have a negative impact on students. At the same time, nontraditional, inquiry-based labs that encourage experimentation can improve student performance and engagement without lowering exam scores.
Live imaging of flowers reveals hidden secrets of plant reproduction
Scientists have developed a way to image sexual reproduction in living flowers, according to a study published today in the open-access journal eLife.
Local genetic adaption helps sorghum crop hide from witchweed
Sorgum crops in areas where the parasite witchweed is common have locally adapted to have mutations in a particular gene, which helps the plant resist the parasite. A new study led by researchers at Penn State reveals the effects of this mutation, as well as other genes that might confer parasite resistance.
Long-distance skiers may have 'motor reserve' that can delay onset of Parkinson's disease
To better understand the relationship between physical activity and Parkinson's Disease (PD) investigators in Sweden analyzed medical records of nearly 200,000 long-distance skiers who took part in the Vasaloppet cross-country ski race. They established that a physically active lifestyle is associated with close to a 30% reduced risk for PD, which might be explained by a motor reserve among the...
Lupus patients who take their medications lower their diabetes risk
Patients with lupus who take their medications as prescribed have much lower odds of developing type 2 diabetes, a common complication of the disease, finds a new study from the University of British Columbia.
Making 3-D printing smarter with machine learning
3-D printing is often touted as the future of manufacturing. However it has a high degree of error, and manufacturers often need many iterations of a print before they get it right. A team of researchers from USC Viterbi School of Engineering is tackling this problem, with a new set of machine learning algorithms and a software tool called PrintFixer, improving print accuracy by 50 percent or...
Mass General Hospital researchers identify new 'universal' target for antiviral treatment
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have uncovered a novel potential antiviral drug target that could lead to treatments protecting against a host of infectious diseases.
NASA finds a stronger Tropical Cyclone Uesi near New Caledonia
NASA's Terra satellite passed over the South Pacific Ocean and found a stronger Tropical Cyclone Uesi after obtaining infrared imagery of the storm. Uesi continues moving away from Vanuatu and today is affecting New Caledonia.
New measure of biological age can predict health risks
People age in different ways. Biological age is a metric that scientists use to predict health risks, the relevance of which can be enhanced by combining different markers. Particularly important markers are frailty and the epigenetic clock, write researchers from Karolinska Institutet in a study published in eLife.
New research shows how the malaria parasite grows and multiplies
Scientists have made a major breakthrough in understanding how the parasite that causes malaria is able to multiply at such an alarming rate, which could be a vital clue in discovering how it has evolved, and how it can be stopped. For the first time, scientists have shown how certain molecules play an essential role in the rapid reproduction of parasite cells, which cause this deadly disease.
New synthesis methods enhance 3D chemical space for drug discovery
After helping develop a new approach for organic synthesis -- carbon-hydrogen functionalization -- scientists at Emory University are now showing how this approach may apply to drug discovery. Nature Catalysis published their most recent work -- a streamlined process for making a three-dimensional scaffold of keen interest to the pharmaceutical industry.
New technique allows scientists to study parasitic infections one cell at a time
A new technique may help scientists study the body's immune response to intestinal parasite infections one gut cell at a time, according to a study published today in eLife.
Novel drug therapy shows promise for quality, quantity of kidneys available for transplant
Researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center (UH), Cleveland Clinic and Lifebanc (a Northeast Ohio organ-procurement organization) have developed a new way to preserve donated kidneys -- a method that could extend the number and quality of kidneys available for transplant, saving more people with end-stage renal disease, more...