325 articles from TUESDAY 18.8.2020

Research story tip: Horse skeletons provide clues to preventing racehorse injuries

In an anatomical comparison of the third metacarpal, or cannon bone, among Thoroughbred racehorses, American Quarter Horses and feral Assateague Island ponies, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have found that fostering adaptations in these bones through training might help horses better endure the extreme conditions of racing and prevent serious, often life-ending injuries on the track.

Researchers discover novel molecular mechanism that enables conifers to adapt to winter

Unlike broadleaf trees, conifers are evergreen and retain their photosynthesis structure throughout the year. Especially in late winter, the combination of freezing temperatures and high light intensity exposes the needles to oxidative damage that could lead to the destruction of molecules and cell structures that contribute to photosynthesis. Researchers from the University of Turku have...

Risk of diabetes complications increases with elevated levels of NT-proBNP

Healthy people - especially women - with elevated levels of the heart failure marker NT-proBNP have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. However, if these people develop diabetes nonetheless, they are more likely to suffer from macro- and microvascular complications such as heart attack, stroke, or severe damage to eyes, kidneys, or nerves. These are the findings of a recent study by DZD...

RNA as a future cure for hereditary diseases

ETH Zurich scientists have developed an RNA molecule that can be used in bone marrow cells to correct genetic errors that affect protein production. Patients suffering from a rare hereditary disease that causes a painful hypersensitivity to sunlight could benefit in future.

Russian chemists proposed a new design of flow batteries

Redox flow batteries are promising long-term energy storage devices in smart power grids. Scientists from Mendeleev University, IPCP RAS and other institutes have proposed a new design of RFB with flow plates made from graphite foil by laser cutting procedure. It will simplify and reduce the cost of research and help to unleash the full potential of new technology. The research article was...

School flu vaccine program reduces community-wide influenza hospitalizations

A city-wide school influenza vaccine intervention was associated with a decrease in influenza-associated hospitalizations for all age groups and a decrease in school absence rates among students in seasons with an effective influenza vaccine, according to a new study published this week in PLOS Medicine by Jade Benjamin-Chung of University of California, Berkeley, and colleagues.

Shigella prevents infected cells from sacrificing themselves for the greater good

Researchers from Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) investigated how Shigella survive and multiply to cause severe inflammatory colitis. By screening several effector proteins that Shigella inject into colon cells, the researchers identified the effector proteins OspC1 and OspD3 as molecular measures through which Shigella inhibit both apoptosis and necroptosis. These findings help...

Songbirds, like people, sing better after warming up

If you've ever been woken up before sunrise by the chirping of birds outside your window, you may have wondered: why do birds sing so loud, so early in the morning? The cacophony is mostly males, whose songs are meant to impress potential mates and rivals. Researchers say there may be a good reason why birds are most vocal at first light. By singing early and often, birds perform better during the...

Stress overload and pain common among patients with traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability. Post-injury distress is common, with many individuals experiencing chronic anxiety and depressive symptoms as well as chronic pain. In this collection of articles in the journal NeuroRehabilitation, experts report on findings that shed light on the relationship between stress and pain following a TBI and implications for...

Surprising coral spawning features revealed

When stony corals have their renowned mass spawning events, in sync with the moon's cycle, colonies simultaneously release an underwater 'cloud' of sperm and eggs for fertilization. But how do the sperm and eggs survive several hours as plankton, given threats from predators, microbes and stresses such as warming waters? A Rutgers-led team has discovered some surprising features in coral sperm and...

The MOF-based multicolor single-mode microlaser

Multi-color single-mode polarized micro-lasers with visible to near-infrared outputs are very potential in photonic integration and multimodal biochemical sensing/imaging and yet to realize. Recently, scientists in China combined methods of in-situ assembly and homogeneous epitaxy to hierarchically assemble dye molecules with different gain bands in a single metal-organic framework (MOF)...

There is at least 10 times more plastic in the Atlantic than previously thought

Scientists measured 12-21 million tonnes of three of the most common types of plastic in the top 200 metres of the Atlantic. By assuming the concentration of plastic in the whole Atlantic is the same as that measured at 200 metres deep, the scientists estimated there is around 200 million tonnes of three of the most common types of plastic alone. Compare this to the previously estimated figure of...