252 articles from WEDNESDAY 30.9.2020

Texas A&M study: Marine heatwaves can strengthen hurricanes

Oceanographers have found that a hurricane can be considerably strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico through the compounding effects of two extreme weather events. This process could continue in the future as ocean temperatures continue to rise around the world, according to a study co-authored by a Texas A&M University at Galveston professor.

The heat is on for building 3D artificial organ tissues

Bioengineers have devised a technology that uses heat to remotely control the positioning and timing of cell functions to build 3-dimensional, artificial, living tissues. They designed 3-D printed fluid systems to supply penetrating heat, which allows them to manipulate the genetic wiring of cells deep in artificial tissues. Their vision for the future is to try to find ways to direct cells to...

The proof is in the pudding

As Australia's aged care sector continues to be scrutinised, researchers at the University of South Australia show that plain solutions are often the best, with a new study finding that aged care residents can improve their nutrition intake simply by increasing their meal sizes.

UM171 saves another life

Developed in Canada, the UM171 molecule was used in a blood transplant by a Montreal medical team on a young man suffering from severe aplastic anemia, an autoimmune disease.

Wasp egg-laying organ inspires new tool to reduce trauma in minimally invasive surgery

A new surgery tool based on the egg-laying organ of parasitic wasps could advance minimally invasive surgery by enabling tissue removal in deeper areas of the body while further minimising trauma and patient recovery time. Researchers at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands based their prototype on the ovipositor of wasps, an ultra-thin flexible organ, which uses friction forces...

What is your attitude towards a humanoid robot? Your brain activity can tell us!

Researchers at IIT-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia in Italy found that people's bias towards robots, that is, attributing them intentionality or considering them as 'mindless things', can be correlated with distinct brain activity patterns. The study has been published in Science Robotics and it is important for understanding the way humans can engage with robots, also considering their acceptance...

Why have fewer long-term care residents died from COVID-19 in BC than Ontario?

An analysis comparing COVID-19 deaths in long-term care (LTC) residents in Ontario and British Columbia found that BC was better prepared for the pandemic and responded in a more coordinated and decisive manner, leading to far fewer deaths than in Ontario. The article is published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/content/early/2020/09/29/cmaj.201860.

Wildcats threatened by their domestic cousins

European wildcats, thought to be extinct 50 years ago in the Jura mountains, have since recolonised part of their former territory. This resurgence in an area occupied by domestic cats has gone hand-in-hand with genetic crosses between the two species. A team of biologists from the University of Geneva modelled the interactions between the two species and predict that hybridisation will entail the...

Zebrafish embryos help prove what happens to nanoparticles in the blood

What happens to the nanoparticles when they are injected into the bloodstream, for example, to destroy solid tumours? With new results published in ACS Nano, researchers from Aarhus University are now ready to tackle such a challenging question using zebrafish embryos as a new study model in nanomedicine and nanotoxicology.

Moderna COVID-19 vaccine appears safe, shows signs of working in older adults - study

Results from an early safety study of Moderna Inc's coronavirus vaccine candidate in older adults showed that it produced virus-neutralizing antibodies at levels similar to those seen in younger adults, with side effects roughly on par with high-dose flu shots, researchers said on Tuesday. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, offers a more complete picture of the vaccine's...

Mutations that affect aging: More common than we thought?

The number of mutations that can contribute to aging may be significantly higher than previously believed, according to new research on fruit flies. The study by scientists at Linköping University, Sweden, supports a new theory about the type of mutation that can lie behind aging. The results have been published in BMC Biology.

40% of world’s plant species at risk of extinction

Race against time to save plants and fungi that underpin life on Earth, global data showsTwo in five of the world’s plant species are at risk of extinction as a result of the destruction of the natural world, according to an international report.Plants and fungi underpin life on Earth, but the scientists said they were now in a race against time to find and identify species before they were...

Arthritis drug to be trialled as Covid treatment in UK care homes

Adalimumab could counter hyper-inflammation seen in severe coronavirus casesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA commonly used arthritis drug is to be trialled with care home residents who have Covid, after it was observed that those taking it for their joint pains were less likely to end up in hospital with the virus.Older people in care homes, who often have some...

Near-blind Ansell's mole-rats detect magnetic cues with eyes, study shows

Research shows Zambian species with surgically removed eyes change nest-building habits but other behaviours remain intact Near-blind, underground-burrowing, African Ansell’s mole-rats can sense magnetic fields with their eyes, a study has found.Native to Zambia, the animals have eyes that span just 1.5mm in diameter, live in elaborate underground tunnel systems of up to 1.7 miles (2.8km) long...