199 articles from FRIDAY 23.10.2020

New test method to standardize immunological evaluation of nucleic acid nanoparticles

Recent successes of several FDA-approved therapeutic nucleic acids, together with the rapid preclinical progression of nucleic acid nanoparticles (NANPs), have made it apparent that immunological effects of NANPs must be carefully assessed to permit their successful clinical translation. Based on extensive studies, a standardized protocol allowing for the assessment of NANPs' pro-inflammatory...

Not all cats are grey in the dark!

Using two mode-locked femtosecond lasers and a single photon counting detector, scientists have recorded broad spectra with close to one hundred thousand colors in almost complete darkness.

Plant compound reduces cognitive deficits in mouse model of Down syndrome

The plant compound apigenin improved the cognitive and memory deficits usually seen in a mouse model of Down syndrome, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions. Apigenin is found in chamomile flowers, parsley, celery, peppermint and citrus fruits. The findings raise the possibility that a treatment to lessen the cognitive deficits seen in Down...

Poor women in Bangladesh reluctant to use healthcare

A study, published in PLOS ONE, found that the women living in Dhaka slums were reluctant to use institutionalised maternal health care for fear of having to make undocumented payments, unfamiliar institutional processes, lack of social and family support, matters of honour and shame, a culture of silence and inadequate spousal communication on health issues.

Protective shield: Membrane-attached protein protects bacteria & chloroplasts from stress

Stress is present everywhere, even bacteria and plant cells have to cope with it. They express various specific stress proteins, but how exactly this line of defense works is often not clear. A group of scientists headed by Professor Dirk Schneider of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) has now discovered a protective mechanism in cyanobacteria as well as in chloroplasts of plant cells.

PTSD and alcohol abuse go hand-in-hand, but males and females exhibit symptoms differently

Through intricate experiments designed to account for sex-specific differences, scientists at Scripps Research have collaborated to zero-in on certain changes in the brain that may be responsible for driving alcohol abuse among people with PTSD. In studies with rodents, researchers found that males and females exhibit their own distinct symptoms and brain features of PTSD and alcohol use disorder....

QCLs exhibit extreme pulses

Based on a quantum cascade laser (QCL) emitting mid-infrared light, the researchers developed a basic optical neuron system operating 10,000× faster than biological neurons. Their report is published in Advanced Photonics.

Regeneration of eye cells: Warning lights discovered

Moving around in the half-light is difficult but not impossible. To help us in this undertaking we have the rods, a type of photoreceptors present in the retina of vertebrates, capable of detecting very low lights. They are the protagonists of the new study published in PNAS by a team of researchers of SISSA and CNR-Iom which reveals new and essential details of how the retina works and in...

Researchers create human airway stem cells from patients' cells

For the first time, researchers have successfully created airway basal stem cells in vitro from induced pluripotent stem cells by reprogramming blood cells taken from patients. Given that airway basal cells are defined as stem cells of the airways because they can regenerate the airway epithelium in response to injury, this study may help accelerate research on diseases impacting the airway,...

Researchers uncover crucial gene for growth of Ewing sarcoma

Researchers have discovered a gene that is critical for the development of Ewing sarcoma, a rare type of developmental cancer that presents in bones and soft tissues. Exploring the pharmacological inhibition of RING1B as a clinical therapy to treat Ewing sarcoma could open the door for new treatments for the rare disease.

RUDN University chemist created a catalyst from orange peel for organic compounds production

N-heterocycles are organic substances used in the chemical industry and medicine. To produce them, expensive catalysts made from noble metals are used. A chemist from RUDN University developed a nanocatalyst for N-heterocycles that consists of zinc oxide and niobium and can be obtained using orange peel without any additional chemical agents. The catalyst makes the reaction almost 100% effective,...

SARS-CoV-2 antibodies detectable up to seven months post COVID-19 onset, shows new Portuguese study

A new study led by Marc Veldhoen, principal investigator at Instituto de Medicina Molecular with an interdisciplinary team of clinicians and researchers from FMUL and CHLN and collaborators at IPST, shows that 90% of subjects have detectable antibodies 40 days up to 7 months post contracting COVID-19. These results, now published in the scientific journal European Journal of Immunology, also show...

Scientists from NUST MISIS manage to improve metallic glasses

Researchers at National University of Science and Technology MISIS (NUST MISIS) have managed to develop a unique method to process bulk metallic glasses. According to the authors of the study, they have managed to find processing conditions that significantly improve the quality of this promising material. The research results were published in Journal of Alloys and Compounds.

Seabird response to abrupt climate change 5,000 years ago transformed Falklands ecosystems

A 14,000-year paleoecological reconstruction of the sub-Antarctic islands led by University of Maine researchers has found that seabird establishment occurred during a period of regional cooling 5,000 years ago. Their populations, in turn, shifted the Falkland Islands ecosystems through the deposit of high concentrations of guano that helped nourish tussac, produce peat and increase the incidence...