feed info

26 articles from ScienceDaily

Using genetics, researchers identify potential drugs for early treatment of COVID-19

A new study using human genetics suggests researchers should prioritize clinical trials of drugs that target two proteins to manage COVID-19 in its early stages. Based on their analyses, the researchers call for prioritizing clinical trials of drugs targeting the proteins IFNAR2 and ACE2. The goal is to identify existing drugs, either FDA-approved or in clinical development for other conditions,...

Optically active defects improve carbon nanotubes

The properties of carbon-based nanomaterials can be altered and engineered through the deliberate introduction of certain structural 'imperfections'. The challenge, however, is to control the number and type of these defects. Chemists and materials scientists have now demonstrated a new reaction pathway that enables such control for carbon nanotubes. It results in specific optically active sp3...

Abrupt ice age climate changes behaved like cascading dominoes

Throughout the last ice age, the climate changed repeatedly and rapidly during so-called Dansgaard-Oeschger events, where Greenland temperatures rose between 5 and 16 degrees Celsius in decades. When certain parts of the climate system changed, other parts of the climate system followed like a series of dominos toppling in succession. Today, sea-ice extent is being rapidly reduced, and it is...

Masculine traits linked to better parenting for some dads

In some men, having traditional masculine characteristics such as competitiveness and adventurousness was linked to being better fathers to infants, a new study found. But the men in this study - highly educated and from dual-earner couples - combined those stereotypically masculine traits with the belief that they should be nurturing, highly involved fathers.

Metabolic changes in fat tissue in obesity associated with adverse health effects

A twin study indicates that the machinery responsible for energy handling in fat tissue is working poorly in obesity. In the study, a clear reduction was seen in the activity of mitochondrial genes in obesity in fat tissue, while similar genome-level change in muscle mitochondria was minor. A link with adverse health effects was identified in the mitochondria of fat tissue only.

A sulfosugar from green vegetables promotes the growth of important gut bacteria

A team of scientists has analyzed how microbes in the gut process the plant-based, sulfur-containing sugar sulfoquinovose. Their study discovered that specialized bacteria cooperate in the utilization of the sulfosugar, producing hydrogen sulfide. This gas has disparate effects on human health: at low concentrations, it has an anti-inflammatory effect, while increased amounts of hydrogen sulfide...

Pillar of support: Breakthrough discovery could speed up bone implant recovery

A research team has uncovered a new technique that can speed up recovery from bone replacements. Novel micropillars, 10 times smaller than the width of a human hair, can change the size, shape and nucleus of individual stem cells and 'trick' them to become bone. Further research will look to improve the process of locking bone replacements with reduced risk of infection.

Toward a reliable oral treatment for sickle cell disease

For those who have sickle cell disease, there are only a few treatment options, which include bone marrow transplants, gene therapy or other treatments that address a subset of symptoms. Now, researchers report discovery of a small molecule that could treat sickle cell disease by boosting levels of fetal hemoglobin, a healthy form that adults normally do not make.

Fighting dementia with play

A dementia diagnosis turns the world upside down, not only for the person affected but also for their relatives, as brain function gradually declines. Those affected lose their ability to plan, remember things or behave appropriately. At the same time, their motor skills also deteriorate. Ultimately, dementia patients are no longer able to handle daily life alone and need comprehensive care. New...

Health benefits of breastfeeding, for mother: Lactation and visceral, pericardial fat

As demonstrated by multiple studies, women who breastfeed have a lower risk for developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes, though the mechanisms by which these risks are reduced for lactating women are still not fully understood. Scientists recently completed a study to see if the presence of excess fat, specifically visceral and pericardial fat, could help explain this finding.

Sunlight linked with lower COVID-19 deaths, study shows

Sunnier areas are associated with fewer deaths from COVID-19, an observational study suggests. Increased exposure to the sun's rays -- specifically UVA -- could act as a simple public health intervention if further research establishes it causes a reduction in mortality rates, experts say.