166 articles from WEDNESDAY 6.10.2021

Early human activities impacted Earth’s atmosphere more than previously known

An international team of scientists used data from Antarctic ice cores to trace a 700-year old increase in black carbon to an unlikely source: ancient Maori land-burning practices in New Zealand, conducted at a scale that impacted the atmosphere across much of the Southern Hemisphere and dwarfed other preindustrial emissions in the region during the past 2,000 years. Their results make it clear...

Toxic fatty acids to blame for brain cell death after injury

Cells that normally nourish healthy brain cells called neurons release toxic fatty acids after neurons are damaged, a new study in rodents shows. This phenomenon is likely the driving factor behind most, if not all, diseases that affect brain function, as well as the natural breakdown of brain cells seen in aging, researchers say.

Boosting the cell's power house

Severe fatigue, muscle weakness, even blindness -- mitochondrial diseases have various symptoms. In fact, the majority of genetic diseases are caused by defects of the mitochondria. Hence, understanding these 'power houses' of our cells is crucial for the developments of new treatments. Researchers now show the structure of a protein complex essential for their work.

Very potent antiviral against dengue

Researchers have developed an ultrapotent inhibitor of the dengue virus, which causes the tropical disease known as dengue. The antiviral molecule is exceptionally effective against all known dengue variants and could be used for therapeutic and prevention purposes.

Neuroscientists map major circuit in the mouse brain

A mouse study reveals new insights into the wiring of a major circuit in the brain that is attacked by Parkinson's and Huntington's disease. The findings could hone scientists' understanding of how these disorders arise in the human brain and pinpoint new therapeutic targets.

Neuroscientists roll out first comprehensive atlas of brain cells

While researchers have discovered numerous cell types in the brain, this atlas of all cell types in one area -- the primary motor cortex -- is the first comprehensive list and a starting point for tracing cellular networks to understand how they control our body and mind and how they are disrupted in mental and physical disorders.

Advancing efforts to treat, prevent and cure brain disorders

It takes billions of cells to make a human brain, and scientists have long struggled to map this complex network of neurons. Now, dozens of research teams around the country have made inroads into creating an atlas of the mouse brain as a first step toward a human brain atlas. The results describe how different cell types are organized and connected throughout the mouse brain.

BRAIN Initiative unveils detailed atlas of the mammalian primary motor cortex

The NIH Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN) has unveiled an atlas of cell types and an anatomical neuronal wiring diagram for the mammalian primary motor cortex, derived from detailed studies of mice, monkeys, and humans. This publicly available resource represents the culmination of an international collaborative effort by...

Early human activities impacted Earth's atmosphere more than previously known

Several years ago, while analyzing ice core samples from Antarctica's James Ross Island, scientists Joe McConnell, Ph.D., and Nathan Chellman, Ph.D., from DRI, and Robert Mulvaney, Ph.D., from the British Antarctic Survey noticed something unusual: a substantial increase in levels of black carbon that began around the year 1300 and continued to the modern day.

Intelligence emerging from random polymer networks

A team of researchers assembled a sulfonated polyaniline (SPAN) organic electrochemical network device (OEND) for use in reservoir computing. SPAN was deposited on gold electrodes which formed a disordered network providing humidity-dependent electrical properties. The SPAN OEND was tested for reservoir computing using benchmark tasks and spoken-digit classification, which showed 70% accuracy. The...

Lasers to Probe Origin of Life on a Frigid Moon and Take the Space-Time Pulse of Star-Shattering Collisions Built in Goddard Lab

Portal origin URL: Lasers to Probe Origin of Life on a Frigid Moon and Take the Space-Time Pulse of Star-Shattering Collisions Built in Goddard LabPortal origin nid: 474459Published: Wednesday, October 6, 2021 - 10:30Featured (stick to top of list): noPortal text teaser: At the Space Laser Assembly Cleanroom at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the Laser and...

'Living medicine' created to treat drug-resistant infections

Researchers at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) and Pulmobiotics S.L have created the first 'living medicine' to treat antibiotic-resistant bacteria growing on the surfaces of medical implants. The researchers created the treatment by removing a common bacteria's ability to cause disease and repurposing it to attack harmful microbes instead.

'Living medicine' created to treat drug-resistant infections

Researchers have created 'living medicine' to treat antibiotic-resistant bacteria growing on the surfaces of medical implants. The researchers created the treatment by removing a common bacteria's ability to cause disease and repurposing it to attack harmful microbes instead. The findings are an important first step for the development of new treatments for these type of infections, which account...