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48 articles from ScienceDaily

Kernel flow: A wearable device for noninvasive optical brain imaging

Most noninvasive brain scanning systems use continuous-wave fNIRS, where the tissue is irradiated by a constant stream of photons. However, these systems cannot differentiate between scattered and absorbed photons. A recent advancement to this technique is time-domain (TD)-fNIRS, which uses picosecond pulses of light and fast detectors to estimate photon scattering and absorption in tissues....

Researchers pinpoint how Zika virus evades cell's antiviral response

In a new study of the Zika virus, scientists have discovered a key mechanism used by the virus to evade the antiviral response of the cell it is attacking. This finding contributes to a better understanding of how viruses infect cells, overcome immune barriers and replicate -- information that is essential for fighting them.

Research team identifies new mechanism for protecting DNA

Researchers have identified a new mechanism by which a protein known for repairing damaged DNA also protects the integrity of DNA by preserving its structural shape. The discovery, involving the protein 53BP1, offers insight into understanding how cells maintain the integrity of DNA in the nucleus, which is critical for preventing diseases like premature aging and cancer.

Arthritis-related gene also regenerates cartilage in joints and growth plates

The IL-6 family of proteins are associated with inflammation, arthritis, autoimmune disease and even cancer. However, a new study reveals the importance of IL-6 and associated genes for maintaining and regenerating cartilage in both the joints and in the growth plates that enable skeletal growth in children. Scientists took a close look at a key gene activated by IL-6: STAT3. In both lab-grown...

Few countries offer a good place to die, researchers say

COVID-19 has shown us images of patients dying in isolation, apart from loved ones during their final moments. But even before the pandemic, harrowing deaths were all too common in most parts of the world, a new survey of end-of-life care shows. The study ranked 81 countries on how well their health systems provide for the physical and mental wellbeing of patients at the end of life. Only six...

Changes in sleep and biological rhythms from late pregnancy to postpartum linked to depression and anxiety

Researchers recruited 100 women, 73 of whom they followed from the start of the third trimester to three months postpartum. They analyzed subjective and objective measures of sleep, biological rhythms, melatonin levels, and light exposure using a variety of tools, including questionnaires, actigraphs (wearable sleep monitors), laboratory assays, and other methods.

Weight loss before fertility treatment may not increase births for obese women

Health care professionals often encourage women with obesity to lose weight prior to trying to conceive or start infertility treatments. But a new nationwide study found that women with obesity and unexplained infertility who lost weight prior to starting infertility treatments did not have a greater chance of having a healthy baby than those who did not lose weight prior to starting therapy.

Why did ocean productivity decline abruptly 4.6 million years ago?

By drilling deep down into sediments on the ocean floor researchers can travel back in time. A research team now presents new clues as to when and why a period often referred to as the 'biogenic bloom' came to an abrupt end. Changes in the shape of the Earth's orbit around the Sun may have played a part in the dramatic change.

Adapt the frequency of COVID-19 testing depending on transmission rate and community immunity, study finds

Expanding rapid testing stands out as an affordable way to help mitigate risks associated with COVID-19 and emerging variants. Infectious disease researchers have developed a new model that tailors testing recommendations to new variants and likely immunity levels in a community, offering a new strategy as public health leaders seek a way out of a pandemic that has so far thwarted the best efforts...

Increase in marine heat waves threatens coastal habitats

Heat waves -- like the one that blistered the Pacific Northwest last June -- also occur underwater. A new study paints a worrisome picture of recent and projected trends in marine heat waves within the nation's largest estuary, with dire implications for the marine life and coastal economy of the Chesapeake Bay and other similarly impacted shallow-water ecosystems.

Biostatisticians launch Cancer-Immu data portal for predicting response to immune checkpoint blockade immunotherapy

A new data portal called Cancer-Immu established by a team of biostatisticians can help cancer clinicians and researchers predict which patients will respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors. With data from 3,652 samples for 16 cancer types, Cancer-Immu is the largest immune checkpoint blockade-related data portal for exploring immunogenomic connections.

Boxing up molecular machines

Boxing up molecular machines. The construction of a molecular rotor inside a nanostructured cage allows for the development of a tunable molecular device.