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Portopulmonary hypertension in patients with chronic liver disease

Eurekalert - Apr 27 2021 - 00:04
Portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH) is a form of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). PoPH occurs in approximately 15% of patients with PAH, and is reportedly found in 2-6% of patients with portal hypertension and 1-2% of patients with liver cirrhosis according to studies from Europe and America. However, the real-world data on PoPH in Japan are largely unknown, with many questions on the condition's etiology and prevalence.
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New research on why mutations in a gene leads to mitochondrial disease

Eurekalert - Apr 27 2021 - 00:04
Monash University researchers have uncovered for the first time the reason mutations in a particular gene lead to mitochondrial disease.
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The bluest of blue: A new algae-based switch is lighting up biological research!

Eurekalert - Apr 27 2021 - 00:04
A group of scientists from the Nagoya Institute of Technology, Japan, have discovered a novel ion channel protein that can be controlled by light, in a species of terrestrial alga. These channels respond to the shorter indigo blue wavelength of light, the first discovery of its kind. Subsequent light-based manipulations of the channel find potential applications in the modulations of specific functions of nerves, muscles, and more, for biological research.
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Loss of fauna in tropical forests impedes achieving Sustainable Development Goals

Eurekalert - Apr 27 2021 - 00:04
A new publication from scientists at LUCSUS and Leibniz-IZW explores the links between defaunation of tropical forests and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In a paper published in the scientific journal "Ambio" they illustrate how losing an abundant and diverse fauna undermines food security, increases the risk of infectious disease outbreaks, reduces the capacity of carbon storage and thereby weakens fundamental pillars of sustainable global development.
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Future drones likely to resemble 300-million-year-old flying machine

Eurekalert - Apr 27 2021 - 00:04
University of South Australia researchers have drawn inspiration from a 300-million-year-old superior flying machine - the dragonfly - to show why future flapping wing drones will probably resemble the insect in shape, wings and gearing.
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Value from sewage? New technology makes pig farming more environmentally friendly

Eurekalert - Apr 27 2021 - 00:04
A novel nitrate removal system can clean up the wastewater produced by swine farms in Okinawa, says researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University. The study was published in Bioresource Technology.
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Cholestenone shows antibiotic properties against H. pylori

Eurekalert - Apr 27 2021 - 00:04
Helicobacter pylori, a gram-negative pathogen that has infected half of the world's population is a Group I carcinogen according to the WHO. H. pylori resides in the gastric mucosa causing gastritis, ulcers, gastric cancers and gastric malignant lymphoma. It can be eradicated in most infected people using a combination of three drugs including antibiotics clarithromycin. However drug-resistant H. Pylori is a growing problem and it is expected to develop drugs that exhibit anti-H. pylori activity.
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Plasma acceleration: It's all in the mix

Eurekalert - Apr 27 2021 - 00:04
The LUX team at DESY is celebrating not just one but two milestones in the development of innovative plasma accelerators. The scientists from the University of Hamburg and DESY used their accelerator to test a technique that allows the energy distribution of the electron beams produced to be kept particularly narrow. They also used artificial intelligence to allow the accelerator to optimise its own operation. The scientists are reporting their experiments in two papers published shortly after one another in the journal Physical Review Letters.
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Study of oak forests of European Russia elucidates climate change in the region

Eurekalert - Apr 27 2021 - 00:04
Steppe oak forests are unique ecotonic communities of great floristic diversity and conservation value; in addition, they are simply gorgeous, so the authors chose these communities to start with. This type of community is quite rare for the territory of Tatarstan. To find it, scientists have developed a mathematical model of potential habitats of steppe oak forests on the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan based on data from other regions.
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After Brexit: Somewhat changed cooperation in the Council of the European Union

Eurekalert - Apr 27 2021 - 00:04
In the Council of the European Union, member states mostly cooperate with other countries in their geographical proximity. However, once it became clear that the United Kingdom was going to leave the EU, the member states also started cooperating to a greater extent with ideologically like-minded members. Research from the University of Gothenburg shows that Brexit may, in part, have changed the logic behind how cooperation in the Council of the European Union is structured.
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Rain, rain, go away: New waterproofing solution discovered by SFU chemistry team

Eurekalert - Apr 27 2021 - 00:04
A new coating solution discovered by researchers at Simon Fraser University can transform regular materials into waterproof surfaces. The product will be cheaper to produce, free of harmful fluorinated compounds, and effective on a variety of materials. Their research findings have been published in Nature Communications.
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Neural implant monitors multiple brain areas at once, provides new neuroscience insights

Eurekalert - Apr 27 2021 - 00:04
How do different parts of the brain communicate with each other during learning and memory formation? A study by researchers at UC San Diego takes a first step at answering this fundamental neuroscience question, thanks to a neural implant that monitors multiple brain regions at the same time.
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Why older people should chill when it's hot out

Eurekalert - Apr 27 2021 - 00:04
Taking a break from extreme heat, by visiting a cooling center for example, could help our cells protect themselves from damage, according to preliminary findings from a new study. The research, which focused on older people, suggests temporarily cooling down on a hot day helps cells maintain autophagy, a process cells use to rid themselves of dangerous protein buildups caused by stressors like extreme heat.
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Toward a feasible alternative to liver organ transplant

Eurekalert - Apr 27 2021 - 00:04
New insights into how fetal and adult liver cells differ could be used to help make liver cell transplants successful long term. Transplanting functioning liver cells into a patient's liver can help replace liver function that is impaired due to disease.
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Study illuminates how COVID-19 worms its way into the brain

Eurekalert - Apr 27 2021 - 00:04
New research offers an up-close view of how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can spread to the brain. The study helps explain the alarming array of neurological symptoms reported in some patients with COVID-19, as well as why some patients suffer severe neurological effects while others experience none at all.
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'Smart shirt' takes a trip to space for science

Eurekalert - Apr 27 2021 - 00:04
A technology-packed tank top offers a simple, effective way to track astronauts' vital signs and physiological changes during spaceflight, according to research being presented at the American Physiological Society annual meeting during the Experimental Biology (EB) 2021 meeting, held virtually April 27-30.
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SARS-CoV-2 spike protein alone may cause lung damage

Eurekalert - Apr 27 2021 - 00:04
Using a newly developed mouse model of acute lung injury, researchers found that exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein alone was enough to induce COVID-19-like symptoms including severe inflammation of the lungs.
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Researchers uncover potential new way to treat dry mouth

Eurekalert - Apr 27 2021 - 00:04
Researchers studying mice made a serendipitous discovery that could lead to a new dry mouth treatment. More than 10% of people experience dry mouth, which can be caused by medical conditions, radiation treatment, certain medications and aging.
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Researchers design sensor for fast, inexpensive on-site Ebola detection

Eurekalert - Apr 27 2021 - 00:04
Researchers are developing a new sensor that can detect Ebola in a single drop of blood and provides results in just an hour. With further development, the technology might also enable fast and inexpensive detection of other viruses, including the virus that causes COVID-19.
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Plant compound shows promise against triple-negative breast cancer

Eurekalert - Apr 27 2021 - 00:04
Findings from a new cell study suggest that the natural plant compound sanguinarine could be a promising tool for targeting triple-negative breast cancer cells. The researchers also found that breast cancer cells derived from people with African American ancestry were more sensitive to sanguinarine than those of European origin.
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