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Study shows potential dangers of sweeteners

Eurekalert - Jun 24 2021 - 00:06
New research has discovered that common artificial sweeteners can cause previously healthy gut bacteria to become diseased and invade the gut wall, potentially leading to serious health issues. The study, published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, is the first to show the pathogenic effects of some of the most widely used artificial sweeteners - saccharin, sucralose, and aspartame - on two types of gut bacteria, E. coli (Escherichia coli) and E. faecalis (Enterococcus faecalis).
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Burnout is a widespread reality in today's NHS

Eurekalert - Jun 24 2021 - 00:06
An editorial published by The BMJ today raises important concerns about the health and wellbeing of the NHS workforce after a parliamentary report found "burnout is a widespread reality in today's NHS."
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Kiwi disease study finds closely related bacterial strains display different behaviors

Eurekalert - Jun 24 2021 - 00:06
Over the last decade, severe outbreaks of bacterial canker have caused huge economic losses for kiwi growers. Bacterial canker is caused by the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) and more recent outbreaks have been particularly devastating due to the emergence of a new, extremely aggressive biovar called Psa3. Due to its recent introduction, the molecular basis of Psa3's virulence is unknown, making it difficult to develop mitigation strategies.
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Early findings of Alzheimer's study in diverse populations now available to researchers

Eurekalert - Jun 24 2021 - 00:06
The project is the only comprehensive, large-scale Alzheimer's research study into the three largest ethnic groups in the U.S. - Non-Hispanic whites, Mexican Americans and African Americans.
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Virus that causes COVID-19 can find alternate route to infect cells

Eurekalert - Jun 24 2021 - 00:06
The virus that causes COVID-19 normally gets inside cells by attaching to a protein called ACE2. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that a single mutation confers the ability to enter cells through another route, which may threaten the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics designed to block the standard route of entry.
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Optical superoscillation without side waves

Eurekalert - Jun 24 2021 - 00:06
A sharp-edged aperture developed by researchers from Jinan University is a promising solution for eliminating side lobes from superoscillatory waves.
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Quantum dots keep atoms spaced to boost catalysis

Eurekalert - Jun 24 2021 - 00:06
Rice University engineers use graphene quantum dots to trap transition metals for high atom loading in single atom catalysis.
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Mosquito love songs send mixed message about immunity

Eurekalert - Jun 24 2021 - 00:06
A new Cornell University study of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes investigates how a mating cue called "harmonic convergence" might affect immunity against parasites, bacteria and dengue virus in offspring, which has important implications for trade-offs male mosquitoes make between investing energy towards immunity or investing it on traits that impact mating and fitness.
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Recycling next-generation solar panels fosters green planet

Eurekalert - Jun 24 2021 - 00:06
Designing a recycling strategy for a new, forthcoming generation of photovoltaic solar cells - made from metal halide perovskites, a family of crystalline materials with structures like the natural mineral calcium titanate - will add a stronger dose of environmental friendliness to a green industry, according to new research published in Nature Sustainability.
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Artificial intelligence breakthrough gives longer advance warning of ozone issues

Eurekalert - Jun 24 2021 - 00:06
Ozone levels in the earth's troposphere (the lowest level of our atmosphere) can now be forecasted with accuracy up to two weeks in advance, a remarkable improvement over current systems that can accurately predict ozone levels only three days ahead. The new artificial intelligence system developed in the University of Houston's Air Quality Forecasting and Modeling Lab could lead to improved ways to control high ozone problems and even contribute to solutions for climate change issues.
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Genetic discovery could help guide treatment for aggressive childhood cancer

Eurekalert - Jun 24 2021 - 00:06
A new study could lead to improved decision making in assigning treatments for children with the aggressive cancer rhabdomyosarcoma after revealing key genetic changes underlying development of the disease.
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International study of rare childhood cancer finds genetic clues, potential for tailored therapy

Eurekalert - Jun 24 2021 - 00:06
In children with rhabdomyosarcoma, or RMS, a rare cancer that affects the muscles and other soft tissues, the presence of mutations in several genes, including TP53, MYOD1, and CDKN2A, appear to be associated with a more aggressive form of the disease and a poorer chance of survival. This finding is from the largest-ever international study on RMS, led by scientists at the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Center for Cancer Research, part of the National Institutes of Health.
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Parents of children with complex medical conditions more likely to have mental health issues

Eurekalert - Jun 24 2021 - 00:06
Parents of children with Complex Medical Conditions were five times more likely to report suffering from poor or fair mental than parents of kids without these conditions, and also were more likely to struggle finding help
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Making citizen science inclusive will require more than rebranding

Eurekalert - Jun 24 2021 - 00:06
Scientists need to focus on tangible efforts to boost equity, diversity and inclusion in citizen science, researchers from North Carolina State University argued in a new perspective.
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Muscling up with nanoparticle-based anti-inflammatory therapy

Eurekalert - Jun 24 2021 - 00:06
Researchers at Harvard's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have developed a new approach in which specifically designed anti-inflammatory nanoparticles (NPs) that could be applied locally and selectively to chronically inflamed muscles severely affected or at more immediate risk of deterioration, and maybe difficult to reach with oral therapeutics.
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Light-harvesting nanoparticle catalysts show promise in quest for renewable carbon-based fuels

Eurekalert - Jun 24 2021 - 00:06
Researchers report that small quantities of useful molecules such as hydrocarbons are produced when carbon dioxide and water react in the presence of light and a silver nanoparticle catalyst. Their validation study - made possible through the use of a high-resolution analytical technique - could pave the way for CO2-reduction technologies that allow industrial-scale production of renewable carbon-based fuels.
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UCLA study reveals how immune cells can be trained to fight infections

Eurekalert - Jun 24 2021 - 00:06
The body's immune cells fight off microbes and other invaders, and can also be reprogrammed or "trained" to respond even more aggressively to such threats, report UCLA scientists who have discovered the fundamental rule underlying this process in a particular class of cells. Their findings, published in the journal Science, could help pave the way for targeted strategies to enhance the immune system.
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Herbivore gut fungi found to produce unique building blocks of antibiotics

Eurekalert - Jun 24 2021 - 00:06
For the past several years, chemical engineer Michelle O'Malley has focused her research on the anaerobic fungi found in the guts of herbivores, which make it possible for those animals to fuel themselves with sugars and starches extracted from fibrous plants. O'Malley's work, reflected in multiple research awards and journal articles, has centered on how these powerful fungi might be used to extract value-added products from the nonedible parts of plants -- roots, stems and leaves -- that are generally considered waste products.
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Research shows Alaska infrastructure at risk of earlier failure

Eurekalert - Jun 24 2021 - 00:06
Roads, bridges, pipelines and other types of infrastructure in Alaska and elsewhere in the Arctic will deteriorate faster than expected due to a failure by planners to account for the structures' impact on adjacent permafrost, according to research by a University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute permafrost expert and others.
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The quiet of pandemic-era lockdowns allowed some pumas to venture closer to urban areas

Eurekalert - Jun 24 2021 - 00:06
Researchers were able to clearly connect declining levels of human mobility during regional shelter-in-place orders with pumas' increased willingness to utilize more urban habitat areas.
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