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mRNA vaccine yields full protection against malaria in mice
WRAIR scientists and partners developed an mRNA vaccine that protects against malaria in animal models. Malaria remains a large public health and economic burden worldwide as well as a danger to deployed Service Members. This vaccine uses mRNA accompanied by a lipid nanoparticle to prompt cells to code for circumsporozoite protein, which then triggers an immune response against malaria. The vaccine achieved high levels of protection in mice, encouraging further development for the novel platform.
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An acceleration of coastal overtopping around the world
The combination of sea level rise, tides, storm surge and waves has increased the overtopping of natural and artificial coastal protection by nearly 50% in the last two decades. This revelation comes from an international study coordinated by IRD, involving international partners . The study was published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature Communications on June 18th 2021.
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Breathing new life into existing tech: FT-IR spectrometer shows molecular orientation
Researchers have established an approach to identify the orientation of molecules and chemical bonds in crystalline organic-inorganic hybrid thin films deposited on substrates using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and polarized infrared light with a 3D-printed attenuated total reflectance (ATR) unit. This inexpensive method with laboratory-grade equipment quickly reaches the crystal-structure model of even extremely thin films of less than 10 nm.
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Tai chi shows promise for relief of depression and anxiety in stroke survivors
A small feasibility study has suggested that tai chi has the potential to reduce depression, anxiety and stress plus improve sleep in people who have had a stroke. The research is presented today at EuroHeartCare - ACNAP Congress 2021, an online scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Depression occurs in approximately one-third of stroke survivors and is linked with greater disability and mortality rates. Individuals with post-stroke depression frequently also report anxiety, stress, and poor sleep.
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Compact quantum computer for server centers
So far, quantum computers have been one-of-a-kind devices that fill entire laboratories. Now, physicists at the University of Innsbruck have built a prototype of an ion trap quantum computer that can be used in industry. It fits into two 19-inch server racks like those found in data centers throughout the world. The compact, self-sustained device demonstrates how this technology will soon be more accessible.
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Doctors, student help establish way to prioritize surgeries during COVID-19
The health network experts implemented the medically necessary time sensitive (MeNTS) surgical scoring system developed by the University of Chicago to triage the case load across the health system, the largest in New Jersey. The results are published now in The American Journal of Surgery, and the lead author is a medical student at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.
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There's a good reason online retailers are investing in physical stores
For "deep" products, properly managing customers' onboarding experience and using the right channel and right product promotional strategy can enhance long-term customer loyalty and increase sales and profitability.
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Surprising spider hair discovery may inspire stronger adhesives
A recent study by the open access publisher Frontiers shows the first evidence that the individual hair-like structures that form spiders' adhesive feet are far more diverse than expected. By looking at a sample set of these hairs, researchers have found that they have varied shapes as well as attachment properties. Understanding how spiders climb a wide range of surfaces may help scientists design new and better adhesives.
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Meringue-like material could make aircraft as quiet as a hairdryer
An incredibly light new material that can reduce aircraft engine noise and improve passenger comfort has been developed at the University of Bath.The graphene oxide-polyvinyl alcohol aerogel weighs just 2.1kg per cubic metre, making it the lightest sound insulation ever manufactured.
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Depression in dads of preemies deserves more attention
A large study, published in the journal Pediatrics, found that both parents with a baby in the NICU are at risk, with depression symptoms identified in 33 percent of mothers and 17 percent of fathers. Strikingly, the probability of reporting depression symptoms declined significantly for mothers but not for fathers after the baby came home.
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Blocking IL-11 signalling can help liver regenerate after injury from paracetamol toxicity
A signaling protein thought to be able to treat liver damage in paracetamol toxicity could actually worsen it. Instead, Singapore scientists discovered, blocking its effects could be the way forward.
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Start-stop system of hunting immune cells
Researchers from the MPI of Immunobiology and Epigenetics decipher the basic biology of neutrophil swarming and now show that the cells also evolved an intrinsic molecular program to self-limit their swarming activity. The study elucidates how swarming neutrophils become insensitive to their own secreted signals that brought the swarm together in the first place. This process is crucial for the efficient elimination of bacteria in tissues.
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New study finds SARS-CoV-2 can infect testes
Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch have found SARS-CoV-2 in the testes of infected hamsters. The authors think this may represent what could occur in men with mild to moderate COVID-19 disease.
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Sacred natural sites protect biodiversity in Iran
How much do traditional practices contribute to the protection of local biodiversity? Why and how are sacred groves locally valued and protected, and how can this be promoted and harnessed for environmental protection? Working together with the University of Kurdistan, researchers of the University of Göttingen and the University of Kassel have examined the backgrounds of this form of local environmental protection in Baneh County, Iran.
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Managed retreat: A must in the war against climate change
Climate change will shape the future of coastal communities, with flood walls, elevated structures and possibly even floating cities used to combat sea level rise. New research has found that managed retreat -- moving buildings, homes or communities off of the coast or away from floodplains -- must be part of any solution.
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Vaccination, previous infection, protect against gamma variant in animal model
In a new study using variant virus recovered from one of the original travelers, researchers in the US and Japan have found that vaccination with an mRNA vaccine induces antibody responses that would protect humans from infection with the gamma/P.1 variant.
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Controlling brain states with a ray of light
A study led by researchers from IBEC and IDIBAPS achieves, for the first time, the control of brain state transitions using a molecule responsive to light, named PAI. The results not only pave the way to act on the brain patterns activity and to understand their connection to cognition and behavior, but they also could lead to the development of photomodulated drugs for the treatment of brain lesions or diseases such as depression, bipolar disorders or Parkinson's or Alzheimer's diseases.
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Tug-of-war receptors for sour taste in fruit flies sheds light on human taste biology
His team, including authors Tingwei Mi, John Mack, and Christopher Lee from the Monell Center and University of Pennsylvania, found that flies use two distinct types of gustatory (taste) receptor neurons (GRNs), which are analogous to taste receptor cells in mammals, to discriminate slightly from highly sour foods. One group of GRNs are maximally activated by low acidity, while the other group displayed its best responses to high acidity.
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For the first time, researchers visualize metabolic process at the single-cell level
Researchers at the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and Biological Sciences Division have developed a combined imaging and machine learning technique that can, for the first time, measure a metabolic process at both the cellular and sub-cellular levels.
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Tailored laser fields reveal properties of transparent crystals
The surface of a material often has properties that are very different from the properties within the material. An international research team from the University of Göttingen, the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry Göttingen and the National Research Council Canada has now succeeded in investigating the surfaces of transparent crystals using powerful irradiation from lasers. The results of the study were published in the journal Nature Communications.
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