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Machine learning can now reduce worry about nanoparticles in food
While crop yield has achieved a substantial boost from nanotechnology in recent years, the alarms over the health risks posed by nanoparticles within fresh produce and grains have also increased. In particular, nanoparticles entering the soil through irrigation, fertilizers and other sources have raised concerns about whether plants absorb these minute particles enough to cause toxicity.
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A distinctive inflammatory signature found in a genetic form of ALS
Researchers find an increase in inflammatory molecules in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of C90RF72 patients, informing future anti-inflammatory therapies.
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UChicago scientists identify properties that allow proteins to strengthen under pressure
A research team at the University of Chicago is now exploring the properties of a material found in cells which allows cells to remember and respond to environmental pressure. In a paper published on May 14, 2021 in Soft Matter, they teased out secrets for how it works--and how it could someday form the basis for making useful materials.
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New super-resolution microscopy method approaches the atomic scale
Scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine have developed a computational technique that greatly increases the resolution of atomic force microscopy, a specialized type of microscope that "feels" the atoms at a surface. The method reveals atomic-level details on proteins and other biological structures under normal physiological conditions, opening a new window on cell biology, virology and other microscopic processes.
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MD Anderson research highlights for June 16, 2021
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center's Research Highlights provides a glimpse into recently published studies in basic, translational and clinical cancer research from MD Anderson experts. Current advances include a new combination therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a greater understanding of persistent conditions after AML remission, the discovery of a universal biomarker for exosomes, the identification of a tumor suppressor gene in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and characterization of a new target to treat Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) infections.
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Yeast mating -- more than meets the eye
Pheromones mediate asymmetric mating behavior in isogamous yeast
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Icebergs drifting from Canada to southern Florida
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) climate modeler Dr. Alan Condron and United States Geological Survey (USGS) research geologist Dr. Jenna Hill have found evidence that massive icebergs from roughly 31,000 years ago drifted more than 5,000km (> 3,000 miles) along the eastern United States coast from Northeast Canada all the way to southern Florida. These findings were published today in Nature Communications.
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Osteoporosis: New approach to understanding bone strength pays dividends
Osteoporosis researchers at the UVA School of Medicine have taken a new approach to understanding how our genes determine the strength of our bones, allowing them to identify several genes not previously known to influence bone density and, ultimately, our risk of fracture.
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Stoneflies: Youth influences adulthood
In the majority of insects, metamorphosis fosters completely different looking larval and adult stages. This "decoupling" of life stages is thought to allow for adaptation to different environments. Researchers of the University of Bonn now falsified this text book knowledge of evolutionary theory for stoneflies. They found that the ecology of the larvae largely determines the morphology of the adults by investigating 219 earwig and stonefly species at high-resolution particle accelerators.
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Sweeping analysis concludes there's no cheating old age
Today the average person can expect to live nearly twice as long as people in the 1850s. But a new study comparing data from nine human populations and 30 populations of non-human primates says that we are probably not cheating the reaper. The researchers say the increase in human life expectancy is more likely the statistical outcome of improved survival for children and young adults, not slowing the aging clock.
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Smartphone bans in the workplace
Study on smartphone bans in the workplace reveals possible benefits of 'soft' bans -- research project involving the University of Konstanz.
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Algorithm reveals the mysterious foraging habits of narwhals
An algorithm can predict when narwhals hunt - a task once nearly impossible to gain insight into. Mathematicians and computer scientists at the University of Copenhagen, together with marine biologists in Greenland, have made progress in gathering knowledge about this enigmatic Arctic whale at a time when climate change is pressuring them.
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What factors put Philippine birds at risk of extinction?
A new study from University of Utah researchers suggests that, due to deforestation and habitat degradation, more bird species may be endangered that previously thought - including species that may not have been discovered yet.
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Model helps analyze decision-making on adopting Type 2 diabetes medical guidelines
A team led by a University of Illinois researcher developed a new computational framework for analyzing how best to communicate about new medical guidelines to encourage their adoption.
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Intestinal cancers: The 14-3-3sigma gene acts as a tumor suppressor
LMU researchers have identified the 14-3-3sigma gene as an important suppressor of carcinogenesis in the gastrointestinal tract.
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SNMMI Image of the Year: PET imaging measures cognitive impairment in COVID-19 patients
The effects of COVID-19 on the brain can be accurately measured with positron emission tomography (PET), according to research presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) 2021 Annual Meeting. The detailed depiction of areas of cognitive impairment, neurological symptoms and comparison of impairment over a six-month time frame has been selected as SNMMI's 2021 Image of the Year.
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Online mental health therapy significantly aids the isolated, immunosuppressed in pandemic
People with the rare autoimmune disease scleroderma, who likely experience more serious isolation during a global pandemic, saw their anxiety and depression improve after receiving online mental health intervention through an international study. Researchers say the program could be extended to many vulnerable patient populations moving forward.
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Using microorganisms to monitor water quality within minutes
SUTD-led research has demonstrated a technology that allows users with camera phones to track the health of aquatic microorganisms -- assessing water quality and drinkability in the process.
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Can biodegradable polymers live up to the hype?
As consumers and corporations alike become more environmentally conscious, the chemical industry is working to find solutions to the plastic waste crisis. One idea is to use biodegradable polymers known as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) as replacements for traditional plastic packaging and other materials. A feature article in Chemical & Engineering News, the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, explores the possibilities and pitfalls of PHA.
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Several persistent chemicals were found in fetal organs
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden found industrial chemicals in the organs of fetuses conceived decades after many countries had banned the substances. In a study published in the journal Chemosphere, the researchers urge decision makers to consider the combined impact of the mix of chemicals that accumulate in people and nature.
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