Culture
Massive galaxies were already much more mature in the early universe than previously expected. This was shown by an international team of astronomers who studied 118 distant galaxies with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA).
Lianhuaqingwen (LHQW) capsule, a herb medicine product, has been clinically proved to be effective in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia treatment. However, human exposure to LHQW components and their pharmacological effects remain largely unknown. The authors of this study aimed to determine human exposure to LHQW components. Based on the human exposure analysis, several ACE2 binding components with good enzyme inhibitory effects were screened out by ACE2 biochromatography.
COLUMBUS, Ohio - New research shows that when vampire bats feel sick, they socially distance themselves from groupmates in their roost - no public health guidance required.
The researchers gave wild vampire bats a substance that activated their immune system and made them feel sick for several hours, and then returned the bats to their roost. A control group of bats received a placebo.
Data on the behavior of these bats was transmitted to scientists by custom-made "backpack" computers that were glued to the animals' backs, recording the vampire bats' social encounters.
CHAPEL HILL, NC - MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are evolutionarily conserved small noncoding RNAs - bits of genetic code that serve as critical gene regulators in many aspects of biological processes important for human health. Due to their essential roles in gene regulation, miRNAs are tightly regulated, and abnormal miRNA expressions have been linked to cancer, neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and other diseases.
CLEVELAND - An international team of researchers led by Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute has performed for the first time a wide-scale characterization of missense variants from 1,330 disease-associated genes. Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study identifies features associated with pathogenic and benign variants that reveal the effects of the mutations at a molecular level.
An environmentally friendly and sustainable synthesis of "heavyweight" polymers with very narrow molecular weight distributions is an important concept in modern polymer chemistry. Thanks to a new photoenzymatic process, Chinese researchers have been able to increase the range of possible monomers. As reported in the journal Angewandte Chemie, the researchers were able to obtain well-defined linear and star-shaped polymers with ultrahigh molecular weights.
LAWRENCE -- Politicians discuss the ins and outs of health care while trying to win votes, but for some Americans, policymakers do not seem to be listening. University of Kansas researchers have published a study about perspectives of individuals with disabilities on health care policy, and respondents overwhelmingly stated access to health care is vital and they would like policymakers to pay more attention to their needs.
Low muscle quality and quantity are both predictive of poor outcomes in colon resection surgery, according to a new study published in JAMA Surgery.
Boston - Results from a new study led by Boston Medical Center (BMC) demonstrate the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Hispanic groups within the US, with the most severe outcomes, including death and intensive care, among Hispanic Black individuals. Analyzing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers found differences between Hispanic groups, with higher rates of hospitalization and increased risk of death for Hispanic Black compared to Hispanic multiracial individuals.
Acute liver failure is a devastating, rapidly progressing disease that results in death in 80% of cases, unless an emergency liver transplant is performed. In the developed world, its leading cause is a substantial overdose of acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol.
Living organisms aren't the only things that evolve over time. Cultural practices change, too, and in recent years social scientists have taken a keen interest in understanding this cultural evolution. Much research has focused on psychological factors among individuals, like how our visual system constrains the shape of written characters.
Fossils recovered from Antarctica in the 1980s represent the oldest giant members of an extinct group of birds that patrolled the southern oceans with wingspans of up to 21 feet that would dwarf the 11½-foot wingspan of today's largest bird, the wandering albatross.
COMMON MUTATION IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE INCREASES CELL CALCIUM, MAY CAUSE BRAIN CELL DEATH
Media Contact: Rachel Butchrbutch1@jhmi.edu
Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have mapped out the cellular pathway that connects the most common genetic mutation associated with Parkinson's disease to brain cell death. In a new study, they show that the mutation initiates a biological pathway that could target brain cells most susceptible to the patterns of cell death leading to Parkinson's disease symptoms.
Scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle have shown that a potent antibody from a COVID-19 survivor interferes with a key feature on the surface of the coronavirus's distinctive spikes and induces critical pieces of those spikes to break off in the process.
The antibody -- a tiny, Y-shaped protein that is one of the body's premier weapons against pathogens including viruses -- was isolated by the Fred Hutch team from a blood sample received from a Washington state patient in the early days of the pandemic.
In the world of rare genetic diseases, exome and genome sequencing are two powerful tools used to make a diagnosis. A recent addition to the toolkit, RNA sequencing, has been demonstrated to help researchers narrow down disease candidate variants identified first on exome and genome sequencing. A new study from Baylor College of Medicine finds that starting genetic analysis with RNA sequencing can increase diagnostic yield even further. The results are published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.