Новости за 05.12.2022

A new tool could one day help clinicians better predict resistance to immunoglobulin therapy among children with Kawasaki disease in the United States. Compared to the Kobayashi score -- the most widely used method in Japan for predicting resistance to the antibody, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), in Kawasaki disease -- the newly developed tool is twice as accurate for Western New York children, achieving a sensitivity (detection) rate of 54%.

A forest's resilience, or ability to absorb environmental disturbances, has long been thought to be a boost for its odds of survival against the looming threat of climate change. But a new study suggests that for some Western U.S. forests, it's quite the opposite. The results of one of the first large-scale studies of its kind show that while high ecosystem resilience correlates with low mortality in eastern forests, it is linked to high mortality in western regions.

Efforts to promote the future health of both wild bees and managed honeybee colonies need to consider specific habitat needs, such as the density of wildflowers. At the same time, improving other habitat measures -- such as the amount of natural habitat surrounding croplands -- may increase bee diversity while having mixed effects on overall bee health. Those are the key findings from a new analysis of several thousand Michigan bees from 60 species. The study looked at how the quality and quantity... Читать дальше...

An extreme-scale nanoscope is beginning to collect data about how pulses of light at trillions of cycles per second can control supercurrents in materials. The instrument could one day help optimize superconducting quantum bits, which are at the heart of quantum computing, a new and developing technology.

A new study finds the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery is a promising option for measuring cognitive change in people with intellectual disability.

An interdisciplinary research team has found important clues about the functioning of the sensorimotor cortex. The new findings on neuronal activities in this brain area could be helpful for the further development and use of so-called neuroprostheses. These have an interface with the nervous system and are intended to help compensate for neuronal dysfunctions.

Healthy diets are rich in antioxidants like amino acids, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin C, but exactly how beneficial these micronutrients are for cardiovascular health has long been controversial. Now a new meta-analysis provides some clarity.

Scientists used high energy x-rays to investigate the solid-electrolyte interphase, a chemical layer in batteries that's key to stabilizing lithium metal anodes. Chemists unraveled this complex chemical mechanisms that is crucial for boosting energy density.

Researchers can detect 'toxic' small aggregates of a particular protein in the blood of individuals with Alzheimer's disease, as well as in individuals who showed no signs of cognitive impairment at the time the blood sample was taken, but who developed it at a later date. This blood test picks up oligomers -- or small, misfolded aggregates -- of the amyloid beta protein, which scientists believe triggers the development of Alzheimer's.

New research suggests that a common parasite associated with cats turns Yellowstone National Park wolves into risk takers, who when infected are much more likely to disperse across the landscape and become pack leaders.

An international team of researchers has uncovered a new mechanism that enables cancer cells to move throughout the body, providing a potential new target to stop metastasis, which is responsible for 90 per cent of cancer deaths. The team identifies that cancer cells move faster when they are surrounded by thicker fluids, a change that occurs when lymph drainage is compromised by a primary tumor.

Scientists have identified an off-patent drug that can be repurposed to prevent COVID-19 -- and may be capable of protecting against future variants of the virus -- in research involving a unique mix of 'mini-organs', donor organs, animal studies and patients. The research showed that an existing drug used to treat a type of liver disease is able to 'lock' the doorway by which SARS-CoV-2 enters our cells, a receptor on the cell surface known as ACE2. Because this drug targets the host cells and not the virus... Читать дальше...

Major ice streams can shut down, shifting rapid ice transport to other parts of the ice sheet, within a few thousand years. This was determined in reconstructions of two ice streams, based on ice-penetrating radar scans of the Greenland ice sheet.

Paying cash to people with obesity for losing a specific amount of weight or completing weight-reducing activities works better than offering stand-alone free tools, such as weight-loss programs, diet books, and wearable fitness trackers, a new study shows.

Researchers have uncovered inflammatory markers that may predict which COVID-19 patients are more likely to respond to therapies like the anti-cancer drug pacritinib, according to phase 2 trial results.

Extremely intense light pulses generated by free-electron lasers (FELs) are versatile tools in research. Particularly in the X-ray range, they can be deployed to analyze the details of atomic structures of a wide variety of materials and to follow fundamental ultrafast processes with great precision. Until now, FELs such as the European XFEL in Germany are based on conventional electron accelerators, which make them long and expensive. An international team has now achieved a breakthrough on the way to an affordable alternative solution... Читать дальше...

Women with prolonged mental health problems up to three years after childbirth may be suffering from irregular immune system responses, according to new research.

Researchers have developed a new method for producing a key component of lithium-ion batteries. The result is a more affordable battery from a faster, less wasteful process that uses less toxic material.

A six-month study oncludes that the use of portable home air purifiers can improve some markers of cardiovascular health in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD

CRISPR, the Nobel Prize-winning gene editing technology, is poised to have a profound impact on the fields of microbiology and medicine yet again. A team has developed a tool to edit the genomes of bacteria-infecting viruses called bacteriophages using a rare form of CRISPR. The ability to easily engineer custom-designed phages will help researchers treat dangerous drug-resistant infections and control microbiomes without antibiotics or harsh chemicals.

Research has provided new insights into the mechanism behind how our circadian 24-hour body clock influences our immune response to vaccines, depending on the time of day.

An international team of astrophysicists has managed to statistically characterize the first galaxies in the Universe, which formed only 200 million years after the Big Bang.

The neurotransmitter serotonin plays a key role in both the onset and in the unlearning of fear and anxiety. A research team has been investigating the underlying mechanisms. The researchers showed that mice lacking a specific serotonin receptor unlearn fear much faster than the wild type. The results of the study provide a viable explanation how drugs that are typically used for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) alter our brain activity. The ability to unlearn fear is often impaired in PTSD patients... Читать дальше...

The energy and health challenges of the human population require the development of advanced materials. In this regard, 3D COFs with their net-like structures and unprecedented porosity show promise. But their synthesis from pre-designed building units is extremely challenging. To this end, researchers have now developed TUS-84, the first 3D COF with a unique scu-c network structure, with enormous potential in drug delivery and clean energy.

Years of research show that climate change signals are amplified in the Arctic, and that sea ice in this region is sensitive to increases in Arctic warming. Sea ice greatly modifies the exchanges of heat, momentum and mass between the atmosphere and the ocean. So, the timings of the sea ice melt and freeze onsets, as well as the length of the melt and freeze seasons, play a key role in the 'heat budget' of the atmosphere-ice-ocean system.