Thursday 6 June 2019

300-year-old piston design reinvented with soft flexible materials

Since their invention in the late 1700s when French-born British physicist Denis Papin, the inventor of the pressure cooker, proposed the piston principle, pistons have been used to harness the power of fluids to perform work in numerous machines and devices.

* This article was originally published here

The deep learning dive: how cells regulate division

Combining tissue imaging and artificial intelligence, Hollings Cancer Center researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina probed deeper into how cell division cycles are regulated, in this study released online in the May 2019 issue of Cell Reports.

* This article was originally published here

Researchers spot mutations that crop up in normal cells as we age

Cell division is not perfect. As we get older, mutations often appear in genes in normal cells. Most of these mutated cells and their progeny—called "somatic clones"—have no effect on our health, but a tiny fraction can help trigger cancer growth or contribute to other conditions such as cardiovascular disease. A team led by scientists from the Broad Institute's Cancer Program and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has now created a powerful new approach that detects mutations across many different types of normal cells by analyzing RNA sequencing data from normal tissues.

* This article was originally published here

Just a phage? How bacteria's predators can shape the gut microbiome

The gut microbiome is a complex, interconnected ecosystem of species. And, like any ecosystem, some organisms are predators and some are prey. A new study led by investigators at Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Wyss Institute investigates the impact of bacteriophage, viruses that infect and kill bacteria. They find that phage can have a profound impact on the dynamics of the gut microbiome, not only affecting certain species directly but also having a cascading effect on others. Phage may also be impacting their human host by modulating metabolites, including chemical substances found in the brain. The team, which includes first author Bryan Hsu, Ph.D., and co-corresponding senior author Pamela Silver, Ph.D., at the Wyss Institute, and Lynn Bry, MD, Ph.D., at the Brigham and director of the Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center, has published its results in Cell Host & Microbe.

* This article was originally published here

Discovery sheds light on synthesis, processing of high-performance solar cells

Halide perovskite solar cells hold promise as the next generation of solar cell technologies, but while researchers have developed techniques for improving their material characteristics, nobody understood why these techniques worked. New research sheds light on the science behind these engineering solutions and paves the way for developing more efficient halide perovskite solar cells.

* This article was originally published here

Northeastern deer more susceptible to wasting disease than those to the west

Some deer are more susceptible to chronic wasting disease that is spreading through herds of white-tailed deer across much of the United States, according to Penn State researchers, who have identified a panel of genetic markers that reliably predict which animals are most vulnerable to the contagious neurological disorder.

* This article was originally published here

LGBT-identifying females are at increased risk of substance use in early adolescence

Females who identify as sexual minorities face an increased risk of substance use that shows up as early as age 13, suggesting early adolescence is a critical period for prevention and intervention efforts, a new study from Oregon State University has found.

* This article was originally published here

Global study links better education, wealth to improved heart health

Findings from a sweeping global study conducted by SFU Health Sciences professor Scott Lear, among others, reveal a direct correlation between socioeconomic status and one's susceptibility to heart attacks and strokes.

* This article was originally published here

First-of-its-kind platform aims to rapidly advance prosthetics

A new open-source, artificially intelligent prosthetic leg designed by researchers at the University of Michigan and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab is now available to the scientific community.

* This article was originally published here

Jam-packed: A novel microscopic approach to amorphous solids

A team led by The University of Tokyo developed a new method for understanding the structural organization of disordered collections of soft discs or spheres using a new approach: putting a focus on local mechanical properties that is fundamentally different from previous approaches to ordered crystals and disordered amorphous solids. In particular, the researchers focused packings resulted from the phenomenon of "jamming," in which a free-flowing substance suddenly clogs as the density increases. The work may help with the design of more efficient industrial materials that are less likely to breakdown under external load.

* This article was originally published here

Few oncologists refer patients to weight management programs

(HealthDay)—While oncology providers are aware of the link between obesity and cancer, few provide referrals to support patients' lifestyle changes, according to a study published online May 16 in the Journal of Oncology Practice.

* This article was originally published here

Rhythmic control of 'brain waves' can boost memory: study

Controlling the frequency of 'brain waves' could help to improve people's recall of memories and potentially provide a key to unlock conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, according to a new article.

* This article was originally published here

Atrial fibrillation set to affect more than 14 million over-65s in the EU by 2060

Urgent action is needed to prevent, detect and treat atrial fibrillation to stop a substantial rise in disabling strokes. That's the main message of a paper published today in EP Europace, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), during World Heart Rhythm Week.

* This article was originally published here

Record cocaine seized in Europe as challenges grow: EU report

European authorities are seizing record quantities of increasingly pure cocaine, the EU's drugs agency said in a report published Thursday, pointing also to a growing use of synthetic drugs and dealing via smartphones.

* This article was originally published here

Autonomous boats can target and latch onto each other

The city of Amsterdam envisions a future where fleets of autonomous boats cruise its many canals to transport goods and people, collect trash, or self-assemble into floating stages and bridges. To further that vision, MIT researchers have given new capabilities to their fleet of robotic boats—which are being developed as part of an ongoing project—that lets them target and clasp onto each other, and keep trying if they fail.

* This article was originally published here

Number of measles cases in US this year surpasses 1,000

The number of measles cases in the United States this year has reached 1,001, health officials said Wednesday, as they vowed to stop the spread of misinformation about vaccines.

* This article was originally published here

A pluralistic approach to thinking about the human microbiome

In "The Conceptual Ecology of the Human Microbiome," published in the June 2019 issue of The Quarterly Review of Biology, Nicolae Morar and Brendan J. M. Bohannan examine in detail the different metaphors scientists use to describe the human microbiome. Because it appears that each view has both advantages and disadvantages, the authors suggest the pragmatic approach of considering all metaphors when exploring therapies for diseases and disorders.

* This article was originally published here

Study: New drug regimens improve outcomes for kidney transplant patients

Preliminary results from a $5.2 million clinical trial led by University of Cincinnati researchers show that the immunosuppressive drug belatacept can help safely and effectively treat kidney transplant patients without the negative long-term side effects of traditional immunosuppressive regimens, the study's leaders announced this week.

* This article was originally published here

Protecting our energy infrastructure from cyberattack

Almost every day, news headlines announce another security breach and the theft of credit card numbers and other personal information. While having one's credit card stolen can be annoying and unsettling, a far more significant, yet less recognized, concern is the security of physical infrastructure, including energy systems.

* This article was originally published here