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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 20, 2022 at 6:06am

Analysis shows women who publish physics papers are cited less often than men

A team of researchers affiliated with multiple institutions in the U.S. has found that women who publish physics papers are cited less often than are men. In their paper published in the journal Nature Physics, the group describes their analysis of more than 1 million published papers in multiple journals.

Prior research and anecdotal evidence have suggested that women are greatly underrepresented in the sciences, particularly chemistry, physics and math. Prior research has also shown that there are a number of reasons for the differences, among them, simple discrimination. In this new effort, the researchers looked at one type of discrimination—underciting papers based on gender—that could play a role in the underrepresentation of women in physics.

One of the ways that scientists measure prestige in their field is by the number of times their publications are cited. A high number of citations for a given paper also suggests that the work was both insightful and impactful on the field in which a paper has been published. Thus, a dearth of citations by a given scientist or paper could suggest that the work did little to advance the science involved. But it could also suggest that a bias exists in the science community that makes it more difficult for some members to collect citations.

The researchers 

studied approximately 1.07 million physics papers published over the years 1995 to 2020 in 35 well-established journals. Their effort involved counting the number of citations made for all of the papers and noting whether the authors of the paper were male or female (as determined by their forename).

The researchers found that papers published by men (where the first and last authors listed were male) were on average 4.23% more likely to be cited. This, they contend, shows that there is a gender bias that favors citing male colleagues over those who are female. They conclude by suggesting ways to reduce this bias, such as having researchers sign diversity statements or holding publishers more accountable.

 Erin G. Teich et al, Citation inequity and gendered citation practices in contemporary physics, Nature Physics (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41567-022-01770-1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 20, 2022 at 5:53am

When a macrophage encounters a bacterium, it chops it into pieces for them to be presented to other immune cells signaling that there's an infection. Having the functional version of the gene, appears to create an advantage, likely by enhancing the ability of our immune system to sense the invading pathogen. By the researchers' estimate, possessing two copies of the rs2549794 variant would have make a person about 40% more likely to survive the Black Death than those who had two copies of the non-functional variant.

The team even went so far as to test how the rs2549794 variant affected the ability of living human cells to help fight the plague, determining that macrophages expressing two copies of the variant were more efficient at neutralizing Y. pestis compared to those without it.

Examining the effects of the ERAP2 variants in vitro allowed teh scientists to functionally test how the different variants affect the behavior of immune cells from modern humans when challenged with living Yersinia pestis.

Luis Barreiro, Evolution of immune genes is associated with the Black Death, Nature (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05349-x. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05349-x

Selection of human immune-related genes was driven by the Black Death

The Black Death shaped the evolution of immunity genes

Part 2**

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 20, 2022 at 5:49am

Selection of human immune-related genes was driven by the Black Death

The Black Death was the single greatest mortality event in recorded history, killing up to 50% of the European population in less than five years. New research has found evidence that one of the darkest periods in recorded human history placed a significant selective pressure on the human population, changing the frequency of certain immune-related genetic variants and affecting our susceptibility to disease today.

Caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, the global pandemic of the bubonic plague wiped out 30% to 60% of people in cities across North Africa, Europe, and Asia, with massive repercussions for the human race—and, apparently, our genome.

In the study, thanks to recent advances in sequencing technology, the scientists examined ancient DNA samples from the bones of over 200 individuals from London and Denmark who died before, during, and after the Black Death plague swept through the region in the late 1340s. Using targeted sequencing for a set of 300 immune-related genes, they identified four genes that, depending on the variant, either protected against or increased susceptibility to Y. pestis.

The research team zeroed in on one gene with a particularly strong association to susceptibility: ERAP2. Individuals who possessed two copies of one specific genetic variant, dubbed rs2549794, were able to produce full length copies of the ERAP2 transcript, therefore producing more of the functional protein, compared to another variant that led to a truncated and non-functional version of the transcript. Functional ERAP2 plays a role in helping the immune system recognize the presence of an infection.

Part 1

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 19, 2022 at 9:21am

Chemical Hair Straighteners Linked to Uterine Cancer

Rare and aggressive uterine cancers are rapidly raising and a new study suggests chemical straighteners might be partly to blame.

For almost 11 years, researchers at the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) followed 33,947 adults who had a uterus upon enrollment in the study. During this time, 378 uterine cancer cases were identified.

Those who had used a chemical straightening product more than four times in the 12 months prior to being surveyed were 155 percent more likely to later be diagnosed with uterine cancer, compared with those who had never received a straightening treatment.

To put it in perspective, those who never used hair straightening products would have a 1.64 percent chance of being diagnosed with uterine cancer by their 70th birthday. That number creeps up to 4.05 percent among those who frequently straighten their hair chemically – a still small, but appreciably higher risk.

Hair dyes, meanwhile, were not linked to uterine cancer.

These findings are the first epidemiologic evidence of association between use of straightening products and uterine cancer.

The worrisome results are the latest from a recent string of studies on widely-used chemicals that disrupt the endocrine system; messenger chemicals in our bodies that connect hormones to their target organs.

Excess hormones like estrogen and progesterone have been tied to uterine cancer in the past, and many hair products can mimic these natural hormones and bind to their receptors.

In 2018, researchers found endocrine-disrupting chemicals in 18 tested hair products. What's more, 84 percent of the chemicals identified were not listed on product labels.

In 2019, a study funded by the NIH found permanent hair dye and straightening chemicals are associated with a higher risk of breast cancer.

In 2021, a follow-up study found permanent hair dye and straightening chemicals are also associated with a higher risk of ovarian cancer.

Now, uterine cancer can be added to the list as well.

https://academic.oup.com/jnci/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jnci/djac...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 19, 2022 at 6:21am

Simulations show major forest fires can increase intensity of distant storms

A team of researchers has found, via simulation, that major forest fires in western parts of the United States can increase the intensity of thunderstorms hundreds or even thousands of miles downwind. The study is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Prior research has shown that wildfires or forest fires can have a major impact on local weather systems. Heat and soot can lead to the formation of major thunderstorms. In this new effort, the researchers found evidence of a similar phenomenon involving downwind systems far away from the fire.

To learn more about large-scale weather impacts of forest fires, the researchers pored over weather data for the continental U.S. for the years 2010 to 2020. They looked for major storm events that occurred not long after, or during major fires in the west. The researchers found several examples of major storms breaking out after major fires. But they also note that fire season in the west does not coincide with storm season farther east; thus, the impact of the fires on the storms is difficult to associate.

To gain a better understanding of what may occur during and after a major fire, the researchers turned to an established weather model that allowed for adjusting paraments such as heat and smoke to observe the impacts. The simulation showed that big fires can increase the intensity of storm systems hundreds or even thousands of miles away. The researchers also found that they can contribute to creation of larger hailstones.

More specifically, the simulations showed that large fires can increase air flowing across the continent, pushing moist air ahead of it. That can lead to increasing storm strength. The simulations also showed that the soot from a big fire can be carried for long distances, contributing to increases in hail size.

The researchers sum up by suggesting that global warming, which is making western parts of the U.S. both hotter and drier, is likely to lead to bigger and stronger storms across the U.S. due in part to the impact of the increase in forest fires.

Yuwei Zhang et al, Notable impact of wildfires in the western United States on weather hazards in the central United States, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2022). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2207329119

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 18, 2022 at 9:42am

Fatty tissue surrounding intestinal tracts of mice found to help eject gut-infesting worms

A team of researchers has found that fatty tissue surrounding the intestinal tracts of mice help to eject gut-infesting worms. Their paper is published in the journal Science Immunology.

Prior research has shown that mesenteric adipose tissue aids the immune system in responding to pathogens and also certain types of cancer. In this new effort, the researchers found that it also assists with combating parasitic infections.

The work began when the researchers inadvertently noticed that mesenteric adipose tissue (fatty tissue that surrounds the intestinal tract) stiffened when a mouse was infected with helminths, a type of worm. Such stiffening, the team noted, helped to eject the worms.

In taking a closer look at how fatty tissue might recognize and respond to a parasitic infection, the researchers found that a type of T cell found in such tissue, called Th2, communicated with stromal cells, which play a role in differentiating cells that grow into different types of structural support cells. They then conducted flow cytometry, histology, cell culture and single-cell RNA sequencing on the fatty tissue to learn more about how it stiffened in response to an infection.

They discovered that Th2 cells infiltrated fat tissue even though the parasite did not infect such tissue. They also found that the Th2 cells released both Amphiregulin and cytokine TGFβ. Additionally, the stromal cells became more active when in the presence of Amphiregulin and cytokine TGFβ and thus produced more cytokines. And finally, they found that the stromal and Th2 cells were combining in interstitial spaces in the fatty tissue, forcing them to become enlarged and to secrete collagen, which resulted in tissue stiffening.

The researchers also found that the stiffening lasted up to a year before tissue returned to normal, rather than progressing to fibrosis. This allowed the mice to respond more quickly to a secondary infection.

Agnieszka M. Kabat et al, Resident T H 2 cells orchestrate adipose tissue remodeling at a site adjacent to infection, Science Immunology (2022). DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.add3263

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 16, 2022 at 8:51am

Inner structure of the body during physical rehab

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 15, 2022 at 10:27am

Human brain cells implanted in rats

Miniature human-brain-like structures transplanted into rats can send signals and respond to environmental cues. Researchers grew the structures from human stem cells and then injected them into the brains of newborn rat pups. After six months, the organoids became fully integrated into the rat brains. The approach could lead to a way to test therapies for human brain disorders. But some researchers have ethical concerns about such experiments: creating rodent–human hybrids could harm the animals or produce animals with human-like brains.

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Would you like a QR code embedded in that cookie? Unobtrusive edibl...

There is currently a race to develop edible tags for food so that, for example, you can see where the food comes from or its ingredients, and the information disappears once you've eaten it. Now, researchers from Japan have developed a way to include an unobtrusive edible tag embedded inside the food—in their original experiments, cookies—that can be read without having to first destroy the food. Another major advantage of their method, known as "interiqr," is that the tag doesn't change the outer appearance or taste of the food at all.

Unobtrusive Edible Tags using Food 3D Printing

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 15, 2022 at 10:10am

Study finds unexpected protective properties of pain

Pain has been long recognized as one of evolution's most reliable tools to detect the presence of harm and signal that something is wrong—an alert system that tells us to pause and pay attention to our bodies.

But what if pain is more than just a mere alarm bell? What if pain is in itself a form of protection? A new study led by researchers suggests that may well be the case in mice. The research, published Oct. 14 in Cell, shows that pain neurons in the mouse gut regulate the presence of protective mucus under normal conditions and stimulate intestinal cells to release more mucus during states of inflammation.

The work details the steps of a complex signaling cascade, showing that pain neurons engage in direct crosstalk with mucus-containing gut cells, known as goblet cells. It turns out that pain may protect us in more direct ways than its classic job to detect potential harm and dispatch signals to the brain. This work shows how pain-mediating nerves in the gut talk to nearby epithelial cells that line the intestines. This means that the nervous system has a major role in the gut beyond just giving us an unpleasant sensation and that it's a key player in gut barrier maintenance and a protective mechanism during inflammation.

Our intestines and airways are studded with goblet cells. Named for their cup-like appearance, goblet cells contain gel-like mucus made of proteins and sugars that acts as protective coating that shields the surface of organs from abrasion and damage. The new research found that intestinal goblet cells release protective mucus when triggered by direct interaction with pain-sensing neurons in the gut.

In a set of experiments, the researchers observed that mice lacking pain neurons produced less protective mucus and experienced changes in their intestinal microbial composition—an imbalance in beneficial and harmful microbes known as dysbiosis. To clarify just how this protective crosstalk occurs, the researchers analyzed the behavior of goblet cells in the presence and in the absence of pain neurons.

They found that the surfaces of goblet cells contain a type of receptor, called RAMP1, that ensures the cells can respond to adjacent pain neurons, which are activated by dietary and microbial signals, as well as mechanical pressure, chemical irritation or drastic changes in temperature. The experiments further showed that these receptors connect with a chemical called CGRP, released by nearby pain neurons, when the neurons are stimulated. These RAMP1 receptors, the researchers found, are also present in both human and mouse goblet cells, thus rendering them responsive to pain signals.

Experiments further showed that the presence of certain gut microbes activated the release of CGRP to maintain gut homeostasis.

Isaac M. Chiu, Nociceptor neurons direct goblet cells via a CGRP-RAMP1 axis to drive mucus production and gut barrier protection, Cell (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.09.024. www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)01196-5

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on October 14, 2022 at 10:03am

Plastics causing multi-organ damage in seabirds

New research shows that the presence of plastics in seabirds can induce multiple organ and tissue damage affecting the entire body in a multitude of ways, not just limited to the stomach as previously assumed.

Shearwaters are known to ingest large quantities of plastics. Upon examining the proventriculus (main stomach component), kidney and spleen of the birds the team found all organs to have microplastic particles embedded within them. Severe physiological and medical issues were reported in each bird including tissue damage, a significant reduction in tubular glands, and folds within the proventriculus as well as evidence of inflammation, fibrosis and loss of organ structures in the kidney and spleen.

This damage correlated to the birds exposure to macroplastics and indicates that once ingested, macroplastics can release microplastics through a form of shedding or digestive fragmentation. As a result, there is potential for macroplastic exposure to further induce both direct and indirect medical issues and disease through microplastics meaning that the health impacts of plastic pollution on seabirds could previously have been grossly underestimated.

Jack Rivers-Auty et al, The one-two punch of plastic exposure: Macro- and micro-plastics induce multi-organ damage in seabirds, Journal of Hazardous Materials (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130117

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