Comment

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa yesterday

Possible evidence of windborne H5N1 viral infections in chickens

A team of government veterinarians with the State Veterinary Institute Prague in the Czech Republic has found possible evidence of windborne H5N1 infections in chickens. In their paper posted on the bioRxiv preprint server, the group describes how chickens in a closed environment became infected with the H5N1 virus despite no contact with other chickens, wild birds, or their feces, leaving the wind as the only likely source.

The H5N1 virus is responsible for a worldwide avian flu pandemic in chickens. The virus has been determined to be a subtype of the influenza A virus and was first observed in China in 1996. Since then, it has infected birds across the world, with epidemics rising and falling in different countries at different times.

Prior research has suggested that birds infect one another via the transfer of saliva, mucus or contact with feces. Infections between other types of animals have been seen due to the transfer of bodily fluids such as saliva, milk or even blood. Once an infection occurs in a single location, such as a chicken farm, it can spread rapidly. Research has also suggested that infections at sites such as chicken farms most likely occur due to wild birds dropping feces near the chickens. In this new effort, the research team found an incident where a chicken farm was infected without any known outside source, suggesting the wind carried the virus.

In their case, the veterinarians were conducting research on a highly secure chicken research farm—the birds there were not allowed out of their cages or barns. The water came from a secure well and was filtered to remove pathogens. The barns have large fans that create a one-way airflow, and the entire facility is surrounded by a highly secure fence. Also, no employees came into contact with any other birds when not on duty. Still, the farm experienced an infection. The veterinarians suggest the only possibility left is that the virus was carried aloft by the wind and wafted into the barn, settling on the captive birds. No evidence of the virus traveling via the wind has been found. The evidence is circumstantial, but the team suggests the virus could have hitched a ride on a bit of dust from hay exposed to wild bird excrement.

Alexander Nagy et al, Genetic data and meteorological conditions: unravelling the windborne transmission of H5N1 high-pathogenicity avian influenza between commercial poultry outbreaks, bioRxiv (2025). DOI: 10.1101/2025.02.12.637829

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on Thursday

The results of this now published research provide a strong impulse to intensify the exploration for natural H2 in mountain ranges. In fact, various exploration efforts are already underway in places such as the Pyrenees, the European Alps, and the Balkans, where researchers have previously found indications of ongoing natural hydrogen generation.

Frank Zwaan, Rift-inversion orogens are potential hotspots for natural H2 generation, Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adr3418. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adr3418

Part 3

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on Thursday

Natural hydrogen can be generated in several ways, for instance by bacterial transformation of organic material or splitting of water molecules driven by decay of radioactive elements in the Earth's continental crust.

As a result, the occurrence of natural H2 is reported in many places worldwide. The general viability of natural hydrogen as an energy source has already been proven in Mali, where limited volumes of H2 originating from iron-rich sedimentary layers are produced through boreholes in the subsurface.

However, the most promising mechanism for large-scale natural hydrogen generation is a geological process in which mantle rocks react with water. The minerals in the mantle rocks change their composition and form new minerals of the so-called serpentine group, as well as H2 gas.

This process is called serpentinization. Mantle rocks are normally situated at great depth, below the Earth's crust. In order for these rocks to come in contact with water and serpentinize, they must be tectonically exhumed, i.e. being brought near the Earth's surface.
There are two main plate tectonic environments in which mantle rocks are exhumed and serpentinized over the course of millions of years: 1) ocean basins that open as continents break apart during rifting, allowing the mantle to rise as the overlying continental crust is thinned and eventually split (for example in the Atlantic Ocean), and 2) subsequent basin closure and mountain building as continents move back together and collide, allowing mantle rocks to be pushed up towards the surface (for example in the Pyrenees and Alps).
A thorough understanding of how such tectonic environments evolve is key to properly assess their natural hydrogen potential. Using a state-of-the-art numerical plate tectonic modeling approach, calibrated with data from natural examples, the GFZ-led research team simulated the full plate tectonic evolution from initial rifting to continental break-up, followed by basin closure and mountain building.

In these simulations, the researchers were able to determine for the first time where, when, and how much mantle rocks are exhumed in mountains, and when these rocks may be in contact with water at favorable temperatures, to allow for efficient serpentinization and natural hydrogen generation.

It turns out that conditions for serpentinization and thus natural H2 generation are considerably better in mountain ranges than in rift basins. Due to the comparably colder environment in mountain ranges, larger volumes of exhumed mantle rocks are found at favorable serpentinization temperatures of 200–350°C, and at the same time, plenty of water circulation along large faults within the mountains can allow for their serpentinization potential to be realized.

As a result, the annual hydrogen generation capacity in mountain ranges can be up to 20 times greater than in rift environments. In addition, suitable reservoir rocks (for example sandstones) required for the accumulation of economically viable natural H2 volumes are readily available in mountain ranges, but are likely absent during serpentinization and hydrogen generation in the deeper parts of rift basins.
Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on Thursday

Mountain ranges could be hidden treasure troves of natural hydrogen, plate tectonic modeling finds

The successful development of sustainable georesources for the energy transition is a key challenge for humankind in the 21st century. Hydrogen gas (H₂) has great potential to replace current fossil fuels while simultaneously eliminating the associated emission of CO₂ and other pollutants.

However, a major obstacle is that H2 must be produced first. Current synthetic hydrogen production is at best based on renewable energies but it can also be polluting if fossil energy is used.

The solution may be found in nature, since various geological processes can generate hydrogen. Yet, until now, it has remained unclear where we should be looking for potentially large-scale natural H₂ accumulations.

A team of researchers present an answer to this question: using plate tectonic modeling, they found that mountain ranges in which originally deep mantle rocks are found near the surface represent potential natural hydrogen hotspots. 

Such mountain ranges may not only be ideal geological environments for large-scale natural H₂ generation, but also for forming large-scale H₂ accumulations that can be drilled for H₂ production.

The results of this research have been published in Science Advances.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on Thursday

Through additional experiments with skin, breast, and lung cancer cells, the researchers determined that a key source of nutrients for cancer cells comes from oligopeptides—pieces of proteins made up of small chains of amino acids—found outside the cell.

Where this process becomes cooperative is that instead of grabbing these peptides and ingesting them internally, the scientists found that tumor cells secrete a specialized enzyme that digests these peptides into free amino acids. Because this process happens outside the cells, the result is a shared pool of amino acids that becomes a common good.
Determining the enzyme secreted by cancer cells, called CNDP2, was an important discovery.

Carlos Carmona-Fontaine, Cooperative nutrient scavenging is an evolutionary advantage in cancer, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08588-w. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08588-w

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on Thursday

Cancer cells cooperate to scavenge for nutrients, scientists discover

Cancer cells work together to source nutrients from their environment—a cooperative process that was previously overlooked by scientists but may be a promising target for treating cancer.

Researchers identified cooperative interactions among cancer cells that allow them to proliferate. Thinking about the mechanisms that tumor cells exploit can inform future therapies.

Scientists have long known that cancer cells compete with one another for nutrients and other resources. Over time, a tumor becomes more and more aggressive as it becomes dominated by the strongest cancer cells.

However, ecologists also know that living organisms cooperate, particularly under harsh conditions. For instance, penguins form tight huddles to conserve heat during the extreme cold of winter, with their huddles growing in size as temperatures drop—a behavior not observed during warmer months.

Similarly, microorganisms such as yeast work together to find nutrients, but only when facing starvation.

Cancer cells also need nutrients to thrive and replicate into life-threatening tumors, but they live in environments where nutrients are scarce. Is it possible that cancer cells work together to scavenge for resources?

To determine whether cancer cells cooperate, the researchers tracked the growth of cells from different types of tumors. Using a robotic microscope and image analysis software they developed, they quickly counted millions of cells under hundreds of conditions over time.

This approach allowed them to examine tumor cultures at a range of densities—from sparsely populated dishes to those crowded with cancer cells—and with different levels of nutrients in the environment.

It is well-known that cells uptake amino acids in a competitive manner. But when the cancer cells studied were starved of amino acids such as glutamine, all of the cell types tested showed a strong need to work together to acquire the available nutrients.

Surprisingly, the researchers observed that limiting amino acids benefited larger cell populations, but not sparse ones, suggesting that this is a cooperative process that depends on population density. It became really clear that there was true cooperation among tumor cells.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on Thursday

The researchers then demonstrated that the mice's elevated insulin levels fueled the growth of fatty plaques in the mice's arteries, suggesting that insulin may be the key link between aspartame and cardiovascular health.

Next, they investigated how exactly elevated insulin levels lead to arterial plaque buildup and identified an immune signal called CX3CL1 that is especially active under insulin stimulation.

Because blood flow through the artery is strong and robust, most chemicals would be quickly washed away as the heart pumps. Surprisingly, not CX3CL1. It stays glued to the surface of the inner lining of blood vessels. There, it acts like a bait, catching immune cells as they pass by.

Many of these trapped immune cells are known to stoke blood vessel inflammation. However, when researchers eliminated CX3CL1 receptors from one of the immune cells in aspartame-fed mice, the harmful plaque buildup didn't occur. These results point to CX3CL1's role in aspartame's effects on the arteries.

Artificial sweeteners have penetrated almost all kinds of food, so we have to be careful not to consume such food, say the researchers.

Sweetener aspartame aggravates atherosclerosis through insulin-triggered inflammation, Cell Metabolism (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2025.01.006. www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/f … 1550-4131(25)00006-3

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on Thursday

Artificial sweetener triggers insulin spike, leading to blood vessel inflammation in mice

From diet soda to zero-sugar ice cream, artificial sweeteners have been touted as a guilt-free way to indulge our sweet tooth. However, new research published in Cell Metabolism shows that aspartame, one of the most common sugar substitutes, may impact vascular health.

The team of cardiovascular health experts and clinicians found that aspartame triggers increased insulin levels in animals, which in turn contributes to atherosclerosis—buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries, which can lead to higher levels of inflammation and an increased risk of heart attacks and stroke over time.

Previous research has linked consumption of sugar substitutes to increased chronic disorders like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. However, the mechanisms involved were previously unexplored.

For this study, the researchers fed mice daily doses of food containing 0.15% aspartame for 12 weeks—an amount that corresponds to consuming about three cans of diet soda each day for humans.

Compared to mice without a sweetener-infused diet, aspartame-fed mice developed larger and more fatty plaques in their arteries and exhibited higher levels of inflammation, both of which are hallmarks of compromised cardiovascular health.

When the team analyzed the mice's blood, they found a surge in insulin levels after aspartame entered their system. The team noted that this wasn't a surprising result, given that our mouths, intestines, and other tissues are lined with sweetness-detecting receptors that help guide insulin release. But aspartame, 200 times sweeter than sugar, seemed to trick the receptors into releasing more insulin.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on Thursday

Synthetic diamond with hexagonal lattice outshines the natural kind with unprecedented hardness

A team of physicists, materials scientists and engineers has grown a diamond that is harder than those found in nature. In their project, reported in the journal Nature Materials, the group developed a process that involves heating and compressing graphite to create synthetic diamonds.

Diamonds are a prized gem the world over. Their sparkling appearance has made them one of the most treasured gemstones throughout human history. In more recent times, because they are so hard, diamonds have also been used in commercial applications, such as drilling holes through other hard materials. Such attributes have kept the price of diamonds high. Because of that, scientists have developed ways to synthesize them, and today, a host of synthetic diamonds are available for sale.

Researchers have previously pursued harder diamonds with hexagonal rather than cubic lattices, which is how most natural and synthetic diamonds form. However, past attempts to make hexagon-lattice synthetic diamonds have resulted in diamonds that were too small and of low purity.

In this new effort, the research team tried a different approach. They developed a process that involved heating graphene samples to high temperatures while inside a high-pressure chamber. By adjusting the parameters of their setup, the researchers found they could get the graphene to grow into a synthetic diamond with hexagonal lattices.

The first diamond made by the group was millimeter-sized and was tested at 155 GPa, with thermal stability up to 1,100°C. Natural diamonds typically range from 70 to 100 GPa and can only withstand temperatures up to 700°C.

The researchers note that it is unlikely diamonds made using their technique would be used for jewelry; instead, they would be used for drilling and machining applications. They also note that they might be used in other ways, such as for data storage or in thermal management applications.

Desi Chen et al, General approach for synthesizing hexagonal diamond by heating post-graphite phases, Nature Materials (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41563-025-02126-9

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on Thursday

Many different types of neurons are contained in the vagus nerve, but the researchers focused here on sensory neurons, which reacted most strongly to the presence of stomach cancer in mice. Some of these sensory neurons extended themselves deep into stomach tumors in response to a protein released by cancer cells called Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), drawing the cancer cells close to the neurons.

After establishing this connection, tumors signaled the sensory nerves to release the peptide Calcitonin Gene Related Peptide (CGRP), inducing electrical signals in the tumor.

Though the cancer cells and neurons may not form classical synapses where they meet—the team's electron micrographs are still a bit fuzzy—"there's no doubt that the neurons create an electric circuit with the cancer cells," the researchers say. "It's a slower response than a typical nerve-muscle synapse, but it's still an electrical response."
The researchers could see this electrical activity with calcium imaging, a technique that uses fluorescent tracers that light up when calcium ions surge into a cell as an electrical impulse travels through.

"There's a circuit that starts from the tumor, goes up toward the brain, and then turns back down toward the tumor again," they confirm. It's like a feed-forward loop that keeps stimulating the cancer and promoting its growth and spread."

For stomach cancer, CGRP inhibitors that are currently used to treat migraines could potentially short-circuit the electrical connection between tumors and sensory neurons.

Timothy Wang, Nociceptive neurons promote gastric tumor progression via a CGRPRamp1 axis, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08591-1. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08591-1

Part 2

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