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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 5, 2024 at 7:04am

Scientists use AI to unlock protein structures of hundreds of viruses for the first time

Scientists are pioneering the use of machine-learning artificial intelligence software to investigate viruses, revealing never-before-seen viral mechanisms which yield immediate fundamental insights and pave the way for vaccine development.

The research uses AI protein structure prediction to examine hundreds of species in the Flaviviridae, a large family of viruses that cause diseases such as Dengue, Zika and Hepatitis C. 

The work demonstrates a 'super-charging' of the scientific investigation into the evolution of viral proteins, uncovering the critically important entry mechanisms which explain how viruses get into the body and replicate in cells. This research not only provides various key biological insights, but also marks one of the first systematic applications of protein structure prediction in virology, creating a resource for other investigators, and establishing a new paradigm for structure-informed exploration of virus evolution.

The AI technology, AlphaFold and ESMFold (developed by Google Deep Mind and Meta), was used to discover and classify the entry proteins of all the viruses tested—something which would be impossible to do with traditional methods.

The research authors think the study to be an important step forward for future pandemic preparedness and current viral threats such as Mpox, for which scientists currently know very little about the entry proteins.

The researchers now want to use this technology to scale up their research to thousands of viruses. By doing this we can build foundational knowledge to inform our responses to existing and new viral diseases.

Mapping glycoprotein structure reveals Flaviviridae evolutionary history, Nature (2024). www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07899-8

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 4, 2024 at 8:51am

Hot flushes are associated with cardiovascular risk: Study

Severe, lasting hot flushes during menopause are associated with atherosclerosis in the coronary artery, new research from Karolinska Institutet and Linköping University and published in the Journal of the American Heart Association reveals.

Forty percent of the women who participated in the study and who reported severe hot flushes also had atherosclerosis of the coronary artery, a condition that entails a higher risk of myocardial infarction. In the group of women who reported no or only mild discomfort, the corresponding figure was  30%.

These  findings support the hypothesis that there's an association between hot flushes and an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease.

Sigrid Nilsson et al, Menopausal Vasomotor Symptoms and Subclinical Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: A Population‐Based Study, Journal of the American Heart Association (2024). DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.123.033648

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 4, 2024 at 8:44am

Inflammation imprints lasting effects on intestinal stem cells 

Scientists  have discovered that inflammation in the gut leaves long-term marks on intestinal stem cells (ISCs) that reduce their ability to heal the intestine, even after inflammation has receded. This is important because it affects ISCs' response to future challenges. The study appears in Cell Stem Cell.

GVHD is an inflammatory reaction in which immune T cells from the bone marrow transplant donor attack the host gut cells, mainly ISCs.

Although many ISCs perish during GVHD, survivors remain. However, it's not known whether they are fully functional or can return to their full functionality after the resolution of GVHD, which has fundamental implications for host resilience and repair.

In the current study, researchers investigated the consequences of inflammation on ISCs in well-defined clinically relevant models of GVHD.

Using cellular and animal models, they found that exposure to inflammation drove ISCs to change their metabolism in ways that resulted in the accumulation of succinate, a product of cellular processes, which in turn reprogramed the epigenome.

The epigenome is a system of chemical marks on the DNA that regulates the genes expressed by the cell. Inflammation-led epigenome reprogramming changed the expression of genes involved in cell reproduction. Overall, reprogrammed ISCs were less capable of regenerating, a first step toward healing the intestine.

They then investigated whether ISCs would be able to recuperate their regenerative ability after inflammation had resolved.

They found that ISCs had not overcome their initial exposure to inflammation. Despite mitigating GVHD inflammation for 28 days, ISCs retained a reduced regenerative capacity that led to poor recovery and increased mortality from challenges, such as non-lethal radiation exposure, in animal models. More research is on the way to design strategies to help ISCs 'forget' their encounter with inflammation and enhance their resilience against immune attacks.

 Dongchang Zhao et al, Inflammation-induced epigenetic imprinting regulates intestinal stem cells, Cell Stem Cell (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2024.08.006

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 4, 2024 at 8:35am

Eye movements can create different versions of the same film in our heads

Picture two people sitting in a movie theater, both watching the screen: Are they seeing the same thing? Or is the movie playing out differently in each of their minds? Researchers from the Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) have found that it's the latter, and they've published their findings in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It turns out that viewers experience different versions of the same film in their brains, and these differences can be predicted by their unique eye movements.

Just like our bodies are made up of the same basic parts but vary from person to person, the same is true for our brains and their activity patterns. Neuroscientists use functional magnetic resonance imaging and machine learning to make these brain activity patterns comparable across individuals. For about a decade now, these techniques have allowed researchers to "translate" activation patterns among different brains.

Researchers  used this technology to explore how individual eye movements affect our perception. They examined how well one person's brain activity could predict another's while 19 volunteers watched the same movie—either freely or while passively staring at the center of the screen. Compared to passive viewing, natural eye movements led to much stronger activation in the brain's visual centers. However, these activations were also more individual, making it harder to match one person's brain activity to another's.

Recent research shows that eye movements are as unique as personality traits. Some people focus more on faces, while others are drawn to text or other elements.

These individual viewing habits might create a unique 'world' in each person's mind. Now we know that's true. We could even predict how different the brain activity patterns would be between people by measuring the similarity of their eye movements in a separate experiment conducted days apart.

It's fascinating that while eye movements lead to stronger neural activity, they also make these activity patterns less comparable between individuals. Usually, a stronger signal means clearer data, but here the signal—the brain's representation of the movie—is different for each person, like a director's cut prepared by the individual brain.

The research  team is now exploring how eye movements develop over a person's lifetime and how they affect our understanding of scenes and daily tasks.

It makes you wonder—next time you're in the cinema, you might want to ask the person next to you, 'Which movie did you see?'

Hmmm! Now I know that you are not seeing what I am really doing! 

Petra Borovska et al, Individual gaze shapes diverging neural representations, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2405602121

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 4, 2024 at 8:26am

Colorful, melodious birds at risk from poor urban planning

 Recent research reveals how urban areas  are losing bird species with characteristics that people find most "aesthetically pleasing."

The study found 82 different bird species across 42 different landscape types in Brisbane, but the variety of smaller, colorful, "melodious" bird species decreased in areas where there were not enough green spaces and fragmented landscapes. 

The findings are published in the journal Landscape Ecology in a paper titled "Landscape structure influences the spatial distribution of urban bird attractiveness."

These outcomes highlighted the importance of designing urban landscapes in future developments that increased opportunities to find colorful and melodious birds and favor people's connection with nature.

Beauty can be subjective, but several studies have demonstrated that traits such as color, size and shape favor positive feelings and perceptions of species as beneficial. Attractive' traits could even influence human preferences toward conserving species and support education and fundraising.

The results show that some species like the Scarlet Honeyeater (Myzomela sanguinolenta) and the Yellow-faced Honeyeater (Lichenostomus chrysops) were lost in highly urbanized environments.

When the number of species was low, landscapes could support some species that are considered "attractive" based on their traits, such as the (Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus and Willie Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys).

However, the overall attractiveness of a variety of different species could decline, as small-bodied, colorful and melodious species were negatively affected by built infrastructure and fragmentation.

It corresponded with the loss of species with high attractiveness values, such as small-bodied forest-dependent species that tended to be more vulnerable to urbanization (White-throated Gerygone Gerygone olivace and Australian Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis).

Urban planning should consider how to bring back vibrant, colorful birdlife to our cities, enriching our daily lives and reconnecting us with nature in the very places we live and work, say the researchers.

There are relatively easy fixes like creating green corridors and adding diverse vegetation in parks and gardens. These strategies can provide key habitats for many colorful species with a high diversity of calls."

This information could help to track the success of initiatives that seek to achieve wins for both biodiversity and human well-being, and it could lead to greater support for conservation and positive human health outcomes.

Andres F. Suarez-Castro et al, Landscape structure influences the spatial distribution of urban bird attractiveness, Landscape Ecology (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s10980-024-01950-9

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 4, 2024 at 7:14am

The mission will cover the Himalayan regions in India, from Kashmir and Ladakh in the north to Arunachal Pradesh in the northeast, many in areas bordering China.

Climate change is driving the disappearance of glaciers, with half the Earth's 215,000 glaciers projected to melt by the end of the century, even if warming can be capped at 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

The volume of glacial lakes has jumped by 50 percent in 30 years, according to a 2020 study based on satellite data.

A study, published in Nature Communications, found that 15 million people live within 50 kilometers (31 miles) of a glacial lake and within one kilometer of potential flooding from a breach.

The risk was greatest in the "High Mountains Asia" region across 12 countries, including India, Pakistan, China and Nepal.

That is partly because more people live closer to glacial lakes in the region than in other parts of the world, making warning times even shorter.

Last month a glacial lake outburst in neighboring Nepal's Everest region sent a devastating flood of frigid water through the village of Thame, sweeping away buildings.
Source: News agencies

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 4, 2024 at 7:13am

India launches flood warning systems at Himalayan glacial lakes

India is setting up high-tech warning systems at nearly 200 Himalayan glacial lakes at risk of bursting their banks, a deadly threat exacerbated by climate change, disaster officials said this week. 

India's Himalayas contain at least 7,500 glacial lakes, many of which pose risks of dangerous flash floods.

Teams from India's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) are targeting 190 high-altitude lakes deemed to be the most dangerous in a mission slated to take three years.

A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) is the sudden release of water that has collected in former glacier beds. These lakes are formed by the retreat of glaciers, a naturally occurring phenomenon turbocharged by the warmer temperatures of human-caused climate change. One expedition is currently working to install early warning systems around six high-risk lakes in the northeastern state of Sikkim.

The project will also include "lowering lake levels" of accumulated water and ice slush in lakes. Teams include experts from the army and multiple government agencies, including the Indian Space Research Organization, geologists, hydrologists, computing engineers and weather specialists. India's air force is also expected to join the mission later, flying heavy equipment into remote sites.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 4, 2024 at 7:08am

The researchers have identified several important weather patterns that make it more likely for typhoons to cluster:

Monsoon Trough: This pattern forms when the subtropical high pressure system interacts with the monsoon trough,. Typhoons often develop along the monsoon trough and its surrounding areas.
Confluence Zone: This occurs where different wind currents meet. Here, the southwesterly and southeasterly winds come together. Typhoons can form at this meeting point, influenced by surrounding high-pressure systems.
Easterly Waves: These are large, slow-moving waves of wind that travel from east to west. Typhoons often form along these easterly waves.
Monsoon Gyre: This pattern involves a large, spinning system of winds called a monsoon vortex. Typhoons can form within this spinning system" .

The study also looks into how these patterns create the right conditions for  typhoons to develop. For instance, the Monsoon Trough pattern is driven by certain wind and moisture conditions, while the other patterns rely on different atmospheric factors.

This study provides a theoretical basis for improving the predictability and early warning systems for these complex events.

 Yining Gu et al, Environmental Conditions Conducive to the Formation of Multiple Tropical Cyclones over the Western North Pacific, Advances in Atmospheric Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s00376-024-3237-4

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 4, 2024 at 7:05am

Why do typhoons like to cluster? Researchers identify key weather patterns

This August, Japan and South Korea, particularly Japan, have experienced a dramatic surge in typhoon activity. From August 8 to August 13, within just six days, Typhoons Maria, Son-Tinh, Ampil, and Wukong consecutively formed over the waters east of Japan. Among them, Tropical Storm Maria caused record-breaking rainfall in parts of northern Japan, while just a few days later, Typhoon Ampil arrived during Japan's Obon holiday week, causing significant damage in Japan.

This sequence of storms is a striking example of a phenomenon called multiple tropical cyclone (MTC) formation, where several typhoons either occur at the same time or follow one another in quick succession. The region typically sees about five of these clustering events each year, and their combined impact can significantly increase disaster risks and cause extensive damage.

So, why do typhoons seem to group together?

A recent study  by researchers sheds light on this puzzling question. Their research, published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, explores the key weather patterns that contribute to this clustering of tropical cyclones.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 4, 2024 at 7:01am

Self-healing hydrogel microparticles: A smart solution for advanced wound care

Chronic diabetic wounds are prevalent in patients and are difficult to heal, presenting a significant medical challenge. The development of multifunctional hydrogel dressings with a well-designed morphology and structure can enhance their flexibility and effectiveness in wound management.

Researchers have developed a self-healing hydrogel dressing based on structural color microspheres for wound management. Their research is published in the journal Nano-Micro Letters.

These microspheres are composed of an inverse opal framework with photothermal responsiveness, constructed from methacrylated hyaluronic acid, methacrylated silk fibroin, and black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs), and further embedded in dynamic hydrogels.

The dynamic hydrogel filler is formed through the Knoevenagel condensation reaction between cyanoacetate and benzaldehyde-functionalized dextran (DEX-CA and DEX-BA). Notably, the composite microspheres can be freely applied and, by utilizing the BPQD-mediated photothermal effect and the thermoreversible stiffness change of the dynamic hydrogel, can adhere to each other under near-infrared irradiation.

In addition, the microspheres are co-loaded with melittin and vascular endothelial growth factor, with a release behavior that can be regulated through the same mechanism. Additionally, the drug release process can be effectively monitored through visual color changes. This microsphere system demonstrates ideal capabilities in controlled drug release and efficient wound management.

Researchers also  evaluated the in vivo wound healing efficacy of composite microspheres (CMPs) in a full-thickness chronic diabetic wound infection model.

Statistical analysis of wound closure areas and regenerated epithelial thickness revealed that the group treated with the dual-drug-loaded CMPs combined with near-infrared (NIR) irradiation exhibited superior wound healing outcomes, significantly outperforming other groups. These results suggest that the synergistic effects of NIR-controlled irradiation and the intelligent responsiveness of CMPs play a crucial role in enhancing wound healing.

 Li Wang et al, Self-Healing Dynamic Hydrogel Microparticles with Structural Color for Wound Management, Nano-Micro Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s40820-024-01422-4

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