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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 29, 2023 at 10:17am

Researchers find key for transforming cancer cells to muscle in rhabdomyosarcoma

For six years,  some researchers  have been on a mission to transform sarcoma cells into regularly functioning tissue cells. Sarcomas are cancers that form in connective tissues such as muscle. Treatment often involves chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation—procedures that are especially tough on kids. If doctors could transform cancer cells into healthy cells, it would offer patients a whole new treatment option—one that could spare them and their families a great deal of pain and suffering.

A devastating and aggressive type of pediatric cancer, rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) resembles children's muscle cells. No one knew whether this proposed treatment method, called differentiation therapy, might ever work in RMS. It could still be decades out. But now, thanks to some scientists, it seems like a real possibility.

To carry out their mission, these researchers created a new genetic screening technique. Using genome-editing technology, they hunted down genes that, when disrupted, would force RMS cells to become muscle cells. That's when a protein called NF-Y emerged. With NF-Y impaired, the scientists witnessed an astonishing transformation.

The cells literally turn into muscle. The tumor loses all cancer attributes. They're switching from a cell that just wants to make more of itself to cells devoted to contraction. Because all its energy and resources are now devoted to contraction, it can't go back to this multiplying state. The research is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

This newfound relationship between NF-Y and RMS may set off the chain reaction needed to bring differentiation therapy to patients. And the mission doesn't stop at RMS. The technology could be applicable to other cancer types. If so, scientists may someday work out how to turn other tumors into healthy cells.

 Sroka, Martyna W. et al, Myo-differentiation reporter screen reveals NF-Y as an activator of PAX3–FOXO1 in rhabdomyosarcoma, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2023). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2303859120. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2303859120

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 29, 2023 at 9:58am

The first observation of neutrinos at CERN's Large Hadron Collider

Neutrinos are tiny and neutrally charged particles accounted for by the Standard Model of particle physics. While they are estimated to be some of the most abundant particles in the universe, observing them has so far proved to be highly challenging, as the probability that they will interact with other matter is low.

To detect these particles, physicists have been using detectors and advanced equipment to examine known sources of neutrinos. Their efforts ultimately led to the observation of neutrinos originating from the sun, cosmic rays, supernovae and other cosmic objects, as well as particle accelerators and nuclear reactors. A long-standing goal in this field of study was to observe neutrinos inside colliders, particle accelerators in which two beams of particles collide with each other. Two large research collaborations, namely FASER (Forward Search Experiment) and SND (Scattering and Neutrino Detector)@LHC, have observed these collider neutrinos for the very first time, using detectors located at CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Switzerland. The results of their two studies were recently published in Physical Review Letters.

The FASER and SND@LHC collaboration are two distinct research efforts, both utilizing the LHC at CERN. Recently, these two efforts independently observed the first collider neutrinos, which could open important new avenues for experimental particle physics research.

The FASER collaboration is a large research effort established with the goal of observing light and weakly interacting particles. FASER was the first research group to observe neutrinos at the LHC, using the FASER detector, which is positioned over 400m away from the renowned ATLAS experiment, in a separate tunnel. FASER (and SND@LHC) observe neutrinos produced in the same "interaction region" inside the LHC as ATLAS.

Henso Abreu et al, First Direct Observation of Collider Neutrinos with FASER at the LHC, Physical Review Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.031801

R. Albanese et al, Observation of Collider Muon Neutrinos with the SND@LHC Experiment, Physical Review Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.031802

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 28, 2023 at 8:04am

New ancient ape from Türkiye challenges the story of human origins

A new fossil ape from an 8.7-million-year-old site in Türkiye is challenging long-accepted ideas of human origins and adding weight to the theory that the ancestors of African apes and humans evolved in Europe before migrating to Africa between nine and seven million years ago.

Analysis of a newly identified ape named Anadoluvius turkae recovered from the Çorakyerler fossil locality near Çankırı with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Türkiye, shows Mediterranean fossil apes are diverse and are part of the first known radiation of early hominines—the group that includes African apes (chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas), humans and their fossil ancestors.

The findings are described in a study published today in Communications Biology authored by an international team of researchers.

These findings further suggest that hominines not only evolved in western and central Europe but spent over five million years evolving there and spreading to the eastern Mediterranean before eventually dispersing into Africa, probably as a consequence of changing environments and diminishing forests.

The members of this radiation to which Anadoluvius belongs are currently only identified in Europe and Anatolia. The conclusion is based on analysis of a significantly well-preserved partial cranium uncovered at the site in 2015, which includes most of the facial structure and the front part of the brain case.

Ayla Sevim-Erol et al, A new ape from Türkiye and the radiation of late Miocene hominines, Communications Biology (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05210-5

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 28, 2023 at 7:04am

Teeth Can Preserve The Signal of Pathogens For Hundreds of Years, Study Finds

An analysis of antibodies extracted from 800-year-old teeth has provided a new way to identify pathogens our ancestors contended with. The process could potentially help us understand how human antibodies – proteins naturally produced by our bodies in self-defense – have developed through history.

Building on previous research, a team of researchers conducted a process called affinity purification to identify molecules through the way they bind to other molecules. These kinds of bindings are a crucial part of how the human immune system works, and they can help researchers retroactively identify antibodies and what they were designed to fight against.

Intact antibodies from teeth recovered from an English grave dated to between 1285 and 1470 CE had their protein sequences read and their reactivity tested against potential antigens. Crucially, the antibodies recovered from the teeth retained a large part of their original structure, and were still biologically active, enabling the scientists to measure their response against current viruses. The researchers found that antibodies from medieval teeth were able to recognize the Epstein-Barr virus, which causes glandular fever.

Although this study only involved three teeth, it demonstrates how viable this type of analysis is – and how it could be scaled up in the future.

This emerging field of research is known as paleoproteomics, where the latest chemical analysis techniques are used to identify proteins on ancient remains – proteins that are typically more resilient than any DNA fragments that might also be recovered.

https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(23)01652-8

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 28, 2023 at 6:55am

Acne-Causing Bacteria May Actually Be Vital For Healthy Skin:Experts

The skin is the largest organ of the body, and it plays a crucial role as the first line of defense against pathogens and insults from the external environment. It provides important functions like temperature regulation and moisture retention. And despite the misconception that lipids harm your skin by causing oiliness and acne, they actually play a vital role in maintaining the skin barrier.

Lipids – organic compounds that include fats, oils, waxes and other types of molecules – are essential components of the outermost layer of skin. Changes to the skin's lipid composition can disrupt its ability to function as a protective barrier, leading to a range of skin diseases, including eczema and psoriasis. Human skin is colonized by thousands of species of bacteria. One of the most common microbes on the skin, Cutibacterium acnes, or C. acnes, is well known for its potential involvement in causing acne, but its broader effects on skin health are less understood.

Recently researchers found that C. acnes triggers certain skin cells to significantly increase production of lipids that are important to maintaining the skin barrier.

They found that  found that C. acnes induced this increase in lipid production by producing a type of short-chain fatty acid called propionic acid. Propionic acid creates an acidic skin environment that provides a number of benefits, including limiting pathogen growth, reducing staph infections and contributing to anti-inflammatory effects in the gut.

They also identified the specific gene and receptor  that regulate lipid synthesis through C. acnes. Blocking these components also blocked C. acnes-induced lipid synthesis.

In all, their findings highlight the substantial role that a common skin bacterium and its chemical byproducts play in shaping the composition of skin lipids.

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adg6262

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 27, 2023 at 12:43pm

Scientists Design a Colourful New Paint That Could Cut Your Electricity Bill!

Scientists  have designed a new paint that could help reduce our growing reliance on air conditioners and heaters. It comes in an array of colors, and if used properly, it could seriously slash electricity bills and emissions.

The paint is capable of reflecting up to 80 percent of mid-infrared light from the Sun, which is 10 times more reflection than conventional colored paints.

Mid-infrared light is usually absorbed as heat on building surfaces. When used on the outside of a building, the paint keeps heat out, and it can be used on the inside to keep heat in.

As such, the developers of the paint say it provides a "year-round energy-saving solution" that can be used in a variety of climates.

When tested in artificially warm conditions, the paint reduced the amount of energy needed to cool the enclosed space by almost 21 percent. Tested in artificially cold conditions, it reduced the energy needed to heat the space by 36 percent.

Across an entire building, researchers estimate the paint could save 7.4 percent of the energy needed to heat, ventilate, or cool a mid-rise apartment building.

Other paints and glazes help reflect mid-infrared light, but this new version  is not just pure white or silver. Its variety of colors include white, blue, red, yellow, green, orange, purple, and dark gray.

This rainbow is possible because the new paint has two layers that are applied in a series. The first is the reflective bottom layer, which contains silver aluminum flakes. The second is an infrared transparent top layer that contains colorful inorganic nanoparticles.

This double-layer design has been created before to reflect other wavelengths of infrared light, so it's not wholly unique, although it does seem quite effective.

When used on the outside of a building, infrared light from the Sun passes through the top layer of paint and bounces off the mirror-like bottom layer. This way, heat from the Sun is not absorbed by the building. Even better, both of these layers are water-repellant and work in humid and hot environments.

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2300856120

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 26, 2023 at 12:03pm

Penguin Breeding Colonies Catastrophically Failing as Ice Vanishes in Antarctica

Sea ice loss in Antarctica during 2022's emperor penguin breeding season resulted in the complete failure of four out of the five breeding colonies in the Bellingshausen Sea.

Satellite imagery shows none of the chicks from those sites survived.

The devastating event is the first recorded widespread breeding failure of emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri); but, if the loss of ice due to climate change continues, scientists warn, it won't be the last.

Researchers have never seen emperor penguins fail to breed, at this scale, in a single season. The loss of sea ice in this region during the Antarctic summer made it very unlikely that displaced chicks would survive.

We know that emperor penguins are highly vulnerable in a warming climate – and current scientific evidence suggests that extreme sea ice loss events like this will become more frequent and widespread.

For most of the year, there is a "skirt" of stable sea ice around Antarctica, attached to the land. This fast ice, as it is known, forms in April, during the Southern Hemisphere's autumn, and persists until January, or high summer. Emperor penguins make their breeding ground on this fast ice, laying their eggs in May and June. The incubation period for emperor penguins is around 65 days, but the chicks are pretty helpless until they fledge – that is, they grow out of their baby fluff into suitable plumage for swimming and diving in the gelid Antarctic waters. This usually happens between December and January. The breeding season of 2022 started off normally; the penguins laid their eggs in the autumn, and incubated and hatched them into the winter. Come spring, disaster struck. The fast ice retreated and broke up early. By the beginning of summer, the extent of the Antarctic sea ice was consistent with the all-time low recorded the previous year, in summer 2021. The region most impacted was the Bellingshausen Sea, towards the west of the Antarctic peninsula, where some regions saw a 100 percent loss in sea ice extent. Every year, emperor penguins return to the same five sites in the Bellingshausen Sea to lay their eggs and raise their chicks. These five colonies range in size from an average of around 650 breeding pairs to 3,500 breeding pairs. By December 2022, four of those five sites disappeared as the ice on which they relied melted into the waves. At only one site, Rothschild Island, with 650 breeding pairs, did chicks manage to fledge successfully. Researchers found no sign of the rest of the babies. Emperor penguin colonies can be found around the entire perimeter of the Antarctic continent, but the breeding failure of these select few in the Bellingshausen Sea represent the first of what is likely to be many.

An early sign of extinction? Maybe!

https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-023-00927-x

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 26, 2023 at 9:21am

Burning Forever Chemicals With Water

Forever Chemicals, also known as PFAS, are extremely useful industrial chemicals, but they can also leak into the environment, your drinking water, and your blood. And they last (practically) forever. But now chemists have a new way to destroy them: burning them with water.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 26, 2023 at 8:42am

Paper drinking straws may be harmful and may not be better for the environment than plastic versions, researchers warn

"Eco-friendly" paper drinking straws contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals, a new study has concluded.

Researchers tested 39 brands of straws for the group of synthetic chemicals known as poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

PFAS were found in the majority of the straws tested and were most common in those made from paper and bamboo, found the study, published in Food Additives & Contaminants.

PFAS are used to make everyday products, from outdoor clothing to non-stick pans, resistant to water, heat and stains. However, they are potentially harmful to people, wildlife and the environment. They break down very slowly over time and can persist over thousands of years in the environment, a property that has led to them being known as "forever chemicals."

They have been associated with a number of health problems, including lower response to vaccines, lower birth weight, thyroid disease, increased cholesterol levels, liver damage, kidney cancer and testicular cancer.

Straws made from plant-based materials, such as paper and bamboo, are often advertised as being more sustainable and eco-friendly than those made from plastic. However, the presence of PFAS in these straws means that's not necessarily true.

The most commonly found PFAS, perfluorooctanoic acid  (PFOA), has been banned globally since 2020.

Also detected were trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TFMS), "ultra-short chain" PFAS which are highly water soluble and so might leach out of straws into drinks.

The PFAS concentrations were low, and bearing in mind that most people tend to only use straws occasionally, pose a limited risk to human health. However, PFAS can remain in the body for many years and concentrations can build up over time. Small amounts of PFAS, while not harmful in themselves, can add to the chemical load already present in the body.

The presence of the chemicals in almost every brand of paper straw means it is likely that it was, in some cases, being used as a water-repellent coating, say the researchers.

The presence of PFAS in paper and bamboo straws shows they are not necessarily biodegradable. As they did not detect any PFAS in stainless steel straws, the researchers are advising consumers to use this type of straw—or just avoid using straws at all.

Assessment of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in commercially available drinking straws using targeted and suspect screening approaches, Food Additives & Contaminants (2023). DOI: 10.1080/19440049.2023.2240908. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/1 … 9440049.2023.2240908

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 25, 2023 at 12:38pm

Science and non-English-speaking scientists

Most journals offer minimal support for scientists who don't speak fluent English. An analysis of 736 biological-science journals found that only 2 stated that manuscripts would not be rejected solely on the .... A survey of the editors-in-chief of 262 of these journals found that only 6% instructed reviewers not to base their assessments solely on language proficiency. Less than 10% of journals offered author guidelines in at least one language other than English or allowed authors to publish articles in other languages.

Abstract

Scientific knowledge is produced in multiple languages but is predominantly published in English. This academic publishing practice creates a language barrier to the generation and transfer of scientific knowledge between communities with diverse linguistic backgrounds, hindering the ability of scholars and communities to address global challenges and achieve diversity and equity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). To overcome those barriers, publishers and journals should provide a fair system that supports non-native English speakers and disseminates knowledge across the globe. Researchers surveyed policies of 736 journals in biological sciences to assess their linguistic inclusivity, identify predictors of inclusivity, and propose actions to overcome language barriers in academic publishing. Their assessment revealed a grim landscape where most journals were making minimal efforts to overcome language barriers in academic publishing. The Impact Factor of journals was negatively associated with the adoption of a number of inclusive policies whereas the ownership by a scientific society tended to have a positive association. Counter to their expectations, the linguistic diversity of editorial boards and the Open Access model did not have a major positive association with the adoption of linguistically inclusive policies. The researchers proposed a set of actions to overcome language barriers in academic publishing, including the revision of exclusionary practices, clear communication of linguistic policies in author guidelines, and renegotiation of power dynamics between publishers and editorial boards. Academic publishing requires a change to support scholars and communities with limited English proficiency and scientific societies are well positioned to lead this cultural shift.

Nature 
Reference: EcoEvoRxiv preprint (not peer reviewed)

https://ecoevorxiv.org/repository/view/5475/

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