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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 7, 2025 at 12:02pm

Scientists identify 11 genes affected by PFAS, shedding light on neurotoxicity

Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) earn their "forever chemical" moniker by persisting in water, soil and even the human brain. This unique ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in brain tissue makes PFAS particularly concerning, but the underlying mechanism of their neurotoxicity must be studied further.

To that end, a new study by  researchers has identified 11 genes that may hold the key to understanding the brain's response to these pervasive chemicals commonly found in everyday items. The paper is published in the journal ACS Chemical Neuroscience.

These genes, some involved in processes vital for neuronal health, were found to be consistently affected by PFAS exposure, either expressing more or less, regardless of the type of PFAS compounds tested. For example, all compounds caused a gene key for neuronal cell survival to express less, and another gene linked to neuronal cell death to express more.

Still, the study found that hundreds more genes whose expression changed in different directions based on the compound tested. Plus, there was no correlation between the level at which PFAS accumulates in a cell and the extent to which it causes differential gene expression.

Taken together, this suggests that distinct molecular structures within each type of PFAS drive changes in gene expression.

PFAS aren't immediately toxic. We're exposed to them practically every day, including through drinking water and food packaging, and don't notice.

Therefore, researchers need to find points of assessment further upstream in the cellular process than just whether a cell lives or dies.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 7, 2025 at 10:34am

Three years of solar fireworks

This video combines ultraviolet images of the sun's outer atmosphere (the corona, yellow) taken by Solar Orbiter's Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) instrument, with the size and locations of solar flares (blue circles) as recorded by the Spectrometer/Telescope for Imaging X-rays (STIX) instrument. The accompanying audio is a sonification based on the detected flares and the spacecraft's distance to the sun.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 7, 2025 at 10:07am

The microbial signatures of vegan, vegetarian and omnivorous diets:
A key aspect of the study was to examine the differences between gut microbiomes. The researchers were able to see how each dietary pattern leads to a unique microbial signature. The microbiomes of omnivores have an increased presence of bacteria associated with meat digestion, such as Alistipes putredinis, involved in protein fermentation. Omnivores also have more bacteria associated with inflammatory bowel disease and an increased risk of colon cancer, such as Ruminococcus torques and Bilophila wadsworthia.
The microbiomes of vegans differ in the number of bacteria involved in fiber fermentation, such as several species in the Bacteroides and Firmicutes phyla, which help produce short-chain fatty acids, such as butyrate. These compounds have beneficial effects on gut health, as they reduce inflammation and maintain a better homeostatic balance with our metabolism and immune system.

Finally, the main single difference between vegetarians and vegans is the presence of Streptococcus thermophilus in the microbiome of vegetarians, a bacterium found mainly in dairy products and used in the production of yogurt.
Healthy diet and healthy microbiome
The study highlighted that it is the quality of the diet—rather than the dietary pattern itself—that influences the composition of the microbiome. People with healthier dietary patterns, whether vegan, vegetarian or omnivorous, showed a more favorable microbiome composition. This suggests that regardless of the type of diet, eating more plant-based foods and fewer animal-based foods, especially if highly processed, can be good for gut health.
Another innovative aspect of the research was the study of how bacteria transfer from food to the microbiome. The scientists found that vegans had the fewest food-associated bacteria in the microbiome, except for those derived from fruits and vegetables, which were most present. Vegetarians and omnivores, on the other hand, showed a greater number of bacteria linked to dairy products, especially fermented ones.
The researchers observed that the quantity and diversity of plant-based foods have a very positive impact on the microbiome. Avoiding meat or dairy products does not necessarily have a positive effect if it does not come with a variety of quality plant-based products. From the point of view of the microbiome, what we can generally recommend is that it is important to eat many plant-based foods, especially those rich in fiber. And that food diversity is important.

Nicola Segata, Gut microbiome signatures of vegan, vegetarian and omnivore diets and associated health outcomes across 21,561 individuals, Nature Microbiology (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01870-z

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 7, 2025 at 10:03am

Dietary choices create distinct gut microbiomes, influencing health outcomes

A varied diet rich in vegetables is known to be healthy for one's well-being. Excessive consumption of meat, especially red meat, can lead to chronic and cardiovascular diseases. That is also because what we eat shapes the gut microbiome. At the same time, excluding certain foods, such as dairy or animal products, is not necessarily a general solution to achieve microbial balance. But can we find out which food products determine differences in the gut microbiome?

Starting from this question, a group of researchers has analyzed biological samples from 21,561 individuals (vegans, vegetarians and omnivores) living in the United States, the United Kingdom and Italy, and found that the dietary pattern has a strong influence on the gut microbiome and on specific gut microbes that are associated with better health. The data is published in Nature Microbiology.

The gut microbiome, the set of microorganisms that inhabit our intestine, plays a crucial role in determining a person's health, as it influences many aspects, from digestion to the immune response. So far, only a few large-scale studies have examined how different diets impact the composition of gut bacteria.

This study focused in particular on the differences and consequences of different diets on the microbiome. The results show that diet patterns shape the gut microbiome, as they not only determine the microbes necessary for digestion, but also the acquisition of microbes directly from the food itself.

Based on the results of the analyses,  on average vegans have the healthiest diets, followed by vegetarians and omnivores. However, the most interesting data emerged from the study of the diversity of the gut microbiome; that is, by measuring the variety of bacteria that inhabit our intestines.

Overall, there was less diversity in vegetarians and vegans than in omnivores, but scientists point out that diversity alone is not a reliable means to determine the health of the microbiome, as it does not take into account the quality and functionality of bacteria.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 7, 2025 at 9:56am

Sugary drinks, also known as sugar-sweetened beverages or "soft" drinks, include:

• Soda: Includes cola, pop, tonic, and other sodas
• Fruit drinks: Includes fruit juice, fruit punch, and lemonade
• Sports and energy drinks: Includes drinks with added sugar or other sweeteners
• Sweetened milks: Includes chocolate milk
• Sweetened teas and coffees: Includes iced tea, sweetened hot or cold tea, and sweetened coffee
• Almost all branded soft drinks

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 7, 2025 at 9:49am

Global study links millions of diabetes and heart disease cases to sugary drinks

A new study from researchers  published in Nature Medicine, estimates that 2.2 million new cases of type 2 diabetes and 1.2 million new cases of cardiovascular disease occur each year globally due to consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.

In developing countries, the case count is particularly sobering. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the study found that sugar-sweetened beverages contributed to more than 21% of all new diabetes cases. In Latin America and the Caribbean, they contributed to nearly 24% of new diabetes cases and more than 11% of new cases of cardiovascular disease.

Colombia, Mexico, and South Africa are countries that have been particularly hard hit. More than 48% of all new diabetes cases in Colombia were attributable to consumption of sugary drinks. Nearly one-third of all new diabetes cases in Mexico were linked to sugary drink consumption. In South Africa, 27.6% of new diabetes cases and 14.6% of cardiovascular disease cases were attributable to sugary drink consumption.

Sugary beverages are rapidly digested, causing a spike in blood sugar levels with little nutritional value. Regular consumption over time leads to weight gain, insulin resistance, and a host of metabolic issues tied to type 2 diabetes and heart disease, two of the world's leading causes of death.

Sugar-sweetened beverages are heavily marketed and sold in low- and middle-income nations. Not only are these communities consuming harmful products, but they are also often less well equipped to deal with the long-term health consequences.

As countries develop and incomes rise, sugary drinks become more accessible and desirable, the authors say. Men are more likely than women to suffer the consequences of sugary drink consumption, as are younger adults compared to their older counterparts, the researchers say.

"We need urgent, evidence-based interventions to curb consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages globally, before even more lives are shortened by their effects on diabetes and heart disease", the researchers emphasize.

The study's authors call for a multi-pronged approach, including public health campaigns, regulation of sugary drink advertising, and taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages.

Laura Lara-Castor, Burdens of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease attributable to sugar-sweetened beverages in 184 countries, Nature Medicine (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41591-024-03345-4

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 7, 2025 at 9:42am

A key challenge associated with psychology research is to conduct reproducible studies that yield similar results across different samples of participants, even in somewhat different settings. So researchers  thus tried to devise reproducible and robust experimental methods that could be employed by other researchers.

To understand the complex relationships between face perception, mental state judgment, trait judgment, and situational effect, they used computational models to quantitatively select a large number of faces, mental state terms, trait terms, and situation descriptions that are representative of those people encounter in everyday life.

They asked participants to view faces and infer how much those individuals would feel certain mental states in given situations. The researchers also asked a separate group of participants to look at the same images of faces and infer the traits of the people they belonged to. Using the information they gathered, they then digitally manipulated the traits of faces.

The researchers  quantified to which degree changing the perceived traits of a face would change people's expectations of how this individual may feel and think in different situations. 

To make sure that their results can be applied to a wide range of populations,  their data and models were based on participants from five continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America.

The researchers  closely examined how their study participants thought specific people in images would feel 60 different mental states in 60 real-world scenarios.

The researchers found that 47 of these 60 mental state inferences were shaped by how the individual looks.

This means that in most circumstances, when other people are trying to understand how you feel and think, their understanding will be biased by their first impressions of your personality (which is not necessarily your true personality but just others' judgments).

Interestingly, the researchers found that first impressions shaped mental state inferences across participants living in all five continents on Earth. This suggests that their findings are robust and the effect they observed is relevant to all people, irrespective of their nationality or cultural background.

Chujun Lin et al, How trait impressions of faces shape subsequent mental state inferences, Nature Human Behaviour (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-02059-4.

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 7, 2025 at 9:42am

Snap judgments: How first impressions of faces shape inferences of mental states

A snap judgment is a hasty decision or opinion that is made without careful thought or deliberation.

When we first meet another person, we typically form an initial impression of them based on their facial features and appearance. These first impressions of others could potentially influence our subsequent cognitive processes, such as what mental states we believe that the people we meet are experiencing at a given time.

Researchers carried out a study investigating the potential relationship between first impressions of faces and the inference of mental states. Their findings, published in Nature Human Behavior, suggest that first impressions of faces influence the inference of other people's mental states.

Over the years there have been a lot of surprising findings showing how first impressions from faces can predict important outcomes, such as which candidates would win an election, which politicians would be convicted of corruption, and which offenders would be sentenced to death.

These findings show that the snap judgments people make about others based merely on their faces may bias consequential decision-making in the real world, ranging from who we vote for, who law enforcement investigate and how juries evaluate cases.

As most people seldom engage in criminal investigations or legal trials, their initial impressions of others based on appearance might not necessarily have a crucial impact on their decisions. 

Researchers investigated how first impressions may shape the way people infer each other's moment-to-moment thoughts and feelings. Understanding how each other feels and thinks is a crucial task in daily life as long as you engage with other people.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 5, 2025 at 10:38am

To determine they had the correct gene, after decades of research, the team inserted the normal MAL gene into blood cells that were AnWj-negative. This effectively delivered the AnWj antigen to those cells.

The MAL protein is known to play a vital role in keeping cell membranes stable and aiding in cell transport. What's more, previous research found that the AnWj isn't actually present in newborn babies but appears soon after birth.

Interestingly, all the AnWj-negative patients included in the study shared the same mutation. However, no other cell abnormalities or diseases were found to be associated with this mutation.

Now that the researchers have identified the genetic markers behind the MAL mutation, patients can be tested to see if their negative MAL blood type is inherited or due to suppression, which could be a sign of another underlying medical problem.
These rare blood quirks can have devastating impacts on patients, so the more of them we can understand, the more lives can be saved.

Deletions in the MAL gene result in loss of Mal protein, defining the rare inherited AnWj-negative blood group phenotype

https://ashpublications.org/blood/article-abstract/144/26/2735/5174...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 5, 2025 at 10:37am

If these markers do not match up when receiving a blood transfusion, this life-saving tactic can cause reactions or even end up being fatal.

Most major blood groups were identified early in the 20th century. Many discovered since, like the Er blood system first described by researchers in 2022, only impact a small number of people. This is also the case for the new blood group.
Previous research found more than 99.9 percent of people have the AnWj antigen that was missing from the 1972 patient's blood. This antigen lives on a myelin and lymphocyte protein, leading the researchers to call the newly described system the MAL blood group.
When someone has a mutated version of both copies of their MAL genes, they end up with an AnWj-negative blood type, like the pregnant patient. Researchers identified three patients with the rare blood type that didn't have this mutation, suggesting that sometimes blood disorders can also cause the antigen to be suppressed.
MAL is a very small protein with some interesting properties which made it difficult to identify and meant we needed to pursue multiple lines of investigation to accumulate the proof we needed to establish this blood group system.
Part 3

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