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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 27, 2026 at 2:48pm

Cancer tumors may protect against Alzheimer's by cleaning out protein clumps

Tumor-secreted Cystatin-C (Cyst-C) crosses the blood-brain barrier, binds amyloid-beta oligomers and the TREM2 receptor on microglia, and activates microglial clearance of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's mouse models. This process reduces plaque burden and improves cognitive performance, suggesting a potential therapeutic approach for Alzheimer's disease by targeting existing plaques.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-cancer-tumors-alzheimer-prot...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 27, 2026 at 2:45pm

How gut bacteria control immune responses

Bacteria in the human gut can directly deliver proteins into human cells, actively shaping immune responses.
Gut bacteria can inject proteins directly into human cells using type III secretion systems, previously thought unique to pathogens. These proteins interact with human immune and metabolic pathways, modulating immune responses such as NF-κB and cytokine signaling. Genes for these effectors are more common in Crohn’s disease, linking this mechanism to chronic intestinal inflammation.

Researchers  have discovered this previously unknown mechanism of communication between gut bacteria and human cells. The findings reveal a new way in which the gut microbiome can influence the human body and may help explain how changes in gut bacteria contribute to inflammatory diseases such as Crohn's disease.

Although the human gut microbiome has long been linked to immune, metabolic, and inflammatory disorders, most evidence is correlative, and the molecular mechanisms behind these connections remain largely unexplored.

The new  study shows that many harmless, everyday gut bacteria possess type III secretion systems—microscopic, syringe-like structures that can inject bacterial proteins directly into human cells. Until now, these systems were thought to exist only in pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella.

It shows that these non-pathogenic bacteria are not just passive residents but can actively manipulate human cells by injecting their proteins into our cells

To understand what these bacterial proteins do in human cells, the researchers mapped more than a thousand interactions between bacterial effector proteins and human proteins, creating a large-scale interaction network. Their analyses showed that bacterial proteins preferentially target human pathways involved in immune regulation and metabolism.

Further laboratory experiments confirmed that these proteins can modulate key immune signaling pathways, including NF-κB and cytokine responses. Cytokines are signaling molecules that help coordinate the immune system and prevent excessive reactions that can lead to autoimmune diseases. For example, inhibiting the activity of the cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a widely used treatment for Crohn's disease, an autoimmune disease of the gut.

The researchers also found that genes encoding these bacterial effector proteins are enriched in the gut microbiomes of patients with Crohn's disease. This suggests that direct protein delivery from gut bacteria to human cells may contribute to chronic intestinal inflammation, providing a potential mechanistic explanation for previously observed microbiome–disease links.

Veronika Young et al, Effector–host interactome map links type III secretion systems in healthy gut microbiomes to immune modulation, Nature Microbiology (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41564-025-02241-y. www.nature.com/articles/s41564-025-02241-y

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 27, 2026 at 2:37pm

World not ready for rise in extreme heat, scientists say

By 2050, nearly 3.8 billion people could be exposed to extreme heat, with the greatest impacts in tropical and developing regions lacking adequate cooling infrastructure. Even moderate temperature increases will significantly affect cooler countries unaccustomed to heat. Rising demand for cooling will strain energy systems, highlighting an urgent need for adaptation measures.

Global gridded dataset of heating and cooling degree days under climate change scenarios, Nature Sustainability (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41893-025-01754-y , www.nature.com/articles/s41893-025-01754-y

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 27, 2026 at 2:32pm

Why are icy surfaces slippery?

Why do we lose our grip in icy conditions?

It's the molecular "deal" ice strikes with everything it touches. Unlike most solids, ice refuses to act like a rigid crystal. Instead, it behaves as a self-made lubricant—especially as temperatures hover near freezing.

Ice has an unusual property: it can melt when you apply pressure to it, whereas most materials behave the other way around—pressure usually makes liquids become solid. For a long time, people thought pressure caused slipperiness. But pressure-induced melting only happens in a very narrow temperature range, while ice remains slippery well outside those limits.

Others suggest friction from sliding—think rubbing your hands in the cold to stay warm or a shoe making contact with ice—heated the ice enough to create a melt layer. But that's sort of a chicken-and-egg problem: generating enough heat requires some extended sliding with high friction—ice is slippery without having to slide hardly at all.

Eventually, researchers realized that ice has another funny property: its surface can pre-melt, meaning it naturally has a thin layer of water on top of it, well below the melting temperature. The layer gets thicker as the temperature gets closer to the melting temperature.

However, this idea—based on ice being self-lubricated—doesn't explain why some materials have lower friction against ice than others; if the water layer is always there, everything should be equally slippery. It's an oversimplification, but that's the basic argument.
Recently, researchers in Germany used simulations to show that when something touches ice, the water molecules at the surface rearrange from an ordered crystal into a disordered, amorphous structure. This isn't caused by pressure or friction, but by microscopic electrical charges.

Water molecules have positive and negative ends, and when they touch another surface, they react to the atoms in that material. They believe this electrical "push and pull" disrupts the ice's rigid structure, creating that slippery, disordered layer, which would explain why ice is slippery across different temperatures and why some materials slide on it better than others.

But in short, we don't yet know for sure. As many have observed, despite the commonality of water and ice, their physical properties are remarkably unique.

https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/penn-engineering-why-are-icy-surfa...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 27, 2026 at 2:21pm

Are llamas big pharma's secret weapon to find new drugs?

Llama-derived nanobodies, small and easily engineered antibody fragments, are being explored as therapeutic agents for diseases such as cancer, autoimmune disorders, and nerve pain. These nanobodies can access targets inaccessible to conventional antibodies and may cross the blood-brain barrier. While some drugs have reached the market, broader clinical success and commercial impact remain under development.

Scientists have discovered the potential of the animals' antibodies to thwart multiple diseases, and now drug developers are collectively plowing billions of dollars into a field that may yield a fresh generation of life-changing medicines. The targets include some hard-to-treat conditions like cancer, nerve pain and a chronic skin ailment.

The immune system of all mammals produces antibodies to thwart viral and bacterial attacks. Those made by llamas and other members of the camelid family can squeeze into tighter spots and better penetrate tissue than human ones, because they're smaller and simpler. Some have been reported to cross the blood-brain barrier, eliciting hope for neurological diseases.

Source: News agencies

https://phys.org/news/2026-01-llamas-big-pharma-secret-weapon.html?...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 25, 2026 at 12:26pm

Why Does Dust Build Up Even in Closed Spaces?

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 25, 2026 at 12:20pm

Stones Along Railway Tracks

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 24, 2026 at 1:41pm

Can certain foods prevent stomach cancer?

Dietary choices can influence stomach cancer risk. Consuming more fruits, vegetables, and whole foods while reducing processed foods, sugar, salt, and inflammatory foods may lower risk. Maintaining a healthy weight, regular exercise, avoiding smoking and excess alcohol, and appropriate cancer screening further support prevention. Genetics remain a major risk factor.
Eating fewer processed and preserved foods, which are generally high in sugar and salt and potential nitrites or nitrates is one advice all teh experts give.
Aim to eat more fruits and vegetables. The antioxidant compounds in produce can provide extra protection against diseases like stomach cancer. When meal planning, try to ensure that half your plate is filled with vegetables.
When possible, follow a Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes whole, plant-based foods and healthy fats. Choose high-quality proteins like lean meat, fish and legumes. Avoid foods known to cause inflammation and eat fewer starches, including potatoes and pasta.
Eating smaller meal portions throughout the day—such as four to six smaller meals throughout the day—rather than sticking to three large meals. Compared to eating a big meal, eating smaller meals causes less stomach stretching and stress on your body and allows for smaller insulin responses.
Exercise has a positive effect on reducing cancer risk.
Obesity—especially excess fat around the midsection—can increase the risk of cancer. This type of fat, called visceral fat, can secrete hormones that increase your risk of cancer.
In addition to weight gain, pay attention to unexplained weight loss. Unexplained weight loss can be the first sign of cancer.
Other things to avoid include smoking and alcohol—particularly beer, which has been shown to increase stomach cancer risk.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 24, 2026 at 1:27pm

Beyond the fear: Scientists test the health impacts of 5G
From street-level measurements to long-term health studies, researchers are building a clearer picture of the impact of everyday exposure to 5G signals on human health.

Measurements across multiple European countries indicate that everyday exposure to 5G radiofrequency electromagnetic fields remains well below international safety limits. Short-term laboratory studies found no measurable effects on heart function, stress, skin temperature, or brain activity in healthy adults exposed to 3.5 GHz 5G signals. Ongoing research is examining long-term health and behavioural impacts.
More than 800 measurements were taken across urban and rural locations in eight EU countries, plus Switzerland and the UK. The team looked at scenarios from phones in flight mode to data-intensive activities, such as sharing attachments or watching livestreamed video.

The results show that exposure to RF-EMF in everyday environments remains well below international safety limits in all settings measured.

These limits, set by independent scientific bodies, define the maximum exposure levels considered safe for the general public and include large safety margins.

To investigate whether 5G signals have any immediate effects on the body, researchers in France have carried out the first coordinated human laboratory studies focusing on a key 5G frequency band: 3.5 gigahertz.

At INERIS, the French National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks near Paris, 31 healthy volunteers were exposed to 5G signals for 26 minutes under controlled conditions designed to reflect real-world environmental exposure.
They observed no measurable impact on heart function, stress levels, skin temperature or brain activity in healthy young adults.
However, the researchers stress that the phone doesn't only bring radio frequency electromagnetic fields exposure. It also brings screen light exposure, mental arousal or device dependency.

Source:

https://projectgoliat.eu/

https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101057262

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on January 24, 2026 at 1:16pm

Halley's Comet wrongly named: 11th-century English monk predates British astronomer
Evidence indicates that the 11th-century monk Eilmer of Malmesbury recognized the periodicity of Halley's Comet centuries before Edmond Halley. Eilmer linked two appearances of the comet, as described in medieval chronicles, suggesting the comet’s cycle was understood earlier than previously thought. This challenges the appropriateness of the comet’s current name.

https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2026/01/halleys-comet-wro....

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