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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 14, 2020 at 1:21pm

Microbes feeding on methane release arsenic into groundwater

Arsenic is a toxin now widely present in rivers and groundwater in countries such as Bangladesh and Vietnam. It is released by the activity of microorganisms. Yet for a long time it was unclear what the microorganisms ate to release the arsenic. A team of geomicrobiologists led by Professor Andreas Kappler from the University of Tübingen has shown that the microbes break down arsenic-bearing sediments using organic compounds from deep layers as food, disproving theories that the fuel for their activity was drawn from plants or algae on the surface. Now the team has also shown that along with the organic materials in the sediments, methane gas is an important source of food for the bacteria and also plays a key role in their release of arsenic. This new mechanism responsible for arsenic mobilization can explain elevated concentration of arsenic in many aquifers and will help to more precisely predict future drinking water contamination.

 Arsenic mobilization by anaerobic iron-dependent methane oxidation, Nature Communications Earth & Environment (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s43247-020-00037-y

https://phys.org/news/2020-11-microbes-methane-arsenic-groundwater....

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 14, 2020 at 1:18pm

Scientists discover new family of quasiparticles in graphene-based materials

A group of researchers have discovered and characterized a new family of quasiparticles named 'Brown-Zak fermions' in graphene-based superlattices.

The team achieved this breakthrough by aligning the atomic lattice of a graphene layer to that of an insulating boron nitride sheet, dramatically changing the properties of the graphene sheet.

In a graphene layer which has been aligned with the boron nitride, electrons also start to bend—but if you set the magnetic field at specific values, the electrons move in straight line trajectories again, as if there is no magnetic field anymore! Such behaviour is radically different from textbook physics.

Researchers attribute this fascinating behaviour to the formation of novel quasiparticles at high magnetic field. Those quasiparticles have their own unique properties and exceptionally high mobility despite the extremely high magnetic field.

Nature Communications (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19604-0

https://phys.org/news/2020-11-scientists-family-quasiparticles-grap...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 14, 2020 at 1:12pm

In-utero exposure to coronavirus pandemic could cause developmental difficulties, accelerated aging in the century ahead

Exposure to COVID-19 could pose a risk to the health and aging of individuals who aren't even born yet, according to a newly published analysis by USC researchers.

by the end of 2020, approximately 300,000 infants could be born to mothers infected by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Millions more will be born into families who have experienced tremendous stress and upheaval due to the pandemic even if they haven't been infected themselves, the authors added.

While the longer-term effects of COVID-19 on infants is yet to be seen, researchers can find some insight from the past, including the 1918 flu pandemic and previous coronavirus illnesses such as SARS in 2002 and MERS in 2012, Finch said.

"The 1918 influenza pandemic had long-term impacts on the cohort exposed in utero, which experienced earlier adult mortality and more diabetes, ischemic heart disease and depression after age 50," he said. "It is possible that the COVID-19 pandemic will also have long-term impacts on the cohort that was in utero during the pandemic, from exposure to maternal infection and/or the stress of the pandemic environment."

Maternal viral infections can affect fetuses through multiple pathways, from direct transmission through the placenta to inflammatory responses that disturb in-utero metabolism a

nd negatively affect growth. While direct maternal-fetal transmission of the virus and severe birth defects appear to have been rare during previous coronavirus outbreaks, there were increases in preterm delivery and low birth weight during both the 2002 SARS and 2009 H1N1 influenza outbreaks, which are possible consequences of increased inflammation.

While studies on COVID-19 and pregnancy are still in their early stages, there have already been some concerning results that merit a closer look in ongoing studies, the authors wrote. Increased rates of preterm birth may be linked to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infections, and other studies indicate that severe illness is correlated with a higher risk of stillbirth. Other potential dangers, including the increased risk of blood clots presented by both pregnancy and severe COVID-19, also need further study.

Molly Crimmins Easterlin et al, Will prenatal exposure to SARS-CoV-2 define a birth cohort with accelerated aging in the century ahead?, Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (2020). DOI: 10.1017/S204017442000104X

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-11-in-utero-exposure-coronaviru...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 13, 2020 at 8:54am

COVID-19 vaccines are coming – how will we know they work and are safe?

https://theconversation.com/covid-19-vaccines-are-coming-how-will-w...

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why do older adults get shorter?

It's not just older adults who get shorter. You start shrinking, the moment you get out of bed in the morning.

https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-why-do-older-adults-get-sh...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 13, 2020 at 8:45am

Scientists race for hail collection for research

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 13, 2020 at 8:34am

New device puts music in your head—no headphones required

Imagine a world where you move around in your own personal sound bubble. You listen to your favorite tunes, play loud computer games, watch a movie or get navigation directions in your car—all without disturbing those around you.

That's the possibility presented by "sound beaming," a new futuristic audio technology from Noveto Systems. On Friday it  debuted a desktop device that beams sound directly to a listener without the need for headphones.

The listening sensation is straight out of a sci-fi movie. The 3-D sound is so close it feels like it's inside your ears while also in front, above and behind them.

Noveto expects the device will have plenty of practical uses, from allowing office workers to listen to music or conference calls without interrupting colleagues to letting someone play a game, movie or music without disturbing their significant others.

The lack of headphones means it's possible to hear other sounds in the room clearly.

The technology uses a 3-D sensing module and locates and tracks the ear position sending audio via ultrasonic waves to create sound pockets by the user's ears. Sound can be heard in stereo or a spatial 3-D mode that creates 360 degree sound around the listener, the company said.

The demo includes nature video clips of swans on a lake, bees buzzing and a babbling brook, where the listener feels completely transported into the scene.

You don't believe it because it sounds like a speaker, but no one else can hear it…it's supporting you and you're in the middle of everything. It's happening around you."

By changing a setting, the sound can follow a listener around when they move their head. It's also possible to move out of the beam's path and hear nothing at all, which creates a surreal experience.

It follows you wherever you go. So it's personally for you—follows you, plays what you want inside your head.

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-11-device-music-headno-headphones-...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 13, 2020 at 7:18am

Brilliant New Test Finds Superbugs in a Patient's Blood in Just One Hour

Speed matters when it comes to spotting antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the blood – the sooner these superbugs can be found, the sooner doctors can prescribe the correct treatment. 

 As well as significantly improving outlooks for patients and limiting the spread of these bugs, a faster diagnosis also means less time wasted on antibiotics that aren't going to be effective.

At the moment the quickest superbug diagnosis time is around 24 hours. Now new research has identified a way of completing the whole blood sampling and analysis process in the space of just one hour.

Researchers from across the fields of molecular biology, chemistry, integrated optics and chemical processing put their heads together to come up with the new process, which can look out for three different superbugs in one go.

Through a process of blood spinning, the bacteria are isolated from the samples so their DNA can be analysed. The researchers used fluorescent molecules designed to bind specifically to segments of bacterial DNA that contain known antibiotic resistant genes. If these genes were present in the sample, they could then be detected by a microchip.

Every hour the disease is untreated, survivability drops by about 7 percent. You want to know what you're fighting immediately so you can apply the right treatments. 

https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2020/lc/d0lc00640h#!...

 https://www.sciencealert.com/new-test-can-spot-superbugs-in-your-bl...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 13, 2020 at 7:17am

A potential game-changer to reverse alcohol intoxication

A staggering 3 million deaths occur every year as result from harmful use of alcohol, according to the World Health Organization.

Present in alcoholic drinks, ethanol, normally referred to as 'alcohol', affects every part of the human body. Brain function, circulation and even nail growth are impacted. When a certain level of blood alcohol concentration is reached, the intoxication can damage organs and lead to death.

Now a team of researchers  presents a proof of concept of a simple method that could become a game-changer in rescue therapy for severe alcohol intoxication, as well as just "sobering up."

Normally, 90% of the alcohol in the human body is cleared exclusively by the liver at constant rate that can't be increased. Currently there is no other method, short of dialysis, whereby alcohol can be removed from the blood. This leaves as the only options to treat life-threatening alcohol levels supportive measures such as giving oxygen, intravenous fluids, breathing assistance, and treating any heart issues with drugs.

The principle behind UHN team's approach is simply to recruit the lungs to breathe out the alcohol. The harder the breathing, it was reasoned, the more alcohol is eliminated. The team found that indeed, hyperventilation eliminated the alcohol at least three times faster than through the liver alone. But you can't just hyperventilate, because in a minute or two you would become light-headed and pass out.

When hyperventilating—breathing deeper and more rapidly than normal—the body eliminates carbon dioxide from the blood along with the alcohol. The decrease of this gas in the blood is the cause of symptoms such as light-headedness, tingling or numbness on hands and feet, and fainting.

The device used in this study allows the patient to hyperventilate off the alcohol while returning precisely the amount of carbon dioxide to the body to keep it at normal levels in the blood—regardless of the extent of hyperventilation. The equipment is the size of a small briefcase and uses a valve system, some connecting tubes, a mask, and a small tank with compressed carbon dioxide.

Scientific Reports (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76233-9

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-11-potential-game-changer-rever...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 13, 2020 at 7:06am

Researchers find connection between household chemicals and gut microbiome

A team of researchers for the first time has found a correlation between the levels of bacteria and fungi in the gastrointestinal tract of children and the amount of common chemicals found in their home environment.

The work could lead to better understanding of how these semi-volatile organic compounds may affect human health.

The microbes in our gut, which include a large variety of bacteria and fungi, are thought to affect many processes, from nutrient absorption to our immunity, and an unhealthy microbiome has been implicated in diseases ranging from obesity to asthma and dementia.

In the study, the researchers measured levels of ubiquitous semi-organic compounds in the blood and urine of 69 toddlers and preschoolers and then, using fecal samples, studied the children's gut microbiomes. The semi-volatile organic compounds they measured included phthalates that are used in detergents, plastic clothing such as raincoats, shower curtains, and personal-care products, such as soap, shampoo, and hair spray, as well as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), which are used in stain- and water-repellent fabrics, coatings for carpets and furniture, nonstick cooking products, polishes, paints, and cleaning products. People are exposed daily to such chemicals in the air and dust in their homes, especially young children who might ingest them by crawling on carpets or frequently putting objects in their mouths.

When the researchers looked at the levels of fungi and bacteria in the gut, they found that children who had higher levels of the chemicals in their bloodstream showed differences in their gut microbiome.

Children with higher levels of PFASs in their blood had a reduction in the amount and diversity of bacteria, while increased levels of phthalates were associated with a reduction in fungi populations.

The correlation between the chemicals and less abundant bacterial organisms was especially pronounced and potentially most concerning.

The researchers also found, surprisingly, that the children who had high levels of chemical compounds in their blood also had in their gut several types of bacteria that have been used to clean up toxic chemicals. Dehalogenating bacteria have been used for bioremediation to degrade persistent halogenated chemicals like dry cleaning solvents from the environment. These bacteria are not typically found in the human gut.

"Finding the increased levels of these type of bacteria in the gut means that, potentially, the gut microbiome is trying to correct itself.

 Courtney M. Gardner et al, Exposures to Semivolatile Organic Compounds in Indoor Environments and Associations with the Gut Microbiomes of Children, Environmental Science & Technology Letters (2020). DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00776

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-11-household-chemicals-gut-micr...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on November 13, 2020 at 7:00am

Evolution favours new diseases of 'intermediate' severity

New epidemic diseases have an evolutionary advantage if they are of "intermediate" severity, research shows.

Scientists tested the theory that pathogens (disease-causing organisms) that inflict intermediate levels of harm on their host are the most evolutionarily successful.

found that natural selection favors pathogens of intermediate virulence (how much harm a pathogen causes) at the point the disease emerges in a new host species.

This occurs because virulence and transmission are linked, with virulence arising because pathogens need to exploit hosts to persist, replicate and transmit.

While too-low virulence will be detrimental for pathogens if they cannot transmit, virulence that is too high will also be a disadvantage if infection kills hosts so fast that the pathogen does not have time to transmit.

Over time, pathogens that show intermediate levels of virulence should therefore have an evolutionary advantage.

Camille Bonneaud et al, Experimental evidence for stabilizing selection on virulence in a bacterial pathogen, Evolution Letters (2020). DOI: 10.1002/evl3.203

https://phys.org/news/2020-11-evolution-favors-diseases-intermediat...

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