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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 21, 2024 at 9:18am

Over the last 15 years, genomic surveillance has become a powerful tool for tracking pathogen evolution and transmission, giving critical insights to help manage the spread of disease.

However, current methods involve culturing a single strain of bacteria in a sample at a time and then conducting whole genome sequencing for all of them separately. This is a labor-intensive process, which can easily take several days and only provides a partial snapshot of all the clinically relevant bacteria found in a sample.

In this new study the research team developed a new approach that captured whole genome sequencing data across multiple pathogens at once. This is known as a 'pan-pathogen' deep sequencing approach and can provide genomic data as rapidly as hospitals can process the samples.

Pan-pathogen deep sequencing of nosocomial bacterial pathogens during the early COVID-19 pandemic, spring 2020: A prospective cohort study, The Lancet Microbe (2024). DOI: 10.1016/S2666-5247(24)00113-7

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 21, 2024 at 9:17am

Genomic surveillance method tracks multiple superbugs in hospitals

Researchers have developed a new genomic technique that can track the spread of multiple superbugs in a hospital simultaneously, which could help prevent and manage common hospital infections quicker and more effectively than ever before.

The proof-of-concept study details a new deep sequencing approach that captures all the common infectious bacteria in a hospital at once. Current methods culture and sequence all pathogens separately, which takes longer and requires more work.

Published 20 August in the Lancet Microbe, the study captured the whole population of pathogenic bacteria found in multiple hospital intensive care units (ICUs) and ordinary wards during the first wave of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers could see the type of bacteria patients had, including any well-known antibiotic-resistant pathogens found in hospitals.

They discovered that each ICU patient tested in the study was colonized by at least one such treatment-resistant bacteria, while the majority were colonized by several of them simultaneously.

Researchers think their approach could be integrated with existing hospital clinical surveillance systems. As drug resistance is a widespread issue in hospitals and other clinical settings, this system could identify, track and limit the spread of common multiple treatment-resistant bacteria at the same time.

Bacteria are commonly found in or on the body without causing harm, known as colonization. However, if certain strains get into the bloodstream due to a weakened immune system, they can cause severe and life-threatening infections, unless they can be effectively treated with antibiotics.

As an added challenge for health care providers, some of these bacteria are antibiotic-resistant (AMR). Infections caused by AMR bacteria are a major issue in hospitals, with these treatment-resistant bacteria predicted to cause more deaths than cancer by 2050. While some hospitals test for AMR bacteria on arrival, no system effectively tracks all multi-drug resistant bacteria throughout a hospital.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 21, 2024 at 9:08am

How air pollution increases thunderstorm danger

Air pollution is increasing the severity of summertime thunderstorms, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at James Madison University and published in the journal Atmospheric Research.

Pollution acts as cloud nuclei. It gets brought into the cloud through the updraft; the updraft and downdraft then separate the pollution particles, which divides the electrical charges in the cloud and leads to more lightning production.

The three-year study examined nearly 200,000 thunderstorms.

Using 12 years of lightning data from the National Lightning Detection Network, US, and data from hundreds of air pollution stations, the researchers were able to determine that in environments with high instability, adding more pollution increases cloud-to-ground lightning strikes.

Similar research on Bangkok, a megacity with more pollution than most US cities and located in a hot, tropical climate, show similar results, albeit with lightning rates even higher in those storms.

It looks like no matter where you go in the world, urban pollution is capable of enhancing thunderstorms and lightening, the researchers conclude.

Mace Bentley et al, Toward untangling thunderstorm-aerosol relationships: An observational study of regions centered on Washington, DC and Kansas City, MO, Atmospheric Research (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosres.2024.107402

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 21, 2024 at 8:38am

Aside from cosmic ice, the present research into low-energy electrons and radiation chemistry also has potential applications on Earth. The researchers studied the radiolysis of water, finding evidence of electron-stimulated release of hydrogen peroxide and hydroperoxyl radicals, which destroy stratospheric ozone and act as damaging reactive oxygen species in cells.

A lot of their water radiolysis research findings could be used in medical applications and medical simulations.
Humans are basically bags of water. So scientists are investigating how low-energy electrons produced in water affect our DNA molecules.
In attempting to better understand prebiotic molecule synthesis, the researchers didn't limit their efforts to mathematical modeling; they also tested their hypothesis by mimicking the conditions of space in the lab. They use an ultrahigh-vacuum chamber containing an ultrapure copper substrate that they can cool to ultralow temperatures, along with an electron gun that produces low-energy electrons and a laser-driven plasma lamp that produces low-energy photons. The scientists then bombard nanoscale ice films with electrons or photons to see what molecules are produced.
Although researchers have previously focused on how this research is applicable to interstellar submicron ice particles, it is also relevant to cosmic ice on a much larger scale, like that of Jupiter's moon Europa, which has a 20-mile-thick ice shell.
The research team's results will be presented at the fall meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS Fall 2024
Source: American Chemical Society
https://www.acs.org/meetings/acs-meetings/fall.html
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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 21, 2024 at 8:32am

Extraterrestrial chemistry with earthbound possibilities

Who are we? Why are we here? We are stardust, the result of chemistry occurring throughout vast clouds of interstellar gas and dust. To better understand how that chemistry could create prebiotic molecules—the seeds of life on Earth and possibly elsewhere—researchers have investigated the role of low-energy electrons created as cosmic radiation traverses through ice particles. Their findings may also inform medical and environmental applications on our home planet.

The first detection of molecules in space was made by Wellesley College alum Annie Jump Cannon more than a hundred years ago. Since Cannon's discovery, scientists have been interested in finding out how extraterrestrial molecules form.

A new work's   goal is to explore the relative importance of low-energy electrons versus photons in instigating the chemical reactions responsible for the extraterrestrial synthesis of these prebiotic molecules. 

The few studies that previously probed this question suggested that both electrons and photons can catalyze the same reactions. Recent Studies , however, hint that the prebiotic molecule yield from low-energy electrons and photons could be significantly different in space.

Their calculations suggest that the number of cosmic-ray-induced electrons within cosmic ice could be much greater than the number of photons striking the ice. Therefore, electrons likely play a more significant role than photons in the extraterrestrial synthesis of prebiotic molecules

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 21, 2024 at 8:19am

When a foe turns a friend: Deadly sea snail toxin could be key to making better medicines

Scientists are finding clues on how to treat diabetes and hormone disorders in an unexpected place: a toxin from one of the most venomous animals on the planet.

A multinational research team led by University of Utah scientists has identified a component within the venom of a deadly marine cone snail, the geography cone, that mimics a human hormone called somatostatin, which regulates the levels of blood sugar and various hormones in the body. The hormone-like toxin's specific, long-lasting effects, which help the snail hunt its prey, could also help scientists design better drugs for people with diabetes or hormone disorders, conditions that can be serious and sometimes fatal.

The somatostatin-like toxin the researchers characterized could hold the key to improving medications for people with diabetes and hormone disorders. Somatostatin acts like a brake pedal for many processes in the human body, preventing the levels of blood sugar, various hormones, and many other important molecules from rising dangerously high.

The cone snail toxin, called consomatin, works similarly, the researchers found—but consomatin is more stable and specific than the human hormone, which makes it a promising blueprint for drug design.

By measuring how consomatin interacts with somatostatin's targets in human cells in a dish, the researchers found that consomatin interacts with one of the same proteins that somatostatin does. But while somatostatin directly interacts with several proteins, consomatin only interacts with one. This fine-tuned targeting means that the cone snail toxin affects hormone levels and blood sugar levels but not the levels of many other molecules.

In fact, the cone snail toxin is more precisely targeted than the most specific synthetic drugs designed to regulate hormone levels, such as drugs that regulate growth hormone. Such drugs are an important therapy for people whose bodies overproduce growth hormone. Consomatin's effects on blood sugar could make it dangerous to use as a therapeutic, but by studying its structure, researchers could start to design drugs for endocrine disorders that have fewer side effects.

Consomatin is more specific than top-of-the-line synthetic drugs—and it also lasts far longer in the body than the human hormone, thanks to the inclusion of an unusual amino acid that makes it difficult to break down. This is a useful feature for pharmaceutical researchers looking for ways to make drugs that will have long-lasting benefits.

 Disruption of Glucose Homeostasis in Prey: Combinatorial Use of Weaponized Mimetics of Somatostatin and Insulin by a Fish-Hunting Cone Snail, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50470-2. www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-50470-2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 21, 2024 at 8:09am

Blood platelet score detects previously unmeasured risk of heart attack and stroke

Platelets are circulating cell fragments known to clump up and form blood clots that stop bleeding in injured vessels. Researchers and cardiologists have long known that platelets can become "hyperreactive" to cause abnormal clotting that blocks arteries and contributes to heart attack, stroke, and poor blood flow (peripheral artery disease) in the legs.

Despite this major contribution to cardiovascular risk, routine measurement of whether each patient's platelets clump (aggregate) too much has been infeasible to date. This is because results delivered by the method typically used to determine platelet activity, called platelet aggregometry, vary too much from lab to lab.

To address this challenge, a new study  by researchers has precisely identified a group of patients with platelet hyperreactivity, and then surveyed them to reveal 451 genes, the activity of which differed significantly in those with hyperreactive platelets versus those without. Publishing in Nature Communications, the research team then used bioinformatics to assign a weight to each genetic difference and generate each patient's Platelet Reactivity ExpresSion Score (PRESS).

The researchers found that their new score can detect platelet hyperreactivity, both in patients at imminent risk of heart attack, and in healthy patients whose future risk may otherwise remain unknown.

Physicians currently prescribe aspirin, a medication that counters platelet activity, to patients based on available risk factors, including high cholesterol or high blood pressure, which are not directly related to platelet function.

PRESS promises to help physicians confine anti-platelet treatment to the people most likely to benefit: those with platelet hyperreactivity.

By acting on platelets, aspirin is known to protect against abnormal clotting, but in doing so, increases risk of bleeding, said the study authors. The field needs a reliable way to identify patients for whom protection against heart attack outweighs bleeding risk. This work helps with that.

A Platelet Reactivity ExpreSsion Score Predicts 1 Cardiovascular Risk, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50994-7

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 20, 2024 at 12:05pm

Why laws are written in an incomprehensible style

Legal documents are notoriously difficult to understand, even for lawyers. This raises the question: Why are these documents written in a style that makes them so impenetrable?

MIT cognitive scientists think they have uncovered the answer to that question. Just as "magic spells" use special rhymes and archaic terms to signal their power, the convoluted language of legalese acts to convey a sense of authority, they conclude.

In a study appearing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers found that even non-lawyers use this type of language when asked to write laws.

People seem to understand that there's an implicit rule that this is how laws should sound, and they write them that way.

The analysis revealed that legal documents frequently have long definitions inserted in the middle of sentences—a feature known as "center-embedding." Linguists have previously found that this kind of structure can make text much more difficult to understand.

Legalese somehow has developed this tendency to put structures inside other structures, in a way which is not typical of human languages.

 Lawyers don't like it, laypeople don't like it, so the point of this current paper was to try and figure out why they write documents this way.

The researchers had a couple of hypotheses for why legalese is so prevalent. One was the "copy and edit hypothesis," which suggests that legal documents begin with a simple premise, and then additional information and definitions are inserted into already existing sentences, creating complex center-embedded clauses.

Researchers  thought it was plausible that what happens is you start with an initial draft that's simple, and then later you think of all these other conditions that you want to include. And the idea is that once you've started, it's much easier to center-embed that into the existing provision.

Martínez, Eric, Even laypeople use legalese, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2405564121. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2405564121

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 20, 2024 at 11:59am

In addition to these epidemiological findings, the study also explored the genetic links between constipation and cardiovascular disease.

Positive genetic correlations were identified between constipation and various forms of MACE, indicating that shared genetic factors may underlie both conditions. This discovery opens new avenues for research into the underlying mechanisms that connect gut health and heart health.

 Tenghao Zheng et al, Constipation is associated with an increased risk of major adverse cardiac events in a UK population, American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology (2024). DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00519.2024

Part 2 

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on August 20, 2024 at 11:58am

Study finds constipation is a significant risk factor for major cardiac events

An international study led by Monash University researchers has found a surprising connection between constipation and an increased risk of major adverse cardiac events (MACE), including heart attacks, strokes and heart failure.

The study, led by Professor Francine Marques from the School of Biological Sciences and published in the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology analyzed data from over 400,000 participants in the UK Biobank.

The study suggests that constipation, a common yet often overlooked health issue, may be a significant contributor to cardiovascular disease .

 Traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity and smoking have long been recognized as key drivers of heart disease.

However, these factors alone do not fully explain the occurrence of major cardiac events. This study explored the potential role of constipation as an additional risk factor, revealing concerning results.

The research team analyzed data from 408,354 individuals, identifying 23,814 cases of constipation.

The findings showed that individuals suffering from constipation were more than twice as likely to suffer from a major cardiac event as those without constipation.

Moreover, the study highlighted a particularly concerning link between constipation and hypertension.

Hypertensive individuals who also suffered from constipation were found to have a 34% increased risk of subsequent cardiac events compared to those with hypertension alone.

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