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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on April 3, 2024 at 11:28am

Aquagenic Urticaria - commonly known as "water allergy".

Aquagenic urticaria, which has only ever been reported approximately 100 times, causes hives to form when a person's skin comes into contact with water, such as in the shower and pool - and sometimes even from a person's own sweat. 

The first documented mention of water allergy dates to the late 20th century, with case reports detailing the perplexing experiences of people afflicted by water-induced hives.

Since then, sporadic cases have dotted medical literature, contributing to our evolving understanding of this ailment. Recent trends suggest a gradual increase in cases, driven by heightened awareness among healthcare professionals and improved diagnostic capabilities.

This rare affliction transforms the seemingly innocuous act of water contact into a tormenting ordeal, afflicting people such as 22-year-old Loren Montefusco from South Carolina, US.

At its core, water allergy is believed to arise from an abnormal immune response triggered by water's interaction with the skin. Think of your immune system as a vigilant guardian, always on alert for invaders. In aquagenic urticaria, water somehow triggers an alarm response. This leads to the release of substances like histamine – causing hives, welts and itching.

Researchers have pinpointed mutations in specific genes associated with water allergy, such as the FABP5 gene, crucial for skin barrier function. Mutations in this gene disrupt the skin's ability to repel water, activating an inflammatory response.

Variations in genes involved in immune regulation and skin integrity also contribute to susceptibility. However, environmental factors such as hormonal changes or chemical exposure can influence its severity.

Understanding the genetic basis offers insights into how the disease occurs and potential therapies. By identifying specific genetic markers, personalised treatment approaches targeting underlying mechanisms can be developed.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on April 3, 2024 at 9:57am

Hair from tiger thought to be extinct found by conservationist on Java

This is good news for Tiger lovers

 

A team of environmentalists and zoologists affiliated with several institutions in Indonesia has confirmed that a tiger species once thought extinct is still living on the island of Java. In their study, published in the journal Oryx, the group conducted a DNA analysis of a hair found by a conservationist on a plantation on the island. Prior research has shown that the Java tiger once flourished on the island. The tiger is a subspecies of the more well-known Sumatran tiger. But as humans encroached on their territory, leaving little land for the tigers, their numbers began dwindling. After farmers began shooting them for killing livestock, they disappeared completely. In 2008, the species was declared extinct. In this new effort, the research team has found evidence that the declaration may have been premature. Over the past several decades, there have been reports by nonscientists of tigers still living on the island; some even suggested that livestock had been killed by one or more of them. But the sightings were unconfirmed. Then, five years ago, a conservationist working on the island saw what he believed to be a Java tiger on a western part of the island near a plantation. He reported this to a researcher on the island who visited the site and found footprints and claw marks on shrubbery and also a single hair stuck to a fence. A later in-depth interview with the conservationist led the researchers to believe the hair was indeed from a Java tiger. They tested it genetically and compared the results with samples from a museum specimen of a Javan tiger collected in 1930, which showed them to be closely matched. Based on the genetic evidence, the researchers concluded that the hair had come from a Java tiger. The finding shows that the tiger did not go extinct when thought and members of its species had been living on the island, but whether Javan tigers are still there needs to be confirmed with further genetic and field studies.

Wirdateti Wirdateti et al, Is the Javan tiger Panthera tigris sondaica extant? DNA analysis of a recent hair sample, Oryx (2024). DOI: 10.1017/S0030605323001400

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on April 3, 2024 at 9:52am

How The Internet Travels Across Oceans

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on April 3, 2024 at 9:47am

A new window coating blocks heat, not view

Windows welcome light into interior spaces, but they also bring in unwanted heat. A new window coating blocks heat-generating ultraviolet and infrared light and lets through visible light, regardless of the sun's angle. The coating can be incorporated onto existing windows or automobiles and can reduce air-conditioning cooling costs by more than one-third in hot climates.

The coating maintains functionality and efficiency whatever the sun's position in the sky.

Seongmin Kim et al, Wide-angle spectral filter for energy-saving windows designed by quantum annealing-enhanced active learning, Cell Reports Physical Science (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.101847

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on April 3, 2024 at 9:43am

Semi-transparent camera allows for eye tracking without obstructing the view

A team of engineers has developed a nearly transparent camera that can be used for eye tracking without obstructing the view. The team has published a paper describing their camera and its performance as an eye tracker on the arXiv preprint server.

Using technology to track eye movement is beneficial in applications such as virtual reality helmets, automotive assistance devices and even advertising tracking. But the technology has remained stagnant due to one major problem—devices in front of the eyes obstruct the user's view. In this new effort, the researchers in Spain have overcome this problem by developing a camera that is nearly invisible.
To create their camera, the research team built a photodetector by adding small dots of lead sulfide to sheets of graphene. When struck by a photon, the dots emit electrons that flow across the layer of carbon atoms, producing a current. And because the materials used to create the photodetector are so small, they are nearly invisible to the naked eye—in tests, it was capable of allowing 95% of light to pass through it.

Further testing involved projecting greyscale patterns onto the photodetector and comparing the output with a standard image sensor. The researchers say the results are promising. They also noted that it had a refresh rate of 400Hz, approximately twice that needed for producing reliable imagery. They then simulated eye tracking by projecting a small dark dot onto the photodetector and used the output to track the action as it occurred.

In practice, the camera could potentially be applied to standard eyeglasses, or better yet, contact lenses. The researchers note, however, that more work is required before their camera could be used for such applications. The photodetector does not have a lens, for example, which means it only works with projected images—and there is the matter of processing imagery and adding a power source for the processor.

Gabriel Mercier et al, Semi-Transparent Image Sensors for Eye-Tracking Applications, arXiv (2024). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2403.08297

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on April 2, 2024 at 10:07am

Hypervitaminosis A refers to the toxic effects of ingesting too much preformed vitamin A

Diet – Liver is high in vitamin A. The liver of certain animals, including the polar bear, bearded seal, fish and walrus, are particularly toxic (see Liver (food) § Poisoning). It has been estimated that consumption of 500 grams (18 oz) of polar bear liver would result in a toxic dose for a human.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on April 2, 2024 at 9:47am

Cancer Killers
Scientists have discovered a gene that might turn white blood cells into cancer cell eating machines. When researchers activated a gene called RAC in human macrophages (white blood cells that naturally engulf harmful substances) in the laboratory, the macrophages turned ravenous for human cancer cells.

Why this matters: A new cancer treatment in early-stage human trials reprograms macrophages to go after cancer calls, but the lead researchers were noticing the macrophages only “nibbling” away at the cancer cells. Activating the RAC gene in the macrophages might supercharge the cells’ “cannibalism” on cancer cells. Researchers hope this kind of therapy, called CAR-M, will be able to target solid tumors, such as breast or lung cancers.

macrophages turned ravenous for human cancer cells.

What the experts say: “This is certainly a really exciting translation between an observation of basic biology and applying it to how you could engineer a mammalian immune cell,” says Nathan Singh, an oncologist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on April 2, 2024 at 9:46am

Strange Metals
Scientists have discovered a new class of materials called “strange metals,” which are characterized by confusing electronic behavior. The class includes a dozen or more materials, such as some copper oxide or iron-based superconductors and twisted bilayer graphene under certain conditions.

How it works: Regular metals are held together by chemical bonds between their atoms. The atoms share negatively charged electrons, and in some cases, the outermost electrons move from one atom to the next, carrying their negative charge with them. But in strange metals, electrons seem to lose their individual identities, acting more like a soup in which all the particles are connected through quantum entanglement.

What the experts say: "Understanding these metals may help us develop superconductors that might operate at or close to room temperature, potentially transforming power grids, quantum computing and medical devices,” writes Douglas Natelson, professor of physics at Rice University.

confusing electronic behavior.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on April 2, 2024 at 9:13am

Albedo is highest in the frozen areas of the world, and mirror-like clean snow and ice with high levels of albedo reflect up to 90 percent of the sun's energy.

It is one of Earth's major cooling agents, along with lands and oceans that absorb excess heat and planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.

Many countries have promised to plant billions of trees as a bulwark against global warming but not all efforts deliver for the planet equally, this study showed.

Moist, tropical environments like the Amazon and Congo Basin boasted high carbon storage and low changes in albedo, making them ideal locations for restoring forest cover.

The opposite was true in temperate grasslands and savanna.

Even projects in the best locations were probably delivering 20 percent less cooling than estimated when changes to 'albedo' were taken into account.

Restoring forests delivered undeniable benefits for people and the planet, such as supporting ecosystems and providing clean air and water, among many.

(But) we can't put trees everywhere. We don't have enough money or time or resources or people or seedlings.

And so it's really about making the most of limited investments and getting the greatest climate return per hectare of investment, according to researchers.

  Natalia Hasler et al, Accounting for albedo change to identify climate-positive tree cover restoration, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46577-1

Part 2

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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on April 2, 2024 at 9:10am

Planting trees in wrong places heats the planet: Study

Planting trees in the wrong places can actually contribute to global warming, scientists said recently, but a new map identifies the best locations to regrow forests and cool the planet.

Trees soak up carbon dioxide and restoring areas of degraded woodlands or planting saplings to boost forest cover is one tool in the fight against climate change.

But in some cases, more trees means less sunlight is reflected back from the earth's surface and more heat is absorbed by the planet, according to a study in the journal Nature Communications.

There are some places where putting trees back leads to net climate negative outcomes. Scientists had already understood that restoring tree cover led to changes in albedo—the amount of solar radiation bounced back off the planet's surface—but didn't have the tools to account for it.

Using new maps, researchers were able to consider, for the first time, the cooling effect from trees and the warming caused by decreased albedo.

They found that projects that didn't factor albedo into the equation overestimated the climate benefit of additional trees by between 20 to 80 percent.

But the maps also provide the tools to help policymakers identify where best to funnel scarce resources for maximum climate impact.

There's also lots of places still where restoring tree cover is a great idea for climate change  Scientists are  just trying to help people find those spots.

Part 1

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