Astronomers spot merging galaxies from 12.8 billion years ago

Astronomers have spotted a pair of galaxies in the act of merging 12.8 billion years ago. The characteristics of these galaxies indicate that the merger will form a monster galaxy, one of the brightest types of objects in the universe.

These results, which have been detailed in The Astrophysical Journal, are important for understanding the early evolution of galaxies and black holes in the early universe.

Quasars are bright objects powered by matter falling into a supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy in the early universe. The most accepted theory is that when two gas-rich galaxies merge to form a single larger galaxy, the gravitational interaction of the two galaxies causes gas to fall towards the supermassive black hole in one or both of the galaxies, causing quasar activity.

To test this theory, an international team of researchers led by Takuma Izumi used the ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array) radio telescope to study the earliest known pair of close quasars.
This pair was discovered by Yoshiki Matsuoka, at Ehime University in Japan, in images taken by the Subaru Telescope. Located in the direction of the constellation Virgo, this pair of quasars existed during the first 900 million years of the universe.

The pair is dim, indicating that the quasars are still in the early stages of their evolution. The ALMA observations mapped the host galaxies of the quasars and showed that the galaxies are linked by a "bridge" of gas and dust. This indicates that the two galaxies are in fact merging.

The ALMA observations also allowed the team to measure the amount of gas, the material for new star formation. The team found that the two galaxies are very rich in gas, suggesting that in addition to more vigorous quasar activity in the future, the merger will also trigger a rapid increase in star formation, known as a "starburst."

The combination of starburst activity and vigorous quasar activity is expected to create a super-bright object in the early universe known as a monster galaxy.

Home stress testing

Modern day life style increases stress. Ignoring these high stress levels can lead to serious health issues like depression and Alzheimer's disease. So what if checking your stress levels at home became the norm? Thanks to nanoparticles, this possibility is drawing closer.

In a new study published in the journal Talanta, a team of researchers have produced a new and improved detector that can accurately measure levels of cortisol—a stress biomarker in the blood.

This is a  cost-effective, easily reproducible, and easy-to-use point-of-care testing device that accurately measures cortisol levels.

The devices currently available generally contain electrodes that have poor stability in different and fluctuating conditions, such as changing pH and temperature. This gives the devices a short shelf life and makes them difficult to produce commercially.

In this study, researchers used iridium oxide nanoparticles to cover the silver layer. This modification improves the stability, sensitivity and reproducibility of cortisol detection in point-of-care devices.

Tong Ji et al, Iridium oxide-modified reference screen-printed electrodes for point-of-care portable electrochemical cortisol detection, Talanta (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2024.126776

Home stress testing

Modern day life style increases stress. Ignoring these high stress levels can lead to serious health issues like depression and Alzheimer's disease. So what if checking your stress levels at home became the norm? Thanks to nanoparticles, this possibility is drawing closer.

In a new study published in the journal Talanta, a team of researchers have produced a new and improved detector that can accurately measure levels of cortisol—a stress biomarker in the blood.

This is a  cost-effective, easily reproducible, and easy-to-use point-of-care testing device that accurately measures cortisol levels.

The devices currently available generally contain electrodes that have poor stability in different and fluctuating conditions, such as changing pH and temperature. This gives the devices a short shelf life and makes them difficult to produce commercially.

In this study, researchers used iridium oxide nanoparticles to cover the silver layer. This modification improves the stability, sensitivity and reproducibility of cortisol detection in point-of-care devices.

Tong Ji et al, Iridium oxide-modified reference screen-printed electrodes for point-of-care portable electrochemical cortisol detection, Talanta (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2024.126776

A warming climate can make running deadly

A normal routine of runners can suddenly become deadly because of excess heat.

The body temperatures can cross 105 - sometimes can get as high as 107 degrees (41.6 Celsius).

Heat stroke is a deadly illness associated with extreme heat, and climate change is worsening the risk. 

Exertional heatstroke happens during exercise when the body can't properly cool, rising above 104 degrees (40 Celsius) and triggering a central nervous system problem such as fainting or blacking out. It can be effectively treated by rapidly cooling a victim, but lots of races lack the resources or expertise to do it. And many runners, in a culture that esteems grit and suffering, may ignore conditions that put them at risk.

Muscles can break down, releasing proteins that damage kidneys. The lining of the digestive system may weaken and leak bacteria. Brain cells may die. It can damage organs and, ultimately, kill.

Races are   magnets for heatstroke. At several miles, they are long enough to give the body time to heat up dangerously and short enough that many runners are pushing hard. Odds are good that some who haven't trained to acclimate to hot weather, or show up dehydrated,  become simply more vulnerable.

And  problem is lots of races don't have the equipment or expertise to offer the right lifesaving care.

Getting victims into a tub of ice water is the best way to quickly cool them. And it needs to happen fast, with quick diagnoses to treat runners on the spot. Medical staff need rectal thermometers to gauge temperature when skin can be deceptively cool.

But based on over 3,000 cases researchers have tracked, if someone's temp gets under 104 within 30 minutes of the presentation of heatstroke, no one has ever died.

Racing may slightly increase the chances a runner will suffer a rare event like heatstroke or cardiac arrest.
Runners and athletes are at reduced risk of having not only cardiac arrest, but all forms of heart disease compared to non-runners.
Taking care will reduce these chances of falling into dangerous situations.

Part 2

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I wrote in my article "Intelligence Redefined" that apart from intelligence, other things like  ....  are equally  important for a person's academic success.

Now science has provided evidence for my argument.

 Non-cognitive skills: DNA-based analyses suggest a hidden key to academic success

A new Nature Human Behaviour study , has revealed that non-cognitive skills, such as motivation and self-regulation, are as important as intelligence in determining academic success. These skills become increasingly influential throughout a child's education, with genetic factors playing a significant role.

The research, conducted in collaboration with an international team of experts, suggests that fostering non-cognitive skills alongside cognitive abilities could significantly improve educational outcomes.

This new research challenges the long-held assumption that intelligence is the primary driver of academic achievement. The researchers found compelling evidence that non-cognitive skills—such as grit, perseverance, academic interest, and value attributed to learning—are not only significant predictors of success but that their influence grows stronger over time.
The study, which followed over 10,000 children from age 7 to 16 in England and Wales, employed a combination of twin studies and DNA-based analyses to examine the complex interplay between genes, environment, and academic performance.

One of the most striking findings is the increasing role of genetics in shaping non-cognitive skills and their impact on academic achievement. By analyzing DNA, researchers constructed a "polygenic score" for non-cognitive skills, essentially a genetic snapshot of a child's predisposition towards these skills.

They discovered that genetic effects associated with non-cognitive skills become increasingly predictive of academic achievement over the school years. In fact, their effect nearly doubles between the ages of 7 and 16. 

 By the end of compulsory education, genetic dispositions towards non-cognitive skills were equally as important as those related to cognitive abilities in predicting academic success.

Part 1

This finding challenges the traditional view of educational achievement as determined largely by intelligence. Instead, the study suggests that a child's emotional and behavioral makeup, influenced by both genes and environment, plays a crucial role in their educational journey.

While genetics undoubtedly contributes to non-cognitive skills, the study also emphasizes the importance of environment. By comparing siblings, researchers were able to isolate the impact of shared family environment from genetic factors.

The researchers found that while family-wide processes play a significant role, the increasing influence of non-cognitive genetics on academic achievement remained evident even within families. This suggests that children may actively shape their own learning experiences based on their personality, dispositions, and abilities, creating a feedback loop that reinforces their strengths.

The findings of this study have profound implications for education. By recognizing the critical role of non-cognitive skills, schools can develop targeted interventions to support students' emotional and social development alongside their academic learning.

Education system world wide has traditionally focused on cognitive development. It's time to rebalance that focus and give equal importance to nurturing non-cognitive skills. By doing so, we can create a more inclusive and effective learning environment for all students, say the researchers.

Genetic associations between noncognitive skills and academic achievement over development, Nature Human Behaviour (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-01967-9

Part 2

Study finds people are consistently and confidently wrong about those with opposing views

Despite being highly confident that they can understand the minds of people with opposing viewpoints, the assumptions humans make about others are often wrong, according to new research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN).

"Poorer representation of minds underpins less accurate mental state inference for out-groups" was published in Scientific Reports. The research explores the psychology behind why people come to the wrong conclusions about others, and suggests how society could start to change that.

Analysis of the data found that, even though participants were prepared to seek out as much—and often more—information about someone they disagreed with, their predictions were consistently incorrect, even after receiving further information about them.

Participants demonstrated a high degree of confidence in their answers, suggesting that participants thought they had a good understanding of the people in their out-group, despite this not being the case. In comparison, participants could consistently make accurate predictions about those in their in-group with less information.

The study shows that people have a good understanding of people who are similar to themselves and their confidence in their understanding is well-placed. However, our understanding of people with different views to our own is demonstrably poor. The more confident we are that we can understand them, the more likely it is that we are wrong. People have poor awareness of their inability to understand people that differ from themselves.

There are clear consequences to this lack of awareness, and we have seen countless real-world examples.

These misconceptions are often fueled by disinformation on social media or echoed back to them by others within their in-group.

While there is no quick fix in a real-world setting, if everyone interacted with a more diverse group of people, talked directly to them and got to know them, it's likely we would understand each other better. Conversations with people who hold different beliefs could help challenge our incorrect assumptions about each other.

Now do you understand why you think scientists are wrong? Because they see and talk about reality, not about your imaginations.

Bryony Payne et al, Poorer representation of minds underpins less accurate mental state inference for out-groups, Scientific Reports (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-67311-3

How hunger influences aversive learning in fruit flies

Internal states that animals experience while they are thirsty, hungry, sleepy or aggressive have been found to be linked with the combined activity of various neuromodulators and neurotransmitters. These chemical messengers can drastically change the excitability and functional connectivity of neurons, which in turn plays a role in shaping the animals' behaviour.

Past studies on Drosophila (small fruit flies) showed that energy homeostasis in these insects is regulated by various neurohormones/modulators, which impact their physiology and behavior in different ways. These include insulin-like peptides (dILPs) and adipokinetic hormone (AKH), hormones with the same functions as insulin and glucagon in mammals, respectively.

Researchers recently carried out a study investigating how these hunger-associated neurohormones influence the learning of associations between stimuli and unpleasant or negative outcomes (i.e., aversive learning) in fruit flies. Their paper, published in Neuron, shows that the hormone AKH plays a key role in modulating aversive reinforcement learning.  

Hungry animals need compensatory mechanisms to maintain flexible brain function, while modulation reconfigures circuits to prioritize resource seeking.

In Drosophila, hunger inhibits aversively reinforcing dopaminergic neurons (DANs) to permit the expression of food-seeking memories. Multitasking the reinforcement system for motivation potentially undermines aversive learning.

Aversive learning is an evolutionary process through which animals start to associate specific stimuli with unpleasant outcomes, after repeated negative experiences following the exposure to these stimuli. This often results in behaviors aimed at trying to avoid the stimulus and the experiences associated with it.

The researchers found that chronic hunger mildly enhances aversive learning and that satiated-baseline and hunger-enhanced learning require endocrine adipokinetic hormone (AKH) signaling.

The researchers' experiments revealed that AKH, the fly equivalent of glucagon, sets baseline and hunger-enhanced levels of aversive learning, acting through specific neurons that release the neurotransmitter octopamine. This neurotransmitter modulates the inputs sent to dopaminergic neurons involved in reinforcement aversive learning.

The findings of this recent study contribute to the understanding of how hunger affects aversive learning in Drosophila, specifically highlighting the key role of the neurohormone AKH. In the future, it could inspire further research aimed at validating the patterns observed by the researchers across other animal models.

Eleonora Meschi et al, Compensatory enhancement of input maintains aversive dopaminergic reinforcement in hungry Drosophila, Neuron (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.04.035

**

Electricity generated by earthquakes might be the secret behind giant gold nuggets

Scientists have long been fascinated by the formation of gold nuggets, often found nestled within quartz veins. New research led by Monash University geologists suggests that the process might be even more electrifying than we previously thought—literally.

Gold nuggets, prized for their rarity and beauty, have been at the heart of gold rushes for centuries.

The standard explanation by Geologists till now is that gold precipitates from hot, water-rich fluids as they flow through cracks in the Earth's crust. As these fluids cool or undergo chemical changes, gold separates out and becomes trapped in quartz veins.

While this theory is widely accepted, it doesn't fully explain the formation of large gold nuggets, especially considering that the concentration of gold in these fluids is extremely low.

The present research team tested a new concept, piezoelectricity. Quartz, the mineral that typically hosts these gold deposits, has a unique property called piezoelectricity—it generates an electric charge when subjected to stress. This phenomenon is already familiar to us in everyday items like quartz watches and BBQ lighters, where a small mechanical force creates a significant voltage. What if the stress from earthquakes could do something similar within the Earth?

To test this hypothesis, researchers conducted an experiment designed to replicate the conditions quartz might experience during an earthquake. They submerged quartz crystals in a gold-rich fluid and applied stress using a motor to simulate the shaking of an earthquake. After the experiment, the quartz samples were examined under a microscope to see if any gold had been deposited.

And the results were stunning!

The stressed quartz not only electrochemically deposited gold onto its surface, but it also formed and accumulated gold nanoparticles. Remarkably, the gold had a tendency to deposit on existing gold grains rather than forming new ones.

This is because, while quartz is an electrical insulator, gold is a conductor.

Once some gold is deposited, it becomes a focal point for further growth, effectively "plating" the gold grains with more gold.

This discovery provides a plausible explanation for the formation of large gold nuggets in quartz veins.

As the quartz is repeatedly stressed by earthquakes, it generates piezoelectric voltages that can reduce dissolved gold from the surrounding fluid, causing it to deposit.

Over time, this process could lead to the formation of significant gold accumulations, ultimately producing the massive nuggets that have captivated treasure hunters and geologists alike.

Part 1

In essence, the quartz acts like a natural battery, with gold as the electrode, slowly accumulating more gold with each seismic event.

This process could explain why large gold nuggets are so often associated with quartz veins formed in earthquake-related deposits.

This new understanding of gold nugget formation not only sheds light on a longstanding geological mystery but also highlights the interrelationship between Earth's physical and chemical processes.

Nature Geoscience (2024). www.nature.com/articles/s41561-024-01514-1

Part 2

85% of the matter in the universe is missing: But scientists are getting closer to finding it

Most of the matter in the universe is missing. Scientists  think around 85% of the matter in the cosmos is made of invisible dark matter, which has only been detected indirectly by its gravitational effects on its surroundings.

A team of some 250 scientists from around the world working on a dark matter experiment called LUX-ZEPLIN (or LZ)—report our latest findings from the long quest to discover exactly what this dark matter is made of.

 They have not yet found the elusive particles we believe dark matter consists of, but they have set the tightest limits yet on their properties. They have also shown our detector is working as expected—and should produce even better results in the future.

When astronomers look at the universe, they see evidence that the visible matter of stars, gas and galaxies is not all there is. Many phenomena, such as how fast galaxies spin and the pattern of the residual glow of the Big Bang, can only be explained by the presence of large amounts of some invisible substance—dark matter.

So what is this dark matter made of? We currently don't know of any kind of particle that could explain these astronomical observations.

The LZ experiment is located in an old goldmine about 1,500 meters below ground in South Dakota in the US. Placing the experiment deep underground helps to cut out as much background radiation as possible.

The experiment consists of a large double-walled tank filled with seven tons of liquid xenon, a noble gas chilled down to a temperature of 175 kelvin (–98°C).

If a dark matter particle smacks into a xenon nucleus, it should give off a tiny flash of light. Our detector has 494 light sensors to detect these flashes.
Of course, dark matter particles aren't the only things that can create these flashes. There is still some background radiation from the surroundings and even the materials of the tank and detectors themselves.

A big part of figuring out whether we are seeing signs of dark matter is disentangling this background radiation from anything more exotic. To do this, we make detailed simulations of the results we would expect to see with and without dark matter.

These simulations have been the focus of much of my part in the experiment, which began when I started my Ph.D. in 2015. I also developed detector monitoring sensors and was responsible for the integration and commissioning of the central detector underground, which began collecting data in 2021.
Part 2

Our latest results show no signs of dark matter. However, they let us rule out a lot of possibilities.

We found no traces of particles with masses above 1.6 × 10–26 kilograms, which is about 10-times as heavy as a proton.

These results are based on 280 days' worth of observations from the detector. Eventually, we aim to collect 1,000 days' worth—which will let us search for even more elusive potential dark matter particles.

If we're lucky, we might find dark matter turns up in the new data. If not, we have already begun to make plans for a next generation dark matter experiment. The XLZD (XENON-LUX-ZEPLIN-DARWIN) consortium is aiming to build a detector almost 10-times bigger that would allow us to trawl through even more of the space where these ubiquitous yet elusive particles may be hiding.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Part 3

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Curbing toxic metals in spinach and rice crops grown for baby food

Rice and spinach are staples for babies' and young children's diets, but toxic metals and metalloids found in those foods can cause severe health impacts.

In particular, heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, mercury, and metalloid arsenic could delay brain development in babies and young children.

In new research published in the academic journal Environmental Geochemistry and Health,  scientists have found that flooded rice fields tend to contain higher amounts of arsenic and lower amounts of cadmium. The drier those rice fields are, the lower the amounts of arsenic and the higher the amounts of cadmium. However, the higher cadmium is lower than the existing threshold for adverse health effects.

The findings could help establish a course of action for decreasing the levels of these contaminants in foods typically eaten by infants and children.

Crops such as corn, soybeans and wheat are grown in soils that are not very wet. So farmers water them to make sure the plants get the nutrients they need to grow, but never enough to fully flood them.

In contrast, rice is often grown in very wet, flooded soils. Oxygen that would normally reside in tiny pores in the soil gets lost very quickly and is replaced by water. The limited oxygen shifts the microorganisms in the soil, and those microorganisms start breathing with iron oxide minerals that give the soil a rusty orange color.

Arsenic likes to stick really tightly onto those iron oxides.

When the iron oxides are used by these organisms to breathe, they go from a solid mineral to a solution phase. You essentially dissolve them, and when you dissolve them, the arsenic that's stuck onto them goes into the water.  Once the arsenic is in the water, it can easily be absorbed by the rice roots and transported into the grain.

Scientists are trying to find an optimal irrigation management that minimized both arsenic and cadmium simultaneously.

Once they harvested the grain  scientists analyzed the amount of arsenic and cadmium in it and they  found that the more flooded the field, the more arsenic and less cadmium accumulated in the rice. By contrast, the drier the field, the more cadmium and less arsenic accumulated.

But, even under those drier conditions when there was more cadmium, the concentrations of cadmium in the grain were not of concern for human health.

Part 1

When the rice fields were flooded, and arsenic was taken up, the researchers noticed methanogenesis happening, which is when organisms in the soil produce the potent greenhouse gas methane and emit it into the atmosphere. Meanwhile, the excess water reduced sulfate in the soil to sulfide, causing cadmium to precipitate out with the sulfide.

When they dried the soil out, the researchers decreased the levels of arsenic and methane. Sulfide in the soil was oxidized and became sulfate, which is no longer a solid phase, allowing cadmium to easily filter through and escape into the plant easily.

By drying out the soil, you can put the brakes on the microorganisms that breathe with iron oxides and with arsenic.

Then we actually increase the amount of cadmium because we oxidize the sulfide to sulfate. When it becomes sulfate, it's no longer a solid phase with the cadmium, and the cadmium can then be free.

Drying the soil out introduced oxygen into the soil pores, which slowed down the microorganisms that dissolve iron oxides and create methane and changed the chemistry.

Once you introduce oxygen, the iron oxides that dissolved are solid again.

What they found—one metal or metalloid increasing with the other decreasing depending on the level of moisture in the soil—presents a bit of a puzzle.

 researchers have also reported, in a review paper they published in the journal GeoHealth, that producers are willing to take any action needed to reduce levels of metals in their crops, but they need incentives, testing and education in order to do so.

Matt A. Limmer et al, Controlling exposure to As and Cd from rice via irrigation management, Environmental Geochemistry and Health (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s10653-024-02116-x

Angelia L. Seyfferth et al, Mitigating Toxic Metal Exposure Through Leafy Greens: A Comprehensive Review Contrasting Cadmium and Lead in Spinach, GeoHealth (2024). DOI: 10.1029/2024GH001081

Part 2

**

Researchers built an AI scientist
Machine-learning researchers have developed an ‘AI scientist’ that can perform the full cycle of research, from reading the existing literature on a problem and formulating hypotheses, to trying out solutions, writing a paper, and evaluating its own results. The output is not earth-shattering: the system can only do research in the field of machine learning, and it can’t do laboratory work. But the results feed into a debate amongst researchers about how AI fits into their work, says computational social scientist Jevin West. “It does force us to think [about] what is science in the twenty-first century — what it could be, what it is, what it is not.”

https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.06292?utm_source=Live+Audience&utm_c...

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-02842-3?utm_source=Live+...

Hydrogel developed for use in slowing or stopping early stages of osteoarthritis

A team of material engineers and orthopedic specialists affiliated with several institutions in China has developed a hydrogel for slowing or stopping the progression of osteoarthritis. Their research is published in the journal Advanced Materials.

Self-healing hydrogel microparticles: A smart solution for advanced wound care

Chronic diabetic wounds are prevalent in patients and are difficult to heal, presenting a significant medical challenge. The development of multifunctional hydrogel dressings with a well-designed morphology and structure can enhance their flexibility and effectiveness in wound management.

Researchers have developed a self-healing hydrogel dressing based on structural color microspheres for wound management. Their research is published in the journal Nano-Micro Letters.

These microspheres are composed of an inverse opal framework with photothermal responsiveness, constructed from methacrylated hyaluronic acid, methacrylated silk fibroin, and black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs), and further embedded in dynamic hydrogels.

The dynamic hydrogel filler is formed through the Knoevenagel condensation reaction between cyanoacetate and benzaldehyde-functionalized dextran (DEX-CA and DEX-BA). Notably, the composite microspheres can be freely applied and, by utilizing the BPQD-mediated photothermal effect and the thermoreversible stiffness change of the dynamic hydrogel, can adhere to each other under near-infrared irradiation.

In addition, the microspheres are co-loaded with melittin and vascular endothelial growth factor, with a release behavior that can be regulated through the same mechanism. Additionally, the drug release process can be effectively monitored through visual color changes. This microsphere system demonstrates ideal capabilities in controlled drug release and efficient wound management.

Researchers also  evaluated the in vivo wound healing efficacy of composite microspheres (CMPs) in a full-thickness chronic diabetic wound infection model.

Statistical analysis of wound closure areas and regenerated epithelial thickness revealed that the group treated with the dual-drug-loaded CMPs combined with near-infrared (NIR) irradiation exhibited superior wound healing outcomes, significantly outperforming other groups. These results suggest that the synergistic effects of NIR-controlled irradiation and the intelligent responsiveness of CMPs play a crucial role in enhancing wound healing.

 Li Wang et al, Self-Healing Dynamic Hydrogel Microparticles with Structural Color for Wound Management, Nano-Micro Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s40820-024-01422-4

Why do typhoons like to cluster? Researchers identify key weather patterns

This August, Japan and South Korea, particularly Japan, have experienced a dramatic surge in typhoon activity. From August 8 to August 13, within just six days, Typhoons Maria, Son-Tinh, Ampil, and Wukong consecutively formed over the waters east of Japan. Among them, Tropical Storm Maria caused record-breaking rainfall in parts of northern Japan, while just a few days later, Typhoon Ampil arrived during Japan's Obon holiday week, causing significant damage in Japan.

This sequence of storms is a striking example of a phenomenon called multiple tropical cyclone (MTC) formation, where several typhoons either occur at the same time or follow one another in quick succession. The region typically sees about five of these clustering events each year, and their combined impact can significantly increase disaster risks and cause extensive damage.

So, why do typhoons seem to group together?

A recent study  by researchers sheds light on this puzzling question. Their research, published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, explores the key weather patterns that contribute to this clustering of tropical cyclones.

Part 1

The researchers have identified several important weather patterns that make it more likely for typhoons to cluster:

Monsoon Trough: This pattern forms when the subtropical high pressure system interacts with the monsoon trough,. Typhoons often develop along the monsoon trough and its surrounding areas.
Confluence Zone: This occurs where different wind currents meet. Here, the southwesterly and southeasterly winds come together. Typhoons can form at this meeting point, influenced by surrounding high-pressure systems.
Easterly Waves: These are large, slow-moving waves of wind that travel from east to west. Typhoons often form along these easterly waves.
Monsoon Gyre: This pattern involves a large, spinning system of winds called a monsoon vortex. Typhoons can form within this spinning system" .

The study also looks into how these patterns create the right conditions for  typhoons to develop. For instance, the Monsoon Trough pattern is driven by certain wind and moisture conditions, while the other patterns rely on different atmospheric factors.

This study provides a theoretical basis for improving the predictability and early warning systems for these complex events.

 Yining Gu et al, Environmental Conditions Conducive to the Formation of Multiple Tropical Cyclones over the Western North Pacific, Advances in Atmospheric Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s00376-024-3237-4

Part 2

India launches flood warning systems at Himalayan glacial lakes

India is setting up high-tech warning systems at nearly 200 Himalayan glacial lakes at risk of bursting their banks, a deadly threat exacerbated by climate change, disaster officials said this week. 

India's Himalayas contain at least 7,500 glacial lakes, many of which pose risks of dangerous flash floods.

Teams from India's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) are targeting 190 high-altitude lakes deemed to be the most dangerous in a mission slated to take three years.

A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) is the sudden release of water that has collected in former glacier beds. These lakes are formed by the retreat of glaciers, a naturally occurring phenomenon turbocharged by the warmer temperatures of human-caused climate change. One expedition is currently working to install early warning systems around six high-risk lakes in the northeastern state of Sikkim.

The project will also include "lowering lake levels" of accumulated water and ice slush in lakes. Teams include experts from the army and multiple government agencies, including the Indian Space Research Organization, geologists, hydrologists, computing engineers and weather specialists. India's air force is also expected to join the mission later, flying heavy equipment into remote sites.

Part 1

The mission will cover the Himalayan regions in India, from Kashmir and Ladakh in the north to Arunachal Pradesh in the northeast, many in areas bordering China.

Climate change is driving the disappearance of glaciers, with half the Earth's 215,000 glaciers projected to melt by the end of the century, even if warming can be capped at 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

The volume of glacial lakes has jumped by 50 percent in 30 years, according to a 2020 study based on satellite data.

A study, published in Nature Communications, found that 15 million people live within 50 kilometers (31 miles) of a glacial lake and within one kilometer of potential flooding from a breach.

The risk was greatest in the "High Mountains Asia" region across 12 countries, including India, Pakistan, China and Nepal.

That is partly because more people live closer to glacial lakes in the region than in other parts of the world, making warning times even shorter.

Last month a glacial lake outburst in neighboring Nepal's Everest region sent a devastating flood of frigid water through the village of Thame, sweeping away buildings.
Source: News agencies

Colorful, melodious birds at risk from poor urban planning

 Recent research reveals how urban areas  are losing bird species with characteristics that people find most "aesthetically pleasing."

The study found 82 different bird species across 42 different landscape types in Brisbane, but the variety of smaller, colorful, "melodious" bird species decreased in areas where there were not enough green spaces and fragmented landscapes. 

The findings are published in the journal Landscape Ecology in a paper titled "Landscape structure influences the spatial distribution of urban bird attractiveness."

These outcomes highlighted the importance of designing urban landscapes in future developments that increased opportunities to find colorful and melodious birds and favor people's connection with nature.

Beauty can be subjective, but several studies have demonstrated that traits such as color, size and shape favor positive feelings and perceptions of species as beneficial. Attractive' traits could even influence human preferences toward conserving species and support education and fundraising.

The results show that some species like the Scarlet Honeyeater (Myzomela sanguinolenta) and the Yellow-faced Honeyeater (Lichenostomus chrysops) were lost in highly urbanized environments.

When the number of species was low, landscapes could support some species that are considered "attractive" based on their traits, such as the (Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus and Willie Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys).

However, the overall attractiveness of a variety of different species could decline, as small-bodied, colorful and melodious species were negatively affected by built infrastructure and fragmentation.

It corresponded with the loss of species with high attractiveness values, such as small-bodied forest-dependent species that tended to be more vulnerable to urbanization (White-throated Gerygone Gerygone olivace and Australian Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis).

Urban planning should consider how to bring back vibrant, colorful birdlife to our cities, enriching our daily lives and reconnecting us with nature in the very places we live and work, say the researchers.

There are relatively easy fixes like creating green corridors and adding diverse vegetation in parks and gardens. These strategies can provide key habitats for many colorful species with a high diversity of calls."

This information could help to track the success of initiatives that seek to achieve wins for both biodiversity and human well-being, and it could lead to greater support for conservation and positive human health outcomes.

Andres F. Suarez-Castro et al, Landscape structure influences the spatial distribution of urban bird attractiveness, Landscape Ecology (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s10980-024-01950-9

Eye movements can create different versions of the same film in our heads

Picture two people sitting in a movie theater, both watching the screen: Are they seeing the same thing? Or is the movie playing out differently in each of their minds? Researchers from the Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) have found that it's the latter, and they've published their findings in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It turns out that viewers experience different versions of the same film in their brains, and these differences can be predicted by their unique eye movements.

Just like our bodies are made up of the same basic parts but vary from person to person, the same is true for our brains and their activity patterns. Neuroscientists use functional magnetic resonance imaging and machine learning to make these brain activity patterns comparable across individuals. For about a decade now, these techniques have allowed researchers to "translate" activation patterns among different brains.

Researchers  used this technology to explore how individual eye movements affect our perception. They examined how well one person's brain activity could predict another's while 19 volunteers watched the same movie—either freely or while passively staring at the center of the screen. Compared to passive viewing, natural eye movements led to much stronger activation in the brain's visual centers. However, these activations were also more individual, making it harder to match one person's brain activity to another's.

Recent research shows that eye movements are as unique as personality traits. Some people focus more on faces, while others are drawn to text or other elements.

These individual viewing habits might create a unique 'world' in each person's mind. Now we know that's true. We could even predict how different the brain activity patterns would be between people by measuring the similarity of their eye movements in a separate experiment conducted days apart.

It's fascinating that while eye movements lead to stronger neural activity, they also make these activity patterns less comparable between individuals. Usually, a stronger signal means clearer data, but here the signal—the brain's representation of the movie—is different for each person, like a director's cut prepared by the individual brain.

The research  team is now exploring how eye movements develop over a person's lifetime and how they affect our understanding of scenes and daily tasks.

It makes you wonder—next time you're in the cinema, you might want to ask the person next to you, 'Which movie did you see?'

Hmmm! Now I know that you are not seeing what I am really doing! 

Petra Borovska et al, Individual gaze shapes diverging neural representations, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2405602121

Inflammation imprints lasting effects on intestinal stem cells 

Scientists  have discovered that inflammation in the gut leaves long-term marks on intestinal stem cells (ISCs) that reduce their ability to heal the intestine, even after inflammation has receded. This is important because it affects ISCs' response to future challenges. The study appears in Cell Stem Cell.

GVHD is an inflammatory reaction in which immune T cells from the bone marrow transplant donor attack the host gut cells, mainly ISCs.

Although many ISCs perish during GVHD, survivors remain. However, it's not known whether they are fully functional or can return to their full functionality after the resolution of GVHD, which has fundamental implications for host resilience and repair.

In the current study, researchers investigated the consequences of inflammation on ISCs in well-defined clinically relevant models of GVHD.

Using cellular and animal models, they found that exposure to inflammation drove ISCs to change their metabolism in ways that resulted in the accumulation of succinate, a product of cellular processes, which in turn reprogramed the epigenome.

The epigenome is a system of chemical marks on the DNA that regulates the genes expressed by the cell. Inflammation-led epigenome reprogramming changed the expression of genes involved in cell reproduction. Overall, reprogrammed ISCs were less capable of regenerating, a first step toward healing the intestine.

They then investigated whether ISCs would be able to recuperate their regenerative ability after inflammation had resolved.

They found that ISCs had not overcome their initial exposure to inflammation. Despite mitigating GVHD inflammation for 28 days, ISCs retained a reduced regenerative capacity that led to poor recovery and increased mortality from challenges, such as non-lethal radiation exposure, in animal models. More research is on the way to design strategies to help ISCs 'forget' their encounter with inflammation and enhance their resilience against immune attacks.

 Dongchang Zhao et al, Inflammation-induced epigenetic imprinting regulates intestinal stem cells, Cell Stem Cell (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2024.08.006

Hot flushes are associated with cardiovascular risk: Study

Severe, lasting hot flushes during menopause are associated with atherosclerosis in the coronary artery, new research from Karolinska Institutet and Linköping University and published in the Journal of the American Heart Association reveals.

Forty percent of the women who participated in the study and who reported severe hot flushes also had atherosclerosis of the coronary artery, a condition that entails a higher risk of myocardial infarction. In the group of women who reported no or only mild discomfort, the corresponding figure was  30%.

These  findings support the hypothesis that there's an association between hot flushes and an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease.

Sigrid Nilsson et al, Menopausal Vasomotor Symptoms and Subclinical Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: A Population‐Based Study, Journal of the American Heart Association (2024). DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.123.033648

Scientists use AI to unlock protein structures of hundreds of viruses for the first time

Scientists are pioneering the use of machine-learning artificial intelligence software to investigate viruses, revealing never-before-seen viral mechanisms which yield immediate fundamental insights and pave the way for vaccine development.

The research uses AI protein structure prediction to examine hundreds of species in the Flaviviridae, a large family of viruses that cause diseases such as Dengue, Zika and Hepatitis C. 

The work demonstrates a 'super-charging' of the scientific investigation into the evolution of viral proteins, uncovering the critically important entry mechanisms which explain how viruses get into the body and replicate in cells. This research not only provides various key biological insights, but also marks one of the first systematic applications of protein structure prediction in virology, creating a resource for other investigators, and establishing a new paradigm for structure-informed exploration of virus evolution.

The AI technology, AlphaFold and ESMFold (developed by Google Deep Mind and Meta), was used to discover and classify the entry proteins of all the viruses tested—something which would be impossible to do with traditional methods.

The research authors think the study to be an important step forward for future pandemic preparedness and current viral threats such as Mpox, for which scientists currently know very little about the entry proteins.

The researchers now want to use this technology to scale up their research to thousands of viruses. By doing this we can build foundational knowledge to inform our responses to existing and new viral diseases.

Mapping glycoprotein structure reveals Flaviviridae evolutionary history, Nature (2024). www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07899-8

No link between cellphone use, brain cancer, major report finds

A new international review finds no link between cellphone use and brain cancer.

Commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO), the review included 11 experts from 10 countries who sifted through decades of research—5,000 studies published between 1994 and 2022 to be exact. The final analysis was published in the journal Environmental International.

The researchers  were trying to determine whether greater exposure to radio frequencies commonly used by wireless electronics, including cellphones, might up the chances of a brain cancer diagnosis.

 In the 63 studies they honed in on, the risk of brain cancer did not increase, even with prolonged cellphone use (defined as 10 years or more), among those who spent a lot of time on their cellphones, or for people who made a lot of calls. They also saw no increased risks of leukemia or brain cancer in children exposed to radio or TV transmitters or cellphone towers.

The problem with some of the early research that showed a relation was that it relied on case-control studies that compared the responses of people with brain cancer against those without the disease—which can be "somewhat biased."

Not only that, but newer generation cellphone networks, including 3G and 4G networks, actually produce "substantially lower" radio frequency emissions than older networks.

There are no major studies yet of 5G networks, but there are studies of radar, which has similar high frequencies; these do not show an increased risk.

They also noted that having more cellphone towers actually reduces the amount of radiation emitted from cellphones, because they don't have to work as hard to get a signal.

Worries about the health effects of new technology are common and tend to increase when a new technology is adopted widely or adopted quickly. 

This study tries to calm these shaken nerves.

The National Cancer Institute has more on cellphones and cancer risk.

Ken Karipidis et al, The effect of exposure to radiofrequency fields on cancer risk in the general and working population: A systematic review of human observational studies – Part I: Most researched outcomes, Environment International (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108983

New research has potential to speed up forensic analysis in sexual assault cases

Most women around the world don't report sexual assaults. One of the main reasons is  that they don't have confidence in the justice system—and that lack of confidence was partly because of how long the process takes.

A new approach could mitigate one of the reasons victims are reluctant to report assaults: the perception that analysis of forensic evidence is too slow.

One of my friends, who is a forensic scientist, like others around the world , does this process very frequently:

Processing forensic evidence in sexual assault cases is a highly technical, multi-step process. Typically, DNA evidence is first collected from the victim, then sent to a well-equipped forensic laboratory for analysis by a skilled technician. Once there, the sample is first processed to isolate the assailant's DNA from the victim's; analysis of the assailant's DNA can then be conducted and used to identify a suspect.

The entire process can take days, weeks or longer. Most of that time is taken up with transporting the evidence to the lab; also, once at the lab, the speed with which the sample is analyzed depends on the number of other cases requiring analysis.

The researchers focused on the first step—that of separating the DNA of two individuals from a single sample. Currently, this can only be done manually by trained and experienced experts in a lab; i.e. there is no automated solution.

Researchers  have now developed  a process for separating two individuals' DNA employing a process called differential digestion technique using digital microfluidics. The new approach mitigates the current logistical and technical challenges.

The researchers simplified the process by reducing the number of manual steps needed to isolate the assailant's DNA from 13 to five. Also, because micro-fluidic processes tend to be faster, they expect that one of the eventual benefits will be shortening the overall time needed.

What's more, the new approach could lead to a mobile solution that doesn't require a lab. For example, testing could be done at a hospital where a victim would typically be taken in a sexual assault case—thereby eliminating the time necessary for the sample to reach the lab and circumventing the lab's queue.

The new technique is compatible with the technology known as Rapid DNA Analysis, already in use for the second step of identifying an individual from their DNA. According to the authors, the long term goal would be to integrate the two technologies to make the process even more streamlined.

Toward Analysis at the Point of Need: A Digital Microfluidic Approach to Processing Multi-Source Sexual Assault Samples, Advanced Science (2024). DOI: 10.1002/advs.202405712

Scientists use magnetic nanotech to safely rewarm frozen tissues for transplant

Every day, people die waiting for an organ transplant. Time is at a premium, not just for those awaiting organs, but also for the organs themselves, which can deteriorate rapidly during transportation.

Looking to extend the viability of human tissues, researchers report inNano Letters their efforts to facilitate completely freezing, rather than cooling and then thawing, potentially life-saving organs. They demonstrate a magnetic nanoparticle's successful rewarming of animal tissues.

Several people annually will die before receiving an organ transplant. One reason is the loss of organs in cold storage during transportation when delays cause them to warm prematurely. 

Methods have been developed to quickly freeze organs for longer-term storage without risking damage from ice crystal formation, but ice crystals can also form during warming. To address this problem, scientists advanced a technique known as nanowarming, pioneered by collaborator John Bischof, to employ magnetic nanoparticles and magnetic fields to thaw frozen tissues rapidly, evenly and safely.

They developed magnetic nanoparticles—effectively extremely tiny bar magnets—that, when exposed to alternating magnetic fields, generated heat. And that heat rapidly thawed animal tissues stored at -238 degrees Fahrenheit (-150 degrees Celsius) in a solution of the nanoparticles and a cryoprotective agent.

Part 1

The researchers worried, however, that uneven distribution of the nanoparticles within the tissues might trigger overheating where the particles congregated, which could lead to tissue damage and toxicity from the cryoprotective agent at elevated temperatures.

To reduce these risks, the researchers have continued their investigation, working on a two-stage approach that more finely controls nanowarming rates. They describe this process:

Cultured cells or animal tissues were immersed in a solution containing magnetic nanoparticles and a cryoprotective substance and then frozen with liquid nitrogen.
In the first stage of thawing, as before, an alternating magnetic field initiated rapid rewarming of animal tissues.
As the samples approached the melting temperature of the cryoprotective agent, the researchers applied a horizontal static magnetic field.
The second field realigned the nanoparticles, effectively tapping the brakes on heat production.
The heating slowed fastest in areas with more nanoparticles, which dampened concerns about problematic hotspots. Applying the method to cultured human skin fibroblasts and to pig carotid arteries, the researchers noted that cell viability remained high after rewarming over a few minutes, suggesting the thawing was both rapid and safe.

The ability to finely control tissue rewarming moves us one step closer to long-term organ cryopreservation and the hope of more life-saving transplants for patients, the researchers say.

 Sangmo Liu et al, Magnetic-Nanorod-Mediated Nanowarming with Uniform and Rate-Regulated Heating, Nano Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c03081

Part 2

Nanoplastics have potential to cross blood-brain barrier, study reveals

A new study published in the journal Nano Today reveals that nanoplastics, which are tiny plastic particles less than 1 micrometer in size, may cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB).

The research marks a significant advancement in understanding how nanoplastics might transfer in human blood and interact with biological systems.

An  international team of scientists investigated how nanoplastics made from polystyrene (PS) and poly vinyl chloride (PVC) behave in human plasma and tested their ability to cross the BBB.

The researchers utilized a novel approach by embedding gadolinium, a rare earth metal, into the nanoplastics, allowing precise tracking and quantification of their movement and transformation within the human body.
The team found that upon exposure to human plasma, nanoplastics rapidly attract a variety of biomolecules, immediately forming a "biological corona" that affects their behavior and interactions with cells.

The study demonstrated that both PS and PVC nanoplastics could cross the BBB, with PVC particles showing a higher penetration rate. However, the presence of a biological corona significantly reduced the amount of nanoplastics entering the brain.

The human blood-brain barrier (BBB) consists of a tightly packed layer of endothelial cells, surrounded by astrocytes and pericytes that restricts the passage of a variety of molecules and substances from the blood to the brain.

According to the researchers, the penetration of nanoplastics through the BBB highlights the need for further research on their potential neurotoxicity and long-term effects on human health.

 Fazel Abdolahpur Monikh et al, Biotransformation of nanoplastics in human plasma and their permeation through a model in vitro blood-brain barrier: An in-depth quantitative analysis, Nano Today (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.nantod.2024.102466

Nuclear clock paves way for ultraprecise timekeeping

A new type of clock under development—a nuclear clock—could revolutionize how we measure time and probe fundamental physics.

An international research team led by scientists at JILA, a joint institute of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado Boulder, has demonstrated key elements of a nuclear clock. A nuclear clock is a novel type of timekeeping device that uses signals from the core, or nucleus, of an atom.

The team presents the results in the Sept. 4 issue of the journal Nature as a cover story.

The team used a specially designed ultraviolet laser to precisely measure the frequency of an energy jump in thorium nuclei embedded in a solid crystal. They also employed an optical frequency comb, which acts like an extremely accurate light ruler, to count the number of ultraviolet wave cycles that create this energy jump. While this laboratory demonstration is not a fully developed nuclear clock, it contains all the core technology for one.
Nuclear clocks could be much more accurate than current atomic clocks, which provide official international time and play major roles in technologies such as GPS, internet synchronization, and financial transactions.

For the general public, this development could ultimately mean even more precise navigation systems (with or without GPS), faster internet speeds, more reliable network connections, and more secure digital communications.

Beyond everyday technology, nuclear clocks could improve tests of fundamental theories for how the universe works, potentially leading to new discoveries in physics. They could help detect dark matter or verify if the constants of nature are truly constant, allowing for verification of theories in particle physics without the need for large-scale particle accelerator facilities.

Chuankun Zhang, Frequency ratio of the 229mTh isomeric transition and the 87Sr atomic clock, Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07839-6. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07839-6

People facing life-or-death choice put too much trust in AI

In simulated life-or-death decisions, about two-thirds of people in a  study allowed a robot to change their minds when it disagreed with them—an alarming display of excessive trust in artificial intelligence, researchers said.

Human subjects allowed robots to sway their judgment, despite being told the AI machines had limited capabilities and were giving advice that could be wrong. In reality, the advice was random.

As a society, with AI accelerating so quickly, we need to be concerned about the potential for over trust, say the researchers.

What we need instead is a consistent application of doubt.

We should have a healthy skepticism about AI, the researchers say, "especially in life-or-death decisions."

 Colin Holbrook et al, Overtrust in AI Recommendations About Whether or Not to Kill: Evidence from Two Human-Robot Interaction Studies, Scientific Reports (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-69771-z

Fungal spores of the mold Aspergillus fumigatus produce an enzyme that weakens the immune system

Aspergillus fumigatus is a mold that is found all over the world. Unlike closely related species, it can cause serious, often fatal infections in humans. What makes A. fumigatus so dangerous?

A special enzyme on the surface of the fungal spores—glycosylasparaginase—apparently suppresses the release of pro-inflammatory substances by immune cells, making it easier for the pathogen to spread unhindered in the tissue. The findings are published in the journal Nature Microbiology.

Camila Figueiredo Pinzan et al, Aspergillus fumigatus conidial surface-associated proteome reveals factors for fungal evasion and host immunity modulation, Nature Microbiology (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01782-y

Arctic microalgae show photosynthesis in near darkness is possible

Photosynthesis converts sunlight into biologically usable energy and thus forms the basis of all life on our planet. However, previous measurements of the amount of light required for this have always been well above the theoretically possible minimum. The study shows that the build-up of biomass can actually take place with a quantity of light that is close to this minimum.

Photosynthesis can take place in nature even at extremely low light levels. This is the result of an international study that investigated the development of Arctic microalgae at the end of the polar night. The measurements were carried out as part of the MOSAiC expedition at 88° northern latitude and revealed that even this far north, microalgae can build up biomass through photosynthesis as early as the end of March.

At this time, the sun is barely above the horizon, so that it is still almost completely dark in the microalgae's habitat under the snow and ice cover of the Arctic Ocean. The results of the study now published in the journal Nature Communications show that photosynthesis in the ocean is possible under much lower light conditions, and can therefore take place at much greater depths than previously assumed.

Clara J.M. Hoppe, Photosynthetic light requirement near the theoretical minimum detected in Arctic microalgae, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51636-8

Newly discovered viruses in parasitic nematodes could change our understanding of how they cause disease

New research shows that parasitic nematodes, responsible for infecting more than a billion people globally, carry viruses that may solve the puzzle of why some cause serious diseases.

A study led by Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) used cutting-edge bioinformatic data mining techniques to identify 91 RNA viruses in 28 species of parasitic nematodes, representing 70% of those that infect people and animals. Often these are symptomless or not serious, but some can lead to severe, life-changing disease.

Nematode worms are the most abundant animals on the planet, prevalent in all continents worldwide, with several species infecting humans as well as agriculturally and economically important animals and crops. And yet in several cases, scientists do not know how some nematodes cause certain diseases.

The new research, published in Nature Microbiology, opens the door to further study of whether these newly discovered viruses—only five of which were previously known to science—could contribute to many chronic, debilitating conditions. If a connection can be proven, it could pave the way for more effective treatments in the future.

This raises the question of whether any of the diseases that these parasites are responsible for could be driven by the virus rather than directly by the parasitic nematode.

Parasitic nematodes including hookworms and whipworms can cause severe abdominal problems and bloody diarrhea, stunted development and anemia. Infection with filarial worms can lead to disfiguring conditions such as lymphedema or "elephantiasis," and onchocerciasis, or "river blindness," that leads to blindness and skin disease.

The study authors propose that these newly identified viruses may play a role in some of these conditions. For example, onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy (OAE) that occurs in children and adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa has recently been associated with onchocerciasis, but it is not known why this causes neurological symptoms such as uncontrollable repeated head nodding, as well as severe stunting, delayed puberty and impaired mental health.

One of the viruses in the parasites that cause onchocerciasis identified in the new study is rhabdovirus—the type that causes rabies. The authors of the study suggest that if this virus is infecting or damaging human nerve or brain tissue, that could explain the symptoms of OAE.

The full extent and diversity of the viruses living in parasitic nematodes, how they impact nematode biology and whether they act as drivers of disease in people and animals now requires further study.

Quek, S., et al. Diverse RNA viruses of parasitic nematodes can elicit antibody responses in vertebrate hosts, Nature Microbiology (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01796-6. www.nature.com/articles/s41564-024-01796-6

**

Older women more vulnerable to heat than their male peers, researchers find

As global climate change causes extreme heat waves to become more common around the world, epidemiological studies have shown that heat kills more women than men.

Now, a new study by researchers at Penn State has found that older women are physiologically more vulnerable to high heat and humidity than older men, and that women between the ages of 40 and 64 are as vulnerable as men 65 years of age or older.

This is the first study to determine that this disparity exists due to physiological differences and not because women live longer than men, which leaves a larger population of older women than older men.

 the researchers demonstrated that middle-aged and older women were affected by heat at lower temperature/humidity combinations than middle-aged and older men.

The results, published in the American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, were somewhat unexpected because there are no differences in heat vulnerability based on biological sex in adults younger than 30.

In addition to demonstrating that middle-aged and older women are at greater risk from extreme heat, we also identified what levels of heat and humidity are safe for women as they age. This information is presented as a temperature/humidity curve based on a person's age, and it can be useful for setting policies designed to keep people safe during a heat wave.

 Olivia K. Leach et al, Sex differences in heat stress vulnerability among middle-aged and older adults (PSU HEAT Project), American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology (2024). DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00114.2024

Insulin and metformin combo aids diabetic foot ulcer healing, new study finds

People with chronic diabetic foot ulcers could soon have a new way to treat their wounds for faster healing and fewer hospital stays. Researchers from Michigan State University and South Shore Hospital have uncovered that the combination of two common diabetes drugs—injectable insulin and orally-administered metformin—increases the amount of metformin at the wound site. As metformin can accelerate wound healing, this could be welcome news for the 18.6 million people worldwide who develop a diabetic foot ulcer, or DFU, in their lifetimes.

Until now, pharmacological studies had not found an interaction between insulin and metformin. This new study shows that there could be at least an indirect role of consuming both insulin and metformin in a way that metformin can end up in a wound area where it enhances the body's capacity to heal.

 Lisa Gould et al, Analysis of Biogenic Amines and Small Molecule Metabolites in Human Diabetic Wound Ulcer Exudate, ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.4c00418

Individuals with memory-related mild cognitive impairment talked less and used fewer but more general nouns.

https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/dad2.12588

Will humans accept robots that can lie? Scientists find it depends on the lie

Honesty is the best policy… most of the time. Social norms help humans understand when we need to tell the truth and when we shouldn't, to spare someone's feelings or avoid harm. But how do these norms apply to robots, which are increasingly working with humans? To understand whether humans can accept robots telling lies, scientists asked almost 500 participants to rate and justify different types of robot deception.

The scientists selected three scenarios reflecting situations where robots already work—medical, cleaning, and retail work—and three different deception behaviors. These were external state deceptions, which lie about the world beyond the robot, hidden state deceptions, where a robot's design hides its capabilities, and superficial state deceptions, where a robot's design overstates its capabilities.

In the external state deception scenario, a robot working as a caretaker for a woman with Alzheimer's lies that her late husband will be home soon. In the hidden state deception scenario, a woman visits a house where a robot housekeeper is cleaning, unaware that the robot is also filming. Finally, in the superficial state deception scenario, a robot working in a shop as part of a study on human–robot relations untruthfully complains of feeling pain while moving furniture, causing a human to ask someone else to take the robot's place. Hmmm!

The scientists recruited 498 participants and asked them to read one of the scenarios and then answer a questionnaire. This asked participants whether they approved of the robot's behavior, how deceptive it was, if it could be justified, and if anyone else was responsible for the deception. These responses were coded by the researchers to identify common themes and analyzed.

The participants disapproved most of the hidden state deception, the housecleaning robot with the undisclosed camera, which they considered the most deceptive. While they considered the external state deception and the superficial state deception to be moderately deceptive, they disapproved more of superficial state deception, where a robot pretended it felt pain. This may have been perceived as manipulative.

Participants approved most of the external state deception, where the robot lied to a patient. They justified the robot's behavior by saying that it protected the patient from unnecessary pain—prioritizing the norm of sparing someone's feelings over honesty.

Andres Rosero et al, Exploratory Analysis of Human Perceptions of Social Robot Deception Behaviors, Frontiers in Robotics and AI (2024). DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2024.1409712. www.frontiersin.org/journals/r … 9/frobt.2024.1409712

Human brain cancers fire electrical impulses: Researchers reveal unexpected hybrid cell spiking the signals

Researchers  have uncovered a new cell type in the human brain.

The study published in Cancer Cell reveals that a third of the cells in glioma, a type of brain tumor, fire electrical impulses. Interestingly, the impulses, also called action potentials, originate from tumor cells that are part neuron and part glia, supporting the groundbreaking idea that neurons are not the only cells that can generate electric signals in the brain.

The scientists also discovered that cells with hybrid neuron-glia characteristics are present in the non-tumor human brain. The findings highlight the importance of further studying the role of these newly identified cells in both glioma and normal brain function.   

Gliomas are the most common tumors of the central nervous system with an estimated 12,000 cases diagnosed each year. These tumors are universally lethal and have devastating effects on neurological and cognitive functions. Previous studies have shown that patient survival outcomes are associated with tumor proliferation and invasiveness, which are influenced by tumor intrinsic and extrinsic factors, including communication between tumor cells and neurons that reside in the brain.

Researchers have previously described that glioma and surrounding healthy neurons connect with each other and that neurons communicate with tumors in ways that drive tumor growth and invasiveness.

Scientists have known for some time now that tumor cells and neurons interact directly.

To study the ability of glioma cells to spike electrical signals and identify the cells that produce the signals, the team used Patch-sequencing, a combination of techniques that integrates whole-cell electrophysiological recordings to measure spiking signals with single-cell RNA-sequencing and analysis of the cellular structure to identify the type of cells.

The electrophysiology experiments were conducted by the researchers. 

This innovative approach has not been used before to study human brain tumor cells.

The researchers were truly surprised to find these tumor cells had a unique combination of morphological and electrophysiological properties. They had never seen anything like this in the mammalian brain before.

Finding that so many glioma cells are electrically active was a surprise because it goes against a strongly held concept in neuroscience that states that, of all the different types of cells in the brain, neurons are the only ones that fire electric impulses.

These findings show that human cells other than neurons can fire electrical impulses. Since there is an estimated 100 million of these OPCs in the adult brain, the electrical contributions of these cells should be further studied.

Moreover, the comprehensive data analyses revealed that the spiking hybrid cells in glioma tumors had properties of both neurons and OPC cells. Interestingly, they found non-tumor cells that are neuron-glia hybrids, suggesting that this hybrid population not only plays a role in glioma growth but also contributes to healthy brain function. The findings also suggest that the proportion of spiking hybrid cells in glioma may have a prognostic value.

Part1

The data shows that the more of these spiking hybrid glioma cells a patient has, the better the survival outcome. This information is of great value to patients and their doctors.

 Integrated electrophysiological and genomic profiles of single cells reveal spiking tumor cells in human glioma, Cancer Cell (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2024.08.009. www.cell.com/cancer-cell/fullt … 1535-6108(24)00308-8

Part 2

Neuroscientists uncover serotonin's role in resilience

The simple act of observing others cope with a traumatic experience can increase our capacity for resilience and prevent the pathological states that can result from it, notably depression. Neuroscientists  have demonstrated the presence of this "emotional contagion" in mice, and successfully deciphered its mechanism.

The neurotransmitter serotonin, released in a brain structure called the habenula, has been shown to be the key to resilience.

This discovery, published in Science, revisits the role of serotonin and opens up new perspectives, notably for understanding depression and its treatment.

Human beings have the ability to cope with aversive experiences while continuing to live a normal life. This ability is known as resilience. However, some individuals are more vulnerable to traumatic events. They develop a loss of motivation and drive, which are hallmarks of depression.

Promoting resilience in such people at risk could counter their vulnerability and function as a preventive practice against the possible emergence of a pathological state. But there are still too many unknowns for resilience to be used as a preventive practice.

There is a lack of clinical tools or underlying mechanisms to promote this type of conditioning capable of fostering a resilient reaction as in healthy people. To achieve this, we need to understand the brain function behind adversity.

To explore the underlying brain mechanisms, the neuroscientists first designed an experimental model capable of promoting resilience and measuring its consequences on the appearance of pathological traits following trauma.

They started from the recognized fact that simply observing the emotional experiences of others helps us to learn from them. It's a phenomenon known as emotional contagion, and it engages resilience.

To achieve this, an "observer" mouse was placed close to a mouse subjected to small electric shocks to the paws. This simple task protected the majority of the observer mice from developing pathological states of depression when they were subsequently exposed to this unpleasant experience themselves.

This was not the case for mice who had not witnessed the traumatic experiences of their fellow companions. The scientists concluded that the simple act of observing others cope with a traumatic experience increases one's own capacity for resilience and helps guard against possible pathological consequences.

Part 1

Following the discovery of this behavioral principle, the neuroscientists successfully identified the brain mechanism mediating it. They focused on the habenula, a tiny cerebral structure located at the heart of the brain, known to participate in emotional and sensory processing, and to regulate neurotransmitters associated with depression, notably serotonin.

To achieve this, they specifically developed imaging tools to track this molecule in mice.
It is very difficult to measure the variation of serotonin in the brain. Thanks to a biosensor developed by some of the team members, the scientists were able to identify the key mechanism.
Recordings made during behavioral experiments revealed that emotional contagion coincided with a lasting change in the functioning of neurons in the habenula, together with an increase in serotonin release in this region.
By artificially altering the dynamics of serotonin levels, the research team was able to demonstrate that its non-increase not only undermines the long-lasting neuronal activity change in the habenula, but also the ability of mice to foster resilience following adversity.

A common denominator between the mechanism of resilience after adversity discovered in this study and that of depression is serotonin. Many antidepressants target serotonin to increase its concentration in the brain. Here, neuroscientists show that a transient, localized increase in the habenula can prevent the onset of apathetic behavior following a traumatic experience.

This  discovery could also pave the way for new therapeutic applications relevant to depression.

Sarah Mondoloni et al, Serotonin release in habenula during emotional contagion promotes resilience, Science (2024). DOI: 10.1126/science.adp3897. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adp3897

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100-fold improvement in sight seen after gene therapy trial

The vision of people with a rare inherited condition that causes them to lose much of their sight early in childhood was 100 times better after they received gene therapy to address the genetic mutation causing it. Some patients even experienced a 10,000-fold improvement in their vision after receiving the highest dose of the therapy, according to researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania who co-led the clinical trial published in The Lancet.

That 10,000-fold improvement is the same as a patient being able to see their surroundings on a moonlit night outdoors as opposed to requiring bright indoor lighting before treatment.

One patient reported for the first time being able to navigate at midnight outdoors only with the light of a bonfire.

A total of 15 people participated in the Phase I/II trial, including three pediatric patients. Each patient had Leber congenital amaurosis as the result of mutations in the GUCY2D gene, which is essential to producing proteins critical for vision. This specific condition, which affects less than 100,000 people worldwide and is abbreviated as LCA1, causes a significant amount of vision loss as early as infancy.

All subjects had severe vision loss with their best measure of vision being equal or worse than 20/80—meaning if a typically-sighted person could see an object clearly at 80 feet, these patients would have to move up to at least 20 feet to see it.

Glasses provide limited benefit to these patients because they correct abnormalities in the optical focusing ability of the eye, and are unable to address medical causes of vision loss, such as genetic retinal diseases like LCA1.

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The trial tested different dosage levels of the gene therapy, ATSN-101, which was adapted from the AAV5 microorganism and was surgically injected under the retina.

For the first part of the study, cohorts of three adults each received one of the three different dosages: Low, mid, and high. Evaluations were held between each level of dosage to ensure that they were safe before upping the dosage for the next cohort.

A second phase of the study involved only administering the high dosage levels to both an adult cohort of three and a pediatric cohort of three, again after safety reviews of the previous cohorts.

Improvements were noticed quickly, often within the first month, after the therapy was applied and lasted for at least 12 months. Observations of participating patients are also ongoing. Three of six high-dosage patients who were tested to navigate a mobility course in varying levels of light achieved the maximum-possible score. Other tests used eye charts or measured the dimmest flashes of light patients perceived in a dark environment.

Of the nine patients who received the maximum dosage, two had a 10,000-fold improvement in vision.
Primarily, the study sought to determine the safety of the gene therapy and its varying dosage levels. Researchers did find some patients had side effects, but the overwhelming majority were related to the surgical procedure itself.
The most common side effect was conjunctival hemorrhage, the breakage of small blood vessels underneath the clear surface of the eye, which healed. Two patients had eye inflammation that was reversed with a course of steroids. No serious side effects were related to the study drug.
Approval of this experimental medicine for clinical use requires another trial, where participants are randomized to a treatment dose and both patients and those investigating the trial not knowing who gets what. Through that, any possible bias in results could be avoided.

Safety and efficacy of ATSN-101 in patients with Leber congenital amaurosis caused by biallelic mutations in GUCY2D: a phase 1/2, multicentre, open-label, unilateral dose escalation study, The Lancet (2024). www.thelancet.com/journals/lan … (24)01447-8/fulltext

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How aging immune system fuels cancer growth

Why is aging the biggest risk factor for cancer? A new study reveals how an aging immune system spurs tumor growth, offering new insights into cancer prevention and treatment, especially for older adults.

Details on the findings are reported in the September 5 Online First Release of Science.

Cancer is a disease that becomes increasingly common as we age, with the risk rising sharply after the age of 60. Many theories have been proposed, including the cumulative effects of environmentally-induced damage and genetic mutations, but there has been little concrete data explaining why aging drives cancer.

In preclinical models,  a research team found that anakinra, a drug typically used for inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, can be repurposed to block harmful signals between early lung cancer lesions and the bone marrow. This is critical, say the investigators, because as the immune system ages, it creates harmful inflammation that can drive cancer development.

As the immune system ages, it triggers harmful inflammation that can drive cancer growth––by promoting the accumulation of pro-tumor macrophages, a type of immune cell that suppresses the immune effector cells that normally kill tumor cells. This weakens the body's ability to fight cancer.

The researchers found that by blocking specific inflammatory pathways, especially those involving molecules called interleukin-1⍺ (IL-1⍺) and IL-1β, this damaging process could be reversed in mouse models, offering a potential new approach to preventing cancer development in humans.

As part of the study, the research team used mouse models to investigate how aging affects cancer progression. They injected tumor cells into mice and observed that lung, pancreatic, and colonic cancer grew more rapidly in older mice compared to younger ones. Using bone marrow transplants from either young or old mice, the investigators simulated the effects of the immune system's aging. The team found that an aged immune system accelerates cancer growth, even in young mice. More strikingly, they found that rejuvenating the immune system significantly reduced cancer growth in older mice.

Using high-dimensional analysis of murine and human cancer tissues, the team identified specific cells and immune-related factors that accelerate cancer growth in the elderly. They then successfully blocked these factors, specifically IL-1⍺/β, demonstrating that inhibiting these molecules can reduce cancer growth in aged mice.

This study shows that an aged immune system promotes cancer progression, independent of the age of the cancer cells or the surrounding tissue. We've long suspected that inflammation can suppress anti-tumor immunity, particularly in older individuals and cancer patients. However, this is the first robust evidence proving that chronic inflammation from an aging immune system predisposes to cancer. 

This study reveals that targeting the aging immune system could significantly reduce cancer risk in older adults. It suggests that enhancing the immune response through immunotherapy might be more effective than directly targeting tumors. 

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The ongoing trials are investigating whether targeting the immune system can prevent cancer progression, while the researchers continue to explore additional therapeutic targets.

 Matthew D. Park et al, Hematopoietic aging promotes cancer by fueling IL-1⍺-driven emergency myelopoiesis, Science (2024). DOI: 10.1126/science.adn0327. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adn0327

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