Researchers demonstrate universal control of a quantum dot-based system with four singlet-triplet qubits

Being able to precisely manipulate interacting spins in quantum systems is of key importance for the development of reliable and highly performing quantum computers. This has proven to be particularly challenging for nanoscale systems with many spins that are based on quantum dots (i.e., tiny semiconductor devices).

Researchers recently demonstrated the universal control of a quantum dot-based system with four singlet-triplet qubits. Their paper, published in Nature Nanotechnology, could open new possibilities for the successful upscaling of quantum information processing systems.

Xin Zhang et al, Universal control of four singlet–triplet qubits, Nature Nanotechnology (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41565-024-01817-9

A formula for life? New model calculates chances of intelligent beings in our universe and beyond

The chances of intelligent life emerging in our universe—and in any hypothetical ones beyond it—can be estimated by a new theoretical model which has echoes of the famous Drake Equation.

This was the formula that American astronomer Dr. Frank Drake came up with in the 1960s to calculate the number of detectable extraterrestrial civilizations in our Milky Way galaxy.

More than 60 years on, astrophysicists led by Durham University have produced a different model which instead focuses on the conditions created by the acceleration of the universe's expansion and the amount of stars formed.

It is thought this expansion is being driven by a mysterious force called dark energy that makes up more than two thirds of the universe.

Since stars are a precondition for the emergence of life as we know it, the model could therefore be used to estimate the probability of generating intelligent life in our universe, and in a multiverse scenario of different hypothetical universes.

The new research does not attempt to calculate the absolute number of observers (i.e. intelligent life) in the universe but instead considers the relative probability of a randomly chosen observer inhabiting a universe with particular properties. The study has been published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Part 1

It concludes that a typical observer would expect to experience a substantially larger density of dark energy than is seen in our own universe—suggesting the ingredients it possesses make it a rare and unusual case in the multiverse.

The approach presented in the paper involves calculating the fraction of ordinary matter converted into stars over the entire history of the universe, for different dark energy densities.

The model predicts this fraction would be approximately 27% in a universe that is most efficient at forming stars, compared to 23% in our own universe.

This means we don't live in the hypothetical universe with the highest odds of forming intelligent life forms. Or in other words, the value of dark energy density we observe in our universe is not the one that would maximize the chances of life, according to the model.
Understanding dark energy and the impact on our universe is one of the biggest challenges in cosmology and fundamental physics.

The parameters that govern our universe, including the density of dark energy, could explain our own existence.
Surprisingly, though, researchers found that even a significantly higher dark energy density would still be compatible with life, suggesting we may not live in the most likely of universes.
The new model could allow scientists to understand the effects of differing densities of dark energy on the formation of structures in the universe and the conditions for life to develop in the cosmos.

Dark energy makes the universe expand faster, balancing gravity's pull and creating a universe where both expansion and structure formation are possible.

However, for life to develop, there would need to be regions where matter can clump together to form stars and planets, and it would need to remain stable for billions of years to allow life to evolve.
Crucially, the research suggests that the astrophysics of star formation and the evolution of the large-scale structure of the universe combine in a subtle way to determine the optimal value of the dark energy density needed for the generation of intelligent life.
Part 2

Dr. Drake's equation was more of a guide for scientists on how to go about searching for life, rather than an estimating tool or serious attempt to determine an accurate result.

Its parameters included the rate of yearly star formation in the Milky Way, the fraction of stars with planets orbiting them and the number of worlds that could potentially support life.

By comparison, the new model connects the rate of yearly star formation in the universe with its fundamental ingredients, such as the aforementioned dark energy density.

 Daniele Sorini et al, The impact of the cosmological constant on past and future star formation, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2024). DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stae2236. academic.oup.com/mnras/article … .1093/mnras/stae2236

Part 3

**

Experiment supports existence of a new type of superconductor

A research team has found the strongest evidence yet of a novel type of superconducting material, a fundamental science breakthrough that may open the door to coaxing superconductivity—the flow of electric current without a loss of energy—in a new way.

The discovery also lends tangible support to a long-held theory about superconductivity—that it could be based upon electronic nematicity, a phase of matter in which particles break their rotational symmetry.

Here is what that means. In iron selenide crystals mixed with sulfur, iron atoms are positioned in a grid. At room temperature, an electron in an iron atom cannot distinguish between horizontal and vertical directions. But at lower temperatures, the electron may enter a "nematic" phase, where it begins to prefer moving in one direction or the other.

In some instances, the electron may start to fluctuate between preferring one direction, then the other. This is called nematic fluctuation.

For decades, physicists have attempted to prove the existence of superconductivity due to nematic fluctuations, with little success. But the new study, a multi-institutional effort led by Yale's Eduardo H. da Silva Neto, offers promise.

The findings appear in the journal Nature Physics.

Pranab Kumar Nag et al, Highly anisotropic superconducting gap near the nematic quantum critical point of FeSe1−xSx, Nature Physics (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41567-024-02683-x

Indicators of an aging brain

Researchers, working with the Biomarkers for Older Controls at Risk for Dementia (BIOCARD) cohort, have found that certain factors are linked to faster brain shrinkage and quicker progression from normal thinking abilities to mild cognitive impairment (MCI). People with type 2 diabetes and low levels of specific proteins in their cerebrospinal fluid showed more rapid brain changes and developed MCI sooner than others.

Long-term studies tracking brain changes over many years are rare but valuable. Previous research mostly provided snapshots in time, which can't show how individual brains change over the years. By following participants for up to 27 years (20-year median), this study offers new insights into how health conditions might speed up brain aging.

In a study, "Acceleration of Brain Atrophy and Progression From Normal Cognition to Mild Cognitive Impairment," published in JAMA Network Open, researchers used the BIOCARD cohort to examine risk factors associated with the acceleration of brain atrophy and progression from normal cognition to MCI. An Invited Commentary is also available.

 A total of 185 participants, averaging 55 years old at the start and all cognitively normal, were selected. They underwent brain scans and tests of their cerebrospinal fluid over 20 years, measuring changes in brain structures and levels of proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Findings showed that high rates of white matter shrinkage and enlargement of the brain's ventricles (fluid-filled spaces) were significant predictors of earlier MCI onset. Specifically, white matter atrophy was associated with an 86% higher risk and ventricular enlargement with a 71% higher risk of progressing to MCI.

Individuals with diabetes showed an average 41% higher risk of progressing from normal cognition to MCI compared to individuals without.
A low ratio of amyloid β peptides Aβ42 to Aβ40 in cerebrospinal fluid was associated with a 48% higher risk of developing MCI. This ratio acts as a biomarker for Alzheimer's disease, where an imbalance between these two forms of amyloid beta proteins is linked to the formation of harmful plaques in the brain.

When participants had both diabetes and a low Aβ42 to Aβ40 ratio, their risk of progressing to MCI increased by 55%, demonstrating that these two factors together significantly heighten the likelihood of cognitive decline.

Part 1

These results support the importance of early identification of individuals exhibiting accelerated brain atrophy and certain unfavorable biomarkers. By recognizing when higher risk is present, preventive intervention strategies can be optimized to delay or hopefully even prevent the onset of MCI.

Yuto Uchida et al, Acceleration of Brain Atrophy and Progression From Normal Cognition to Mild Cognitive Impairment, JAMA Network Open (2024). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.41505

 Shohei Fujita, Optimizing Strategies to Prevent Cognitive Decline With 20-Year Brain Imaging, JAMA Network Open (2024). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.41466

Part 2

Toxic smog smothering India's capital smashes WHO limit

Residents of India's capital New Delhi choked in a blanketing toxic smog this week as worsening air pollution surged past 50 times the World Health Organization's recommended daily maximum.

Many in the city cannot afford air filters, nor do they have homes they can effectively seal from the misery of foul smelling air blamed for thousands of premature deaths.

Cooler temperatures and slow-moving winds trap deadly pollutants each winter, stretching from mid-October until at least January.

At dawn on Wednesday, "hazardous" pollutant levels in parts of the sprawling urban area of more than 30 million people topped 806 micrograms per cubic meter, according to monitoring firm IQAir.

That is more than 53 times the World Health Organization recommended daily maximum of fine particulate matter—dangerous cancer-causing microparticles known as PM2.5 pollutants that enter the bloodstream through the lungs.

By midday, when air usually is at its best, it eased to about 25-35 times above danger levels, depending on different districts.

Now breathing in Delhi has become  like "smoking cigarettes". Older people have difficulties breathing. It is particularly punishing for babies, children and the elderly.

The city is blanketed in acrid smog each year, primarily blamed on stubble burning by farmers in neighboring regions to clear their fields for plowing, as well as factories, Diwali fire works and traffic fumes.

But a report by The New York Times this month, based on air and soil samples it collected over five years, revealed the dangerous fumes also spewing from a power plant incinerating the city's landfill garbage mountains.

Experts the newspaper spoke to said that the levels of heavy metals found were "alarming".

Swirling white clouds of smog also delayed several flights across northern India.

The India Meteorological Department said that at least 18 regional airports had a visibility lower than 1,000 meters (1,093 yards)—dropping below 500 meters in Delhi.

India's Supreme Court last month ruled that clean air was a fundamental human right, ordering both the central government and state-level authorities to take action.

But politicians are accused of not wanting to anger key figures in their constituencies, particularly powerful farming groups and industrialists.

City authorities have launched some initiatives to tackle pollution, which have done little in practice.

The choking carbon smog across Delhi came as researchers warned that planet-warming fossil fuel emissions would hit a record high this year, according to new findings from an international network of scientists at the Global Carbon Project.

Researchers said increases in CO₂ emissions from India—as well as growth in international aviation—drove emissions up.

It found no sign the world was moving away from fossil fuels as planned.

Source: News agencies

We need to talk about what smartphones are doing to kids' brains, say experts

We know there are links between young people overusing devices and a decline in cognitive abilities, as well as problems with attention, focus and memory.

Researchers  recently published a review and meta-analysis of 34 studies looking at neuropsychological deficits in children and teenagers who had screen-use disorders—basically what can be classified as screen addictions.

Their findings showed strong evidence of impacts on attention, focus and executive functioning in these young people, but also changes in their brains that were visible on scans, with the loss of gray and white matter in areas of the frontal lobe that are associated with learning and memory.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Overuse can result in young people losing brain capacity.

These studies relate to the roughly 3% of teenagers who are classified as having a clinical screen overuse disorder, but the latest figures show the average Australian teenager is spending four to six hours a day on social media, and a total of up to eight hours a day using screens for leisure.

Recent research from the University of North Carolina shows brain changes related to habitual checking of social media in Grade 6 and 7 students over three years. A third of the children—those who were frequently checking their feeds—showed significant changes in brain areas involved in emotion, motivation and cognition.

Brains are very much a use-it-or-lose-it organ: if you challenge yourself through thinking, problem-solving and learning, you develop new connections in your brain. If you don't challenge yourself, not only do new connections not form, but the old ones start to die off.

Dementia might be thought of as an old person's disease, but younger people can also be affected. Early onset dementia usually affects adults aged between 30 and 65, but there are rare cases of people being diagnosed in their 20s. In the past, the majority of cases of younger-onset dementia were believed to be inherited.

Part 1

The numbers from the United States are far more disturbing, with a 2020 report showing that between 2013 and 2017, younger-onset dementia in 30- to 44-year-olds had spiked by 373%.

All age groups recorded an increase, with a 311% rise in the 45–54 age group, and a 143% rise for 55–64s, but it was the Millennials and Gen Xers who were the hardest hit.

Some people cite the improvement in diagnostic techniques as being behind this change, but if that were the case, we would be seeing a similar increase across all ages. We aren't.
The report did not speculate on the cause for this dramatic increase in younger-onset dementia. Still, there is nothing else that has happened in the past 10 years that can explain this change apart from the global rise to dominance of the smartphone from about 2012.

We know that people with lower cognitive capacity are more susceptible to dementia.

We know overusing smartphones can result in lower cognitive capacity.

We may argue that correlation is not causation, but the correlation between lead in water and problems with children's brain development seen across the world from the mid-20th century was enough for governments to spend the equivalent of millions of dollars to replace all our water pipes.

Younger-onset dementia rates have risen at the same time as smartphones have taken over every part of our lives, and dismissing this as a coincidence will not address the problem.

Screen use may or may not be the original cause of the problem, but the fact that excessive and ongoing screen use leads to changes in the brain means there is a relationship that warrants urgent further investigation.

https://lighthouse.mq.edu.au/article/november-2024/opinion-we-need-...

Part 2

**

Human induced evolution

A native New Zealand insect that once mimicked its toxic neighbor has changed color in deforested areas, in a striking example of human-induced evolution.

The long-tailed stonefly, Zelandoperla, had a clever strategy to avoid predation from birds: it mimicked the appearance of a uniquely toxic stonefly, Austroperla, a forest dweller that deters predators by producing cyanide.

Researchers  have found that in deforested areas without Austroperla in the picture, and with fewer bird predators, some Zelandoperla have given up their guise.
The findings highlight "the possibility for populations to adapt rapidly in the wake of sudden environmental change," the team writes in their published paper.

While the long-tailed stonefly has no toxins of its own, it has managed to pull off a convincing impersonation of Austroperla using its genetic toolkit, which colored some of the insects a dark shade of ebony.

The disguise worked to deter their feathered predators, which, unable to tell the difference, steered clear of both the toxic stonefly and its mimic.

But Austroperla is a forest creature: it lives in streams where it feeds on leaves and woody debris. In deforested areas, its preferred food sources are lacking, and Austroperla has become less common.

The removal of forests since humans arrived has removed the poisonous species. 
As a result, in deforested regions the mimicking species has abandoned this strategy – as there is nothing to mimic – instead evolving into a different colour.

The scientists used a combination of field observations, predation experiments, and gene map analysis to show the insect's response to human-driven change.

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ado5331

Physicists create the first fully mechanical qubit

A team of physicists  has built the first-ever working mechanical qubit. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes their novel idea for creating such a qubit and how well it has worked during testing.

Researchers think quantum computers will be able to solve many types of problems that are beyond the ability of classical computers. And while much progress has been made, the goal has still not been fully realized. One of the major sticking points is the problem of virtual qubits, such as those made using electromagnetics, which produce errors that must be corrected. The research team found another way around the problem—using mechanical qubits instead.

Instead of representing data with only ones and zeroes, qubits are able to store data in a superposition of both states. For this new study, the researchers built what they describe as a membrane similar to a drum skin that can hold information as a steady state, a vibrating state or a state that is both at once.

Noting that the real problem with virtual qubits is their short duration (they pop into existence and are gone in a flash), the researchers turned to something that would last much longer—a piezoelectric disk fixed to a sapphire base. They used it as a mechanical resonator. They then attached a qubit made of a superconducting material fixed to its own sapphire base, using a special fabrication technique they developed.

The result was a qubit with coherence times that were based on the type of superconductor used and were on average better than hybrid or virtual qubits used in other systems.

Yu Yang et al, A mechanical qubit, Science (2024). DOI: 10.1126/science.adr2464

Astronomers discover two galaxies aligned in a way where their gravity acts as a compound lens

An international team of astronomers has discovered an instance of two galaxies aligned in a way where their gravity acts as a compound lens. The group has written a paper describing the findings and posted it on the arXiv preprint server.

Prior research has led to many findings of galaxies, or clusters of them, bending light in ways that were predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity. Astronomers have noted that some of them work as imperfect lenses, distorting the light behind them in interesting ways.

Some researchers have also noted that elliptical galaxies can serve as a lens, serving to brighten the light behind them. In this new effort, the research team has found, for the first time, two galaxies that align in a way that allows their gravity to work as a compound lens.

A compound lens, as its name suggests, is made up of two lenses. Those made artificially are cemented together and work to correct each other's dispersion. In the astronomical case, a compound lens can be made by the dual effects of two galaxies lined up next to one another just right.

The researchers note that when the system, J1721+8842, was first discovered, it was believed that there was just one elliptical galaxy bending the light from a quasar behind it. In analyzing data over a two-year period, the researchers of this new effort found variations in the quasar imagery. They also found small bits of light that, at first glance, appeared to be duplicates from a single source.

A closer look revealed that they matched the light from the main quartet of lights—a finding that showed that all six bits of light were from the same source. Prior research had suggested such an image could be the result of a natural compound lens.

When adding data from the James Webb Space Telescope, the team found that a reddish ring that was mixed with the other lights and was thought to be an Einstein ring was, in reality, a second lensing galaxy. The researchers next built a computer model and used it to confirm that the observation they had made was indeed that of a compound lens.

F. Dux et al, J1721+8842: The first Einstein zig-zag lens, arXiv (2024). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2411.04177

Genes of ancient animal relatives used to grow a mouse

An international team of researchers has achieved an unprecedented milestone: the creation of mouse stem cells capable of generating a fully developed mouse using genetic tools from a unicellular organism, with which we share a common ancestor that predates animals.

This breakthrough reshapes our understanding of the genetic origins of stem cells, offering a new perspective on the evolutionary ties between animals and their ancient single-celled relatives. The research is published in the journal Nature Communications.

In an experiment that sounds like science fiction,  researchers used a gene found in choanoflagellates, a single-celled organism related to animals, to create stem cells which they then used to give rise to a living, breathing mouse.

Choanoflagellates are the closest living relatives of animals, and their genomes contain versions of the genes Sox and POU, known for driving pluripotency—the cellular potential to develop into any cell type—within mammalian stem cells. This unexpected discovery challenges a longstanding belief that these genes evolved exclusively within animals.

By successfully creating a mouse using molecular tools derived from our single-celled relatives, we're witnessing an extraordinary continuity of function across nearly a billion years of evolution. The study implies that key genes involved in stem cell formation might have originated far earlier than the stem cells themselves, perhaps helping pave the way for the multicellular life we see today.

Ya Gao et al, The emergence of Sox and POU transcription factors predates the origins of animal stem cells, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54152-x

How stress changes our memories: Engrams and the endocannabinoid system may inform new PTSD treatments

Researchers have uncovered that stress changes how our brain encodes and retrieves aversive memories, and discovered a promising new way to restore appropriate memory specificity in people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

If you stumble during a presentation, you might feel stressed the next time you have to present because your brain associates your next presentation with that one poor and aversive experience. This type of stress is tied to one memory.

But stress from traumatic events like violence or generalized anxiety disorder can spread far beyond the original event, known as stress-induced aversive memory generalization, where fireworks or car backfires can trigger seemingly unrelated fearful memories and derail your entire day. In the case of PTSD, it can cause much greater negative consequences.

In a study published in Cell, researchers identify the biological processes behind stress-induced aversive memory generalization and highlight an intervention which could help restore appropriate memory specificity for people with PTSD.

People with PTSD show fearful responses to safe situations or environments. Researchers  have found a way to limit this fearful response to specific situations and potentially reduce the harmful effects of PTSD. the research team was able to block endocannabinoid  receptors on interneurons, and limit stress-induced aversive memory generalization to the specific, appropriate memory.

Stress disrupts engram ensembles in lateral amygdala to generalize threat memory in mice, Cell (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.10.034. www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(24)01216-9

NASA satellites reveal abrupt drop in global freshwater levels

An international team of scientists using observations from NASA-German satellites found evidence that Earth's total amount of freshwater dropped abruptly starting in May 2014 and has remained low ever since. Reporting in Surveys in Geophysics, the researchers suggested the shift could indicate Earth's continents have entered a persistently drier phase.

From 2015 through 2023, satellite measurements showed that the average amount of freshwater stored on land—that includes liquid surface water like lakes and rivers, plus water in aquifers underground—was 290 cubic miles (1,200 cubic km) lower than the average levels from 2002 through 2014.

That's two and a half times the volume of Lake Erie lost.

During times of drought, along with the modern expansion of irrigated agriculture, farms and cities must rely more heavily on groundwater, which can lead to a cycle of declining underground water supplies: freshwater supplies become depleted, rain and snow fail to replenish them, and more groundwater is pumped.

The reduction in available water puts a strain on farmers and communities, potentially leading to famine, conflicts, poverty, and an increased risk of disease when people turn to contaminated water sources, according to a UN report on water stress published in 2024.

The team of researchers identified this abrupt, global decrease in freshwater using observations from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites, operated by the German Aerospace Center, German Research Centre for Geosciences, and NASA. GRACE satellites measure fluctuations in Earth's gravity on monthly scales that reveal changes in the mass of water on and under the ground. The original GRACE satellites flew from March 2002 to October 2017. The successor GRACE–Follow On (GRACE–FO) satellites launched in May 2018.

Part 1

The decline in global freshwater reported in the study began with a massive drought in northern and central Brazil, and was followed shortly by a series of major droughts in Australasia, South America, North America, Europe, and Africa. Warmer ocean temperatures in the tropical Pacific from late 2014 into 2016, culminating in one of the most significant El Niño events since 1950, led to shifts in atmospheric jet streams that altered weather and rainfall patterns around the world.

However, even after El Niño subsided, global freshwater failed to rebound. In fact, Rodell and team report that 13 of the world's 30 most intense droughts observed by GRACE occurred since January 2015. Researchers suspect that global warming might be contributing to the enduring freshwater depletion.
Global warming leads the atmosphere to hold more water vapor, which results in more extreme precipitation. While total annual rain and snowfall levels may not change dramatically, long periods between intense precipitation events allow the soil to dry and become more compact. That decreases the amount of water the ground can absorb when it does rain.
"Warming temperatures increase both the evaporation of water from the surface to the atmosphere, and the water-holding capacity of the atmosphere, increasing the frequency and intensity of drought conditions.

Matthew Rodell et al, An Abrupt Decline in Global Terrestrial Water Storage and Its Relationship with Sea Level Change, Surveys in Geophysics (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s10712-024-09860-w

Part 2

Environmental health of waste explained in 101 seconds 

Scientists propose drug-free method to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Recent estimates indicate that deadly antibiotic-resistant infections will rapidly escalate over the next quarter century. More than 1 million people died from drug-resistant infections each year from 1990 to 2021, a recent study reported, with new projections surging to nearly 2 million deaths each year by 2050.

In an effort to counteract this public health crisis, scientists are looking for new solutions inside the intricate mechanics of bacterial infection. A study by researchers  has discovered a vulnerability within strains of bacteria that are antibiotic resistant. They  investigated the antibiotic resistance of the bacterium Bacillus subtilis.

Their research was motivated by the question of why mutant variants of bacteria do not proliferate and take over the population once they have developed an antibiotic-resistant advantage. With an upper hand over other bacteria lacking similar antibiotic resistance, such bacteria should become dominant. Yet they are not. Why?

The answer, reported in the journal Science Advances, is that antibiotic resistance comes at a cost. While antibiotic resistance provides some advantages for the bacteria to survive, the team discovered that it's also linked with a physiological limitation that hinders potential dominance.

This fact, the researchers note, potentially could be exploited to stop the spread of antibiotic resistance.

The researchers discovered an Achilles heel of antibiotic resistant bacteria. They can now  take advantage of this cost to suppress the establishment of antibiotic resistance without drugs or harmful chemicals.

Part 1

Spontaneous mutations of DNA arise in all living cells, including those within bacteria. Some of these mutations lead to antibiotic resistance. Researchers focused on physiological mechanisms related to ribosomes, the micro machines within cells that play a key role in synthesizing proteins and translating genetic codes.
All cells rely on charged ions such as magnesium ions to survive. Ribosomes are dependent upon magnesium ions since this metal cation helps stabilize their structure and function.

However, atomic-scale modeling during the new research found that mutant ribosome variants that bestow antibiotic resistance excessively compete for magnesium ions with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecules, which provide energy to drive living cells. Mathematical models further showed that this results in a ribosome versus ATP tug-of-war over a limited supply of magnesium in the cell.
Studying a ribosome variant within Bacillus subtilis called "L22," the researchers found that competition for magnesium hinders the growth of L22 more than a normal "wild type" ribosome that is not resistant to antibiotics. Hence, the competition levies a physiological toll linked to mutant bacteria with resistance.
This newly discovered weakness can now be used as a target to counteract antibiotic resistance without the use of drugs or toxic chemicals. For example, it may be possible to chelate magnesium ions from bacterial environments, which should selectively inhibit resistant strains without impacting the wild type bacteria that may be beneficial to our health.

Eun Chae Moon et al, Physiological cost of antibiotic resistance: Insights from a ribosome variant in bacteria, Science Advances (2024). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adq5249. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adq5249

Part 2

Scientists discover laser light can cast a shadow

Can light itself cast a shadow? Researchers have found that under certain conditions, a laser beam can act like an opaque object and cast a shadow. The discovery challenges the traditional understanding of shadows and opens new possibilities for technologies that could use a laser beam to control another laser beam.

Laser light casting a shadow was previously thought impossible since light usually passes through other light without interacting. This new demonstration of a very counter-intuitive optical effect invites us to reconsider our notion of shadow.

In Optica, researchers describe how they used a ruby crystal and specific laser wavelengths to show that a laser beam could block light and create a visible shadow due to a nonlinear optical process. This effect occurs when light interacts with a material in an intensity-dependent way and can influence another optical field.

The new research is part of a larger exploration into how a light beam interacts with another light beam under special conditions and nonlinear optical processes.

 The researchers directed a high-power green laser through a cube made of standard ruby crystal and illuminated it with a blue laser from the side. When the green laser enters the ruby, it locally changes the material response to the blue wavelength. The green laser acts like an ordinary object while the blue laser acts like illumination.

The interaction between the two light sources created a shadow on a screen that was visible as a dark area where the green laser blocked the blue light. It met all the criteria for a shadow because it was visible to the naked eye, followed the contours of the surface it fell on and followed the position and shape of the laser beam, which acted as an object.

The laser shadow effect is a consequence of optical nonlinear absorption in the ruby. The effect occurs because the green laser increases the optical absorption of the blue illuminating laser beam, creating a matching region in the illuminating light with lower optical intensity. The result is a darker area that appears as a shadow of the green laser beam.

This discovery expands our understanding of light-matter interactions and opens up new possibilities for utilizing light in ways we hadn't considered before.

The researchers experimentally measured the dependence of the shadow's contrast on the laser beam's power, finding a maximum contrast of approximately 22%, similar to the contrast of a tree's shadow on a sunny day. They also developed a theoretical model and showed that it could accurately predict the shadow contrast.

 Raphael Abrahao et al, The shadow of a laser beam, Optica (2024). DOI: 10.1364/OPTICA.534596

Altering two genes to produce sweeter tomatoes without sacrificing size, weight or yield

A team of horticulturists, bio-breeders and agriculture specialists affiliated with a host of institutions across China has produced sweeter tomatoes without sacrificing size, weight or yield by altering two of their genes. In their study, published in the journal Nature, the group modified the genes of a tomato variant that coded for proteins that lowered levels of enzymes related to sugar production.

Over the past several centuries, farmers around the world have crossbred tomato plants with the aim of improving yields and increasing fruit size. The result has been a massive growth in both. Unfortunately, making tomatoes bigger has also made them less sweet. Past efforts to make large modern tomatoes sweeter have resulted in smaller yields.
For this new study, the research team took a new approach. They began by looking into the reason for the loss of sweetness in tomatoes and partially corrected crossbreeding effects on the tomato genome.

The research team discovered two genes in multiple tomato variants that were more active in larger varieties. Called SlCDPK26 and SlCDPK27, the two genes were found to code for proteins that lowered the levels of enzymes that produce sugar. The researchers next genetically modified the genome of a variety of large tomato called Money Maker to disable the two genes they had identified.

Plants grown with the modification produced tomatoes with a 30% increase in fructose and glucose levels with no reduction in size or weight. The team further confirmed that the tomatoes were sweeter by tasting them. The gene alterations did not diminish yields—the only other difference they found was that the tomatoes produced fewer seeds, which were also smaller. They suggest consumers would probably like this added feature.

Jinzhe Zhang et al, Releasing a sugar brake generates sweeter tomato without yield penalty, Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08186-2

Amy Lanctot et al, Tomato engineering hits the sweet spot to make big sugar-rich fruit, Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/d41586-024-03302-8

Maternal stress linked to increased early onset epilepsy in children

 Researchers in Japan have linked maternal psychological distress during pregnancy to an increased risk of epilepsy in children.

Epilepsy affects 65 million people globally and is one of the most prevalent neurological disorders. Individuals with epilepsy often face discrimination and social stigma, enduring stress from living with a chronic, unpredictable disease.
Early onset of epilepsy before the age of three is associated with high rates of drug resistance and developmental delays. Previous studies have identified potential factors like placental abruption, eclampsia, infection during pregnancy, low birth weight, and artificial milk as risk factors for early childhood epilepsy.

In a research article, "The impact of maternal prenatal psychological distress on the development of epilepsy in offspring: The Japan Environment and Children's Study," published in PLOS ONE, researchers used a dataset obtained from the Japan Environment and Children's Study, a nationwide birth cohort involving nearly 100,000 participants, to evaluate the association between six-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) scores of mothers and epilepsy among 1 to 3-year-olds.

Self-reported data on 97,484 children were retrospectively analyzed for connections between the stress scores of expecting mothers and epilepsy outcomes in their children.

Maternal psychological distress was assessed using the six-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6), administered twice during pregnancy: once in the first half (median 15.1 weeks) and again in the second half (median 27.4 weeks). Participants were categorized into six groups based on K6 scores, classified as either low (4 or less) or moderate (5 or 6) distress at each time point.
Children diagnosed with epilepsy at ages 1, 2, and 3 numbered 89 (0.1%), 129 (0.2%), and 149 (0.2%), respectively. Findings indicated that a maternal K6 score of 5 or higher at both time points was associated with 70% higher epilepsy diagnosis ratios among children aged 1 to 3 years. Multivariate analysis confirmed this association, even after adjusting for potential confounding factors like low birth weight and chromosomal abnormalities.

The study concludes that "...environmental adjustments to promote relaxation in pregnant women are needed," which makes a tremendous amount of good sense, though they continue "...to prevent the development of epilepsy in their offspring," which might be a little more than what the study is actually telling us.

Part 1

The 70% increase is significant, though even with high maternal stress, epilepsy remains an extremely rare condition, and other factors seemed more prominent in the study analyses. Low birth weight was associated with a 180% increased risk by age 1, introduction to artificial milk in the first month showed a 203% increased risk by age 2, and having any chromosome abnormalities increased the risk by 2100% at age 1, 1567% at age 2, and 1000% at age 3.

 Yuto Arai et al, The impact of maternal prenatal psychological distress on the development of epilepsy in offspring: The Japan Environment and Children's Study, PLOS ONE (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0311666

Part 2

Detecting cancer in urine: Nanowire-based capture of micro-ribonucleic acids

Cancer has a high death rate with delayed diagnosis of the disease being one of the main reasons for its fatality. Early diagnosis of cancer is vital to improving patient outcomes and in recent years, the development of diagnostic tools to detect early-stage cancer has gained a lot of attention.

Cancer cells utilize specific micro-ribonucleic acids (miRNAs)-small noncoding RNAs to regulate gene expression and promote tumor formation. While circulating miRNAs are viable biomarkers of early cancer disease, the identification of cancer-related miRNAs in blood and other body fluids remains a challenge.

In this light, a team of researchers have focused their efforts on nanowire-based miRNA extraction and machine learning (ML) analysis to detect cancer-associated miRNAs in urine. Their research findings were published online in the journal Analytical Chemistry on October 18, 2024.

Circulating miRNAs in the blood are mostly encapsulated in extracellular vesicles (EVs) and carry critical regulatory information. These miRNAs differ between healthy individuals and those with cancer. By utilizing zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires to capture and extract miRNAs in urine, the research group has attempted to develop a non-invasive cancer detection tool.

Initially, the scientists utilized ZnO nanowires to capture EVs in urine samples and incorporated microarray technology to identify specific gene sequences in EV-encapsulated miRNAs. The ultracentrifugation technique was further used to compare and validate the efficiency of miRNA capture by nanowires.

The results revealed that EVs containing miRNAs, including exosomes-unique subtypes of EVs with sizes ranging from 40 nm to 200 nm, were efficiently captured on nanowires. Moreover, the presence of 2,486 miRNA species was confirmed during the miRNA profiling analysis of 200 urine samples.

Driven by the discovery of more than 2,000 miRNA species in urine samples, Yasui and the team hypothesized that most of the miRNAs in blood could be transferred to urine during the filtration process in kidneys. Subsequently, they employed a logistic regression classifier constructed using ML to identify lung cancer-associated urinary miRNA ensembles. The findings revealed one particular urinary miRNA ensemble, composed of 53 miRNA species, that could differentiate cancer and noncancer subjects with very high specificity and sensitivity.

Takao Yasui et al, Early Cancer Detection via Multi-microRNA Profiling of Urinary Exosomes Captured by Nanowires, Analytical Chemistry (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c02488

Scientists find a new way of entangling light and sound

For a wide variety of emerging quantum technologies, such as secure quantum communications and quantum computing, quantum entanglement is a prerequisite. Scientists at the Max-Planck-Institute for the Science of Light (MPL) have now demonstrated a particularly efficient way in which photons can be entangled with acoustic phonons.

The researchers were able to demonstrate that this entanglement is resilient to external noise, the usual pitfall of any quantum technology to date. They published their research in Physical Review Letters.

Changlong Zhu et al, Optoacoustic Entanglement in a Continuous Brillouin-Active Solid State System, Physical Review Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.203602

Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon in which particles become interconnected such that the state of one instantly influences the state of the other, regardless of the distance between them. Entanglement is an important phenomenon for many quantum technology applications because it can lead to secure quantum communications and high-dimensional quantum computing.

As photons, quanta of light, can propagate extremely fast while carrying quantum information, the entangling of pairs of photons via nonlinear optics is an established procedure.

Scientists at MPL have recently tackled the issue of establishing entanglement between very different entities, such as traveling sound waves, phonons, and optical photons. The proposed optoacoustic entanglement scheme is based on Brillouin scattering. It is particularly resilient, suitable for integration into quantum signal processing schemes and implementable at high environmental temperatures.
Entanglement has historically been fascinating at many different levels, as it strongly connects to our understanding of the fundamental laws of nature.

Quantum correlations among particles can persist even when separated by large distances. At the practical level, quantum entanglement is at the heart of many emerging quantum technologies. In the optical domain, entanglement of photons is fundamental to secure quantum communication methods or quantum computing schemes.
Photons, however, are volatile. Therefore, feasible alternatives are being sought for certain applications, such as quantum memory or quantum repeater schemes. One such alternative is the acoustic domain, where quanta are stored in acoustic or sound waves.

Scientists at the MPL have now indicated a particularly efficient way in which photons can be entangled with acoustic phonons: While the two quanta travel along the same photonic structures, the phonons move at a much slower speed. The underlying effect is the optical nonlinear effect known as Brillouin-Mandelstam scattering. It is responsible for coupling quanta at fundamentally different energy scales.

In their study, the scientists showed that the proposed entangling scheme can operate at temperatures in the tens of Kelvin. This is much higher than those required by standard approaches, which often employ expensive equipment such as dilution fridges. The possibility of implementing this concept in optical fibers or photonic integrated chips makes this mechanism of particular interest for use in modern quantum technologies.
Part 2

Spectacular chimneys discovered in the Dead Sea

Researchers have discovered meter-high chimneys on the floor of the Dead Sea. These are formed by the spontaneous crystallization of minerals from groundwater with an extremely high salt content flowing up out of the lake floor, they report in the journal Science of the Total Environment.

Discovered for the first time, these vents are an important early warning indicator for sinkholes. These subsidence craters form in the area surrounding the Dead Sea and pose a significant hazard to the population.

While black smokers along the mid-ocean ridge emit hot water containing sulfides at a depth of several thousand meters, the researchers in the Dead Sea discovered that highly saline groundwater flows out through the chimneys at the bottom of the lake.

Part 1

But where is the salt coming from? The explanation: The groundwater from the surrounding aquifers penetrates into the saline lake sediments, leaching out extremely old and thick layers of rock consisting mainly of the mineral halite. It then flows into the lake as brine.

Because the density of this brine is somewhat lower than that of the water in the Dead Sea, it rises upwards like a jet. It looks like smoke, but it's a saline fluid.
Contact with the lake water causes the dissolved salts, especially the halite, to spontaneously crystallize after emerging from the lake bed, where it forms the vents observed for the first time in the world. These can grow by several centimeters within a single day. Many of the slender chimneys were one to two meters high, but they also include giants more than seven meters high, with a diameter of more than 2–3 meters.
These white smokers are especially important because they can serve as an early warning indicator for sinkholes. These are subsidence craters up to 100 meters wide and up to 20 meters deep, thousands of which have formed along the Dead Sea in recent decades.

C. Siebert et al, A new type of submarine chimneys built of halite, Science of The Total Environment (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176752

Part 2

Electric field signals reveal early warnings for extreme weather, study reveals

A new study  has made significant advances in understanding how atmospheric electric field measurements can help predict severe weather events.

The research paper, titled "Understanding heavy precipitation events in southern Israel through atmospheric electric field observations," is now published in Atmospheric Research.

By closely examining low-pressure winter weather systems, known as "Cyprus Lows," in the arid Negev Desert of southern Israel, this research reveals new insights into the role of the electric field in anticipating heavy precipitation.

Focusing on "wet" Cyprus Lows—situations where rain falls as a cold front moves through—researchers observed substantial increases in the potential gradient of the electric field. Minute-by-minute data showed potential gradient values rising sharply from typical fair-weather levels (about 100–200 volts per meter) to hundreds and even thousands of volts per meter during rainfall.

These surges occurred as convective clouds passed overhead, indicating that different cloud types produce unique electric field patterns. The study also highlighted that factors beyond rain intensity, such as cloud structure and the electrical charge of rain droplets, play roles in these electric fluctuations.

Through these findings, the researchers identified how electric field variations correlate with specific weather conditions. This enhanced understanding of electric field responses to weather events could significantly improve nowcasting systems for predicting extreme weather, particularly in regions prone to flash floods and sudden weather changes.

This research demonstrates how electric field variations can serve as indicators of shifting weather patterns, allowing us to anticipate severe weather events in real-time.

Roy Yaniv et al, Understanding heavy precipitation events in southern Israel through atmospheric electric field observations, Atmospheric Research (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosres.2024.107757

Living microbes discovered in Earth's driest desert 

The Atacama Desert, which runs along the Pacific Coast in Chile, is the driest place on the planet and, largely because of that aridity, hostile to most living things. Not everything, though—studies of the sandy soil have turned up diverse microbial communities. Studying the function of microorganisms in such habitats is challenging, however, because it's difficult to separate genetic material from the living part of the community from genetic material of the dead.

A new separation technique can help researchers focus on the living part of the community. This week in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, an international team of researchers describes a new way to separate extracellular (eDNA) from intracellular (iDNA) genetic material. The method provides better insights into microbial life in low-biomass environments, which was previously not possible with conventional DNA extraction methods.

The microbiologists used the novel approach on Atacama soil samples collected from the desert along a west-to-east swath from the ocean's edge to the foothills of the Andes mountains. Their analyses revealed a variety of living and possibly active microbes in the most arid areas.

Alexander Bartholomäus et al. Inside the Atacama Desert: uncovering the living microbiome of an extreme environment, Applied and Environmental Microbiology (2024). DOI: 10.1128/aem.01443-24 journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/aem.01443-24

How does the brain keep calm? Insight into brain stability and the key role of NMDA receptors

Researchers  have made a fundamental discovery: the NMDA receptor (NMDAR)—long studied primarily for its role in learning and memory—also plays a crucial role in stabilizing brain activity.

By setting the "baseline" level for activity in neural networks, the NMDAR helps maintain stable brain function amidst continuous environmental and physiological changes. This discovery may lead to innovative treatments for diseases linked to disrupted neural stability, such as depression, Alzheimer's disease, and epilepsy.

In recent decades, brain research has mainly focused on processes that allow information encoding, memory, and learning, based on changes in synaptic connections between nerve cells. But the brain's fundamental stability, or homeostasis, is essential to support these processes.

This comprehensive project used three primary research methods: electrophysiological recordings from neurons in both cultured cells (in vitro) and living, behaving mice (in vivo) within the hippocampus, combined with computational modeling (in silico). Each approach provided unique insights into how NMDARs contribute to stability in neural networks.

These  findings suggest that ketamine's actions may stem from this newly discovered role of NMDAR: reducing the activity baseline in overactive brain regions seen in depression, like the lateral habenula, without interfering with homeostatic processes. This discovery could reshape our understanding of depression and pave the way for developing innovative treatments.

Antonella Ruggiero et al, NMDA receptors regulate the firing rate set point of hippocampal circuits without altering single-cell dynamics, Neuron (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.10.014

Cholesterol may not be the only lipid involved in trans fat-driven cardiovascular disease
Excess cholesterol is known to form artery-clogging plaques that can lead to stroke, arterial disease, heart attack, and more, making it the focus of many heart health campaigns. Fortunately, this attention to cholesterol has prompted the development of cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins and lifestyle interventions like dietary and exercise regimens. But what if there's more to the picture than just cholesterol?
New research from Salk Institute scientists describes how another class of lipids, called sphingolipids, contributes to arterial plaques and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Using a longitudinal study of mice fed high-fat diets—with no additional cholesterol—the team tracked how these fats flow through the body and found the progression of ASCVD induced by high trans fats was fueled by the incorporation of trans fats into ceramides and other sphingolipids. Knowing that sphingolipids promote atherosclerotic plaque formation reveals another side of cardiovascular disease in addition to cholesterol.

The findings, published in Cell Metabolism, open an entirely new avenue of potential drug targets to address these diseases and adverse health events like stroke or heart attacks.

When dietary fats enter the body through the foods we eat, they must be sorted and processed into compounds called lipids, such as triglycerides, phospholipids, cholesterol, or sphingolipids. Lipoproteins—like the familiar HDL, LDL, and VLDL—are used to transport these lipids through the blood.

Sphingolipids have become useful biomarkers for diseases like ASCVD, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, and neurodegeneration. However, it is unclear exactly how the incorporation of different dietary fats into sphingolipids leads to the development of ASCVD.

The fate of dietary fat is often determined by the protein that metabolizes it. 

The team suspected that trans fats were being incorporated into sphingolipids by SPT, which, in turn, would promote the excess lipoprotein secretion into the bloodstream that causes ASCVD.

To test their theory, they compared the processing of two different fats, cis fats and trans fats. The difference between these two comes down to the placement of a hydrogen atom; cis fats, found in natural foods like fish or walnuts, have a kink in their structure caused by two side-by-side hydrogen atoms, whereas trans fats, found in processed foods like margarine or anything fried, have a straight-chain structure caused by two opposing hydrogen atoms. Importantly, the kink in cis fats means they cannot be tightly packed—a positive feature for avoiding impenetrable clogs.

The researchers combined mouse model dietary manipulation with metabolic tracing, pharmacological interventions, and physiological analyses to answer their question—what is the link between trans fats, sphingolipids, and ASCVD?

Part 1

The researchers found the incorporation of trans fats through SPT increased lipoprotein secretion from the liver, which then promoted the formation of atherosclerotic plaques.
In the end, they saw mice consuming a high trans fat diet were producing trans fat-derived sphingolipids that promoted the secretion of VLDL from the liver into the bloodstream. This, in turn, accelerated the buildup of atherosclerotic plaques and the development of fatty livers and insulin dysregulation. High cis-fat diet mice, on the other hand, experienced shorter-term, less harmful effects like weight gain.

Jivani M. Gengatharan et al, Altered sphingolipid biosynthetic flux and lipoprotein trafficking contribute to trans-fat-induced atherosclerosis, Cell Metabolism (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2024.10.016

Part 2

Scientists Put Cats in Microgravity to See What Would Happen

There is, perhaps, no animal on this planet as lithe as the simple domestic cat. And not least in their bag of acrobatic tricks is one for which they are well-known: the ability to land, safely, on their velvet paws, when subjected to a tumble.

In the 1950s, humans discovered parabolic flight: the ability to simulate zero-G conditions using specially-designed aircraft plummeting along a precise flight trajectory. And with that came a devilish thought. What would happen to a cat's ability to land on its feet if they can't tell the difference between up and down?
So, this is what the bright minds at the US Air Force Aerospace Medical Research Lab decided to find out.

Parabolic flight is not true microgravity, but a brief experience of its effect. Just as a rapid descent in an elevator can make you feel lighter in your loafers, passengers on an aircraft will experience weightlessness while rapidly descending from a high altitude to a lower one. It's pretty disorienting, earning parabolic flight the nickname 'vomit comet' for good reason.

https://spacemedicineassociation.org/download/history/history_files...

Part 1

The first experiments were conducted on board a Convair C-131 Samaritan, and yes, there is absolutely video of the proceedings. A similar experiment involved releasing pigeons inside the C-131 during parabolic flight.

It's fascinating to watch. The narration for the video says the cats' "automatic reflex action is almost completely lost under weightlessness". Almost – but not quite. Although the cats seem disoriented, they are still able to twist and turn their bodies around as they try to figure out where they are going to fall.
Part 2

Blood vessel-like coating could make medical devices safer for patients

Researchers have developed a coating that could make medical devices safer for millions of patients, reducing the risks associated with blood clots and dangerous bleeding. The work has been published in Nature Materials.

The new material, designed to mimic the natural behavior of blood vessels, could allow for safer use of blood-contacting devices like catheters, stents, blood-oxygenation machines and dialysis machines—especially in cases where blood clots are a significant concern.

This discovery could be a transformative step in the development of safer medical devices. By designing a coating that mimics the body's natural approach to preventing clots, researchers have created a solution that could dramatically reduce the need for risky blood thinners before and after patients use these devices.

Thrombosis, or clot formation, is a major challenge when blood-contacting devices are used. Unlike natural blood vessels, these devices can trigger clotting by activating specific proteins in the blood. Blood clots can obstruct the device, disrupting treatment, or lead to severe complications such as stroke and heart attack.

Doctors often prescribe high doses of blood thinners to prevent clots on these devices, but this approach increases the risk of dangerous bleeding—a trade-off that many patients and clinicians would rather avoid.

The newly developed coating offers a promising alternative. It's engineered to imitate how blood vessels function—encouraging normal blood flow without triggering clot formation. Imagine the coating as a "soft barrier" on a device that attracts a key blood protein but keeps it from activating the clotting process.

By interacting with this protein in a controlled way, the coating prevents it from sparking a cascade of events that lead to clot formation.

In lab and animal studies, the coating demonstrated significant reductions in clot formation on device surfaces, without the use of blood thinners and without affecting the normal clotting functions elsewhere in the body.

One of the most surprising insights was that controlling the interaction between the coating and specific blood proteins could prevent clotting without disrupting the body's natural balance. This shows us that mimicking the body's own mechanisms, rather than simply repelling blood components, is key to truly biocompatible device design.

The innovation comes as demand for blood-contacting devices continues to rise. 

Additionally, the team is interested in understanding whether this approach could eventually be adapted to address other blood-related complications, such as inflammation or infection, in long-term medical implants.

Antithrombotic coating with sheltered positive charges prevents contact activation by controlling factor XII–biointerface binding, Nature Materials (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41563-024-02046-0

'Moonlighting' enzymes may lead to new cancer therapies

Researchers at the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG) reveal that metabolic enzymes known for their roles in energy production and nucleotide synthesis are taking on unexpected "second jobs" within the nucleus, orchestrating critical functions like cell division and DNA repair.

The discovery, reported in two separate research papers in Nature Communications, not only challenges longstanding biological paradigms in cellular biology but also opens new avenues for cancer therapies, particularly against aggressive tumors like triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

For decades, biology textbooks have neatly compartmentalized cellular functions. Mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell, the cytoplasm is a bustling factory floor for protein synthesis, and the nucleus a custodian of genetic information. However, scientists have now discovered that the boundaries between these cellular compartments are less defined than previously thought.

Metabolic enzymes are moonlighting outside of their traditional neighborhood. There's an overlap in the skillset, but they're doing entirely different jobs for entirely different purposes. Surprisingly, their secondary roles in the nucleus are just as critical as their primary metabolic functions.

In one of the studies, researchers  focused on the metabolic enzyme MTHFD2. Traditionally, MTHFD2 is found in the mitochondria, where it plays a key role in synthesizing the building blocks of life and contributing to cell growth. Others research  work reveals that MTHFD2 also moonlights within the nucleus, where it plays a pivotal role in ensuring proper cell division.

The study is the first to demonstrate that the nucleus relies on metabolic pathways to maintain the integrity and stability of the human genome. The nucleus isn't just a passive storage space for DNA; it has its own metabolic needs and processes.

Part 1

In the second study, researchers turned their attention to triple-negative breast cancer, the most aggressive type of breast cancer there is. The disease is responsible for around one in eight breast cancer diagnoses and amounts to roughly 200,000 new cases each year worldwide.

Usually, excessive DNA damage triggers cell death. However, TNBC has a propensity to accumulate DNA damage without consequence, making it resilient to conventional treatments. The study helps partly explain why: the metabolic enzyme IMPDH2 relocates to the nucleus of TNBC cells to assist in DNA repair processes.

IMPDH2 acts like a mechanic in the cell's nucleus, controlling the DNA damage response that would otherwise kill the cancer cell.
By experimentally manipulating IMPDH2 levels, the team found they could tip the balance. Increasing IMPDH2 within the nucleus overwhelmed the cancer cells' repair machinery, causing cells to self-destruct.

It's like overloading a sinking ship with more water—eventually, it sinks faster. Their approach effectively forces TNBC cells to succumb to the very DNA damage they are typically resilient to.
The study can also lead to new ways of monitoring cancer. The research on IMPDH2 also studied its interaction with PARP1, a protein already targeted by existing cancer drugs. IMPDH2 could serve as a biomarker to predict which tumors will respond to PARP1 inhibitors.
Both studies contribute to an emerging field of therapies targeting cancer by exploiting its metabolic vulnerabilities.

Nuclear localization of MTHFD2 is required for correct mitosis progression, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51847-z

Nuclear IMPDH2 controls the DNA damage response by modulating PARP1 activity, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53877-z

Part 2

DNA packaging directly affects how fast DNA is copied in cells, scientists discover

Researchers have found that the way DNA is packaged in cells can directly impact how fast DNA itself is copied during cell division. They discovered that DNA packaging sends signals through an unusual pathway, affecting the cell's ability to divide and grow.

This opens up new doors to study how the copying of the DNA and its packaging are linked. These findings, published in Molecular Cell, may help scientists to find therapies and medicines for diseases such as cancer in the future.

Every day, our cells divide. Each time they need to copy both their DNA and the structure in which the DNA is packed. This packaging, called chromatin, acts as a guide. It tells the cell how, where and when to 'read' and use the information in the DNA. It is important that both the DNA and its chromatin are copied accurately to ensure young and healthy cells. Problems with this process are often seen in diseases like cancer.

The copying of chromatin has a direct effect on the mechanisms that copy DNA itself. If there is a problem with DNA packaging, the cell quickly senses this issue. But instead of triggering a typical stress response, the cell responds by slowing down its cycle of growth and division, without stopping it completely. The slower cycle still allows the cell to divide, but the new cells often struggle to continue to grow, preventing them from dividing again.

So, these mechanisms, which copy DNA and its packaging, are closely connected to cell growth. This discovery paves the way for new studies on these pathways and how DNA packaging can control cell growth. In the future, this knowledge could help to find new treatments for diseases like cancer.

 Acute multi-level response to defective de novo chromatin assembly in S-phase, Molecular Cell (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.10.023. www.cell.com/molecular-cell/fu … 1097-2765(24)00863-3

'Drowning' and 'dying' mangrove forests in Maldives signal global coastal threat, say researchers

Researchers have found evidence that mangrove forests—which protect tropical and subtropical coastlines—are drowning in the Maldives.

Their findings, published 12 November in Scientific Reports,

The research team, led by Northumbria University, warn that the findings have implications not only for the Maldives, but also for other island nations and coastal ecosystems around the world.

In 2020, more than a quarter of the Maldivian islands containing mangrove forests saw their trees experiencing a gradual deterioration before dying, a condition known as dieback.

In 2020, more than a quarter of the Maldivian islands containing mangrove forests saw their trees experiencing a gradual deterioration before dying, a condition known as dieback.
Satellite imagery of both inhabited and uninhabited islands revealed the severity of this issue, showing that some islands lost over half of their mangrove cover.

Mangroves play an essential role in protecting coastal regions by acting as natural barriers against storms, erosion and flooding. As biodiversity hotspots, they are vital nurseries for marine species such as crabs, prawns and fish making them crucial for food security and livelihoods in many coastal communities. They also provide valuable resources such as construction materials for housing.

Researchers combined evidence from sea level, climate data and remote sensing with field observations of sediment geochemistry and dendrology to investigate the mangrove dieback.

Part 1

Their analysis of mangrove wood revealed that the dead trees showed greater signs of salinity stress compared to living trees.

This stress indicates that the roots of the trees were struggling to cope with increased salt levels, which was a key factor in their eventual death.
The researchers found that sea levels around the Maldives rose at an accelerated rate of over 30mm per year between 2017 to 2020. Towards the end of this period, an unusually intense climate phenomenon known as the Indian Ocean Dipole occurred. This caused warmer sea surface temperatures and an increase in sea level in the Western Indian Ocean.

Although mangroves naturally build up their own sediment, allowing them to adapt to gradually rising seas, this rate of sea level rise was too fast for the mangroves to keep pace.

As tidal movements are more limited in the basin areas where many mangrove forests grow, the rising sea level meant that seawater effectively flooded the forests. This lack of tidal movement and flooding prevented the mangroves from building the sediment they needed to stay above water. They eventually lost their resilience and died off by drowning.
As the mangroves' build-up of sediment slowed down due to the pace of the rising sea level, the soil salinity increased beyond what even these salt-tolerant trees could handle. Essentially, the mangroves were drowning.

The extreme magnitude of dieback seen in the Maldives is a vivid illustration of how climate change may push natural systems past their limits, with cascading consequences for both nature and people.

Carruthers, L. et al. Sea-level rise and extreme Indian Ocean Dipole explain mangrove dieback in the Maldives, Scientific Reports (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-73776-z

Part 2

Plastic that dissolves in water

At a time when synthetic plastic has polluted nearly every corner of the globe and appeared in food and in the human body,  researchers have developed a new plastic that dissolves in water.

The kind of impact that human-made materials are making on the living world is resulting in climate change, pollution and more. One of the ways that we are able to address this is to make materials sustainable and also make materials which are smart or intelligent.

This new bioplastic MECHS—an acronym for Mechanical Engineered Living Materials with Compostability, Healability and Scalability is one such effort.

The researchers presented their discovery in a paper published in the journal Nature Communications.

The study showcases the researchers' most recent work with engineered living materials, which use living cells to produce functional materials.

First, the nature-inspired solutions can be made to regenerate, regulate and/or respond to external stimuli such as light and can even heal itself.

Secondly, unlike the plastics that are polluting the planet and our bodies, the materials are biodegradable in water and even the compost bin.

But while engineered living materials have been manipulated to adhere, catalyze and remediate, and be either soft or stiff, such materials have not been scalable for widespread production.

That's where MECHS comes in.

MECHS consists of engineered E. coli bacteria with a fiber matrix to create a paper- or film-like material.

The fibers give MECHS several desirable properties. It means that MECHS can stretch like plastic wrap, can be genetically engineered by adding proteins or peptides to make it more or less stiff. And it is healable—a small amount of water disentangles the fibers, which then re-entangle as the MECHS dries.

Meanwhile, a lot of water or a trip to a compost bin causes the material to dissolve. In fact, it dissolves much faster than other biodegradable plastics, the researchers found.

Finally, the material can also be easily mass produced in a process similar to paper manufacturing.

 Avinash Manjula-Basavanna et al, Mechanically Tunable, Compostable, Healable and Scalable Engineered Living Materials, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53052-4

**

Young coral use metabolic tricks to resist bleaching, research reveals

Coral larvae reduce their metabolism and increase nitrogen uptake to resist bleaching at high temperatures, according to a study published November 12 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology.

High ocean temperatures cause coral bleaching, which results from the disruption of the relationship between corals and their symbiotic algae, an increasing concern as global temperatures rise. However, relatively little research has examined the effects of high temperatures during the early life stages of corals.

In this study, researchers exposed coral larvae to high temperatures at the Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology. For three days during their first week of development, the larvae and their algal symbionts were treated to temperatures 2.5 degrees Celsius above ambient temperature, similar to expected changes in seawater due to climate change.

The coral larvae showed no signs of bleaching in the heated water, and they were able to maintain rates of algal photosynthesis and the supply of carbon-based nutrition from the algae to the host. However, there was a 19% reduction in coral metabolism, as well as increased uptake and storage of nitrogen by the coral, both of which are apparent strategies that improve coral survival.

Reduced metabolism allows the coral to conserve energy and resources, also seen in adult corals during bleaching. The change in nitrogen cycling seems to be an adaptation by the coral to limit the amount of nitrogen available to the algae, thus preventing algal overgrowth and the destabilization of the coral-algae relationship.
It remains unclear how effective these strategies are at higher temperatures and for longer durations. Further research into the details and limitations of coral reaction to high temperatures will provide crucial knowledge for predicting coral response and protecting coral reefs as global temperatures continue to rise.

The authors add, "This research reveals that coral larvae must invest in their nutritional partnership with algae to withstand stress, offering key insights into strategies to avoid bleaching in earliest life stages of corals."

Huffmyer AS, et al. Coral larvae increase nitrogen assimilation to stabilize algal symbiosis and combat bleaching under increased temperature, PLOS Biology (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002875

**

Study challenges popular belief that children are quicker at picking up new motor skills than adults

Contrary to popular belief, children aren't better at learning new skills than adults. Indeed, young adults seem to learn faster than kids—but also tend to forget more quickly. Here, better sleep seems to advantage children. This is the conclusion of a new study.

It's widely believed that children learn new motor skills faster than adults, whether it's mastering slopes or skateparks, learning new languages, doing cartwheels or picking up new dance moves from TikTok.

"There's an assumption in popular science literature and various textbooks that children in a certain age range—from roughly the age of 8 until puberty—are better at learning new skills than adults. This is often described as a 'golden age for motor skills learning.'But there's no actual physiological basis for this so-called golden age.

The popular notion of a pre-pubescent motor learning peak prompted the researchers to investigate how age-related differences in our central nervous system affect motor skill learning. Their findings are now published in Developmental Science.

In the study, the researchers tested the motor learning abilities of 132 participants from four age groups: 8–10 years, 12–14 years, 16–18 years, and 20–30 years. In a lab setting, participants practiced moving a cursor on a computer screen with fast and precise finger movements.

Participant performance was measured immediately after being introduced to the task (as a baseline), during the training session, and again 24 hours later.
During the training session itself, both the 16- to 18-year-olds and 20- to 30-year-olds improved their skills significantly more than the 8- to 10-year-olds.

"So it appears that both teenagers and younger adults are better equipped to quickly acquire new skills compared to children, who showed smaller and slower improvements. At least when it comes to short-term learning and motor skills which this study investigated,

While the researchers cannot pinpoint the exact reasons for why the adults learn faster, they have a few theories.

"The results demonstrate that the older the participants are, the more skillful they become during the early stages of training. This suggests that they get more out of the task introduction. We suspect that cognitive development and an increased ability to process information play a role—meaning adults may have more experience receiving instructions and translating them into action.

"The difference may also be because the fully developed nervous system of an adult provides better structural conditions for learning. In other words, after many years of schooling, adults may be more experienced learners and thereby more efficient at learning new things.
The picture changes when it comes to retention.

"When the researchers looked at what happens from the end of training until the participants return the next day, the dynamic reverses. While the youngest participants actually improve overnight, adults lose some of their ability to perform. This means the youngest ones are better at consolidating and reinforcing their memory after they've practiced,
According to the researchers, this suggests that sleep benefits children's learning and memory more. But other factors could also be at play. For example, older children and adults typically sleep less and have more "competing" activities throughout the day. Memory-consolidation processes in the nervous system continue for hours after the training ends.
When a math class ends, the brain keeps working on what was taught, and in doing so, reinforces memory. Sleep is known to aid consolidation. But engaging in other activities in the hours after—especially those that involve learning—can interfere with memory processes and the consolidation of what was just learned.
While the overall learning outcome doesn't vary drastically across age groups, the study does show that the learning process differs significantly depending on age, with underlying mechanisms influenced by the maturity of one's central nervous system.

Mikkel Malling Beck et al, Distinct mechanisms for online and offline motor skill learning across human development, Developmental Science (2024). DOI: 10.1111/desc.13536

Part 2

**

Using personal care products during and after pregnancy can increase exposure to toxic chemicals

For people who are pregnant or nursing, more use of personal care products is associated with higher detectable levels of synthetic chemicals known to have adverse health effects, a new study by researchers has found.

The study,   published in Environment International, found that using personal care products like nail polish, makeup and hair dye while pregnant or lactating is associated with significantly higher levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, in blood plasma and breast milk.

While PFAS are ubiquitous in the environment, this study indicates that personal care products are a modifiable source of PFAS. People who are concerned about their level of exposure to these chemicals during pregnancy or while breastfeeding may benefit from cutting back on personal care products during those times.

PFAS are synthetic chemicals that have been used in consumer products and industrial settings since the 1950s due to their ability to resist oil, water and heat. The study notes that PFAS have been associated with a range of adverse health effects, including liver disease, cardiometabolic and cardiovascular issues, and various cancers.

While several studies have detected these chemicals in personal care products directly, few have evaluated whether using these products impacts internal PFAS concentrations.

This is important, she added, because exposure to PFAS during pregnancy could contribute to adverse birth outcomes such as decreased birth weight, preterm birth, some neurodevelopmental disorders and diminished vaccine response in children.

The analyzed data from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals Study, which enrolled 2,001 pregnant people from 10 cities across Canada between 2008 and 2011. The researchers evaluated the contribution of the use of personal care products on PFAS concentrations in prenatal plasma (6 to 13 weeks gestation) and human milk (2 to 10 weeks postpartum). Participants reported frequency of use across eight product categories during the first and third pregnancy trimesters, one to two days postpartum, and 2 to 10 weeks postpartum.

In first-trimester pregnant people, the researchers found that higher use of nail care products, fragrances, makeup, hair dyes and hair sprays or gels was associated with higher plasma PFAS concentrations. Similar results were observed for third-trimester personal care product use and breast-milk PFAS concentrations at 2 to 10 weeks postpartum.

Part1

For instance, participants who wore makeup daily in the first and third trimesters had 14% and 17% higher plasma and breast-milk PFAS concentrations, respectively, compared to people who did not wear makeup every day. In addition, the researchers found that people using colored-permanent dye one to two days postpartum had higher PFAS levels (16% to 18% increases compared to never using them) in human milk concentrations.

The researchers noted that the study examined only four types of PFAS among thousands that are used in industry and commerce. Thus, the study likely underestimated the extent of exposure to all PFAS from these products during pregnancy.

Amber M Hall et al, Personal care product use and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in pregnant and lactating people in the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals study, Environment International (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.109094

Part 2

Self-treatment sparks ethics debate

Virologist Beata Halassy treated her own breast cancer by injecting the tumour with viruses she grew in the lab. In 2020, Halassy discovered she had a second recurrence of breast cancer at the site of a previous mastectomy. To avoid another bout of chemotherapy, she self-administered experimental oncolytic virotherapy. Halassy has now been cancer-free for four years. Her decision to treat herself, and subsequently publish a report detailing the process, has sparked discussion about the ethics of self-experimentation and the risk it might encourage others to try unproven treatments. “It took a brave editor to publish the report,” says Halassy.

Nature | 
Reference: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/12/9/958