Widely used food additive affects the human gut microbiota

Have you heard about the food additive E415? It is also known as xanthan gum. Most likely, you eat it several times a week. Xanthan gum is used in everyday foods such as baked goods, ice cream and salad dressings. The additive is also widely used as a substitute for gluten in gluten-free foods.

When xanthan gum was first introduced, it was thought that the additive went straight through the body without affecting the person who ate it.

Xanthan gum is a different type of carbohydrate from those that the human body is used to consume, such as starch from plant food. It has a different chemical structure. Xanthan gum is a type of complex carbohydrate that is not similar to any of the plant fibers we normally eat.

When it was first introduced, xanthan gum was thought to not affect us as it was not digested by the human body. However, the new study shows that the additive nevertheless affects the bacteria that live in our intestines. And these bacteria are important for our health and well-being.

The gut bacteria researchers have investigated show genetic changes and a rapid adaptation to enable them to digest this particular additive.

the new study shows that gut bacteria break down xanthan gum to its constituent monosaccharides, which are subsequently fermented to produce short-chain fatty acids that can be assimilated by the human body. Short-chain fatty acids are known to supply up to 10 percent of calories to humans.

This suggests xanthan gum could in fact add to a person's calorie intake.

We only see these changes in gut bacteria of people eating a 'westernized diet' where processed foods and additives make up a significant part of the food intake. For example, we do not see the same changes in indigenous people from different parts of the globe who eat limited amounts of processed foods.

Matthew P. Ostrowski et al, Mechanistic insights into consumption of the food additive xanthan gum by the human gut microbiota, Nature Microbiology (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01093-0

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-04-widely-food-additive-affects...

Treating diabetes without drugs: Novel non-pharmacologic treatments are on the horizon

A research team demonstrated the ability to use ultrasound to stimulate specific neurometabolic pathways in the body to prevent or reverse the onset of type 2 diabetes in three different preclinical models. 

The team of investigators is now conducting human feasibility trials with type 2 diabetic subjects, moving medicine closer to the day when diabetes is no longer monitored and managed with blood sugar tests, insulin injections, and drug treatments. The goal of the studies is to provide a long-lasting treatment for people with type 2 diabetes to alleviate and potentially reverse the disease.

If this ongoing clinical trials confirm the promise of the preclinical studies reported in this new study, and ultrasound can be used to lower both insulin and glucose levels, ultrasound neuromodulation would represent an exciting and entirely new addition to the current treatment options for the patients.

The reported findings represent a significant milestone in the field of bioelectronic medicine, which is exploring new ways to treat chronic diseases such as diabetes using novel medical devices to modulate the body's nervous system. 

 Victoria Cotero et al, Stimulation of the hepatoportal nerve plexus with focused ultrasound restores glucose homoeostasis in diabetic mice, rats and swine, Nature Biomedical Engineering (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41551-022-00870-w

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-04-diabetes-drugs-non-pharmacol...

Presentation #4pBAb11, "Therapeutic ultrasound-induced insulin release in vivo" will be at 4:40 p.m., Thursday, May 16, in the Nunn room of the Galt House in Louisville, Kentucky. acousticalsociety.org/asa-meetings/

Ultrasound used to trigger insulin release in mice shows promise for diabetes therapy

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-05-ultrasound-trigger-insulin-m...

Scientists develop a recyclable pollen-based paper for repeated printing and 'unprinting'

Scientists  have developed a pollen-based "paper" that, after being printed on, can be "erased" and reused multiple times without any damage to the paper.

In a research paper published online in Advanced Materials on 5 April, the NTU Singapore scientists demonstrated how high-resolution color images could be printed on the non-allergenic pollen paper with a laser printer, and then "unprinted"—by completely removing the toner without damaging the paper—with an alkaline solution. They demonstrated that this process could be repeated up to at least eight times.

This innovative, printer-ready pollen paper could become an eco-friendly alternative to conventional paper, which is made via a multi-step process with a significant negative environmental impact.

It could also help to reduce the carbon emissions and energy usage associated with conventional paper recycling, which involves repulping, de-toning (removal of printer toner) and reconstruction.

Ze Zhao et al, Recyclable and Reusable Natural Plant‐Based Paper for Repeated Digital Printing and Unprinting, Advanced Materials (2022). DOI: 10.1002/adma.202109367

https://techxplore.com/news/2022-04-scientists-recyclable-pollen-ba...

Researchers develop injectable microtissue to preserve muscle function in rats with severed sciatic nerves

Researchers engineered the first injectable microtissue containing motor and sensory neurons encased in protective tissue, called tissue engineered neuromuscular interfaces (TE-NMIs). The TE-NMI neurons provide a source of axons to muscles in rats who suffered nerve injuries, and “babysit” the muscles to prevent degeneration and loss of function, while the damaged nerve regrows, according to the researchers.

The TE-NMIs are comprised of nerve cells encapsulated in a protective hydrogel, and the entire microenvironment is injected in close proximity to muscles. This “ship in a bottle” method protects the neurons and increases the likelihood that a greater quantity of axons will connect with the muscle and maintain regenerative pathways.

Researchers severed the sciatic nerve in rats, and injected them with either a TE-NMI or a microtissue without any neurons. In the group that received TE-NMIs, researchers were able to electrically stimulate the nerve stump being “babysat” by the TE-NMI and record a muscle response up to five months after the tissue was implanted. No muscle response was detected in the control group.

Justin C. Burrell, Suradip Das, Franco A. Laimo, Kritika S. Katiyar, Kevin D. Browne, Robert B. Shultz, Vishal J. Tien, Phuong T. Vu, Dmitriy Petrov, Zarina S. Ali, Joseph M. Rosen, D. Kacy Cullen. Engineered neuronal microtissue provides exogenous axons for delayed nerve fusion and rapid neuromuscular recovery in rats. Bioactive Materials, 2022; 18: 339 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2022.03.018

https://researchnews.cc/news/12532/Penn-researchers-develop-injecta...

Microplastics found in lung tissue from live human beings for the first time

A team of researchers has identified minute particles of plastic in lung tissue removed from live human patients, marking the first time such materials have been observed in living human patients. The group has published a paper describing their findings in the journal Science of the Total Environment.

Prior studies have shown that plastics of all sizes have been winding up in places all across the planet. More recently, studies have found tiny bits of plastics in animals and in humans. Such particles have been found in the spleen, kidneys and liver of both live and deceased humans. And just last month a team in the Netherlands reported finding microplastics in the bloodstream of a live human patient. In this new effort, the researchers report having found microplastics in lung tissue taken from live patients in a hospital.

Suspecting that micro-sized bits of plastic might be inhaled by some people, the researchers worked with surgical teams at Castle Hill Hospital and their patients. The patients were undergoing surgery for treatment of various lung ailments and agreed to allow tissue removed from their lungs during surgery to be examined by the research team. Under such an arrangement, the research team was able to collect 13 samples, each of which went under the microscope. They found bits of plastic in 11 of them.

In studying the bits of plastic, the researchers found 12 different kinds, including those used in common household applications, such as clothing, packaging and bottles. But most surprising was where the plastic bits were found. In addition to the upper part of the lungs, where such particles would be expected to collect, the team found them in the lower regions. This was surprising because the airways in such parts of the lungs are much smaller, making it much more difficult for particles to reach them. The researchers were also surprised to find higher levels of the plastics in male patients as opposed to female patients.

Lauren C. Jenner et al, Detection of microplastics in human lung tissue using μFTIR spectroscopy, Science of The Total Environment (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154907

https://phys.org/news/2022-04-microplastics-lung-tissue-human.html?...

Old skin cells reprogrammed to regain youthful function

Research  has developed a method to "time jump" human skin cells by 30 years, turning back the aging clock for cells without losing their specialized function. Work by researchers in the  Epigenetics research program has been able to partly restore the function of older cells, as well as rejuvenating the molecular measures of biological age. The research is published recently in the journal eLife, and while this topic is still at an early stage of exploration, it could revolutionize regenerative medicine.

As we age, our cells' ability to function declines and the genome accumulates marks of aging. Regenerative biology aims to repair or replace cells including old ones. One of the most important tools in regenerative biology is our ability to create "induced" stem cells. The process is a result of several steps, each erasing some of the marks that make cells specialized. In theory, these stem cells have the potential to become any cell type, but scientists aren't yet able to reliably recreate the conditions to re-differentiate stem cells into all cell types.

The new method, based on the Nobel Prize-winning technique scientists use to make stem cells, overcomes the problem of entirely erasing cell identity by halting reprogramming part of the way through the process. This allowed researchers to find the precise balance between reprogramming cells, making them biologically younger, while still being able to regain their specialized cell function.

Multi-omic rejuvenation of human cells by maturation phase transient reprogramming, eLife, 2022. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.71624

https://phys.org/news/2022-04-skin-cells-reprogrammed-regain-youthf...

The Problem with Deep Space Travel

What Is Life? (featuring Prof. Brian Cox)

Climatic variability might not drive evolutionary change as much as previously thought, study finds

A new study combining climate data with fossil records of large mammals that lived across Africa during the last 4 million years casts doubt on a long-standing hypothesis that repeated shifts in climate acted as major drivers of evolutionary change in mammals, including human ancestors.

Published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study yields an African continent-wide synthesis of environmental variability during the Plio-Pleistocene, a period in Earth's history that spans roughly the last 5 million years and includes the last ice age about 20,000 years ago.

The study finds that environmental variability during that time mirrors changes in the Earth's orbit and orientation with respect to the sun, as predicted by a natural phenomenon known as Milankovic cycles. These cycles expose our planet to varying intensity of solar radiation, resulting in well-documented, cyclical effects on Earth's climate at various frequencies.

The researchers observed a long-term trend of increasing environmental variability across Africa attributable to variations in global ice volume and ocean temperature. The results did not, however, yield a significant correlation between environmental variation and rates of species origination or extinction, suggesting that environmental variability and species turnover may not be closely related.

Plio-Pleistocene environmental variability in Africa and its implications for mammalian evolution, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2022). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2107393119.

https://phys.org/news/2022-04-climatic-variability-evolutionary-pre...

Decoy particles trick coronavirus as it evolves

They might look like cells and act like cells. But a new potential COVID-19 treatment is actually a cleverly disguised trickster, which attracts viruses and binds them, rendering them inactive.

As the ever-evolving SARS-CoV-2 virus begins to evade once promising treatments, such as monoclonal antibody therapies, researchers have become more interested in these "decoy" nanoparticles. Mimicking regular cells, decoy nanoparticles soak up viruses like a sponge, inhibiting them from infecting the rest of the body.

In a new study, Northwestern University synthetic biologists set out to elucidate the design rules needed make decoy nanoparticles effective and resistant to viral escape. After designing and testing various iterations, the researchers identified a broad set of decoys—all manufacturable using different methods—that were incredibly effective against the original virus as well as mutant variants.

In fact, decoy nanoparticles were up to 50 times more effective at inhibiting naturally occurring viral mutants, compared to traditional, protein-based inhibitor drugs. When tested against a viral mutant designed to resist such treatments, decoy nanoparticles were up to 1,500 times more effective at inhibiting infection.

Although much more research and clinical evaluations are needed, the researchers believe decoy nanoparticle infusions someday could potentially be used to treat patients with severe or prolonged viral infections.

Taylor F. Gunnels et al, Elucidating Design Principles for Engineering Cell‐Derived Vesicles to Inhibit SARS‐CoV‐2 Infection, Small (2022). DOI: 10.1002/smll.202200125

https://phys.org/news/2022-04-decoy-particles-coronavirus-evolves.h...

New evidence shows blood or plasma donations can reduce the PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ in our bodies

You might have heard of PFAS, a synthetic chemical found in certain legacy firefighting foams, non-stick pans, carpets, clothes and stain- or water-resistant materials and paints.

PFAS stands for “per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances”. These molecules, made up of chains of carbon and fluorine atoms, are nicknamed “forever chemicals” because they don’t degrade in our bodies.

There is global concern about PFAS because they have been used widely, are persistent in the environment and accumulate in our bodies over time.

There was no way to reduce the amount of PFAS found in the body – until now.

But a new randomised clinical trial, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, has found regularly donating blood or plasma can reduce blood PFAS levels.

The trial involved 285 Fire Rescue Victoria staff and contractors with elevated levels of PFOS, a common detected type of PFAS used in some firefighting foams.

They were randomly allocated to donate plasma every six weeks, to donate whole blood every 12 weeks, or to make no donations (the control group) for 12 months.

Their PFAS levels were measured at four intervals: at recruitment, the start of the trial, after 12 months of following their treatment plan, and again three months later to test if the results were sustained.

Both blood and plasma donation resulted in significantly lower PFAS chemicals than the control group, and these differences were maintained three months later.

Plasma donation was most effective, resulting in a roughly 30% decrease in average blood serum PFAS concentrations over the 12-month trial period.

Part 1

Reductions in PFAS levels from blood or plasma donations may be because PFAS are bound to proteins primarily found in the serum; many other organic pollutants are bound to fats.

The finding that plasma was more effective than blood donation might be because firefighters in the plasma donation group donated blood every six weeks, whereas those in the blood donation group donated every 12 weeks.

In addition, each plasma donation can amount to as much as 800mL compared with 470mL for whole blood.

Plasma PFAS concentrations are also about two times higher than blood PFAS concentrations, which could make plasma donation more efficient at reducing the body burden of PFAS chemicals.

This study provides the first avenue for affected individuals to remove PFAS from their bodies and redress the effects of their PFAS exposure.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2790905

https://theconversation.com/new-evidence-shows-blood-or-plasma-dona...

part 2

New study reveals how to rejuvenate the immune system of elderly people and reduce their risk of infectious disease

A new study identifies a reason for why older adults are significantly more susceptible to infectious diseases than younger people. Study results also pave the way for new potential therapeutic targets to rejuvenate the immune system in older adults and thereby reduce their risk of infectious disease.

T cell immunity declines with aging, thereby increasing severity and mortality from infectious disease. T cells are the quarterback of the immune system and coordinate immune responses to fight off infections. The addition of complex and branched carbohydrate chains ('glycans') to proteins suppresses T cells function.

In this study, researchers show that the branched glycans increase with age in T cells from females more than in males due to age-associated increases in an important sugar metabolite (N-acetylglucosamine) and signaling by the T cell cytokine interleukin-7.

This research reveals that reversing the elevation in branched glycans rejuvenates human and mouse T cell function and reduces severity of Salmonella infection in old female mice.

This suggests several potential novel therapeutic targets to revitalize old T cells, such as altering branched glycans or the age-triggered elevation in serum N-acetylglucosamine and IL-7 signaling.

Haik Mkhikian et al, Age-associated impairment of T cell immunity is linked to sex-dimorphic elevation of N-glycan branching, Nature Aging (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s43587-022-00187-y

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-04-reveals-rejuvenate-immune-el...

Keeping web-like NETs from clogging blood vessels could improve stroke outcomes

Preventing the formation of a sticky, web-like substance that can form in blood vessels after a stroke could protect the brain and lead to better outcomes for patients, studies in mice suggest.

Stroke is a leading cause of disability in the world. The most common form, ischemic stroke, occurs when a vessel-blocking clot impedes the flow of blood to the brain. Quick treatment to break up or remove the clot can restore blood flow and limit damage to the brain.

But according to the new study, the blood that comes rushing back carries cells with the potential to cause further harm. Brain damage can worsen even after a clot has been eliminated when immune cells in the blood release sticky webs, known as neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), that further clog vessels.

Those NETs can gum up the vessels [in the brain] by trapping other cells and reducing the amount of blood flow, causing more brain injury. Markers of NETs correlated with poorer stroke outcomes in patients.

Researchers now found they could prevent these effects in a mouse model of stroke by treating animals with a NET-blocking compound.

Frederik Denorme et al, Neutrophil extracellular traps regulate ischemic stroke brain injury, Journal of Clinical Investigation (2022). DOI: 10.1172/JCI154225

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-04-web-like-nets-clogging-blood...

The lifespan secret

Ageing is linked to accumulated mutations - according to new research.

 Declining nitrogen availability in a nitrogen rich world

Research and discussion in recent times  has focused on the negative effects of excess nitrogen on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. However, new evidence indicates that the world is now experiencing a dual trajectory in nitrogen availability with many areas experiencing a hockey-stick shaped decline in the availability of nitrogen. In a new review paper in the journal Science, researchers have described the causes for these declines and the consequences on how ecosystems function.

There is both too much nitrogen and too little nitrogen on Earth at the same time now. 

Over the last century, humans have more than doubled the total global supply of reactive nitrogen through industrial and agricultural activities. This nitrogen becomes concentrated in streams, inland lakes, and coastal bodies of water, sometimes resulting in eutrophication, low-oxygen dead-zones, and harmful algal blooms. These negative impacts of excess nitrogen have led scientists to study nitrogen as a pollutant. However, rising CO2 and other global changes have increased demand for nitrogen by plants and microbes. In many areas of the world that are not subject to excessive inputs of nitrogen from people, long-term records demonstrate that nitrogen availability is declining, with important consequences for plant and animal growth.

Nitrogen is an essential element in proteins and as such its availability is critical to the growth of plants and the animals that eat them. Gardens, forests, and fisheries are almost all more productive when they are fertilized with moderate amounts of nitrogen. If plant nitrogen becomes less available, plants grow more slowly and their leaves are less nutritious to insects, potentially reducing growth and reproduction, not only of insects, but also the birds and bats that feed on them.

When nitrogen is less available, every living thing holds on to the element for longer, slowing the flow of nitrogen from one organism to another through the food chain. This is why we can say that the nitrogen cycle is slowing down.

Researchers reviewed long-term, global and regional studies and found evidence of declining nitrogen availability. 

These declines are likely caused by multiple environmental changes, one being elevated atmospheric CO2 changes. Atmospheric carbon dioxide has reached its highest level in millions of years, and terrestrial plants are exposed to about 50% more of this essential resource than just 150 years ago. Elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide fertilizes plants, allowing faster growth, but diluting plant nitrogen in the process, leading to a cascade of effects that lower the availability of nitrogen. On top of increasing atmospheric CO2, warming and disturbances, including wildfire, can also reduce availability over time.

Declining nitrogen availability is also likely constraining the ability of plants to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Rachel E. Mason et al, Evidence, Causes, and Consequences of Declining Nitrogen Availability in Terrestrial Ecosystems, Science (2022). DOI: 10.1126/science.abh3767. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abh3767

Scientists experimentally confirm new fundamental law for liquids

The first experimental evidence to validate a newly published universal law that provides insights into the complex energy states for liquids has been found using an advanced nuclear technique.

The equation for the vibrational density of states formulated by Alessio Zaccone and Matteo Bagglioli was published in a paper in PNAS in 2021, providing an answer to a question that has been elusive for at least a century.

The elegant mathematical theory has solved the problem of obtaining the distribution of these complex energy states for liquids.

"One of the most important quantities in the physics of matter is the distribution of the frequencies or vibrational energies of the waves that propagate in the material. It is particularly important as it is the starting point for calculating and understanding some fundamental properties of matter, such as specific heat and thermal conductivity, and the light-matter interaction.

The big problem with liquids is that, in addition to acoustic waves, there are other types of vibrational excitations related to low energies of the disordered motion of atoms and molecules— excitations that are almost absent in solids. These excitations are typically short-lived and are linked to the dynamic chaos of molecular motions but are nevertheless very numerous and important, especially at low energies. Mathematically, these excitations, known as 'instantaneous normal modes' or INMs in the specialized literature are very difficult to deal with as they correspond to energy states described by imaginary numbers.

Part 1

The time-of-flight neutron spectrometer Pelican at ANSTO's Center for Neutron Scattering has been used to measure the vibrational densities of states for several liquid systems including water, liquid metal, and polymer liquids. The Pelican instrument has the extreme sensitivity to measure rotational and translational vibrations over short time intervals and at low energies.

The experiments at ANSTO confirmed the linear relationship of the vibrational density of states with frequency at low energies as predicted earlier.

Caleb Stamper et al, Experimental Confirmation of the Universal Law for the Vibrational Density of States of Liquids, The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters (2022). DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c00297

Alessio Zaccone et al, Universal law for the vibrational density of states of liquids, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2021). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2022303118

https://phys.org/news/2022-04-surfing-atomic-scale-scientists-exper...

Part 2

Gut bacterium supports growth in infants with severe acute malnutrition

About 18 million children under age five suffer from severe acute malnutrition, and more than 3 million children die from it each year. Treatment with high-calorie supplemental foods and antibiotics can prevent deaths, but these interventions often have limited impact on the long-term effects of severe acute malnutrition, such as persistent stunted growth, disrupted immune function and impaired brain development. Even when treated with standard therapeutic foods, many children continue to have moderate forms of the disease and are at risk of falling back into severe acute malnutrition.

A new study, published April 13 in the journal Science Translational Medicine, from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research in Dhaka, Bangladesh (icddr,b), shows that a standard milk-based therapy plus treatment with a specific strain of gut bacteria known as Bifidobacterium infantis (B. infantis) for four weeks promotes weight gain in infants with severe acute malnutrition, with accompanying reductions in gut inflammation. 

The B. infantis strain was chosen for the trial because it has been shown to be safe to give to infants as a probiotic and is known to thrive on specific carbohydrates present in human breast milk. Importantly, the investigators found that B. infantis was either undetectable or present in markedly reduced amounts in infants with severe acute malnutrition compared to those with healthy growth.

 Michael J. Barratt et al, Bifidobacterium infantis treatment promotes weight gain in Bangladeshi infants with severe acute malnutrition, Science Translational Medicine (2022). DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abk1107

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-04-gut-bacterium-growth-infants...

Injectable stem cell assembly for cartilage regeneration

A new study  has established an injectable hybrid inorganic (IHI) nanoscaffold-templated stem cell assembly and applied it to the regeneration of critically-sized cartilage defects.

Cartilage injuries are often devastating and most of them have no cures due to the intrinsically low regeneration capacity of cartilage tissues. The rise of 3D stem cell culture systems has led to breakthroughs in developmental biology, disease modeling, and regenerative medicine. For example, stem cells, once transplanted successfully, could initially secret trophic factors for reducing inflammation at sites of cartilage injuries and then differentiate into cartilage cells (e.g., chondrocytes) for functional restoration. Nevertheless, there are critical barriers remaining to be overcome before the therapeutic potential of stem cell therapies can be realized. The limited control over the chondrogenic differentiation of stem cells in vivo has often resulted in compromised regenerative outcomes. Moreover, due to the prevalence of oxidative stress and inflammation in the microenvironment of injury sites, stem cells frequently undergo apoptosis after injection. To address these challenges, the researchers demonstrated the development of a 3D IHI nanoscaffold-templated stem cell assembly system for advanced 3D stem cell culture and implantation. 3D-IHI nanoscaffold rapidly assembles stem cells into injectable tissue constructs through tailored 3D cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, deeply and homogeneously delivers chondrogenic proteins in the assembled 3D culture systems, and controllably induces chondrogenesis through nanotopographical effects.

Once implanted in vivo in a rabbit cartilage injury model, 3D-IHI nanoscaffold effectively modulates dynamic microenvironment after cartilage injury through the integration of the aforementioned regenerative cues, and simultaneously scavenges reactive oxygen species using a manganese dioxide-based composition. In this way, accelerated repair of cartilage defects with rapid tissue reconstruction and functional recovery is realized both in the short term and long term. Given the excellent versatility and therapeutic outcome of 3D-IHI nanoscaffold-based cartilage regeneration, it may provide promising means to advance a variety of tissue engineering applications.

Shenqiang Wang et al, Injectable hybrid inorganic nanoscaffold as rapid stem cell assembly template for cartilage repair, National Science Review (2022). DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwac037

https://phys.org/news/2022-04-stem-cell-cartilage-regeneration.html...

Latest recommendations on how waist-to-height ratio can impact your health

New health guidance on the need to keep your waist size to half your height to ensure healthy living was recommended by Bayes Business School eight years ago.

In 2014, research from Bayes Business School showed that the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) is a better predictor of mortality risk than the commonly used BMI.

Today, draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has stated that an adult's waist should be less than half their height to reduce health risks, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

The guidance, published ahead of the release of a full report in September, also says that while measuring body mass index (BMI) is useful it doesn't consider excess weight around the abdomen—scientifically termed "central adiposity."

These new recommendations come after researchers at Bayes Business School and Ashwell Associates called for the measurement—waist circumference divided by height—to replace BMI in primary public health screening.

The study found that as many as 20 years of life for men can be lost by failing to sustain your waistline. The figure is approximately 10 years for women.

Margaret Ashwell et al, Waist-to-Height Ratio Is More Predictive of Years of Life Lost than Body Mass Index, PLoS ONE (2014). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103483

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-04-latest-waist-to-height-ratio...

**

International collaboration reveals how the human brain evolved to harness abstract thought

 The human brain is organized in functional networks—connected brain regions that communicate with each other through dedicated pathways. That is how we perceive our senses, how the body moves, how we are able to remember the past and plan for the future. The "default mode" network is the part of our connected brain that is responsible for abstract and self-directed thought. When we process external sensory information, the default mode network turns off, and when there is less going on outside our bodies it turns on. Whether the same default mode network is found in mammals similar to humans has not been firmly answered; different studies have yielded different conclusions.

In an international collaboration across seven laboratories, in five institutions, across three countries , researchers compared data from humans and non-hominoid primates (macaques, marmosets and mouse lemurs) to more definitively answer this question.
Surprisingly, these results showed that in all species other than humans, the brain areas that comprise the default mode network involve two systems not strongly connected with each other.

These regions, one responsible for suppression of external events and one for more cognitive tasks, appear to be linked only recently in evolution. It is this linkage that may have facilitated the capacity for abstract thought that led to the rapid evolution of human cognitive abilities.

The unexpected finding changes the way we think about brain networks. Atypical patterns of connectivity between brain areas are signatures of neurodevelopmental disorders and mental illnesses. These conditions are a significant health and societal issue that affects individuals' ability to healthily function in society. Understanding how unusual patterns of brain connectivity emerge could lead to better diagnosis and treatment of these conditions.

The article, "An evolutionary gap in primate default mode network organization" was published in the journal Cell Reports on April 12.

https://engineering.vanderbilt.edu/news/2022/international-collabor...

https://researchnews.cc/news/12686/International-collaboration-reve...

Some Microbes Breathe Methane And Turn It Into Electricity in a Weird Living Battery

As far as greenhouse gases go, methane is the quiet villain that could stealthily drag us ever deeper into the climate crisis. In our atmosphere, it is at least 25 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide.

It's also not that efficient – through burning, less than half of the energy in the natural gas can be converted into electrical power.

In an effort to squeeze more electrons from every puff of methane, researchers in the Netherlands have explored a rather unconventional form of power station – one you'd need a microscope to see.

"In the current biogas installations, methane is produced by microorganisms and subsequently burnt, which drives a turbine, thus generating power. Less than half of the biogas is converted into power, and this is the maximum achievable capacity. But can we  do better using microorganisms?

Scientists found a type of archaea – bacteria-like microbes known for their extraordinary talents of surviving under strange and harsh conditions, including being able to break down methane in environments deprived of oxygen.

This specific type, known as anaerobic methanotrophic (ANME) archaea, manage this metabolic trick by offloading electrons in a chain of electrochemical reactions, employing some kind of metal or metalloid outside of their cells or even donating them to other species in their environment.

First described in 2006, the ANME genus Methanoperedens was found to oxidize methane with a little help from nitrates, making them right at home in the wet bogs of the Netherland's fertilizer-soaked agricultural culverts.

Attempts to pull electrons from this process in microbial fuel cells have resulted in tiny voltages being produced, without any clear confirmation on exactly which processes might be behind the conversion.

If these archaea are to ever show promise as methane-gobbling power cells, they'd really need to churn out a current in a clear, unambiguous fashion.

Part 1

Researchers gathered a sample of microbes they knew to be dominated by this methane-slurping archaea, and grew them in an oxygen-lacking environment where methane was the only electron donor.

Near this colony they also placed a metal anode set at zero voltage, effectively creating an electrochemical cell primed to generate a current.

They created a kind of battery with two terminals, where one of these is a biological terminal and the other one is a chemical terminal. 

Researchers grew the bacteria on one of the electrodes, to which the bacteria donate electrons resulting from the conversion of methane. 

After analyzing the conversion of methane to carbon dioxide and measuring fluctuating currents that spiked as high as 274 milliamps per square centimeter, the team deduced a little over a third of the current could be attributed directly to the breaking down of methane.

As far as efficiency goes, 31 percent of the energy in the methane had transformed into electrical power, making it somewhat comparable with some power stations.

Tinkering more with the process could see to the creation of highly efficient living batteries that run on biogas, wringing more spark from every bit of gas and reducing the need for piping methane over long distances. 

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.820989/full

https://www.sciencealert.com/these-microbes-breathe-in-methane-and-...

Part 2

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One step closer to creating new hair follicles

In a new study,  researchers take a unique approach to identify the molecular signals that induce a critical trigger for hair follicle formation and regeneration.

The findings could prove crucial for developing new therapies to re-grow hair—and provide a blueprint for unraveling other mysteries of tissue growth at the cellular level.

This is a decades-old problem that has been unsolvable because formation of the dermal condensate, the signaling center that induces the growth and differentiation of hair follicles, has been difficult to visualize and capture due to how rapidly they form.

Dermal condensates (DCs) are densely-packed clusters of cells, located under the skin's outer layer. DCs act as central commanders of hair follicle activity by sending signals to the skin's outer layer, instructing it to form hair follicles and determining follicle size.

Unraveling the steps that induce DC formation has been a major challenge for researchers, because the process is difficult to track over time and tease apart experimentally. Overcoming this barrier could open the door to effective methods for reproducing DCs to test new drugs for hair loss and to generate hair follicles in 3D culture models.

For this study researchers  took a unique approach to study DCs.

Using single-cell RNA-sequencing data from mouse skin, they designed a computational approach to align a series of single-cell profile "snapshots" to reconstruct the time course of DC development. This provided a roadmap that delineates how an immature dermal cell drives itself to maturity. More importantly, the approach allowed the researchers to investigate the molecular signals that serve as engines in the process. By combining their computational findings with in vivo genetic experiments, they were able to pin down the critical signals involved in DC formation.

One of the signals is known as Wnt and the other is called "sonic hedgehog," or SHH. Both signals are considered essential in the development of many tissue types and play a role in regulating adult tissue homeostasis and regeneration. They are also implicated in pathological states such as cancer when they are aberrantly overactivated.

For the study, the researchers were able to genetically modulate these signals to curtail the speed of DC formation, effectively playing out the DC formation process in slow motion.

This work will help pave the way to developing robust methods for recreating DCs in the laboratory, and for adult hair follicle regeneration.

https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/one-step-closer-to-creating-...

Researchers obtain functional human blood cells via interspecies chimerism

Interspecies chimerism is a phenomenon of an organism consisting of tissue and genetic information from two different species. Currently, many studies investigate the use of interspecies chimerism with human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) to generate functional human cells, tissues or organs in large animals, which is expected to solve the shortage of functional tissues and organs for transplant. However, hPSCs interspecies chimerism faces barriers due to the extremely low chimeric contribution of hPSCs.

Recently, research teams led by Prof. Pan Guangjin and Prof. Lai Liangxue from the Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health (GIBH) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) made new progress on hPSCs interspecies chimerism. They developed an enhanced hPSCs in interspecies chimerism that allows the obtaining of functional human blood cells through interspecies chimerism technology for the first time. The study is published online in Stem Cell Reports.

The teams discovered that the rapid apoptosis  of hPSCs in the interspecies embryos was mainly due to the growth disadvantage and a "loser" state competing with the host animal stem cells. A new factor MYCN combined with anti-apoptotic gene BCL2 effectively overcame apoptosis of hPSCs and markedly promoted chimerism formation.

Strikingly, the teams isolated live human blood progenitor cells from blood-deficient mice through interspecies chimerism using hPSCs for complementation. The obtained cells can be further cultured and differentiated into different blood cells in dish.

This work presents an important method for understanding the interspecies chimerism barrier using hPSCs. The enhanced hPSCs for interspecies chimerism lays the foundation for acquiring human cells, tissues and organs for transplantation purposes in the future.

Yanling Zhu et al, Generating functional cells through enhanced interspecies chimerism with human pluripotent stem cells, Stem Cell Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.03.009

https://phys.org/news/2022-04-functional-human-blood-cells-interspe...

Tumors partially destroyed with sound don't come back

Noninvasive sound technology developed recently by researchers breaks down liver tumors in rats, kills cancer cells and spurs the immune system to prevent further spread—an advance that could lead to improved cancer outcomes in humans.

By destroying only 50% to 75% of liver tumor volume, the rats' immune systems were able to clear away the rest, with no evidence of recurrence or metastases in more than 80% animals.

Even if we don't target the entire tumor, we can still cause the tumor to regress and also reduce the risk of future metastasis. 

Results also showed the treatment stimulated the rats' immune responses, possibly contributing to the eventual regression of the untargeted portion of the tumor and preventing further spread of the cancer.

The treatment, called histotripsy, noninvasively focuses ultrasound waves to mechanically destroy target tissue with millimeter precision. The relatively new technique is currently being used in a human liver cancer trial in the United States and Europe.

Tejaswi Worlikar, Man Zhang, Anutosh Ganguly, Timothy L. Hall, Jiaqi Shi, Lili Zhao, Fred T. Lee, Mishal Mendiratta-Lala, Clifford S. Cho, Zhen Xu. Impact of Histotripsy on Development of Intrahepatic Metastases in a Rodent Liver Tumor Model. Cancers, 2022; 14 (7): 1612 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14071612

First US trial of GM mosquitoes

The results are in from the first open-air study of genetically engineered mosquitoes in the United States. The British biotechnology company Oxitec, which ran the experiment, reported in a webinar that its insects behaved as planned: bioengineered male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes hatched, spread and mated with the wild population. A survey of more than 20,000 mosquito eggs laid in the area confirmed that all the females that inherited a deadly gene from a bioengineered dad died before they reached adulthood. More research is needed to discover whether the method successfully suppresses the wild population or achieves its ultimate goal of reducing the transmission of diseases carried by the mosquitoes, such as Zika, dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever.

Hypersonic Missiles

NASA Beamed a Doctor to The ISS in a World-First 'Holoportation' Achievement

There's never been a house call quite like this. In a first for telepresence communication, a NASA flight surgeon was 'holoported' to the International Space Station (ISS), appearing and conversing as a virtual presence in real time, hundreds of miles above the surface of Earth.

 When NASA flight surgeon Josef Schmid was beamed up to the ISS in October of last year, the illusion was made possible thanks to Microsoft's 'holoportation' technology, which lets users interact with 3D representations of remote participants in real time.

Unlike traditional holographic projections that appear to hover in the air for anybody to see, holoportation requires the use of an augmented reality headset, such as Microsoft's HoloLens technology, for the wearer to be able to perceive (and interact with) the remotely captured individual(s), who are filmed with a multiple-camera setup in their actual location.

In this case, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Thomas Pesquet, who was on board the ISS and wearing such a headset, had a two-way conversation with Schmid and members of his medical team, along with Fernando De La Pena Llaca, the CEO of AEXA Aerospace, which develops custom holoportation software (the kind that made this ISS session possible).

https://www.sciencealert.com/nasa-surgeon-beamed-to-international-s...

There's Something Different About Clouds in Antarctica

Clouds that form in the frosty air above Antarctica are different in the way that water and ice interact inside them, a new study reveals – and that in turn changes how much sunlight they reflect back into space, which is important for climate change models.

Through a combination of modeling, satellite imagery and data collected from flying through the clouds themselves, researchers have identified a process of 'secondary' ice production. This means icy particles collide with supercooled water droplets, freezing and then shattering them, creating many more shards of ice.

The technical term for this sequence of events is Hallett-Mossop rime splintering. It dims the clouds, reducing the amount of sunlight that's reflected back into space, and allowing more of it through into the ocean below. "The Southern Ocean is a massive global heat sink, but its ability to take heat from the atmosphere depends on the temperature structure of the upper ocean, which relates to the cloud cover.

Based on the researchers' calculations, in clouds at temperatures between -3°C and -8°C (26.6°F and 17.6°F), around 10 Watts per square meter of extra energy could reach the ocean from the Sun, enough to significantly change temperatures.

Ice formation inside these clouds is very efficient, and the resulting ice can fall down into the ocean very quickly, too. That rapidly reduces the amount of water in the clouds, and shifts several of their key characteristics from a reflectance point of view.

What's happening inside the clouds also affects their shape, creating further consequences for how well they protect the water underneath.

All these factors need to be weighed up in order to produce climate models that are as accurate as possible.

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2021AV000454

Astronomers discover micronovae, a new kind of stellar explosion

A team of astronomers, with the help of the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO's VLT), have observed a new type of stellar explosion—a micronova. These outbursts happen on the surface of certain stars, and can each burn through around 3.5 billion Great Pyramids of Giza of stellar material in only a few hours.

The phenomenon challenges our understanding of how thermonuclear explosions in stars occur. We thought we knew this, but this discovery proposes a totally new way to achieve them.

Micronovae are extremely powerful events, but are small on astronomical scales; they are much less energetic than the stellar explosions known as novae, which astronomers have known about for centuries. Both types of explosions occur on white dwarfs, dead stars with a mass about that of our sun, but as small as Earth.

A white dwarf in a two-star system can steal material, mostly hydrogen, from its companion star if they are close enough together. As this gas falls onto the very hot surface of the white dwarf star, it triggers the hydrogen atoms to fuse into helium explosively. In novae, these thermonuclear explosions occur over the entire stellar surface. Such detonations make the entire surface of the white dwarf burn and shine brightly for several weeks.

Micronovae are similar explosions that are smaller in scale and faster, lasting just several hours. They occur on some white dwarfs with strong magnetic fields, which funnel material towards the star's magnetic poles. For the first time, researchers have now seen that hydrogen fusion can also happen in a localized way. The hydrogen fuel can be contained at the base of the magnetic poles of some white dwarfs, so that fusion only happens at these magnetic poles.

This leads to micro-fusion bombs going off, which have about one millionth of the strength of a nova explosion, hence the name micronova.

 Simone Scaringi et al, Localized thermonuclear bursts from accreting magnetic white dwarfs, Nature (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04495-6. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04495-6

https://phys.org/news/2022-04-astronomers-micronovae-kind-stellar-e...

Nanoparticles can cross the placenta during pregnancy, potentially exposing fetus

Most nanoparticles are engineered, with few produced naturally. These particles are used in thousands of products, from sunscreens to pharmaceuticals to sports equipment. They are highly valued because they can enhance the effectiveness of drugs and produce sturdy-though-lightweight products.

Nanoparticles are so named because they are less than 100 nanometers wide, meaning they are tens of thousands of times smaller than the diameter of a single human hair. Despite their usefulness, nanoscale materials are poorly understood, with very little known about the potential effects on human health and the environment.

Inhaled nanoparticles—human-made specks so minuscule they can't be seen in conventional microscopes, found in thousands of common products—can cross a natural, protective barrier that normally protects fetuses, according to  scientists studying factors that produce low-birth-weight babies.

The scientists reported in the medical journal Placenta they were able to track the movement of nanoparticles made of metal titanium dioxide through the bodies of pregnant rats. After the nanoparticles were inhaled into the lungs of the rodents, some of them escaped this initial barrier. From there, the particles flowed through the placentas, which generally filter out foreign substances to protect the fetus.

Using some specialized techniques, researchers found evidence that the particles can migrate from the lung to the placenta and possibly the fetal tissues after maternal exposure throughout pregnancy. The placenta does not act as a barrier to these particles. Nor do the lungs.

Part 1

During the experiment, scientists were surprised to also detect titanium dioxide in the "control" group of rats that hadn't been given nanoparticles to inhale. It turns out the food given to the animals contained titanium dioxide. As a result, the researchers were able to observe the path the metal took through a rat's body.

The research emerged from investigations into the causes of low birth weight in human infants. Newborns weighing less than 5.5 pounds can suffer adverse health effects as infants and throughout their lives.

According to Stapleton, one theory is mothers who give birth to babies with low birth weights may have inhaled harmful particulates. The resulting inflammation may affect bodily systems, such as blood flow in the uterus, that could inhibit growth of the fetus.

J.N. D'Errico et al, Maternal, placental, and fetal distribution of titanium after repeated titanium dioxide nanoparticle inhalation through pregnancy, Placenta (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2022.03.008

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-04-nanoparticles-placenta-pregn...

Part 2

Study shows everyday plastic products release trillions of microsco...

Plastics surround us, whether it's the grocery bags we use at the supermarket or household items such as shampoo and detergent bottles. Plastics don't exist only as large objects, but also as microscopic particles that are released from these larger products. These microscopic plastics can end up in the environment, and they can be ingested into our bodies.

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Using bacteria to build settlements on Mars

In collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), a team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has developed a sustainable method for making bricks out of Martian soil, using bacteria and urea. These "space bricks" can be used to construct building-like structures on Mars that could facilitate human settlement on the red planet.

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Scientists invented a ‘biohybrid’ fish that swims with a pacemaker

Hidden miracles of the natural world: brought before your eyes by science

How does GPS work?

New discoveries about the origin of the brain's immune system

What gets into the brain and what doesn't is strictly regulated. Researchers  have now studied phagocytes that coat the blood vessels in the brain and reinforce the blood-brain barrier. As the scientists have shown, these cells only mature fully after birth according to a defined step-by-step developmental program. Until now, it had been assumed that this process was completed during embryonic development. Their studies, which were published in the journal Nature on April 20, 2022, were initially carried out on genetically modified mouse lines and were confirmed on human samples. They are expected to provide important insights into the development and treatment of diseases of the brain.

Researchers  were able to show that the immune cells we studied migrate from the cerebral membrane to the blood vessels in the brain shortly before birth and mature there. This process is probably not completed until weeks after birth and could partly explain why the brain is so vulnerable at the beginning of life.

The late timing of the maturation of the phagocytes, also called macrophages, was very surprising , since the precursor cells are already present in the brain long before. In addition, the scientists were able to show for the first time that the vessels, as structure-giving cells of the brain, send important signals for normal development of the brain's macrophages.

The blood-brain barrier is formed by cells on the blood vessels of the brain. They control which substances can enter the brain and which cannot. This protects the brain from harmful substances and pathogens. The blood-brain barrier is particularly permeable in the case of infectious diseases, certain brain tumors and oxygen deficiency.

Significance for Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis and more
In addition to the blood-brain barrier, the immune cells scientists studied control what can reach the brain cells from the blood, they eat pathogens and prevent excessive inflammation. They are also involved in the development of cancer, Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis. These findings could be important for a better understanding of these diseases and future therapies.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04596-2

https://researchnews.cc/news/12820/New-discoveries-about-the-origin...

New  duality found in theoretical particle physics

A new and surprising duality has been discovered in theoretical particle physics. The duality exists between two types of scattering processes that can occur in the proton collisions made in the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland and France. The fact that this connection can, surprisingly, be made points to the fact that there is something in the intricate details of the standard model of particle physics that is not fully understood. The standard model is the model of the world on sub-atomic scale that explains all particles and their interactions, so when surprises appear, there is cause for attention. The scientific article is now published in Physical Review Letters.

The concept of duality occurs in different areas of physics. The most well known duality is probably the particle-wave duality in quantum mechanics. The famous double-slit experiment shows that light behaves like a wave, while Albert Einstein received his Nobel prize for showing that light behaves like a particle.

The strange thing is that light is actually both and neither of the two at the same time. There are simply two ways we can look at this entity, light, and each comes with a mathematical description. Both with a completely different intuitive idea, but still describe the same thing.

What physicists have now found is a similar duality. They calculated the prediction for one scattering process and for another scattering process.

Their current calculations are less experimentally tangible than the famous double slit experiment, but there is a clear mathematical map between the two, and it shows that they both contain the same information. They are linked, somehow.

Part 1

Physicists calculated the scattering process for two gluons interacting to produce four gluons, as well as the scattering process for two gluons interacting to produce a gluon and a Higgs particle, both in a slightly simplified version of the standard model. To their surprise, they found that the results of these two calculations are related. A classical case of duality. Somehow, the answer for how likely it is for one scattering process to happen carries within it the answer for how likely it is for the other scattering process to happen. The strange thing about this duality is that we don't know why this relation between the two different scattering processes exists. Physicists are mixing two very different physical properties of the two predictions, and they see the relation, but it is still a bit of a mystery wherein the connection lies.

According to current understanding, the two should not be connected—but with the discovery of this surprising duality, the only proper way to react to it is to investigate further.

Lance J. Dixon et al, Folding Amplitudes into Form Factors: An Antipodal Duality, Physical Review Letters (2022). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.128.111602

https://phys.org/news/2022-04-duality-theoretical-particle-physics....

Part 2

Scientists discover how salt in tumors could help diagnose and treat breast cancer

Analyzing sodium levels in breast cancer tumors can give an accurate indication of how aggressive a cancer is and whether chemotherapy treatments are taking effect, new research has shown.

In this new study, researchers developed a technique using sodium magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect salt levels in breast cancer tumours in mice.

Using this technique, the researchers looked at breast cancer tumours and discovered that salt (sodium) was being accumulated inside cancer cells and that more active tumors accumulate more sodium.

The researchers then took a group of 18 tumors and targeted some of them with chemotherapy treatment. When they scanned the tumors a week later they found that sodium levels had reduced in the tumors treated with chemotherapy.

Imaging salt levels could be a vital new tool to help diagnose and monitor breast cancer, the researchers say. The team is now conducting an observational study to see if their results can be replicated in human breast cancer patients.

Andrew D. James et al, Sodium accumulation in breast cancer predicts malignancy and treatment response, British Journal of Cancer (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41416-022-01802-w

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-04-scientists-salt-tumors-breas...

Plastic-eating enzyme could eliminate billions of tons of landfill waste

An enzyme variant created by engineers and scientists  can break down environment-throttling plastics that typically take centuries to degrade in just a matter of hours to days.

This discovery, published recently in Nature, could help solve one of the world's most pressing environmental problems: what to do with the billions of tons of plastic waste piling up in landfills and polluting our natural lands and water. The enzyme has the potential to supercharge recycling on a large scale that would allow major industries to reduce their environmental impact by recovering and reusing plastics at the molecular level.

The project focuses on polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a significant polymer found in most consumer packaging, including cookie containers, soda bottles, fruit and salad packaging, and certain fibers and textiles. It makes up 12% of all global waste.

The enzyme was able to complete a "circular process" of breaking down the plastic into smaller parts (depolymerization) and then chemically putting it back together (repolymerization). In some cases, these plastics can be fully broken down to monomers in as little as 24 hours.

Hal Alper, Machine learning-aided engineering of hydrolases for PET depolymerization, Nature (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04599-z. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04599-z

https://phys.org/news/2022-04-plastic-eating-enzyme-billions-tons-l...

Study identifies causes of cancer

A team of  researchers can now quantify the factors causing changes in the DNA that contribute most to cancer growth in tumors of most major tumor types.

They write in a new paper, published in Molecular Biology and Evolution, that their new molecular analysis approach brings clarity to a longstanding debate over how much control humans have over developing cancer across time.

Looking at the instances of specific genetic mutations can reveal the extent to which preventable exposures like ultraviolet light caused tumor growth in 24 cancers.

We can now answer the question—to the best of our knowledge—'What is the underlying source of the key mutations that changed those cells to become a cancer instead of remaining normal tissue'.

Previously, scientists have shown that they can reliably predict how certain factors that cause specific mutations that alter the genome in tissues. By combining this knowledge with their method that quantifies the contribution of each mutation to cancer, researchers showed the specific percentage of the blame to be assigned to known and unknown but identified factors in the emergence of cancer.

This work now done is really direct: scientists look in your tumor, and they see the signal written in your tumor of what caused that cancer.

They write in their report that some cancers are more controllable than others.For example, preventable factors account for a large part of the formation of tumors of the bladder and skin. However, they found that prostate cancers and gliomas are largely attributable due to internal age-associated processes.

Attribution of cancer origins to endogenous, exogenous, and preventable mutational processes, Molecular Biology And Evolution (2022). DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac084

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-04-cancer.html?utm_source=nwlet...

Heat flow shown to be more efficient when temperature is oscillatin...

A team of researchers from the Institute of Scientific Instruments working with a colleague from Charles University, both in the Czech Republic, has shown that heat flows more efficiently when the temperature of the material through which it is flowing oscillates, as opposed to remaining steady. In their paper published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the group describes experiments they conducted with heating and cooling helium in a container and its relevance to a theory proposed just two years ago.

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Discovery of the one-way superconductor, thought to be impossible

Associate professor Mazhar Ali and his research group at TU Delft have discovered one-way superconductivity without magnetic fields, something that was thought to be impossible ever since its discovery in 1911—up until now. The discovery, published in Nature, makes use of 2D quantum materials and paves the way toward superconducting computing. Superconductors can make electronics hundreds of times faster, all with zero energy loss. Ali: "If the 20th century was the century of semiconductors, the 21st can become the century of the superconductor."

New evidence of how exercise can counter diabetes damage

 One way exercise can counter the damage of diabetes is by enabling activation of a natural system we have to grow new blood vessels when existing ones are ravaged by this disease, scientists report.

Angiogenesis is the ability to form new blood vessels, and diabetes not only damages existing blood vessels, it hinders this innate ability to grow new ones in the face of disease and injury, say experts.

Endothelial cells line our blood vessels and are essential to that new blood vessel growth.

Now the MCG scientists have the first evidence that in the face of diabetes, even one 45-minute session of moderate intensity exercise enables more exosomes, submicroscopic packages filled with biologically active cargo, to deliver directly to those cells more of the protein, ATP7A, which can set angiogenesis in motion, they report in The FASEB Journal.

Kareem Abdelsaid, Varadarajan Sudhahar, Ryan A. Harris, Archita Das, Seock‐Won Youn, Yutao Liu, Maggie McMenamin, Yali Hou, David Fulton, Mark W. Hamrick, Yaoliang Tang, Tohru Fukai, Masuko Ushio‐Fukai. Exercise improves angiogenic function of circulating exosomes in type 2 diabetes: Role of exosomal SOD3. The FASEB Journal, 2022; 36 (3) DOI: 10.1096/fj.202101323R

https://researchnews.cc/news/12860/New-evidence-of-how-exercise-can...