Page 56 - Study First Author News Today

The first-ever evidence of a mechanism through which climate change could have had a direct role in the origin of SARS-CoV-2—the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic—has been offered by a new study.

Ancestral components of human gut microbiota are fundamental to health Neanderthals gut microbiota already included some beneficial micro-organisms that are also found in our own intestine. An international research group led by the University of Bologna achieved this result by extracting and analyzing ancient DNA from 50,000-year-old fecal sediments sampled at the archaeological site of El Salt, near Alicante (Spain). Published in Communication Biology, their paper puts forward the hypothesis...

Study shows how tissue damage promotes the earliest stages of pancreatic cancer Like weeds sprouting from cracks in the pavement, cancer often forms in sites of tissue damage. That damage could be an infection, a physical wound, or some type of inflammation. Common examples include stomach cancer caused by H. pylori infection, Barretts esophagus caused by acid reflux, and even smoking-induced lung cancer. Exactly how tissue damage colludes with genetic changes to promote cancer isnt fully under...

Spontaneous eye blink rate could help understand the link between fitness and cognitive function Although exercise is known to enhance cognitive function and improve mental health, the neurological mechanisms of this link are unknown. Now, researchers from Japan have found evidence of the missing link between aerobic fitness and cognitive function. In a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, researchers from the University of Tsukuba revealed that spontaneous eye blink rat...

Thread-Based Sensors Measure Head Movements in Real Time Written by AZoSensorsFeb 1 2021 Tufts University engineers have designed and demonstrated new flexible thread-based sensors that are capable of measuring the neck movements, offering information on the direction, degree of displacement and angle of rotation of the head. Scanning electron microscopy of threads coated with electrically conducting carbon-based ink Bending the coated threads creates strain, which changes their electrical con...

Thread-based sensors can measure head movements in real time Engineers at Tufts University have created and demonstrated flexible thread-based sensors that can measure movement of the neck, providing data on the direction, angle of rotation and degree of displacement of the head. The discovery raises the potential for thin, inconspicuous tatoo-like patches that could, according to the Tufts team, measure athletic performance, monitor worker or driver fatigue, assist with physical therapy, enhan...

An interdisciplinary team of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) used an innovative imaging technique for a better understanding of motor deficits in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

Switchgrass is a sturdy perennial having deep roots and grows throughout the country from Canada to Mexico. It is a crucial component of the tallgrass prairie habitats of central North America. It has the ability to reach heights measuring 12 feet in certain regions and is utilized to regulate erosion, as a game cover, and as food for cattle at times. However, it can be most significantly used as a source of biofuel, which is a critical component to reduce atmospheric carbon levels and fighting...

New Technique Improves Stability, Efficiency of Solar Cell Modules Written by AZoMJan 28 2021 A group of scientists from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) has used a new fabrication method to create perovskite solar modules that have enhanced efficiency and stability with fewer defects. Perovskite solar cell devices require multiple layers to function. The active perovskite layer absorbs sunlight and generates charge carriers. The transport layers transp...

Major surgery is a promoter or accelerator of Alzheimers disease, indicates study A new study published in the Journal of Alzheimers Disease carried out by researchers at the Marqués de Valdecilla-IDIVAL University Hospital, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Bonn Medical Center, proposes that major surgery is a promoter or accelerator of Alzheimers disease (AD). The first author of the publication was Carmen Lage and the principal investigator Pascual Sánchez-Juan. AD is...