Новости за 25.08.2020

Researchers from the University of Tsukuba have found in a comparison of melon genomes that retrotransposons (a.k.a. "jumping sequences") may affect gene expression. Fruit ripening physiology varies widely in melons, and retrotransposons may have contributed to changes in gene expression as melon genomes diversified. Some retrotransposon sequences were transcriptionally induced under heat stress, suggesting that retrotransposons were responsive to this kind of stress, and may affect the expression of genes that induces fruit ripening.

Scientists at the University of Tsukuba monitored the motion and forces associated with the "eggbeater" kick of water polo players. They find higher efficiency than expected, which may lead to new water propulsion methods.

In a new study from the Danish psychiatry project iPSYCH, researchers have identified genetic risk factors for developing bipolar disorder and psychoses among people with depression. In the longer term, the results may contribute to ensuring the correct diagnosis is made earlier, so that the patients can receive the correct treatment as quickly as possible.

Finnish children have a very positive attitude towards early childhood education and care (ECEC), according to new research from the University of Eastern Finland. Published in Early Child Development and Care this August, the study explored children's negative experiences of early childhood education and care. The researchers have published an article on children's positive experiences already earlier.

SARS-CoV-2 can infect human neural progenitor cells and brain organoids, as shown by researchers from the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and their collaborators from The University of Hong Kong (HKU).

Many viruses use and manipulate the communication pathways of their host cells to boost their own replication. Now biochemists and virologists from Goethe University and University Hospital Frankfurt have drawn a complete picture of communication within human cells infected with SARS-CoV-2. In cell culture experiments, the researchers succeeded in stopping virus replication with a series of cancer drugs tested in clinical practice. The drugs target the places where several of the cell's communication pathways meet.

In a controlled feeding study of guinea pigs, paleontologists have discovered that mineral dust ingested with food causes distinct signs of wear on the teeth of plant-eating vertebrates, which can differ considerably depending on the type of dust.

In cooperation with colleagues from Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, researchers at Leipzig University have investigated the structure of tumour tissue and the behaviour of tumour cells in detail, gaining important insights that could improve cancer diagnosis and therapy in the future.

Researchers at the University of Tsukuba introduced a new type of porous crystal that can indicate the presence of moisture based on a reversible change in color. This research may open the way for many new gas sensors in industrial applications.

As electromechanical devices become increasingly small and complex, the high number of required components becomes a limiting factor. Now, scientists at Shibaura Institute of Technology, Japan, have tapped into the potential of hydrogels driven by oscillating chemical reactions to create the first self-actuated, single-component pump. This device could act as a practical power source for microfluidic systems and highlights the potential of soft bio-inspired machinery in mechatronic devices.

In a recent study, published in the journal eLife, University of Cincinnati researchers say it can take cells in different forms or "life stages" to cause cancer to grow and spread.

Researchers at the University of Tsukuba have shown that for men with major cardiovascular disease risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia, their wives are more likely to suffer from the same diseases. These results emphasize the need for extending disease concerns beyond relatives who share ancestry to the patient's spouse. Further, couple-based interventions are desirable for the management of lifestyle diseases, and spouses should be informed of their risk.

Less than 1% of scientific literature on primates evaluate the effectiveness of conservation interventions, says a new study compiled by an international team of experts led by researchers from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), University Halle-Wittenberg, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and the University of Cambridge. This is a main reason for their dramatic decline. The study published in 'BioScience' proposes several actions to improve the evidence base for conservation actions.

Discussions of the growing plastic waste problem often focus on reducing the volume of single-use plastic packaging items such as bags, bottles, tubs and films.

New insight on how zebrafish achieve near-optimal foraging efficiency and fairness among groups has been published today in the open-access journal eLife.

A new scientific study has revealed unique life strategies of two major groups of microbes that live below Earth's surface. A publication in Frontiers in Microbiology reports that these groups, originally thought to rely on symbiotic relationships with other organisms, may also live independently and use an ancient mode of energy production.

One of the great mysteries of cancer research is why certain patients respond better to radiation therapy than others. Researchers at the University of Bern have now discovered which genes play an important role in this. This results in new findings for cancer treatment.

NASA's Terra satellite passed over the Gulf of Mexico early on Aug. 25 and found a very small area of convection from post-tropical cyclone Marco, northeast of its center. All watches and warnings have been dropped as the storm continues to weaken toward dissipation.

To help keep first responders safe, University of Central Florida researchers have developed an artificial intelligence method that not only rapidly and remotely detects the powerful drug fentanyl, but also teaches itself to detect any previously unknown derivatives made in clandestine batches. The method, published recently in the journal Scientific Reports, uses infrared light spectroscopy and can be used in a portable, tabletop device.

Global forest restoration is a critical strategy for removing carbon from the atmosphere but its success depends on empowering local communities, according to a new study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution.

Not so long ago, astronomers mapped a galaxy far, far away using radio waves and found it has a strikingly familiar shape. In the process, they discovered the object, called TXS 0128+554, experienced two powerful bouts of activity in the last century.

A UBC Okanagan researcher has developed a way to predict the future health of the planet's coral reefs. Working with scientists from Australia's Flinders' University and privately-owned research firm Nova Blue Environment, biology doctoral student Bruno Carturan has been studying the ecosystems of the world's endangered reefs.

Canadians spend big money dealing with the consequences of homelessness, but the money spent could be far more effective. According to a new McGill-led analysis, housing homeless people with severe mental illness is even more cost-effective than housing homeless people with moderate needs. A Housing-First strategy aimed at helping these individuals regain and keep permanent housing generates savings equal to about two-thirds of its cost.

Fewer of the world's large aquifers are depleting than previously estimated, according to a new study by the University of Sussex and UCL.

A new study led by Enquye Negash, a postdoctoral researcher in the George Washington University Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences documents dietary shifts in herbivores that lived between 1-3 million years ago in Ethiopia's Lower Omo Valley.