Author: Ranveer Kumar
Molecules from unique species similar in structure and function to human skin molecules Scientists from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterial Science (ACES) and University of Wollongong (UOW), in partnership with their seaweed bioinks collaborators Venus Shell Systems, have discovered that a molecular species known as ulvan aids wound healing in humans. Their research paper is the cover story on the latest issue of Biomaterials Science. Titled ‘3D bioprinting dermal-like structures using species-specific ulvan’, the new findings outline how ulvan contained in green seaweed can play a key role in wound healing with its structure resembling the biomolecules found in humans. The team…
LONDON (Reuters) – One in three COVID-19 survivors in a study of more than 230,000 mostly American patients were diagnosed with a brain or psychiatric disorder within six months, suggesting the pandemic could lead to a wave of mental and neurological problems, scientists said on Tuesday. Researchers who conducted the analysis said it was not clear how the virus was linked to psychiatric conditions such as anxiety and depression, but that these were the most common diagnoses among the 14 disorders they looked at. Post-COVID cases of stroke, dementia and other neurological disorders were rarer, the researchers said, but were…
Like rings in a tree trunk, a narwhal’s tusk provides a window into changing conditions in the Arctic In the Arctic, climate change and pollution are the biggest threats to top predators like narwhals. Studying the animals’ tusks reveals that diet and exposure to pollution have shifted over the past half century in response to sea-ice decline. Human emissions have also led to a sharp rise in the presence of mercury in recent years, according to an international team of researchers. “Our research shows that climate change is having substantial impacts on Arctic ecosystems, with consequences for exposure to toxic…
An Israeli worker in a hazmat suit sprays disinfectant in the cabin of an Israir Airlines Airbus A320 airplane at Ben Gurion International Airport on June 14, 2020. Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP via Getty Images If you’re still disinfecting just about everything you own to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it’s time to stop. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance Monday for how to clean and disinfect surfaces properly to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at home and in facilities. The agency now says, by and large, good old fashioned cleaning with soap and water or detergent can protect against…
BU environmental expert says the Nintendo racing game has important lessons for social and economic programs that could benefit the world’s developing regions Many Mario Kart enthusiasts are familiar with the rush of racing down Rainbow Road, barely squeaking around a corner, and catching a power-up from one of the floating square icons on the screen—or, less ideally, slipping on a banana peel laid by another racer and flying off the side of the road into oblivion. This heated competition between multiple players, who use a variety of game tokens and tools to speed ahead or thwart their competitors, is…
Every fall more than half of the coho salmon that return to Puget Sound’s urban streams die before they can spawn. In some streams, all of them die. But scientists didn’t know why. Now a team led by researchers at the University of Washington Tacoma, UW and Washington State University Puyallup have discovered the answer. When it rains, stormwater flushes bits of aging vehicle tires on roads into neighboring streams. The killer is in the mix of chemicals that leach from tire wear particles: a molecule related to a preservative that keeps tires from breaking down too quickly. This research was…
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Eucalyptus, a pest-resistant evergreen valued for its hardy lumber and wellness-promoting oil, can be genetically modified not to reproduce sexually, a key step toward preventing the global tree plantation staple from invading native ecosystems. Oregon State University’s Steve Strauss led an international collaboration that showed the CRISPR Cas9 gene editing technique could be used with nearly 100% efficiency to knock out LEAFY, the master gene behind flower formation. “The flowers never developed to the point where ovules, pollen or fertile seeds were observed,” Strauss said. “And there was no detectable negative effect on tree growth or form.…
Highlights Use of cosmetics/personal care products is related to urinary PB/BP concentrations. MeP, BP-1, BP-3, and ƩBPs are associated with higher risk of endometriosis. TAP and TBARS are related to lower and higher risk of endometriosis, respectively. Oxidative stress did not modify the associations between exposure and the disease. Aim: To explore the relationship of urinary concentrations of different congeners of benzophenones and parabens with the utilization of cosmetics and personal care products (PCPs) and their impact on the risk of endometriosis, and to evaluate the influence of oxidative stress on associations found. Methods: This case-control study comprised a subsample…
Researchers have found a way to use chaos to help develop digital fingerprints for electronic devices that may be unique enough to foil even the most sophisticated hackers. Just how unique are these fingerprints? The researchers believe it would take longer than the lifetime of the universe to test for every possible combination available. “In our system, chaos is very, very good,” said Daniel Gauthier, senior author of the study and professor of physics at The Ohio State University. The study was recently published online in the journal IEEE Access. The researchers created a new version of an emerging technology called physically unclonable functions,…
New research shows the permanent rise of oxygen in our atmosphere, which set the stage for life as we know it, happened 100 million years later than previously thought. A significant rise in oxygen occurred about 2.43 billion years ago, marking the start of the Great Oxidation Episode — a pivotal moment in Earth’s history. An international research team including a UC Riverside scientist analyzed rocks from South Africa formed during this event. Findings, published this week in the journal Nature, include the discovery that oxygen fluctuated dramatically after its early appearance until it became a permanent constituent of the atmosphere…