Researchers have developed a spiral-shaped lens that maintains clear focus at different distances in varying light conditions. The new lens works much like progressive lenses used for vision correction but without the distortions typically seen with those lenses. It could help advance contact lens technologies, intraocular implants for cataracts and miniaturized imaging systems.
Biologists have demonstrated a new way to boost the oil content of plant leaves and seeds. As described in the journal New Phytologist, the scientists identified and successfully altered key portions of a protein that protects newly synthesized oil droplets. The genetic alterations essentially protect the oil-protector protein so more oil can accumulate.
ETH Zurich researchers have developed a new method of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the early detection and better monitoring of multiple sclerosis (MS). The method maps the myelin sheaths in the brain more precisely than was previously possible. The loss of myelin sheaths is a hallmark of MS. The new MRI method with its special head scanner could also be used by researchers to better visualise other solid tissue types such as connective tissue, tendons and ligaments.
An advanced human heart organoid system can be used to model embryonic heart development under pregestational diabetes-like conditions, researchers report. The organoids recapitulate hallmarks of pregestational diabetes-induced congenital heart disease found in mice and humans. The findings also showed that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and lipid imbalance are critical factors contributing to these disorders, which could be ameliorated with exposure to omega-3s.
Scientists have found a new treatment target for CDKL5 deficiency disorder (CDD), one of the most common types of genetic epilepsy.
Cutting-edge research converted waste carbon dioxide into a potential precursor for chemicals and carbon-free fuel.
A team of scientists has developed an artificial 'worm gut' to break down plastics, offering hope for a nature-inspired method to tackle the global plastic pollution problem.
Researchers have uncovered the first direct evidence that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet shrunk suddenly and dramatically at the end of the Last Ice Age, around eight thousand years ago. The evidence, contained within an ice core, shows that in one location the ice sheet thinned by 450 meters -- that's more than the height of the Empire State Building -- in just under 200 years.
A new scanning study of 390 babies has shown distinct patterns between term and pre-term babies in the moment-to-moment activity and connectivity of brain networks.
Based solely on driving behavior and head/gaze motion, the newly developed tool recognizes low blood sugar levels.
A new study has demonstrated the impact resistance exercise training can have in the treatment of anxiety and depressive symptoms.
A new pharmacological inhibitor can intervene in a central cell death mechanism that is responsible for the death of motor neurons and hence important for the progression of the motor neuron disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Neurobiologists examined a neuroprotective molecule that belongs to a novel drug class. It is able to inhibit the interactions of certain proteins and has been successfully tested in a mouse model of ALS and in brain organoids of ALS patients.
Heterostructures of two-dimensional materials have unique properties. Among them, lateral heterostructures, which can be used to make electronic devices, are challenging to synthesize. To address this, researchers used a new transmetallation technique to fabricate heterostructures with in-plane heterojunctions using Zn3BHT coordination nanosheet. This simple and powerful method enables the fabrication of ultrathin electronic devices for ultralarge-scale integrated circuits, marking a significant step forward for 2D materials research.
Using an old anesthesia drug to pull people out of the depths of severe depression has gone from fringe idea to widespread use in just a few years. But major questions remain about who ketamine can help, why some people get relief while others don't, and the costs and benefits of different ways of delivering the drug. New findings just came out from a study that seeks to answer some of those questions.
Following the arrival of the first farmers in Scandinavia 5,900 years ago, the hunter-gatherer population was wiped out within a few generations, according to a new study. The results, which are contrary to prevailing opinion, are based on DNA analysis of skeletons and teeth found in what is now Denmark.
Contrary to popular belief, the benefits of physical activity do not outweigh the risks of cardiovascular disease associated with drinking sugar-sweetened beverages, according to a new study.
For some leukemia patients, their only treatment option carries a risk of heart failure.
In a study that signals potential reproductive and health complications in humans, now and for future generations, researchers have concluded that fathers exposed to environmental toxins, notably DDT, may produce sperm with health consequences for their children.
The lifting of a two-decade drought in federal funding for firearm injury prevention research was strongly associated with an increase in both clinical trials and publications on gun violence, according to a new report.
Scientists discovered a pathway from mitochondrial DNA replication stress to immune system activation and inflammation, finding that endosomes responsible for disposing of dysfunctional mitochondrial DNA were leaking mitochondrial DNA into the cell and prompting the inflammatory immune response. The pathway provides new targets for therapeutics that disrupt inflammation during aging and disease.
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