Researchers develop microscopic theory of polymer gel
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Russian scientists have proposed a theory of phase transformation in polymer gels. It explains the mechanisms of the dramatic reduction in volume of zwitterionic hydrogels when they are cooled. The results are published in the journal Chemical Communications (ChemComm).
The researchers have discovered that USP7 inhibitors -under development by several pharmaceutical companies for the treatment of cancer- trigger a premature activation of cell cycle proteins, leading to uncontrolled cancer cell division and death. * The paper rejects the premise that the therapeutic efficacy of these inhibitors is due to their effects on activating the tumor suppressor protein P53, as currently accepted by the international scientific community. These results extend the potential use of USP7 inhibitors to a wider range of patients.
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors recognized that patients who developed a "cytokine storm" -- a surge of pro-inflammatory immune proteins -- were often the sickest. But a cytokine storm can also occur in other illnesses, such as influenza. Now, scientists report a sweat sensor that acts as an early warning system for an impending cytokine storm, which could help doctors more effectively treat patients. The researchers will present their results today at ACS Spring 2021.
What are the most effective ways to leverage and augment smartphone capabilities? Helpful guidelines are provided in a critical review of emerging smartphone-based imaging systems recently published in the Journal of Biomedical Optics (JBO).
Researchers at Duke University have developed a method that uses machine learning, satellite imagery and weather data to autonomously find hotspots of heavy air pollution, city block by city block. The technique could be a boon for finding and mitigating sources of hazardous aerosols, studying the effects of air pollution on human health, and making better informed, socially just public policy decisions.
* A new method has been developed to measure how fast amyloid fibrils grow. * The team fired a beam of neutrons at the growing fibrils then used a 'contrast matching' method that made most of each fibril invisible to neutrons, so they could analyse the signal from the growing end alone. * The method will help scientists better understand diseases associated with amyloid fibrils, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Type 2 diabetes.
Australian pineapple, Danish trout, and Midwestern U.S. corn farmers are not often lumped together under the same agricultural umbrella. But they and many others who raise crops and animals face a common problem: excess nitrogen in drainage water. Whether it flows out to the Great Barrier Reef or the Gulf of Mexico, the nutrient contributes to harmful algal blooms that starve fish and other organisms of oxygen.
Despite surgery and subsequent treatment with chemotherapy and radiation, the majority of patients experience recurrence of malignant brain tumours. Researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, and the Medical University of Graz, Austria, have shown in cells in culture that an ion pump can deliver drugs more accurately, which gives less severe adverse effects in chemotherapy. The results have been published in Advanced Materials Technologies.
Upgraded Neuropixels recording probes are smaller than their predecessors, and can track neuronal activity for longer periods of time.
Clusters of a virus known to cause stomach flu are resistant to detergent and ultraviolet disinfection, according to new research. The findings suggest the need to revisit current disinfection, sanitation and hygiene practices aimed at protecting people from noroviruses.