Nervonic acid (NA) is an important long-chain monounsaturated fatty acid found in the nervous tissue of mammals. It has recently garnered research attention due to its therapeutic potential in treating psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders in a paper published in hLife, a team from Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT), the Chinese Academy of Sciences and China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences present evidence that NA is a promising candidate for drug therapy in addressing stroke and associated post-stroke depression (PSD)-like behaviors.

Early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is crucial for improving survival in patients with chronic hepatitis. The GALAD algorithm combines gender (biological sex), age, α-fetoprotein (AFP), Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of AFP (AFP-L3), and protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) for HCC detection. Similarly, the GAAD algorithm incorporates gender (biological sex), age, AFP, and PIVKA-II. This study aimed to assess the clinical utility of AFP-L3 in the GALAD algorithm and its potential synergies with ultrasound. We compared the clinical performance of GALAD with GAAD; AFP; AFP-L3; and PIVKA-II, with or without ultrasound, in Taiwanese adults.

A new study by EPFL reveals that the notorious bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa must balance between effectively colonizing human airways and developing antibiotic tolerance to survive.

Researchers have developed a miniature soft lithium-ion battery that could be used as a defibrillator to control heart rhythm during surgery.

The flexible lithium-ion battery is constructed by assembling biocompatible hydrogel droplets.

The state-of-the-art device is the smallest soft lithium-ion battery with the highest energy density.

The research opens the way to developing tiny bio-integrated devices, with a range of applications in robotics, biology, and medicine.