Folic acid reduces risk of neural tube defects linked to HIV drug dolutegravir

Dolutegravir is a preferred medication for treating HIV infection, but it recently has been linked to a 6- to 9-fold increase in the risk for neural tube defects among babies born to mothers receiving the drug during early gestation. Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine suspected that folic acid (vitamin B9), which is known to prevent the vast majority of neural tube defect cases, could be a part of the puzzle of dolutegravir's negative side effects.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/folic-acid-reduces-risk-of-neural-tube-defects-linked-to-hiv-drug-dolutegravir

Study: Fat cells play key role in dangerous transformation of melanoma

Researchers at Tel Aviv University, led by Prof. Carmit Levy and Dr. Tamar Golan of the Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry at TAU's Sackler School of Medicine, have discovered that fat cells are involved in the transformation that melanoma cells undergo from cancer cells of limited growth in the epidermis to lethal metastatic cells attacking patients' vital organs.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/study-fat-cells-play-key-role-in-dangerous-transformation-of-melanoma

Putting the brakes on lateral root development

There's no organ system in the body that does as much for humans as roots do for plants. Part anchor and part mouth, a plant's root system architecture is critical to its success. But the process of growing new roots is costly to a plant, and there can be diminishing returns.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/putting-the-brakes-on-lateral-root-development

Hit your head, lose your sense of smell

It's long been known that people who suffer a major concussion can lose their sense of smell temporarily and also develop affective problems, such as anxiety and depression. Now scientists have found that's true even for people who get a minor concussion.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/hit-your-head-lose-your-sense-of-smell

Researchers unlock access to pain relief potential of cannabis

University of Guelph researchers are the first to uncover how the cannabis plant creates important pain-relieving molecules that are 30 times more powerful at reducing inflammation than Aspirin.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/researchers-unlock-access-to-pain-relief-potential-of-cannabis

Zhang group identifies gene that may make TNBC cells vulnerable to existing

Certain therapies that have proven effective in treating some types of breast cancers are ineffective for women diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). In fact, there is limited targeted drug therapy for this type of breast cancer—the most aggressive type, diagnosed in about 20 percent of breast cancer patients.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/zhang-group-identifies-gene-that-may-make-tnbc-cells-vulnerable-to-existing

Buying local? Higher price means higher quality in consumers' minds

Why are we willing to pay much more for a six pack of craft beer, a locally produced bottle of wine or a regional brand item, often choosing them over national brands?

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/buying-local-higher-price-means-higher-quality-in-consumers-minds

Algae living inside fungi: How land plants first evolved

Scientists think that green algae are plants water-living ancestors, but we are not sure how the transition to land plants happened.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/algae-living-inside-fungi-how-land-plants-first-evolved

What motivates people to join—and stick with—citizen science projects?

From searching for extraterrestrial life to tracking rainfall, non-experts are increasingly helping to gather information to answer scientific questions. One of the most established hands-on, outdoor citizen science projects is the University of Washington-based Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team, COASST, which trains beachgoers along the West Coast, from California to Alaska, to monitor their local beach for dead birds.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/what-motivates-people-to-join-and-stick-with-citizen-science-projects

Harnessing the power of microbes for mining in space

For centuries, people have done the hard work of mining useful minerals and metals from solid rock. Then, scientists learned how to harness the power of tiny microbes to do some of this labor. This process, called biomining, has become common on Earth.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/harnessing-the-power-of-microbes-for-mining-in-space

How to restore a coral reef

New guidelines drafted by a consortium of concerned experts could enable corals to adapt to changing environments and help restore declining coral populations in the Caribbean. The guidelines provide a definitive plan for collecting, raising, and replanting corals that maximizes their potential for adaptation.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/how-to-restore-a-coral-reef

Active pharmaceutical ingredients can persist in the environment

Homeowners who rely on private wells as their drinking water source can be vulnerable to bacteria, nitrates, and other contaminants that have known human health risks. Because they are not connected to a public drinking water supply, the homeowners are responsible for ensuring that their own drinking water is safe.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/active-pharmaceutical-ingredients-can-persist-in-the-environment

PrEP use high but wanes after three months among young African women

In a study of open-label Truvada as daily pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV among 427 young African women and adolescent girls, 95% initiated the HIV prevention strategy, and most used PrEP for the first three months. However, PrEP use fell among participants in this critical population during a year of follow-up clinic visits, although HIV incidence at 12 months was low. The preliminary results suggest that tailored, evidence-based adherence support strategies may be needed to durably engage young African women in consistent PrEP use. The study, known as HPTN 082, was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), both parts of the National Institutes of Health. The data were presented at the 10th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/prep-use-high-but-wanes-after-three-months-among-young-african-women

E. coli superbug strains can persist in healthy women's guts

A recent study of over 1,000 healthy women with no symptoms of urinary tract infections showed nearly 9 percent carried multi-drug resistant Escherichia coli strains in their guts.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/e-coli-superbug-strains-can-persist-in-healthy-womens-guts

Study identifies cells required for the development of a healthy uterus

Knowledge of the biological processes involved in the development of the uterus is important for understanding uterine health and fertility. A research team led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has uncovered important insights on a type of cell that is critical for the formation of a functioning uterus.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/study-identifies-cells-required-for-the-development-of-a-healthy-uterus

Researchers map protein-gene interactions involved in Alzheimer's disease

Among the confounding challenges of diagnosing and treating Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the fact that patients with asymptomatic and symptomatic versions of the degenerative condition may share similar neuropathological burdens but experience significantly different rates of cognitive decline.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/researchers-map-protein-gene-interactions-involved-in-alzheimers-disease

Most women use vaginal ring for HIV prevention in open-label study

In an open-label study of women in southern and eastern Africa, a vaginal ring that is inserted once a month and slowly releases an antiviral drug was estimated to reduce the risk of HIV by 39%, according to statistical modeling. In addition, the study found that participants appeared to use the ring more in the open-label study than in a previous clinical trial. These and other results of the HIV Open Label Extension (HOPE) study were presented today at the 10th IAS Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2019) in Mexico City.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/most-women-use-vaginal-ring-for-hiv-prevention-in-open-label-study

Cane toad testes smaller at the invasion front

Understanding the dynamics of cane toad dispersal is vital information for scientists helping native animals survive the spread of the poisonous invasive species.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/cane-toad-testes-smaller-at-the-invasion-front

Left eye? Right eye? American robins have preference when looking at decoy eggs

Just as humans are usually left- or right-handed, other species sometimes prefer one appendage, or eye, over the other. A new study reveals that American robins that preferentially use one eye significantly more than the other when looking at their own clutch of eggs are also more likely to detect, and reject, a foreign egg placed in their nest by another bird species—or by a devious scientist.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/left-eye-right-eye-american-robins-have-preference-when-looking-at-decoy-eggs

Psychological support 'not available' to one in three cancer patients who need it

People with cancer have trouble accessing appropriate psychological support, a new global report published today by the All.Can international cancer initiative reveals.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/psychological-support-not-available-to-one-in-three-cancer-patients-who-need-it

Eyes on VENUS: ORNL to deliver unique US neutron imaging capability for science discovery

The ability to directly see the atomic fabric of materials provides pivotal information in accelerating the design and improving the performance of future technologies. Visualizing in real space the behaviors and dynamics of materials requires powerful probes and advanced instrumentation.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/eyes-on-venus-ornl-to-deliver-unique-us-neutron-imaging-capability-for-science-discovery

'Browning' white fat cells opens new avenue to obesity prevention

Scientists are getting closer to understanding how to turn the body's energy-storing white fat cells into energy-burning beige fat cells, opening up hopes that fat deposits could one day be deliberately manipulated to prevent obesity and related health conditions.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/browning-white-fat-cells-opens-new-avenue-to-obesity-prevention

Finding one's way in the rainforest

Knowing which direction to go in order to reach food or home is important for many animal species, including humans. For human foragers who travel long distances every day for hunting and gathering, orientation skills are essential. Haneul Jang and her colleagues from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology set out to study how the Mbendjele BaYaka people in Republic of the Congo orient themselves in the dense rainforest. The researchers conducted more than 600 pointing tests with 54 Mbendjele BaYaka men, women and children aged between six and 76 years, in which the participants were asked to point to an out-of-sight target in more than 60 different rainforest locations (including the camp).

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/finding-ones-way-in-the-rainforest

New database to monitor national energy use and carbon emissions

How much of the Swedish chemical industry's energy use is from renewables and how much from fuel oil? What are the global trends in fossil fuels consumption over the last decades? The new online World Input-Output Database (WIOD) environmental accounts, launched today by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC), helps to answer these, and similar questions through data on the industrial and household energy use of residents in more than 40 countries and their corresponding CO2 emissions for the period 2000-2016.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/new-database-to-monitor-national-energy-use-and-carbon-emissions

Children with OCD: Hoarding symptoms do not negatively impact therapy response

Hoarding can often be a debilitating problem for adults and is often associated with poorer mental health functioning and response to treatment. For children however, that may not be the case. A new study in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP), published by Elsevier, reveals that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can be successful for youth with hoarding symptoms.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/children-with-ocd-hoarding-symptoms-do-not-negatively-impact-therapy-response

In quantum mechanics, the pigeon and the letter do not always travel together

In standard communication the pigeon always carries the message; the information is linked to a physical entity/particle. Counter to intuition, in a new counterfactual communication protocol published in NPJ Quantum Information, scientists from the University of Vienna, the University of Cambridge and the MIT have experimentally demonstrated that in quantum mechanics this is not always true, thereby contradicting a crucial premise of communication theory.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/in-quantum-mechanics-the-pigeon-and-the-letter-do-not-always-travel-together

The impact of genetics on motor neurone disease

Trinity College Dublin researchers have found that one in 347 men and one in 436 women can be expected to develop motor neurone disease during their lifetime. Motor neurone disease (MND) is a devastating condition which causes progressive paralysis, increasing physical disability and ultimately death within an average of two to three years. There are over 350 people in Ireland with MND, and one person is diagnosed every three days with the condition.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/the-impact-of-genetics-on-motor-neurone-disease

Privatization of public goods can cause population decline, research shows

Scientists have given a fascinating new insight into the way microbes adopt a 'co-operative' approach to securing the nutrients they need to thrive.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/privatization-of-public-goods-can-cause-population-decline-research-shows

Hundreds of scientists embark on mission aimed at improving air quality forecasts

Extreme wildfire seasons are no longer an outlier in the western United States, where climate change is drying out vegetation and people are moving deeper and deeper into western forests.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/hundreds-of-scientists-embark-on-mission-aimed-at-improving-air-quality-forecasts

New multi-material 3-D nanoprinting strategy could revolutionize optics, photonics and biomedicine

Engineers at the University of Maryland (UMD) have created a new multi-material 3-D nanoprinting technique that was featured on the inside front cover of the July 21 issue of Lab on a Chip.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/new-multi-material-3-d-nanoprinting-strategy-could-revolutionize-optics-photonics-and-biomedicine

Were infected ticks tested as a biological weapon on the US public?

The House of Representatives has instructed the Pentagon to disclose whether it used ticks to infect the American public with Lyme disease between 1950 and 1975. The allegation comes from Chris Smith, the Republican representative for New Jersey. A long-standing campaigner on Lyme disease, Smith says the claims are from a new book about the illness and the man who discovered it—a bioweapons scientist called Willy Burgdofer.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/were-infected-ticks-tested-as-a-biological-weapon-on-the-us-public

Depression associated with risky sexual behavior among truck drivers in Kenya

Truck drivers in sub-Saharan Africa are particularly at risk for both mental health disorders, including depression, and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, due to the stressful, transient lifestyle associated with their occupation.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/depression-associated-with-risky-sexual-behavior-among-truck-drivers-in-kenya

Researchers unveil first of four reports on racial disparities in prosecutor behavior

To promote fairness and transparency in the criminal justice system, researchers at FIU and Loyola University Chicago have partnered with prosecutors in Tampa, Chicago, Jacksonville and Milwaukee to take a fresh look at prosecutorial performance and decision-making.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/researchers-unveil-first-of-four-reports-on-racial-disparities-in-prosecutor-behavior

Scientists discover new chemistry that may help explain the origins of cellular life

Before life began on Earth, the environment likely contained a massive number of chemicals that reacted with each other more or less randomly, and it is unclear how the complexity of cells could have emerged from such chemical chaos. Now, a team led by Tony Z. Jia at the Tokyo Institute of Technology and Kuhan Chandru of the National University of Malaysia has shown that simple α-hydroxy acids, like glycolic and lactic acid, spontaneously polymerize and self-assemble into polyester microdroplets when dried at moderate temperatures followed by rehydration. This could be what happened along primitive beaches and river banks, or in drying puddles. These form a new type of cell-like compartment that can trap and concentrate biomolecules like nucleic acids and proteins. These droplets, unlike most modern cells, are able to merge and reform easily, and thus could have hosted versatile early genetic and metabolic systems potentially critical for the origins of life.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/scientists-discover-new-chemistry-that-may-help-explain-the-origins-of-cellular-life

Garlic on broccoli: A smelly approach to repel a major pest

Agricultural insect pests seek out familiar scents to find their plant hosts. However, they can also be repelled by odors from other plant species.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-news-blog/garlic-on-broccoli-a-smelly-approach-to-repel-a-major-pest