All Asia & Oceania articles – Page 5
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NewsMicroplastics in soil may reshape microbial genes and threaten ecosystem stability
A new review highlights how microscopic plastic particles accumulating in soils can alter microbial genes that control essential ecosystem functions, potentially affecting food production, climate processes, and environmental health.
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NewsYou don’t need to be very altruistic to stop an epidemic
Researchers have used a mathematical model of epidemic behaviour to find that even people who are only barely altruistic - valuing their own life as equivalent to the lives of around 100,000 others – would still see it as rational to drastically reduce their social contacts when infected.
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NewsMethane’s missing emissions: The underestimated impact of small sources
Although efforts are being made to reduce the contribution of big polluters to methane in Japan, new research suggests that smaller sources are vastly underestimated in the Osaka metropolitan area. The team found unaccounted emissions from numerous small sources, including restaurants, commercial facilities, and private residences.
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NewsThe hidden infections that refuse to go away: how household practices can stop deadly diseases
A 13-year study reveals why a deadly parasitic infection targeted for elimination in China persisted in some areas even after decades of control. The research investigated some of the last pockets of schistosomiasis in the country, finding that farming practices and unsafe sanitation contributed to disease spread.
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News Huayunuo approval positions China at forefront of viral hepatitis innovation, says GlobalData
Huahui Health has recently secured conditional approval from China for Huayunuo (Libevitug Injection), marking it as the first domestically developed monoclonal antibody (mAb) drug for chronic hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection in adults with or without compensated cirrhosis.
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NewsScrub typhus a threat in the home, study in South India finds
Most human scrub typhus infections could occur inside villages rather than during agricultural work, suggests new research conducted with the help of communities living in Tamil Nadu.
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NewsNew findings on infection with the Epstein-Barr virus
Researchers have identified genetic and non-genetic factors that help the body fight the Epstein-Barr virus. Using a new technique, they were able to estimate the amount of EBV in the blood and find correlations in large health data sets – for example, an increased viral load in people with HIV infections, but also in smokers.
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NewsResearchers discover how tuberculosis bacteria use a “stealth” mechanism to evade the immune system
New research reveals that mycobacteria release tiny packages called extracellular vesicles that fuse with the membranes of immune cells. These vesicles contain specialized lipids—fatty molecules—that make the cell membrane more rigid.
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NewsScientists discover ‘bacterial constipation’, a new disease caused by gut-drying bacteria
Scientists have found two gut bacteria working together that contribute to chronic constipation. The duo, Akkermansia muciniphila and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, destroy the intestinal mucus coating essential for keeping the colon lubricated and feces hydrated.
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NewsHope for global banana farming in genetic discovery
Scientists have pinpointed crucial genetic resistance to fight a fungal disease which threatens the global banana supply in a wild subspecies of the fruit. The team have identified the genomic region that controls resistance to Fusarium wilt Sub Tropical Race 4 (STR4).
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NewsA break in a longstanding mystery about origin of complex life
One of our microbial ancestors was part of a group called the Asgard archaea, which today live primarily in the deep sea and other oxygen-free spaces. Now scientists have found that some Asgards use, or at least tolerate oxygen.
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NewsAncestral motif enables broad DNA binding by NIN, a master regulator of rhizobial symbiosis
Researchers investigated the molecular mechanisms whereby the transcription factor NODULE INCEPTION (NIN) - crucial for rhizobial symbiosis - can bind a broader spectrum of DNA sequences than its close homologs, using the legume Lotus japonicus (Miyakogusa) as a model system.
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NewsGlobal scientific paper establishes first consensus definition of gut health
A global group of 13 scientists and clinicians is helping establish clarity by publishing a consensus definition of gut health. They define gut health as “a state of normal gastrointestinal function without active gastrointestinal disease and gut-related symptoms that affect quality of life.”
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NewsNew antibody–drug conjugate strategy to block HIV infection
New antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) combine a CD4 mimic with neutralizing antibodies for enhanced suppression of HIV infection. By targeting the gp120 on the viral envelope via a two-step mechanism, the ADCs effectively block viral entry.
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NewsNew clinical guidelines to reduce central line-associated bloodstream infection
Central line-associated bloodstream infections remain a major challenge in ICUs. A team of clinicians has proposed updated guidelines to standardize the clinical practices addressing CLABSI, aiming to reduce infection rates and improve outcomes for critically ill patients.
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NewsRhododendron-derived drugs now made by bacteria
Bioengineered E. coli bacteria can now produce a group of compounds with anticancer, anti-HIV, antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory activities. The compounds, orsellinic acid-derived meroterpenoids, are produced by Rhododendron species.
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NewsGut microbiome may be the link to gluten sensitivity without celiac disease
Researchers found that after antibiotic treatment, mice exposed to gluten had changes in the bacteria living in the gut. These shifts in bacteria types altered how they processed carbohydrates, fats and sugars which may influence how these nutrients are recognized by the immune system.
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NewsLactobacillus rhamnosus L34: Native probiotic that reduces inflammation in patients with chronic kidney disease
Researchers in Thailand have discovered a native probiotic strain, Lactobacillus rhamnosus L34, that helps reduce uremic toxins and inflammation-related cytokines in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) before dialysis.
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NewsMpox: recombinant virus with genomic elements of clades Ib and IIb
Recombination of monkeypox virus (MPXV) strains has been documented in recent months, with two cases of a recombinant strain comprising clade Ib and IIb MPXV reported, the World Health Organization says.
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NewsNewly discovered bacterium converts carbon dioxide into chemicals using electricity
A newly identified soil bacterium may help unlock cleaner ways to recycle carbon dioxide and produce valuable chemicals using electricity. The sulfate reducing bacterium Fundidesulfovibrio terrae possesses an unusual ability to both export and absorb electrical energy while converting carbon dioxide into acetate.