All Asia & Oceania articles – Page 9
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NewsCOVID-19 viral fragments shown to target and kill specific immune cells
New research shows that after the body’s defenses kill the virus behind COVID-19, leftover digested chunks of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein can target specific immune cells based on their shape. It could explain why certain populations of cells that detect and fight infection are depleted in patients with severe COVID-19.
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NewsAltered brain connection found in people with ME/CFS and Long COVID
People with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Long COVID experience a disruption to their brain connectivity during a mentally demanding task. New research used ultra-high field MRI technology to investigate the significant reduction in brain connectivity in specific parts of the brain.
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NewsScientists develop novel live-attenuated vaccine that blocks coronavirus transmission with a single intranasal dose
A research team at the LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), has developed a novel live-attenuated vaccine candidate, cb1, capable of generating broad immunity against a wide range of beta-coronaviruses with a single intranasal dose. Source: NIAID-RML This colorized transmission electron microscope image shows ...
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NewsEpigenetic switch strengthens plant immunity against downy mildew
Researchers investigating how epigenetic regulators influence resistance to downy mildew in Brassica rapa identified BrHDA6 as a positive regulator of disease resistance and demonstrated that it enhances immunity by modifying a key enzyme in salicylic acid metabolism.
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NewsTracking antibiotic resistance in the environment gets a high tech upgrade
Antibiotic resistance is often framed as a hospital problem, but a growing body of evidence shows that the environment plays an equally critical role in the global spread of drug resistant bacteria. Rivers, soils, wastewater, and even the air can act as reservoirs for antibiotic resistance genes that may eventually ...
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News3′UTR-derived small RNA couples acid resistance to metabolic reprogramming in Salmonella within macrophages
Salmonella expresses the arginine decarboxylase AdiA, which confers acid resistance by catalyzing an H+-consuming reaction. Researchers have discovered that the 3′-untranslated region (UTR) of adiA mRNA is processed by RNase E into a regulatory small RNA, AdiZ.
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NewsDouble trouble: Tobacco use and Long COVID
Researchers investigating the relationship between Long Covid symptoms and smoking by tobacco type found that certain symptoms correlated with different forms of smoking.
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NewsMore investigations needed into Wumei Pills-Lactobacillus Reuteri-intestinal stem cell axis for chemotherapy-Induced mucositis
A new letter appraising a recent study suggests the reported benefits of WMP and Lactobacillus reuteri in chemotherapy-induced mucositis are promising, but stronger causal and analytical foundations are needed.
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NewsExpert consensus on clinical applications of fecal microbiota transplantation for chronic liver disease
To assist clinicians in rapidly mastering and standardizing the clinical application of FMT for chronic liver disease, an expert consensus has been developed to address key aspects of FMT application and provide reference and guidance for clinical practice.
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NewsMethane eating microbes turn a powerful greenhouse gas into green plastics, feed, and fuel
Methane eating microbes could help turn a powerful greenhouse gas into everyday products like animal feed, green plastics, and cleaner fuels, according to a new scientific review of fast moving research on these unusual bacteria.
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NewsEndogenous retroviruses promote early human zygotic development
New findings offer insight into why some embryos fail to develop past zygotic genome activation (ZGA), pointing to an unexpected root of human infertility.
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NewsScientists synthesize medicarpin in baker’s yeast
Scientists have developed a way to synthesize medicarpin in yeast. Like palitaxel in the 1990s, this tumor-attacking sustance has only limited natural quantitites and is considered difficult to synthesize.
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NewsBacteria use wrapping flagella to tunnel through microscopic passages
A new study shows that certain symbiotic bacteria wrap their rotating flagella around their cell bodies to form a “screw thread.” This configuration lets them propel forward through one-micrometer-wide passages, such as those inside insect guts, that would otherwise trap or immobilize them.
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NewsSniffing out the cause of keratoderma-associated foot odor
The distinct foot odor that comes with the skin disorder Nagashima-type palmoplantar keratosis (NPPK) is caused by the overgrowth of a specific bacterial strain. Topical application of benzoyl peroxide restores balance in the bacterial skin flora, reducing the odor.
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NewsScientists solve 66 million-year-old mystery of how Earth’s greenhouse age ended
Experts studying foraminifera fossils have discovered that concentrations of calcium in the sea dropped by more than half across the last 66 million years, which likely caused Earth’s massive drop in temperature.
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NewsScientists discover novel immune ‘traffic controller’ hijacked by virus
Researchers have discovered a tissue protein that acts as a central ‘traffic controller’ for immune cells and can be hijacked by a virus to weaken immune responses. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) can hijack this system by producing a protein that blocks CD44 function on stromal cells.
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NewsGame-changer for rare sugars: alkaline media unlocks high yield of rare sugars from bacteria
Bacterial EPSs (exopolysaccharides) are emerging as a sustainable source of rare sugars, offering advantages including higher yields and lower environmental impact.
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NewsFrom small experiments to big production: how constant impeller tip speed helps scale-up
Rhamnolipids (RL) are widely used in areas such as oil recovery and bioremediation, but their industrial production has long faced key challenges in the scale-up stage, including poor scalability and reproducibility.
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NewsProbiotics combined with antidiabetic drugs overcome the ‘drug black hole’
A new study addressing the ’microbial drug black hole’ proposes a new microbe–drug synergistic therapeutic strategy and advances the development of precision nutrition-based interventions for type 2 diabetes mellitus.
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NewsExperts propose fibre as first new essential nutrient in 50 years - as gut microbiome research gathers pace
Nutrition experts are calling for dietary fibre to be officially recognised internationally as an essential nutrient - the first ‘new’ essential nutrient in more than 50 years. They point out that the gut microbiome exists almost exclusively on the dietary fibre we eat.