Everyday Science in a Nutshell

Many people are dreaming of effortless learning during sleep. Now, dreams can be true. On January 27, 2020, an extensive sleep laboratory study published in Nature Group's Open Access journal Scientific Reports showed that fragrances can enhance learning during sleep. In this study, pupils in two school classes learned English vocabulary - with and without fragrance sticks during the learning period and sleep. The students, who smelled fragrance, remembered the vocabulary much better. For the first time, the supportive effect of fragrance on learning success when presented both during learning and sleep is now proven. References https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-57613-7 https://www.news-medical.net/news/20200131/Fragrances-can-enhance-learning-during-sleep-shows-new-study.aspx

On January 30,2020, a very recent study published in The lancet found that 2019 Wuhan coronavirus is a new human-infecting coronavirus strain that is genetically different from human SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) which killed more than 348 people in China in 2003, and MERS-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) that emerged in the Middle East in 2012.  Researchers in this study thought that bats, which is sold in the Wuhan market, may be the source of the new virus. Yet, they do not also exclude the possibility of an intermediate host that enables the virus to jump from animals to humans. Although 2019 Wuhan coronavirus is most closely related to bat coronavirus strains, several facts suggest that another animal is considered as an intermediate host between bats and humans.  Firstly, the outbreak was first reported in late December, 2019, when most bat species in Wuhan are hibernating. Secondly, no bats were sold or found at the Wuhan market, where...

Atherosclerosis is a hardening and narrowing of the arteries, leading to heart disease and stroke. Ongoing studies are trying to find a novel treatment for atherosclerosis. On January 27,2020, a breakthrough research published in Nature Nanotechnology designed ‘Trojan horse’ nanoparticles to prevent atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.  These ‘Trojan horse’ nanoparticles are highly selective for macrophages. Inside macrophages, they deliver drug agent to reinvigorate the macrophages to engulf and eat cellular debris. In brief, these ‘Trojan horse’ nanoparticles accumulate within the atherosclerotic plaque, reactivate lesional phagocytosis and reduce the plaque burden. This breakthrough discovery could be a potential treatment for atherosclerosis, a leading cause of cardiovascular death all over the world. References https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-019-0619-3 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/01/200128114720.htm?utm_source=dlvr.it...

Spread of multidrug-resistant infections is the main reason of antibiotic treatment failure. There is an urgent need to find alternatives to antibiotics. Group behavior is usually seen in bacteria. They can make a protective slime layer or biofilm, providing the microbial community with resistance to antibiotics. On January 09, 2020, a novel study published in Nature Communications showed that targeting cooperative traits is a viable solution to the problem of antimicrobial resistance. Researchers in this study found that inhibition of slime production of salmonella bacteria disrupts the bacterial community, making it easier to remove.  Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health. Current researchers are focusing on finding other alternatives. It is expected in near future that treatment of bacterial infection will not rely solely on antibiotics.  References https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-13660-x https://...

We all have been taught that Mitochondria are energy-generating powerhouses that are found exclusively inside cells. But, we are in a time, that anything, which was considered as impossible, is now literally possible. On January 19, 2020, unprecedented study published in the FASEB Journal discovered that mitochondria can also be found floating around on their own in the bloodstream, functioning outside of the cell. The exact role of these free-floating mitochondria is still unknown. Researchers did not detect any type of membrane around them. They also noticed that these mitochondria move from one cell to another cell under various conditions, suggesting that they may have a role in signalling, inflammatory conditions, tissue injury, and cancer. This study will not only shed light on additional possible roles of mitochondria, but also open a debate on the evolution of mitochondria. References https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1096/fj.201901917RR https://www.labroots.com/tre...

A new viral outbreak is on the way. The latest coronavirus pandemic outbreak appears to be the last for this season. The deadly Marburg virus has been found in Egyptian rousette fruit bats for the first time in West Africa, in Sierra Leone. A group of academics published their findings in the journal Nature Communications on January 24, 2020. The virus was found in eleven Egyptian rousette fruit bats from three distinct health districts, according to the researchers. This discovery raises the possibility that it is not unique. The Marburg virus, which is related to the Ebola virus, can also cause fatal hemorrhagic illness. There are no current documented instances of Marburg illness in Sierra Leone, according to health officials. Nonetheless, the discovery of the virus in bats in three distinct health districts may cause nearby residents to be concerned about becoming infected. Egyptian Rousette bats, which mostly feed on fruits, are known to carry the Marburg virus. The virus is prese...

Previous cancer research has concentrated on protein-coding DNA regions. A new study has proven a link between non-coding DNA mutations and cancer development. On January 17, 2020, an unprecedented study published in Molecular Cell revealed that non-coding genomic alterations may contribute to cancer development and progression. Researchers examined over 100,000 portions of each patient's genome, paying special attention to non-coding genome regions that interact with genes via the three-dimensional genome. Scientists discovered that one of the 30 crucial areas has an important role in the regulation of a known anti-tumor gene in cancer cells, despite the fact that there are more than 250,000 base pairs between the anti-tumor gene and this key non-coding region. This study emphasizes the need of focusing on non-coding genomes, which may be linked to cancer growth and progression. References https://www.news-medical.net/news/20200117/Researchers-discover-new-regions-of-non-co...

Gut microbiota (the bacterial population that lives in our intestine) can perform important services such as aiding digestion, manufacturing vitamins and combating infections. The most recent study discovered a link between the gut microbiome (the collection of genomes from all the bacteria in the gut) and behavioral disorders in children. On January 21, 2020, a new study published in the journal mBio revealed that the functional and taxonomic composition of the gut microbiome interacts with behavior throughout a key phase of infant development. This groundbreaking study discovered that both socioeconomic risk exposure and child behaviors are linked to the relative abundances of specific taxa (e.g., Bacteroides and Bifidobacterium species) as well as functional modules encoded in their genomes (e.g., monoamine metabolism) that have been linked to cognition and health. This study not only emphasizes the relationship between gut microbiota and cognition in kids, but it also emphasi...

Core dogma is a one-way mechanism in which gene information flows into proteins: DNA RNA protein. A recent study found that RNA can alter how DNA is transcribed. An unexpected research published in Science on January 16, 2020 demonstrated that messenger RNA, a fundamental courier that transfers information from DNA to proteins, has his own impact on protein production via a reversible methylation process. This revolutionary study discovered a number of "reader" proteins that detect methylation mRNA and alter target mRNA stability and translation. A similar methylation process has been reported in chromosome-associated regulatory RNAs, or carRNAs. These carRNAs, however, do not code for protein and do not play a direct role in protein translation. They really have control over how DNA is stored and transcribed. This ground-breaking discovery will almost certainly have far-reaching implications for our understanding of human sickness and pharmaceutical design. References https...

Recent research has found a link between gut microbiota (the bacterial population that lives in our intestine) and Parkinson's disease. However, it is still unknown how gut microbiota influences neurodegenerative diseases in Parkinson's disease. An interesting new research published in Cell Reports on January 14, 2020 discovered that a common gut bacterium (Bacillus subtilis) that promotes digestive health may also help guard against Parkinson's disease. The probiotic Bacillus subtilis strain PXN21 can delay and even reverse the accumulation of a harmful protein known as -synuclein, which is linked to Parkinson's disease. The -synuclein protein accumulates, generating toxic clumps that are linked to nerve cell death. Probiotics are living microorganisms that can enhance or restore normal gut flora. This innovative investigation was carried out using roundworms ( Caenorhabditis elegans ) that had been genetically engineered to generate the human variant of -synuclein. In...

Not only does our immune system protect us from illness, but it also fights and eliminates cancer cells. The breakthrough is that specialised immune cells with altered receptors may specifically attack all cancer cells. A groundbreaking study published in Nature Immunology on January 20, 2020 discovered that T-cells, a kind of white blood cell, armed with a unique form of T-cell receptor (TCR) can only destroy cancer cells and are inert to noncancerous cells. T-cell therapy, also known as Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cells (CAR-T), is the most recent paradigm in cancer treatment, in which T-cells have been genetically modified to generate an artificial T-cell receptor for use in immunotherapy. CAR-T therapy, on the other hand, is confined to a few cancer types and is ineffective in the treatment of solid tumours. T-cells that have been genetically engineered may now selectively target all cancer cells. This groundbreaking study is likely to have a significant influence on cancer ther...

Over the weekend, Chinese Health Authorities reported 139 new cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus strain in the cities of Beijing, Shenzhen, and Wuhan. This is the first time coronavirus has been found in China outside of Wuhan, where it initially appeared. A third individual was confirmed dead on Saturday, according to the authority. Chinese health officials verified two instances in Beijing and one case in Shenzhen. All three patients are thought to have visited Wuhan, according to officials. Since the virus was discovered last month in Wuhan, the overall number of infected people has more than quadrupled to more than 200. The spread of the coronavirus to other cities in China raises concerns ahead of the Lunar New Year vacation, when hundreds of millions of Chinese are scheduled to travel both domestically and abroad. One case has been verified in Japan, two in Thailand, and one in South Korea. They are either from Wuhan or have been there. References ...

Glioblastoma is one of the deadliest and most aggressive kinds of brain cancer. The blood-brain barrier, which protects the brain from outside chemicals, provides an unexpected benefit for Glioblastoma. Immunotherapy, a form of cancer medication that boosts the immune system to fight cancer, may have trouble reaching the brain to treat glioblastoma. The narrative, however, does not finish here, and there is hope at the end of the tunnel. A new study published in the journal Nature on January 15, 2020 discovered that combining vascular endothelial growth factor C, or VEGF-C, with cancer immunotherapy medications can be beneficial in treating brain cancers such as Glioblastoma. This study's concept may be characterised as sliding immunotherapy into the brain drainage system. Although the brain has no direct waste disposal system, relatively tiny capillaries lining the inside of the skull can collect tissue waste products and discharge them to the lymphatic system. These small veins ...

Contrary to long-held beliefs that males are more at risk of heart disease than women, new study suggests that women's blood arteries mature quicker than men's. A landmark study published on January 15, 2020 in the journal JAMA Cardiology revealed that blood pressure, an indicator of heart disease risk, rose much faster in women than in men. This is the first study to show that women's main and minor arteries age more quickly than men's. This groundbreaking study comprised 144 599 blood pressure measures from 32 833 participants (54 percent of whom were female) during a 43-year period (1971 to 2014) in four community-based US cohort studies. Researchers discovered that blood pressure in women began to rise as early as 30 and continued to rise faster than in males. The results of this groundbreaking study refute the long-held belief that vascular and cardiovascular disorders in women trail behind males by 10-20 years. This research emphasises the necessity of women mai...

Murchison, a town in Victoria State, Australia, is presently upbeat. In fact, they should be, for Murchison has only just entered history as a result of a meteorite that landed on the town 50 years ago. A groundbreaking research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on January 13, 2020, revealed the oldest substance on Earth, which is stardust trapped in a meteorite. The narrative begins with a star that predates our solar system. Our Sun, by the way, is just 4.6 billion years old. When a star dies, the gas and dust that made it drift into space, and the leftovers of a dying star are captured in meteorites. These "presolar grains" preserved in this meteorite will offer scientists with a detailed picture of events prior to the creation of the solar system. Scientists saw presolar grains as a valuable treasure or a time machine. References https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/01/07/1904573117/tab-article-info https://abcnews.go.com/I...

Human liver can be maintained metabolically active for up to 24 hours, according to current technological technologies. However, according to the "Liver4life" research group, the human liver can now be preserved outside the human body for up to one week. On January 13, 2020, a groundbreaking study published in Nature Biotechnology produced a novel machine capable of keeping the human liver biologically functioning for one week. This ground-breaking discovery will pave the way for increased transplant success rates and cancer patient survival rates. References https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-019-0374-x https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/study-new-machine-keeps-livers-alive-for-full-week-outside-the-body/5246541.html?fbclid=IwAR32drSWbwfzjNLUfqEdMtGZHtQ0LuY_pK1vaddjLC8mkOq-eQq7C3U-rb4 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/01/200113111147.htm

Most of us are aware of stem cells' remarkable capacity to develop into other cells such as blood, brain, or liver cells. However, did you know that stem cells can be transformed into living robots? An extraordinary research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on January 13, 2020, shown that frog stem cells may be transformed into the world's first living, self-healing robots. These living machines are known as xenobots because they are derived from the stem cells of the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis), and the term "xenobots" comes from the combination of Xenopus and robots. These xenobots are projected to have a significant influence not just on targeted therapy, but also on human health and wellbeing. References https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/01/07/1910837117 https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/13/us/living-robot-stem-cells-intl-hnk-scli-scn/index.html https://www.livescience.com/frogbots-living-robots.html https://www.uvm.edu...

We've all heard of human sacrifice, but few have heard of bacterial sacrifice. Bacteria like Escherichia coli can save others by self-destructing E. coli cells infected with bacteriophage. A groundbreaking research published in Molecular Cell on January 10, 2020 revealed that CBASS is a bacterial anti-bacteriophage treatment that kills infected bacterial cells in a mechanism similar to abortive infection. Peptide sensing through the HORMA protein activates the E. coli CBASS anti-phage pathway. CBASS activation causes the creation of a messenger, which activates a nuclease enzyme, causing the bacterial genome to be destroyed and infected cells to be killed. The significance of this finding lies not only in detecting bacterial immunity to bacteriophage, but also in purposely introducing CBASS into multidrug resistant bacteria to destroy them. References: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1097276519309220?via%3Dihub https://www.labroots.com/trending/cell-and-mole...

Dr. Emmy Smith, a field geologist, discovered the earliest known animal stomach in 2016 while searching for fossils in Nevada, USA. “It was just really lucky,” Dr. Smith explained. She is an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and was part of the team that published the finding in Nature Communications on January 10, 2020. The intestines belonged to an ancient species named Cloudina, which looked like a worm composed of ice cream cones and lived around 550 million years ago, right after the earth became buried in ice. Dr. Smith and a PhD student in her lab wrapped Cloudina fossils in toilet paper, placed them in a paint bucket, and dashed to their field car. Dr. Smith then forwarded the fossils to James Schiffbauer and Tara Selly Paleontologists at the University of Missouri for further study. "This is a gut," Dr. Schiffbauer remarked. The stomach runs the full length of Cloudina, therefore it has both front and rear ends. Corals, for example, have ...

A coronavirus epidemic has been detected in the city of Wuhan, boosting the level of awareness. Coronaviruses are a huge zoonotic virus family that spreads from animals to humans. According to Chinese health experts, the new infection's symptoms include high fever, breathing difficulties, and lung lesions. On January 11, 2020, Hong Kong-Chinese state media reported the first fatality caused by a new virus that had infected a large number of individuals in China and triggered a state of alarm across Asia. The first instances were related to workers at a market that sold live fish, birds, and other animals. The health authority in Wuhan, China's central city where the ailment initially surfaced, said that a 61-year-old man patient died on January 9, 2020. He was a Wuhan market regular who had previously been diagnosed with stomach malignancies and severe liver illness. The new virus, a coronavirus, infected 41 people, with seven patients remaining in critical condition. Accordi...