Retinal cell map could advance precise therapies for blinding diseases
Researchers have identified distinct differences among the cells comprising a tissue in the retina that is vital to human visual perception. The scientists from the National Eye Institute (NEI) discovered five subpopulations of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)—a layer of tissue that nourishes and supports the retina’s light-sensing photoreceptors. Using artificial intelligence, the researchers analyzed images […]
Targeting molecular pathway that causes pulmonary arterial hypertension
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a type of high blood pressure in the lungs, in which blood vessels are narrowed, blocked or destroyed, causing the heart to work harder and, in time, result in cardiac weakness and failure. The disease is relatively rare, but affects an estimated 100,000 persons in the United States, and results […]
CDC probing 109 liver illnesses in kids, including 5 deaths
U.S. health officials are looking into more than 100 possible cases of a mysterious and severe liver illness in children, including five deaths. About two dozen states reported suspected cases after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put out a call for doctors to be on the lookout for surprising cases of hepatitis. The […]
A step forward in modern quantum technology: Frequency conversion of single photons at arbitrary wavelengths
Before the huge potential of quantum technology is fully realized, however, several challenges remain. A solution to one of these has now been found. Quanta of light—photons—form the basis of quantum key distribution in modern cryptographic networks. In a paper published in the journal Science, teams led by David Novoa, Nicolas Joly and Philip Russell […]
A new age of 2.5D materials
Scientists are exploring new ways to artificially stack two-dimensional (2D) materials, introducing so-called 2.5D materials with unique physical properties. Researchers in Japan reviewed the latest advances and applications of 2.5D materials in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials. “The 2.5D concept symbolizes freedom from the composition, materials, angles and space typically used in […]
Biomolecular insights into protein-insolubility-related disease
Amyloidosis is the collective name for a group of diseases characterized by the deposition of amyloids—insoluble proteins that form due to the misfolding and aggregation of soluble proteins—outside of cells. Such depositions lead to cellular dysfunctions, and take place in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and dementia. In the disease called hereditary (variant) transthyretin […]
Implementation and reconfiguration of magnetic skyrmions-based logic gates in one single nanotrack
In one single nanotrack, a research team has achieved the annihilation, fusion and shunting of two magnetic skyrmions with opposite chirality via local reversal of the DMI, as well as the pinning effect of energy barriers on skyrmions. This study was led by Prof. Hongxin Yang (Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy […]
World’s ocean is losing its memory under global warming
Most of the world’s ocean is steadily losing its year-to-year memory under global warming, a recent study published in Science Advances found this by using future projections from the latest generation of Earth System Models. Compared with the fast weather fluctuations of the atmosphere, the slowly varying ocean exhibits strong persistence, or “memory”, meaning the […]
Nature helps mental health, research says—but only for rich, white people?
New research shows that a rapidly-growing environmental science field—which measures nature’s effects on mental health has a diversity problem that threatens its ability to make universal scientific claims. The field—which combines psychology and environmental research—has produced numerous important studies detailing the benefits of nature, forests and parks on human well-being and mental health, including happiness, […]
What is the multiverse, and does it really exist?
Whether you need a new villain or Spider-Man, your sci-fi movie will sound more scientifically respectable if you use the word “multiverse.” The Marvel multiverse puts different versions of our universe “out there,” somewhere. In these films, with the right blend of technology, magic, and imagination, travel between these universes is possible. For example (spoilers!), […]