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science : Gene therapy restored the hearing and music appreciation ability of patients with hereditary deafness

Medical Science
Wilson (42865)
 Published at 23:10 Sunday, June 9, 2024
From the camera
Gene therapy restored the hearing of five children with congenital hereditary deafness, two of whom had the ability to enjoy music. The research report was published in the journal Nature Medicine, and the research team was also surprised by the results. This clinical experiment was carried out in the Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Department Hospital affiliated to Fudan University, targeting the patients with hereditary deafness DFNB9. The research team published the preliminary results of the research in the Lancet earlier this year. DFNB9 is caused by OTOF gene mutation and the inability to produce a functional otoberlin protein, which is necessary to transmit sound signals from the ear to the brain. Six children with DFNB9 were observed for 26 weeks. They used an adeno-associated virus (AAV) carrying human OTOF gene to carefully introduce the gene into the inner ear of patients through a special surgical procedure. Different doses of single injection of virus vector were used. Clinical trials continue, and researchers say this gene therapy is "feasible, safe and effective".

game : Brain connectivity of experienced players in StarCraft 2 is significantly enhanced

Real time strategy game
Wilson (42865)
 Published on Friday, June 7, 2024 at 23:59
From Fahrenheit 451
A study found that the experienced players of StarCraft II who often participate in e-sports have significantly enhanced brain connectivity. The study involved 62 right-handed players, 31 of whom were experienced players. More than 60% of the game time was spent playing StarCraft 2 and often participated in fights; The other 31 are non game players with little game experience. The researchers scanned their brains. The results showed that the connectivity of specific brain regions of experienced players was enhanced. These areas include the parieto occipital lobe network and the frontal parietal lobe network, which are critical to visual attention, reasoning and motion control. The increased connectivity shows that playing games for a long time can improve communication between regions and improve cognitive ability.

science : The deformability of the swan snout worm derives from its origami like cell structure

science
Wilson (42865)
 Published at 14:32 Friday, June 7, 2024
From the dark plains
The swan proboscis (Lacrymaria color) is a single celled predatory ciliate, only 40 microns in size, but its neck like protuberance can stretch repeatedly to 1200 microns in less than 30 seconds, and then retract at the same speed. Using real-time imaging, confocal and transmission electron microscopy techniques, researchers found that an origami like layered cortical cytoskeleton and membrane structure enables the swan snout beetle to quickly stretch its neck processes. The cell membrane of the swan snout worm is folded into 15 folds with contact infectivity, which together form a kind of curved origami, which can be unscrewed in turn, so that its neck protrusion can be extended repeatedly and rapidly. This complex folding system is based on the structure of a spiral microtubule filament, which can guide the membrane folding and ensure rapid and effective extension and refolding when the shape changes.

science : Boeing Starliner spacecraft completed its first manned flight test

USA
Wilson (42865)
 Published on Thursday, June 6, 2024 at 19:09
From underground routes
Boeing Starliner spacecraft completed its first manned flight test. At 10:52 a.m. EDT on June 5, Starliner took the Atlas V rocket to launch from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida and sent two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, to the International Space Station. The successful launch of Starliner will expand the optional range of NASA's commercial manned program and provide another manned spacecraft in addition to the Crew Dragon of SpaceX. Starliner also carried about 345kg of cargo. The manned test flight has experienced several delays. Starliner became the sixth kind of manned aircraft besides Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, space shuttle and Crew Dragon.

science : Scientists form molecular Bose Einstein condensate for the first time

science
Wilson (42865)
 Published on Thursday, June 6, 2024 at 17:34
From going to the moon
American and Dutch physicists successfully cooled sodium cesium polar molecules to near absolute zero, so that more than 1000 molecules were in a huge quantum state, forming a molecular Bose Einstein condensate. This achievement can not only help scientists to create super solid materials that can flow without resistance, but also help to develop new quantum computers. As early as the 1920s, Einstein and others predicted that when it cooled to near absolute zero, atoms and other particles would no longer "fight alone", but would "cohere" into a "super atom" to form Bose Einstein condensate (BEC). Since 1995, physicists have achieved atomic BEC state, but they have always expected stable molecules to achieve this goal. Researchers said that molecules can rotate and vibrate in an impossible way for atoms. Molecular BEC can provide physicists with the possibility to simulate and understand a wider range of physical phenomena, but compared with atoms, molecular control and cooling are more challenging. In the latest research, researchers have used a group of polar molecules to achieve this goal. Each polar molecule consists of one sodium atom and one cesium atom. They use two kinds of microwave fields to manipulate polar molecules: one controls the rotation of molecules; The other causes the molecules to oscillate. These two microwave fields "work together" to orient the molecules in a specific direction, preventing collisions between molecules, which enables scientists to extrude the hottest molecules, thus further cooling the molecules. Finally, they cooled these molecules to about - 273.15 ℃, and obtained BEC composed of more than 1000 molecules, with a "life" of up to 2 seconds.

science : After pulling down the "emergency brake", most of the earth's life goes into sleep

earth
Wilson (42865)
 Published on Thursday, June 6, 2024 at 17:28
Fountain from heaven
For most life forms, the ability to isolate oneself from the outside world is crucial to survival. Bad conditions such as lack of food and cold weather will suddenly appear. In this dilemma, many creatures have mastered the art of dormancy, entering deep sleep rather than falling dead to survive the crisis. They significantly reduce physical activity and metabolism, and quickly restore physical vitality when conditions improve. Dormancy is the normal state of most life on earth. Sixty percent of the microbes on Earth are dormant at any given time. Even if the body is not dormant, such as most mammals, their cells will rest and wait for the optimal activation time. Scientists say that the earth is a dormant planet, and life lies in sleep. But how does the cell accomplish this feat? Scientists reported in the journal Nature that they found a natural protein called Balon, which exists in the bacteria dormant in the Arctic permafrost. A search of the catalogued bacterial genome revealed that its gene sequence existed in one fifth of bacteria. Its working mode is very special: it will pull down the "emergency brake" to stop the cells from producing proteins. It may be the dormancy mechanism of the whole tree of life.

science : The famous paper on Alzheimer's disease will be withdrawn in 2006

science
Wilson (42865)
 Published on Thursday, June 6, 2024 at 14:34
From blind spot
The author of a landmark research paper on Alzheimer's disease published in Nature in 2006 agreed to withdraw the research in response to the accusation of image manipulation. Karen Ashe, a senior author of this paper and neuroscientist at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Branch, admitted in an article on the journal discussion website PubPeer that this paper contains tampered images. "Although I was told two years ago that I did not know of any image tampering in the published paper, it is clear that some data in Lesn é et al. (2006) have been tampered... As a senior correspondent, I bear the ultimate responsibility for this." All the authors agreed to withdraw their papers - except the first author, UMN neuroscientist Sylvain Lesn é, who is a student of Ashe and the focus of the 2022 Science survey. According to the observation data of manuscript withdrawal, the research has been cited nearly 2500 times, which will be the most frequently withdrawn papers in history. This paper points out that an amyloid protein called A β * 56 (A β) may cause Alzheimer's disease.

science : Internet Addiction Changes Young People's Brain

science
Wilson (42865)
 Published at 20:43 Wednesday, June 5, 2024
From the seventh element
According to a study published in the journal PLOS Mental Health, Internet addiction changes the chemical reactions in young people's brains, which may lead to more addictive behaviors. The study found that many neural networks in young people's brains were significantly affected, increasing the activity of some brain regions during rest. The functional connectivity of some parts of the brain involved in active thinking has generally declined. "Active thinking" is the executive control network of the brain responsible for memory and decision-making. The study found that these changes led to adolescent addiction behavior and addiction tendency, as well as behavior changes related to mental health, development, intelligence and physical coordination.

science : Sulfur may come from space

earth
Wilson (42865)
 Published on Wednesday, June 5, 2024 at 18:17
From White Bird
A new study shows that in the absence of life, sulfur-containing organic molecule alkyl sulfonic acid can be naturally formed in space and carried to the Earth by comets and asteroids. This indicates that sulfur, the key element of the original life form on Earth, may come from space. Relevant papers were published in the new issue of Nature Communication. Sulfur containing organic molecules are essential for maintaining protein structure and function, enzyme activity, cell respiration involving sulfur binding and other biological activities, and are indispensable components of the Earth's life system. But where the sulfur in the earliest organisms on the earth came from is still an unsolved mystery. In the latest research, the researchers found that three kinds of the most basic alkyl sulfonic acid were effectively produced in interstellar sulfur doped ice through the interaction with cosmic rays through simulation experiments.

science : Hubble is ready to switch to single gyroscope mode

NASA
Wilson (42865)
 Published on Wednesday, June 5, 2024 at 16:36
From Tarzan, a man of apes, fighting against dinosaurs
The 34 year old Hubble Space Telescope originally had three gyroscopes in normal operation. One of them failed again, and only two of its gyroscopes were in normal operation. Hubble can operate with only one gyroscope when needed, but it needs three gyroscopes to achieve maximum efficiency. In order to extend its service life, NASA plans to switch it to the single gyroscope mode and use the other gyroscope as a backup. The plan will reduce Hubble's efficiency by 12%, limit its ability to track fast moving objects, and narrow the observable sky. NASA expects it to continue working until 2035.

science : The research believes that the formation of scientific cognition and religious belief depends on the opinions of others rather than personal experience

science
Wilson (42865)
 Published on Wednesday, June 5, 2024 at 15:03
From White Bird
An international research team led by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology found in a recent study that people's belief in science and religion is mainly shaped by the words of others, rather than by personal experience. This research will help to deepen the public's understanding of the process of forming beliefs about important social issues such as climate change and vaccination. In modern society, people generally believe in the existence of scientific phenomena (such as oxygen) rather than religious phenomena (such as God). The traditional view holds that this is because people believe that they can actually experience oxygen, while religious entities are difficult to be observed. However, the latest research results emphasize that the words of others play a decisive role in the formation of people's beliefs and understanding of the world, which is contrary to the view that personal experience is the main factor in forming scientific cognition. The research also demonstrates that the more credible the source is, the more people identify with the information, the more likely people will believe it. This shows that people's confidence in these phenomena is not because they have seen them directly, but because they believe in the source of information.

science : Chinese scientists discover a new longevity gene

science
Wilson (42865)
 Published at 14:24 Wednesday, June 5, 2024
From Doctor Mystery: Grief Eater
Mitochondria are closely related to aging. The scientific research team of Zhejiang University and the Center for Excellence and Innovation in Molecular Plant Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences found a gene co evolving with mitochondria in the insect nuclear genome. One of CG11837 can not only affect the growth of mitochondria, but also significantly extend the life span of insects and nematodes. Relevant achievements were recently published in Nature - Aging. Mitochondria are mainly responsible for the energy supply of cells and are important members of our cells. The function of mitochondria tends to decline with age. Since mitochondria are closely related to aging, neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic diseases, cardiovascular diseases, tumors and other diseases, it is crucial to maintain the stability of mitochondrial function. The researchers conducted knockdown experiments on CG11837 gene in six different animals, including brown planthopper, fruit fly, Anopheles stephensi and Cryptorhabditis elegans. The results showed that in all the animals studied, reducing the activity of CG11837 gene would significantly shorten their life span, ranging from 25% to 59%. The researchers also carried out overexpression experiments of the gene in fruit flies and nematodes. The results showed that the life span of both animals was significantly prolonged, reaching 12% to 35%. They conducted experiments on human cells in vitro, and found that activating CG11837 gene can improve the anti-aging ability by 30%.

science : A marine fungus is found to be able to decompose plastic

science
Wilson (42865)
 Published at 14:14 Wednesday, June 5, 2024
From alchemy war: liberation
Parengyodonium, a fungus living in the sea, was found to be able to decompose particles of plastic polyethylene (PE), which is the most abundant plastic in the sea. This discovery has added this fungus to a very short list of plastic degrading marine fungi: only four species have been found so far. The researchers observed that P.album decomposes PE at a rate of about 0.05% per day. The researchers found that the presence of sunlight is crucial for fungi to use polyethylene as an energy source. In the laboratory, P. album can only decompose PE exposed to ultraviolet light for at least a short time. This means that in the ocean, fungi can only degrade the plastic that initially floated near the sea surface.

science : Progress in research on male contraceptive gel

Medical Science
Wilson (42865)
 Published on Tuesday, 22:59, June 4, 2024
From Holy Libra
Progress has been made in the research of male contraceptive gel. The gel, called NES/T, is the abbreviation of its two main components - Nestorone acetate and Testosterone. Enorgestrel acetate is a synthetic version of progesterone, which plays an important role in regulating pregnancy and other reproductive functions. Such drugs have been used as contraceptives for women. When it is used in men, it will reduce the hormone level in the testes responsible for male fertility, and reduce the number of sperm. It also reduces testosterone levels in the blood, reduces male libido and has other side effects. The gel introduces synthetic testosterone to stabilize the testosterone level in men's blood and minimize side effects. NES/T is conducting Phase IIB test. As long as 5ml gel is applied to the scapula once a day, it can effectively inhibit male fertility in a few weeks. The researchers said that NES/T is both effective and safe, with very little side effects.

science : Childhood poverty has a lasting impact on brain language processing

science
Wilson (42865)
 Published on Tuesday, June 4, 2024 at 00:00
From 80 days around the world
A study has found that childhood poverty experiences can produce lasting changes in the way the brain processes language. Even adults who perform well in language tasks have different patterns of neural activity compared with the same age of middle-income families. The study highlights the long-term impact of early socio-economic conditions on brain function, indicating that chronic stress related to poverty may change the neural pathways related to language processing. The University of Michigan recruited 54 participants, 24 of whom were from the poverty group and 27 from the middle-income group, to conduct brain imaging. Participants were given a series of language processing tasks while their brain activity was monitored using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The results showed that the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and other regions related to language processing were more active in middle income adults.

science : Research finds that good sleep is associated with low loneliness

science
Wilson (42865)
 Published at 23:39 Monday, June 3, 2024
From Doctor Mystery: The Shining Man
A study has found that good sleep is associated with lower loneliness. The study involved 2297 adults, with an average age of 44 years, 51% of whom were men. Participants completed the online sleep health questionnaire and loneliness scale. The results showed that the higher the level of sleep health, the lower the overall loneliness, emotional loneliness and social loneliness. This correlation is most obvious among young people. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine believes that sleep is vital to health, and suggests that adults should sleep seven hours a night.

science : Chinese scientists use cell therapy to cure diabetes in a patient

Medical Science
Wilson (42865)
 Published at 18:29 Monday, June 3, 2024
From the Night of the Dragon
The South China Morning Post reported that Chinese scientists successfully cured a patient of diabetes mellitus by using cell therapy. The research report was published in the journal Cell Discovery, which represents a major breakthrough in the field of regenerative medicine in the treatment of diabetes. The patient was a 59 year old male with a 25 year history of type 2 diabetes mellitus and developed end-stage diabetic nephropathy (uremia). In June 2017, he developed end-stage diabetic nephropathy and received kidney transplantation. However, due to the near failure of its islet function, it needs to inject insulin many times a day, and there is a great risk of serious complications of diabetes in the future. On July 19, 2021, due to concerns about hypoglycemia and considering the adverse effects of poor blood glucose control on the long-term survival of donor kidneys, the patient received autologous regenerative islet transplantation in Shanghai Long March Hospital. The patient began to completely separate from exogenous insulin 11 weeks after surgery, and gradually reduced the amount of oral hypoglycemic drugs after surgery, and completely withdrew the drug in the 48th and 56th weeks, At present, the patient has been completely free of insulin for 33 months. This is the first time to use autologous derived islets to treat T2D patients with impaired islet function.

science : Scientists discover the largest known genome in a small plant

Biotechnology
Wilson (42865)
 Published at 22:02 Sunday, June 2, 2024
From the Apocalypse of Rocky
According to a study published in the journal iScience, Tmesipteris oblanceolata, a fern growing on Grande Terre Island, Australia, has the largest known genome. This plant is very inconspicuous, only a few inches tall, but its DNA amount is more than 50 times that of human beings. T. The genome size of oblanceolata is a record 160.45 Gbp, 7% larger than P. japonica's 148.89 Gbp, and only 3.1 Gbp compared with the human genome. Larger genomes usually do not have a competitive advantage. Plants with a large amount of DNA are usually slow growing perennial plants with low photosynthetic efficiency and need more nutrients to grow in order to compete with neighboring plants with smaller genomes. The larger genome will also affect its ability to adapt to climate change, increasing the risk of extinction. The species with the largest genome in animals include the 129.90 Gbp Protopterus aethiopicus and 117.47 Gbp Neuse River waterlog (Necturus lewisi).

science : On June 3, the six planets in the solar system will form a straight line

Space
Wilson (42865)
 Published at 21:12 Sunday, June 2, 2024
From the victims of the Chancellor ship
On June 3, the six planets Jupiter, Mercury, Uranus, Mars, Neptune and Saturn will form a straight line in the pre dawn sky. About 20 minutes before sunrise, all six planets should be visible, but because Uranus and Neptune are too dim to be recognized by the naked eye, telescopes are needed. Through the naked eye, Jupiter, Mercury, Mars and Saturn are all in a straight line of 73 degrees in the sky. In the early morning of June 4, Mercury will move to the lower right of Jupiter. In the early morning of June 5, Mercury will be located at the lower left of Jupiter.

science : Chang'e VI Landed on the South Pole

Moon
Wilson (42865)
 Published at 18:48 Sunday, June 2, 2024
From Amy Seven
According to the National Space Administration, at 6:23 on June 2, the Chang'e-6 lander and riser combination successfully landed in the pre selected landing area of the South Pole Aitken Basin on the back of the moon with the support of the Queqiao 2 relay satellite. The Chang'e 6 mission will implement the first moon back sampling and return, and will use drilling tools and robotic arms to collect up to 2kg of moon dust and rock from the basin. The Chang'e 6 probe consists of an orbiter, a returner, a lander, and a riser. It will be launched into orbit on May 3, 2024. On May 30, the combination of the lander and the riser and the combination of the orbiter and the returner will be separated in orbit. After the successful landing of the lander and riser assembly, the lander will check and set the state of the solar wing and directional antenna deployment under the ground control through the Queqiao 2 relay star, and then formally start the moon back sampling for about 2 days. The moon soil samples and moon surface rocks will be collected respectively through the two methods of drilling with drill tools and taking from the surface of the manipulator. After the moon sampling is completed, it will be stored in the riser through the robot. The riser will return to the lunar orbit, dock with the returnee, transfer the samples to the returnee, and the orbiter and the returnee will return to the earth orbit and separate. The returnee is expected to land at the Siziwang Banner landing site in Inner Mongolia later this month. The whole mission will last for 53 days.

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