Thursday, June 30, 2022

Scientists engineer synthetic DNA to study 'architect' genes

Researchers have created artificial Hox genes -- which plan and direct where cells go to develop tissues or organs -- using new synthetic DNA technology and genomic engineering in stem cells. Their findings confirm how clusters of Hox genes help cells to learn and remember where they are in the body.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/yvXi4bg

Dissolving implantable device relieves pain without drugs

Researchers have developed a small, soft, flexible implant that relieves pain on demand and without the use of drugs. The first-of-its-kind device could provide a much-needed alternative to opioids and other highly addictive medications. It works by softly wrapping around nerves to deliver precise, targeted cooling, which numbs nerves and blocks pain signals to the brain. After the device is no longer needed, it naturally absorbs into the body -- bypassing the need for surgical extraction.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/34kjJv9

Sleep triggered by stress can help mice cope with later anxiety

Stress boosts a kind of sleep in mice that subsequently relieves anxiety, according to new research that also pinpoints the mechanism responsible.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/91M6cy5

Cosmological thinking meets neuroscience in new theory about brain connections

A collaboration between a former cosmologist and a computational neuroscientist generates a new way to identify essential connections between brain cells.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/CSxdQ4K

Optical fiber imaging method advances studies of Alzheimer's disease

An optical fiber as thin as a strand of hair holds promise for use in minimally invasive deep-tissue studies of patients' brains that show the effects Alzheimer's disease and other brain disorders. The challenge is efficiently increasing image resolution at the subcellular level, because loss of information is inevitable from light scrambling.

from Top Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/HDarFCA

Breaking AIs to make them better

Current AIs are very accurate but inflexible at image recognition. Exactly why this is remains a mystery. Researchers have developed a method called 'Raw Zero-Shot' to assess how neural networks handle elements unknown to them. The results have the potential to help researchers identify the common features that make neural networks 'non-robust,' and develop methods to make AIs more reliable.

from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/VgERj3v

A closer look into the emergence of antibiotic resistance in bioaerosols and its monitoring

While there are many studies that discuss antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) in soil and water environments, there is currently very little research that focuses on ARG in aerial environments. In a recent review, researchers have analyzed current research trends regarding ARG in bioaerosols, including their sources, methods of detection, and implications for the future.

from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/BlqbSIe

Cassini reveals a surprising twist in Saturn’s magnetic shield

Cassini data has revealed a surprising twist in Saturn’s magnetic shield: the planet’s rapid rotation appears to drag a key opening in its m...