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Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital have developed a microscopy method that enables detailed three-dimensional (3D) RNA analysis at cellular resolution in whole intact mouse brains. The new method, called TRISCO, has the potential to transform our understanding of brain function, both in normal conditions and in disease, according to a new study published in Science.

Despite great advances in RNA analysis, linking RNA data to its spatial context has long been a challenge, especially in intact 3D tissue volumes. The TRISCO method now makes it possible to perform three-dimensional RNA imaging of whole mouse brains without the need to slice the brain into thin sections, which was previously necessary.

“This method is a powerful tool that can drive brain research forward. With TRISCO, we can study the complex anatomical structure of the brain in a way that was previously not possible,” says Per Uhlén, professor at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, and the study’s last author.

Numbers tell a story. From your credit score to your age, metrics predict a variety of outcomes, whether it’s your likelihood to get a loan or your risk for heart disease. Now, Stanford Medicine researchers have described another telling metric — one that can predict mortality. It’s called sleep age.

Sleep age is a projected age that correlates to one’s health based on their quality of sleep. So for instance, if you analyze the sleep characteristics of dozens of 55-year-olds and average them out, you’ll have an idea of what sleep looks like at that age. For instance, someone who’s 55 and sleeps soundly through the night with good quality REM cycles could, theoretically, might have a sleep age of 45.

Scientists looking to tackle our ongoing obesity crisis have made an important discovery: Intermittent calorie restriction leads to significant changes both in the gut and the brain, which may open up new options for maintaining a healthy weight.

Researchers from China studied 25 volunteers classed as obese over a period of 62 days, during which they took part in an intermittent energy restriction (IER) program – a regime that involves careful control of calorie intake and relative fasting on some days.

Not only did the participants in the study lose weight – 7.6 kilograms (16.8 pounds) or 7.8 percent of their body weight on average – there was also evidence of shifts in the activity of obesity-related regions of the brain, and in the make-up of gut bacteria.

MetaShape’s PNP inhibitor technology aims to restore NAD+ levels to combat LDL cholesterol, cognitive decline and neurodegeneration.

A large number of 2D materials like graphene can have nanopores—small holes formed by missing atoms through which foreign substances can pass. The properties of these nanopores dictate many of the materials’ properties, enabling the latter to sense gases, filter out seawater, and even help in DNA sequencing.

“The problem is that these 2D materials have a wide distribution of nanopores, both in terms of shape and size,” says Ananth Govind Rajan, Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science (IISc). “You don’t know what is going to form in the material, so it is very difficult to understand what the property of the resulting membrane will be.”

Machine learning models can be a powerful tool to analyze the structure of nanopores in order to uncover tantalizing new properties. But these models struggle to describe what a nanopore looks like.

Model mice treated with extracts and powders exhibit restored cognitive and motor functions. Efforts to develop a breakthrough dementia drug are gaining attention, yet traditional medicinal products may provide valuable insights for preventive care. A research group led by Specially Appointed Professor Takami Tomiyama of Osaka Metropolitan University’s Graduate School…

This could revolutionize insulin and protein-based drug treatments, enhancing ease and comfort.

MIT has developed an ingestible capsule inspired by squid propulsion, delivering drugs directly to the stomach without needles.

Plant based fabric can help reduce exposure to oil based fabrics so there are less cancer risk with clothing. Washi is made many different ways but can be done even with paper pulp and also paper thread.

“The fabric is soft, resistant to water, and it is even washable,” said 61-year-old company president and granddaughter of the founder, Akemi Kawamura, describing the characteristics of washi jackets.

Japanese paper is cut thin and twisted into threads before being woven into fabrics with special machines. “It’s light and airy, so it’s warm in winter, but breathable and comfortable in the summer,” she said.

Continue reading “Heard of Washi Craft Paper? This Japanese Company Uses It to Make Stylish Jackets” »

Some researchers and public health experts have also expressed concerns that microplastic exposure can lead to babies being born underweight.

Recent studies found that the average liter of store-bought bottled water contains more than 240,000 nanoplastics while the majority of meat and plant-based alternatives contain tiny plastics linked to cancer.

Scientists have cautioned that it will take time to transfer to creating the new material because existing manufacturing equipment was only built for traditional plastic.