House cats’ noses may function like highly efficient chemical analysis equipment

Parallels between cat noses and gas chromatography provide new insights into mammalian evolution

04-Jul-2023 - A new computer simulation of domestic cats’ noses suggests that the convoluted nasal structures involved in their sense of smell function similarly to parallel coiled gas chromatographs—laboratory equipment used for highly efficient analysis of the chemical makeup of substances. Zhenxing Wu of ...

Rare human intestinal disorder is due to reduction in protein synthesis

A nutritional supplement may offer a new treatment

03-Nov-2022 - A decrease in protein synthesis in cells of the developing gut contributes to a rare genetic disorder, and an inexpensive nutritional supplement may help reverse that decrease, according to a new study publishing November 1st in the open access journal PLOS Biology by Yun-Fei Li of Zhejiang ...

Can smartphones predict mortality risk?

At population level, passive monitoring of walking activity using smartphones offers a pathway toward national screening for health and mortality risk, researchers conclude

01-Nov-2022 - Passive smartphone monitoring of people’s walking activity can be used to construct population-level models of health and mortality risk, according to a new study in the open access journal PLOS Digital Health by Bruce Schatz of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA, and ...

Did the pandemic change our personalities?

Study of thousands of Americans found small shifts in extraversion, agreeableness, openness and conscientiousness between pre-pandemic and 2022

30-Sep-2022 - Despite a long-standing hypothesis that personality traits are relatively impervious to environmental pressures, the COVID-19 pandemic may have altered the trajectory of personality across the United States, especially in younger adults, according to a new study published this week in the ...

Moderate drinking linked to brain changes and cognitive decline

20-Jul-2022 - Consumption of seven or more units of alcohol per week is associated with higher iron levels in the brain, according to a study of almost 21,000 people publishing July 14th in the open access journal PLOS Medicine. Iron accumulation in the brain has been linked with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s ...

Open sharing of biotechnology research – transparency versus security

Researchers outline how to balance the open sharing of biotech research with transparency and security

20-Apr-2022 - As biotechnology advances, the risk of accidental or deliberate misuse of biological research like viral engineering is increasing. At the same time, “open science” practices like the public sharing of research data and protocols are becoming widespread. An article publishing April 14th in the ...

Machine learning model uses blood tests to predict COVID-19 survival

Levels of 14 proteins in the blood of critically ill COVID-19 patients are associated with survival

21-Jan-2022 - A single blood sample from a critically ill COVID-19 patient can be analyzed by a machine learning model which uses blood plasma proteins to predict survival, weeks before the outcome, according to a new study published in the open-access journal PLOS Digital Health by Florian Kurth and Markus ...

Coffee and tea drinking may be associated with reduced rates of stroke and dementia

Intake of 4-6 total cups daily was associated with lowest risks

18-Nov-2021 - Drinking coffee or tea may be associated with a lower risk of stroke and dementia, according to a study of healthy individuals aged 50-74 publishing November 16th in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine. Drinking coffee was also associated with a lower risk of post-stroke dementia. Strokes are ...

Drinking alcohol to stay healthy?

That might not work, says new study

09-Nov-2021 - Increased mortality risk among current alcohol abstainers might largely be explained by other factors, including previous alcohol or drug problems, daily smoking, and overall poor health, according to a new study publishing November 2nd in PLOS Medicine by Ulrich John of University Medicine ...

Protein from the liver may cause Alzheimer’s disease in the brain

Peripherally produced amyloid causes neurodegeneration

17-Sep-2021 - Amyloid protein made in the liver can cause neurodegeneration in the brain, according to a new study in the open-access journal PLOS Biology, by John Mamo of Curtin University in Bentley, Australia, and colleagues. Since the protein is thought to be a key contributor to development of Alzheimer’s ...