A protein shredder that occurs in cell membranes of brain cells apparently also indirectly regulates the fat metabolism. This is shown by a recent study by the University of Bonn. The shredder, known as gamma-secretase, is considered a possible target for drugs against cancer and Alzheimer's disease. However, the results suggest that such agents may have long-range effects that need to be watched closely. The study has now been published in "Life Science Alliance".

Its name is Foxg1, it is a gene, and its unprecedented role is the protagonist of the discovery just published on the journal Cerebral Cortex. Foxg1 was already known for being a "master gene" able to coordinate the action of hundreds of other genes. As this new study reports, the "excitability" of neurons, namely their ability to respond to stimuli, communicating between each other and carrying out all their tasks, also depends on this gene.

Lipids are essential building blocks of cell membranes, which control the exchange of substances and energy between a cell and its environment. Developed at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, a new open-source software tool PCAlipids aims to analyze lipid behavior.

Prof. ZHONG Zhicheng's team at the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering has investigated the electronic structure of the recently discovered nickelate superconductors NdNiO₂. They successfully explained the experimental difficulties in synthesizing superconducting nickelates, in cooperation with Prof. Karsten Held at Vienna University of Technology.

Given the rapid spread of COVID-19 and its relatively high mortality, filling the gap for coronavirus-specific drugs is urgent.

When seeking the fastest pathway to a vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), defining the stakes and potential hurdles is critical, says Barney Graham in this Perspective.

The Monte Conca cave system in Sicily is showing signs of being altered by pollution from above.

Computerized tomography (CT) is one of the most effective medical tests for analysing the effects of many illnesses, including COVID-19. An international team has developed a new method that improves the quality of the images obtained from CT scans. The algorithm, tested on simulated data, enables them to distinguish different body's tissue types better and opens the door to lowering the doses of radiation to which patients are exposed during this type of test.

A two-week course of antiviral therapy with interferon beta-1b plus lopinavir-ritonavir and ribavirin, started within 7 days of showing COVID-19 symptoms, is safe and more effective at reducing the duration of viral shedding than lopinavir-ritonavir alone in patients with mild to moderate illness, according to the first randomized trial of this triple combination therapy involving 127 adults (aged 18 and older) from six public hospitals in Hong Kong.

Tissue engineering has a unique set of tools and technologies for developing preventive strategies, diagnostics, and treatments that can play an important role during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

In many fish species body size plays an important role in sexual selection. Large individuals are preferred mating partners because they can enhance offspring survival by providing better quality resources than small individuals. While large females and males are often favored by sexual selection, fishing targets and removes these reproductively superior individuals. Academy Research Fellow Silva Uusi-Heikkilä discusses in her recent literature review the implications fisheries selection might have on sexual selection, individual reproductive success and population viability.

Evidence continues to mount that the Neandertals, who lived in Europe and Asia until about 40,000 years ago, were more sophisticated people than once thought. A new study from UC Davis shows that Neandertals chose to use bones from specific animals to make a tool for specific purpose: working hides into leather.

A new paper identifies the critical need for research on the ability of the COVID-19 virus to infect certain animal species, the transmissibility of infection between humans and those animals, and the impact infection could have on food security and the economy.

Russian companies still pursue authoritarian leadership styles, and employees often avoid articulating their concerns and complaints to management. Together with chronic stress and work-family imbalance, this can often result in emotional burnout. This is the conclusion of a study by researchers from North Dakota State University and HSE University.

A study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has found that stroke evaluations fell by nearly 40% during a period of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting that many stroke patients are not seeking potentially life-saving medical treatment.

A study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health found that black subjects who were exposed to highly segregated neighborhoods in young adulthood exhibited worse performance in cognitive skills in mid-life. This outcome may explain black-white disparities in dementia risk at older age.

Photosynthetic systems in nature transport energy very efficiently towards a reaction center, where it is converted into a useful form for the organism. Scientists have been using this as inspiration to learn how to transport energy efficiently in, for example, molecular electronics. Physicist Richard Hildner from the University of Groningen and colleagues have investigated energy transport in an artificial system made from nanofibres. The results were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

A new global simulation model offers the first long-term look at how urbanization -- the growth of cities and towns--will unfold in the coming decades. The research team projects the total amount of urban areas on Earth can grow anywhere from 1.8 to 5.9-fold by 2100, building approximately 618,000 square miles.

Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina show in a new report that the RNA interference machinery, normally thought to reside in the nucleus or cytoplasm, predominantly localizes to these apical junctions and influences cell biology in the colon. Interestingly, in colon tumors, this localization is dysregulated and may shift the balance of RNAs to promote tumorigenesis.

As interest in the application of plasma medicine -- the use of low-temperature plasma (LTP) created by an electrical discharge to address medical problems -- continues to grow, so does the need for research advancements proving its capabilities and potential impacts on the health care industry. Across the world, many research groups are investigating plasma medicine for applications including cancer treatment and the accelerated healing of chronic wounds, among others.

A Texas A&M AgriLife Research team has good news for patients with copper-deficiency disorders, especially young children diagnosed with Menkes disease.

New research describes a new model for how the brain interprets patterns in complex networks. They found that the ability to detect patterns stems in part from the brain's desire to represent things in the simplest way possible and that the brain is constantly weighing the pressures of complexity and simplicity when making decisions.

In recent years, giant viruses have been unearthed in several of the world's most mysterious locations, from the thawing permafrost of Siberia to locations unknown beneath the Antarctic ice. But don't worry, 'The Thing' is still a work of science fiction. For now.

In the ongoing struggle to address health care disparities in rural communities across the US, a recent study found that the perfect partner may be hiding in plain sight. The grange, founded in 1867, is a community-based organization that is likely familiar to anyone who's spent time in a small town. In addition to political advocacy on behalf of farmers, the grange's missions around community and family also align closely with the goals of public health.

Researchers have used a microbiome 'fingerprint' method to report that an individualized mosaic of microbial strains is transmitted to the infant gut microbiome from a mother giving birth through vaginal delivery. They detailed this transmission by analyzing existing metagenomic databases of fecal samples from mother-infant pairs, as well as analyzing mouse dam and pup transmission in a germ-free, or gnotobiotic, mouse model, where the dams were inoculated with human fecal microbes.

A new study published in the Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists investigates the impact of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), the largest international cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emissions in the world, on power plant fuel efficiency.

The direction of ocean currents can determine the direction of gene flow in rafting species, but this depends on species traits that allow for rafting propensity. This is according to a City College of New York study focusing on seahorse and pipefish species. And it could explain how high genetic diversity can contribute to extinction in small populations.

Although the clinical symptoms of SARS, H1N1, MERS, EVALI, and COVID-19 may be nonspecific, some characteristic imaging findings are emerging, says the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR). Careful evaluation of the distribution, lung zone preference, and symmetry of the abnormalities with an eye for a few unique differentiating imaging features can allow radiologists to offer a narrower differential diagnosis in pediatric patients, leading to optimal patient care.

The update comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed he would set out a lockdown exit strategy on Sunday.

ITV News has seen correspondence from Debenhams’ administrator to Bangladeshi suppliers demanding a 90% discount on garments orders.

The number of callers to the charity SANE’s telephone helpline has increased by 200 percent since the lockdown began.

One hospice ITV News spoke to is three days away from running out of protective gowns needed to treat patients with coronavirus.

A fine end to the day with late sunshine & clear skies

A former Scotland rugby captain, who suffered life changing injuries in a car crash, is walking to raise money for the NHS.

Mila Sneddon hasn't seen her father in seven weeks in order to keep her safe during coronavirus lockdown.

A North East based care provider, Wellburn Care Homes, has launched their own We Care badge aiming to show support for care workers.

Though each religion has faced different challenge, they share the view the lockdown has presented us with insight we might not have had.

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for "more than 200,000" coronavirus tests to be carried out.

Cold enough for a slight frost in places

Data which identified a massive in Covid-19 was sent to ministers a month before the government's Care Home Action Plan was published.

The officer’s injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

Arrows fired from longbows could penetrate right through the human skull creating small entry and large exit wounds.

Emily Nuttall, 26, has sought help from charities such as Mind and Beat to help her cope with mental health problems during lockdown.

Hospitals in London and Birmingham have been supplied with fourteen units of convalescent plasma to see if it helps people who are battling

Half of parents with young children will struggle to make ends meet in the next three months, study suggests.

The Duchess of Cambridge has teamed up with the National Portrait Gallery to launch the Hold Still project.

Zoological Society of London warns it is facing a very challenging situation as its core income from London and Whipsnade zoos has dried up.

One in twenty businesses said they would be unable to viably operate as long as social distances measures are still enforced.

Zara Anne Radcliffe, 29, will appear in court accused of murdering 88-year-old John Rees and the attempted murder of three others.

The pandemic has meant more than 100 of the animals are walking as far as 95 miles to their homes.