Lifeboat Foundation

Drugs known as antidepressants target the serotonin transporter in nerve cells and are among the most commonly prescribed medicines worldwide, but are sometimes associated with significant side effects. As part of a study, a research group led by Thomas Stockner from MedUni Vienna identified the basic principles of serotonin transport and thus created a possible basis for the development of novel drugs with improved selectivity and with fewer undesirable effects. The results were recently published in the renowned scientific journal “Nature Communications”

While the desired effects of drugs unfold through the interaction with the relevant target structures, the undesirable side effects are often due to a lack of selectivity and therefore due to interactions with other target structures. Accordingly, developing drugs that can differentiate between the various physiologically relevant targets (e.g. transporters and receptors) is one of the challenges for research. A team led by Ralph Gradisch under the supervision of Thomas Stockner from MedUni Vienna’s Center for Physiology and Pharmacology set out to find a way to increase selectivity for the serotonin transporter while reducing interaction with other targets at nerve cells in the brain.

Dr. Janice Brahney: “Only recently have we started to see troubling outbreaks of toxic algal blooms in mountain environments. So, these changes are happening fast and are really concerning. It’s important we get to the bottom of this.”

What impact does atmospheric dust have on algae? This is what a recent study published in Global Change Biology hopes to address as a team of researchers from Utah State University (USU) investigated how increased dust concentrations in the Earth’s atmosphere could lead to larger algae blooms, impacting life on both land and in the oceans. This study holds the potential to help scientists better understand the acceptable amounts of dust and algae on the Earth and their impact on aquatic life, specifically in mountain ranges across the globe. The reason mountain headwater regions were the focus of the study was because they provide approximately 50% of the world’s population with fresh water.

“Only recently have we started to see troubling outbreaks of toxic algal blooms in mountain environments,” said Dr. Janice Brahney, who is an associate professor in the Watershed Sciences Department at USU and a co-author on the study. “So, these changes are happening fast and are really concerning. It’s important we get to the bottom of this. Toxic blooms in mountain lakes like the ones we’ve seen recently in remote mountain lakes are unprecedented.”

Continue reading “Algae Growth Linked to Atmospheric Dust: Insights from Pioneering Research” »

Bayreuth scientists are investigating the structure and long-term behavior of galaxies using mathematical models based on Einstein’s theory of relativity. Their innovative approach uses a deep neural network to quickly predict the stability of galaxy models. This artificial intelligence-based method enables efficient verification or falsification of astrophysical hypotheses in seconds.

The research objective of Dr. Sebastian Wolfschmidt and Christopher Straub is to investigate the structure and long-term behavior of galaxies. “Since these cannot be fully analyzed by astronomical observations, we use mathematical models of galaxies,” explains Christopher Straub, a doctoral student at the Chair of Mathematics VI at the University of Bayreuth.

“In order to take into account that most galaxies contain a black hole at their center, our models are based on Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity, which describes gravity as the curvature of four-dimensional spacetime.”

In May of last year, Ford CEO Jim Farley made a surprise announcement during an online event co-hosted by Tesla’s Elon Musk: the Blue Oval would adopt the Tesla-developed North American Charging Standard (NACS) port. Starting this spring, that unlikely pairing will become a reality, with Ford’s EVs (F-150 Lightning trucks, Mustang Mach-E SUVs, and E-Transit vehicles) plugging in to the Supercharger network.

Farley promised a fast charging adapter for its EV customers in the U.S. and Canada, and he indicated online this week that they’ll be available to order soon. The Ford boss didn’t nail down a date, promising more details are imminent.

“When we announced Ford EVs would get access to Tesla Superchargers, I said we’d send customers a Fast Charging Adapter. I’m pleased to confirm that eligible Mustang Mach-E & F-150 Lightning owners in the U.S. + Canada can reserve a complimentary adapter starting soon,” Farley says via X, formerly Twitter.

Apple Vision Pro is the third Apple product to use a Digital Crown. Apple Watch originally introduced the dial input method before AirPods Max adapted it as a volume knob. Now the Digital Crown is taking on its third life as one of two physical controls on Apple Vision Pro. Here’s everything you can do with the Digital Crown and top button on Apple Vision Pro.

Open Home View

Press the Digital Crown.

A collaborative research team has fabricated a soccer ball-shaped construction using edge-to-edge assembly of 2D semiconductor materials. The research has been featured on the cover of the online edition of the Angewandte Chemie International Edition journal.

The research team, led by Professor In Su Lee and Ph.D. candidate Sun Woo Jang from the Department of Chemistry at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), along with Professor Kwangjin An from the Department of Energy and Chemical Engineering at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), successfully controlled the interaction between the edges of 2D-silica nanosheets (2D-SiNS) to create a soccer ball-like structure.

The planar structure of 2D nanosheets exhibit unique mechanical and optical properties, making them versatile in semiconductor devices, catalysts, sensors, and many other sectors. The strong attraction of intermolecular forces (van der Waals) between sheets typically results in a structure where faces are in direct contact, compromising mechanical stability for catalytic functionality.

Işıl, Ç., Gan, T., Ardic, F.O. et al. All-optical image denoising using a diffractive visual processor. Light Sci Appl 13, 43 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-024-01385-6

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Algae provide a wide range of nutrients that are beneficial for health, including protein, sterols, and vitamins. Numerous health-promoting characteristics, including antioxidant and anti-proliferative actions in relation to algal phenolic and flavonoid concentrations, have been shown by scientific research ^6–9. Produced for both humans and animals, algae and microalgae are often rich sources of fats (especially omega-3 fatty acids and carotenoids), carbohydrates, minerals, enzymes, hormones, and colors ¹⁰.

Health benefits supported by science

Algae have been shown to have multiple health benefits, including the ability to combat microbiological infections, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes, owing to their complex nutritional composition. As a result, the market for nutraceuticals generated from algae is growing quickly in the food supplement industry. A major factor in this has also been the idea of algae prebiotics and how they affect the gut microbiota ¹¹.

Some cancer vaccines, such as mRNA-based vaccines, can be personalized and custom-made for each patient. Personalized vaccines—while promising—also have challenges such as cost and long production times. However, a cancer vaccine that could be used as a potential off-the-shelf treatment for certain patients that share specific mutations is an intriguing possibility. The off-the-shelf vaccine could be manufactured in batches and given to patients with minimal delay. It also would be cheaper to produce.

Colorectal and pancreatic cancers—the second and third leading causes of cancer death, respectively—often have mutations in the KRAS protein. Now, a new vaccine shows encouraging early results as a potential off-the-shelf treatment for patients with pancreatic or colorectal cancer, according to a study co-led by researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK).

The vaccine being tested here, ELI-002 2P, is described to enhance “lymph node delivery and immune response using amphiphile modification of G12D and G12R mutant KRAS (mKRAS) peptides (Amph-Peptides-2P) together with CpG oligonucleotide adjuvant (Amph-CpG-7909).”