The Human Genome Project has enabled millions to access their personal genomic information, but diversity gaps persist in clinical trials. Experts call for increased Indigenous participation, open data sharing, and multidisciplinary approaches to address biases and develop polygenic risk scores for diverse communities.
Researchers identified recurring deletions in SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that prevent antibody binding, allowing viruses to evade the immune system. The study analyzed nearly 150,000 gene sequences and found instances of viruses with these deletions, which have repeatedly arisen in genetically distinct viruses worldwide.
A monitoring system based on smartwatches detects movement issues and tremors in Parkinson's patients, allowing for remote monitoring and adjusted medication plans. The platform showed promising results, with 94% match between clinician evaluations and patient data.
Captive marmosets recognized and evaluated conversations between monkeys, displaying stronger emotional responses to negative interactions. The study suggests that marmosets tend to prefer cooperative individuals, but their behavioral expression is context-dependent.
A new study reveals that adults between 20 and 49 years old are driving the resurgence of COVID-19 in the United States. The research suggests that lifting school closure mandates did not lead to significant increases in COVID-19 attributable deaths, contrary to initial concerns.
The BioNTech-Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine retains its immune protection against the B.1.1.7 viral variant, suggesting it can prevent 'escape' from vaccine-mediated protection. The study's findings support the use of mRNA-based vaccine technology for adapting to new virus strains.
Global tropical cyclone activity has been drifting closer to land over the past four decades, according to researchers Shuai Wang and Ralf Toumi. The distance between storms and land has decreased by roughly 30 kilometers per decade, increasing the risk of coastal populations.
Naked mole-rats form distinctive, colony-specific chirps that convey individual's social membership and are culturally transmitted across generations. These dialects change when a queen dies and young pups learn the dialect of their adoptive groups.
A new study published in Science reveals that ship-track data cannot be used to estimate the cooling effect of anthropogenic aerosols on climate change. The research highlights a significant bias in current aerosol-cloud forcing estimations and suggests alternatives for direct observation of aerosol effects.
China can alleviate debt burdens in exchange for debtor nation commitments to climate change mitigation and environmental protection. Countries like Angola, Cambodia, and the Solomon Islands show great promise for debt-for-nature swaps, while Senegal, Sudan, and Zimbabwe prioritize debt-for-climate swaps.
A new machine learning algorithm named Mirai estimates breast cancer risk in women more accurately than current models, identifying 41.5% of patients at risk within 5 years. The model was effective across various races and ethnicities, supporting its potential to inform screening guidelines for diverse populations.
Researchers found that most women's menstrual cycles aligned with synodic months at certain intervals, while also showing synchronization with tropical months in younger women, suggesting a stronger effect on menstrual cycles during long winter nights when exposed to moonlight.
Scientists engineered an antibody, ADG-2, that rivals current treatments and broadly neutralizes clade 1 sarbecoviruses, including SARS-CoV-2. This breakthrough represents a potential pan-SARS vaccine target.
In preclinical studies, plitidepsin outperforms Remdesivir in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 replication and viral load, offering a potential new therapy for COVID-19 treatment. Further clinical trials are warranted to evaluate its effectiveness in humans.
A new approach maps viral mutations that escape leading antibodies, revealing a single amino-acid mutation that fully escapes Regeneron's antibody cocktail. The maps show a substantial number of RBD mutations in circulation that escaped one or more antibodies.
A new method traces real-time cancer progression across thousands of cells, identifying rare events and distinct gene expression profiles associated with metastatic phenotypes. The approach could inform aspects of cellular cancer biology, including genetic mutations, microenvironment adaptation and resistance to therapeutic agents.
Research suggests adult males are twice as likely to die from severe COVID-19 as females due to biological factors, according to a new Perspective article. Differences in antiviral immune responses between the sexes, including sex-specific genes and hormone roles, may underlie this male bias.
Current H-1B visa usage by foreign Ph.D.'s as a first step to permanent residency has revealed inefficiencies and delays in alternatives. The authors suggest reforms tailored to foreign-born Ph.D.'s to streamline the doctorate-to-residency path.
Researchers have identified short linear motifs in SARS-CoV-2 receptors that facilitate viral entry and replication. The findings suggest targeting these motifs may help develop new treatments for COVID-19.
A new study suggests that vaccinating people over 60 is the most effective way to mitigate mortality from COVID-19. The analysis shows that vaccinating older adults will most effectively reduce deaths, even if vaccination of younger adults is projected to avert the greatest incidence of disease.
Researchers found that spitting cobra venoms are more effective in causing pain than non-spitting counterparts. The unique trait is attributed to molecular adaptations that enhance the action of pre-existing venom cytotoxins.
Researchers found that catnip and silver vine contain intoxicating chemicals that repel mosquitoes when cats rub against them. The study identified nepetalactol as the most potent compound in silver vine leaves, which activates the opioid reward system in both domesticated felines and big jungle cats.
A new study has made a significant discovery about the origins of TAU protein in Alzheimer's disease, revealing its primary emergence in the rhinal cortex. The automated method, which tracks TAU buildup using PET imaging, suggests targeting this area could slow disease progression.
AAAS introduces trial basis for cOAlition S-funded authors to publish accepted manuscripts with CC BY or CC BY-ND licenses on Science family journals. This move aims to alleviate financial burden on authors and promote diversity in scientific publishing.
A new study reveals that human hunter-gatherer populations share common behavioral traits with their non-human neighbors, including diet composition, child-care duties, and community organization. The findings support the idea that environmental pressures shape behaviors across species.
Plant roots can sense compacted soils through ethylene hormone signals, hindering growth. Mutant roots insensitive to ethylene penetrate compacted soils more effectively.
Researchers discovered a large class of mammalian genes are not completely shared across spermatids, leading to uneven allele distribution and potential mechanisms for sperm-level natural selection. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed 'genoinformative markers' that can act as selfish genetic elements.
A new tool predicts viral escape mutations by analyzing the relationship between viruses and human immunity, as well as the structure of sentences in natural language. The algorithm achieves accurate results without prior training, identifying high-escape potential regions in SARS-CoV-2's Spike protein.
The study suggests that up to half of land ecosystems could reach a tipping point where they release more carbon than they absorb by 2100 under a business-as-usual emissions scenario. Biomes with high carbon storage, such as rainforests and Taiga forests, may lose over 45% of their carbon sink capabilities by midcentury.
Researchers predict SARS-CoV-2 will become a mild childhood disease, with older individuals providing immune protection against severe illness. The model suggests that widespread vaccination may not be necessary if primary infections are mild in children, but should continue if they become severe.
Researchers developed nanoparticles displaying SARS-CoV-2 RBD with diverse bat and pangolin betacoronavirus RBDs, eliciting cross-reactive immune responses in mice. The approach showed promise as a candidate vaccine against COVID-19 and emerging coronaviruses
A genomic analysis of the first wave of COVID-19 in the UK revealed that over 1,000 viral sequences were introduced, with lineages originating from Spain, France, and Italy. The study suggests that earlier travel interventions could have reduced the epidemic's acceleration and intensity.
A recent study found that policymakers reference new and highly cited COVID-19 research papers extensively in their policy documents. The researchers analyzed scientific citations in 37,725 papers and discovered that these documents use the newest science at an unusually high rate, citing papers with 40 times higher citation counts.
Researchers have mapped the origins of the embryonic mouse heart at single-cell resolution, identifying a pool of progenitor cells that form heart muscle cells and the early epicardium. This understanding could improve regenerative heart therapies and inform congenital heart defect research.
Researchers developed an mRNA vaccine that restored tolerance to self-proteins in mice with autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a mouse model for multiple sclerosis. The vaccine suppressed immune responses and promoted regulatory T cells to control the disease.
Researchers discover pain and fear are transmitted through different brain regions in mice, with pain mediated by the anterior cingulate cortex to the nucleus accumbens and fear mediated by the ACC to the basolateral amygdala. This study provides insights into empathy and may offer a model for socially-induced pain relief among humans.
Researchers have created non-toxic versions of botulinum neurotoxins that can deliver therapeutic antibodies to neurons, reversing paralysis within hours. The toxin derivatives offer a promising approach to treat established cases of botulism and target hard-to-reach molecules.
Researchers found measurable immune memory to SARS-CoV-2 in recovered patients for up to 8 months. Long-lasting protective immunity against COVID-19 is a possibility, with resting immune memory compartments potentially contributing to protection.
A study of 145 scholarly journals found that peer review itself is unlikely to explain gender disparities in publication rates. Despite improvements in female representation in certain fields, a persistent gap remains between male and female authors.
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly challenges cancer prevention and control in Africa, diverting resources away from cancer patients. However, this crisis also creates opportunities for innovation and improved access to cancer care.
Researchers have created microfabricated elastic diamonds that can stretch up to 10% without losing their shape. This controlled elasticity changes the diamond's electronic properties, including a reduced bandgap, making it suitable for advanced electronics and quantum information technologies.
High aerosol concentrations increase environmental humidity by producing more clouds, which can mix condensed water into the surrounding air. This humidification enhances updraft speeds, intensifying thunderstorms.
A new analysis suggests that subsidence, the sinking of ground's surface, will impact 19% of the world's population - 21% of GDP - by 2040. The model identifies areas with high susceptibility to subsidence, particularly in Asia, where 635 million inhabitants are exposed.
Researchers used combined signals from binary neutron star mergers to study ultra-dense matter and constrain the Hubble constant. The analysis, led by Tim Dietrich, provided new insights into neutron star equation of state and expansion rate of the Universe.
Researchers achieved rapid development of effective vaccines against COVID-19, highlighting the collaboration between scientists and governments. However, this unprecedented speed revealed alarming fissures between science and policy makers.
Wildfire smoke aerosolizes bacteria and fungi from burning materials, potentially infecting people who breathe in the plumes. Researchers argue that public health sciences must expand their focus to include the impact of microbial cargo on human populations
Researchers have created a more complete reference genome for the rhesus macaque, expanding its potential use in human disease modeling and genetic therapy development. The updated genome assembly reveals thousands of naturally occurring gene variants associated with human conditions like autism and developmental delay.
A two-year longitudinal study measures Huntington's disease-linked proteins mHTT and NfL in controls, mutation carriers, and patients. Levels of NfL rise faster in mutation carriers, while those with high mHTT and NfL show faster progression and more severe brain atrophy.
Scientists developed a novel smartphone-based technique to diagnose viral infections using a deep learning algorithm that identifies viruses in metal nanoparticle-labeled samples with 98.97% sensitivity. The system correctly identified clinically relevant concentrations of Zika, hepatitis B and C in patient samples.
A new modeling study found that limiting gatherings to fewer than 10 people and closing educational institutions significantly reduced SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Closing schools, universities, and nonessential businesses had a considerable impact on transmission rates, while targeted closures of high-risk businesses showed more benefit.