A recent study has identified gene variants for glaucoma in a black population, which could lead to future treatments or a cure for the disease. The finding is significant as it explains nearly one-third of the genetic risk for glaucoma and could provide a more accurate and earlier diagnosis.
Scientists create induced pluripotent stem cells from human neural stem cells using a footprint-free methodology, retaining some gene expression of the original donor cells. The study reveals that these cells maintain a 'transcriptional signature' similar to human embryonic stem cells.
A new study has found that genes regulating insulin also alter the timing of the circadian clock, suggesting novel therapies for metabolic disease. Hundreds of genes were identified as affecting the clock's timing, with seven genes involved in insulin control also influencing its rhythms.
The study divides Arab countries into three categories and compares their population-weighted averages in health, educational attainment, and income with those of non-Arab nations. While Arab countries have made significant progress in areas such as life expectancy and education, they lag behind in democracy and women's labor-force par...
A team of researchers from UC San Diego, MIT, and UC Berkeley are working on fundamental multiscale studies of plasma-material interactions to improve the scientific understanding of magnetic confinement fusion. Their goal is to engineer plasma walls that can survive in the environment necessary for fusion power generation.
Researchers will study turbulent transport and organization in fusion and astrophysical plasmas to design better, smaller and cheaper fusion systems. Understanding the link between flow self-organization and large-scale flow dissipation may also improve ITER's fusion power production.
A team of researchers has identified a molecular signature that can predict which patients with aggressive cancers, such as pancreatic and breast cancer, are likely to respond to therapy with the anti-cancer drug dasatinib. The discovery could lead to personalized treatment approaches for solid tumors currently resistant to therapies.
The University of California, San Diego will receive $32 million to develop the Ocean Observatories Initiative's cyberinfrastructure. The system will enable near-real-time access to ocean data, transforming ocean science research and education.
Researchers found that initial thoughts about others' emotions bias subsequent facial expression perception and memory. Participants who initially interpreted faces as angry remembered them expressing more anger, while those who interpreted them as happy remembered less anger.
UC San Diego researcher Hoanh Vu is working on a three-year grant project to study laser-plasma interactions for safe nuclear ignition. His research could lead to the development of nuclear fusion as an alternative energy source, increasing safety and security in nuclear stockpile stewardship.
Marine biomedicine researchers have deciphered the structure of a naturally produced ocean-based compound hoiamide A, which offers a novel template for drug development. The findings suggest that hoiamide A may interact with neurons in different ways, potentially leading to therapeutic effects for diseases such as epilepsy and neurodeg...
A 2006 heat wave in California killed over 600 people and 25,000 cattle, with temperatures rising to the hottest one percent of historical records. The event was exacerbated by high humidity, which caused heat waves to last longer and fed on themselves until winds changed.
Researchers have developed a way to diagnose networking delays as short as tens of millionths of seconds, which can lead to significant financial losses. The Lossy Difference Aggregator approach offers the possibility of fine-grained delay and loss tracking with minimal cost and performance penalty.
Researchers discovered seven new species of swimming worms in the deep sea, including 'green bombers' that release bioluminescent displays for defense. The discovery sheds light on evolutionary adaptations and challenges faced by these unique organisms.
Researchers found that HPRT gene plays crucial role in regulating transcription factors' expression and development of neurons, supporting a possible link to Lesch Nyhan disease. The study provides first direct experimental support for HPRT's involvement in neurological disorders.
Researchers have identified a key protein, NanA, that allows pneumococcus bacteria to penetrate the brain, leading to meningitis. Removing or modifying this protein can prevent bacterial entry, offering potential new avenues for developing more effective vaccines.
PortLand is a fault-tolerant, layer 2 data center network fabric capable of scaling to 100,000 nodes and beyond. It provides baseline support for virtual machines and migration while reducing administrative overhead, and leverages multipath routing and improved fault tolerance.
Researchers found a common genetic variation associated with differences in brain structure, including reduced surface area in the cortex, in both healthy individuals and patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders. This variation may be a promising candidate gene for further study.
Computer scientists demonstrate that hackers can steal votes using a malicious programming approach called return-oriented programming. The study shows that even voting machines designed to resist takeover can be compromised if not updated with the latest security patches.
Researchers found that mutations in the INPP5E gene lead to impaired balance, mental retardation, and polycystic kidney disease. The study suggests that targeting the phosphatylinositol pathway with existing drugs may help treat ciliopathies.
Scientists at the University of California, San Diego have identified a large number of genes that can prevent genetic rearrangements that may lead to cancer and other diseases. These genes and pathways are involved in repairing DNA replication mistakes and may help explain how the body maintains its stability.
A study of marine clams found that closely related clusters vanish together more often than expected, indicating that vulnerability to extinction is linked to evolutionary family history. Conservation efforts should focus on protecting the most fragile families to preserve evolutionary history.
Researchers successfully guided regenerating sensory axons to their correct targets and formed synapses, but not electrically active connections due to lack of myelin sheath. The study suggests that restoring the myelin sheath is crucial for fully restoring function in injured spinal cords.
Researchers have used innovative approaches to deduce the internal structure of chromatin, reconciling a decades-old controversy. The new finding could unlock the mystery behind cancer origins and other diseases. Chromatin's complex combination of DNA and proteins regulates genetic processes like DNA replication and transcription.
Researchers discovered prominent faults beneath the Salton Sea that transfer tectonic strain away from the San Andreas Fault. This new understanding of the fault system could inform predictions of future earthquakes along the southern San Andreas Fault.
The study reveals that alpha-synuclein aggregates can pass to new, healthy cells, contributing to the progression of Parkinson's disease. The researchers found that cell-to-cell transmission of alpha-synuclein occurs through endocytosis and is linked to impaired quality-control systems in recipient cells.
A Scripps-led study reveals that improving ocean health can accelerate coral reef recovery after bleaching events. Corals from reefs with clean water and abundant sea life bounced back to normal growth rates within two to three years.
Researchers identify dysfunction in neural circuits of the brain that may contribute to the development of anorexia. Childhood personality traits and perfectionism are also found to be predisposing factors.
The study found that invasive yellowjacket wasps kill or scavenge prey from 14 different taxonomic orders, including reptiles and birds, by analyzing DNA from food bits returned to nests. Nearby populations of caterpillars and spiders rebounded after nest removals.
Researchers have developed computational tools to decode and rapidly determine whether natural compounds are new or patented. These advances will speed the discovery process, enabling scientists to characterize ring-shaped nonribosomal peptides and accelerate the timeline for bringing new therapies into clinical application.
Researchers discovered that GBS fools the immune system by reducing production of antibiotic molecules, allowing the bacteria to survive and proliferate. This understanding may lead to new targets for medical therapy to boost the immune system and clear GBS infection in critically ill newborns.
A study by UC San Diego researchers found that over half of male clients had unprotected sex and a high prevalence of drug use. Targeted interventions are necessary to prevent HIV transmission and are crucial for addressing the shared responsibility of sexual health.
Researchers at UC San Diego used machine learning to empower their Einstein robot to learn realistic facial expressions, improving the process of teaching robots to make lifelike faces. The team discovered that the model learned to automatically compensate for missing servos and can now make facial expressions it had never encountered.
A study found long-term declines of elephants, giraffe, and other animals in Kenya's national parks are occurring at the same rates as outside the country. The research highlights the problems of maintaining protected areas on wildlife and ecosystems inside and outside the parks.
Researchers have discovered that two commercially available drugs used for Parkinson's treatment, entacapone and tolcapone, have potential to treat multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. The study, published in PLOS Computational Biology, uses a novel computational strategy and experimental validation to support this repositioning.
Scientists have found that when sulfate and soot mix in the atmosphere, the sulfate shell enhances the absorption of light by coated soot particles. This mixing happens quickly and affects the role of soot in climate change, potentially leading to more warming.
A study by French and American scientists found that enzyme synthesis of steroids in humans is unrelated to those in insects, snails, octopuses, and corals. This discovery suggests a 'snail-centered viewpoint' for understanding the effects of environmental chemicals on steroid synthesis.
Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography found that high CO2 levels in water lead to abnormally large ear bones in fish, a vital structure for sensing orientation and acceleration. The study suggests potential implications for the survival and behavior of affected fish.
A team at UC San Diego School of Medicine may lead to a contraceptive for female sea lampreys, a jawless fish considered an invasive pest species in the Great Lakes. The researchers' findings suggest that compounds could bind specifically to the lamprey estrogen receptor, potentially acting as contraceptives.
Researchers have discovered that anti-inflammatory drugs used to treat arthritis can shrink lymphoma tumors in mice. The study strengthens evidence for a link between inflammation and cancer, suggesting a new way to curb the malignancy of this type of lymphoma.
The Socrates Fellows program, a federally funded initiative, pairs graduate students with high school science teachers and their students to promote science education. After its first full year of operation, the program is deemed a success by participating grad students, teachers, and high school students.
A fully automated procedure measuring brain structures is effective in predicting the progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease. The technique can be used in clinics to measure brain atrophy and help physicians predict decline in MCI patients.
Warmer weather has favored larger birds and generalist species, which are well-positioned to respond to climate change. The analysis of the annual Christmas Bird Count data reveals that only one of three predicted outcomes holds true for North American birds over the past quarter century.
Research led by UC San Diego experts suggests that REM sleep fosters creative problem-solving by stimulating associative networks. The study shows that REM directly enhances creative processing more than any other sleep or wake state, leading to significant improvements in performance.
Researchers create high-performance W-Band silicon-germanium RFICs for passive millimeter-wave imaging, potentially leading to less expensive security imaging systems. The new technology can resolve images down to a millimeter scale, enabling the detection of small objects on a person's body.
A new mouse model reveals that innate immunity plays a key role in driving symptoms of auto-inflammatory diseases. The study shows that the innate immune system is responsible for the over-activation leading to inflammation and symptoms.
Researchers have discovered that contractile rings constrict at a constant rate proportional to cell size, maintaining consistent cell division duration despite smaller cells. This property could lead to improved therapies for cancer by preventing uncontrolled cell division.
Scientists at UC San Diego discovered the gene responsible for this effect, which prevents cellular damage from reactive oxygen species. The study found that Mga2 is essential for adaptation to oxidative stress and may explain why caloric restriction can raise ROS levels and provide protection.
Researchers at UC San Diego are building low-cost, low-power modems for short-range underwater networking, enabling higher sampling rates and more frequent data collection. The project aims to create a network of underwater sensors that can provide real-time environmental data, revolutionizing the way we understand our natural world.
Researchers propose a new model of cancer development based on the loss of cellular communication due to low vitamin D levels. Vitamin D adequacy may halt the first stage of cancer by re-establishing intercellular junctions, potentially preventing cancer development.