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Making digital tissue imaging better

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University have developed an open-source quality-control tool to assess the quality of digital tissue slides. The tool, called Histo-QC, incorporates measurements and classifiers to flag corrupted images and retain high-quality slides for analysis by computers.

SourceCase Western Reserve University·JournalJCO Clinical Cancer Informatics·DateApr 18, 2019

Ancient extinct sloth tooth in Belize tells story of creature's last year

A team of researchers from the University of Illinois has discovered that a giant sloth found in Belize, which lived around 27,000 years ago, had a diverse diet that shifted between wet and dry seasons. The study reveals that the creature adapted to its environment by relying on plants more available during dry periods.

Research finds ethnoracial differences in Alzheimer's disease

A study of 1,625 brain tissue samples found Hispanic-American patients with Alzheimer's disease lived an average of 12 years from symptom onset, compared to 9 and 8 years for non-Hispanic whites and African-Americans. The research also identified subtle differences in the severity of Alzheimer's-related protein clumps among ethnoracial...

Virtual lens improves X-ray microscopy

Researchers at PSI develop a new method that uses a small but efficient lens to create high-resolution images of X-ray microscopes, providing absorption and phase contrast information. This technique has the potential to reveal material properties and improve image quality for biological samples.

SourcePaul Scherrer Institute·JournalScience Advances·DateFeb 1, 2019

New method to study biomechanical changes in tissues after laser surgery

Russian scientists developed a new method to study biomechanical changes in tissues after laser surgery, improving the accuracy and safety of eye surgeries. The method uses optical coherence tomography (OCT), which visualizes tissue structure by infrared light scattering, to quantify mechanical properties changes before and after laser...

SourceAKSON Russian Science Communication Association·JournalJournal of Biophotonics·DateJan 9, 2019

A toast to the proteins in dinosaur bones

Researchers at Yale University discovered chemicals that preserve dinosaur soft tissues under specific conditions, such as oxidative environments. These preserved structures are comparable to Advanced Glycoxidation and Lipoxidation end products (AGEs and ALEs), which are resistant to decay and degradation.

SourceYale University·JournalNature Communications·DateNov 9, 2018

Sniffing out sharks

A team of scientists from UC Santa Barbara and USGS used eDNA to detect the presence of white sharks in local waters, providing clues for lifeguards and helping monitor the species' recovery. The study's success could lead to real-time monitoring and better understanding of marine biodiversity.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·JournalFrontiers in Marine Science·DateSep 14, 2018

Protein modifications pointing to cancer

Scientists have developed a method to investigate all proteins in tissue samples that are modified by ADP-ribosylation, a stress response pathway. This allows for conclusions to be drawn about activated signaling pathways and potentially leads to new diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities for cancer and other diseases.

SourceUniversity of Zurich·JournalCell Reports·DateAug 28, 2018

Many Arctic pollutants decrease after market removal and regulation

Levels of some persistent organic pollutants (POPs) regulated by the Stockholm Convention are decreasing in the Arctic, according to an international team of researchers. The biggest decreases were in a byproduct of the pesticide lindane and PCBs, with mean annual declines of 9% and 4% per year across the Arctic region.

SourceNational Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)·JournalThe Science of The Total Environment·DateAug 27, 2018

NSF award to shine more light on proteins

A $318,696 NSF award will support the development of a novel biosensing nanotechnology to visualize trace biomarker proteins under a microscope. This technology has the potential to greatly advance protein sensing, enabling accurate diagnoses based on biopsies and improving basic biomedical research.

New method refines cell sample analysis

The Iterative Indirect Immunofluorescence Imaging (4i) technique refines standard immunofluorescence imaging by visualizing up to 40 proteins in a single cell. A new computer program, Multiplexed Protein Maps, analyzes the data and generates maps of protein distribution, providing a systematic survey of cellular organization.

SourceUniversity of Zurich·JournalScience·DateAug 2, 2018

Scientists use RFID chips to track biological samples

Scientists have developed a method to track biological samples using RFID chips, which can withstand extreme conditions and identify organoids grown from stem cells. This technology has the potential to advance drug testing and transplantation by providing real-time data on organoid health.

SourceCell Press·JournaliScience·DateMay 31, 2018

Mechanism underlying malformation associated with severe epilepsy is revealed

Researchers identified dysregulation of the gene NEUROG2 as a key factor in the development of focal cortical dysplasia, a common cause of drug-resistant epilepsy. The study found that overexpression of NEUROG2 was linked to reduced expression of microRNA hsa-miR-34a, leading to nerve cell differentiation failure.

New method increases life span of donated brain tissue

Researchers at Lund University have developed a new method that extends the viability of donated brain tissue from people with epilepsy to 48 hours. This allows them to study gene therapy treatment and acquire more data from a small number of patients, bringing treatments closer to the patient without direct testing.

SourceLund University·JournalScientific Reports·DateMar 9, 2018

Timing is everything, to our genes

A Salk Institute study has discovered that nearly 80 percent of genes exhibit daily fluctuations, with the most rhythmic genes peaking in early morning and late afternoon. This finding has significant implications for understanding circadian disruption's impact on diseases such as depression and heart disease.

SourceSalk Institute·JournalScience·DateFeb 8, 2018