Latest News Releases 15 September

For an embryo to survive, it must attach to the lining of the uterus within days of conception. However, if this lining, called the endometrium, is too thin, the embryo can’t latch on. Now, researchers reporting in <i>ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering</i> have developed a new system intended to treat infertility in women with thin endometria. Their tiny, micro-scale particles stimulated blood vessel growth, producing promising results in preliminary experiments in cells and mice.

A group of scientists from Hungary, Russia and Finland have developed a system capable of selecting cancer cells of a specific shape and size—spheroids. SpheroidPicker, the first AI device of its kind, enables a more standardized approach to working with tumour samples. The results of the research have been published in the journal Scientific Reports. One of researchers who worked on the project is Nikita Moshkov, Junior Research Fellow of the Laboratory on AI for Computational Biology.

One of the many aspects of “normal” life that SARS-CoV-2 took away was the enjoyment of live musical performances. With the easing of lockdowns and restrictions in many parts of the world, performers can entertain audiences once again, but concerns about spreading the virus remain. Now, researchers reporting in <i>ACS Environmental Au</i> have studied aerosol production from playing wind instruments, singing and acting, allowing them to develop recommendations to minimize COVID transmission.

Analysis of unique fingerprints in light emitted from material surrounding young stars has revealed “significant reservoirs” of large organic molecules necessary to form the basis of life, say researchers. Dr John Ilee, Research Fellow at the University of Leeds who led the study, says the findings suggest that the basic chemical conditions that resulted in life on Earth could exist more widely across the Galaxy.

A series of new images reveals that planets form in organic soups — and no two soups are alike.

The study, “Factors Associated with COVID-19 Disease Severity in U.S. Children,” published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine, determined the factors associated with severe disease and poor health outcomes among children presenting to the hospital with COVID. These included older age and chronic co-morbidities such as obesity, diabetes and neurologic conditions, among others.

Seagrass meadows help mitigate climate change and prevent algal blooms. According to recent research results, they are also able to reduce concentrations of potentially harmful bacteria in seawater: A study now published by researchers from Kiel draws attention this additional ecosystem service that seagrass meadows provide to humans. The findings provide yet another reason for the protection and restoration of these long-underrated ecosystems in the German Baltic Sea.

Job seekers’ perceived risk of contracting and falling seriously ill from COVID-19 may take a significant mental health toll and ultimately affect their ability to secure employment, says new research co-written by Yihao Liu, a professor of labor and employment relations and of psychology at Illinois.

A new chemical process developed by Empa turns cotton into a fire-resistant fabric, that nevertheless retains the skin-friendly properties of cotton.

Artificial intelligence (AI) experts from around the world have been competing for the opportunity to help astronomers to explore planets in our local galactic neighbourhood. The European Space Agency’s Ariel telescope, which launches in 2029, will study the atmospheres of around 1000 planets outside our solar system, known as exoplanets. Observing faint signals to measure the make-up of exoplanet atmospheres is incredibly challenging and is made even more so by other signals the instrument may pick up. The effect of star activity, like sun spots, and even the noise of the spacecraft itself can obscure the information scientists receive from Ariel. The Ariel Machine Learning Data Challenge, sponsored by Spaceflux Ltd, was set to harness the expertise of the artificial intelligence community to help disentangle this unwanted noise from the light filtering through exoplanet atmospheres. Over 110 teams from around the world participated with 35 teams submitting viable solutions.