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Science

Science

An anti-aging drug may help protect the brain before Alzheimer’s symptoms begin

A surprising new study suggests that an anti-aging drug could help protect people genetically predisposed to Alzheimer's disease. Researchers found that just four weeks of low-dose rapamycin improved brain blood flow in healthy middle-aged adults carrying the high-risk APOE4 gene variant, with women showing the strongest benefits. Because declining blood flow can occur years before Alzheimer's symptoms appear, the discovery raises hopes for preventing or delaying the disease before memory loss begins.

via ScienceDaily
Science

Astronomers deliver the sharpest and deepest view yet of the low-frequency radio sky

Using the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR), an international team led by Leiden University has produced the sharpest and most sensitive radio image of the sky ever made at low radio frequencies. The image reveals almost 63,000 radio sources, such as active galactic nuclei and star-forming galaxies, across a patch of sky about 25 times the area of the full moon. The results have been accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics. The paper is currently available on the arXiv preprint server.

via Phys.org
Science

Twisted atomic layers slide spontaneously at room temperature in simulations

Researchers revealed an ultralow-barrier collective sliding mechanism mediated by domain walls, as well as defect-induced pinning of the sliding motion. They found that twisted bilayer MoS₂ moiré superlattices can undergo spontaneous long-range interlayer sliding at room temperature, while a sulfur-vacancy concentration of only about 0.1% can turn the motion into localized oscillations.

via Phys.org
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Science

Climate shapes microbial nitrogen pump in forests, not in farmlands

Microbes build a long-lived nitrogen reservoir in soil from the remains of dead bacteria and fungi, which cling to minerals and resist decay. The microbial nitrogen pump turns nitrogen taken up by living microbes into this persistent pool, and microbial nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) has long been assumed to regulate this process.

via Phys.org
Science

Laser-plasma accelerator could generate bright X-rays for biological imaging, simulations show

X-rays with wavelengths between approximately 2.3 and 4.4 nanometers, i.e., in the so-called water window, are particularly well suited to examining biological samples in their natural, aqueous environment. To date, however, it has been technically difficult to access this type of radiation at an appropriate quality and intensity, as only free-electron lasers in large-scale accelerator systems are capable of generating it.

via Phys.org
Science

Land plants’ closest algal relatives evolved multicellular growth repeatedly, genetic analysis suggests

What did the algae that gave rise to the first land plants look like? A research team led by the University of Göttingen and including the universities of Maastricht and Innsbruck and Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales has now taken a detailed look at one of the most important groups for answering this question: the Zygnematophyceae, the closest living algal relatives of land plants. These include familiar-looking filamentous algae such as Spirogyra, as well as many that just consist of single cells. Despite their relatively simple appearance, they are particularly important for understanding plant evolution due to their close relationship with land plants.

via Phys.org
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Paired DNA strands recognize shape, not just sequence, in new small-molecule sensing method

You have probably performed a sandwich assay before, even if you didn't know it. Sandwich assays are the molecular sensing technology behind lateral flow tests like the at-home COVID test. After a sample is dripped onto the test strip, it combines with detector antibodies attached to tiny gold particles, which bind to any viral proteins present. When the sample reaches the test line, a second antibody anchored to the strip binds to a different site on the viral protein, creating a molecular "sandwich." As the gold particles accumulate, the test line turns dark red, becoming visible to the naked eye.

via Phys.org
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