Curated News: Nature (journal)

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Scientists investigating animal viruses with potential to infect humans have identified a critical protein that could enable spillover of a family of organisms called arteriviruses.

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Stents to treat various blockages in the human body can themselves become blocked, but a new sensor developed at the University of Michigan for stents that are used in the bile duct may one day help doctors detect and treat stent blockages early, helping keep patients healthier.

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Researchers have developed a compact, wearable ultrasound device that monitors muscle activity. Attachable to the skin with an adhesive and powered by a small battery, the device wirelessly captures high-resolution images of muscle movements, enabling continuous, long-term monitoring. When worn on the rib cage, it effectively monitored diaphragm function for respiratory health assessments. When worn on the forearm, it accurately captured hand gestures, allowing users to control a robotic arm and even navigate virtual games. This new technology has potential applications in healthcare for conditions affecting muscle function, as well as in human-machine interfaces for more natural robotic control.

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Quantum technologies promise breakthroughs in communication, computing, sensors and much more. However, quantum states are fragile, and their effects are difficult to grasp, making research into real-world applications challenging. Empa researchers and their partners have now achieved a breakthrough: Using a kind of “quantum Lego”, they have been able to accurately realize a well-known theoretical quantum physics model in a synthetic material.

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Researchers at WashU Medicine have found a process by which the brain guards against attack by the immune system. In mice with multiple sclerosis, such "guardian" proteins that train the immune system were drastically depleted, and replenishing them improved symptoms, according to a study in Nature.

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Mount Sinai study shows how the heart and brain interact to influence sleep patterns and help with recovery

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A new analysis led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has revealed detailed 3D maps of the internal structures of multiple tumor types. These cancer atlases reveal how different tumor cells — and the cells of a tumor’s surrounding environment — are organized, in 3D, and how that organization changes when a tumor spreads to other organs. The detailed findings offer scientists valuable blueprints of tumors that could lead to new approaches to therapy and spark a new era in the field of cancer biology, according to the researchers.

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New research led by Cedars-Sinai investigators has reversed liver fibrosis, a gradual buildup of scar tissue in the liver, in laboratory mice. Their achievement marks a crucial step toward potentially creating new treatments for patients with this condition, which can lead to life-threatening diseases including cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer.

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Retrofitting a portion of the US shipping fleet from internal combustion engines to battery-electric systems could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and be largely cost effective by 2035, according to a new study from Berkeley Lab researchers.

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The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) has become the first in the world to observe the structural evolution of solute molecules in extremely supersaturated aqueous solutions, revealing that changes in molecular symmetry impact on the formation of new metastable material phases.

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An international team of geoscientists led by a volcanologist at Rutgers University-New Brunswick has discovered that, contrary to present scientific understanding, ancient volcanoes continued to spew carbon dioxide into the atmosphere from deep within the Earth long past their period of eruptions.

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A newly described stage of a lymph node-like structure seen in liver tumors after presurgical immunotherapy may be vital to successfully treating patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, according to a study by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.

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UCLA scientists have identified the protein GPNMB as a critical regulator in the heart’s healing process after a heart attack.

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A new study finds that rocky planets orbiting small stars do have the potential for stable, life-supporting atmospheres. The finding supports continued study of the TRAPPIST-1 system and other top candidates in the search for life outside our solar system.

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Researchers from Johns Hopkins Children’s Center say they have identified a gene pathway involving the mineral zinc in mice that may someday point the way to using zinc-based supplements to directly help people with a rare disorder called short bowel syndrome (SBS).

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Clinicians, researchers and the public are invited to learn about stem cell and gene therapies being developed throughout California at the 7th Annual Alpha Clinics Network Symposium, hosted by Cedars-Sinai on Oct. 25.

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Lithium-sulfur batteries have never lived up to their potential as the next generation of renewable batteries for electric vehicles and other devices. But ​SMU mechanical engineer Donghai Wang and his research team have found a way to make these Li-S batteries last longer – with higher energy levels – than existing renewable batteries. The research team has been able to prevent Li-S batteries from producing an unwanted side effect known as polysulfide dissolution that appears over time, shortening their lifespan.

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Scientists from Cleveland Clinic and Cornell University have designed a publicly-available software and web database to break down barriers to identifying key protein-protein interactions to treat with medication.

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