CARs are simulated receptors containing an extracellular single-chain variable fragment (scFv), a transmembrane domain, as well as an intracellular region of immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs (ITAMs) in association with a co-stimulatory signal.
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An Integrated Hydrogeological and Hydrogeochemical Approach for Distinguishing Point-Source Contamination from Natural Background Levels at a Landfill Site The La Silva Case, Cassano Allo Ionio (Southern Italy)
The report presents an integrated hydrogeological, geochemical, and geophysical investigation of a municipal solid waste landfill area located in Cassano allo Ionio (CS), Southern Italy. The study aimed to characterize the local subsurface, assess groundwater quality, and determine whether the elevated concentrations of iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) are attributable to landfill-related contamination or to naturally occurring geogenic processes. The investigation identified a deep aquifer hosted within Pliocene conglomeratic deposits, characterized by low intrinsic vulnerability and groundwater flow predominantly toward the southeast, although locally complex piezometric conditions were observed. Although iron and manganese concentrations exceeded regulatory contamination thresholds in several monitoring wells, their spatial distribution, the prevailing redox conditions, their occurrence at upgradient locations, and comparison with surface waters and a nearby agricultural well indicate that these anomalies are more consistent with natural water-rock interactions and reductive dissolution processes within sandy-conglomeratic layers containing silty-clayey lenses than with the presence of a landfill-derived leachate plume. Geophysical investigations also contributed to delineating the geometry of the landfill and estimating the depth of the waste deposits, thereby supporting a more comprehensive characterization of the site.
Groundwater, Landfill, Iron, Manganese, Natural Background Levels, Redox Conditions, Hydrogeochemistry, Site-Specific Conceptual Model
100 buses long: Scientists map one of the world’s largest known coral colonies
A huge coral colony stretching more than 1.5 kilometers (0.93 miles) along the outer reef of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands has been identified by researchers, making it one of the largest known coral colonies ever recorded.
The remarkable rose coral (Pachyseris) colony extends 1.56 kilometers (0.97 miles) in length—the equivalent of approximately 100 buses parked end to end—and occupies the outer reef slope between depths of 14 and 65 meters (46 and 213 feet).
Local dive operator Dieter Gerhard first spotted extensive areas of the coral more than 30 years ago, but it wasn’t until researchers began mapping the reef that they realized just how extensive the formation was and that the sections may be connected as one enormous colony.
Marginal oil and gas wells have outsized pollution impact
Low-producing oil and gas wells in the US account for 5 per cent of national oil and gas production but produce 40 per cent of the industry’s methane emissions
Goodbye, cavities? Scientists create gel that could regrow tooth enamel
Scientists have developed a new gel that could make it possible to regrow damaged tooth enamel, potentially overcoming one of the biggest limitations in dental care. Unlike bones and many other tissues in the body, tooth enamel cannot naturally regenerate once it has been lost. The new treatment offers a promising way to rebuild this protective layer, strengthen teeth, and help prevent future decay.
The innovation comes from researchers at the University of Nottingham’s School of Pharmacy and Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering. Their new material is inspired by the biological processes that form tooth enamel during early childhood. It is designed to repair enamel that has been weakened by mineral loss or worn away by erosion, while also reinforcing enamel that remains healthy.
The findings, published in Nature Communications, could pave the way for a new generation of dental treatments that go beyond protecting existing enamel and actually help restore its structure.
FAST and Arecibo point to possible dark galaxy with vast hydrogen reservoir
Astronomers have found a vast reservoir of hydrogen with something conspicuously missing: detectable starlight. The object, called AGC 322753, contains roughly 2 billion times the sun’s mass in neutral hydrogen, a potential supply of material for making stars
Treatment revives old liver cells in lab study, may help prevent Alzheimer’s and heart disease
The liver’s job of clearing harmful substances from the body is so essential that the organ may have implications for addressing unexpected diseases, including Alzheimer’s and heart disease. A promising example comes from new Keck School of Medicine of USC research published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
The study, conducted in aged rats, shows that an experimental drug called cinaciguat reverses effects of aging in the liver. This, in turn, may lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and clogged arteries. The researchers also revealed what’s behind that rejuvenation, including a specific biochemical pathway used for local communication between liver cells, which suggests a potential therapeutic target.
“We need to do further translational work to see whether our findings might point to new therapies,” said corresponding author Laurie DeLeve, M.D., Ph.D., professor and vice chair for scientific affairs in the USC Department of Medicine.
Have scientists glimpsed the first dark matter particle?
Shadowy dark matter has eluded scientists for decades. The LZ experiment may have spotted one particle, called a WIMP, but more data is needed to check.
Regulatable in vivo gene expression via adaptamers
Bryant et al. created adaptamers, 120 bp RNA sequences which act as regulatory elements of mRNAs so that translation only occurs in the presence of a small molecule inducer (tetracycline or doxycycline). They work by recruiting endogenous adenosine deaminases to edit out a stop codon only when the inducer stabilizes a stem loop structure. A very clever design with lots of promise for gene therapy!
Bryant et al. develop adaptamers, compact RNA switches that use FDA-approved drugs to control gene expression by co-opting endogenous RNA-editing machinery rather than relying on foreign proteins. In mice, this approach safely tuned a metabolic hormone to reverse obesity, pointing to a simpler path toward programmable, drug-controlled gene therapies.
Longevity Medicine Is Not Greedy
A brief plea for the public to embrace a more clearheaded bioethical framework around longevity