Lifeboat Foundation

After the bee stings a person, pain, and swelling occur in this place, due to the effects of bee venom (BV). This is not a poison in the total sense of the word because it has many benefits, and this is due to its composition being rich in proteins, peptides, enzymes, and other types of molecules in low concentrations that show promise in the treatment of numerous diseases and conditions. BV has also demonstrated positive effects against various cancers, antimicrobial activity, and wound healing versus the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Even though topical BV therapy is used to varying degrees among countries, localized swelling or itching are common side effects that may occur in some patients. This review provides an in-depth analysis of the complex chemical composition of BV, highlighting the diverse range of bioactive compounds and their therapeutic applications, which extend beyond the well-known anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects, showcasing the versatility of BV in modern medicine. A specific search strategy was followed across various databases; Web of sciences, Scopus, Medline, and Google Scholar including in vitro and in vivo clinical studies.to outline an overview of BV composition, methods to use, preparation requirements, and Individual consumption contraindications. Furthermore, this review addresses safety concerns and emerging approaches, such as the use of nanoparticles, to mitigate adverse effects, demonstrating a balanced and holistic perspective. Importantly, the review also incorporates historical context and traditional uses, as well as a unique focus on veterinary applications, setting it apart from previous works and providing a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners in the field.

Bees are commercially beneficial insects that have been around since the Cretaceous age of the Mesozoic Era. They also help fertilize many different crops. Bees are helpful, but their capacity to administer excruciating and poisonous stings constitutes a risk. Thankfully, most honeybees are not hostile to people and only resort to violence if they perceive danger (Pucca et al., 2019). Apis mellifera is the most often used honeybee species for agricultural pollination globally. All bee products, particularly venom, and honey, have been used for centuries, and their medicinal properties have been described in holy writings such as the Bible and the Quran (Ali, 2024; Dinu et al., 2024). Bee venom (BV) treatment involves injecting honeybee venom into the human body to cure various ailments. For over 5,000 years, this technique has been used in complementary therapies.

Scientists at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona have developed the first comprehensive blueprint of the human spliceosome, the most complex and intricate molecular machine found in every cell. This groundbreaking achievement, over a decade in the making, was published in the journal Science.

The spliceosome edits genetic messages transcribed from DNA, allowing cells to create different versions of a protein from a single gene. The vast majority of human genes – more than nine in ten – are edited by the spliceosome. Errors in the process are linked to a wide spectrum of diseases including most types of cancer, neurodegenerative conditions, and genetic disorders.

The sheer number of components involved and the intricacy of its function has meant the spliceosome has remained elusive and uncharted territory in human biology – until now.

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The new method, published in Nature last week, is more efficient, storing 350 bits at a time by encoding strands in parallel. Rather than hand-threading each DNA strand, the team assembles strands from pre-built DNA bricks about 20 nucleotides long, encoding information by altering some and not others along the way. Peking University’s Long Qian and team got the idea for such templates from the way cells share the same basic set of genes but behave differently in response to chemical changes in DNA strands. “Every cell in our bodies has the same genome sequence, but genetic programming comes from modifications to DNA. If life can do this, we can do this,” she says.

Qian and her colleagues encoded data through methylation, a chemical reaction that switches genes on and off by attaching a methyl compound—a small methane-related molecule. Once the bricks are locked into their assigned spots on the strand, researchers select which bricks to methylate, with the presence or absence of the modification standing in for binary values of 0 or 1. The information can then be deciphered using nanopore sequencers to detect whether a brick has been methylated. In theory, the new method is simple enough to be carried out without detailed knowledge of how to manipulate DNA.

The storage capacity of each DNA strand caps off at roughly 70 bits. For larger files, researchers splintered data into multiple strands identified by unique barcodes encoded in the bricks. The strands were then read simultaneously and sequenced according to their barcodes. With this technique, researchers encoded the image of a tiger rubbing from the Han dynasty, troubleshooting the encoding process until the image came back with no errors. The same process worked for more complex images, like a photorealistic print of a panda.

Nuclear fission has powered our world and medical advancements for decades, yet some of its secrets have remained elusive.

One of the biggest puzzles? What exactly happens when an atom’s nucleus splits apart at its “neck rupture” point.

Aurel Bulgac, a physics professor at the University of Washington, has been delving into this very question. He and his team set out to simulate the intricate particle dance during this critical moment of fission.

Deep sleep could be key to forestalling slow declines in brain health that may one day lead to Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia.

In their 2023 study of 62 older, cognitively healthy adults, researchers from the University of California (UC) Berkeley, Stanford University, and UC Irvine in the US found individuals with brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s performed better on memory function tests as they got more deep sleep.

This was irrespective of education and physical activity, two factors along with social connection known to contribute to cognitive resilience in older age.

A research team, led by Professor Hoon Eui Jeong from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UNIST has introduced an innovative magnetic composite artificial muscle, showcasing an impressive ability to withstand loads comparable to those of automobiles. This material achieves a stiffness enhancement of more than 2,700 times compared to conventional systems. The study is published in Nature Communications.

Soft artificial muscles, which emulate the fluidity of human muscular motion, have emerged as vital technologies in various fields, including robotics, wearable devices, and biomedical applications. Their inherent flexibility allows for smoother operations; however, traditional materials typically exhibit limitations in rigidity, hindering their ability to lift substantial weights and maintain precise control due to unwanted vibrations.

To overcome these challenges, researchers have employed variable rigid materials that can transition between hard and soft states. Yet, the available range for stiffness modulation has remained constrained, along with inadequate mechanical performance.

In a new study in Physical Review Letters, scientists have demonstrated a method to control artificial microswimmers using electric fields and fluid flow. These microscopic droplets could pave the way for targeted drug delivery and microrobotics.

Researchers at Tampere University have created the world’s first soft touchpad capable of detecting the force, area, and location of contact without the need for electricity. This innovative device operates using pneumatic channels, making it suitable for environments like MRI machines and other settings where electronic devices are impractical. The technology could also be advantageous for applications in soft robotics and rehabilitation aids.

Researchers at Tampere University have developed the world’s first soft touchpad that is able to sense the force, area, and location of contact without electricity. That has traditionally required electronic sensors, but the newly developed touchpad does not need electricity as it uses pneumatic channels embedded in the device for detection.

Made entirely of soft silicone, the device contains 32 channels that adapt to touch, each only a few hundred micrometers wide. In addition to detecting the force, area, and location of touch, the device is precise enough to recognize handwritten letters on its surface and it can even distinguish multiple simultaneous touches.