Big data has gotten too big. Now, a research team with statisticians from Cornell has developed a data representation method inspired by quantum mechanics that handles large data sets more efficiently than traditional methods by simplifying them and filtering out noise.
This method could spur innovation in data-rich but statistically intimidating fields, like health care and epigenetics, where traditional data methods have thus far proved insufficient.
The paper is published in the journal Scientific Reports.
A recently discovered inflammatory disease known as VEXAS syndrome is more common, variable, and dangerous than previously understood, according to results of a retrospective observational study of a large health care system database. The findings, published in JAMA, found that it struck 1 in 4,269 men over the age of 50 in a largely White population and caused a wide variety of symptoms.
“The disease is quite severe,” study lead author David Beck, MD, PhD, of the department of medicine at NYU Langone Health, said in an interview. Patients with the condition “have a variety of clinical symptoms affecting different parts of the body and are being managed by different medical specialties.”
Dr. Beck and colleagues first described VEXAS (vacuoles, E1-ubiquitin-activating enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory, somatic) syndrome in 2020. They linked it to mutations in the UBA1 (ubiquitin-like modifier activating enzyme 1) gene. The enzyme initiates a process that identifies misfolded proteins as targets for degradation.
Nearly 16 million American adults have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but evidence suggests that more than 30% of them don’t respond well to stimulant medications like Ritalin and Adderall.
A new clinical trial provides a surprising explanation for why this may be the case: There are individual differences in how our brain circuits are wired, including the chemical circuits responsible for memory and concentration, according to a new study co-led by the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and performed at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center.
Our brain cells have different types of chemical receptors that work together to produce optimal performance of brain function. Differences in the balance of these receptors can help explain who is likely to benefit from Ritalin and other stimulant medications. That is the finding of the new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Sean Tucker, Ph.D. is the Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Vaxart Inc. ( https://vaxart.com/ ), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing…
While the threat that microplastics pose to human and ecological health has been richly documented and is well known, nanoplastics, which are smaller than one micrometer (1/50th the thickness of an average human hair), are far more reactive, far more mobile and vastly more capable of crossing biological membranes. Yet, because they are so tiny and so mobile, researchers don’t yet have an accurate understanding of just how toxic these particles are.
The first step to understanding the toxicology of nanoplastics is to build a reliable, efficient and flexible tool that can not only quantify their concentration in a given sample, but also analyze which specific plastics that sample contains.
An international team of scientists led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst reports in Nature Water on the development of a new tool, known as the OM-SERS setup, which can do all of these things and can furthermore be used to detect particular nanoplastic concentrations and polymer types in solid samples, such as soils, body tissues and plants.
People breathing contaminated air over the course of years are at greater risk of developing numerous diseases. This is thought to be due to highly reactive components in particulate matter, which affect biological processes in the body. However, researchers from the University of Basel, Switzerland, have now shown that precisely these components disappear within hours and that previous measurements therefore completely underestimate the quantities in which they are present.
From chronic respiratory problems to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and dementia, health damage caused by particulate matter air pollution is wide-ranging and serious. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over six million deaths a year are caused by increased exposure to particulate matter.
The chemical composition of these tiny particles in the air, which come from a wide range of both anthropogenic and natural sources, is highly complex. Which particles trigger which reactions and long-term diseases in the body is the subject of intensive research.
What kinds of health threats can the Martian dust bring to future astronauts? This is what a recent study published in GeoHealth hopes to address as a team | Space
SpaceX is set to launch Fram2 on Monday, March 31, at 9:46 p.m. ET from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. If needed, additional opportunities extend through the early hours of April 1. This mission is unlike any before—it will take humanity to a polar orbit (90° inclination) for the first time! 🌍✨
🛰️ What Makes Fram2 Special? 🔥 First-ever human spaceflight to a true polar orbit. 👨🚀 All four astronauts—Wang, Mikkelsen, Rogge, and Philips—are first-time space travelers. 🩻 First medical X-ray taken in space. 🍄 Microgravity experiments, including mushroom cultivation. 💪 Independent crew exit post-splashdown—pushing the limits of astronaut endurance.
🚀 Falcon 9 and Dragon’s Role. This mission will push the boundaries of Falcon 9 and Dragon’s ascent profile, showcasing the precision and power of SpaceX’s GNC (Guidance, Navigation, and Control) systems. After liftoff, the first stage booster will return to the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. The Dragon capsule has a rich history, having previously flown on Crew-1, Inspiration4, and Polaris Dawn.
Fram2 is more than just a mission—it’s a bold step toward the future of space exploration. With 22 research experiments, including studies on human health in space, exercise physiology, and radiation exposure, this flight will pave the way for long-duration missions beyond Earth orbit.
Don’t miss this groundbreaking launch! Subscribe to Space Googlevesaire for real-time updates, expert breakdowns, and all things spaceflight! 🌌🚀🔔
Without the ability to control infrared light waves, autonomous vehicles wouldn’t be able to quickly map their environment and keep “eyes” on the cars and pedestrians around them; augmented reality couldn’t display realistic 3D displays; doctors would lose an important tool for early cancer detection. Dynamic light control allows for upgrades to many existing systems, but complexities associated with fabricating programmable thermal devices hinder availability.
A new active metasurface, the electrically-programmable graphene field effect transistor (Gr-FET), from the labs of Sheng Shen and Xu Zhang in Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering, enables the control of mid-infrared states across a wide range of wavelengths, directions, and polarizations. This enhanced control enables advancements in applications ranging from infrared camouflage to personalized health monitoring.
“For the first time, our active metasurface devices exhibited the monolithic integration of the rapidly modulated temperature, addressable pixelated imaging, and resonant infrared spectrum,” said Xiu Liu, postdoctoral associate in mechanical engineering and lead author of the paper published in Nature Communications. “This breakthrough will be of great interest to a wide range of infrared photonics, materials science, biophysics, and thermal engineering audiences.”
