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Super cool paper where Jeppesen et al. discover and characterize a new type of large extracellular vesicle (EV) that they call blebbisomes! These blebbisomes have active mitochondria as well as other organelles (except nucleus), secrete and take up smaller EVs, and can reach sizes of up to 20 micrometers! #cellbiology #molecularbiology #biochemistry

Cells release a variety of 30-to 10,000-nm lipid-bilayer-enclosed extracellular vesicles (EVs) to facilitate cell-to-cell and cell-to-environment communication by packaging signalling molecules to avoid degradation1,2,3,4,5 and escape immune surveillance6,7,8,9. EVs may interact with target cells through contact between molecules on the EV surface with receptors on the cell surface to relay signals. In addition, modulation of recipient cell behavior may follow uptake of EVs cargo, including bioactive proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. EVs have emerged as important actors and agents of intercellular communication in normal cell biology and pathological conditions2,4,6.

Here, we identify blebbisomes, an exceptionally large functional EVs, that are actively released by human and mouse cells, remain motile independently of cells and have the capacity to both take up EVs and secrete exosomes and microvesicles. Blebbisomes are the largest type of EV described so far with an average diameter of 10 µm but can be as large as 20 µm, with an area commonly larger than 50 µm2. After being released from motile cells, blebbisomes display marked contractility-dependent ‘blebbing’ behaviour. Both normal and cancer cells release blebbisomes that contain active, healthy, mitochondria further distinguishing them from other large EVs (lEVs) such as exophers10,11 and migrasomes12 that function in the removal of damaged mitochondria from cells under stress conditions. In addition, blebbisomes contain many other cellular organelles including endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Golgi apparatus, ribosomes, lysosomes, endosomes, multivesicular endosomes (MVEs) and autophagosomes/amphisomes, as well as cytoskeletal elements; however, they lack a definable nucleus.

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So, to put it in a very straightforward way – the term “AI agents” refers to a specific application of agentic AI, and “agentic” refers to the AI models, algorithms and methods that make them work.

Why Is This Important?

AI agents and agentic AI are two closely related concepts that everyone needs to understand if they’re planning on using technology to make a difference in the coming years.

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Researchers from Cleveland Clinic’s Genome Center have outlined the pathway human herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV1) can use to contribute to Alzheimer’s disease in aging brains. In a report published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, investigators also share two FDA-approved, commercially available drugs that reverse this pathway in a laboratory setting.

The findings are the first concrete evidence to support the previously controversial link between human herpesviruses (HHVs) and Alzheimer’s disease. Illustrating the potential for herpes to trigger dementia aids continued efforts to prevent and cure neurodegenerative disease, says senior author and Genome Center director Feixiong Cheng, Ph.D…

For most people, contracting a is just an inconvenient or harmless fact of life. Many herpesviruses are individually present in a large percentage of people worldwide, meaning virtually every human being on earth is expected to contract at least three types of herpesviruses by adulthood. Some of these viruses don’t cause symptoms, while others only cause minor illnesses like mono or chickenpox. However, even after these illnesses subside, an infected individual still carries herpesviruses for the rest of their life, with only minor symptoms like occasional cold sores.

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Present-day Mars is a barren and inhospitable planet, but it may have once had sandy beaches and tranquil ocean vistas. According to findings published on February 24 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the Red Planet may have remained a vacation-worthy destination for tens of millions of years—while also providing the proper conditions to support microbial life.

The evidence comes from data collected by China’s Zhurong Mars rover, which landed in the Utopia Planitia region of Mars in 2021. Unlike other rovers traversing the planet, Zhurong arrived with high-and low-frequency radar systems that allow it to conduct ground-penetrating scans of the Martian subsurface. After reviewing the rover’s data, an international team, including researchers at Penn State, believe that they have spotted layered structures with remarkable similarities to what can be found all over Earth.

“We’re finding places on Mars that used to look like ancient beaches and ancient river deltas,” Benjamin Cardenas, a Penn State assistant professor of geology and study co-author, said in an accompanying statement. “We found evidence for wind, waves, no shortage of sand—a proper, vacation-style beach.”

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RESEARCHERS at Rice University, US have discovered a green process which can quickly and cheaply produce graphene from almost any carbon source, including coal, mixed plastic waste, biomass, and waste food. It could facilitate a reduction in the environmental impact of concrete and other building materials.

Graphene is the strongest known material. It is comprised of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice, in which one atom forms each vertex. A tiny amount of graphene can significantly enhance the properties of materials such as plastics, paints, composites, wood composites, concrete, metals, and lubricant. However, it is expensive to manufacture, so has limited industrial applications.

The process discovered at Rice employs flash Joule heating is a process where an electric current is passed through a conductor to produce heat. Using a custom reactor, the Rice researchers can produce graphene in 10 ms. The carbon source is placed between two electrodes and 200 V is applied in a short electrical pulse, heating the material to more than 3,000K (2726.9°C). Non-carbon elements sublime and the remaining carbon atoms reconstruct into carbon.

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Scientists are uncovering the powerful role hormones play in skin aging, revealing new potential treatments for wrinkles, hair graying, and overall skin health.

While traditional anti-aging hormones like retinoids and estrogen have been widely used, new research highlights a broader range of hormones that influence skin structure, pigment, and resilience.

Hormones and Anti-Aging Potential.

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New findings cast light on the role of understudied DN3 memory B cells in cancer, and shows these cells correlate with progression and poor clinical outcomes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.

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Tumor-associated extrafollicular B cells are phenotypically, locationally, and functionally distinct from germinal center–dependent memory B cells.

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The year one hundred two thousand twenty-three. A giant meteorite the size of Pluto is approaching the Solar System. It flies straight to Earth. But as the meteorite crosses Saturn’s orbit, a swarm of miner probes approaches it. The scan revealed no minerals on the object, so the searches returned with nothing.
Meanwhile, the Space Security Center in Alaska military personnel are setting up a laser. The Solar System witnesses a sudden flare and nothing remains of the dwarf-sized meteorite. Now, unless hydrogen miners on Jupiter post videos of another annihilation on social media… This is what the world will look like when humanity finally becomes a Type Two civilization on the Kardashev scale. We’ll have almost infinite energy reserves, the ability to prepare for interstellar flights, or to instantly destroy any threat. But will humanity really be safe? And what can ruin a Type Two civilization?

#eldddir_space #eldddir_earth #eldddir_homo #eldddir_animals.
#eldddir_disaster #eldddir_ocean #eldddir_bombs #eldddir_future #eldddir_tech #eldddir_jupiter #eldddir_mars #eldddir_spacex #eldddir_rockets

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