Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
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Blog – Page 31

Research led by Children’s Hospital of Fudan University in China has found that a gene called pancreatic progenitor cell differentiation and proliferation factor (PPDPF) helps protect kidney cells by supporting enzymes involved in maintaining cellular energy levels during chronic kidney disease.

Chronic kidney disease affects approximately 15% of the global population and is currently the ninth leading cause of death worldwide. Treatments that can slow the progression of this condition remain limited.

Genome-wide association studies have identified nearly 800 genetic loci associated with kidney function, yet more than 90% of these variants are located in noncoding regions. Specific genes and involved in early-stage remain incompletely understood.

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Scientists at Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine, and the Department of Neurosciences and Pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego, have made a significant breakthrough in understanding the causes of spina bifida, a serious birth defect affecting thousands of newborns each year.

The new study, published in Nature, reveals critical insights into how this condition develops and opens the door for potential future treatments.

Spina bifida, or meningomyelocele, occurs when the spine and spinal cord do not form properly during early pregnancy. Most often identified during prenatal ultrasound, the condition can lead to lifelong disabilities of the lower limbs and bladder. Newborn sequencing is not routinely used in this condition because causes remain unknown. While researchers have long understood certain environmental risk factors, the new study provides a deeper look into the molecular mechanisms underlying the condition.

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A new interdisciplinary study by researchers from the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Technion reveals a surprising insight: local release of dopamine—a molecule best known for its role in the brain’s reward system—is a key factor in acquiring new motor skills

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Europe’s CERN laboratory said on Monday that a detailed analysis revealed no technical obstacles to building the world’s biggest particle collider, even as critics took issue with the “pharaonic” $17-billion project.

The Future Circular Collider (FCC) project is essential for ensuring that Europe maintains its global leadership in , CERN chief Fabiola Gianotti told AFP.

“There is real competition” from China in particular, she cautioned, hailing that the giant FCC “project is absolutely on the good track” and urging states to release the funding needed to move forward.

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With increased awareness about food sources and their environmental impacts, replacing animal-derived products in food and drugs is a significant research area. One common—but often overlooked—animal protein is gelatin, found everywhere from candy to plastic-free packaging.

In Physics of Fluids, researchers from the University of Ottawa present gum tragacanth as a plant-based alternative to for creating edible films.

“Gelatin has unique properties and its use is versatile,” said author Ezgi Pulatsu. “To fully replace gelatin, we must replicate its microstructure and understand its function in different applications.”

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Capturing precise 3D details with a single camera has long been a challenge. Traditional methods often require complex dual-camera setups or specialized lighting conditions that are impractical for real-world applications. However, a groundbreaking approach developed at Nanjing University is set to redefine 3D imaging.

In our latest research, published in Optica, we introduce a cutting-edge snapshot polarization stereo imaging system (SPSIM), as shown in Fig. 1. This innovative system integrates metasurface optics with to extract highly detailed 3D shape information in real time.

Unlike conventional methods that rely on multiple polarizers or sequential exposures, SPSIM utilizes a specially engineered metasurface lens to capture full-Stokes polarization data in a single shot. With an extinction ratio of 25 dB—comparable to commercial polarizers—and an unprecedented central wavelength efficiency of 65%, our system outperforms standard polarization cameras.

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Eye tracking plays a critical role in the latest virtual and augmented reality headsets and is an important technology in the entertainment industry, scientific research, medical and behavioral sciences, automotive driving assistance and industrial engineering. Tracking the movements of the human eye with high accuracy, however, is a daunting challenge.

Researchers at the University of Arizona Wyant College of Optical Sciences have now demonstrated an innovative approach that could revolutionize eye-tracking applications.

Their study, published in Nature Communications, finds that integrating a powerful 3D imaging technique known as deflectometry with advanced computation has the potential to significantly improve state-of-the-art eye tracking technology.

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A recent study published in Physical Review Letters

<em> Physical Review Letters (PRL)</em> is a prestigious peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the American Physical Society. Launched in 1958, it is renowned for its swift publication of short reports on significant fundamental research in all fields of physics. PRL serves as a venue for researchers to quickly share groundbreaking and innovative findings that can potentially shift or enhance understanding in areas such as particle physics, quantum mechanics, relativity, and condensed matter physics. The journal is highly regarded in the scientific community for its rigorous peer review process and its focus on high-impact papers that often provide foundational insights within the field of physics.

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Millions of years before the asteroid impact that ended the reign of the dinosaurs, mammals were already beginning to shift from tree-dwelling to ground-based lifestyles.

A groundbreaking study uncovered this evolutionary trend by analyzing tiny limb bone fragments from marsupials and placental mammals in Western North America. These subtle fossil clues reveal that mammals may have been responding to a changing world, especially the spread of flowering plants that transformed habitats on the ground. Surprisingly, this terrestrial transition appears to have played a bigger role in mammalian evolution than direct interactions with dinosaurs.

Early Ground-Dwellers Before Dinosaurs’ Demise.

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A new method produces PEDOT nanofibers with enhanced electrical conductivity and increased surface area for improved charge storage. UCLA chemists have developed a new textured, fur-like version of PEDOT, a conductive plastic commonly used to protect electronics from static and in devices like so

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