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Parkinson’s drug reduces symptoms in treatment-resistant depression, clinical trial finds

A drug used for Parkinson’s disease has been shown to be effective in reducing the symptoms of difficult to treat depression, according to a study led by the University of Oxford.

In the largest clinical trial to date, pramipexole was found to be substantially more effective than a placebo at reducing the symptoms of (TRD) over the course of nearly a year, when added to ongoing antidepressant medication.

The trial, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, included 150 patients with treatment-resistant depression, with equal numbers receiving 48 weeks of pramipexole or a placebo, alongside ongoing antidepressant medication.

Highly Scalable, Wearable Surface‐Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

The last two decades have witnessed a dramatic growth of wearable sensor technology, mainly represented by flexible, stretchable, on-skin electronic sensors that provide rich information of the wearer’s health conditions and surroundings. A recent breakthrough in the field is the development of wearable chemical sensors based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) that can detect molecular fingerprints universally, sensitively, and noninvasively. However, while their sensing properties are excellent, these sensors are not scalable for widespread use beyond small-scale human health monitoring due to their cumbersome fabrication process and limited multifunctional sensing capabilities. Here, a highly scalable, wearable SERS sensor is demonstrated based on an easy-to-fabricate, low-cost, ultrathin, flexible, stretchable, adhesive, and biointegratable gold nanomesh. It can be fabricated in any shape and worn on virtually any surface for label-free, large-scale, in situ sensing of diverse analytes from low to high concentrations (10–106 × 10−9 m). To show the practical utility of the wearable SERS sensor, the sensor is tested for the detection of sweat biomarkers, drugs of abuse, and microplastics. This wearable SERS sensor represents a significant step toward the generalizability and practicality of wearable sensing technology.

Researchers Build 11-Mile-Long Quantum Highway Using Photons

The Rochester Quantum Network transmits information by sending single photons through two fiber-optic telecommunications lines. Researchers at the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology have recently linked their campuses using an experimental quantum communications network

Physicists Catch Light in ‘Imaginary Time’ in Scientific First

For the first time, researchers have seen how light behaves during a mysterious phenomenon called ‘imaginary time’

When you shine light through almost any transparent material, the gridlock of electromagnetic fields that make up the atomic alleys and side streets will add a significant amount of time to each photon’s commute.

This delay can tell physicists a lot about how light scatters, revealing details about the matrix of material the photons must navigate. Yet until now, one trick up the theorist’s sleeve for measuring light’s journey – invoking imaginary time – has not been fully understood in practical terms.

A unified framework to model synaptic dynamics during the sleep–wake cycle

Conflicting results have been observed regarding changes in synaptic strength in the cerebral cortex during the sleep-wake cycle. This computational study provides a comprehensive understanding and unified framework about synaptic dynamics during the sleep-wake cycle.

BYD Accused of Cooking The Books & Faking Profitability (extremely BAD signs if true)

BYD, an electric vehicle company, is accused of cooking the books and faking profitability, potentially hiding financial issues such as a liquidity crisis and unprofitable electric vehicle business.

Questions to inspire discussion.

Financial Concerns 🚩 Q: What are the warning signs of BYD’s potential financial trouble? A: BYD is offering massive discounts of 10–30% on already affordable vehicles, with some models selling for as low as $10,000, and allegedly has a 12-month payment delay to suppliers. 💰 Q: How is BYD’s automotive business reportedly staying afloat? A: BYD’s automotive business is allegedly being carried by their highly profitable battery cell supply business, which is not separately reported in their financials, making it difficult to determine the true profitability of their electric vehicle sales.

Researchers discover antitumor potential of CD4 T lymphocytes

In the fight against cancer, immunotherapy—which aims to boost the body’s natural defenses against cancer—is experiencing remarkable growth. Most of these treatments are based on CD8 T lymphocytes, “killer cells” able to eliminate diseased cells. A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has explored an alternative approach involving CD4 T lymphocytes.

Long considered mere auxiliary cells, their therapeutic potential has been considered of secondary importance. But the scientists have discovered that they also have a strong killing capacity, while continuing to support other immune cells. Using cell engineering technologies, the team reprogrammed the cells to target a tumor marker found in many cancers, both in adults and children. These results, published in the journal Science Advances, offer hope for a faster therapeutic strategy that could benefit a greater number of patients.

Traditionally considered as auxiliary cells, CD4 T cells produce molecules to support the action of other immune cells by facilitating their functions, migration or proliferation in the organism. The recent work by Camilla Jandus, Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology and Immunology, in the Center for Inflammation Research and in the Translational Research Center in Onco-hematology at the UNIGE Faculty of Medicine, shows that they have been vastly underestimated.