A new study reveals that Mycobacterium tuberculosis can dodge the host’s immune defenses by targeting an innate pattern recognition receptor on macrophages.
This interaction helps promote the mycobacteria’s ability to survive within the host cells.
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A sugar on mycobacteria binds to the immune receptor dectin-1 on host macrophages, helping the bacteria survive and driving susceptibility to infection.
Cluster RCT: A discharge-focused prospective audit and feedback intervention did not reduce overall antibiotic use at hospital discharge but improved optimal discharge prescribing for common infections; broader approaches are needed.
Question Does a discharge-focused prospective audit and feedback process decrease antibiotic overuse at hospital discharge?
Findings In this stepped-wedge cluster-randomized clinical trial across participating units at 10 hospitals with 21 842 admissions, the frequency and duration of antibiotic prescribing at hospital discharge did not decrease after implementing a prospective audit and feedback process. However, in selected patients with uncomplicated infections, optimal antibiotic-prescribing increased once the intervention went into effect.
Meaning Discharge-focused prospective audit and feedback was not effective in reducing general antibiotic overuse at hospital discharge, but it did improve antibiotic prescribing in a subset of patients, suggesting that other strategies are needed to prevent unnecessary antibiotic use at this transition of care.
These flexible cells achieve 9.2 percent energy efficiency while maintaining 35 percent transparency.
Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have created semi-transparent, color-tunable solar cells.
Interestingly, these can be 3D-printed onto windows, building façades, and flexible surfaces.
These panels shed the bulky, industrial look of solar arrays, giving designers the choice between a slightly transparent window or a vibrant, color-tinted architectural feature.
IDH-mutant glioma, caused by abnormalities in a specific gene (IDH), is the most common malignant brain tumor among young adults under the age of 50. It is a refractory brain cancer that is difficult to treat due to its high recurrence rate.
Until now, treatment has focused primarily on removing the visible tumor mass. However, a Korean research team has discovered for the first time that normal brain cells acquire the initial IDH mutation and spread out through the cortex long before a visible tumor mass harboring additional cancer mutations forms, opening a new path for early diagnosis and treatment to suppress recurrence.
Hunter-gatherers in southern Africa laced their stone arrow tips with poison roughly 60,000 years ago, a new Science Advances study finds.
The discovery pushes back the timeline for poison weapon use from the mid-Holocene to the Late Pleistocene.
Earliest proof of plant poisons on arrows reveals complex Pleistocene hunting in southern Africa.
Questions to inspire discussion.
Design & Manufacturing Innovation.
🔧 Q: Why were conventional door locks added despite weight concerns? A: Conventional door locks on frameless doors were likely required for global market compliance, though positioning locks closer to the pivot point reduces the work required compared to weight at the door’s end.
Tire Optimization for Taxi Operations.
🛞 Q: What tire specifications optimize Cybercab for taxi service? A: 20–22 inch tires with thicker sidewalls provide smoother ride at lower speeds typical of taxi use, require less frequent changes, and achieve 6–7 miles per kilowatt hour efficiency through reduced rolling resistance.
Accessibility Features.
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SpaceX’s potential Initial Public Offering (IPO) could not only reward long-term Tesla shareholders but also has significant implications for Elon Musk’s companies, with a possible valuation of $1.2–1.5 trillion, driven by ventures like Starlink and Starship # ## Questions to inspire discussion.
IPO Timing and Valuation Strategy.
🚀 Q: When could SpaceX realistically go public and at what valuation? A: SpaceX IPO timing targets mid-2026 with potential valuation of $1.2–1.5 trillion, dependent on Starship production readiness, successful orbital launches with Starlink payloads by mid-2024, and prevailing volatile public market conditions at listing time.
💰 Q: How much capital would SpaceX raise in the IPO? A: SpaceX would likely issue new shares to raise approximately $80 billion at the $1.2–1.5 trillion valuation target, rather than conducting a buyback of existing shares, with potential share prices ranging $50–150 per share.
📈 Q: What drives SpaceX’s trillion-dollar valuation thesis? A: Valuation hinges on Starlink satellite network (10M subscribers, 10K satellites), rapid and complete reusability of Starship launch vehicles, planned Moon and Mars bases by 2030–2040, and the Musk premium factor where investors pay extra for his involvement.
Starship as IPO Catalyst.