Sci-Ed Update 277

Live embryo imaging, restoring misshapen muscles, rising maternal deaths, artificial muscles, assessing sex by hand scent, walking by thought, downside of a Nobel,fused neurons & brain fog, & more!

Jul 10, 2023

*A live human embryo imaged using the fluorescent dyes SPY650-DNA (blue) and SPY555-actin (pink).Credit: Robin M. Skory, Ana Domingo-Muelas*

Researchers have captured the most-detailed images yet of human embryos developing in real time, using two common laboratory tools — fluorescent dyes and laser microscopes.
The technique, described in Cell on 5 July¹, allows researchers to study crucial events in the first few days of development without genetically altering the embryos, which has previously restricted the use of some imaging techniques in human embryos, owing to ethical concerns.
“This is the first time we can actually image an early human embryo at the very early stages of development with cellular resolution,” says Nicolas Plachta, a cell biologist at University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and a co-author of the paper. “We can see single cells and how they interact with each other as they form the pre-implantation embryo.”
As well as providing a new tool for researchers, the imaging technique could lead to the development of ways to non-invasively screen embryos conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Study shows sharp increases in maternal deaths over two decades

*Maternal deaths often point to the conditions in which people live and work, said one researcher connected to a new study on maternal deaths (Getty Images).*

A study from the University of Washington released Monday shows maternal mortality rates more than doubled in some states between 1999 and 2019, with sharp increases for some racial and ethnic groups.
Researchers touted it as the first study to provide such maternal mortality calculations for every state. Previous reports have not included rates for states with fewer than 20 maternal deaths, which is nearly half of all states, the report shows.
The study assembled information about people who died while pregnant or up to one year afterward. Causes often include hemorrhage, heart conditions, infections and high blood pressure, all of which can develop even months post-delivery, because of the ways the body changes and reacts to carrying and birthing a baby.
Dr. Greg Roth, a cardiologist and associate professor of medicine at the University of Washington, said the study did not evaluate potential causes of deaths, but the university intends to examine those subjects in follow-up studies. He said based on his own experience in medicine, the deaths often point to the conditions in which people live and work.

Artificial Muscles Flex for the First Time: Ferroelectric Polymer Innovation in Robotics

*Actuation of ferroelectric polymers driven by Joule heating. Credit: Qing Wang*

A new ferroelectric polymer that efficiently converts electrical energy into mechanical strain has been developed by Penn State researchers. This material, showing potential for use in medical devices and robotics, overcomes traditional piezoelectric limitations.
‘Researchers improved performance by creating a polymer nanocomposite, significantly reducing the necessary driving field strength, expanding potential applications.

Human Hand Scents: A Novel Tool for Sex Prediction

A new study reveals that the composition of scent compounds on a person’s hand can accurately determine their sex.
The analysis, using mass spectrometry, successfully predicted an individual’s sex with an impressive accuracy rate of 96.67%. In criminal investigations, this could provide valuable trace evidence where other discriminative evidence like DNA is lacking.
Further validation of these techniques could even reveal other individual characteristics such as age and racial or ethnic group.
Key Facts:
The scent compounds on a person’s hand can be analyzed to predict their sex, with a 96.67% accuracy rate.
The study suggests that scent evidence could be a valuable resource in criminal investigations, particularly when other forms of evidence are lacking.
Further development of these techniques could potentially identify other characteristics of an individual, such as age and racial or ethnic group.

Brain–spine interface allows paralysed man to walk using his thoughts

*Gert-Jan Oskam walks with the assistance of a crutch. A spinal-cord injury paralysed him below the neck 12 years ago, but a new device has given him mobility.Credit: CHUV/Gilles Weber*

Twelve years ago, a cycling accident left Gert-Jan Oskam, now 40, with paralysed legs and partially paralysed arms, after his spinal cord was damaged in his neck. But these days, Oskam is back on his feet and walking, thanks to a device that creates a ‘digital bridge’ between his brain and the nerves below his injury¹.
The implant has been life-changing, says Oskam. “Last week, there was something that needed to be painted and there was nobody to help me. So I took the walker and the paint, and I did it myself while I was standing,” he says.
The device — called a brain–spine interface — builds on previous work² by Grégoire Courtine, a neuroscientist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne and his colleagues. In 2018, they demonstrated that, when combined with intensive training, technology that stimulates the lower spine with electrical pulses can help people with spinal-cord injuries to walk again.

Thinking New Thoughts about the Human Brain | TAPP 139

In Episode 139, we explore a new discovery in nerve signaling in the brain called a dendritic action potential (dCaAP), we look at a wacky proposed model of brain function, and we share some ideas about how we can help our students understand the core concepts of chemical signaling and signal transduction in different contexts.

Put on your thinking cap and jump into this fresh episode now!

To view this captioned episode, click on the player (if present) or this link→ theAPprofessor.org/podcast-episode-139.html#episode-audiogram

Winning The Nobel Prize May Bestow an Unfortunate Side Effect

Winners of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine tend to reduce their research output after claiming the prestigious honor, according to a new study – suggesting that bagging the prize isn't so desirable for those who want to stay productive and relevant.
Analyzing data on Nobel Prize winners from 1950 to 2009, researchers from Stanford University in California and the University of Waterloo in Canada looked at three measures: the number of published papers, the novelty of these papers (how new the ideas in them were), and the number of citations in other articles.
Researchers matched this data against people of similar age who had won the Lasker Award, another well-respected medical science prize. They performed the comparison to minimize the risk of individuals' ages affecting the results – Nobel Prizes are more often given out late in people's careers when they might be expected to work less anyway.

Kevin Patton comment→ whew! …I dodged that bullet.

Could fused neurons explain COVID-19’s ‘brain fog’?

*Mouse neurons (in magenta) fuse (yellow) when they express the SARS-CoV-2 protein and its receptor.RAMON MARTINEZ-MARMOL*

Of all of COVID-19’s symptoms, one of the most troubling is “brain fog.” Victims report headaches, trouble concentrating, and forgetfulness. Now, researchers have shown that SARS-CoV-2 can cause brain cells to fuse together, disrupting their communication. Although the study was only done in cells in a lab dish, some scientists say it could help explain one of the pandemic’s most confounding symptoms.
“This is a first important step,” says Stefan Lichtenthaler, a biochemist at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases who was not involved with the work.
Researchers already knew that SARS-CoV-2 could cause certain cells to fuse together. The lungs of patients who die from severe COVID-19 are often riddled with large, multicellular structures called syncytia, which scientists believe may contribute to the respiratory symptoms of the disease. Like other viruses, SARS-CoV-2 may incite cells to fuse to help it spread across an organ without having to infect new cells.

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