Latest news with #NatureScientificReports
The Citizen
28-05-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
UJ scientists discover anticancer potential in common invasive plant
In a discovery that could reshape cancer treatment, researchers at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) have identified promising medical properties in an unlikely source: the common woolly nightshade (Solanum mauritianum), a plant often dismissed as an invasive weed. Their findings, published in Nature Scientific Reports, reveal that extracts from the plant's ripe fruit exhibit potent activity against aggressive brain cancer cells and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. ALSO READ: Local learners do Maths and Science in a fun way Led by Dr Abraham Goodness Ogofure, alongside Dr Tendani Sebola and Professor Ezekiel Green of the Molecular Pathogenic and Molecular Epidemiology Research Group (MPMERG), the study found the ripe fruit contains 15 distinct bioactive compounds—three times more than the unripe fruit. Among these, alkaloids and terpenoids account for over 50%, both known for their therapeutic potential. 'Through advanced LC-QTOF-MS/MS analysis, we detected – but have not yet isolated – these compounds,' clarifies Ogofure. 'While our findings show strong anticancer activity in the extracts against glioblastoma cells, we do not yet know which specific compounds are responsible for this effect. Encouragingly, the extracts had minimal impact on healthy lung cells, suggesting potential selectivity.' The antibacterial results were equally significant, with the plant extract demonstrating activity against 11 harmful pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli. 'These findings come at a crucial time, as antibiotic resistance contributes to an estimated 5 million deaths globally each year,' notes Ogofure. ALSO READ: Community gets empowered with citizen science Sebola highlighted the broader implications: 'It is fascinating that a plant often removed as a nuisance may offer tools to tackle two of the most pressing global health threats: cancer and antimicrobial resistance.' Looking ahead, the research team plans to isolate individual compounds from the extract, evaluate them against glioblastoma and other pathogens, and explore the effects of using consortia of these compounds in combination. 'This is just the beginning,' adds Green. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
25-05-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
UJ researchers unlock cancer-fighting potential in common weed
In a discovery that could reshape cancer treatment, researchers at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) have identified promising medical properties in an unlikely source — the common woolly nightshade (Solanum mauritianum). The Witness reports that the plant, often dismissed as an invasive weed, through the doctors' findings published in Nature Scientific Reports, revealed that extracts from the plant's ripe fruit exhibit potent activity against both aggressive brain cancer cells and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Led by Dr Abraham Goodness Ogofure, alongside Dr Tendani Sebola and Professor Ezekiel Green (leader) of the Molecular Pathogenic and Molecular Epidemiology Research Group, the study found that the ripe fruit contains 15 distinct bioactive compounds, three times more than the unripe fruit. Among these, alkaloids and terpenoids account for over 50%, both known for their therapeutic potential. 'Through advanced LC-QTOF-MS/MS analysis, we detected — but have not yet isolated — these compounds,' said Ogofure. 'While our findings show strong anticancer activity in the extracts against glioblastoma cells, we do not yet know which specific compounds are responsible for this effect. Encouragingly, the extracts had minimal impact on healthy lung cells, suggesting potential selectivity.' The antibacterial results were equally significant, with the plant extract demonstrating activity against 11 harmful pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus and 'These findings come at a crucial time, as antibiotic resistance is estimated to contribute to five million deaths globally each year,' said Ogofure. Sebola highlighted the broader implications. 'It's fascinating that a plant often removed as a nuisance may offer tools to tackle two of the most pressing global health threats: cancer and antimicrobial resistance,' Sebola said. Looking ahead, the research team plans to isolate individual compounds from the extract, evaluate them against glioblastoma and other pathogens, and explore the effects of using consortia of these compounds in combination. 'This is just the beginning,' said Green. 'This work is about more than just a plant — it's about rethinking how we perceive biodiversity. Sometimes, what we consider weeds may hold the key to transformative medical breakthroughs.' Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Star
26-04-2025
- Science
- The Star
We tend to like the smell of our friends, and potential friends
Just like animals, humans too tend to sniff out who they are likely to befriend, albeit without being aware of it. — AFP It is often believed that friendship is sparked with a good feeling, an exchange of glances, or a few well-chosen words. But behind these first impressions lies a more complex genuine chemistry. An American study published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports reveals that our sense of smell could be the real driver of our affinity for one person over another. Cornell University professor of psychology Dr Vivian Zayas and Tennessee State University assistant professor of psychology Dr Jessica Gaby conducted a study on a group of heterosexual women with a surprising purpose. Their goal was to explore how our sense of smell influences our feelings of friendship. The researchers devised an original experimental protocol for a 'speed-friending' event organised between the women. Volunteers first wore a t-shirt for around 12 hours, during which they conducted their normal daily routine. These garments were then presented to other participants, who were asked to sniff them and say whether the smell evoked a sensation that the wearer was trustworthy and sympathetic, without knowing anything about the individual. At the same time, they were shown photos of faces for a very short time (just 0.1 seconds) and asked to say whether they thought they would get along with the person in the photo. Finally, everyone took part in a series of four-minute face-to-face conversations, followed by a new evaluation. And the results suggested that the nose does more than just smell scents: it picks up much more subtle signals. When a participant liked the smell of a t-shirt, she was much more likely to feel a connection with its owner during conversation. Even more surprising, just a quick glance at a face could reflect a pre-existing olfactory attraction. This magic lies in what researchers call 'diplomatic odour', a personal signature resulting from a combination of everyday factors. 'It's not just about perfume. It's your dietary choices. Are you a cat person or a dog person? What laundry detergent do you use? 'All these judgements come together,' explains Asst Prof Gaby in a press release. But that's not all. The nose appears to have impressive predictive ability. The study shows a strong correlation between the participants' initial olfactory preferences, their impressions after face-to-face exchanges, and their final stated affinities. 'All participants in the study had a consistent olfactory profile in terms of their preferences. 'But this consistency did not mean that some smelled good and others smelled bad. 'No, the preferences were very personal. 'For example, you could prefer the smell of person A to that of B, then to that of C, without it being a question of 'good' or 'bad' smell,' says Prof Zayas. 'Everybody showed they had a consistent signature of what they liked. 'And the consistency was not that in the group one person smelled really bad and one person smelled really good. 'No, it was idiosyncratic. 'I might like person A over B over C based on scent, and this pattern predicts who I end up liking in the chat,' she adds. Even more fascinating, our olfactory judgments are not fixed. A pleasant interaction can transform an unappealing smell into a pleasant scent. In short, if the chemistry is right, the nose follows. The findings of this study broaden our understanding of the subtle mechanisms of human encounters. Our sense of smell, often relegated to the background, may play a key role in the formation of friendships. So, the next time you instinctively feel comfortable with a stranger, listen to your nose: it may be guiding you toward a beautiful friendship. – AFP Relaxnews
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Yahoo
Scientists reveal process of ancient volcanic eruption that turned a victim's brain to glass
The young man was found dead in a small room near the entrance to the Hall of the Augustales, a civic order of freedmen, a bit like a freemason lodge. Perhaps he was a security guard. He's been nicknamed the Guardian for that reason. Alternatively, he might also have come from outside, running panicked through the city of Herculaneum as it was overtaken by black ash and poisonous fumes following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, with no idea where he was but seeking shelter in a place everyone else had evacuated, finally collapsing face down on the wooden bed. The last mortal remains of his fellow residents of Herculaneum were found mostly where they fell, several hundred crowded onto the beach and in beach-front chambers, presumably in hopes of escaping the pyroclastic currents that soon engulfed them, preserving them and the details of their life 2,000 years ago: papyrus scrolls, bread, olives, bronze pitchers, furniture, fresh and dried fruit — all under an avalanche of volcanic deposits. The mostly charred, bony remains of the young man who stayed were found in 1960 by the superintendent of the archeological site that is what's left of the ancient city. Along with volcanic ash, his brain and spinal cord were found to contain a mysterious archeological treasure: tiny, gleaming shards of black glass. Not till 2020, around 1,941 years after he breathed he breathed his last, did scientists demonstrate that the unfortunate volcano victim's brain, or parts of it, had literally turned to a glass-like material — vitrified — in a truly unique example of natural alchemy. As described last week in Nature Scientific Reports, the so-called guardian of Herculaneum continues to offer up his secrets, providing us with not just an image, but a mental movie of how the Vesuvius disaster may have gone down. 'We demonstrate experimentally that the process of vitrification occurred [as a result of ] the very early arrival of a dilute ash cloud that invaded Herculaneum leaving just a few centimeters of ash and very little to no structural damages, but at temperatures higher than 510° C that killed instantaneously all inhabitants. The ash cloud then dissipated and the brain could cool down quickly to ambient temperature, transforming into glass,' Dr. Guido Giordano, lead author of the new study and adjunct professor in the department of science at Roma Tre University in Rome, told Salon in an email. After demonstrating that the glass-like substance found in the guardian's brain was organic in origin and in fact was vitrified brain tissue, Dr. Pierpaolo Petrone and others used scanning electron microscopy and image processing tools to visualize the man's actual brain cells, incredibly well-preserved, even as the rest of him was charred to mostly ash. In the skull, they found fatty acids suggestive of brain triglycerides (proteins typical of brain tissue) and fatty acids typical of human hair fat — all vitrified. None of these substances were found outside the skull, in the volcanic ash in which the carbonized, skeletal remains were buried. The rest of the skeleton, other than the tibia, which was partly vitrified and generally preserved, was 'completely charred and burst from being subjected to the intense heat of the pyroclastic ash surge, a high-speed turbulent cloud rich in hot gases, ash and steam,' as Petrone eloquently described it. The shards, or clasts, have a glassy luster, making them look a lot like obsidian, a glass formed from lava when it cools very quickly. Like obsidian, in fact, their edges are sharp but the shards have an almost twirly shape and lack the crystalline structure of black-colored minerals like augite or tourmaline. Whatever process occurred to do this preserved the original brain tissue so well that individual neurons can actually be seen using a scanning electron microscope. It certainly looks like glass. But is it really?'To demonstrate that a material is really a glass,' Giordano told Salon, 'you need to demonstrate first that it was formed across a 'glass transition temperature' and then investigate what physical processes were involved. Both the glass transition and the processes responsible are the focus of this new paper, which is then an absolute 'prémiere.'' He's not kidding. Giordano and his colleagues describe an entirely unique, never-before-seen process that could indeed have resulted in glass being formed from a human brain. The temperature of the pyroclastic flows that buried Herculaneum and Pompeii was several hundreds of degrees Celsius, hot enough to easily burn and destroy soft tissue. This new analysis is both experimental and analytical, attempting to explain how you could possibly have achieved the quick cooling, or quenching, required to turn brain tissue into glass, when the environment was one of extremely hot volcanic activity. Nothing so evocative usually happens. Other human remains found elsewhere in Herculaneum had iron oxide deposits in the skull, suggesting that the fluids in the skull were vaporized by the heat, leaving only traces of degraded heme proteins. Even less poetically, if cerebral tissue is ever found in archeological finds, it's usually not vitrified, but saponified — that is, the brain triglycerides are transformed into glycerol and fatty acids. Most of us know this as soap. Based on their experimental work, heating samples of shards from the skull to different temperatures to determine how the material changed and exactly where the glass transition occurred. Their temperature must be higher than the ambient temperature, and the faster the cooling takes place, the higher the glass transition temperature. The researchers propose that very early on that terrible day, a dilute ash cloud invaded Herculaneum. It would have left just a few centimeters of ash and caused little or perhaps no structural damage. But this brief invader brought with it incredibly high temperatures, above 510° C, perhaps higher even 600° C, killing everybody in an instant. The odd bit of tissue, protected by bone, may have survived though. In the case of the guardian, his skull provided enough protection to prevent the destruction of that tissue, the researchers suggest. 'The ash cloud then dissipated and the brain could cool down quickly to ambient temperature, transforming into glass,' Giordano told Salon. Although there is no way to experimentally verify the rate at which cooling actually occurred, the volcanic deposits that ultimately buried the remains must have been much cooler than the glass fragments, or they would have returned to a soft tissue state, and disintegrated. So the researchers posit that the only possible scenario is that fast dissipation of the ash cloud allowed for very quick cooling, ensuring that the shards were vitrified before being buried. Only later, perhaps after some hours had passed, were the town and the bodies of all of its inhabitants buried by the hot pyroclastic flow deposits, more physically destructive but not as hot as that quick and deadly cloud of ash. Is there any other possible explanation? 'Really do not think so,' Giordano wrote to Salon. Even though we're talking about human tissue, the physical principles that turn brain to glass are not different from those that create glass anywhere else. The quenching that occurred inside the skull of a single human victim of Vesuvius may be unique and have required an extraordinarily rare set of conditions, but the process itself is used routinely in glassmaking, when a sheet of glass is heated to around 620 degrees Celsius in a tempering oven, then quickly cooled with high-pressure blasts of air. The outside cools much faster than the inside, creating compressive stress on the material and tempering it — making it stronger — by creating a structure in which the center is in tension but the exterior is being compressed. Dr. Robert Mann, a forensic anthropologist at the University of Hawaii, has examined somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 human skulls and skeletons over a storied career, mostly focusing on modern remains. This has included the first victim of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer and victims of Apichai Ongwisit, the so-called Thai Ted Bundy; the Unknown Soldier from the Vietnam War, ultimately identified as Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie; and victims of 9/11. But he has a keen interest in ancient skeletons as well, and last summer examined skeletal remains from Pompeii, the ancient Roman city more famously buried and preserved under volcanic ash, like Herculaneum, when Vesuvius erupted. Mann is fascinated by the finding that brains could be vitrified and identification of the complex set of conditions needed to cause the phenomenon — and cautions that it's always possible that there's some other factor or possible scenario we haven't thought of — yet. "The histology, the microscopy work, indicates that there is brain matter in there that's turned into glass but I guess what people would wonder about, and may speculate about and come up with their own scenarios. And maybe this is not the right explanation. What is the formation itself? Not what the findings are, but how did it come to be, and these are really difficult things to figure out," Mann told Salon in a video interview, after exhibiting an orange 3D-printed model of his own skull. (He also currently trying to figure out what conditions resulted in certain little bony formations stuck like barnacles to the inside of the skull, a previously unrecorded phenomenon he's now found in just seven people.) Once we know that vitrified brain tissue is a thing we can look out for, it's possible that we'll start finding more examples of this currently unique process, Mann said. And then there's always a possibility that some other scenario, beyond the admittedly convincing quick ash cloud one, might then come to mind that is supported by other evidence. "I always marvel that we've been doing human anatomy and gross anatomy for hundreds of years, and we still stumble on something, even today, we go 'Well, we've never seen this before,' and before you stumble upon it, there's no way to know that it even exists, right?" Mann explained. Giordano's research is not only relevant to colleagues like volcanologists, but also materials and forensics scientists, he said. It might also be valuable to emergency planners. As Petrone wrote in a 2019 review of the effects of the eruption on Herculaneum residents, there are 'crucial implications for the present-day risk of a similar outcome to around three million people living close to the volcano, including metropolitan Naples.' This is not all doom (or boom!) and gloom though. 'By understanding the process of formation I think there is a great lesson also for the present,' Giordano said. 'In active volcanic areas while it is essential to evacuate all people possibly in the way of pyroclastic flows, it is also essential to fit houses as shelters able to resist heat, such as is done for wildfires. This way, should anyone be caught in a dilute hot ash cloud, [as] was the case of the unfortunate ancient Roman in Herculaneum, there could be a possibility to survive and wait for rescue.' It does sound magical that a human being could turn into glass, but far better if studying the Guardian can prevent vaporizing, volatilization and vitrification — or saponification — of anyone else.
The National
10-02-2025
- Health
- The National
Mosquitoes in UAE becoming resistant to key insecticide
Mosquitoes in the Emirates are becoming resistant to a key insecticide according to researchers at UAE University in Al Ain. The research, published in Nature Scientific Reports, which was funded by UAE University and carried out in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, suggested that mosquitoes are becoming immune to the effects of the insecticide known as deltamethrin. Mosquitoes transmit a range of deadly diseases, including malaria, which claims about 600,000 lives a year, according to the World Health Organisation. The study, by researchers including postgraduate student Amgd Sayed Ali and co-ordinated by Mohammad Al Deeb, professor of entomology in UAE University's biology department, involved collecting egg clusters and rearing mosquitoes in the laboratory. DNA was extracted and analysed from 174 adult mosquitoes. Prof Al Deeb said he and his co-researchers had been 'curious about whether resistance had developed' given the long-term use of insecticides in the region. 'Our findings aligned with our expectations, as continuous insecticide exposure tends to exert evolutionary pressure on mosquito populations, leading to resistance,' Prof Al Deeb said. 'Resistance means that mosquitoes can no longer be effectively controlled using certain insecticides, leading to increased mosquito populations and a higher risk of disease transmission. 'If resistance spreads across multiple insecticide classes, it can severely limit available control options, making disease outbreaks more difficult to prevent.' Analysing the southern house mosquito, or Culex quinquefasciatus, which does not cause illness in the UAE but in other countries spreads a potentially fatal disease called West Nile fever, the scientists found significant levels of resistance. More than a quarter of mosquitoes grown from eggs collected from coastal sites in Abu Dhabi had two copies of a gene mutation conferring resistance to deltamethrin. At sampling sites near the Omani border, 14.3 per cent of mosquitoes had two copies of the resistance mutation, while at inland sites the figure was 6.3 per cent. Across all locations, 18.4 per cent of the mosquitoes analysed had two copies of the resistance mutation. It is thought to be the first study to analyse insecticide resistance in mosquitoes in the UAE, although Prof Al Deeb and his colleagues have previously detected insecticide resistance in house flies. Prof Al Deeb said he and his co-researchers had been 'curious about whether resistance had developed' given the long-term use of insecticides in the region. 'Our findings aligned with our expectations, as continuous insecticide exposure tends to exert evolutionary pressure on mosquito populations, leading to resistance,' Prof Al Deeb said. 'Resistance means that mosquitoes can no longer be effectively controlled using certain insecticides, leading to increased mosquito populations and a higher risk of disease transmission. 'If resistance spreads across multiple insecticide classes, it can severely limit available control options, making disease outbreaks more difficult to prevent.' Resistance evolves because when an insecticide is applied, people with alleles (different versions of a gene) that confer resistance are more likely than others to survive and reproduce. This causes resistance alleles to become more common over time and can render insecticides ineffective. In the case of insecticide resistance in the southern house mosquito, the resistance mutation alters a nerve cell membrane channel through which sodium passes. In susceptible mosquitoes, the insecticide causes the sodium channel to remain open, paralysing and killing the insect. Elsewhere in the world, the consequences of mosquitoes becoming resistant to insecticides have been significant. 'It's one of the major concerns about malaria rates,' said Prof Martin Donnelly, of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in the UK, who researches genetic factors that affect resistance. 'Since about 2015 the gains we've seen in sub-Saharan Africa have stalled. It's largely as a result of drug resistance and insecticide resistance.' Prof Al Deeb said that to effectively combat insecticide resistance in the UAE, long-term monitoring programmes should be established. 'Our study serves as the first step toward developing resistance management strategies in the country,' he said. Resistance can be reduced by rotating which insecticides are used, because once any given type is no longer applied, mosquito populations are likely to become susceptible again over time. The best approach is, Prof Al Deeb said, integrated pest management, which combines various control methods. These include introducing mosquito predators such as fish that eat insect larvae, the use of mosquito traps, the modification of habitats so there are fewer breeding sites, and improvements in sanitation. While the southern house mosquito is not believed to transmit diseases in the UAE, this situation may change, especially as climate change is altering where vector-borne diseases are found. 'Since environmental changes and mosquito behaviour can shift over time, ongoing surveillance is crucial to ensure this species does not become a public health concern in the UAE,' Prof Al Deeb said. His research group is keen to look at resistance trends over time, resistance in other mosquito species and alternative control strategies. 'If funding becomes available, we plan to conduct further research to develop evidence-based mosquito management policies for the UAE,' Prof Al Deeb said.
