Latest news with #research team
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Scientists develop a temporary tattoo that detects date rape drugs in drinks within 1 SECOND
It's something that has happened to around one in 10 women and one in 20 men. But detecting if your drink has been spiked could soon be as simple as dabbing some of it onto your arm. Scientists from the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology have developed a temporary tattoo that can detect the presence of 'date rape' drugs. If the tattoo detects even low concentrations of y–hydroxybutyrate (GHB), it will change from yellow to red. Best of all, this process is almost instantaneous – taking around one second, according to the researchers. There are already a range of measures available for drinkers to limit access to their drinks, including anti–spiking drink covers and films. However, the researchers hope the new tattoo will offer a quick and simple way to ensure beverages are safe. 'This innovation represents a proactive and accessible solution for preventing DFSAs –[drug–related sexual assault], enhancing personal safety, and fostering a sense of control and awareness in high–risk environments,' the team explained. Spiking occurs when someone puts drugs into another person's drink without their knowledge or consent – often to make it easier to rape or sexually assault them. 'Spiking can happen for different reasons – for example, because someone thinks it's funny or because someone wants to commit a crime against the person they're spiking, such as theft, rape or sexual assault,' Rape Crisis explains on its website. 'Whatever the motive, spiking is never okay or funny. 'It can make a person extremely vulnerable and ill, and have a lasting impact on their wellbeing and life.' One of the most common date rape drugs is GHB, which can cause dizziness, confusion, short–term amnesia, and even unconsciousness. Unfortunately, detecting if your drink has been spiked can prove tricky. Writing in their study, published in ACS Sensors, the team, led by Kim Gyeong–Ji, explained: 'The drug used for date rape is odorless, colorless, and tasteless, which can be completely dissolved in beverages to avoid suspicion.' There are already several GHB detection measures available, including specialised strips or cards that change colour when exposed to the drug. To create the tattoo stickers, the researchers placed a mold over the top of a thin plastic film, decorated with tattoo–like designs However, most of these are time consuming, and aren't exactly subtle. In their new study, the team set out to develop a more accessible alternative – eventually settling on a temporary tattoo. To create the tattoo stickers, the researchers placed a mold over the top of a thin plastic film, decorated with tattoo–like designs. They then poured in a gel mixture containing a chemical receptor that turns red in the presence of GHB. Finally, they coated the back of the sticker with glue, so it could stick to the skin. To test the tattoo's accuracy, the team applied dabs of GHB dissolved in a variety of beverages, incuding whisky, vodka, beer, soju, and coffee. Across all beverages, the researchers found that the tattoo could detect the drug - even at low concentrations. 'In practice, a wearer could dip a finger into a beverage, touch the drop to the sticker and see the result almost immediately,' the researchers explained in a statement. What's more, the sticker displays the positive result for up to 30 days, which could be helpful if it's needed as evidence. Unfortunately, the price and timeline for availablity of the tattoo remain unclear at this stay. However, the researchers reassure that the sticker is 'inexpensive and easy to manufacture', and say it will be commercially available 'soon'.
Emirates 24/7
3 days ago
- Health
- Emirates 24/7
Russian scientists develop first 3D-printed laryngeal implant to accelerate cancer recovery
Russian scientists from the National University of Science and Technology MISIS (NUST MISIS) have developed a method for the production of individual thyroid cartilage implants of the larynx. They are printed on a 3D bioprinter, taking into account the anatomical features of the patient, in order to surgically replace the lost area of the throat. Scientists already have a prototype of the product. According to the research team, the proposed technology is economically feasible and allows for the mass production of a medical product. Hyaline cartilage, which provides smooth sliding of the articular surfaces of the larynx, serves crucial protective and structural functions, supporting surrounding organs, preventing airway collapse, and acting as an anchor point for muscles and ligaments. However, in case of damage, it does not recover well due to the absence of blood vessels and the slow division of regenerative cells. Cancer patients often face this problem in the treatment of cancer, especially in the third or fourth stages, when the tumour grows into the larynx and the thyroid cartilage is removed. Laryngeal cancer is one of the most common cancers of the head and neck area. To address this, the scientists suggested printing a thermoplastic polyurethane mesh with subsequent thermoforming for a specific patient. To allow cells to attach to the surface of the mesh, scientists suggest coating it with collagen or applying a biocompatible polyelectrolyte complex of chitosan and polyglutamic acid, widely used in regenerative medicine. Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.
CTV News
7 days ago
- Science
- CTV News
Scientists confirm megathrust quake danger exists not only in southern B.C., but also in the north
The potential for large quakes and tsunamis off the south coast has long been known, but now scientists are confirming another theory in the north of the provin The potential for large quakes and tsunamis off the south coast has long been known, but now scientists are confirming another theory in the north of the province. Following years of debate, scientists can now confirm that a fault zone off B.C.'s northern coast is capable of producing powerful megathrust earthquakes, the kind that can generate tsunamis. The findings reveal what many researchers theorized: That the Pacific Plate is partially dipping beneath the North American Plate. This comes more than a decade after a powerful 7.8-magnitude quake struck near Haida Gwaii, on Oct. 27, 2012. At the time, scientists were puzzled by the quake's characteristics because it resembled activity normally seen much further south, in the Cascadia Subduction Zone off Vancouver Island and Washington State. The 2012 quake had a thrust mechanism which was not typical of the Queen Charlotte Fault, where plates usually slide past each other horizontally. 'So not just sliding, but also going a bit under North America,' said Mladen Nedimovic, a professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Dalhousie University. The research team used a state-of-the-art, 15-kilometre-long hydrophone streamer. Essentially, a very long wire with thousands of underwater microphones attached. They then scoured the fault from northern B.C. to southern Alaska. The breakthrough will allow researchers to better predict what types of earthquakes to expect. 'They're both large,' Nedimovic explained. 'But the ones where one plate pushes under another are the type that can produce tsunamis.' Scientists still can't predict exactly when a quake might hit, but the findings will help governments better prepare. 'It's not just about saving lives, but also about protecting critical infrastructure,' he added. The findings have been published in the journal Science Advances, and included research from Canadian and American scientists, including from Dalhousie University in Halifax.
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Startling immune hack that makes tumors disappear could unlock a universal cancer vaccine
Scientists may be one step closer to a universal cancer vaccine that could revolutionize how the disease is treated. The vaccine uses mRNA, messenger RNA, the same technology behind the COVID-19 vaccines, which carries instructions for cells to produce specific proteins. However, instead of directing cells to make a protein that triggers an immune response, researchers at the University of Florida used mRNA that acts as a red flag itself, immediately alerting the immune system and prompting a reaction. In their study, mice implanted with human melanoma tumors were treated with the mRNA vaccine alongside immunotherapy drugs, medications designed to harness and boost the immune system, once a week for three weeks. The combination helped immune cells recognize and attack the cancer, leading to tumor shrinkage and, in some cases, complete disappearance. All untreated mice died within 50 days, but among those that received the vaccine and immunotherapy, every mouse survived at least 60 days, and more than half were still alive at day 100 when the experiment ended. The research remains in its early stages and has not yet been tested in humans, but scientists said it offers a promising glimpse into a future where chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery may no longer be necessary in the fight against cancer. Dr Elias Sayor, a pediatric oncologist which led the research, said: 'This paper describes a very unexpected and exciting observation: That even a vaccine not specific to any particular tumor or virus could lead to tumor-specific effects. 'This finding is proof of concept that these vaccines potentially could be commercialized as universal cancer vaccines that might sensitize the immune system against a patient's individual tumor,' she continued. Scientists consider developing a cancer vaccine, targeting one of the leading causes of death, to be a 'holy grail' of medical breakthroughs. There are currently two main approaches in cancer vaccine development, including identifying a common target found in many patients with a particular cancer, or creating a personalized vaccine tailored to an individual's specific tumor. However, the team behind this new research believes their study introduces a promising third approach, one that focuses on stimulating a powerful immune response rather than targeting cancer directly. Dr Duane Mitchell, a neurosurgeon and co-author of the study, explained: 'What we found is by using a vaccine designed not to target cancer specifically, but rather to stimulate a strong immunologic response, we could elicit a very strong anti-cancer reaction. 'This has significant potential to be broadly used across cancer patients, even possibly leading us to an off-the-shelf cancer vaccine.' Each year, about 104,000 Americans are diagnosed with melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. When caught early, it's often treatable, but if the cancer spreads, the five-year survival rate drops to just 34 percent. In the study, scientists used mRNA derived from mitochondria, the energy-producing structures within cells, which can also trigger a rapid immune response. The researchers tested their new vaccine on several types of cancer in mice, including skin, bone, and brain cancers, and found that in many cases, the tumors shrank or disappeared entirely following treatment. Dr. Elias Sayour, a pediatric oncologist and lead investigator, suggested the vaccine may help activate T cells, immune cells responsible for detecting and destroying threats, which previously failed to respond, prompting them to multiply and attack cancerous cells. Dr. Duane Mitchell added: 'It could potentially be a universal way of waking up a patient's own immune response to cancer. And that would be profound if generalizable to human studies.' While the vaccine is still likely years away from clinical use, the team says they are actively working to advance it into human trials. The research was published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering.
Forbes
17-07-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Scientists Reconstruct 540 Million Years Of Climate And Sea Level Change
Climate curve and sea level curve Two new studies offer the most detailed glimpse yet of how Earth's climate and sea levels have changed during the Phanerozoic — the latest geologic eon covering the time period from 538.8 million years ago to the present. The first curve reveals that Earth's temperature has varied more than previously thought over much of the Phanerozoic eon and also confirms that Earth's temperature is strongly correlated to carbon-dioxide levels in the atmosphere. The team from Arizona compiled more than 150,000 published data points, their colleagues at the University of Bristol generated more than 850 model simulations of what Earth's climate could have looked like at different periods based on continental position and atmospheric composition. Using special data assimilation protocolls, the different datasets were combined to create an accurate curve of how Earth's temperature has varied over the past 485 million years. The climate curve reveals that temperature varied more greatly than previously thought. It starts with the Hirnantian, a period of major climatic oscillation lasting from approximately 460 to around 420 million years. The coldest period in the analyzed timescale is the Karoo glaciation, lasting from approximately 360 to 260 million years. But overall, the Phanerozoic was characterized by mild to warm climates, with global mean surface temperatures spanning from 52 to 97 degrees Fahrenheit (or 11 to 36 degrees Celsius). In the warmest periods global temperatures did not drop below 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius). In the last 60 million years, after a peak during the "Cretaceous Hothouse," Earth started to cool down. The global average temperature today is about 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius). The authors also note that the periods of extreme heat were most often linked to elevated levels of the greenhouse gas carbon-dioxide in the atmosphere. The second curve shows how sea levels correlate both with tectonic activity - closing or opening oceanic basins and shifting continents - and the climate, determining how much water is trapped in ice caps or glaciers. 'Plate tectonics determines the depth of the oceans. If the 'bathtub' becomes shallower, then the water level will rise. Ice caps on continents withhold water from the ocean, but when the ice melts, the 'bath water level' will rise, " explains study lead author Dr. Douwe van der Meer, guest researcher at Utrecht University. To assess sea level changes, the scientists looked at the prevailing sediment type deposited at the time. Claystone typically forms in deeper marine settings, while sandstone is deposited in shallow basins. This preliminary curve was then combined with data derived from fossils and paleogeographic simulations, visualizing the distribution of land and sea during different geological periods. The scientists were also able to estimate the location and volume of continental ice caps based on Earth's changing climate over time and the position of the continents in relation to the poles. Sea levels were relatively low during the first 400 million years, reflecting the cooler climate and low tectonic activity. During the Carboniferous (358-298 million years ago) there were very large sea level variations due to a large ice cap covering a large landmass in — called Gondwana by geologists — the southern hemisphere. During the Cretaceous (145-66 million years ago) the supercontinent of Pangaea started to break up and the hothouse climate caused the poles to be ice free. These two effects resulted in global sea levels being more than 200 meters higher than they are at present. In the last 60 million years Earth started to cool down and around 30 million years ago the first ice sheets started to form on the poles. In the past 2 million years during the last major ice ages sea levels dropped up to 100 meters. The climate study, "A 485-million-year history of Earth's surface temperature," was published in the journal Science and can be found online here. The sea level study, 'Phanerozoic orbital-scale glacio-eustatic variability,' was published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters and can be found online here. Additional material and interviews provided by University of Utrecht.
