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Why I launched Malaysia’s first scientific newspaper
Mahaletchumy Arujanan wants to make science more accessible to the general public.Credit: Mahaletchumy Arujanan In 2008, Mahaletchumy Arujanan graduated with a PhD in science communication from the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur. She was the first person in her country to get such a degree. Three years later, as executive director of the Malaysian…
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Nanofluidic qPCR unable to detect and serotype Streptococcus pneumoniae in urine samples of hospitalized South African patients with community-acquired pneumonia
Abstract Pneumonia is a major cause of death among adults living with HIV in South Africa, but the etiology of many cases remains unknown. This study evaluated the utility of a nanofluidic qPCR assay to detect and serotype Streptococcus pneumoniae in urine samples from patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). The nanofluidic qPCR assay was…
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Species identification of phlebotomine sandflies using deep learning and wing interferential pattern (WIP)
Abstract Sandflies (Diptera; Psychodidae) are medical and veterinary vectors that transmit diverse parasitic, viral, and bacterial pathogens. Their identification has always been challenging, particularly at the specific and sub-specific levels, because it relies on examining minute and mostly internal structures. Here, to circumvent such limitations, we have evaluated the accuracy and reliability of Wing Interferential…
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Making sense of chemical space network shows signs of criticality
Abstract Chemical space modelling has great importance in unveiling and visualising latent information, which is critical in predictive toxicology related to drug discovery process. While the use of traditional molecular descriptors and fingerprints may suffer from the so-called curse of dimensionality, complex networks are devoid of the typical drawbacks of coordinate-based representations. Herein, we use…
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SEVtras characterizes cell-type-specific small extracellular vesicle secretion
Although single-cell RNA-sequencing has revolutionized biomedical research, exploring cell states from an extracellular vesicle viewpoint has remained elusive. We present an algorithm, SEVtras, that accurately captures signals from small extracellular vesicles and determines source cell-type secretion activity. SEVtras unlocks an extracellular dimension for single-cell analysis with diagnostic potential. This is a preview of subscription content,…
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DNA methylation rates scale with maximum lifespan across mammals
Abstract DNA methylation rates have previously been found to broadly correlate with maximum lifespan in mammals, yet no precise relationship has been observed. We developed a statistically robust framework to compare methylation rates at conserved age-related sites across mammals. We found that methylation rates negatively scale with maximum lifespan in both blood and skin. The…
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A look at the new discoveries that make Neanderthals more knowable now than ever
Neanderthals are Homo sapiens’s closest-known relative, and today we know we rubbed shoulders with them for thousands of years, up until the very end of their long reign some 40,000 years ago. Most researchers see no reason to believe our two species didn’t get along with each other back then, yet we haven’t been very…
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Scams for everyone
Now that you have read in the Chieftain about the new weight reducing drugs and their high price, you might have guessed that someone, somewhere would come up with a way to provide you with a cheaper way to bring you this desirable medication. I have already seen one ad for “GLP-1 Weight management. Only…
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Vague peace agreements and climate scientists’ calls to action: The 6 biggest stories from 3 December at COP28
Most world leaders have now left COP28, meaning attention is turning to the processes happening within the negotiation rooms for the final texts. Only a select handful of people are permitted to observe these official proceedings, so most of the tens of thousands of people at the Expo Centre today are here to explore the…
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The Most Successful Branding Campaign Of All Time? AI
The most successful branding campaign of all time is “artificial intelligence” or AI. Invented in 1955, the brand has experienced ups and downs, over-the-top hype and near-extinction. Recently, it has re-emerged as the widely popular brand name for a successful approach to endowing computers with seemingly human-like intelligence, an approach that has nothing to do…