Molecular analysis could improve the early detection and prevention of endometrial cancer

The use of molecular biomarkers in minimally invasive sampling opens a promising perspective for the early detection of endometrial cancer. This is the conclusion reached by the members of Screenwide research group, formed by researchers from the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) and the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO-Hospitalet). The article that they have prepared, and that has been published in the International Journal of Cancer, highlights the gaps that exist in current knowledge to accelerate the implementation of new technologies, with the aim of improving the screening and the early detection in clinical environments of this type of women cancer.

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Lynx in Turkey: Noninvasive sample collection provides insights into genetic diversity

Little is known about the biology and the genetic status of the Caucasian Lynx (Lynx lynx dinniki), a subspecies of the Eurasian lynx distributed across portions of Turkey, the Caucasus region and Iran. To collect baseline genetic, ecological, and behavioural data and assist future conservation efforts, a team of scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) collected data and samples in a region of Anatolian Turkey over several years. They were particularly interested in the question whether non-invasive samples (faeces, hair) were helpful to discern genetic diversity of the study population. The results of the genetic analyses indicated an unexpectedly high genetic diversity and lack of inbreeding despite the recent isolation of the study population, a result that would not have been obtained with the use of conventional samples. The data also revealed that females stay near home ranges in which they were born whereas males disperse after separation from their mothers. These insights into the genetics and behaviour of the Caucasian Lynx are published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE.

* This article was originally published here

A new 2-D magnet draws future devices closer

We are all familiar with the image of electrons zipping around an atom's nucleus and forming chemical bonds in molecules and materials. But what is less known is that electrons have an additional unique property: spin. It is difficult to make an analogy, but one could crudely describe electron spin as a spinning-top rotating around its axis. But what is even more interesting is that when spins of electrons align together in a material this leads to the well-known phenomenon of magnetism.

* This article was originally published here

The whisper of schizophrenia: Machine learning finds 'sound' words predict psychosis

A machine-learning method discovered a hidden clue in people's language predictive of the later emergence of psychosis—the frequent use of words associated with sound. A paper published by the journal npj Schizophrenia published the findings by scientists at Emory University and Harvard University.

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Taking a city's pulse with movable sensors

Suppose you have 10 taxis in Manhattan. What portion of the borough's streets do they cover in a typical day?

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CDC opens emergency operations center for Congo Ebola outbreak

(HealthDay)—The United States is stepping up its response to a historic outbreak of Ebola in two African nations. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention activated its Emergency Operations Center Thursday to assist in the government's response to the second-largest outbreak of Ebola on record.

* This article was originally published here