Study reframes understanding of graft-versus-host disease

New research challenges the prevailing hypothesis for how donor stem cell grafts cause graft-versus-host disease, or GVHD, and offers an alternative model that could guide development of novel therapies. Published today in Immunity, the study showed in a mouse model that GVHD, which often affects the skin, gut and liver,…

Lisa Loring, original Wednesday Addams actress, dead at 64 | CNN

CNN  —  Lisa Loring, best known as the first actress to play Wednesday Addams in the original “The Addams Family” sitcom, has died at the age of 64. Loring “passed away on Saturday surrounded by her family,” longtime agent Chris Carbaugh told CNN in a statement on Monday. “She brought…

A neuro-chip to manage brain disorders: Researchers have combined low-power chip design, machine learning algorithms, and soft implantable electrodes to produce a neural interface that can identify and suppress symptoms of various neurological disorders.

Mahsa Shoaran of the Integrated Neurotechnologies Laboratory in the School of Engineering collaborated with Stéphanie Lacour in the Laboratory for Soft Bioelectronic Interfaces to develop NeuralTree: a closed-loop neuromodulation system-on-chip that can detect and alleviate disease symptoms. Thanks to a 256-channel high-resolution sensing array and an energy-efficient machine learning processor,…

TikTok CEO to testify before Congress in March | CNN Business

CNN  —  TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will testify at an upcoming hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, a committee spokesperson confirmed to CNN Monday. Chew will be the sole witness at the hearing, scheduled for March 23. He is expected to testify on TikTok’s privacy and data…

Want a stronger biodegradable plastic? Add a ‘pinch’ of cream of tartar

Cooking a delicious risotto and making plastics are actually very similar processes. In both, ingredients come together and are heated to create a product, but current recipes for synthesizing bioplastics often fall flat, producing flimsy materials. So, taking a hint from chefs, researchers now report in ACS Sustainable Chemistry &…

One in eight Americans over 50 show signs of food addiction: Much higher percentages of possible addiction to processed food seen among older adults who are overweight or experiencing poor mental health or isolation

Whether you call them comfort foods, highly processed foods, junk foods, empty calories or just some of Americans’ favorite foods and drinks, a sizable percentage of older Americans have an unhealthy relationship with them, according to a new poll. In fact, about 13% of people aged 50 to 80 showed…

A fairy-like robot flies by the power of wind and light

The development of stimuli-responsive polymers has brought about a wealth of material-related opportunities for next-generation small-scale, wirelessly controlled soft-bodied robots. For some time now, engineers have known how to use these materials to make small robots that can walk, swim and jump. So far, no one has been able to…

Coffee with milk may have an anti-inflammatory effect

Can something as simple as a cup of coffee with milk have an anti-inflammatory effect in humans? Apparently so, according to a new study from the University of Copenhagen. A combination of proteins and antioxidants doubles the anti-inflammatory properties in immune cells. The researchers hope to be able to study…

This 136-year-old London coffee store doesn’t need to move with the times

London (CNN) — There’s a certain nostalgia that clings to London’s Soho; “it’s not what it once was” is an almost constant refrain. Carnaby Street, famous for its nonconformist fashion in the Swinging Sixties, is now filled with chain stores. Many of the area’s most insalubrious haunts are long gone,…

New Zealand’s biggest city braces for more heavy rains after deadly floods | CNN

CNN  —  New Zealand authorities warned Monday that the situation in flood-hit Auckland was likely to worsen after “unprecedented” rainfall brought devastating floods that have killed at least four people and forced hundreds to evacuate in the country’s largest city. On Monday, New Zealand’s weather authority issued a red heavy…

Live updates: Russia’s war in Ukraine

Two years ago, Moscow eyed a US-German standoff over the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline as a litmus test of transatlantic power. Russia had invested heavily in the 750-mile undersea pipeline linking it to Germany and wanted to increase global sales and ramp up economic leverage over Europe and its power-hungry heavy industries.…

How Russia misread Germany’s growing influence | CNN

CNN  —  Two years ago, Moscow eyed a US-German standoff over the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline as a litmus test of transatlantic power. Russia had invested heavily in the 750-mile undersea pipeline linking it to Germany and wanted to increase global sales and ramp up economic leverage over Europe…

Kansas City Chiefs to face Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII | CNN

CNN  —  The Kansas City Chiefs are advancing to Super Bowl LVII following a 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship game on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. After suffering a high ankle sprain last week in the Chiefs’ Divisional Round win over the…