Publisher Health

For some, visions of a future powered by clean, renewable energy are clouded by fears of blackouts driven by intermittent electricity supplies. Those fears are misplaced, according to a new Stanford University study that analyzes grid stability under multiple scenarios in which wind, water and solar energy resources power 100% of U.S. energy needs for all purposes. The paper, just published in Renewable Energy, finds that an energy system running on wind, water and solar coupled with storage avoids blackouts, lowers energy requirements and consumer costs, while creating millions of jobs, improving people’s health, and reducing land requirements.
“This study is the first to examine grid stability in all U.S. grid regions and many individual states after electrifying all energy and providing the electricity with only energy that is both clean and renewable,” said study lead author Mark Z. Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford. “This means no fossil fuels, carbon capture, direct air capture, bioenergy, blue hydrogen or nuclear power”
Imagine all cars and trucks were powered with electric motors or hydrogen fuel cells, electric heat pumps replaced gas furnaces and water heaters and wind turbines and solar panels replaced coal and natural gas power plants. The study envisions those and many more transitions in place across the electricity, transportation, buildings and industrial sectors in the years 2050 and 2051. The scenario is not as far-fetched as it may seem, according to Jacobson and his coauthors. Wind, water and solar already account for almost 20% of US electricity, and 15 states and territories and more than 180 U.S. cities have enacted policies requiring a virtually all-renewable electricity sector, among other signs of a larger shift to clean, renewable energy.
Critics of such a shift have pointed to grid blackouts amid extreme weather events in California during August 2020 and Texas during February 2021 as evidence that renewable electricity can’t be trusted for consistent power. Although in both instances renewable energy was not found to be more vulnerable than other sources, the fear of increased blackouts has remained substantial, according to the researchers, who aimed to evaluate the contention on a larger scale.
Expanding on a previous 2015 renewable energy roadmap study for the 50 U.S. states, the researchers looked at how to meet continuous energy demand every 30 seconds for two years. They ran simulations for six individual states — Alaska and Hawaii, which are isolated, and California, Texas, New York and Florida, large states far from each other and subject to different weather conditions — as well as all the interconnected electricity grid regions in the U.S., and the contiguous U.S. as a whole.
Their scenarios envisioned a massive scaling up of offshore wind turbines and rooftop solar panels — none of which take up new land — as well as onshore wind turbines, utility solar panels, and concentrated solar power plants. The scenarios also include some new geothermal but no new hydroelectric infrastructure. Overall, they found that new electricity generators would take up about 0.84% of U.S. land versus the approximately 1.3% of land currently occupied by the fossil fuel industry.

The United States surgeon general on Tuesday warned that young people are facing “devastating” mental health effects as a result of the challenges experienced by their generation, including the coronavirus pandemic.The message came as part of a rare public advisory from the nation’s top physician, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, in a 53-page report noting that the pandemic intensified mental health issues that were already widespread by the spring of 2020.The report cited significant increases in self-reports of depression, anxiety and emergency-room visits for mental health challenges. In the United States, emergency room visits for suicide attempts rose 51 percent for adolescent girls in early 2021 as compared to the same period in 2019. The figure rose 4 percent for boys.Globally, symptoms of anxiety and depression doubled during the pandemic, the report noted. But mental health issues were already on the rise in the United States, with emergency room visits related to depression, anxiety and related issues up 28 percent from 2007 to 2018.The reasons are complex and not yet definitive. Adolescent brain chemistry and relationships with friends and family are important factors, the report noted, as is a fast-paced media culture, which can leave some young minds feeling helpless.“Young people are bombarded with messages through the media and popular culture that erode their sense of self-worth — telling them they are not good-looking enough, popular enough, smart enough or rich enough,” Dr. Murthy wrote in the report. “That comes as progress on legitimate, and distressing, issues like climate change, income inequality, racial injustice, the opioid epidemic and gun violence feels too slow.”The surgeon general’s advisory adds to a growing number of calls for attention and action around adolescent mental health. In October, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Children’s Hospital Association joined to declare “a national emergency” in youth mental health.Although blame for adolescent distress is often pinned on social media, the research suggests that screen time alone does not account for crisis. Rather, social media and other online activities act more to amplify an adolescent’s existing mental state, causing some to feel more distress and others to experience enhanced feelings of connection.Bonnie Nagel, a pediatric neuropsychologist at Oregon Health & Science University who treats and studies adolescents, said that online interactions appear not to satisfy core needs for connection.Recent research she co-authored shows that loneliness is a key predictor in feelings of depression and suicidal ideation.“I don’t think it is genuine human connection when talking to somebody with a fake façade online,” Dr. Nagel said.At the same time, screen time may be displacing activities known to be vital to physical and mental health, including sleep, exercise and in-person activity, research shows. The current generation of youth express heightened levels of loneliness — more than any other age group — despite spending countless hours connected over media.Authorities and scientists widely acknowledge that there has been insufficient research into the underlying causes. Dr. Murthy’s advisory calls for more resources to be devoted to understanding and addressing mental health challenges, and it urges a greater appreciation of mental health as a key factor in overall health.“This is a moment to demand change,” the report concludes.

Amid the growing threat of a new and potentially more dangerous SARS-CoV-2 variant, scientists are ramping up the search for more powerful treatments. A new study now demonstrates the therapeutic potential of an unusual class of immune proteins: miniature antibodies derived from llamas, called nanobodies.
Rockefeller scientists Michael P. Rout and Brian T. Chait and their colleagues at the Seattle Children’s Research Institute selected a repertoire of over one hundred nanobodies based on their potency and ability to target different parts of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
Produced by immunized llamas, the nanobodies were shown to neutralize the original coronavirus and several of its variants, including Delta, with high efficacy in lab tests. Studies to assess their potency against the new Omicron variant are underway.
The researchers hope that a nanobody combination could be developed into a COVID treatment that is effective against both current and future variants.
“Based on the way our nanobodies bind to the virus, we are hopeful that many will remain effective, perhaps even against Omicron,” Rout says. “We should have those results soon.”
The findings are published in the journal eLife.

Scientists at Hokkaido University and Texas A&M University have identified a key mechanism used by the SARS-CoV-2 virus to evade host immune systems.
Researchers in Japan and the United States have found SARS-CoV-2 can knock out an important molecular pathway linked to an immune complex called MHC class I. The finding should help scientists better understand how COVID-19 infection takes hold.
“Our discovery reveals how the virus can evade the human immune defense system and might help to explain why the pandemic has been so severe,” says Hokkaido University and Texas A&M University immunologist Koichi Kobayashi, who led the study. “The mechanisms we identify may provide new molecular targets for drug discovery.”
The scientists used a bioinformatics approach to look at how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, changes gene expression in the immune systems of COVID-19 patients compared to uninfected individuals. This is a useful way to look into the function of complicated cell signalling pathways that trigger immune responses to fight off harmful bacteria and viruses.
MHC (major histocompatibility complex) class I molecules are a central weapon in the immune response against viruses. When a virus infects a cell, the cell facilitates the expression of viral antigens on the surface of infected cells, drawing the attention of immune cells called cytotoxic T cells. These immune cells zero in on and destroy the infected cells, together with the invading virus inside them.
In addition to analysing gene expression in COVID-19 patients, the research team also infected human cell lines with the SARS-CoV-2 virus to validate their findings.
The results showed that a protein from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, called ORF 6, suppresses a host cell protein, called NLRC5, responsible for activating the MHC class I pathway.
The study showed this happens in two ways. ORF6 hampers cell signalling, which turns off the expression of NLRC5. ORF6 also blocks the function of NLRC5.
Other infectious viruses, including HIV and MERS, are known to also target the MHC class I pathway. Researchers believed that SARS-CoV-2 probably did as well, but this study is the first to unravel the mechanism.
“Without the activation of the MHC class I pathway, viruses in the infected cells are essentially hidden from the immune system. That helps to explain why SARS-CoV-2 virus persists in the body and why it keeps infecting others, leading to the pandemic,” Kobayashi says.
Further research could help find and test drugs that block the activity of the ORF6 viral protein, to restore host cell ability to activate the major histocompatibility complex. If successful, such drugs could encourage the host immune system to clear the virus itself, effectively boosting immune responses.
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Materials provided by Hokkaido University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

If one of your parents majored in a STEM (science, technology, engineering or math) field, there’s a better chance you’ll also major and persist in a STEM field, according to a new Portland State University study.
Sociology researchers — second-year doctoral student Ned Tilbrook and associate professor Dara Shifrer — found that students whose parents have a bachelor’s degree in STEM are not only more likely to choose and persist in a STEM major than students whose parents have no bachelor’s degree, but they are also significantly more likely to choose and persist in a STEM major than students whose parents graduated with a degree in some other field.
Tilbrook and Shrifer call this STEM-specific cultural capital. They suggest that parents pass it on to their children through a variety of ways: engaging in activities or conversations on scientific topics; fostering a home environment that values STEM and thereby ingraining the values, attitudes and academic work habits needed to succeed in STEM fields; and encouraging their kids to participate in math- and science-focused extracurricular activities. What happens at home then has an impact on their experience at school with teachers rewarding them with more challenging work, leading to good grades, higher test scores and ultimately degrees.
Tilbrook added that parents with STEM degrees may be better suited to communicate the value of STEM majors and prepare their children for common barriers along the way such as the so-called “weeding-out” introductory science courses in college.
“Talking to faculty in STEM fields, they have this idea that it all happens meritocratically where people who have the most natural ability end up in a STEM major and do well in it,” Shifrer said. “But social inequality does play a factor in who majors in STEM and who does well in STEM.”
Shifrer said that schools — both K-12 and higher education — need to fill in the gaps and provide the kind of knowledge and confidence needed to succeed in STEM.
“STEM majors shouldn’t only be accessible to kids whose parents also majored in it,” she said.
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Materials provided by Portland State University. Original written by Cristina Rojas. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Researchers have discovered a biomarker that could assist in the early identification of people at high risk of developing severe COVID-19.
Led by computational researchers from WEHI, in collaboration with The University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology and Hospital Marcelino Champagnat in Brazil, the study used advanced spatial transcriptomic techniques to screen for genes associated with excessive inflammation in the lungs, a key indicator of severe COVID-19.
Recently published in the European Respiratory Journal the findings have the potential to revolutionise the way patients are treated and alleviate pressure on the nation’s healthcare system.
The researchers are now participating in an international effort to translate this research into a diagnostic test to identify patients at high-risk of severe COVID-19 during the early stages of their infection, to better target health-care intervention and prevent ICU admissions associated with severe disease.
At a glance Researchers have identified a way to determine whether a Covid-19 patient will become severely ill by studying changes in inflammation in the lungs The IFI27 gene, known to be activated by the immune system in response to viruses, has been found to predict disease progression and is strongly associated with disease severity A diagnostic test is in development, to help medical professionals identify patients who will likely need additional treatment, before their condition worsens.Early marker of severe disease
The research team collected samples from 30 patients across three groups: 10 patients with COVID-19, 10 with H1N1 influenza and 10 uninfected.

It sounds like the stuff of science fiction: a human-made crystal that can be attached to antibodies and then supercharge them with potent drugs or imaging agents that can seek out diseased cells with the highest precision, resulting in fewer adverse effects for the patient.
However, that is precisely what researchers from the Australian Centre for Blood Diseases at Monash University in collaboration with the TU Graz (Austria) have developed: the world’s first metal-organic framework (MOFs) antibody-drug delivery system that has the potential to fast-track potent new therapies for cancer, cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases.
The in vitro study showed that when MOF antibody crystals bind to their target cancer cells and if exposed to the low pH in the cells, they break down, delivering the drugs directly and solely to the desired area.
The metal-organic framework, a mixture of metal (zinc) and carbonate ions, and a small organic molecule (an imidazole, a colourless solid compound that is soluble in water) not only keeps the payload attached to the antibody but can also acts as a reservoir of personalised therapeutics. This is a benefit with the potential to become a new medical tool to target specific diseases with customised drugs and optimised doses.
The findings are now published in the journal Advanced Materials.
Co-senior author Professor Christoph Hagemeyer, Head of the NanoBiotechnology Laboratory at the Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, says while more funding is needed to take the research into the next phase and to patients, the new method is cheaper, faster and more versatile than anything available currently.
“The method offers the opportunity to personalise treatment and given the precision possible, may eventually change the current dosage needed for patients, resulting in fewer side effects and making treatments cheaper,” said Professor Hagemeyer.
Co-first author Dr Karen Alt, Head of the Nano Theranostics Laboratory at the Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, says: “With just 0.01 per cent of chemotherapy currently reaching the cancer tissue, this revolutionary new method can boost the potency of the drugs reaching their target.”
“With over 80 different monoclonal antibodies approved for clinical use, this approach has enormous potential to improve these antibodies for the targeted delivery of diagnostic agents and therapeutic drugs. The goal is that ultimately the clinical translation of this technology will improve the quality of life for patients suffering from serious diseases,” said Dr Alt.
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Materials provided by Monash University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

The last common ancestor of chimps, gorillas and humans developed an increased resistance toward cobra venom, according to University of Queensland-led research.
Scientists used animal-free testing techniques to show that African and Asian primates evolved resistance toward the venoms of large, daytime-active cobras and discovered that our last common ancestor with chimps and gorillas evolved even stronger resistance.
University of Queensland PhD candidate Richard Harris said African and Asian primates developed venom resistance after a long evolutionary arms race.
“As primates from Africa gained the ability to walk upright and dispersed throughout Asia, they developed weapons to defend themselves against venomous snakes, this likely sparked an evolutionary arms race and evolving this venom resistance,” Mr Harris said.
“This was just one of many evolutionary defences — many primate groups appear to also have developed excellent eyesight, which is thought to have aided them in detecting and defending themselves against venomous snakes.
“But Madagascan Lemurs and Central and South American monkeys, which live in regions that haven’t been colonised by or come in close contact with neurotoxic venomous snakes, didn’t evolve this kind of resistance to snake venoms and have poorer eyesight.

At my grocery store, the bread selection stretches across an entire aisle. And among those amber waves of bread loaves, bagels and buns are a few gluten-free options, which can cost about twice as much as their wheat-based counterparts. Are they a more nutritious choice?As is often the case with nutrition questions, the answer will depend on your individual circumstance, said Jerlyn Jones, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and a registered dietitian in Atlanta. But for most people, choosing a gluten-free bread instead of a wheat-based bread is not an inherently more nutritious option, she added. And, gluten-free breads can be harder on your wallet, she said, since they are often more expensive and have a shorter shelf life.Gluten is a protein found in the grains of wheat, barley and rye. In traditional bread made from wheat flour, gluten forms a protein network that makes dough cohesive and stretchy and gives bread that quintessentially satisfying, chewy texture.But gluten or other components of wheat can cause health problems in some. For the estimated 1 percent of people worldwide who have celiac disease, a serious autoimmune condition triggered by eating gluten, the protein causes intestinal damage that can impair nutrient absorption and lead to symptoms like diarrhea, weight loss, fatigue, anemia and a blistery, itchy rash. The only effective way to manage celiac disease is strict and lifelong gluten avoidance.For others with milder wheat-related sensitivities, eating the grain doesn’t cause the intestinal damage found in celiac disease, but can cause gastrointestinal discomfort and symptoms like fatigue and headache that usually go away when wheat is avoided. It’s not clear how many people have this condition, called non-celiac wheat sensitivity, but it may be more common than celiac disease.A third, much less common wheat-related condition is a wheat allergy, which can cause allergic reactions like diarrhea, vomiting, facial swelling or difficulty breathing within minutes to hours after eating wheat.If you have celiac disease, wheat sensitivity or a wheat allergy, going with a gluten-free bread is clearly the better choice. But in a 2017 survey of 1,000 people in the United States and Canada who purchased gluten-free groceries — conducted by the food and beverage ingredient supplier Ingredion — 46 percent said they bought those products for reasons other than a medical condition. Among their top motivations: wanting to reduce inflammation or consume fewer artificial ingredients, believing that gluten-free products were healthier or more natural, and thinking that such products would help with weight loss.However, none of these beliefs are true, said Anne R. Lee, a registered dietitian and an assistant professor of nutritional medicine at the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Medical Center. “Typically, the gluten-free products are higher in fat, higher in sugar, higher in salt and lower in fiber and your B vitamins and iron,” she said.Making bread without gluten is a technological challenge, and manufacturers tend to rely on ingredients like refined rice, potato or tapioca flours, which contain much less protein and fiber than wheat flours, Dr. Lee said. Most of the refined wheat flours used in the United States are enriched with iron and the B vitamins folic acid, niacin, riboflavin and thiamin, while the flours used in gluten-free products generally don’t contain these added nutrients.Gluten-free bread manufacturers also often add sugar, fat and salt to their products to make them taste better, Dr. Lee said. And in part because gluten-free breads tend to contain more water, fat and refined starch than wheat-based breads, they spoil and become stale more quickly.Aileen Son for The New York TimesFor these reasons, going gluten-free is not always a better choice. “If you think you have an intolerance to gluten, before you take it out of your diet, go see a gastroenterologist and really be tested appropriately,” Dr. Lee said. An added benefit: Celiac disease is more difficult to diagnose in people who have already eliminated gluten.There’s also quality of life to consider. Restricting your diet can make you more anxious in social situations or make you more reluctant to try homemade foods at family meals, Ms. Jones said. Food “is not only fuel for our bodies, but it also gives us enjoyment, too. You don’t want to miss out on enjoyment, especially nowadays,” she added, referring to those who avoid gluten without a medical reason.For her patients who need to eliminate gluten, Dr. Lee advises focusing less on packaged gluten-free products and more on whole foods like fruits, vegetables, beans and gluten-free whole grains and seeds like amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa, teff and millet. “If you do a gluten-free diet where you’re using foods that are naturally gluten-free, like all these wonderful grains, then your diet can be incredibly healthy,” she said.But if you’re craving a sandwich, you’ll need bread. The good news is that gluten-free products have improved — “they’re better than they were even five years ago,” Dr. Lee said. Many manufacturers have started to include more gluten-free whole grains in their products, which can boost fiber, protein and some vitamins and minerals. Just as wheat-based breads can range widely in nutritional quality, from highly processed white bread to whole grain loaves, the same is now true of gluten-free options, Dr. Lee said.To identify better gluten-free breads, Dr. Lee recommended comparing their nutrition labels with those from whole wheat breads. Check for similar levels of fiber and protein and minimal added sugar, and look for a bread with whole grains among the first few ingredients, which are listed in descending order by weight, so that the first ingredient is always present in the largest amount. “If your first ingredients are water and tapioca starch, put the bread back on the shelf,” Dr. Lee said.Alice Callahan is a health and science journalist.