Newly identified protease inhibitors may aid uninhibited potato cultivation

As humans domesticated plants, they saved certain seeds to plant in the next growing season based on desirable traits. Susceptibility to diseases popped up on this path to domestication, but wild varieties of plants could fight off these pathogens. Today, most cultivated potato varieties are susceptible to soft rot and black leg disease—caused by Pectobacterium species—but struggle to combat the pathogens like their wild ancestor. Specific resistance genes are currently unknown, posing Pectobacterium as a major threat to global potato production and food security.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/newly-identified-protease-inhibitors-may-aid-uninhibited-potato-cultivation

Breaking up is hard to do: Separation of Fiji and Vanuatu tied to Samoan seamounts

The islands of Fiji and Vanuatu rise from the tropical waters of the South Pacific in one of the most tectonically active and geologically complex regions of the world. A new study of volcanism in this area sheds light on the ancient breakup of a long island arc, which swung apart like "double saloon doors." Fiji and Vanuatu started out as close neighbors and ended up 800 miles apart on separate sections of what had once been a continuous arc.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/breaking-up-is-hard-to-do-separation-of-fiji-and-vanuatu-tied-to-samoan-seamounts

Activated vitamin D3 treatment may reduce the risk of arsenic-mediated skin cancer

According to recent estimates, over 140 million people from 50 countries regularly get exposed to arsenic through drinking water. The exposure level significantly exceeds the guideline value (10 μg/L) stipulated by the World Health Organization. It is an established fact that chronic arsenic exposure from drinking water causes a variety of cancers including skin cancer.

Study finds hepatitis C treatment gap for individuals with alcohol use disorder

A new study supported by the National Institutes of Health shows that individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) are less likely to receive antivirals for hepatitis C, despite current guidelines recommending antiviral treatment regardless of alcohol use. Direct-acting antiviral treatment is highly effective at reducing serious illness and death among individuals with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, a condition that commonly occurs among people with AUD. Led by scientists at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, the research was conducted by a team of international scientists and published in JAMA Network Open.