Browse Articles

Investigating the effects of PVC microplastics on the growth of Chlorella vulgaris

Beaubien et al. | Oct 13, 2026

Investigating the effects of PVC microplastics on the growth of <i>Chlorella vulgaris</i>

This study examined the effect of varying PVC microplastic concentrations on the growth of Chlorella vulgaris in freshwater, utilizing six PVC levels and identical culture conditions. Cell counts revealed that higher PVC concentrations consistently reduced algal growth, and a Spearman correlation test detected a significant negative monotonic association between PVC concentration and viable cell density. These results support the hypothesis that PVC microplastics impair algal growth, underscoring their ecological risk in freshwater environments.

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Drosophila proteins as human surrogates for early drug discovery: Findings from detailed structural analysis

Shankar et al. | Oct 11, 2026

<i>Drosophila</i> proteins as human surrogates for early drug discovery: Findings from detailed structural analysis

This study examines the possibility of utilizing proteins from Drosophila melanogaster in early drug discovery. Structural and sequence analysis of five diverse Drosophila proteins and its human homologs were conducted. Drosophila proteins with high conservation of amino acids at functionally significant positions are better candidates for use as human surrogate in drug discovery efforts.

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Multi-omic analysis identifies mitochondrial dysfunction as a key feature of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Velu et al. | Sep 26, 2026

Multi-omic analysis identifies mitochondrial dysfunction as a key feature of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

This study used multi-omic analysis to investigate gene expression and DNA methylation patterns associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The researchers found significant downregulation of mitochondrial and energy-related pathways, highlighting mitochondrial dysfunction—particularly altered PINK1 expression—as a potential contributor and therapeutic target in HCM.

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Simulating single versus cocktail antibiotic effects on the human gut microbiome

Patel et al. | Jul 19, 2026

Simulating single versus cocktail antibiotic effects on the human gut microbiome
Image credit: Volodymyr Hryshchenko

This study, uses SimulATe to model changes in microbial diversity and community structure upon administering a cocktail of antibiotics versus a single antibiotic. The authors hypothesized that antibiotic cocktails, particularly those combining broad-spectrum drugs like tetracyclines and trimethoprims, would cause a more significant reduction in gut microbial diversity compared to single-drug treatments. The findings confirmed a greater loss of microbial diversity with combinatorial treatments compared to single-drug treatments. While individual antibiotics dynamically reshaped the surviving species of the microbiome, antibiotic cocktails frequently cleared all species of the gut microbiome.

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Leveraging transfer learning with convolutional neural networks for cardiovascular disease detection

Chen et al. | May 25, 2026

Leveraging transfer learning with convolutional neural networks for cardiovascular disease detection
Image credit: Stephen Andrews

This study shows the efficacy of leveraging transfer learning, specifically from residual networks, to detect CVDs and possible signs of CVDs. The findings indicate that leveraging transfer learning from residual networks alongside medical professionals is a highly promising approach for CVD detection and diagnosis, warranting further investigation.

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Assessing machine learning model efficacy for brain tumor MRI classification: a multi-model approach

Dhingra et al. | Mar 14, 2026

Assessing machine learning model efficacy for brain tumor MRI classification: a multi-model approach
Image credit: Dhingra and Dhingra

This manuscript explores the performance of five different machine learning models in classifying brain tumors from a dataset of MRI scans. The authors find that several of the models showed >90% accuracy. Thus, the authors suggest that machine learning models demonstrate potential for effective implementation in clinical settings, including as a diagnostic tool that can be used to complement the expertise of neuroradiologists.

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