#sk — Public Fediverse posts

Random bird observation: I saw a tiny, tiny bird land on the rim of a flowerpot outside my kitchen window that I don't recall seeing before. Looking through the usual references for southern Saskatchewan, it appears to have been an American Redstart. Doesn't even ring a bell.

#Redstart #AmericanRedstart #SK #bird

Random bird observation: I saw a tiny, tiny bird land on the rim of a flowerpot outside my kitchen window that I don't recall seeing before. Looking through the usual references for southern Saskatchewan, it appears to have been an American Redstart. Doesn't even ring a bell.

#Redstart #AmericanRedstart #SK #bird

DATE: August 8, 2026 at 02:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
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TITLE: Foldable synthetic molecules could infiltrate and bust apart the toxic protein clumps causing Parkinson’s

URL: https://www.psypost.org/foldable-synthetic-molecules-could-infiltrate-and-bust-apart-the-toxic-protein-clumps-causing-parkinsons/

Current therapies for Parkinson’s disease and related conditions primarily treat symptoms but don’t stop the underlying process causing the disease.

Increasing evidence suggests that toxic clumps of proteins called alpha-synuclein are among the primary drivers of damage to neurons. My team and I developed a synthetic molecule that can block these proteins from clumping and spreading in the brains of mice, ultimately reducing symptoms of disease.

This molecule, called SK-129, acts like a molecular brace: It binds to several parts of alpha-synuclein and holds the protein in a shape that makes it less likely to stick to other ones. It binds especially strongly to early forms of these toxic clumps, preventing them from growing and forming new ones.

Why it matters

Beyond SK-129, our research highlights the broader potential of the class of molecules to which it belongs: foldamers.

Foldamers are laboratory-designed molecules that fold into predictable shapes, much like natural proteins. Because they’re so stable, scientists can tailor them to recognize and bind to specific biological targets.

Alpha-synuclein make up the Lewy bodies (darker spots) that form in neurons in Parkinson’s.
Suraj Rajan/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

This versatility is particularly important, because many proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases have long been considered “undruggable.” Unlike other disease proteins with pockets that conventional drugs can bind to, proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases, such as alpha-synuclein, are highly flexible and lack well-defined binding sites. Synthetic foldamers offer larger surfaces that can engage these difficult targets and disrupt the abnormal protein interactions that lead to toxic aggregation.

Foldamers could open new treatment avenues not only for Parkinson’s disease, but also for other neurodegenerative disorders driven by toxic protein aggregation, including Alzheimer’s disease and ALS.

What still isn’t known

Although SK-129 showed strong promise in its ability to target Parkinson’s in cell and animal models, we have yet to test its effectiveness in people.

Important questions remain regarding its long-term safety, optimal dosing and how it travels through and interacts with the human body. Additional studies are needed to understand how the molecule works and how to further optimize it to stop or slow Parkinson’s disease from worsening in people.

More broadly, researchers are still working to fully understand how different forms of alpha-synuclein drive neurodegeneration and disease spread. My team is also investigating how selectively targeting these toxic protein clumps influences their spread, inflammation in the nervous system and brain cell survival across different brain regions.

What other research is being done

Researchers are actively developing other therapies that target the toxic alpha-synuclein clumps that cause Parkinson’s and related diseases.

These approaches include molecules designed to clear these protein clumps or reduce their production, as well as molecules that can stop them from aggregating. Several of these strategies have advanced into clinical trials.

Each major approach to treatment has important limitations. Some struggle to selectively bind to the toxic proteins, while others are unable to penetrate the brain.

Through the collaboration of neuroscientists, biophysicists, clinicians and translational researchers, researchers like me hope to develop new ways to treat diseases that conventional drugs haven’t been able to before.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/foldable-synthetic-molecules-could-infiltrate-and-bust-apart-the-toxic-protein-clumps-causing-parkinsons/

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Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #ParkinsonsDisease #alphaSynuclein #foldamers #SK-129 #proteinAggregation #neurodegeneration #drugdesign #clinicaltrials #neuroscience #neuroprotectiveCOURSE

DATE: August 8, 2026 at 02:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------

TITLE: Foldable synthetic molecules could infiltrate and bust apart the toxic protein clumps causing Parkinson’s

URL: https://www.psypost.org/foldable-synthetic-molecules-could-infiltrate-and-bust-apart-the-toxic-protein-clumps-causing-parkinsons/

Current therapies for Parkinson’s disease and related conditions primarily treat symptoms but don’t stop the underlying process causing the disease.

Increasing evidence suggests that toxic clumps of proteins called alpha-synuclein are among the primary drivers of damage to neurons. My team and I developed a synthetic molecule that can block these proteins from clumping and spreading in the brains of mice, ultimately reducing symptoms of disease.

This molecule, called SK-129, acts like a molecular brace: It binds to several parts of alpha-synuclein and holds the protein in a shape that makes it less likely to stick to other ones. It binds especially strongly to early forms of these toxic clumps, preventing them from growing and forming new ones.

Why it matters

Beyond SK-129, our research highlights the broader potential of the class of molecules to which it belongs: foldamers.

Foldamers are laboratory-designed molecules that fold into predictable shapes, much like natural proteins. Because they’re so stable, scientists can tailor them to recognize and bind to specific biological targets.

Alpha-synuclein make up the Lewy bodies (darker spots) that form in neurons in Parkinson’s.
Suraj Rajan/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

This versatility is particularly important, because many proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases have long been considered “undruggable.” Unlike other disease proteins with pockets that conventional drugs can bind to, proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases, such as alpha-synuclein, are highly flexible and lack well-defined binding sites. Synthetic foldamers offer larger surfaces that can engage these difficult targets and disrupt the abnormal protein interactions that lead to toxic aggregation.

Foldamers could open new treatment avenues not only for Parkinson’s disease, but also for other neurodegenerative disorders driven by toxic protein aggregation, including Alzheimer’s disease and ALS.

What still isn’t known

Although SK-129 showed strong promise in its ability to target Parkinson’s in cell and animal models, we have yet to test its effectiveness in people.

Important questions remain regarding its long-term safety, optimal dosing and how it travels through and interacts with the human body. Additional studies are needed to understand how the molecule works and how to further optimize it to stop or slow Parkinson’s disease from worsening in people.

More broadly, researchers are still working to fully understand how different forms of alpha-synuclein drive neurodegeneration and disease spread. My team is also investigating how selectively targeting these toxic protein clumps influences their spread, inflammation in the nervous system and brain cell survival across different brain regions.

What other research is being done

Researchers are actively developing other therapies that target the toxic alpha-synuclein clumps that cause Parkinson’s and related diseases.

These approaches include molecules designed to clear these protein clumps or reduce their production, as well as molecules that can stop them from aggregating. Several of these strategies have advanced into clinical trials.

Each major approach to treatment has important limitations. Some struggle to selectively bind to the toxic proteins, while others are unable to penetrate the brain.

Through the collaboration of neuroscientists, biophysicists, clinicians and translational researchers, researchers like me hope to develop new ways to treat diseases that conventional drugs haven’t been able to before.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/foldable-synthetic-molecules-could-infiltrate-and-bust-apart-the-toxic-protein-clumps-causing-parkinsons/

-------------------------------------------------

Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

-------------------------------------------------

#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #ParkinsonsDisease #alphaSynuclein #foldamers #SK-129 #proteinAggregation #neurodegeneration #drugdesign #clinicaltrials #neuroscience #neuroprotectiveCOURSE

I forgot to mention: if you're in the #YQR / Regina area, tomorrow (Saturday 8 August 2026) is the #Regina Repair Cafe for this month. It's at the Victoria Square Mall, so lots of parking. It runs 10am - 4pm.

If you have stuff that is not working or broken, there's a good chance one of us volunteers can fix it for you. And it's free! We help keep stuff from ending up in the landfill before its time, and save you the expense of having to replace it.

And yes, we fix stuff you can't get fixed "professionally" because no one fixes small appliances and whatnot any more, because everyone says "Just buy a new one, it's cheaper". Not everyone can afford to "just" replace stuff, and there's the whole environment thing.

I guess we're adding a fourth "R" to the circle of life: reduce, re-use, repair, recycle.

I'm just a volunteer, not an organizer or official publicist or anything like that. But come down and say "Hi".

#RepairCafe #repair #environment #CollectiveAction #conservation #SK #fix #broken

I forgot to mention: if you're in the #YQR / Regina area, tomorrow (Saturday 8 August 2026) is the #Regina Repair Cafe for this month. It's at the Victoria Square Mall, so lots of parking. It runs 10am - 4pm.

If you have stuff that is not working or broken, there's a good chance one of us volunteers can fix it for you. And it's free! We help keep stuff from ending up in the landfill before its time, and save you the expense of having to replace it.

And yes, we fix stuff you can't get fixed "professionally" because no one fixes small appliances and whatnot any more, because everyone says "Just buy a new one, it's cheaper". Not everyone can afford to "just" replace stuff, and there's the whole environment thing.

I guess we're adding a fourth "R" to the circle of life: reduce, re-use, repair, recycle.

I'm just a volunteer, not an organizer or official publicist or anything like that. But come down and say "Hi".

#RepairCafe #repair #environment #CollectiveAction #conservation #SK #fix #broken

"Why do you say Saskatchewan has a deep connection to Ukraine?"

History. The last time a sociopathic Russian dictator decided to murder millions of Ukrainians, many emigrated to escape starvation [1], and many thousands of them came to Saskatchewan. [2] Something like 1 in 7 Saskatchewan residents has Ukrainian heritage.

"But that's old history - it can't possibly show up in modern life!"

You're wrong. There are places in this province where it is - or was, fairly recently - common to hear #Ukrainian spoken in public. Ukrainian Orthodox churches are common. There are thriving cultural associations. The Ukrainian pavilion at our local annual multicultural festival is one of the biggest in the whole event. In my city, there's a co-operative Ukrainian grocery shop and butcher that is hugely popular with all, Ukrainian or not. You can drive through residential neighbourhoods and identify homes where Ukrainian descendants live because they keep certain distinctive traditions alive with their houses. You can find Ukrainian farmer #sausage and perogies in any grocery store, and in many (non-Ukrainian) restaurants.

We have a perogies & borscht place in a shopping mall food court, even.

We stand with Ukraine.

Slava Ukraini.

[1] The Holodomor. Saskatchewan was one of the first jurisdictions to formally recognize it as a genocide.

[2] The fact that it's happening again is horrific.

#Ukraine #Canada #Saskatchewan #SK #SlavaUkraini #perogies #borsht #pierogi #varenyky #Holodomor

We had a visitor in the back yard early this evening. This is a young white-tailed jackrabbit (which is a species of hare, not a true rabbit) probably from this spring's first batch, so he's probably about 3 months old. The proportions are different from an adult. This species is also known as prairie hare or "white jack", or just "jack" hereabouts.

This one was sitting in the long grass and then sat up when I came into view. He wasn't scared, but kept a wary eye on me. Pardon the lousy picture quality; I didn't get out the Big Lens so this is a tiny crop out of the middle of the frame. I have a little video I might post later.

Of course, he immediately started being cute(r), having a bath, after I put the camera away.

Pardon the weeds; it's been too hot and humid to mow lately, and I went chemical-free a few years ago.

#wildlife #UrbanWildlife #jackrabbit #hare #WhiteTailedJackrabbit #PrairieHare #jack #SK #YQR #prairies #Canada #RabbitsOfMastodon

Excellent advice from the City of Saskatoon:

> Anyone who falls in the river should keep their head above water,

https://globalnews.ca/news/11954563/south-saskatchewan-river-buoy-rescues/

#WaterSafety #river #SouthSaskatchewanRiver #Saskatoon #YXE #SK #BFO

https://www.walknews.com/1337104/ そりゃ相手にされないわ…エヌビディアCEOが台湾・韓国を訪問したのに日本は「素通り」したワケ | 今週のキーワード　真壁昭夫 | ダイヤモンド・オンライン #ai #IPO #LG #SK #SNS #Taiwan #TSMC #アンソロピック #エヌビディア #オープンAI #サムギョプサル #サムスン #ディープシーク #半導体 #台湾 #株価 #焼肉 #焼酎 #韓国

https://www.wacoca.com/life/418714/ アジア債券、5月の海外資金流入急増　3カ月ぶり高水準 | ロイター #ANLINS #ASEAN #asia #ASXPAC #BACT #BIZ #CDM #CEEU #CEN #CN #CORPD #DBT #DEST:NOJPBSM #DEST:NOJPTPM #DEST:NOJPZTM #EASIA #ECI #Eco #EEU #EMEA #EMRG #EUROP #EZC #FRX #FUND #GDP #GEN #GFIN #GRAPHC #GVD #id= #ＩＮ #INFL #INT #investment #JFOR #JLN #KMOVE #MCE #MMT #MTGFX #MTNOT #MUNI #my #PMI #POL #SASIA #SEASIA #SK #TH #TOPCMB #TOPNWS #toshi #TRACC #TRN #投資

The next #Regina Repair Cafe is tomorrow! Boy, time flies. It seems like just a month ago that we did the last one.

This one is at the Victoria Square mall. It runs from 10am to 4pm as usual. Advance bookings of repair appointments have closed, but they do take walk-ins when time and volunteers are available - I've never seen a walk-in turned away. For some reason, lots of people book appointments and then don't show up, so there's a fair bit of time freed up from that.

I'm just a volunteer, not an organizer. If you have electronics, small appliances, tools or "general repairs" that could use a (free!) look-at, diagnosis, and possible repair, come down and see me. That's my usual remit.

Virtually anything else can also be looked at; there are many volunteers covering every possible category from bicycle fixes to repairing garments to tuning up guitars.

Helping to keep stuff in the hands of people that use it, rather than it ending up in the landfill for want of a small repair, is rewarding for me.

#RepairCafe #YQR #SK #repair #fix #environment

So, we had a severe thunderstorm watch this afternoon, and then a little while ago they changed it from a watch to a #warning.

It was somewhat humid, low 20s C, and basically no wind at all. And then suddenly, in the space of 30s, the sky got dark, the wind picked up to 50-60 km/h, and the temperature dropped like a stone, about 10 degrees.

I was outside looking at the storm clouds when it started raining *huge* drops. The first one I saw literally hit me in the left eye 😆 🏴‍☠️ . The skies opened up, and visibility dropped so much I couldn't see the end of my street.

And then the hail came. Quarter-sized - that'd be about 25 mm. And because of the wind (this is the prairies...) it was coming down horizontally, so it was all bouncing off the front wall and windows of my house, and on the roof over our front room with a vaulted ceiling, pinging against the metal window frames and glass. It sounded like skeletons having sex on my roof...

Here's a clip from the back deck, so I didn't get totally soaked. Video's kinda crappy, sorry. This is two bits spliced together from different times.

#storm #SK #prairies #Canada #hail #rain #ThunderStorm

삼성·SK, AI 심장부에 직접 투자하다

삼성전자와 SK가 AI 기업 앤스로픽에 투자하며 단순 반도체 공급자를 넘어 AI 핵심 파트너로 도약하고 있습니다. 이 전략적 선택이 한국 기술 생태계와 우리 일상에 가져올 긍정적 변화를 살펴봅니다.

#삼성전자 #SK #앤스로픽 #AI투자 #반도체 #블로그 #ODOB

We had snow a week ago. We had a big thunderstorm with hail and tornado watches during the week. Today is supposed to be 28 C with a chance of another thunderstorm.

Getting a bit dizzy.

#Canada #SK #prairies #weather

So, we had our monthly Repair Cafe (in #Regina, #SK, #Canada) on Saturday. Geez, how did almost a week go by before I got to write this up...

At my table, there was the usual assortment of electronics and small appliances (containing electronics in most cases...). In many of those, after testing every common mechanical, electrical, and sensor failure, the problem was narrowed down to the main logic board. And every testable component on those boards tested fine, and there were no physical signs of problems (leaky caps, soot marks, etc). Almost certainly a failed microcontroller or its support circuitry.

So frustratingly, the answer in those cases is "The board is bad, it's specific to this model (or some small number of similar models), it can't be ordered from the manufacturer and would cost too much if it could, the best you could hope for is to find someone selling one ripped out of another unit, but that one's probably being stripped for parts because the board went bad in that one, too". So off to the landfill these items will probably go.

It's annoying. In many cases, there's an obvious design flaw that leads to these early, unfixable failures.

Some fixes, and one interesting case. A portable dog toy thing that wouldn't take a charge at all - but probing around its logic board appeared to kick its battery-management system into life (due to the tiny current from the meter I was using) and it started charging. I hope it worked once charged.

#RepairCafe