Scientists have identified a key protein quality control mechanism in the brain that plays a crucial role in regulating appetite and weight. The discovery sheds light on how genetic mutations can lead to severe forms of childhood obesity.
A study by HSE researchers found that foreign investments can have a positive effect only for companies with specific resource endowments. The presence of foreign property does not affect the performance of companies in general. Instead, dynamic capabilities play a key role in transforming foreign investment into added economic value.
Wild grey squirrels were more successful at solving complex problems than native red squirrels, with over 90% cracking the difficult task. The study suggests superior behavioural flexibility may have facilitated their dominance in the UK.
Researchers developed an MRI technique that eliminates contrast agents, reducing unnecessary biopsies and detecting 98% of malignant lesions. The diffusion kurtosis imaging method provides a microscopic level picture of breast tissue, helping to clarify suspicious findings.
A recent study on hospital palliative care reveals high rates of caregiver depression and significant moral distress among resident physicians. The research also explores the challenges faced by LGBT individuals who have lost a partner, including homophobia and additional legal and financial issues. Effective interventions, such as adv...
A new study reveals a significant increase in dementia risk among adults born with congenital heart disease, with a 60% increased risk compared to the general population. The risk was even higher for those under 65 years old, with a 160% increase.
A recent study published in Endocrine Practice found that only a quarter of transgender women could lower their testosterone levels within the female range using spironolactone and estrogen therapy. The researchers identified four groups with varying degrees of testosterone suppression, highlighting the need for further studies to unde...
New research finds that beluga whales are diving deeper and longer to find food as sea ice loss changes their Arctic habitat. The whales' diving behavior has increased significantly over nearly two decades, with dives lasting up to 3 times a day and depths reaching 64 meters.
A study of the scarlet monkeyflower found mixed results for demographic compensation as a means of avoiding population declines in response to changing climate conditions. Despite increases in flowering rates, many southern populations declined due to reduced survival and growth rates.
The study found that four-cycle injection engines are more environmentally safe than two-cycle and carburetor engines. The researchers analyzed particulate matter in motorcycle engine exhaust and found PAHs to be a significant concern for human health and the environment.
Researchers from Jena University successfully created protein nanofibres with defined properties by combining two different proteins through a self-assembly process. The hybrid fibres can be used as components in biosensors, drug delivery particles, optical probes, or bone cements.
A team of researchers has invented tiny, light-powered wires that can modulate brain electrical signals, promising a new approach to understanding and treating brain disorders like Parkinson's disease and psychiatric conditions. The nanowires use silicon and gold to trigger neurons to fire electrical signals.
Researchers analyzed over 540,000 tweets to find nearly 80% of them were duplicates or re-tweets originating from bot accounts. The study found that right-wing internet activists used social bots to spread nationalistic content and boosted Abe's election campaign.
A new study found that African Americans with atrial fibrillation are more likely to experience strokes, both before and after diagnosis. This increased risk highlights the importance of early detection and treatment to mitigate stroke burden.
Researchers found less people tweet per capita from larger cities compared to smaller ones, but identified a group of prolific tweeters who serve as information broadcasters for larger cities. This study challenges previous results and provides new insights into urban pace of life and social media behavior.
Ex-Tropical Cyclone Gita's northerly wind shear caused the storm to break apart, affecting New Zealand with gusty winds, ocean swells, and heavy rain. The storm brought severe weather watches and warnings, including state of emergency declarations in several regions.
Researchers found that analyzing Twitter conversations about Zika and other public health crises can provide accurate insights into community attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors. This method offers a cost-effective alternative to traditional phone-based polling, which can be slow and expensive.
The new test kit, developed with licensed monoclonal antibodies from the US FDA, offers a rapid and sensitive potency assay for dose-sparing and adjuvanted flu vaccines. This enables a faster vaccine response in severe outbreaks or pandemics, addressing the need for speed in combating deadly avian H7N9 viruses.
A research group from ITMO University combined a nanoantenna with a light source in a single nanoparticle, generating, enhancing and routing emission. The scientists discovered that the emission can be enhanced if its spectra match with Mie-resonant mode, making them efficient light sources at room temperature.
Research into polymer solar cells has made significant advances, with increased numbers of publications and patents. However, the technology is unlikely to replace traditional silicon solar cells due to durability and efficiency issues.
The team discovered DES16C2nm, a superluminous supernova, in the Dark Energy Survey, providing insights into the explosion and its potential connection to magnetars. The detection offers opportunities for advances in stellar astrophysics and cosmology, allowing researchers to study the expansion history of the universe.
The James Webb Space Telescope will study Mars' transition from wet to dry, revealing clues about the planet's past and present habitability. The telescope will also analyze the abundance of water and methane in the Martian atmosphere, shedding light on the origin of these gases.
A new study published in Circulation found that 8% of women with chest pain have myocardial scar, indicating previous heart muscle damage. The study suggests that women be taken seriously when complaining of chest pain and receive appropriate medical care.
A Finnish study found that individuals with diabetes experienced fewer work-loss years than those without the condition. Those who retired early also worked an average of two years longer due to their diabetes diagnosis.
A new gene-editing technology has been developed to improve the efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9, allowing for safer and more efficient correction of disease-causing mutations in patients. The system uses a nano-sized porous material to coat the molecular components of CRISPR/Cas9, enabling efficient release into cells.
High crop intensification occurred in 28 countries, including Asia and Latin America, resulting in a 137% increase in energy use per hectare. Despite a 10% increase in land use, energy efficiency improved globally during later decades of the study period.
Researchers at TU Wien observed chemical waves on polycrystalline catalyst surfaces, creating fascinating spiral wave structures. The team learned that the orientation of crystal grains determines the frequency and movement of these waves, providing insights into superior catalytic characteristics.
Researchers at Tohoku University have created a novel approach to screen drugs for their potential impact on the heart by cultivating lipid membranes around tiny holes in silicon chips. The team found that lipid membranes attached better to tapered holes, enabling more efficient testing of drug effects on ion channels.
A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that older men who engage in regular light intensity exercise have a lower risk of death. The researchers analyzed data from 1181 men aged 78 and found that each additional 30 minutes of light intensity activity was associated with a 17% reduction in mortality risk.
A new study found that sleep problems in menopausal women are consistently correlated with hot flashes and depression. However, the study suggests that addressing these risk factors may also address sleep disruptions, offering hope that women's sleep symptoms may not last past the menopausal transition.
The discovery reveals that the enzyme RIPK1 decreases mitochondrial numbers, leading to oxidative stress and potential cell death. This finding could lead to a new strategy for eliminating ECM-detached cancer cells and improving patient survival.
Researchers from Helmholtz Munich successfully visualize insulin receptor activation for the first time, revealing a structural change that propagates across the plasma membrane to initiate signaling cascades. This breakthrough sheds new light on insulin's biological actions and has implications for understanding diabetes and cancer.
A study of 357,420 participants found that cigar-only smokers had a higher risk of dying from tobacco-caused cancers, while cigarette and cigar smokers faced a higher risk of death from any cause. The research highlights the importance of quitting tobacco to reduce mortality and illness.
Lobachevsky University scientists discovered that GDNF protects cultures from cell death and maintains network activity during hypoxia. The neurotrophic factor partially negates the consequences of hypoxia by influencing synaptic plasticity.
A team at Chalmers University of Technology has successfully created a topological superconductor, which could be used to host Majorana particles and enable the development of quantum computers. The material's properties were altered by repeated cooling cycles, leading to unexpected changes in its behavior.
Researchers have discovered a novel luciferin chemical in New Zealand glowworms that produces light through an entirely new chemical reaction. This unique chemistry may be used in laboratory experiments to monitor cancer cells or identify infectious diseases.
A new study by Taylor & Francis Group found that boards of directors can increase public trust towards an organization by addressing CEO misconduct through proactive measures. Firing the CEO or keeping it in place while offering a genuine apology and acknowledgment of wrongdoing both increased trust, but in different ways.
A Phase 2 clinical trial in South Africa found that revaccination with the Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine significantly reduced sustained TB infections in adolescents. An experimental subunit vaccine candidate, H4:IC31, also showed promise in preventing TB infection or disease.
Researchers discovered that dumbo octopods hatch as competent juveniles with fully formed fins and advanced organ development. The findings suggest a significant shift in the understanding of their life cycle, highlighting the complexity and uniqueness of deep-sea creatures.
A study by researchers at the University of Chicago found that duplicate copies of a gene in fruit flies evolved separate male- and female-specific functions, resolving competing demands between sexes. These changes occurred rapidly, with the genes specializing relatively quickly.
A case study published in JAMA Neurology reports improved side effects for a man with a spinal cord injury after receiving an experimental electrical implant. The treatment, known as epidural stimulation, has shown positive changes in blood pressure control, bowel function, and energy levels.
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute found that Jymmin increases pain threshold by up to 50% and reduces anxiety in chronic pain patients. The combination of physical exertion and music triggers endorphin release, making users more tolerant to pain.
Excess calcium levels can lead to the formation of toxic clusters with alpha-synuclein, causing brain cell death. Understanding this interaction may aid in developing new treatments for Parkinson's disease.
A new study from New York University found that college roommates tend to underestimate their roommate's level of distress, despite being able to detect certain changes over time. The researchers suggest that training roommates to recognize and respond to distress could lead to improved accuracy and support for college students.
Researchers found higher levels of leisure-time physical activity linked to lower diabetes risk in Chinese adults with impaired fasting glucose. A 12-25% reduction in diabetes risk was observed with increased physical activity levels, highlighting the urgent need for promoting physical activity as a strategy for diabetes prevention.
Researchers have identified genetic evidence of Taíno ancestry in contemporary Puerto Ricans and other Caribbean communities, providing unprecedented insights into the genetic makeup of the region. The study's findings support claims by indigenous descendant communities that their ancestors survived European colonization.
A new study found that a newly discovered gene called STEEL senses inadequate blood flow to tissues and triggers the growth of new blood vessels. This discovery could lead to advances in understanding and treating cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and strokes.
A new report by the Seismological Society of America concludes that wastewater created during oil and gas production is the probable cause for a surge in earthquakes in southern Kansas. Between 2012 and 2016, six magnitude 4 or greater earthquakes occurred in the study area, with decreases in seismicity corresponding to decreases in di...
A new study by Gladstone Institutes researchers shows that infection sites impact the immune system's response to a virus and its spread through the body. The study found that different routes of sexual transmission trigger distinct immune responses, influencing the virus's dissemination.
A new study found that declines in specific Amazonian tree communities are linked to the loss of large vertebrate populations. The research, published in the Journal of Ecology, suggests that defaunation may not lead to massive biomass losses, but further on-the-ground research is needed to understand its long-term impact.
A new study integrates various theories on plant evolution timescales, suggesting that land plants likely arose during the Cambrian period and vascular plants between the late Ordovician and Silurian periods. This finding challenges existing theories on Earth's terrestrial biosphere assembly.
A Worcester Polytechnic Institute researcher seeks to reinvent residential network security by developing cloud-based security providers. The system will direct traffic over a secure pathway to a controller and virtual computers, verifying site profiles and catching nefarious sites attempting to access homes.
Scientists at Waseda University have developed robotic crystals that walk slowly like an inchworm and roll 20,000 times faster than its walking speed. These autonomously moving crystals have great potential as material for soft robots in the medical field, particularly for microrobots that transport substances in the microscopic region.
Researchers from Brown University have developed a new method, SWIF(r), to detect adaptive genetic mutations. The technique combines multiple statistical tests into a single machine-learning framework, allowing for more accurate identification of beneficial mutations and shedding light on the evolutionary history of populations.
Researchers developed an electric eel-inspired device that produced 110 volts from gels filled with varying strengths of salt water, leveraging ion gradients across hydrogels. The team hopes to increase the current and develop a power source for implantable devices utilizing existing human body ionic gradients.
New research shows that biodiversity loss can lead to a domino effect of further extinctions, where the removal of one species creates a gap for other species to fill. This can result in simpler ecological communities at greater risk of extinction cascades with potential losses of many species.
Research compares fictional patients in Grey's Anatomy with real-life traumas, finding death rates are 3 times higher and recovery times significantly shorter. The study suggests that TV dramas like Grey's Anatomy can skew public expectations of trauma care, potentially leading to lower patient satisfaction.
Thousands of appointments were cancelled during the 2016 junior doctor strikes in England, with effects greatest when emergency care was withdrawn. Admissions and A&E attendances also declined significantly, highlighting the need for improved healthcare systems to mitigate staff shortages.
A team of scientists developed an algorithm that accurately pinpoints mutations favored by natural selection, shedding light on the specific mutations responding to selection pressure. The iSAFE algorithm reliably identifies favored mutations in large genomic regions without needing function information or demographic data.
Recent studies suggest that offering alcohol in the workplace can be a turn-off for some potential employees, particularly those with lower levels of political skill. Companies should authentically portray their drinking culture to prospective employees and pay attention to signals of values alignment during the recruiting process.