Researchers found that microorganisms swim slower in elastic fluids due to increased viscosity and resistance. The study used nematode worms to test the effect of elasticity on swimming speed.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have identified the ventromedial frontal cortex as the brain region responsible for making everyday decisions about value. The study, led by Joseph Kable, found that people with damage to this area are less consistent in their choices and unable to assign a value to certain items.
Researchers at Penn have found that sleep deprivation affects the hippocampus, a part of the brain associated with memory function. The study identified adenosine as the source of memory loss and attention deficits caused by sleep deprivation.
Biophysicists at Penn have developed a new technique to study how proteins respond to physical stress, particularly in red blood cells. The technique, which measures the degree of exposed cysteine in proteins, reveals that stressed cells are more fluorescent under microscopy.
A study by Angela Lee Duckworth found that motivation makes up a larger share of the predictive power of IQ tests for those with below-average scores. The research also showed that ratings of test motivation were equally predictive of adult outcomes as IQ scores.
Researchers at University of Pennsylvania have discovered a new understanding of how the heart forms in frog embryos. They found that the blood separation comes from an entirely different part of the embryo, known as the 'second heart field'. This finding has implications for human health, particularly for patients with DiGeorge Syndrome.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have made significant progress in controlling the characteristics of lead selenide nanowires, a promising material for semiconductors. By manipulating the exposure to oxygen and chemical hydrazine, they can alter the conductive properties between p-type and n-type devices.
Researchers at Penn have created high-quality graphene that covers over 95% of its surface area using readily available materials and manufacturing processes. The production process can be scaled up to industrial levels, reducing costs and increasing flexibility.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania identified the neurological and cellular signaling mechanisms that contribute to satiety and body-weight loss. They found that GLP-1 drugs target the nucleus tractus solitarius, which regulates food intake suppression.
Penn researchers found retinal ganglion cells responding to darkness are more numerous and clustered than those seeing light, reflecting the natural world's darker spots. This suggests brain separation of retinal circuitry into off and on mosaics, allowing for structural adaptation to natural scenes.
Computational biologists at the University of Pennsylvania found that species diversification rates have typically decayed over time, suggesting a limit to species diversity. The study used phylogenies from various groups and found relatively little extinction in the evolutionary trees, contrasting with the fossil record.
The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine has awarded $100,000 to Mo Salman, Nikkita Patel, and Brittany Gross for their innovative projects advancing veterinary medicine. Salmon's work focuses on infectious disease management, while Patel and Gross develop public outreach initiatives and sustainable dairy farms.
Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania are developing building 'skins' that can adapt to environmental changes, increasing energy efficiency. The project combines insights from cell biology and engineering to create responsive materials.
Researchers found a possible link between successful gum-disease treatment and reduced preterm birth risk in pregnant women. Successful treatment was associated with lower inflammation levels, no increased probing depth, and loosening of teeth.
Researchers found that weakened chromosome cohesion is the primary cause of age-related aneuploidy, leading to chromosomal abnormalities like Down syndrome. The study used naturally aging mouse models to demonstrate this finding.
Researchers found that environmental factors like temperature and light are equally important to the Azara's owl monkeys' natural rhythms as their internal biological clock. The study suggests that moonlight is a key adaptation for primates to exploit the nocturnal niche, with activity patterns changing in response to lunar cycles.
A recent University of Pennsylvania study compares two hip screening methods and finds that traditional scoring underestimates a dog's susceptibility to osteoarthritis. The PennHIP method suggests that even 'excellent' hips may be at risk for hip dysplasia, with some breeds facing a high risk of up to 100% susceptible progeny.
The University of Pennsylvania has received $7.5 million from the NSF to contribute to the development of Nebula, a network architecture that will support trustworthy cloud computing with a secure and robust next-generation Internet. The project aims to address security challenges in the emerging cloud computing model by developing new...
The study identified mutations in the ataxin 2 gene as a genetic contributor to ALS, with expansions of glutamine in ataxin 2 linked to an increased risk for the disease. The findings may aid in the development of biomarkers and new therapies for ALS.
A new analysis of voting patterns among bishops at Second Vatican Council points to indirect influence of non-Catholic churches in the Council's liberalization of the Catholic Church. Researchers found that relationships with other religious institutions were crucial factors in predicting bishops' votes on key issues.
A study at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine has identified a key player in animal gut immunity and revealed surprising similarities between fish and humans. The discovery provides new insights into how humans maintain healthy intestines and could lead to improved approaches for keeping fish safe from pathogens.
The Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania has awarded $2.9 million to 15 researchers exploring the intersection of neuroscience and positive psychology. The grants focus on topics such as neural mechanisms of human flourishing, altruism, and the effects of positive interventions on the brain.
The researchers created a library of micromolded, hexagonally spaced elastomeric micropost arrays to study the effects of substrate flexibility on stem cell development and adhesion. The system allowed them to modulate the rigidity and flexibility of the substrate surface without changing its adhesive properties.
Scientists at Tufts University and the University of Pennsylvania have determined the unusual structure of a key member of the herpes virus protein complex that allows it to invade cells. The research provides a new target for antiviral drugs, which could prevent the virus's access to cells.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a new, carbon-based nanoscale platform to electrically detect single DNA molecules using graphene nanopores. The platform exhibits high resolution and may provide a way to distinguish among DNA bases, enabling a low-cost, high-throughput DNA sequencing technique.
A team of chemists, physicists and materials scientists at the University of Pennsylvania created a new method to rapidly grow centimeter-scale membranes of binary nanocrystal superlattices by crystallizing a mixture of nanocrystals on a liquid surface. The study demonstrates a new way to control nanocrystal size, shape and concentration.
Researchers found that hearing the name of an object improves participants' ability to see it, even when flashed onscreen in conditions that render it invisible. The effect was specific to language and did not depend on visual preview or pre-experiment familiarity with the target.
A team of bioengineers from the University of Pennsylvania Institute for Medicine and Engineering developed a simulator to predict how blood platelets respond to various conditions during a heart attack or stroke. The model accurately predicted intracellular calcium signaling responses, even distinguishing between different donors.
A University of Pennsylvania psychologist reanalyzes data suggesting that the brain does not consume extra glucose when exerting self-control, contradicting a popular model. The analysis also suggests that any potential decrease in glucose levels may be due to other factors, such as increased heart rate.
A study combining genetic, archaeological, and linguistic data reveals that genetic variation in Africa is structured geographically and linguistically. The research provides a clearer picture of the continent's history and highlights the importance of independent lines of evidence in interpreting genetic and genomic data.
A new species of plant-eating dinosaur, Jeyawati rugoculus, has been discovered in western New Mexico. The dinosaur is believed to have had a unique chewing mechanism that includes large scales above its eye, providing protection from predators.
Researchers have developed synthetic biomaterials that mimic cellular membranes, showing promise in targeted delivery of cancer drugs and gene therapy. The new materials, called dendrimersomes, offer stability, mechanical strength, and tunable properties.
Mathematicians from the University of Pennsylvania have found solutions to the 140-year-old Boltzmann equation, a 7-dimensional equation that predicts gas molecule behavior. The solution provides new insights into gaseous collisions and confirms the predictions made by James Clerk Maxwell and Ludwig Boltzmann.
Researchers at Penn find that mechanical forces reinforce and grow endothelial cell connections, creating stronger adhesions. This discovery has implications for therapies targeting vascular dysfunction in diseases like septic shock and diabetes.
Veterinary scientists at Penn have successfully used a viral vector to target rod cells in the retina, a critical step towards developing gene therapies for inherited blindness. The study demonstrates the potential of this approach to correct diseases such as X-linked and autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa.
Researchers at Penn University successfully used gene therapy to restore retinal cone function and day vision in canines with inherited day blindness. The treatment was effective for younger dogs and held promise for future clinical trials.
A team of nanotechnologists used friction force microscopy to study the nanoscale frictional characteristics of four atomically-thin materials. They found that friction increases as the number of atomic layers decreases, regardless of material differences.
The study identified path cell neurons in the entorhinal cortex that encode travel direction during navigation. These neurons work together with place cells to help people remember directions and navigate to destinations.
Researchers created a miniature river delta to study flooding patterns and develop a mathematical model capable of predicting catastrophic floods. The model was able to reproduce the statistical behavior of flooding by analyzing how long it takes to fill a channel with sediment, allowing for enhanced flood hazard prediction.
Researchers at Penn identified a previously unidentified cell population, termed multipotent progenitor cells, which may be the body's double-edged sword, fighting off parasitic infections but also causing harmful immune responses. This discovery may lead to new targets for treatment of infection and allergic inflammation.
Researchers have fabricated a near-frictionless diamond material that is 3,000 times more wear-resistant at the nanoscale than silicon. This discovery has significant implications for atomic imaging, probe-based data storage, and emerging applications like nanolithography and nanometrology.
A University of Pennsylvania-led study found that mindfulness training improved mood and working memory in high-stress US Marines. The more time participants spent practicing daily mindfulness exercises, the better their mood and working memory became.
Material scientists at Penn have demonstrated a way to convert optical radiation into electrical current using a molecular circuit. The system uses gold nanoparticles to induce and project electrical current, potentially powering devices with sunlight.
Researchers found that microRNAs play a weak role in regulating mRNA stability in mouse oocytes lacking the Dicer enzyme. This suggests that reducing miRNA activity may be essential for oocyte-to-zygote transition, contributing to mRNA accumulation and stability.
Researchers found striking relationships between language demographics and grammatical complexity. Languages with larger populations tend to have simpler pronoun and number systems. The study proposes the Linguistic Niche Hypothesis, where languages evolve within socio-demographic niches.
Researchers have found that mutational robustness can either impede or facilitate adaptation depending on population size, mutation rate, and reproductive capabilities. Neutral mutations can set the stage for future beneficial adaptation, allowing populations with intermediate levels of robustness to adapt fastest to novel environments.
A recent genetic study of African and African-American populations reveals a rich mosaic of ancestry, with individuals having as little as 1 percent West African or as much as 99 percent. The study found significant implications for pharmacogenomic studies, personalized medicine, and disease risk assessment.
Penn researchers have isolated and transplanted pure populations of human spermatogonia and mouse gonocytes, showing remarkable similarity between the two species' reproductive cells. The study reveals insights into male germline stem cell lifecycle and provides hope for prepubescent men at risk of infertility due to cancer treatment.
Researchers found that antidepressant medications can substantially change patients' personalities, particularly those with high neuroticism and low extraversion. Personality changes were linked to long-term improvements in mood, suggesting a potential mechanism for modern antidepressants.
The Eukaryotic Pathogen Genome Database Resource has been expanded with a new contract to support worldwide research into human pathogens. The database provides tools for identifying vaccine antigens and drug targets, facilitating the search for effective diagnostics.