Researchers report that replacing 50% of animal products with alternative proteins by 2050 could free up enough agricultural land to generate renewable energy equivalent in volume to today's coal-generated power while simultaneously removing substantial CO2 from the atmosphere.
Researchers used genetic material from human blood and lab-grown brain cells say they have made progress in developing a blood test to identify disease-associated changes in the brain specifically linked to postpartum depression and other psychiatric and neurological disorders.
Over the past 15 years, researchers have identified hundreds of regions in the human genome associated with heart attack risk. However, researchers lack efficient ways to explore how these genetic variants are molecularly connected to cardiovascular disease, limiting efforts to develop therapeutics. To streamline analysis of hundreds of genetic variants associated with coronary artery disease (CAD), a team of researchers combined multiple sequencing and experimental techniques to map the relationship between known CAD variants and the biological pathways they impact.
Scientists may have found a way around the limitations of engineered T cells by borrowing a few tricks from cancer itself. By studying mutations in malignant T cells that cause lymphoma, they zeroed in on one that imparted exceptional potency to engineered T cells. Inserting a gene encoding this unique mutation into normal human T cells made them more than 100 times more potent at killing cancer cells without any signs of becoming toxic. While current immunotherapies work only against cancers of the blood and bone marrow, the engineered T cells were able to kill tumors derived from skin, lung and stomach in mice. The team has already begun working toward testing this new approach in people.
In a recent study of the brain's waste drainage system, researchers discovered a direct connection between the brain and its tough protective covering, the dura mater. These links may allow waste fluid to leave the brain while also exposing the brain to immune cells and other signals coming from the dura. This challenges the conventional wisdom which has suggested that the brain is cut off from its surroundings by a series of protective barriers, keeping it safe from dangerous chemicals and toxins lurking in the environment.
Chronic stress affects the immune system and the brain. Researchers now show that a particular enzyme found in cells of the immune system enters the brain under stress. In mice, it causes them to withdraw and avoid social contact. This newly discovered connection between body and mind in stress-related mental illnesses could lead to new treatments for depression.
Saturn's moon Mimas harbors a global ocean beneath its icy shell, discovered through analysis of its orbit by Cassini spacecraft data. This ocean formed just 5-15 million years ago, making Mimas a prime candidate for studying early ocean formation and potential for life. This discovery suggests life-essential conditions might exist on seemingly inactive moons, expanding our search for life beyond Earth.
A teacher's gender and comfort with technology factor into whether artificial intelligence is adopted in the classroom, as shown in a new report.
Three-quarters of people age 50 to 80 say music helps them relieve stress or relax and 65% say it helps their mental health or mood, according to a recent poll. Meanwhile, 60% say they get energized or motivated by music. Virtually all (98%) said they benefit in at least one health-related way from engaging with music.
Engineers apply electron beam technology to develop an integrated silicon-gel electrolyte system.
A team of researchers has shed light on why some patients with specific joint deformities, such as discoid lateral meniscus (DLM), are symptomatic while others are not. The researchers analyzed 61 symptomatic knees with DLM surgery and 35 asymptomatic knees but with DLM detected on MRI and discovered that symptomatic patients have thicker menisci than asymptomatic patients.
Researchers say hydroquinine could be an effective naturally occurring disinfecting solution for contact lenses and help combat keratitis infections.
The human brain is an organ that takes nearly from 20 to 25% of the energy the body needs. This high energy demand for neuronal functions depends on the transport and precise distribution of mitochondria -- the energy-generating cell organelles -- in each neuron. Now, a study has identified a molecular complex that regulates the transport of mitochondria within neurons and neuronal death. The discovery of the complex, exclusively present in the most evolved mammals, could help to locate new therapeutic targets against neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's, neuromuscular diseases or even some types of tumors.
Dinosaurs' range of locomotion made them incredibly adaptable, researchers have found.
Researchers have developed a machine learning approach to compressing image data with greater accuracy than learning-free computation methods, with applications for retinal implants and other sensory prostheses.
Two astrophysicists have finally solved a 20-year-old astrophysical puzzle concerning the lower-than-expected amounts of the element sulphur found in Planetary Nebulae (PNe) in comparison to expectations and measurements of other elements and other types of astrophysical objects. The expected levels of sulphur have long appeared to be 'missing in action'. However, they have now finally reported for duty after hiding in plain sight, as a result of leveraging highly accurate and reliable data.
Despite efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change, companies are not set up for success, due to conflicting national and sectorial targets and differing availability of abatement options, a new study reveals.
A new study illuminates the cultural evolution that took place approximately 50,000 to 40,000 years ago, coinciding with the dispersals of Homo sapiens across Eurasia. The insights gleaned from their examination of stone tool technology challenge the widely held notion of a rapid cultural and technological 'revolution' that enabled anatomically modern humans to surpass Neanderthals and other archaic humans. Instead, the research suggests a nuanced evolutionary process, unfolding gradually over an extended period, with changes occurring at various times. These findings challenge the conventional theory on the timing and nature of cultural transitions during this pivotal period in human history.
Data from a representative sample of the Austrian population suggests that the relationship between nature contact and well-being is consistently stronger for people on lower than higher incomes. However, this pattern was only found when people actively visited nature and not when they merely lived near greenspaces. Findings suggest the availability, accessibility and use of green and blue spaces can play an important role in reducing income-related health inequalities.
Pages
