Researchers have discovered a previously unknown ability of a group of immune system cells, known as Atypical B cells (ABCs), to fight infectious diseases such as malaria. The scientists say ABCs could also be key to developing new treatments for chronic autoimmune conditions such as lupus.
For the first time, physicists have captured direct images of 'second sound,' the movement of heat sloshing back and forth within a superfluid. The results will expand scientists' understanding of heat flow in superconductors and neutron stars.
People with aphasia have more trouble coming up with words they want to use when they're prompted by images and words that carry negative emotional meaning, new research suggests.
An international study has used a computational biology tool that, by analyzing a multitude of biological data from multiple sclerosis patients ranging from genetic information to the whole organism, reveals the relationship between elements of different biological scales and improves our knowledge and the diagnosis of the disease.
Researchers report the results of the first ever genome-wide association study (GWAS) of a biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) virus. The team found two key human genetic factors that could help explain why some people develop severe Lassa fever, and a set of LARGE1 variants linked to a reduced chance of getting Lassa fever. The work could lay the foundation for better treatments for Lassa fever and other similar diseases. The scientists are already working on a similar genetics study of Ebola susceptibility.
Researchers have identified a new way to harness the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of a botanical compound to make nanofiber-coated cotton bandages that fight infection and help wounds heal more quickly.
The absence of a single immune cell receptor has been linked to both fewer defenses against mycobacterial infections, such as TB, and damaging buildup of sticky residue in the lungs.
In a survey involving a total of 2,472 respondents, researchers asked participants about nonpolitical and political moral behavior and nonpolitical and political moral tolerance. They found people more willing to behave badly in political contexts -- and more willing to tolerate bad behavior among potliticians they support.
If you're looking for a long-term relationship or to boost your social status, lower your pitch, according to researchers studying the effects of voice pitch on social perceptions. They found that lower voice pitch makes women and men sound more attractive to potential long-term partners, and lower voice pitch in males makes the individual sound more formidable and prestigious among other men.
The Greenland ice sheet lies thousands of miles from North America yet holds clues to the distant continent's environmental history. Nearly two miles thick in places, the ice sheet grows as snow drifts from the sky and builds up over time. But snow isn't the only thing carried in by air currents that swirl around the atmosphere, with microscopic pollen grains and pieces of ash mixing with snowfall and preserving records of the past in the ice. A new study examined these pollen grains and identified how eastern Canada's forests grew, retreated, and changed through time.
A novel PET imaging technique can noninvasively detect active inflammation in the body before clinical symptoms arise, according to new research. Using a PET tracer that binds to proteins present on activated immune cells, the technique produces images of ongoing inflammation throughout the body, such as rheumatoid arthritis. This makes it easier for physicians to correctly diagnose and treat patients.
A new fusion of materials, each with special electrical properties, has all the components required for a unique type of superconductivity that could provide the basis for more robust quantum computing.
Researchers have developed a spiral-shaped lens that maintains clear focus at different distances in varying light conditions. The new lens works much like progressive lenses used for vision correction but without the distortions typically seen with those lenses. It could help advance contact lens technologies, intraocular implants for cataracts and miniaturized imaging systems.
Biologists have demonstrated a new way to boost the oil content of plant leaves and seeds. As described in the journal New Phytologist, the scientists identified and successfully altered key portions of a protein that protects newly synthesized oil droplets. The genetic alterations essentially protect the oil-protector protein so more oil can accumulate.
ETH Zurich researchers have developed a new method of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the early detection and better monitoring of multiple sclerosis (MS). The method maps the myelin sheaths in the brain more precisely than was previously possible. The loss of myelin sheaths is a hallmark of MS. The new MRI method with its special head scanner could also be used by researchers to better visualise other solid tissue types such as connective tissue, tendons and ligaments.
An advanced human heart organoid system can be used to model embryonic heart development under pregestational diabetes-like conditions, researchers report. The organoids recapitulate hallmarks of pregestational diabetes-induced congenital heart disease found in mice and humans. The findings also showed that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and lipid imbalance are critical factors contributing to these disorders, which could be ameliorated with exposure to omega-3s.
Scientists have found a new treatment target for CDKL5 deficiency disorder (CDD), one of the most common types of genetic epilepsy.
Cutting-edge research converted waste carbon dioxide into a potential precursor for chemicals and carbon-free fuel.
A team of scientists has developed an artificial 'worm gut' to break down plastics, offering hope for a nature-inspired method to tackle the global plastic pollution problem.
Researchers have uncovered the first direct evidence that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet shrunk suddenly and dramatically at the end of the Last Ice Age, around eight thousand years ago. The evidence, contained within an ice core, shows that in one location the ice sheet thinned by 450 meters -- that's more than the height of the Empire State Building -- in just under 200 years.
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