Science Daily

Certain pieces of DNA have been labeled as 'selfish genetic elements' due to notions that they don't contribute to a host organism's survival. Instead, researchers have now discovered that these elements have been weaponized and play a crucial role by cutting off a competitor's ability to reproduce.

Exposure to wind-blown dust from exposed playa of the Utah lake is worse in Hispanic neighborhoods, according to new research. Findings suggest restoring the lake could ease social inequities associated with air pollution.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa -- an environmental bacteria that can cause devastating multidrug-resistant infections, particularly in people with underlying lung conditions -- evolved rapidly and then spread globally over the last 200 years, probably driven by changes in human behavior, a new study has found.

New research details the connection between the neurological symptoms associated with aura and the migraine that follows. The study also identifies new proteins that could be responsible for headaches and may serve as foundation for new migraine drugs.

New findings challenge the idea that academically selective schools are necessary for clever pupils to achieve good outcomes.

Researchers have found a way to reprogram disease evolution and design tumors that are easier to treat. They created a modular genetic circuit that turns cancer cells into a 'Trojan horse,' causing them to self-destruct and kill nearby drug-resistant cancer cells -- a novel way to address cancer's inherent diversity and heterogeneity.

A team has discovered that the new organic molecule thienyl diketone exhibits high-efficiency phosphorescence, achieving a rate over ten times faster than traditional materials. This breakthrough provides new guidelines for developing rare metal-free organic phosphorescent materials, promising advancements in applications like organic EL displays, lighting, and cancer diagnostics.

Painting roofs white or covering them with a reflective coating would be more effective at cooling cities like London than vegetation-covered 'green roofs,' street-level vegetation or solar panels, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

Reducing consumption of processed meat by around one-third could prevent more than 350,000 cases of diabetes in the US over 10 years.

Drosophila -- known as fruit flies -- are a valuable model for human heart pathophysiology, including cardiac aging and cardiomyopathy. However, a choke point in evaluating fruit fly hearts is the need for human intervention to measure the heart at moments of its largest expansion or its greatest contraction to calculate cardiac dynamics. Researchers now show a way to significantly cut the time needed for that analysis while utilizing more of the heart region, using deep learning and high-speed video microscopy.

A recent study found that the way cerebellar neurons communicate with other brain regions is different in various movement disorders.

Childhood home temperature and community connectedness can help predict how U.S. residents set their thermostats, offering new ways to encourage energy conservation and combat climate change, according to a new study.

Urban agriculture has the potential to improve food security through local, efficient, and sustainable food production. Examples of urban food systems include hydroponics, where plants grow in a nutrient solution without soil, and aquaponics, which combines hydroponics with raising fish in tanks. A new study examines the use of aquaponics wastewater as a growth medium for lettuce in a hydroponic system. This practice can potentially create a circular ecosystem for organic waste recycling and food production.

New tech reveals findings that address long-standing theories about how bacteria begin the process of making RNA from DNA.

A new study offers new insights into the evolution of foldable proteins.

Young adults who have higher levels of inflammation, which is associated with obesity, physical inactivity, chronic illness, stress and smoking, may experience reduced cognitive function in midlife, a new study has found.

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a mysterious and deadly neurological disorder, usually goes undiagnosed until after a patient dies and an autopsy is performed. But now, researchers have found a way to identify the condition while patients are still alive.

Researchers have created a questionnaire test for home use that quickly identifies high risk of heart attack. A study shows that it has the same level of accuracy as blood tests and blood pressure measurements.

Researchers developed molecules, called splice-switching oligonucleotides (SSOs) that bind to the RNA molecules encoding a protein known as REST. In neuroendocrine tumors, these RNAs are incorrectly spliced together, which supports the cancerous phenotype. When injected into tumors in laboratory mice, SSOs could help restore normal REST function, leading to reduced tumor size. This approach is a promising new tool for treating neuroendocrine tumors that do not respond to conventional therapies.

A US nationwide bottle deposit program could increase recycling of PET plastic to 82 percent, with nearly two-thirds of all PET bottles being recycled into new bottles, at a net cost of just a penny a bottle when demand is robust. At the same time, policies would be needed to ensure a sufficient demand for the recycled material.