Brain
ORLANDO, Feb. 14, 2020 -University of Central Florida researchers are helping to close the gap separating human and machine minds.
In a study featured as the cover article appearing today in the journal Science Advances, a UCF research team showed that by combining two promising nanomaterials into a new superstructure, they could create a nanoscale device that mimics the neural pathways of brain cells used for human vision.
Neurodevelopmental disorders, including schizophrenia and autism, likely result from complex interactions that modify the effects of individual genes. In a new study, researchers evaluated the effects of over 300 pairwise knockdowns--reducing the expression of two genes simultaneously--of the fruit fly versions of genes located in a region of human chromosome 3 that, when deleted, has been implicated in these disorders. These interactions suggest that the disorders have a complex causation involving many genes, rather than resulting from the effects of any individual gene.
Science has moved beyond the lab. Researchers are using non-scientists more and more to help conduct their research and expand their reach. Everyday people are contributing their data, helping researchers learn more about a topic and get comprehensive results.
But what does "citizen science" mean and how can it support science learning and education?
Planetary scientists using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) revealed the secrets of the atmosphere of Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. The team found a chemical footprint in Titan's atmosphere indicating that cosmic rays coming from outside the Solar System affect the chemical reactions involved in the formation of nitrogen-bearing organic molecules. This is the first observational confirmation of such processes, and impacts the understanding of the intriguing environment of Titan.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by amyloid-β (Aβ) fibrillation and plaque formation. While more than 50 millions of people are devastated by AD, no treatment is available. Recently, anti-Aβ antibody-based immunotherapy has failed in clinical trials, partially due to the increased cytotoxicity of soluble Aβ oligomers. Therefore, developing a medication for AD treatment becomes an even more grave challenge.
Using archives of satellite imaging data, a study in Frontiers in Earth Science has conducted the most in-depth study of China's intertidal wetlands to date and found a 37.62% decrease in area between 1970 and 2015.
Intertidal wetlands significantly contribute to China's environmental and ecological diversity, but are facing unprecedented pressures from anthropogenic development, as well as the threat of future sea level rise.
The most comprehensive molecular study of endometrial cancer to date has further defined the contributions of key genes and proteins to the disease, say its authors.
Published online February 13 in Cell, the study suggests new treatment approaches that could be tailored for each patient, as well as potential biological targets for future drug design.
ITHACA, N.Y. - During a three-year organizational restructuring at France Telecom that began in 2007 - which called for the downsizing of 22,000 employees, often based on ethically questionable methods - there was a wave of employee suicides. Published reports put the total number of deaths at 35.
FRANKFURT. Plants use their roots to search for water. While the main root digs down-wards, a large number of fine lateral roots explore the soil on all sides. As researchers from Nottingham, Heidelberg and Goethe University of Frankfurt report in the current issue of "Nature Plants", the lateral roots already "know" very early on where they can find water.
Without addressing these gaps, collaboration between schools (operating under FERPA) and health departments (operating under HIPAA) can compromise student privacy.
A new commentary by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) researchers published in the journal Pediatrics uses the example of high school sexually transmitted infection (STI) programs to highlight how collaborations between schools and health departments can create gaps in student privacy.
In 2014, a disease of epidemic proportions gripped the West Coast of the U.S. You may not have noticed, though, unless you were underwater.
Late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD), the one that appears after age 65, is the most common form of this neurodegenerative disease and accounts for more than 90% of cases. The first brain changes associated with the disease may appear years before the first symptoms, but the lack of clear risk markers complicates the application of the appropriate prevention strategies for those that are more vulnerable.
Stress response is the body's normal physiological reaction to a situation that it perceives as threatening. However, stress can also impact important aspects of thinking, including problem solving. Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine and the MU Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders have discovered a potential indicator of how stress affects the brain and alters its ability to problem solve. These findings could ultimately understand and optimize treatment for patients suffering from stress-related illnesses.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- A fungus that attacks almond and peach trees may be key to identifying new drug targets for cancer therapy.
A team of Florida State University researchers from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry found that a natural product from the fungus Fusicoccum amygdali stabilizes a family of proteins in the cell that mediate important signaling pathways involved in the pathology of cancer and neurological diseases.
Their work is published in the journal ACS Chemical Biology.
Quantum engineers from UNSW Sydney have created artificial atoms in silicon chips that offer improved stability for quantum computing.
In a paper published today in Nature Communications, UNSW quantum computing researchers describe how they created artificial atoms in a silicon 'quantum dot', a tiny space in a quantum circuit where electrons are used as qubits (or quantum bits), the basic units of quantum information.