Culture
Biologists from The University of Manchester have explained for the first time why having a good night's sleep really could prepare us for the rigours of the day ahead.
The study in mice and published in Nature Cell Biology, shows how the body clock mechanism boosts our ability to maintain our bodies when we are most active.
And because we know the body clock is less precise as we age, the discovery, argues lead author Professor Karl Kadler, may one day help unlock some of the mysteries of aging.
The ability to learn new motor skills is critical to almost all aspects of our lives. From the time a baby is born, it learns to move its arms and hands, to pronounce words and to walk. Such skills are often learned through practice, over the course of many thousands of repetitions. Some repetitions are better than others, and overall they keep on improving.
Replacing the volatile and flammable liquid or polymer electrolytes now used in lithium-ion batteries with inorganic solid-state lithium-ionic ceramic conductors could significantly improve both safety and performance of the cells. Solid-state conductors would allow for novel cathode and anode chemistry, prevent the growth of Li-metal dendrites and push miniaturization.
In August 2019 a team of scientists and conservationists broke new ground in saving the northern white rhinoceros from extinction. They harvested eggs from the two remaining females, artificially inseminated those using frozen sperm from deceased males and created two viable northern white rhino embryos. With great support from the Kenyan Government and in the presence of Hon Najib Balala, - Kenya's Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife - the team repeated the procedure on December 17, 2019, and was able to create a new embryo over Christmas.
Most animals need to move, whether this is to seek out food, shelter or a mate. New research has shown that movement doesn't always break camouflage and if an animal needs to move, animals that are unpatterned and use short, fast movements are less likely to be located by predators.
Some plastic food and beverage containers still contain bisphenol A (BPA), which can mimic the hormone estrogen. Although experts say that small amounts of BPA detected in foods are unlikely to cause problems, some people worry that constant low-level exposures could have health effects, especially for developing fetuses, infants and children. Now, researchers report in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research that in mice, BPA activates an immune response that persists for at least three generations.
A new study shows drinking low-fat milk -- both nonfat and 1% milk -- is significantly associated with less aging in adults.
Research on 5,834 U.S. adults by Brigham Young University exercise science professor Larry Tucker, Ph.D., found people who drink low-fat milk experience several years less biological aging than those who drink high-fat (2% and whole) milk.
"It was surprising how strong the difference was," Tucker said. "If you're going to drink high-fat milk, you should be aware that doing so is predictive of or related to some significant consequences."
January 15, 2020 - Black patients undergoing lumbar (lower) spinal fusion surgery have worse outcomes - including higher complication rates, more hospital days, and higher costs - compared to white patients, suggests a study in Spine.
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The first animal study of a pig virus' potential to jump to another species shows that the virus, once introduced to a select group of birds, is easily transmitted to healthy chickens and turkeys.
The researchers who led this work were part of a team that previously found in a lab setting that the virus could infect cells from multiple species, including chickens and humans.
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Starting a new job often includes enrolling in a company's retirement plan. As defined contribution plans, such as 401(k) plans, become more common than pension plans, American workers are increasingly responsible saving for retirement. Rui Yao, a nationally recognized expert on retirement savings from the University of Missouri, suggests that employees can't trust that the retirement plan sponsored by their employer is in good hands just because the plan uses an advisor.
A study led by the University of Southampton has mapped several sites in Europe containing gas hydrate - a relatively clean fuel which could help bridge the gap between fossil fuels and renewables.
Vast amounts of natural gas are stored in an ice-like form beneath the seabed, under the deep seafloor, close to edge of the landmasses that form our continents. This gas hydrate, sometimes known as 'ice that burns', has the potential to play a role as a substitute for coal in the coming decades, until there is sufficient renewable energy to meet society's demands.
New Rochelle, NY, January 15, 2020--A new study has shown that, among online gamblers, setting voluntary monetary limits can help players stay in control of their gambling and the most significant effects were seen among intense gamblers. The study, which comprised more than 49,500 online gamblers, is published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.
New research from Western University has shown that both women and men are significantly more likely to have a heart attack or another major cardiovascular event within thirty days of having a stroke.
The study led by Dr. Luciano Sposato, Associate Professor and the Kathleen and Henry Barnett Chair in Stroke at Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, was published in the American Heart Association Journal, Stroke.
Microtubules, filamentous structures within the cell, are required for many important processes, including cell division and intracellular transport. A research team led by scientists from Heidelberg University recently discovered how the spiral-shaped, modular microtubules are formed and how their formation is controlled. These processes were visualised using state-of-the-art cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM).
The dwarf galaxy Gaia-Enceladus collided with the Milky Way probably approximately 11.5 billion years ago. A team of researchers including scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany for the first time used a single star affected by the collision as a clue for dating. Using observational data from ground-based observatories and space telescopes, the scientists led by the University of Birmingham were able to determine the age of the star and the role it played in the collision.