Earth
By analysing the fossilised teeth of some of our most ancient ancestors, a team of scientists led by the universities of Bristol (UK) and Lyon (France) have discovered that the first humans significantly breastfed their infants for longer periods than their contemporary relatives.
The results, published in the journal Science Advances, provide a first insight into the practice of weaning that remain otherwise unseen in the fossil record.
WASHINGTON - New research finds Arctic Ocean currents and storms are moving bacteria from ocean algae blooms into the atmosphere where the particles help clouds form. These particles, which are biological in origin, can affect weather patterns throughout the world, according to the new study in the AGU journal Geophysical Research Letters.
A University of Minnesota-led research team recently discovered a new way animals can modify their vision. Crystal-like structures in the photoreceptors of larval mantis shrimp simultaneously reflect and transmit light onto light sensitive cells. This newly described structure resembles how a human-made optical device, known as Fiber Bragg Grating, works. Fiber Bragg Grating is a filter commonly used in sensors that monitor extreme conditions for a variety of industries.
When climates change, plants and animals often are forced to colonize new areas - or possibly go extinct. Because the climate is currently changing, biologists are keenly interested in predicting how climate-induced migrations influence organisms over time.
CHICAGO - The August issue of Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association includes a new perspective from the National Institute on Aging on "paradoxical lucidity," or moments of stunning clarity, in dementia. The commentary is in response to a previously published online paper that is also included in the print issue of the journal and explores the phenomenon of unexpected cognitive lucidity and communication in patients with severe dementias, especially near the time of death.
The first documented discovery of "extreme corals" in mangrove lagoons around Australia's Great Barrier Reef is yielding important information about how corals deal with environmental stress, scientists say. Thirty four species of coral were found to be regularly exposed to extreme low pH, low oxygen and highly variable temperature conditions making two mangrove lagoons on the Woody Isles and Howick Island potential "hot-spots" of coral resilience.
DGIST announced that Professor Jong Kyong Kim's team in the Department of New Biology participated in a joint research by South Korea, Austria, and the United Kingdom and discovered the characteristics of gastric isthmus stem cells. The results are drawing huge attention for their applicability in identifying the causes of gastrointestinal disorders and cancer as well as in developing treatments.
Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) in Germany, in collaboration with colleagues from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg in South Africa and the University of Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania, succeeded in using cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) as a substitute for petroleum in organic synthesis. Their aim was the development of a sustainable synthesis of soluble organic UV filters.
The quantum internet promises absolutely tap-proof communication and powerful distributed sensor networks for new science and technology. However, because quantum information cannot be copied, it is not possible to send this information over a classical network. Quantum information must be transmitted by quantum particles, and special interfaces are required for this. The Innsbruck-based experimental physicist Ben Lanyon, who was awarded the Austrian START Prize in 2015 for his research, is researching these important intersections of a future quantum Internet.
Tokyo, Japan - A research team at The University of Tokyo has introduced a powerful method for actively breaking chemical bonds using excitations in tiny antennae created by infrared lasers. This process may have applications throughout chemistry as a way to direct chemical reactions in desired directions. In particular, the reactions used in the energy, pharmaceutical, and manufacturing sectors may become much more efficient by increasing yields while reducing waste.
A study led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has revealed the effects of the stress of parenting in the brains of both mothers and their children.
The researchers analysed the brain activity of 31 pairs of mother and child from Singapore while they were watching children's animation clips together.
They found that mothers who reported higher levels of parenting stress had less synchrony in brain activity with their child (all aged around 3 years old) than those who reported lower levels of parenting stress.
The development of new bone can be a multistep process: first, stem cells differentiate into cartilage cells. Next, the cartilage cells become bone cells. But that's not all: the cells must experience some mechanical stresses during the transformation in order to transform efficiently from stem cells to bone cells.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Young people clash with older adults when it comes to bathroom policies related to gender identity, a University of Michigan study suggests.
As "bathroom bills" are debated around the country, eight in 10 young people aged 14-24 years polled (79%), say that bathroom use by transgender people should not be restricted, according to the findings in the Journal of Homosexuality.
Nocturnal and diurnal mammals see the same - but only for a brief time. When mice are born, the chromatin in the cells of their eyes has a diurnal structure. Day by day, the layout of this chromatin slowly inverts, allowing the mice to see at night. How this change happens was a mystery.
Climate change affects not only the temporal pattern of floods, but also their magnitude. This is shown by an international study which evaluated data from more than 3,700 flood monitoring stations throughout Europe over a period of 50 years. According to the data, flood events are increasing in northwestern Europe and decreasing in southeastern Europe. The study, in which Bruno Merz of GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences was also involved, appears in the journal Nature.