Tech
DURHAM, N.C. -- Blame junk food or a lack of exercise. But long before the modern obesity epidemic, evolution made us fat too.
"We're the fat primates," said Devi Swain-Lenz, a postdoctoral associate in biology at Duke University.
The fact that humans are chubbier than chimpanzees isn't news to scientists. But new evidence could help explain how we got that way.
As animals explore their environment, they learn to master it. By discovering what sounds tend to precede predatorial attack, for example, or what smells predict dinner, they develop a kind of biological clairvoyance--a way to anticipate what's coming next, based on what has already transpired. Now, Rockefeller scientists have found that an animal's education relies not only on what experiences it acquires, but also on when it acquires them.
CAMBRIDGE, MA -- When medical devices are implanted in the body, the immune system often attacks them, producing scar tissue around the device. This buildup of tissue, known as fibrosis, can interfere with the device's function.
MIT researchers have now come up with a novel way to prevent fibrosis from occurring, by incorporating a crystallized immunosuppressant drug into devices. After implantation, the drug is slowly secreted to dampen the immune response in the area immediately surrounding the device.
CINCINNATI--Researchers suggest a possible cell-based therapy to stimulate lung development in fragile premature infants who suffer from a rare condition called Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD), which in the most severe cases can lead to lifelong breathing problems and even death.
Researchers at the São Paulo State Cancer Institute (ICESP) in Brazil have succeeded in using a genetically manipulated virus to destroy tumor cells upon injection into mice with prostate cancer.
The virus also made tumor cells more sensitive to chemotherapy drugs, halting tumor progression and almost eliminating tumors in some cases.
Certain crises require certain female leaders. Researchers at Lehigh University and Queen's University Belfast have found that trust established by female leaders practicing strong interpersonal skills results in better crisis resolution in cases when outcomes are predictable.
They describe this "female leadership trust advantage" in a paper published in this month's print issue of Psychology of Women Quarterly. Their research is the first to examine why and when a female leadership trust advantage emerges for leaders during organizational crises.
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Democrats and Republicans may stand on opposite ends of the political spectrum, but when it comes to President Donald Trump's tweets, they have more in common than meets the eye.
WATCH NOW: New Animal Study Adds to Evidence of Parkinson's Disease Origins in the Gut
In experiments in mice, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they have found additional evidence that Parkinson's disease originates among cells in the gut and travels up the body's neurons to the brain. The study, described in the June issue of the journal Neuron, offers a new, more accurate model in which to test treatments that could prevent or halt Parkinson's disease progression.
(Philadelphia, PA) - Inguinal hernia is one of the most common general surgical conditions in the world, with an estimated 220 million cases and 20 million surgeries performed annually. Inguinal hernia occurs when tissue, like part of the intestine, pushes through a weak spot in the abdominal wall and into the groin area. Hernias can be congenital or emerge over time. The condition is eight to 10 times more common in men, who have a 27 percent lifetime chance of developing one. Other risk factors include older age, a family history, and a previous hernia.
Researchers using ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array) found a small dust concentration in the disk around TW Hydrae, the nearest young star. It is highly possible that a planet is growing or about to be formed in this concentration. This is the first time that the exact place where cold materials are forming the seed of a planet has been pinpointed in the disk around a young star.
A team of researchers from Tohoku University, J-PARC, and Tokyo Institute of Technology conducted an in-depth study of magnetic quasiparticles called "triplons." The team conducted the study with a low-dimensional quantum magnet, Ba2CuSi2O6Cl2, using neutron inelastic scattering by AMATERAS at J-PARC. Their findings lead to the discovery of a new "topologically protected triplon edge state" in the aforementioned compound.
Policies to improve air quality in the UK over the past 40 years have led to significant reductions in pollution and associated mortality rates, a new study has found.
Many of the immune defence reactions are launched in the lymph nodes. For instance, small, foreign molecules that pass through the skin are directed through lymphatic vessels to the draining lymph node where they are presented to white blood cells. However, the reticular conduits inside the lymph node are so small that large molecules cannot be transported through the system. Therefore, it has been thought that subcutaneously administered antibodies pass through the lymphatic vessels straight into the blood circulation bypassing the lymph nodes entirely.
Study identifies factors that most affect older people's vulnerability during extreme temperatures
Older people may have difficulty accessing facilities designed to help keep cool during hot weather
Greater awareness of impact of extreme temperatures on individual health has biggest impact, according to study from University of Warwick
Interview data shows vulnerability can vary significantly between individuals
Researchers from the University of Granada, the Andalusian Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Fishing, Food and Organic Production (IFAPA), and the Pyrenean Institute of Ecology of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) have verified that the thinning technique is effective as an alternative approach in the recovery and maintenance of forest ecosystems dealing with extreme climates. The thinning method consists of reducing the number of trees in a given area, so that those remaining are able to access more resources.