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Showing posts with the label research

Neurons exhibit rhythmic activity at different frequencies in an asynchronous state

at 17 th century, Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens hung two of his newly invented pendulum clocks on a block of wood and observed that over time, the clocks synchronized their beats. He reported this finding, which he called ‘strange sympathy’, in 1665. Three and a half centuries later, neurons in the brain were found to synchronize their activity in the same way. Neurons in the brain often synchronize in quasi-rhythmic activity, collectively producing ‘brain waves’ that can sometimes be detected even from outside the skull using electroencephalography. Synchronization in these rhythms helps neurons to exchange information efficiently, which is essential for performing important functions such as learning, memory, attention, perception, and movement. How these rhythms are generated, maintained, and abolished to suit the ever-changing needs for smooth brain operation is an active area of ​​research. In a new study published today in Cell Reports, a team of n...

Light-activated protein may help normalize dysfunction in cells, study shows

New research from the University of Cincinnati is showing early indications that light could be used as a treatment for certain ailments, including cancer. Researchers from UC, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and University at Buffalo published the results of their study showing light-activated proteins can help normalize dysfunction in cells in the journal. Nature Communication July 25. Research findings Research centers on the function of mitochondria, the organelles in cells that act as the cell’s “power generator” and source of energy. Organelles are small specialized structures that perform various jobs in the cell. Jiajie Diao, PhD, one of the study’s authors, says hundreds of mitochondria are constantly coming together (a process called fusion) and dividing into smaller pieces (a process called fission) to keep them in balance in healthy cells. But when mitochondria don’t function properly, an imbalance of these fission and fusion processe...

Disturbing new research suggests warm water is pouring into the world's largest ice sheet in Antarctica

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Warmer water is flowing toward the East Antarctic ice sheet, according to our alarming new research that reveals new potential drivers of global sea level rise. Author Laura Herraiz Borreguero Physical oceanographer, CSIRO Alberto Naveira Garabato Professor, National Center for Oceanography, University of Southampton Jess Melbourne-Thomas Transdisciplinary Researcher & Knowledge Broker, CSIRO The research, published today in Nature Climate Change, suggests changes in water circulation in the Southern Ocean could jeopardize the stability of the East Antarctic ice sheet. The ice sheet, the size of the United States, is the largest in the world. Changes in water circulation are caused by shifting wind patterns, and are linked to factors including climate change. Warmer waters and rising sea levels can damage marine life and threaten human coastal settlements. Our findings underscore the urgency of limiting global warming to below 1.5℃, to prevent the most catastrophic...

Cosmic Buckyballs Could Be Mysterious Infrared Light Source

Scientists may have just traced the source of some of the mysterious infrared emission detected from stars and clouds of interstellar dust and gas. This Unknown Infrared Emission Band (UIE) has baffled scientists for decades; According to a new theoretical work, at least some of these bands could be produced by highly ionized buckminsterfullerene, better known as buckyballs. “I am very honored to have played a part in the extremely complex quantum chemical investigations carried out by Dr Sadjadi that have produced these very exciting results,” said astrophysicist Quentin Parker of the Space Research Laboratory of the University of Hong Kong. “First they looked at the theoretical evidence that Fullerenes – Carbon 60 – can withstand very high ionization rates, and now this work shows the infrared emission signature of the species is a perfect match for some of the most prominent Unknown Infrared Emission features known. This will help re-strengthen this area of ​​research....

This Week @NASA: Mars Sample Return, Benefits of Space Station Research and Development

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The benefits of space station research and development… Refining the architecture for the Mars Sample Return mission… And a solid rocket booster test fire for our Moon mega rocket… a few stories to tell you – This Week at NASA Founded in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government that replaced the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). He is in charge of the civil space program, as well as aeronautical and aerospace research. The vision is "To discover and expand knowledge for the benefit of humanity." Its core value is "safety, integrity, teamwork, excellence and inclusion." ” data-gt-translate-attributes=”[{” attribute=””>NASA ! Benefits of Space Station Research and Development The 11th International Space Station Research and Development Conference takes place July 25-28 in Washington. The conference was organized by the American Astr...

New materials research looks at transformation at the atomic level

When manufacturing techniques transform metals, ceramics or composites into technologically useful forms, understanding the mechanism of the phase transformation process is critical to shaping the behavior of these high-performance materials. However, seeing the transformation in real time is indeed difficult. A new study in the journal Nature, led by Professor Guangwen Zhou of the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Materials Science program at Binghamton University, uses a transmission electron microscope (TEM) to peer into the oxide. -to-metal transformation at the atomic level. Of particular interest are mismatch dislocations which are always present at the interface in multiphase materials and play a key role in determining structural and functional properties. Students Zhou, Xianhu Sun and Dongxiang Wu are the first co-authors of this paper (“Kinetics of dislocation-induced interfacial transformation”)...

Crustaceans help fertilize seaweed, research finds

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The small crustacean Idotea balthica facilitates the dispersal of male gametes and fertilization in the red alga Gracilaria gracilis. They use dense, branching red algae for cover and feed on microalgae that grow on their surface. Credit: © Wilfried Thomas @Station Biologique de Roscoff, CNRS, SU, Roscoff, France The important role of insects in pollinating flowering plants is well known, but marine animal-assisted algae fertilization has hitherto been considered non-existent. A team led by a CNRS researcher from the French-Chilean Evolutionary Biology and Ecology research unit at Roscoff Marine Station has discovered that tiny crustaceans known as idoteas contribute to the reproductive cycle of the red alga Gracilaria gracilis. The scientists’ findings were published in Science . They suggest that animal-mediated fertilization is much older than previously thought. Are marine animals involved in the reproduction cycle of algae, such as...

The study analyzes the spontaneous social interactions of children aged 2 and 4 years when interacting with peers

What do building a pyramid, going to the moon, pedaling a two-person canoe, or dancing the waltz have in common? All of these actions are the result of a common goal between many partners and lead to a sense of shared obligation, known as “mutual commitment”. This ability to cooperate is universal in humans and certain animal species, such as the great apes. However, humans seem to have a unique predisposition and strong desire for social interaction that may be one component of the emergence of language, according to the study authors. How do our social interactions differ from other species? And why? To answer this question, an international team analyzed the interactions of 31 children between the ages of 2 and 4 in four preschools in the United States (10 hours per child). There are only a few quantitative analyzes of the spontaneous social interactions of children aged 2 and 4 years when interacting with peers, even though this age is a critical age for the develop...

Reducing air pollution has INCREASed global warming, research reveals

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The big paradox: Reducing air pollution has INCREASED global warming because clean air does not contain aerosol particles that reflect sunlight and cool the Earth Pollution levels today are 30 percent lower than in 2000 However, this has led to increased warming from carbon emissions Scientists find there is less fog in the atmosphere to block out solar radiation They suggest using solar engineering to launch aerosol particles into the atmosphere in an effort to combat climate change By Stacy Liberatore For Dailymail.com Published: 4:56 p.m. EDT, 22 July 2022 | Updated: 5:51 p.m. EDT, 22 July 2022 Scientists have discovered a great paradox in nature – clean air increases global warming, while pollution keeps our planet cool. An international team of researchers determined current pollution levels are 30 percent lower than in 2000, but warming from carbon dioxide emissions has increased by up to 50 percent. Polluting pa...

Scientists expand entomology research using genome editing

Newswise — Genome sequencing, in which scientists use laboratory methods to determine the genetic makeup of a particular organism, is becoming a common practice in insect research. A greater understanding of insect biology helps scientists better manage insects, both those that benefit ecosystems and those that damage food supplies and threaten human health by carrying disease. Researchers have developed a workflow method, called Fanflow4Insects, which describes the function of genes in insects. In functional annotations, scientists collect information about the biological identity of genes. The team’s new method uses transcribed sequence information as well as genome and protein sequence databases. With Fanflow4Insects, the team has annotated functional information of Japanese stick insects and silkworms, including gene expression and sequence analysis. The functional annotation information provided by their workflow will greatly expand the possibilities of entomological res...

Scientists expand entomology research using genome editing

Genome sequencing, in which scientists use laboratory methods to determine the genetic makeup of a particular organism, is becoming a common practice in insect research. A greater understanding of insect biology helps scientists better manage insects, both those that benefit ecosystems and those that damage food supplies and threaten human health by carrying disease. Researchers have developed a workflow method, called Fanflow4Insects, which describes the function of genes in insects. In functional annotations, scientists collect information about the biological identity of genes. The team’s new method uses transcribed sequence information as well as genome and protein sequence databases. With Fanflow4Insects, the team has annotated functional information of Japanese stick insects and silkworms, including gene expression and sequence analysis. The functional annotation information provided by their workflow will greatly expand the possibilities of entomological research using...

Science News | Research: Climate Change Linked to Coastal Glacier Retreat | LatestLY

Washington [US]July 15 (ANI): Researchers at the University of Texas Institute of Geophysics (UTIG) and Georgia Tech have developed a methodology that they think decodes why coastal glaciers are shrinking, and in turn, how much of it can be attributed to human-caused climate change. Attributing the role of humans to coastal glaciers – which are melting directly into the ocean – could pave the way for better predictions of sea level rise. The study was published in the journal The Cryosphere. Read Also | Katrina Kaif’s Birthday: From Chikni Chameli To Bang Bang, Kat’s 5 Best Dance Hits That Set The Screen On Fire (Watch Video). So far, scientists have tested the approach only in computer models using simplified glaciers. They found that even modest global warming is causing most glaciers to melt, or retreat. The next step, the researchers say, is for scientists to simulate coastal glaciers from real ice sheets, such as Greenland, which stores enough ice to raise sea levels...

Why Don't Woodpeckers Get Brain Damage? Research Presents Exciting New Hypotheses

Forced to spend their days slamming their tiny skulls into the sides of trees in search of buried pieces, woodpeckers should have developed a trick or two to avoid brain damage. So you would think. A new study of woodpecker biomechanics has cast doubt on speculation that the chisel-headed little bird avoided turning its brains to mush through a fancy shock-absorbing adaptation. On the other hand, his brain may be too small to care. “By analyzing high-speed video of three woodpecker species, we found that woodpeckers do not absorb the shock of impact with trees,” said Sam Van Wassenbergh, a biomechanics researcher from the University of Antwerp in Belgium. Anyone who’s ever seen, or even just heard of, machine gun fire from the woodpecker’s signature beat will appreciate the physics involved. Snapping their heads back and forth at an astonishing 20 times per second, members of some species can experience forces of up to 1400 g. Compare that to the paltry 90 to 1...

Curtin-led research finds origin of Martian meteorites - Australian Defense Magazine

New research led by Curtin University has pinpointed the home of the oldest and most famous Martian meteorite for the first time, offering important geological clues to Mars’ early origins. Using a multidisciplinary approach involving machine learning algorithms, new research – published today in Nature Communication – identified a specific crater on Mars that ejected the so-called ‘Black Beauty’ meteorite, weighing 320 grams, and paired rock, which was first reported to have been found in northern Africa in 2011. Researchers have named a particular Martian crater after the town of Karratha in the Pilbara, located more than 1500km north of Perth in Western Australia, which is home to one of the oldest terrestrial rocks. Lead author Dr Anthony Lagain, from Curtin’s Space Science and Technology Center in the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, said the exciting discovery offered previously unknown details about the Mars meteorite NWA 7034, known as ‘Blac...

AI model detects people's attitudes towards vaccines from their social media posts

People’s attitudes towards vaccines can now be detected from their social media posts with a smart AI model, developed by researchers at the University of Warwick. An AI-based model can analyze social media posts and determine the author’s attitude towards vaccines, by being ‘trained’ to recognize that attitude from a small number of sample tweets. As a simple example, if a post contains mention of distrust of health care institutions, fear of needles, or something related to a known conspiracy theory, the model can recognize that the person who wrote it may have negative feelings about vaccinations. The research, funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will be presented today (12 July) at the North American Association of Computational Linguistics Annual Conference 2022. It is led by Professor Yulan He from the University’s Department of Computer Science, supported by a 5-year Turing AI Fellowship funded by the EPSRC. Professor He and his colleagues a...