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Parasites as fountains of youth: Study finds infected ants live much longer
According to the results of a multi-year scientific study, ants of the species Temnothorax nylanderi show exceptionally high survival rates when infected with a tapeworm.
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Reaping the benefits of noise
Signals can be amplified by an optimum amount of noise, but this so-called stochastic resonance is a fragile phenomenon. Experimental AMOLF research shows that stochastic resonance becomes robust to variations in the signal frequency when systems have memory. This has implications in many fields of physics and energy technology. In particular, the scientists numerically show that introducing slow non-linearity in a mechanical oscillator harvesting energy from noise can increase its efficiency by tenfold.
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AGA recommends early use of biologics in patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes inflammation (pain and swelling) in the gastrointestinal tract, can cause daily health problems, frequent hospitalizations and surgery when not adequately controlled. While there is no cure for Crohn's disease, there are treatments that can help patients live a symptom-free life.
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A deep dive into the brain
Researchers from ETH Zurich and University of Zurich led by Daniel Razansky have developed a new microscopy technique that lights up the brain with high resolution imagery. This allows neuroscientists to study brain functions and ailments more closely and non-invasively.
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Spacetime crystals proposed by placing space and time on an equal footing
A Penn State scientist studying crystal structures has developed a new mathematical formula that may solve a decades-old problem in understanding spacetime, the fabric of the universe proposed in Einstein's theories of relativity.
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World needs USD 8.1 trillion investment in nature by 2050 to tackle triple planetary crisis
A total investment in nature of USD 8.1 trillion is required between now and 2050 - while annual investment should reach USD 536 billion annually by 2050 - in order to successfully tackle the interlinked climate, biodiversity, and land degradation crises, according to the State of Finance for Nature report released today.
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New research may explain why some people derive more benefits from exercise than others
A new study published led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) provides insights related to mechanistic links between physical fitness and overall health and the reasons why the same exercise can have different effects in different people.
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Study sheds light on population history of northern east Asia
A study led by research groups of Prof. FU Qiaomei from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Prof. ZHANG Hucai from Yunnan University covers the largest temporal transect of population dynamics in East Asia so far and offers a clearer picture of the deep population history of northern East Asia.
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New framework to enhance national climate action and achieve global goals
With the COP Climate conference in Glasgow only a few months away, the ambitions of the Paris Agreement and the importance of taking action at the national level to reach global climate goals is returning to the spotlight. IIASA researchers and colleagues have proposed a novel systematic and independent scenario framework that could help policymakers assess and compare climate policies and long-term strategies across countries to support coordinated global climate action.
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Delaying lung cancer surgery associated with higher risk of recurrence, death
New research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has found that postponing lung cancer surgery for more than 12 weeks from the date of diagnosis with a CT scan is associated with a higher risk of recurrence and death.
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Gene research on brassicas provides potential for making better crops
Scientists have used gene technology to understand more about the make-up of the evolution of brassicas - paving the way for bigger and more climate resilient yields from this group of crops that have been grown for thousands of years.
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Roots of major depression revealed in all its genetic complexity
A massive genome-wide association study (GWAS) of genetic and health records of 1.2 million people from four separate data banks has identified 178 gene variants linked to major depression, a disorder that will affect one of every five people during their lifetimes.
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How metals work together to weaken hardy nitrogen-nitrogen bonds
For the first time, MIT chemists have determined the structure of the complex that forms when N2 binds to an iron-sulfur cluster, offering clues as to how microbes use nitrogenase enzymes to convert atmospheric dinitrogen into ammonia.
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Myocarditis in big ten athletes with recent SARS-CoV-2 infection
What The Study Did: In this study of 1,597 Big Ten athletes who had comprehensive cardiac screening, including cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging, after COVID-19 infection, 37 athletes (2.3%) were diagnosed with clinical and subclinical myocarditis. Researchers report CMR screening increased detection of myocarditis, a leading cause of sudden death in competitive athletes.
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Factors associated with racial/ethnic group-based medical mistrust, perspectives on COVID-19 vaccine
What The Study Did: This survey study of adults living Michigan during the COVID-19 pandemic examines associations between race/ethnicity, medical mistrust within racial/ethnic groups and willingness to participate in COVID-19 vaccine trials or to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
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Association of tracheostomy with outcomes in patients with COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 transmission among health care workers
What The Study Did: The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis indicate that enhanced personal protective equipment is associated with low rates of SARS-CoV-2 transmission during tracheostomy.
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Jebel Sahaba: A succession of violence rather than a prehistoric war
Since the 1960s, the Jebel Sahaba cemetery (Nile Valley, present-day Sudan) has become the emblem of organised warfare during prehistory. Re-analysis of the data, however, argues for a succession of smaller conflicts. Competition for resources is probably one of the causes of the conflicts witnessed in this cemetery.
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Icebergs push back
New research led by the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at CU Boulder shows that a relaxation in the thick aggregate of icebergs floating at the glacier-ocean boundary of the Jakobshavn Isbræ occurs up to an hour before calving events. This finding may help scientists better understand future sea-level rise scenarios and could also help them predict when major episodes of calving are about to occur.
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Archaeology: Prehistoric violence at Jebel Sahaba may not have been single event
Reanalysis of the prehistoric cemetery Jebel Sahaba (Sudan), one of the earliest sites showing human warfare (13,400 years ago), suggests that hunter-fisher-gatherers engaged in repeated, smaller conflicts. The findings are published in Scientific Reports.
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Physical activity levels and well-being sink worldwide during coronavirus restrictions
During the first lockdown people were a good 40 percent less active, as shown by an international study led by Goethe University Frankfurt. Psychological well-being sank as well; the portion of people at potential risk for depression tripled. The authors fear long-term consequences and urge that this be taken into account going forward.
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