Culture
AUSTRALIA, Sydney - September 10, 2019 - We've all heard that 'food is good for your mood'. Now a new study into mental health and nutrient supplementation has taken a leap forward by establishing the gold standard for which nutrients are proven to assist in the management of a range of mental health disorders.
As well as an established relationship between poor diet and mental illness, there is now a vast body of research examining the benefit of nutrient supplementation in people with mental disorders.
For children fearful of undergoing MRI scans, an inexpensive everyday item used as a marker, such as a jelly baby lolly or a plastic, fish-shaped soy sauce container, might make the process a little less intimidating.
And thanks to a QUT study, these and other relatively cheap, common items have been shown to be visible, effective MRI markers, when placed on a patient's skin, to pinpoint specific anatomical areas or pathologies being scanned.
How is the retina formed? And how do neurons differentiate to become individual components of the visual system? By focusing on the early stages of this complex process, researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, in collaboration with the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), have identified the genetic programmes governing the birth of different types of retinal cells and their capacity to wire to the correct part of the brain, where they transmit visual information.
In the field of computer engineering, magnetically switchable materials play a significant role in data storage. A team from the Cluster of Excellence Ruhr Explores Solvation at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) has developed and manufactured a novel molecule called 3-methoxy-9-fluorenylidene. What's special about it: its magnetic properties can be controlled through light of different colours. This might be of use for computer industry.
Several fungal species from the order Trichosporonales are of interest for industrial applications because they might be used for the production of biofuels. However, to explore their biotechnological potential it is necessary to learn more about their biology. An team of researchers led by Associate Professor Minou Nowrousian from the Department of Molecular and Cellular Botany of the Ruhr-University Bochum (RUB) has now analyzed 24 genomes of Trichosporonales fungi with a focus on genes that are important for sexual development.
Is there a lottery ticket that always wins? So goes the popular version of a theoretical conundrum posed in 1969 by English mathematician Adrian R.D. Mathias within the field of set theory, an area dealing with infinity in mathematics.
Some of these changes are long-lasting and can be detected even days after neuronal activation, as a form of genomic memory of the past neuronal activation.
The research, conducted in rodents and published in Nature Neuroscience, shows new molecular mechanisms that contribute to the plasticity of the adult brain. The changes initiated by neuronal activation are more complex and act at more levels than previously thought.
New research from North Carolina State University finds that being convicted of a crime is associated with a decline in one's physical health, even if the conviction doesn't lead to jail time. The study also confirms previous work finding that being arrested is associated with adverse mental health outcomes, even if an individual isn't ultimately charged with a crime.
Scientists have found that brain networks develop differently in males and females at puberty, with boys showing an increase in connectivity in certain brain areas, and girls showing a decrease in connectivity as puberty progresses. These analyses were focused on brain regions previously identified as conferring risk for mood problems in adolescents, suggesting an association, although this needs to be tested. This work is presented at the ECNP Congress in Copenhagen, and is based on a recent peer-reviewed publication.
This is National Suicide Prevention Week, and John Campo--the chief behavior wellness officer at West Virginia University--is examining trends in suicide rates to make suicide prevention more effective. His recent findings suggest that rural residents may be especially vulnerable to suicide when they face economic challenges.
Data from individuals with different types of severe visual impairment suggest that the associations we make between sounds and shapes -- a "smooth" b or a "spiky" k -- may form during a sensitive period of visual development in early childhood. The findings are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
HOUSTON - (Sept. 9, 2019) - It only took the replacement of one atom for Rice University scientists to give new powers to biocompatible fluorescent molecules.
The Rice lab of chemist Han Xiao reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society it has developed a single-atom switch to turn fluorescent dyes used in biological imaging on and off at will.
The technique will enable high-resolution imaging and dynamic tracking of biological processes in living cells, tissues and animals.
Our global food production system uses 53 million tonnes of phosphate fertilizers annually, processed from 270 million tonnes of mined phosphate rock . Estimates show up to 90% phosphate loss from mine to fork . A considerable part of this loss is phosphate pollution in water, some of which creates "dead zones", areas where little or no marine life can survive. With an increase in food demand by 60% towards 2050 , our food production system will need even more phosphate fertilizers. But where do the fertilizers come from and where do they go?
Epidemiological studies rely heavily on survey research; however, limitations of traditional data collection methods - paper-based, in-person, phone, mail, and internet surveys - can serve as barriers to recruitment and retention of research participants. Conventional data collection methods are especially ineffective for aging minority populations, who may have limited English proficiency and less access to and facility with technology.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- If you want something done, ask a busy person - or so the saying goes. According to a new paper co-written by a University of Illinois scholar who studies attitudes and persuasion psychology, if you want to sell something quickly, it helps to try a busy consumer.