Culture
Scientists from the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have developed a way to use machine learning to dramatically accelerate the design of microbes that produce biofuel.
Prawns have personalities - and cautious crustaceans do better in the battle for food, new research shows.
Scientists from the University of Exeter studied rockpool prawns (Palaemon elegans) and found some were consistently shy, while others were bolder.
But this bravery may come at a cost - as the risk takers tended to do worse than other prawns when competing for food.
"We found that the shyer prawns were better at controlling a food source," said first author Daniel Maskrey, formerly of the University of Exeter but now at the University of Liverpool.
New research carried out by the John Innes Centre has delved into the genetic memory systems through which plants pass seasonal information down to their seeds to give them the best chance of reproductive success.
Plants integrate seasonal signals such as temperature and day length and use this memorised information to optimise the timing for key lifecycle stages.
In just over 1,000 years, Icelanders have gone through numerous changes in their gene pool, to the extent that Iceland's first settlers, who came to the island from Norway and the British and Irish isles between the years 870 and 930, are much more similar to the inhabitants of their original home countries than to Iceland's present-day inhabitants.
Our national forests and grasslands -- 193 million acres throughout the United States -- are a national treasure intended for use by everyone. But a new study by San Francisco State University Professor of Recreation, Parks & Tourism Nina Roberts and the U.S. Forest Service finds that many ethnic minorities are not using or enjoying these places.
LA JOLLA--(May 31, 2018) One of the many challenges in treating HIV is that the virus can lie dormant in cells, quietly evading immune detection until it suddenly roars to life without warning and begins replicating furiously. Salk Institute researchers discovered a small molecule called JIB-04 that destroys the HIV protein called Tat, responsible for revving up the virus.
Symptoms associated with borderline personality disorder -- a severe and chronic mood disorder characterized by an inability to manage strong emotions -- tend to worsen just before and during menses, according to a study in Psychological Medicine.
DALLAS - May 31, 2018 - Glucose is the energy that fuels cells, and the body likes to store glucose for later use. But too much glucose can contribute to obesity, and scientists have long wanted to understand what happens within a cell to tip the balance.
To solve this riddle, researchers at UT Southwestern's Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences examined specialized compartments inside the cell to reveal the role of a molecule termed NAD+ in turning on genes that make fat cells.
White Americans' fear of losing their socioeconomic standing in the face of demographic change may be driving opposition to welfare programs, even though whites are major beneficiaries of government poverty assistance, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University.
Cell biologists have deepened understanding of proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases. The findings could open up new treatment approaches for disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), among others.
Researchers in Japan have gained valuable insights into 'stress granules' -- clumps of RNAs and proteins that form when cells are stressed by factors such as heat, toxins and viruses.
COLUMBUS, Ohio - A strong social network could be the key to preserving memory.
New research from The Ohio State University found that mice housed in groups had better memories and healthier brains than animals that lived in pairs.
The discovery bolsters a body of research in humans and animals that supports the role of social connections in preserving the mind and improving quality of life, said lead researcher Elizabeth Kirby, an assistant professor of behavioral neuroscience and member of the Center for Chronic Brain Injury at Ohio State.
Boston, MA - The mortality rate in Puerto Rico rose by 62% [95% confidence interval (CI) 11% to 114%] after Hurricane Maria, according to a new study led by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study was conducted in January and February 2018, in collaboration with colleagues from Carlos Albizu University in Puerto Rico and the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
DALLAS - May 30, 2018 - Building on two decades of research, investigators at UT Southwestern have determined that "cellular housekeeping" can extend the lifespan and healthspan of mammals.
A study jointly led by Drs. Salwa Sebti and Álvaro Fernández, postdoctoral researchers in the Center for Autophagy Research, found that mice with persistently increased levels of autophagy - the process a cell uses to dispose of unwanted or toxic substances that can harm cellular health - live longer and are healthier. The study, published online today, is found in Nature.
Conspiracy theories about government officials and the institutions they represent are widespread and rooted deep in U.S. history according to the co-author of two new social psychology studies which predict the likelihood that one will believe conspiracy beliefs or theories.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Researchers from three universities have found that extreme price competition in the generic pharmaceutical market -- designed to make medications more affordable -- may be putting more patients at serious health risk, as evidenced by a higher number of product recalls caused by manufacturing-related problems.
The same research, published online today in the Journal of Operations Management, also raises concerns that generic drug makers may be underreporting discretionary recalls due to competitive pressures.