New research indicates that saber-toothed cats retained their baby teeth to support their iconic sabers.

Posted on May 1, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

new analysis of distinctive canine teeth saber-toothed tiger (Smilodon Fatalis) The deciduous teeth that precede each saber (the deciduous teeth that all mammals grow and lose by adulthood) remain in place for years to stabilize the growing permanent saber teeth, and perhaps adolescents break them off. This suggests that it was possible to learn how to hunt without having to hunt.

The canines of saber-toothed predators are among the most specialized tooth structures known. Hypotheses regarding the function of enlarged dogs range from exhibition and conspecific interactions, processing of soft foods to active prey acquisition. Recent studies on the ontogenetic timing of cranial traits have shown that adult dogs may take many years to fully erupt, but long-term implications for inferences of functional morphology in dogs. The impact of the eruption is missing from current discussions and remains unquantified. In his new study, Tseng evaluates hypotheses regarding bending strength and stiffness, respectively, in adult dogs during rash. Smilodon Fatalis. Image credit: Massimo Molinello.

This new study provides the first evidence that saber teeth alone were increasingly vulnerable to lateral breakage during eruption, but would have been more stable if they had primary or deciduous teeth next to them. .

The evidence consists of computer modeling of the strength and lateral bending stiffness of the saber tooth, as well as actual testing and failure of a plastic model of the saber tooth.

“This new study is confirmation through physical and simulation tests of an idea that several collaborators and I published several years ago. It is possible that the timing of the saber ejection is adjusted and the double fang phase “It's possible,” he said. Study author Dr. Jack Tseng is a paleontologist at the University of California, Berkeley.

“Imagine a timeline where the milk canine comes out, and once it finishes erupting, the permanent canine comes out, overtakes the milk canine, and eventually pushes out the milk canine.”

“What would happen if this baby tooth was in the mouth right next to this permanent tooth for 30 months?”

“Long after the saber's permanent teeth erupted, the baby dog's unusual presence protected it, while the adult tiger learned how to hunt without damaging the saber.”

“Eventually, the baby teeth will fall out and the adult will have learned how to use the saber, but they will lose the support of the saber.”

Paleontologists still don't know what saber-tooth preferences are Smilodon He hunted his prey without breaking his unwieldy saber.

Dr Tseng said: “The double fang stage is probably worth revisiting now that we have shown there is insurance potential and broader protection.”

“This allows our teenage equivalents to experiment, take risks, and essentially learn how to become fully grown, perfect predators.”

“If you look at sabertooth use and increased hunting through a mechanical lens, I think it's not a solution, but it's a refinement.”

The same canine stabilization system may have evolved in other saber-toothed animals, researchers say.

Although no examples of double tusks in other species have been found in the fossil record, some skulls have been found to have adult teeth elsewhere in the jaw and deciduous teeth where the saber grows. has been done.

“What we are seeing is that milk canines are preserved in specimens with adult dentition. This means that the adult teeth, the sabers, are erupting or are beginning to erupt. “This suggests that milk canines were retained over a long period of time,” Dr. Tseng said.

of study Published in anatomical record.

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Z. Jack Tseng.Changes in bending performance during long-term eruption of saber gingival canine teeth: a case study. Smilodon Fatalis. anatomical record, published online on April 8, 2024. doi: 10.1002/ar.25447

Source: www.sci.news

Research shows that foxes are less likely to sustain injuries while diving in the snow due to their elongated nose

Posted on May 1, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Certain fox species dive into the snow to catch prey. This is a hunting mechanism called rat hunting. Red fox (Vulpes Vulpes Vulpes) and arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) It can dive into the snow at a speed of 2-4m/s. Scientists at Cornell University have found in a new study that a highly curved, elongated snout generates less impact force when it penetrates the snow, reducing the chance of injury in a crash. This skull shape allows the fox to reach deep into the snow, giving it an advantage in catching small rodents at greater depths. As a result, the authors predict that red and arctic foxes living in snow-covered areas will have higher hunting success when hunting mice in the snow.

Yuku other. They studied a hunting technique employed by red foxes and arctic foxes known as mousing. In this hunting technique, they dive headfirst into the snow to capture their prey. Image credit: Yellowstone National Park.

The red fox and the arctic fox dive into the snow to catch their prey. This behavior is known as mouse trapping.

These foxes can locate animals under several feet of snow due to their excellent sensitivity to rustling sounds that peak at frequencies between 2 and 10 kHz.

The fox senses the location of its prey and quickly dives into the snow at 2 to 4 meters per second, catching it completely by surprise.

Previous studies investigated this mouse behavior in terms of diving mechanisms and success rates.

Red foxes tended to jump in a northeast direction, and hunting success was much higher when foxes jumped in this direction compared to all other directions, suggesting that foxes take advantage of the Earth's magnetic field. It was suggested that they were hunting.

However, the mechanical aspects of snow diving, which are also important for hunting success, are not well understood.

“The fox's sharp snout does not compact the snow significantly and penetrates it with little resistance,” said Professor Seong-Hwan Jeong, a researcher in Cornell University's Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering.

In the study, Professor Jung and his colleagues scanned the skulls of foxes and arctic foxes, as well as lynx and puma skulls.

They 3D printed skulls and attached sensors to each to measure impact forces.

The skulls were then dropped into both snow and water, and the researchers fed the data into a computer model to compare the effects of both.

Researchers found that the fox's sharp nose penetrates the snow with little resistance, minimizing potential tissue damage when diving headfirst.

Professor Chong said, “Despite the high-speed impact, snow behaves like water if it is not compressed very much.''

“However, the flattened feline's snout compacted the snow upon impact, creating significant and potentially damaging drag.”

When targeting mice in the snow, the fox's long snout allows it to reach its prey faster, since the mouse is very sensitive to surrounding movements and can quickly escape.

Other behavioral studies have shown that foxes listen for the rustling of mice and other animals beneath the snow by shaking their heads before plunging, thereby gauging the depth of the sound source.

“Although this is a very dangerous process, there have been no reports of foxes being injured,” Professor Chong said.

Regarding this research, paper inside Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Jisoo Yuk other. 2024. Effects of skull morphology on fox snowdiving. PNAS 121 (19): e2321179121; doi: 10.1073/pnas.2321179121

Source: www.sci.news

New genetic research on flowering plants changes the tree of life at a large scale

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The pink lapacho tree is one of approximately 300,000 species of flowering plants

Roberto Okamura Tetsuo/Shutterstock

Botanists have used genome data from more than 9,500 species to map evolutionary relationships among flowering plants. The newly compiled Tree of Life will help scientists piece together the origins of flowering plants and inform future conservation efforts.

Approximately 90 percent of plants that live on land are flowering and fruiting plants called angiosperms. These flowering plants are essential to maintaining Earth's ecosystems, including storing carbon and producing oxygen, and they make up a large portion of our diet.

“Our very existence depends on them,” he says. william baker At the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, England. “That's why we need to really understand them.”

For the past eight years, Baker and his colleagues have been working to complete the Tree of Life, which describes the evolutionary relationships between all genera of plants and fungi.

Starting with flowering plants, the researchers designed molecular probes to search for 353 specific genes found in the nucleus of all angiosperms. “The nuclear genome is huge,” Baker says. “So we needed to focus on a specific set of genes.”

Researchers have so far sequenced the genes of 9,506 species of flowering plants, primarily using specimens from collections and public databases around the world. This represents nearly all known angiosperm families and approximately 8,000 of the 13,400 recorded genera.Some of the specimens collected in the analysis are more than 200 years old; Arenaria globifloraand many Guadalupe Island olives (Espererea Palmeri).

By comparing the similarities in the gene sequences of different flowering plants, researchers were able to figure out where they fit on the tree of life.

Baker says this is the most comprehensive survey of angiosperms to date. “We often liken it to the periodic table of elements,” he says. “It's the basic framework for life.”

angiosperm tree of life

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Angiosperms emerged about 140 million years ago and have rapidly flourished, overtaking flowerless gymnosperms to become the world's dominant plant species. The sudden appearance of the diversity of flowering plants in the fossil record has baffled scientists for the past few centuries, and Charles Darwin called it “a hideous mystery.”

Now, the Tree of Life confirms that about 80 percent of the major flowering plant lineages that still exist today were part of this early boom in angiosperm diversity. “We can't say we've solved this 'damn mystery,' but at least we can say it really does exist,” Baker said.

The tree of life also highlights a further surge in diversity that occurred around 40 million years ago, possibly caused by a drop in global temperatures at the time.

In the future, he says, the Tree of Life could also help in the search for plants with pharmaceutical properties for new drugs. Ilia Leech, another member of Cue's team. It also helps scientists identify new species and assess which species are most vulnerable to climate change.

“This is the latest and greatest evolutionary framework for conducting new research that approaches the mechanisms that have allowed flowering plants to take over the world,” he says. ryan falk at Mississippi State University.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Executor Refuses CTE Research on O.J. Simpson’s Brain, Plans for Cremation

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A lawyer representing O.J. Simpson, who passed away from cancer at the age of 76 last week, announced on Sunday that Simpson’s body will be cremated in the coming days and there are no plans to donate his brain for research purposes, according to his attorney Malcolm LaVergne.

LaVergne mentioned that there had been inquiries about studying Simpson’s brain for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma in football players, but stated firmly that the entire body, including the brain, will be cremated.

Further details about the cremation and decision regarding brain research were first reported in The New York Post.

As the executor of Simpson’s estate, LaVergne mentioned plans for a small “celebration of life” gathering restricted to close friends and family. Simpson had three children from his previous marriages and was famously acquitted in the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman in 1995.

Regarding financial matters, LaVergne expressed that he does not want the Goldman family, victims’ relatives, to receive any funds from Simpson’s estate. He acknowledged the need to handle the situation calmly and impartially.

Mr. Simpson’s debts, including those to the IRS, will be addressed as his estate is evaluated, and assets are inventoried to settle claims. Creditors will be prioritized for payment, with the Goldman family amongst them.

Despite potential legal battles over financial assets, Cook emphasized that the main goal is post-acquittal justice and accountability for the deaths of Brown Simpson and Goldman.

Looking ahead, LaVergne seeks funding for a suitable memorial at Simpson’s burial site as specified in his will, emphasizing the importance of carrying out his wishes without contention.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Breakthrough in microbiome research may hold the key to combating obesity

Posted on April 3, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Recent discoveries by scientists on the human gut microbiome, which consists of microorganisms like bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses residing in the gastrointestinal tract, may lead to new weight loss interventions in the future.

To be presented at the European Obesity Conference (ECO), researchers have identified specific microbial species that could either increase or decrease an individual’s risk of obesity.

Through a study involving 361 adult volunteers from Spain, scientists identified a total of six main species.

The lead researcher, Dr. Paula Aranaz, who obtained her PhD from the Nutrition Research Center of the University of Navarra, explained, “Our findings highlight the potential role of imbalances in various bacterial groups in the development and progression of obesity.”

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Participants were categorized based on their body mass index: 65 were of normal weight, 110 were overweight, and 186 were obese. Genetic microbiota profiling was conducted to analyze the type, composition, diversity, and abundance of bacteria present in their fecal samples.

The study found that individuals with higher body mass index had lower levels of Christensenella Minuta, a bacterium associated with weight loss in other studies.

<.p>Interestingly, there were gender-specific differences in the findings. For men, the species Parabacteroides hercogenes and Campylobacter canadensis were linked to higher BMI, fat mass, and waist size. On the other hand, for women, the species Prevotella copri, Prevotella brevis, and Prevotella saccharolytica predicted obesity risk.

According to Aranaz, “Fostering certain bacterial types in the gut microbiota, like Christensenella Minuta, may protect against obesity. Future interventions aimed at altering bacterial strains or bioactive molecules levels could create a microbiome resistant to obesity.”

While the study focused on a specific region of Spain, factors such as climate, geography, and diet could influence the results. These findings could lead to tailored nutritional strategies for weight loss that take into account gender differences.

About our expert:

Paula Aranaz is a researcher at the Nutrition Research Center of the University of Navarra in Spain, focusing on bioactive compounds to prevent and treat metabolic diseases. Her research has been published in journals like International Journal of Molecular Science, Nutrients, and European Journal of Nutrition.

Read more:

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Research suggests smartphone app could aid in early diagnosis of dementia in younger adults

Posted on April 1, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

New data suggests that a smartphone app could aid in detecting the main cause of early-onset dementia in individuals at a high risk of developing it.

Researchers have discovered that cognitive tests conducted through smartphone apps can identify early signs of frontotemporal dementia in those genetically predisposed to the condition, showing comparable sensitivity to traditional medical evaluations.

Frontotemporal dementia is a neurological disorder that typically emerges in middle age, impacting a person’s ability to plan, prioritize, filter distractions, and control impulses as certain brain regions responsible for these functions diminish over time.

Approximately one-third of individuals affected by this disease have a genetic component, underscoring the urgency of early diagnosis and monitoring response to treatments most effective in the disease’s initial stages.

Lead author Adam from the University of California, San Francisco, noted, “Most frontotemporal dementia patients receive a belated diagnosis due to their young age and symptoms being mistaken for mental health issues.”

The use of smartphones as diagnostic tools for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s diseases has been gaining popularity. Researchers collaborated with a software company to develop an app for assessing cognitive function, gait, balance, movement, and language skills in individuals at high genetic risk for frontotemporal dementia, even before symptoms manifest.

The study published in JAMA Network Open demonstrated the app’s ability to accurately detect dementia and potentially outperform traditional neuropsychological assessments in the early stages of the disease.

While there are no immediate plans for public availability, the app could significantly advance research efforts in understanding and treating frontotemporal dementia.

Over 30 clinical trials are underway or in the pipeline, exploring treatments that may slow disease progression in specific gene carriers. The app could address the challenge of collecting sensitive outcome measures easily, benefitting patients, caregivers, and clinicians.

Stafaroni added, “We believe smartphone-based assessments could facilitate innovative trials for potential treatments, reducing the need for frequent in-person evaluations.”

Ultimately, the app may serve as a tool to monitor treatment efficacy and potentially replace most in-person visits to clinical trial sites.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Research: Protein from tardigrades found to inhibit human cell metabolism

Posted on March 28, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

New research led by University of Wyoming Laramie provides additional evidence that tardigrade proteins could ultimately be used to provide life-saving treatments to people for whom refrigeration is not possible and to enhance storage of cell-based treatments.

Sanchez Martinez other. We provide insight into how tardigrades induce reversible biostasis through self-assembly of labile CAHS gels.

First discovered in 1773, tardigrades are a diverse group of microscopic invertebrates best known for their ability to survive in extreme conditions.

Also known as tardigrades or moss piglets, these creatures can live up to 60 years, grow to a maximum size of 0.5 mm, and are best seen under a microscope.

They can survive temperatures as low as -272 degrees Celsius (-457 degrees Fahrenheit) or as high as -150 degrees Celsius (-302 degrees Fahrenheit), and temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius for several minutes, and for up to 30 years without food or water. Masu. Minus 4 degrees Celsius (minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit) continues for decades.

Tardigrades can withstand pressures from nearly 0 atmospheres in space to 1,200 atmospheres at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, and radiation levels of up to 5,000 to 6,200 Gy.

They survive by entering a state of suspended animation called biostasis, using proteins that form gels within their cells and slow down life processes.

“Surprisingly, when you introduce these proteins into cells, they gel and slow down their metabolism, much like tardigrades do,” says researcher Sylvia Sánchez Martinez, Ph.D., of the University of Wyoming, Laramie.

“Furthermore, just like tardigrades, putting human cells with these proteins into biostasis makes them more resistant to stress, giving human cells some of the tardigrade's abilities.”

“Importantly, our study shows that the entire process is reversible,” said researcher Thomas Boothby, Ph.D., of the University of Wyoming, Laramie.

“When stress is reduced, the tardigrade gel dissolves and human cells return to normal metabolism.”

“Our findings provide an avenue to pursue technologies centered on inducing biostasis in cells and even whole organisms to slow aging and increase shelf life and stability.”

of findings appear in the diary protein science.

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S. Sanchez Martinez other. 2024. Unstable assembly of tardigrade proteins induces homeostasis. protein science 33 (4): e4941; doi: 10.1002/pro.4941

Source: www.sci.news

People engage in watching sports, engaging in sexual activities, procreating, and conducting research.

Posted on March 21, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

children’s victory

Data from a study by Gwynyay Maske and colleagues at University College Dublin in Ireland shows that spectator sports are good for kids – good for them.

The data covers major American football, association football (soccer), and rugby union tournaments in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America.

The researchers found that, “with a few exceptions,” these popularity contests “continue to increase in number of births and/or fertility 9 (±1) months after notable team wins and/or tournaments.” “It was associated with an increase in the ratio.” .

Sporting events at this level seem to work that way for the winners, but not for the losers, says a study published in the journal Peer J. No joke, the downsides are significant. “Unexpected losses by Premier Soccer League teams were associated with fewer births nine months later.”

celebratory sex

The study of sports viewing begins with the following fascinating sentence: “Major sports tournaments may be associated with increased birth rates nine months later, possibly due to celebratory sex.”

Not many researchers have focused on the topic of celebratory sex. However, four academics from the University of South Dakota wrote in a 2017 paper thatMidwestern college students reported sexual activity in parked cars.”.

The quartet candidly write about their observations:[Some people] For birthdays, holidays, graduations, proms, new car “run-in” sessions, we planned days and weeks in advance to have “celebratory” sex in a slow, long park… Parking Sex during men and women was primarily a positive sexual and romantic experience for both parties. “

The abstract climax of this study ends with the simple idea that “future research on sex in parked cars in urban settings is recommended.”

Timeliness of time

The eternal question, “What is time?'' staggered onto the stage. The first was the Finnish report on Russia's time zone, and the second was the varied actions of the Kazakh state.

Neri Piatteva and Nadezhda Vasileva from the University of Tampere in Finland,Controlling the time zone: a national large-scale assessment of time as a means in the Russian Federation”.

Russia has 11 time zones. Piattyeva and Vasileva tell us that “the existence of multiple time zones indicates the lack of a unified spatiotemporal nature.” And they express ideas that no one has ever been able to articulate clearly. “Bureaucratically, the desire for simultaneity and synchronicity takes the form of meticulously ordering sequences of actions through normative documents.” They argue that there is a hinge to everything. is revealed. “In our analysis, we repeatedly returned to the most difficult question: What is time?”

On its own, the Kazakh government added clarification, surprise, and perhaps confusion to the general timeliness. On March 1, Kazakhstan changed its two time zones to a single time zone nationwide.

period of central asia reported two weeks before the big day that “not all citizens are happy about this, and some claim it will affect their health.” times In an interview with Sultan Turekhanov of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, he warned: In particular, it is a change in the temporal structure parameters of human biological rhythms. ”

The feedback is, above all, a tribute to the audacity of those who dare to play with the temporal structural parameters of the biological rhythms of human tissues.

unread, non-existent

How many studies are there that no one reads…and eventually disappear? And how many studies disappear that no one reads even before they disappear? Both? Rough answer to the question – it's not exactly the same question. – Now it exists.

The first question was answered almost 20 years ago when Lockman I. Mejo of Indiana University Bloomington published a paper (which has not disappeared) called “.The rise of citation analysis”.

Meho writes: “It is a solemn fact that approximately 90% of papers published in academic journals are not cited at all. In fact, 50% of his papers are never read by anyone other than the authors, reviewers, and journal editors. not.”

Martin Paul Eve from Birkbeck, University of London got the second question right. His new research (also not extinct yet) is called “.Poor preservation of digital academic journals: A study of 7 million articles”. The study “evaluated” 7,438,037 academic citations with unique identification codes called DOIs. Now, in the research, we attempted to evaluate. According to Eve's report, 2,056,492 (27.64%) of them appear to be missing.

Eve also said that 32.9 percent of organizations responsible for digitally preserving documents “do not appear to be doing adequate digital preservation.”

Feedback: old ideals: The study should raise more questions than answers.

Mark Abrahams hosted the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony and co-founded the magazine Annals of Improbable Research. Previously, he was working on unusual uses of computers.his website is impossible.com.

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Research finds that consumption of cranberries enhances performance markers in well-trained runners

Posted on March 20, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Cranberries have the highest polyphenol and antioxidant capacity of any fruit or vegetable, which may help prevent the production of free radicals during exercise, which in turn may improve performance. In a new study, scientists investigated the effects of polyphenol-rich cranberry extract on time trial performance and post-exercise lactic acid response.

Consuming cranberries for 28 days seemed to improve running speed as well as aerobic performance in trained runners. Image credit: Michael Reichelt.

Polyphenols, such as proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins, flavonols, and flavonols, are secondary plant compounds found in fruits and vegetables.

Cranberries have the highest total polyphenol content of the most consumed fruits in the American diet and the highest antioxidant capacity of any fruit and vegetable.

In addition, its polyphenol content is notable due to its high concentration of rare A-type proanthocyanidins, which are believed to be the main contributors to its beneficial effects.

The use of nutritional supplements is increasing among athletes, and many are turning to natural health products to improve athletic performance.

Intense exercise significantly increases the production of reactive oxygen species due to high oxidative metabolic demands.

As a result, polyphenols may provide a natural antioxidant defense against exercise-induced free radical production.

“For elite athletes, any advantage can make the difference between finishing fifth or reaching the podium,” said study lead author Dr. Andreas Bergdahl, a researcher at Concordia University.

For this study, Dr. Bergdahl and his colleagues recruited 14 high-level runners who did at least five hours of endurance training per week.

The athletes ran two time trials during their three visits, one running 1,500 meters and one running 400 meters.

The first visit was used as the baseline. The second time, they administered a single large dose of cranberry extract two hours before the run.

The athletes were then instructed to consume a small amount of cranberry extract every day for 28 days before repeating their third run.

“We chose these distances to test the effects of cranberry extract on different energy systems,” said Dr. Francis Parenteau, lead author of the study. candidate at Concordia University.

“The 400m is short and intense and requires an anaerobic system. The 1,500m uses an aerobic system, but is shorter than what athletes typically run.”

“They weren’t training to run that distance, so we were able to isolate the effect of training as a variable.”

In addition to running time, the researchers also measured post-exercise blood lactate levels, a marker of potential muscle fatigue and oxygen deprivation.

They also fitted the runners with a portable near-infrared spectroscopy device to measure muscle oxygenation levels before, during and after a run.

After analyzing the data, the scientists found that consuming cranberry extract for 28 days showed a trend towards increased speed in the 1,500 meter time trial, but not in the 400 meter.

However, compared to baseline, they found that lactic acid accumulation decreased after 400 meters, but not after 1,500 meters.

Data also showed that cranberry extract promoted better oxygen extraction by muscles, improved lactate clearance, and slowed muscle deoxygenation.

“The benefit of this is that it’s all natural,” Dr. Bergdahl said.

“It’s an ergogenic aid, meaning it enhances performance, but it’s not an anabolic steroid.”

“Athletes can significantly improve their performance simply by consuming more cranberries.”

of study It was published in the magazine physical activity and nutrition.

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Francis Parenteau other. 2023. Cranberry supplements improve physiological markers of performance in trained runners. physical activity and nutrition 27 (4): 8-14; doi: 10.20463/pan.2023.0032

Source: www.sci.news

BBC Science Focus Magazine Explores the Latest Research on Social Anxiety

Posted on March 19, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

the strangeness of the universe

We explore some of the strangest places in the universe, where “normal” rules don’t apply. From places where you blow bubbles over time, to mysterious spaces, and places where glass falls horizontally.

Digital healthcare: Are those most in need excluded?

Advances in technology, such as the proliferation of smartphone apps, should make it easier for people to access medical services. But what if you don’t have a smartphone? Or do you want to talk to a real person? It’s clear that this technology doesn’t work for everyone.

belly fat

There’s a lot of advice out there on what exactly to do to move your spare tire around your waist. But do any of them actually add up? What does the science say?

three body problem

A new film adaptation of the biggest science fiction book of the century is coming to Netflix. This is a thrilling story powered by ideas and breakthroughs from cutting-edge science and technology. We dive deeper into the science behind fiction.

plus

Google Gemini: Google is working on a model to compete with Open AI. But is giving ChaGPT enough? Our tech expert Alex Hughes takes a closer look at the latest in AI.
Quantum field theory: Quantum field theory is a symphony of vibrations that orchestrates everything from the motion of particles to the birth of stars and even dark matter. This is one of the most elegant and precise concepts in all of science. Professor Stephon Alexander explains the basics and why they’re important to understanding the universe.
Resurrection of infectious diseases: With measles, plague and cholera rearing their heads again, are we seeing a resurgence of disease at unprecedented levels? And what would it take to cause a new pandemic?

Issue 403 Released on March 19, 2024

don’t forget that BBC Science Focus Also available on all major digital platforms.There are versions of android, Kindle Fire and Kindle e-readers,but also, iOS app For iPad and iPhone.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Research reveals that spending time with a dog can enhance focus

Posted on March 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Owning a dog can bring happiness, but recent research suggests that spending time with your furry friend can also have a positive impact on your brain function, enhancing focus and creativity.

Various studies have explored the connection between mood, hormone levels, and interactions with dogs. This new study delved deeper by using electroencephalography (EEG) scans to monitor brain activity while participants engaged with their dogs, resulting in unexpected findings.

During the study, participants interacted with a trained 4-year-old poodle that had a “compatible personality.” Researchers from Konkuk University in South Korea found that participants experienced increased brain wave activity when engaging with the dogs. The study, published in the journal Pro Swan, involved 30 participants who performed various activities with the poodles.

The researchers noted that activities like walking or playing with the dogs strengthened alpha-band brain wave oscillations, indicating a state of relaxation. On the other hand, activities such as grooming and gentle massages led to increased beta-band vibrations, associated with improved concentration.

Even participants without pets experienced these benefits, suggesting that interacting with dogs can positively impact brain activity regardless of pet ownership. However, it’s worth considering that the participants likely had an existing interest in dogs, potentially influencing the results.

Researchers hope this study will spark further investigation into using service dogs to provide physiological benefits like reducing anxiety in various environments. They see potential for animal-assisted interventions to improve well-being in places like hospitals and schools.

“This study offers valuable insights into the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of animal-assisted interventions,” stated the researchers.

Read more:

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Research suggests that Mars enhances Earth’s deep ocean circulation

Posted on March 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Australian and French geoscientists have used the geological record of Earth's deep ocean to discover a link between our home planet and the orbit of Mars. They discovered a surprising 2.4 million-year cycle of increase and decrease in deep ocean currents, which they found was related to periods of increased solar energy and climate warming.

This image from Mars Express' high-resolution stereo camera shows the Martian Earth set against a dark background. The planet's disk is speckled with yellow, orange, blue, and green, giving it an overall muted shade of gray, representing the varying composition of its surface. Image credit: ESA / DLR / FU Berlin / G. Michael / CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO.

“In 1976, scientists first demonstrated and confirmed the presence of 10,000- to 100,000-year astronomical cycles in deep-sea Pleistocene sediments. Milutin Milanković's theory “Earth's climate is regulated by the periodicity of perturbations in the Earth's orbit around the Sun and Earth's axis of rotation,” said Adriana Dutkiewicz, a researcher at the University of Sydney, and colleagues.

“Apart from the well-known astronomical cycles of 19,000, 23,000, 41,000, 100,000, and 400,000 years, which vary according to the Earth's climate, the geological record includes Large-period signals with longer periods are also included.”

“These large cycles contain orbitally forced periodicities of millions or even tens of millions of years, which are similarly related to incoming solar energy and paleoclimate changes. I am.”

In a new study, the authors used deep-sea sediment records to confirm the link between sediment movement and changes in Earth's orbit.

They discovered that the strength of deep ocean currents changes over a 2.4 million year cycle.

“We were surprised to find these 2.4 million-year cycles in deep-sea sediment data,” Dr. Dutkiewicz said.

“There's only one way to explain them. They're related to the cycle of Mars-Earth interactions around the sun.”

“The gravitational fields of the planets in our solar system interfere with each other, and this interaction, called resonance, changes the planet's eccentricity, a measure of how circular a planet's orbit is.”

“For Earth, that means a 2.4-million-year period of increased solar radiation and a warming climate.”

The researchers found that warming cycles are associated with an increase in deep ocean circulation, which correlates with increased breaks in the deep ocean record.

They identified deep eddies as a key component of early ocean warming.

Although these may partially alleviate ocean stagnation, some predict that subsequent stagnation may follow. AMOC (Atlantic meridional overturning circulation) drives the Gulf Stream and maintains Europe's warm climate.

“We now know that there are at least two distinct mechanisms that contribute to the active mixing of deep water in the ocean,” Professor Müller said.

“Deep-ocean eddies, of which AMOC is one, appear to play an important role in keeping the ocean ventilated in warmer climates.”

“Of course, it doesn't have the same effect as the AMOC in terms of transporting water masses from lower to higher latitudes and vice versa.”

“These eddies are like giant whirlpools that often reach the ocean floor in deep oceans, resulting in seafloor erosion and the accumulation of large sediments called contours that resemble snowdrifts.”

“Our deep-sea data over 65 million years suggests that there is a more active deep circulation in warmer oceans,” Dr. Dutkiewicz said.

“This could prevent ocean stagnation even if the AMOC slows down or stops altogether.”

of study It was published in the magazine nature communications.

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A. Dutkiewicz other. 2024. Deep-sea hibernation records reveal orbital pacing with an orbital eccentricity of 2.4 million grand cycles. Nat Commune 15th, 1998. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-46171-5

Source: www.sci.news

Research Shows That the Medium Size of a Cheetah Contributes to its Unmatched Speed

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The fastest animals are neither large elephants nor small ants, but intermediate sizes such as: Cheetah(Acinonychus jubatus). Why does running speed deviate from the regular patterns that govern an animal's anatomy and most other aspects of performance? A new study shows that, as previously thought, maximum running speed This suggests that there is not one limit to speed, but two: the speed and distance at which the muscle contracts. The maximum speed an animal can reach is determined by which limit is reached first, and that limit is determined by the size of the animal.

Cheetah (Acinonychus jubatus).

University of the Sunshine Coast researcher Professor Christopher Clemente said: “The key to our model is understanding that maximum running speed is limited by how fast the muscles contract and how much they can shorten during contraction. ” he said. University of Queensland.

“Animals as big as cheetahs exist in a physical sweet spot of about 50 kg where these two limits meet. Therefore, these animals are the fastest, with speeds of up to 105 km/h (65 mph). will reach.”

The first limit is called the “kinetic energy capacity limit'' and suggests that muscles in small animals are limited by how fast they can contract.

Because small animals generate large forces relative to their body weight, running for them is similar to trying to accelerate in a low gear when riding a bicycle downhill.

The second limitation is called the “work capacity limitation” and suggests that muscles in large animals are limited by the range over which they can contract.

Large animals are heavy, so their muscles produce less force relative to their body weight, and running is similar to trying to accelerate up a hill in a high gear on a bicycle.

“For large animals like rhinos and elephants, running can feel like lifting huge weights because their muscles are relatively weak and gravity takes a big toll on them,” says Harvard University. says researcher Dr. Peter Bishop.

“As a result of both, animals eventually have to slow down as they grow.”

To test the model's accuracy, the authors compared its predictions to land animal speed and size data from more than 400 species, ranging from large mammals, birds, and lizards to small spiders and insects.

The model accurately predicted how maximum running speed varied with body size for animals whose weights varied by more than 10 orders of magnitude, from a tiny 0.1 milligram tick to a 6-ton elephant.

Their findings shed light on the physical principles behind how muscles evolved and could inform future designs of robots that can match the athletic performance of the best animal runners.

The new model may not only explain how fast animals can run, but also provide important clues for understanding differences between groups of animals.

Large reptiles, such as lizards and crocodiles, are generally smaller and slower than large mammals.

“One possible explanation for this may be that reptiles' limb muscles make up a small proportion of their body mass, meaning that reptiles reach their work limits quickly when they are light. It needs to stay small in order to move,” he said. Taylor Dick is a researcher at the University of Queensland.

The researchers' model, combined with data from living species, also predicted that land animals weighing more than 40 tonnes would be unable to move.

The heaviest land mammal living today is the African elephant, which weighs approximately 6.6 tons, but there are also land dinosaurs such as: Patagotitanit probably weighed well over 40 tons.

“This indicates that caution is needed in extrapolating the muscle anatomy of extinct animals from data from non-extinct animals,” the researchers said.

“Rather, the data indicate that extinct giants may have evolved unique muscle anatomy, which warrants further study.”

Dr David Labonte, a researcher at Imperial College London, said: “Our study raises many interesting questions about muscle physiology in both extinct animals and living animals, including human athletes.” said.

“Physical constraints affect animals that swim and fly just as they do animals that run, and lifting these constraints is our next challenge.”

a paper The survey results were published in a magazine nature communications.

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D. Labonte other. 2024. Dynamic similarity and unique allometry of maximum running speed. Nat Commune 15, 2181; doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-46269-w

Source: www.sci.news

Paleontologists dispute research backing underwater tracking and hunting of Spinosaurus

Posted on March 9, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The lifestyle of spinosaurids has been a topic of intense debate since important new skeletal parts were uncovered. Spinosaurus aegyptius Different lifestyles of this species have been proposed in the literature. Some claim that they were more or less semi-aquatic, hunting fish from the edges of bodies of water or by walking or swimming on the surface. Others suggest that it was entirely aquatic and an underwater tracking predator.

A pair of animals that do things better than any animal that has ever evolved. Spinosaurus aegyptius About 95 million years ago, pterosaurs soared overhead on the northern coast of Africa and invaded nearby waters in search of prey. Image credit: Daniel Navarro.

Paleontologists generally agree that Spinosaurus aegyptius were fish-eaters, but how exactly these dinosaurs caught their prey is the subject of active debate, with some researchers suggesting that they hunted on the coast and others walked or swam in shallow water, and other researchers have suggested that it was an aquatic tracking predator.

One recent study used a fairly new statistical method called phylogenetic flexible discriminant analysis (pFDA) to analyze the density and proportion of organisms and supported the latter hypothesis. spinosaurus skeleton.

In a new study, University of Chicago professor Paul Sereno and colleagues critically evaluated the methods of previous research and identified significant flaws.

“spinosaurusand its close relatives, are fascinating due to their unusual anatomical features, the rarity of specimens, and the fact that scientists
had not discovered bones in any parts of their bodies until very recently. they stated.

“Unlike other carnivorous dinosaurs, there is strong evidence that it lived near water and ate fish and other aquatic organisms.”

“This has caused a lot of controversy as to how it is done. spinosaurus It was alive—was it a fast-swimming predator chasing fish like a sea lion? Or maybe it’s a predator lurking at the water’s edge, grabbing at you with its clawed hands like a gigantic version of a brown bear chasing a salmon, or poking its head into the water like a seven-ton heron from hell. I wonder if it was? ”

The authors began by asking new questions about bone density, such as how to digitize thin sections, where to slice through the femur and ribs, and whether to include bones from multiple individuals.

Some modern aquatic mammals, like manatees, have dense bones that bulge to help them stay underwater, like a scuba diver’s weight belt.

Large land animals such as elephants and dinosaurs also have dense bones to support their increased weight.

most modern birds and many dinosaurs spinosaurus Air sacs are attached to the inside of the lungs and bones and act like a life jacket to prevent submersion.

Assessing the aquatic abilities of extinct species such as spinosaurus All these factors must be considered.

Given the complexity of understanding the meaning of bone density, paleontologists reevaluated how statistical methods used in previous studies were applied to support the following claims: . spinosaurus It was a deep diver.

pFDA's approach is similar to machine learning, training classification algorithms based on groups of species whose lifestyles are well understood.

In principle, researchers could use algorithms to estimate the likelihood of the existence of poorly understood species such as: spinosaurus classified into some behavioral group.

“But in reality, there are challenges that need to be overcome,” said Intellectual Ventures researcher Nathan Myhrvold.

“Unfortunately, this technique doesn’t work well unless you have a large amount of data and do apples-to-apples comparisons to ensure that the data meets certain statistical assumptions.”

“None of these requirements were met in the previous study, so the results did not stand up to review.”

This new paper should help paleontologists understand the pitfalls of pFDA and other types of extensive statistical analysis and how to avoid them.

Researchers show that it is important to use consistent and objective criteria when deciding which species to include or exclude, and how to categorize their behavior .

The results of this study also demonstrate the importance of considering measurement error and individual differences when assessing bone mineral density.

“We think spinosaurus“As one of the largest predators to have ever evolved, this animal needed extra bone strength to support its weight on its relatively short hind legs,” Professor Sereno said.

“spinosaurus They could walk in channels more than 6 feet deep without floating, and could use their claws and jaws to ambush fish of any size, even while keeping their toes firmly planted in the mud. I stayed. ”

of study It was published in the magazine PLoS ONE.

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NP Myhrvold other. 2024. Diving dinosaur? Considerations regarding the use of bone density and pFDA to infer lifestyle. PLoS ONE 19 (3): e0298957; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298957

Source: www.sci.news

Closing the diversity divide in genetic research

Posted on March 4, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

In biomedical research, understanding causes and physical characteristics, known as phenotypes, is crucial for correcting abnormalities like diseases. Scientists use genetic techniques to identify disease-associated locations within the human genome, a process known as Genome-wide association research (GWAS). This research helps predict disease risk and develop prevention or treatment strategies.

However, a significant issue with GWAS is the lack of diversity in the data, primarily comprising individuals of European descent. This limits the application of results to other ancestries like Asia or Africa. Previous studies on rheumatoid arthritis have highlighted this limitation.

Using GWAS analysis, scientists generate statistics to predict an individual’s likelihood of developing traits or diseases based on their genetics, resembling a polygenic score report card. This analysis also shows how genes are inherited and their impact on traits like height, weight, and blood pressure.

To address this diversity gap, researchers from Australia, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea integrated European polygenic scores into genetic studies of various ancestries.

They utilized data from biobanks like UK Biobank, Biobank Japan, Taiwan Biobank, and Korea Genome Epidemiology Study, analyzing traits such as height, BMI, blood pressure, and diabetes. Statistical models helped calculate polygenic scores and evaluate GWAS results alongside European scores.

Their method aimed to enhance medical discoveries for underrepresented populations by analyzing genome segments unique to certain traits. They found that adjusting GWAS with polygenic scores improved the detection of rare genetic differences and trait relationships.

While primarily focusing on East Asian data, the authors suggested applying this method to other ancestries using polygenic scores. Although computationally intensive, this method shows promise in improving genetic data analysis for future GWAS studies.

In conclusion, the authors believe that their method will enhance genetic data exploration and can be easily integrated with existing GWAS software tools. They encourage researchers to utilize this method, particularly with underrepresented population data, to study genetic interactions and their effects on traits and diseases.

Post views: 175

Source: sciworthy.com

Research shows that the majority of Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (UAP) sightings occur in the western United States.

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Sightings of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs), formerly known as unidentified flying objects (UFOs), have been reported throughout history. There is growing interest in understanding what these sighting reports mean, given the potential security and safety risks they pose, as well as scientific curiosity. Scientists at the University of Utah and the U.S. Department of Defense see this problem as a key question of human experience and can be examined through a geographic lens: what local factors might increase or decrease the number of reported sightings. I wondered if there was a gender. They used data from the National UFO Research Center and included a total of 98,000 sighting reports over a 20-year period from 2001 to 2020. For each county in the continental United States, they analyzed his two conditions. Light pollution, cloud cover, and canopy cover. And the possibility of an object in the sky, which means near an airport or military installation. Most of the sightings took place in the western United States due to the physical geography of the area: wide open spaces and dark skies.

UAP from declassified video taken by a US Navy aircraft. Image credit: U.S. Navy.

“The idea is that if you have a chance to see something, you're likely to see an unexplained phenomenon in the sky,” said Dr. Richard Medina, a geographer at the University of Utah.

“There's more technology in the sky than ever before, so the question is: what are people actually seeing?”

“This is a difficult question to answer, but an important one because any uncertainty could be a potential threat to national security.”

“Understanding the environmental context of these sightings will help us find explanations for their occurrence and help identify truly anomalous objects that are legitimate threats.”

Dr. Medina and his colleagues looked at the number of sightings per 10,000 people per county and identified significant clusters of low numbers (cold spots) and high numbers of reports (hot spots).

Far more sightings have been reported in the west, northeast, and some isolated areas. Cold spots were in the Central Plains and Southeast.

All results except cloud cover support the general hypothesis that people will see things if they have the chance.

“We have historical ties to the UAP in the West, with military operations at Area 51 in Nevada, Roswell in New Mexico, and here in Utah at the Skinwalker Ranch in the Uinta Basin and the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground.” Dr. Medina said.

“Additionally, we have a strong outdoor community that recreates on public lands year-round. People get outside and look at the sky.”

NUFORC reported sightings for the spatial distribution of the continental United States from 2001 to 2020. Image courtesy of Medina other., doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-49527-x.

In July 2022, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Director of National Intelligence, directed the establishment of the All Area Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) as a single authoritative UAP agency to lead and synchronize a whole-of-government approach. problem.

Previous UAP tracking efforts include the project blue booka U.S. Air Force-led project that investigated UFO sightings from 1947 to 1969.

blue bookThe most famous account is the Roswell, New Mexico incident, which claimed that a flying saucer crashed into a desert town on July 8, 1947, and the alien occupants were recovered by government agents.

Many Roswell residents witnessed this mysterious event, which may have led to a surge in flying saucer sightings that swept the United States.

Silence from government officials led to wild speculation and subsequent cover-up regarding the otherworldly visitors.

The US Air Force later revealed that the incident was caused by a secret multi-balloon project to detect Soviet nuclear tests.

Many UAP sightings have natural explanations. For example, the planet Venus is the usual culprit.

We've seen an increase in UAP reports in recent years, likely related to the rapid increase in spacecraft launches and orbiting satellites, including the Starlink satellite train and the proliferation of personal drones across the night sky. It is considered. The challenge is to parse which reports indicate the real threat.

The authors investigate whether there are temporal considerations for variation in sightings based on sociocultural factors.

For example, were there more reports after the Congressional hearings in July 2023 or after the SpaceX launch?

They are also investigating whether sociocultural factors influence UAP sightings. Whether there is a spike in reports after shows like: X files Will it become popular? Are some cultures more likely to see UAPs because of their beliefs?

“The U.S. government, military, intelligence community, and civilian agencies need to understand what is in their operational domain to ensure the safety and security of our nation and its people,” said Physicist Sean, AARO's first director.・Kirkpatrick said. University of Georgia.

“In this age of ubiquitous sensors and data availability, the unknown is unacceptable. The scientific community has a responsibility to investigate and educate.”

team's paper It was published in the magazine scientific report.

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RM Medina other. 2023. Environmental analysis of the likelihood of public UAP sightings and sky views. science officer 13, 22213; doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-49527-x

Source: www.sci.news

Research shows that binary star systems contain a higher number of habitable exoplanets than previously thought

Posted on February 23, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

In a new study, astronomers from Yale University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology examined the coupled distribution of spin and orbital orbits of exoplanets in binary and triple star systems.

An artist's impression of a giant exoplanet and its two parent stars. Image credit: Sci.News.

An important subset of all known exoplanet systems include host stars with one or more bound stellar companions.

These multistar systems can span a vast range of relative configurations and provide rich insights into the processes by which stars and planets form.

“We showed for the first time that a system where everything is coordinated stacks up unexpectedly,” he said. Dr. Malena Ricean astronomer at Yale University.

“The planet orbits in exactly the same direction as the first star rotates, and the second star orbits its system in the same plane as the planet.”

Dr. Rice and his colleagues used a variety of sources, including the Gaia DR3 catalog of high-precision stellar astronomical measurements, the planetary system composite parameter table from the NASA Exoplanet Archive, and the TEPCat catalog of spin-orbit angle measurements of exoplanets. to create a 3D geometric shape. Number of planets in a binary star system.

Astronomers found that nine of the 40 star systems they studied were in “perfect” locations.

“This could indicate that planetary systems prefer to move toward ordered configurations,” Rice said.

“This is also good news for life forming in these systems.”

“A star's companion star with a different alignment can wreak havoc on a planetary system, overturning the planet or flash-heating the planet over time.”

“And what would the world look like on a warmer Tatooine?”

“During some seasons of the year, there would be continuous daylight, and one star would illuminate one side of the Earth, and another star would illuminate the other side.”

“But that sun's light isn't always scorching, because one of the stars is farther away.”

“At other times of the year, both stars will illuminate the same side of the Earth, and one star will appear much larger than the other.”

of study will be published in astronomy magazine.

_____

Malena Rice other. 2024. Orbital geometry and stellar inclination of multistar systems hosting exoplanets. A.J., in press. arXiv: 2401.04173

Source: www.sci.news

Add Some Sugar for Deadly Research on Tea and Coffee

Posted on February 22, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Even if it's sweet, it's over
Most people die when they get old.
Roughly speaking, that short sentence can summarize the Dutch/Danish/British study called “.Coffee and tea sugar use and long-term mortality risk in older Danish adult men: 32 years of follow-up in a prospective cohort study”.
The study states: “A total of 2,923 men (mean age at participation: 63±5 years) were included, of whom 1,007 (34.5%) had added sugars. Over 32 years of follow-up, 2581 participants ( 88.3%) died, 1677 (87.5%) in the non-sugar group and 904 (89.9%) in the sugar group.
The nifty and parsimonious summary of the feedback is reminiscent of Yoshiro Nakamatsu's speech at the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony. (Nakamatsu, also known as Dr. Nakamatsu, won the Ig Nobel Prize in Nutrition in 2005 for photographing and retrospectively analyzing every meal he consumed over a 34-year period; (This will continue into 2024.) Mr. Nakamatsu said: Speeches should be short. ”
shocking news
Practicing mindfulness allows you to focus on one thing at a time. A 10-year-old study called “The Role of Mindfulness-Based Psychological Support in the Process of ECT'' has been attracting attention and feedback has continued.
ECT is an acronym for electroconvulsive therapy. This study was one of the most successful attempts, and perhaps the only one, to intentionally combine mindfulness with this therapy.
The researchers reported that after receiving the electric shock, the patients “remained cognitively functional enough to participate in simple mindfulness-based psychotherapy, with no evidence of difficulty recalling new information.” are doing.
They (researchers), then at the Mid-Central District Health Board in Palmerston North, New Zealand, came to a multisyllabic conclusion.
They write: “This study confirms the benefits of Ultrabrief Pulsed ECT in reducing adverse cognitive effects…but also proves that psychological interventions and physical treatments are not mutually exclusive.”
take care of the dishes
Just one year later, American researchers published a study called “.Washing dishes to wash dishes: Brief instruction in informal mindfulness practices.”. They had a goal in mind. “We found that compared to a control condition, participants who received mindful dishwashing instruction reported higher levels of mindfulness, perceived attention, and positive We hypothesized that it would show emotion,” they wrote.
They tested their hypothesis on 51 college students and reported that the test was successful. Their study ended with the big-picture recognition that “the implications of these findings are wide-ranging.”
Be mindful of mindfulness
You can also become aware of mindfulness. Three researchers (two at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland and one at the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia) took a close look at the large body of research published on mindfulness and found out what they thought they saw. Published research. Their research isExploring the past, present, and future of the field of mindfulness: A multi-technique bibliographic review” and are more or less dissatisfied that many people are not paying attention to these studies.
The researchers explain why so few people are paying attention to mindfulness research: “Low citation rates may simply indicate that the document pertains to a narrow field of research. Therefore, it should not be misinterpreted as evidence of poor quality.”
resistance to antibiotics
David Gordon added his non-normative perspective to the collection of professional opinions on feedback on whether “medicine equals entertaining the patient while nature influences healing” .
“Every intervention comes with potential side effects, so it makes sense to avoid unnecessary interventions. As a retired family physician, I try to control the fear caused by symptoms and treat self-limiting and primarily viral infections.” By explaining the natural history of acute respiratory tract infections, we have significantly reduced antibiotic prescriptions, especially for mothers with young children.
“These principles can sensibly be applied to other medical scenarios. Unfortunately, this is not good for business, nor for doctors, nor for the pharmaceutical companies who unavoidably act as proxies.” The number of “re-examinations” to deal with undiagnosed anxiety is decreasing. More importantly, in the long run, patients are denied the belief that all illnesses require a prescription. ”
loss of power
Superpowers are not all permanent, even the little things readers add to their feedback summaries. Grainne Collins reveals: “I had a superpower: I could look at any list or table of numbers and immediately see that there was a mistake.” It might take him 10 minutes to figure out what was wrong. But I was always right. Unfortunately, since my dyslexia has been cured (I can now tell the difference between “shape'' and “kara'' without studying), my superpower has also been cured! ”
Mark Abrahams hosted the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony and co-founded the magazine Annals of Improbable Research. Previously, he was working on unusual uses of computers.his website is impossible.com.
Have a story for feedback?
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Source: www.newscientist.com

Research: Vertebrate Brain Resembles an Ancient Retrovirus

Posted on February 20, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Biologists from the Altos Institute, Cambridge Institute of Science, and the University of Cambridge have discovered that genetic elements derived from retroviruses (retrotransposons) are essential for the production of myelin (the insulating sheath that surrounds nerve axons) in mammals, amphibians, and animals. I discovered that fish. This gene sequence, called retromyelin, is likely the result of an ancient retroviral infection, and comparisons of retromyelin in mammals, amphibians, and fish indicate that retroviral infection and genome invasion events occurred separately in each of these groups. suggests that it has occurred.

gauche other. suggest that retrovirus internalization played an important role in the emergence of vertebrate myelin. Image credit: Ghosh other., doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.01.011.

Myelin, the complex fatty tissue that lines vertebrate nerve axons, allows rapid impulse conduction without the need to increase axon diameter. This means that the nerves can be packed more closely together.

It also provides metabolic support for the nerves, allowing them to lengthen.

Myelin first appeared on the tree of life around the same time as the jaw, and its importance in vertebrate evolution has been recognized for a long time, but until now it is unclear what molecular mechanism caused its appearance. was.

Tanay Ghosh and colleagues at Altos Labs-Cambridge Institute of Science noticed the role of retromyelin in myelin production while studying the gene networks used by oligodendrocytes, the cells that produce myelin in the central nervous system. .

Specifically, they were studying the role of non-coding regions, including retrotransposons, in these gene networks. This has not been previously studied in the context of myelin biology.

“Retrotransposons make up about 40% of our genome, but we know nothing about how they helped animals acquire specific traits during evolution.” said Dr. Ghosh.

“Our motivation was to learn how these molecules serve evolutionary processes, especially in the context of myelination.”

Researchers discovered that in rodents, retromyelin RNA transcripts regulate the expression of myelin basic protein, one of the key components of myelin.

When we experimentally inhibited retromyelin in oligodendrocytes and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (the stem cells from which oligodendrocytes are derived), the cells were no longer able to produce myelin basic protein.

To find out whether retromyelin is present in other vertebrate species, scientists looked for similar sequences within the genomes of jawed vertebrates, jawless vertebrates, and some invertebrate species. Searched for.

They identified similar sequences in all other classes of jawed vertebrates (birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians) but found no similar sequences in jawless vertebrates or invertebrates. did not.

Robin Franklin, a neuroscientist at the Altos Institute at the Cambridge Institute of Science, said: “There was an evolutionary drive to speed up the conduction of impulses in axons, because the faster the impulse conduction, the faster we can grab objects and move away from them.'' Because they can run away.”

Next, the authors wanted to know whether retromyelin was integrated once in the ancestor of all jawed vertebrates, or whether there were separate retroviral invasions in different branches.

To answer these questions, they constructed a phylogenetic tree from 22 jawed vertebrate species and compared their retromyelin sequences.

This analysis revealed that retromyelin sequences are more similar within species than between species, suggesting that retromyelin has been acquired multiple times through a process of convergent evolution.

The researchers also showed that retromyelin plays a functional role in myelination in fish and amphibians.

When they experimentally disrupted the retromyelin gene sequence in fertilized zebrafish and frog eggs, they found that the developing fish and tadpoles produced significantly less myelin than normal.

“Our findings open new avenues of research exploring how retroviruses are involved in directing evolution more generally,” said Dr. Ghosh.

of study It was published in the magazine cell.

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Tanai Ghosh other. 2024. Retroviral involvement in vertebrate myelination through retrotransposon RNA-mediated control of myelin gene expression. cell 187 (4): 814-830; doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.01.011

Source: www.sci.news

Research reveals that apes lack a good sense of humor

Posted on February 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Have you ever tapped someone on the far shoulder only to see them spin the wrong way, and then do it again immediately? Why is this funny? You might think that it’s an inherent human trait to find things like this funny, and that complex communication and context are needed for a gag to work, but you’d be wrong.

New research published in today’s journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B found evidence of monkey business (sorry) in four species of great apes, shedding light on the evolutionary origins of humor.

The findings suggest that the playful teasing exhibited by 8-month-old human children may have deeper roots in our primate relatives than previously thought.

Such behavior involves intentionally subverting the expectations of others. Examples include repeatedly offering and withdrawing goods, or intentionally disrupting another person’s activities by creating an element of surprise.

To understand these behaviors, the researchers observed spontaneous social interactions among populations of orangutans, chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas. They in turn analyzed everything from the teasing person’s body movements and facial expressions to how the target of the teasing (the teasing person?) reacts.

In addition to this, the researchers investigated whether the teasing behavior was targeted at specific individuals, whether it continued or escalated over time, and whether the teasing behavior was waiting for a response from the target. We tried to investigate the intentions behind the teasing.

“Our findings support the idea that teasing great apes is a provocative, purposeful, and often playful behavior.” Isabel Romersaid the postdoctoral researcher and lead author of the study. BBC Science Focus. “It is usually asymmetric and can take a variety of forms with varying proportions of playful and aggressive characteristics.”

In total, the researchers identified 18 distinct teasing behaviors. These include repeatedly shaking or brandishing objects in the center of the target’s visual field, hitting or poking them, staring into their faces, and pulling their hair. How fascinating!

Unlike play exhibited by all animals in the animal kingdom, playful teasing has several unique characteristics. “Apes’ playful teasing is one-sided and mostly comes from teasing,” he explained. Erica Cartmill Senior author of the study.

“Animals also rarely use play cues, such as the primate ‘play face,’ which resembles what we call a smile, or the ‘grasping’ gesture that signals intent to play,” she continued. Ta.

Cartmill recalled seeing such behavior in apes for the first time in 2006. Then he observed a young orangutan begging his mother by repeatedly waving a stick in front of her. “It didn’t look like a joke that would fit in a stand-up special on Netflix, but it seemed like a simple joke that could be used with young human children,” she said.

Almost 20 years after this interaction, this research has provided important insights not only into great ape behavior but also into our own behavior. “Depending on the species, great apes share 97 to 99 percent of our DNA, so we have a lot in common,” Romer said.

“The existence of playful teasing in all four great apes, and its similarity to playful teasing behavior in human infants, suggests that playful teasing and its cognitive prerequisites may have been associated with the last human species at least 13 million years ago. This suggests that it may have existed in a common ancestor.

Going forward, Romer and her team will investigate whether other primates and large-brained animals tease each other in hopes of better understanding the evolution of this important (and highly entertaining) behavior. intend to do something.

About our experts

Isabel Romer I am a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior in Radolfzell/Konstanz. She is a primatologist and cognitive biologist with 10 years of experience studying great apes and Goffin parrots. Her main research areas are within physical cognition, tool use and manufacturing, tool innovation, template matching from memory, flexible multidimensional decision making based on reward quality and tool functionality. is focused on. Her work also delves into social cognition, exploring prosociality, aversion to inequality, delay of gratification, theory of mind, and playful teasing with these animal subjects. .

Erica Cartmill He is a professor of anthropology, cognitive science, and ethology at Indiana University. Her research bridges the fields of biology and linguistics, using both comparative and developmental methods to examine communication. Her research with great apes and humans includes observing spontaneous interactions between communication partners and employing communication games that allow for more controlled experiments. Her research focuses specifically on whether gestures played a role in the origin of human language.

read more:

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Research: Daily consumption of 100% orange juice reduces blood sugar levels compared to orange drink

Posted on February 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A new study from Toronto Metropolitan University says 100% orange juice and sugar-sweetened beverages are not equivalent when it comes to their effects on food intake and blood sugar response, and should not be placed in the same category when making beverage decisions.

Consuming 100% orange juice before a meal reduces food intake at the next meal and lowers daily blood glucose concentrations in healthy, normal weight adults when compared to orange drink.

The World Health Organization suggests reducing free sugar intake to no more than 10% of daily energy intake to reduce the risk of unhealthy weight and tooth decay.

Consistent with these recommendations, some national dietary guidelines recommend reducing sugar intake from all sources.

However, these recommendations do not differentiate between sources of free sugars and are primarily based on data from observational studies, so the physiological mechanisms underlying the observed effects cannot be readily determined.

“Our findings highlight the importance of considering the source of sugar when considering overall health effects,” said Dr. Nick Bellissimo of Toronto Metropolitan University, senior author of the study. I am emphasizing that.”

The randomized, repeated measures study included 36 adult men and women with normal BMI levels who received 1 cup of 100% orange juice, orange flavored, 2 hours after a breakfast consisting of cereal, 2% milk, and 2% milk. Ingested sugar-sweetened beverages and water. Breakfast bar.

Blood sugar responses, average appetite, and subjective emotions were measured every 15 minutes for 60 minutes in 34 participants.

Glycemic responses and energy intake for the rest of the day were measured in 31 participants using continuous blood glucose monitors and food records.

Subjective sweetness and pleasantness were measured immediately after ingesting the test beverage.

Glycemic responses, average appetite, and subjective emotions were measured every 15 minutes for 60 minutes.

Food intake was measured 60 minutes after the pizza lunch.

Blood sugar levels were lower with 100% orange juice than with orange drink at 15, 30, and 45 minutes, but not after 60 minutes.

Blood sugar levels for the rest of the day were lower after drinking 100% orange juice compared to drinking orange or water.

The findings also showed that food intake at lunch and throughout the day was lower after consuming 100% orange juice compared to consuming orange drink.

Participants also had higher subjective comfort measures and enjoyed 100% orange juice more compared to orange beverages and water.

Using 100% orange juice instead of sugary drinks may reduce your total daily calorie intake and help regulate blood sugar levels.

100% orange juice contains flavonoids such as hesperidin, which can affect sugar absorption by slowing glucose transport, causing a delayed blood sugar response.

Consumption of 100% orange juice is associated with increased flavonoid intake, decreased added sugar, and higher quality diet.

The researchers said, “Consumption of 100% orange juice as a preload resulted in higher caloric compensation, lower total daily energy intake, and lower blood glucose concentrations compared to orange beverages.”

“Future longitudinal studies are needed to assess whether the habit of replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with 100% orange juice contributes to a healthier body weight and improved glycemic control.”

of paper It was published in the magazine nutrients.

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Stephanie Robayo other. 2024. Effects of her 100% orange juice and moderate sugar-sweetened beverages on subjective appetite, food intake, and glycemic responses in adults. nutrients 16 (2): 242; doi: 10.3390/nu16020242

Source: www.sci.news

The overlooked community of scientific detectives is now gaining attention from the research community

Posted on February 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A group of investigators devoted to finding errors in scientific research has shocked some of the world’s most prestigious research institutions and the scientific community as a whole.

The highly publicized case of alleged image manipulation in a paper co-authored by a former Stanford University president and a leader at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has garnered national media attention, prompting speculation from top scientific leaders that this may only be the beginning.

“At this pace, we’re going to see another paper published every few weeks,” said Holden, the editor-in-chief of Science, one of the world’s two most influential journals. Mr. Thorpe said on site.

Investigators argue that their work is necessary to rectify the scientific record and prevent generations of researchers from pursuing futile avenues due to flawed papers. Some scientists are calling for universities and academic publishers to reform their approach to addressing flawed research.

“I understand why the investigators who discovered these issues are so furious,” said Michael, a biologist and former editor of the journal eLife, as well as a prominent advocate for reform in scientific publishing. “Authors, journals, institutions, everyone is incentivized to downplay their significance,” Eisen said.

For approximately a decade, investigators identified widespread problems with scientific images in published papers and voiced their concerns online, but received little attention. Last summer, neuroscientist and then-Stanford University President Marc Tessier-Lavigne resigned amid scrutiny over allegations of image manipulation in a study he co-authored and a report criticizing his lab culture. Since then, there has been a noticeable shift. While Tessier-Lavigne himself has not been found to have engaged in any misconduct, members of his lab appear to have manipulated images in questionable ways. Thereport from the scientific panelhired to investigate the allegations stated.

In January, a blogger’s scathing post exposed questionable research by top leaders at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, which subsequently retracted six papers and requested corrections to dozens more.

In hisresignation statement, Tessier-Lavigne stated that the committee could not find any evidence that he was aware of any misconduct, and that he had never submitted documents that appeared to be inaccurate. In a statement from its research integrity officer, Dana-Farber stated that it had taken decisive action to correct the scientific record and that discrepancies in the images were not necessarily evidence that the authors were attempting to deceive.

“We are experiencing a moment of public awareness that really turned a corner when the Mark Tessier-Lavigne scandal unfolded, and since then the Dana-Farber scandal has been the most recent and continuous,” Thorpe said.

This long-standing issue is now receiving national attention, with the emergence of new artificial intelligence tools that are helping address problems ranging from longstanding errors and sloppy science to unethically manipulated images in photo-editing software, making it easier to spot various issues.

This increased scrutiny is prompting changes in how some publishers operate. Universities, journals, and researchers are being urged to consider new technologies, the potential backlog of undiscovered errors, and methods for enhancing transparency when problems are identified.

This comes at a challenging time in academic circles. Venture capitalist Bill Ackman, in apost last month on X, discussed the use of artificial intelligence to identify plagiarism by leaders of top universities with ideological differences, and raised questions about political motivations in plagiarism investigations. More broadly, public trust in scientists and science has steadily declined in recent years, according to thePew Research Center.

Eisen stated that he does not believe investigators’ concerns about scientific images veer into “McCarthyist” territory. “I think they’re honing in on a specific type of problem in the literature, and they’re right. That’s bad,” Eisen said.

Scientific publishing is the primary means by which scientists establish a foundation of understanding in their fields and share new discoveries with their colleagues. Before publication, scientific journals review submissions and solicit feedback from researchers outside the field to identify errors or faulty inferences, a process known as peer review. Journal editors evaluate research findings for plagiarism and conduct copy editing prior to publication. While this system is not perfect, it still relies on the good faith efforts of researchers to avoid manipulating research results.

Over the past 15 years, scientists have become increasingly concerned that some researchers are digitally altering images in papers to distort or enhance their results. The field of image integrity screening has expanded significantly since Yana Christopher, a scientific imaging expert with the European Federation of Biochemical Societies and its journals, began working in the field nearly 15 years ago. At the time, “no one was doing this, and people were in denial about research misconduct,” Christopher stated. “The prevailing belief was that it was very rare and that instances of manipulating results were few and far between.”

Scientific journals now employ entire teams dedicated to processing images and ensuring their accuracy. The number of retractions of published papers has increased significantly in recent years, with records indicating that over 10,000 papers were retracted last year, according to aNature analysis. A loose collective of scientific investigators applies external pressure, often identifying and flagging errors and potential manipulation on the online forum PubPeer. Many of these investigators receive little or no compensation or public recognition for their work.

“There’s a certain level of urgency,” Eisen stated. Ananalysis of comments on over 24,000 articles posted on PubPeer revealed that over 62% of PubPeer comments were related to image manipulation. For years, investigators relied on keen observation, pattern recognition, and a grasp of photo manipulation tools. In recent years, artificial intelligence tools capable of scanning documents for anomalies have been rapidly developed and improved.

Scientific journals are now utilizing similar technology to detect errors prior to publication. In January, Science announced that it is using an artificial intelligence tool called Proofig to scan papers undergoing editing and peer review for publication.Science editor-in-chief Thorpe stated that the family of six journals quietly incorporated the tool into their workflows approximately six months prior to the January announcement. The journal previously relied on visual inspection to identify these types of issues. During the editing process, Proofig flagged papers that had not yet been published, citing “logical explanations” for problematic images that were difficult to justify, or issues that the authors had addressed prior to publication. “Less than 1% of errors are significant enough to prevent a paper from being published,” Thorpe stated.

Chris Graff, director of research integrity at publisher Springer Nature, stated that the company is developing and testing “in-house AI image integrity software” to identify duplicate images. Graff’s research integrity department currently uses Proofig to assess papers in case concerns arise post-publication. The testing process varies among journals, but some Springer Nature publications use Adobe Photoshop tools to manually identify image manipulation and conduct experiments to visualize cellular components or general discrepancies in raw scientific experimental data.

“Although AI-based tools can facilitate and scale investigations, we still believe the human element is important in all investigations,” Graff stated, emphasizing that image recognition software is not infallible and that human expertise is necessary to guard against false positives and negatives. No tool can detect all mistakes and fraud.

“There are many facets to that process. You can never catch them all,” Thorpe remarked. “As journals, institutions, and authors, we need to do a better job of addressing this when it occurs.”

Many forensic scientists have grown frustrated that their concerns have been disregarded, or that investigations have progressed slowly with little public resolution. Sholto-David, who publicly voiced his concerns about the Dana-Farber study in a blog post, stated that the response from journal editors was so unsatisfactory that he nearly “gave up” on writing a letter to journal editors regarding the errors he had discovered. Elizabeth Bick, a microbiologist and longtime image investigator, said that if she reports image issues frequently, “nothing happens.”

While public comments on PubPeer questioning research data can stimulate discussion surrounding questionable research, authors and institutions often do not directly respond to online criticism. Although journals can issue corrections or retractions, it is generally the responsibility of research institutions or universities to investigate incidents. If the incident pertains to federally funded biomedical research, the federal Office of Research Integrity may conduct an investigation.

Thorpe stated that agencies need to assume responsibility when errors are discovered and act more swiftly to openly and candidly address what occurred to regain public trust. He stated, “The university has been very sluggish in responding, very slow in instituting the process, and the longer this goes on, the greater the damage will be. I don’t know what would have happened if Stanford had said these papers are flawed, instead of initiating this investigation.”

Some scientists are concerned that the problem of image manipulation is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of scientific integrity. Detecting issues with images is much simpler than spotting simple data errors in spreadsheets. While it is crucial to crack down on problematic papers and hold individuals accountable, some scientists believe that these measures address a larger problem: rewarding career advancement for those who publish the most exciting results rather than enduring results. “Scientific culture itself doesn’t say we care about getting it right. It says we care about getting papers that make a splash,” Eisen said.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

New research on Zinc sheds light on the link between loud noise and hearing loss

Posted on February 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Exposure to loud noises, such as at music festivals, can worsen your hearing

Sergei Ilnitsky/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Exposure to loud noises can disrupt zinc levels in the inner ear, potentially affecting hearing, a study in mice suggests. Treatments that reduce this could be used to treat or prevent such damage, for example, if taken before a rock concert.

Loud noises can cause cells in the inner ear die. Although it has long been known that this affects hearing, the mechanisms behind it are less clear.

Thanos Tsonopoulos Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, thought it might have something to do with free-moving zinc, which plays an important role in the neurotransmission of our senses.

Most of the zinc in the body is bound to proteins, but the rest acts as communication signals between organs, especially the brain, Tsonopoulos says. The highest concentration of free zinc in the body is in the cochlea, the snail-shaped structure in the inner ear that converts vibrations into electrical signals, which are then interpreted as sound.

To learn more, Tzounopoulos and colleagues tested free zinc levels in young mice that had been genetically engineered to produce biological markers that indicate the transport of free zinc throughout the body.

Tsonopoulos said mice exposed to 100 decibels of noise, about the same level as a bulldozer or motorcycle, for two hours straight developed significant hearing loss within the next 24 hours.

The researchers found that these mice had higher amounts of free zinc between and around the cells of the cochlea after the blast compared to before the blast and compared to a group of control mice that did not hear the loud noise. I discovered that

“There is a very strong upregulation of zinc, not only in terms of quantity but also in terms of regional spatial extent,” he says. “It goes everywhere.”

Tsonopoulos said the zinc appears to be released from specific cells in the cochlea after it is separated from the proteins to which it is normally bound. Free zinc ultimately causes cell damage and disrupts normal communication between cells, he says.

To see if lowering free zinc levels could protect hearing, Tsonopoulos and his team injected another group of mice with a compound that scavenged zinc into their abdomens or administered a slow-release drug into the inner ear. It was treated by placing an implant. The mice then listened to the same loud sound for two hours. Both groups experienced significant reductions in hearing loss.

With further research, zinc-capturing tablets, IV drugs, or slow-release implants could one day help prevent or treat inner ear damage caused by noise trauma, Tsonopoulos says.

“You can go to concerts, you can go to battle, you can take drugs,” he says. “Or, if you have an accident, you might have these compounds in your ER. [emergency room] We will give it to you to reduce the damage. ”

Future research should also determine how long after exposure to noise people can benefit from such zinc trap therapy, team members say. Amantha Satyaalso at the University of Pittsburgh.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

New research indicates that early Mars experienced both tectonic and volcanic activity.

Posted on February 12, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Mars' relatively well-preserved ancient crust provides a natural window into early planetary evolution not visible on Earth. Mars has generally been thought to be a monolithic basaltic planet, but recent evidence suggests that magmatic evolution leading to a felsic crust may have occurred sporadically. A new study shows multiple lines of evidence for diverse volcanic activity and complex volcanic tectonics in Mars' southern highlands in and around the Eridanian basin 3.5 to 4 billion years ago.

Topographic map of the Eridanian region of Mars. The volcanic structure described by Michalski et al. Classified by morphology and morphometrics. Image credit: Michalski other., doi: 10.1038/s41550-023-02191-7.

In contrast to Earth, Mars today has little volcanic or tectonic activity.

Additionally, nearly half of Earth's surface is more than 3.5 billion years old, and since then it has undergone extensive tectonic recycling (a phenomenon typically caused by Earth-like tectonic movements, in which surface material is recycled into the mantle). This shows that there is no such phenomenon.

Recent discoveries suggest that this is not always the case, but geological activity during the first billions of years after Mars' formation is still unknown.

“Geological exploration of other rocky planets provides clues to early crustal evolution and volcanic tectonic processes,” said Dr. Joseph Michalski of the University of Hong Kong. “This is an example of an equivalent Earth system with a changing composition.”

“Looking through the lens of different gravitational fields, bulk planetary compositions, and heat flows allows us to test models of crustal resurfacing and discover the steps that led to plate tectonics and other forms of crustal recycling.” It will be possible to do so.”

“Mars represents a particularly valuable piece of the puzzle in this regard.”

The authors studied the morphology and mineralogy of the Eridanian region in Mars' southern hemisphere.

They analyzed remote sensing data from a variety of orbiting satellites, including NASA's Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

The Eridanian region contains the most powerful crustal remains of Mars' ancient magnetic field and various traces of volcanic activity.

The researchers identified 63 examples of four different types of volcanoes (volcanic domes, stratovolcanoes, pyroclastic shields, and caldera complexes), and there are likely hundreds more in the Eridanian region alone. , these are probably the remnants of a period of active geological activity about 3.5 billion years ago.

This set of observations is consistent with the existence of early Martian tectonic cycles driven by vertical tectonics, a type of tectonic process precursor to full plate tectonics on Earth.

Such diverse volcanic structures may be more widespread on ancient Mars than previously thought.

“The observed remnants of this activity may be the closest analog on Earth to the proposed hydrothermal origin of life scenario for Earth,” the scientists said.

Their paper Published in an online journal today natural astronomy.

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JR Michalski other. Diverse volcanic activity and crustal circulation on early Mars. Nat Astron, published online on February 12, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41550-023-02191-7

Source: www.sci.news

Research: How small structures in the wax coating of blue-pigmented fruit contribute to its blue color

Posted on February 8, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

It is perhaps surprising that fruits with blue pigments are less common, since many visually guided fruit eaters have eyes highly adapted to blue sensitivity. However, some fruits do not contain blue pigment. In a new study, scientists from the University of Bristol and elsewhere investigated dark fruits with wax blooms, such as blueberries, plums and juniper cones, and found that structural color mechanisms are involved in their appearance. Did.

The structural color of the wax bloom gives the fruit a blue appearance across a wide range of accessions. (A) Undamaged highbush blueberries growing on the plant. (B) Blueberry (i) unmodified wax, (ii) mechanical wax removal, (iii) chloroform wax removal, (iv) surface application of (approximately) index-matched oil, (v) surface application of water; (vi) peeling off the outer skin to expose the pulp; (vii) the underside of the peeled skin; (C) Transmission light microscopy of a blueberry peel peeled from the inner edge showing red pigmentation of epidermal cells. Scale bar – 200 μm. (D) (i and ii) Plum selection (Plum) Fruits with different cell pigmentation, (i) with wax intact and (ii) with wax removed.Image credit: Middleton other., doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adk4219.

“You can't 'extract' the blue color from blueberries by crushing them, because blueberries are not present in the highly pigmented juice that can be squeezed from the fruit,” said lead author Dr Rocks Middleton, a researcher at the University of Bristol.

“That's why I knew there had to be something strange about this color.”

“So we removed the wax and recrystallized it on the card. In doing so, we were able to create a completely new blue UV coating.”

This ultra-thin colorant is about 2 microns thick, has a low reflectance, but looks blue and reflects UV well, potentially paving the way for new colorant methods.

“This shows that nature has evolved to use a very neat trick: an extremely thin layer of a vital colorant,” Dr Middleton said.

Most plants are covered with a thin layer of wax, which has multiple functions, many of which are still unknown to scientists.

They know that it is highly effective as a hydrophobic, self-cleaning coating, but only now have they realized how important this structure is for visible coloration.

Now Dr. Middleton and colleagues plan to look at easier ways to recreate and apply the coating.

This could lead to the development of more sustainable, biocompatible, and even edible UV- and blue-reflecting paints.

Additionally, these coatings may have multiple functions similar to natural biological coatings that protect plants.

“It was really interesting to discover that there was an unknown coloration mechanism just beneath the surface of the popular fruit that we grow and eat all the time,” Dr Middleton said.

“It was even more exciting to be able to recreate that color by taking wax and creating a new blue coating that no one had ever seen before.”

“Our dream is to incorporate all the functionality of this natural wax into a man-made material.”

of result It was published in the magazine scientific progress.

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Rocks Middleton other. 2024. Self-organized disordered structural colors from fruit wax blooms. scientific progress 10(6); doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adk4219

Source: www.sci.news

Research Finds Out Which Dog Breeds Have the Longest Lifespans

Posted on February 1, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The Shiba Inu is one of the longest-lived dogs.

Ammu Photography/Getty Images

An analysis of more than 580,000 dogs in the UK found that small dogs with long noses, such as miniature dachshunds and Shiba Inu dogs, lived the longest. On the other hand, medium-sized dogs such as English bulldogs and Shih Tzus have the shortest lifespans.

“Despite the UK being a nation of dog lovers, we don't have a good handle on the dog population in general and the expected lifespan of dogs in particular,” he says. Kirsten McMillan At the British welfare charity Dogs Trust.

To create a comprehensive analysis of dog lifespans, McMillan and his colleagues collected data from a variety of sources, including veterinarians, pet insurance companies, and animal welfare charities. The data included 584,734 dogs belonging to 155 breeds, of which 284,734 died.

The average lifespan of dogs was 12.5 years. Female dogs had a slightly longer life expectancy at 12.7 years compared to 12.4 years for male dogs.

When the researchers divided dogs into categories based on size and facial shape, they found that small, long-nosed dogs had the highest life expectancy of both sexes, living an average of 13.3 years. Male and female medium-sized flat dogs fared worst, with expected lifespans of just 9.1 and 9.6 years, respectively.

“Many flat-faced breeds, both small and large, such as French bulldogs, St. Bernards, and Presa Canarios, do not perform well,” says McMillan.

Flat-faced dogs are known to face a variety of health problems, including breathing, digestion, and even sleeping problems, which may explain their short lifespans. there is.

One of the most surprising findings was that purebreds had a longer life expectancy than mutts: 12.7 years compared to just 12 years.

“Due to the concept of hybrid vigor, it has long been believed that mixed-breed dogs live longer than purebred dogs,” he says. audrey rule from Virginia Tech was not involved in the study. This refers to the idea that hybrid animals and plants may be healthier because of their genetic diversity, but Lupul says this needs to be investigated further.

“We hope that this study will spur further research into the exact reasons why some breeds die at a young age, ultimately improving the lifespans of our dogs.” McMillan he says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

New research determines the longest living dog breeds

Posted on February 1, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Researchers studied the lifespans of 500,000 dogs to determine which species live the longest. The answer? Whippets, or dogs shaped like whippets. Research indicates that small dogs with long noses have an average lifespan of 13.3 years (source).

Another study looked at data from over 580,000 individual dogs in the UK, classified as purebreds or mixed breeds, to find out more about the lifespan of different dog breeds.

In addition to breed, the researchers collected data on the dogs’ sex, date of birth, and, if applicable, date of death. This data helped determine mortality rates as well as calculate the median life expectancy for different categories of dogs.

The study found that small, long-nosed dogs have the highest average lifespan at 13.3 years. Conversely, medium-sized short-nosed dogs, especially males, had the shortest average lifespan at 9.1 years.

Interestingly, purebred dogs generally lived longer than mixed breeds, and Labradors were found to have the highest life expectancy at 13.1 years.

The researchers hope that these results will help dog owners better understand the factors that influence their pets’ health and longevity, and they also suggest that future studies should investigate designer breeds due to their different genetic diversity levels.

Dr. Kirsten McMillan, one of the authors of the study, believes that future research should not simply classify dog breeding into pure and mixed categories and emphasizes that this is a complex issue.

Dr. Kirsten McMillan is a DataSEA (Science Engineering and Analysis) Manager at Dogs Trust, and her research has been published in various scientific journals.

Read more:

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

5 Steps Backed by Research to Finally Organize Your Inbox

Posted on February 1, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

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Let's be honest: Email can be a nightmare. Most of the time, we're all just trying to find that vital needle in a haystack of spam, receipts, and old messages from family members who refuse to start group chats.

This never happened before. In the good old days, email was easy, unintrusive, and frankly boring. That's exactly what it was supposed to be. Now, if every coffee shop you've ever visited in your life is trying to get you, you have two options – sink or swim.

average person Up to 25 minutes of loss will occur. Every time you respond to an email or report, 347 billion emails Sent in 2023 alone. That said, email is a big part of both our work and personal lives.

For some people, email means spending hours sorting through, responding to, and fixing the clutter in their inbox. For others, it's easier to ignore everything and reach into his heap of messy emails to get what they need… but you don't have to be like any of these experiences. Actually, there is a better way to email.

we talked Paul LevyA social scientist and digital mastery expert, he helps organize the world's chaotic digital lives, from email to social media. He will give you tips and tricks to get you back on your feet.

1. Ignore the Inbox Zero Myth

Created by productivity expert Marlin Mann, Inbox Zero is a concept that's gotten a lot of attention. The concept is incredibly simple. There are no emails in your inbox (who would have thought!).

However, getting there is much more complicated. To get to this point, you should delete all emails unless they contain ongoing correspondence or important information. After a rather long sorting process, everything that's left is put into a folder and voila! You have reached inbox zero.

Some people swear by this technique, but it’s not a winner for everyone. Entire magazine article about its flaws. So where does Inbox Zero fit in? “It's like fighting a fire or trying to keep your head above water,” Levy says.much evidence suggests The thing is, this drip-feeding system of erasing emails is actually not that efficient.

“`

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Research Indicates Multicellularity Emerged in Streptococcal Plants Approximately One Billion Years Ago

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A new study led by scientists at the University of Göttingen has provided evidence that the first multicellular streptococci probably existed about a billion years ago.

bierenbrodspot other. We sequenced 24 new transcriptomes of Klebsormidiophyceae and combined them with 14 previously published genome and transcriptome datasets. Image credit: Bierenbroodspot other., doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.070.

streptococcus is best known as a clade of plants that contains a rich diversity of embryophytes (land plants).

However, next to the embryophytes there is a series of freshwater and terrestrial algae that are responsible for important information on the emergence of key traits in land plants.

this house, Klebsolmidioalgae stand out. Klebsolmydiophytes thrive in diverse environments, from the mundane (ubiquitous on tree bark and rocks) to extreme environments (from the Atacama Desert to Antarctica), display filamentous body surfaces, and can be found on land. They can show remarkable resilience as habitat colonizers.

Currently, the lack of a strong phylogenetic framework for Klebsolmydiophyceae hinders our understanding of the evolutionary history of these important traits.

Dr Tatyana Dariyenko, co-lead author of the study, said: “These small, hardy little creatures have a very high diversity in their morphology and are very good at living in sometimes very harsh environments. “It's really interesting that we're adapting.”

“Our comprehensive sampling aimed to map the global distribution of Klebsolmydiophyceae and highlight its adaptability, ecological importance and hidden diversity.”

“We analyzed the molecular clock based on genetic data calibrated using fossils.”

When delving into the complex evolutionary history of Klebsolmydiophyceae, Dr. Darienko and colleagues faced the challenge of disentangling phylogenetic relationships using traditional markers.

To overcome this, they utilized hundreds of genes obtained from the transcriptomes of 24 isolates from different continents and habitats.

“Our approach, known as phylogenomics, was to reconstruct the evolutionary history by considering whole genomes or large parts of genomes,” said Iker Irisarri, Ph.D., co-senior author of the study. Ta.

“This very powerful method allows us to reconstruct evolutionary relationships with very high precision.”

Researchers have uncovered a new phylogenetic tree for the family Klebsormydiophyceae, revealing that it can be divided into three orders.

“A deep dive into phylogenetic frameworks and our molecular clocks has revealed the ancient ancestor of Klebsormydiophyceae, a multicellular entity that flourished millions of years ago. Its descendants began to diverge into three distinct branches more than 800 million years ago,” said co-lead author Maaike Bierenbroodspot.

Scientists are investigating the evolutionary history of multicellularity within streptococci.

They discovered that the ancient common ancestor of land plants, other chain algae, and Klebsormydiophyceae was already multicellular.

“This discovery reveals the genetic potential of multicellularity among streptococci and shows that the origins of this important trait date back almost a billion years,” said co-author Jan de Vries. the professor said.

of study It was published in the magazine current biology.

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Maike J. Bielenbrodspot other. Phylogenomic insights into the first multicellular streptococci. current biology, published online on January 19, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.070

Source: www.sci.news

New Research Shows Comet Wild 2 Contains a Large Amount of Young Solar System Dust

Posted on January 18, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

NASA’s Stardust mission returned rocky material from the coma of comet 81P/Wild 2 (pronounced “Wild-2”) to Earth on January 15, 2006. Comet Wild 2 contains volatile ice, which may have accreted beyond Neptune’s orbit. The Wild 2 sample was expected to be rich in primordial molecular cloud material, i.e., interstellar and circumstellar particles. Instead, it turns out that Wild 2’s interstellar component is very small, and nearly all of the returned particles formed in a wide and diverse region of the solar nebula. Although some features of the Wild 2 material resemble primitive chondrite meteorites, the diversity of its composition attests to a very different origin and evolutionary history from asteroids. Wild 2 has very little impact debris from asteroids, and may have accreted dust from the outer and inner Solar System before the solar nebula dispersed.

Comet 81P/Wild 2. Image courtesy of NASA.

wild 2 is a small comet in the shape of a flat sphere, approximately 1.65 x 2 x 2.75 km (1.03 x 1.24 x 1.71 miles).

Discovered by Paul Wilde on January 6, 1978, this comet has an orbital period of 6.2 years.

Wild 2 is known as a fresh periodic comet. It orbits the Sun between Mars and Jupiter, but it did not always follow this orbit.

Originally, this comet’s orbit was between the orbits of Uranus and Jupiter. On September 9, 1974, a gravitational interaction between Wild 2 and Jupiter changed its orbital period from her 43 years to her 6.2 years.

“Eighteen years after NASA’s Stardust mission returned the first known sample from a comet to Earth, the true nature of the icy object is coming into focus,” says the new study. said author Ryan Oriol, a researcher at Washington University in St. Louis.

“When Stardust launched in 1999, many scientists predicted that the comet’s rocky material would be dominated by the primordial dust that built our solar system, the ‘stardust’ from which the mission takes its name. I was there.”

“But the actual samples told a different story: Wild 2 contained a potpourri of dust formed from various early events in the solar system’s history.”

For Dr. Oriole, the discovery that Wild 2 contained records of “local” events was exciting.

“This comet was a witness to the events that shaped the solar system into what we see today,” he said.

“Because the comet was kept in a cold storage in space for almost its entire life, it avoided the heat and water alterations seen in asteroid samples.”

“Comet Wild 2 contains things never seen before in a meteorite, including rare carbon and iron assemblages and precursors to the igneous globules that make up the most common type of meteorite. . And all of these objects are beautifully preserved within Wild 2.”

“Almost 20 years later, scientists have had enough time to analyze the tiny amounts of material returned from the Stardust mission, less than a milligram (think a grain of sand). You might see it.”

“But this material is dispersed into thousands of tiny particles on a collector the size of a pizza.”

“Almost every Wild 2 particle is unique and has a different story to tell. Extracting and analyzing these grains is a time-consuming process. But the scientific benefits are huge. .”

“Most of the Wild 2 particles have not yet been studied and certainly hold many more surprises. Over time, we will be able to study the samples using new techniques that did not exist at the start of the mission.” Masu.”

“Stardust samples, microscopic particles taken from celestial bodies less than two miles wide, contain a deep record of the past that spans billions of miles. After 18 years of studying this comet, we have We now have a better understanding of the dynamic formative period.”

study Published in Journal November 2023 issue geochemistry.

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Ryan C. Oriol. 2023. Comet 81P/Wild 2: A record of the solar system’s wild youth. geochemistry 83 (4): 126046; doi: 10.1016/j.chemer.2023.126046

Source: www.sci.news

Scientists Find Worsening Ice Melt in Greenland as Research Advances

Posted on January 18, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

According to a new study, Greenland’s ice sheet has lost approximately 1,965 square miles to glacier retreat since 1985, which is about the same area as the state of Delaware. The study utilized satellite images to track the retreat and discovered that iceberg collapse is accelerating in Greenland, with previous analyses potentially underestimating its impact. The authors of the study noted that the current estimates of ice sheet mass balance may underestimate recent mass loss from Greenland by up to 20%. In recent decades, nearly all of Greenland’s glaciers have thinned or retreated.

The study, published in the journal Nature, is another indication that Greenland’s ice is melting at a rapid rate. There is growing concern among scientists that global warming could trigger a major ice sheet tipping point. If Greenland’s ice completely melts, sea levels could rise by almost 7 feet and change ocean circulation patterns. Additionally, the study suggests that the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change may be underestimating how much ice is being lost in Greenland.

Several studies published last year highlighted Greenland’s rapid changes, including one that found the rate of glacier retreat in the 21st century to be twice as fast as the 20th century. Another study showed that floating ice shelves in northern Greenland have lost over 35% of their total volume and are weakening, which could threaten ice sheet stability.

In November, a report by 60 leading snow and ice scientists raised concerns about the fate of the world’s ice sheets, warning that if global average temperatures rise to about 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial baselines, the planet could see sea level rise of more than 40 feet in the coming centuries. The report also indicates that by 2 degrees Celsius, most of Greenland, most of West Antarctica, and vulnerable parts of East Antarctica will have a very long-term chance of warming, leading to relentless sea level rise and decline.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Google Commits to Removing Abortion Clinic Visit Location Data Despite Research Findings

Posted on January 17, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Google made a promise in July 2022 to remove location data of users who visited abortion clinics. However, little progress has been made in fulfilling this promise. This move would make it more difficult for law enforcement to use this information to investigate and prosecute people seeking abortions in states where abortion is banned or restricted. Recent research shows that Google still retains location history data in 50% of cases.

Google originally made this promise shortly after the Supreme Court’s decision to end federal abortion protections. The company stated it would remove entries for locations considered “private” or sensitive, including “health care facilities such as counseling centers, domestic violence shelters, and abortion clinics.” However, as of now, there has been no implementation of this policy. A study conducted by tech advocacy group Accountable Tech found that Google does not mask location data in all cases, even after claiming to prioritize user privacy and implement changes to its location retention policy “as promised” in early 2022.

Accountable Tech’s latest study revealed that while Google’s location retention rates had improved slightly, the company was still not deleting location history in all cases as promised. Google Maps’ Director of Products, Marlo McGriff, disputed this finding and stated that any claims of non-compliance are false.

Researchers used her latest Android device to guide her to an abortion clinic and tested what location data it stored about her trip in the latest study. The study also found that Google still holds data on the location search queries and other criminal data as well, from emails to Google search data. Law enforcement’s use of reverse search warrants and geofence location warrants have raised new concerns about user data privacy.

Recently, Google announced plans to change the way it stores location history data for all its users. This change includes storing location data on users’ devices by default and encrypting and deleting all location data backed up to Google’s cloud storage after three months. However, Accountable Tech remains skeptical of Google’s promises to protect location data, based on its history of unfulfilled commitments.

Source: www.theguardian.com

NASA to Send Wooden Satellites Into Space for Innovative Research Purposes

Posted on December 30, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

In 1957, the first man-made object was successfully launched into space and into orbit around the Earth. This was Sputnik 1, a beautifully simple Soviet spherical satellite with only four antennae.

But this historic event also marked the beginning of another, more disturbing one. It means that humans left the first space debris in orbit around the Earth.

Part of the 267-ton, 30-meter-tall rocket that launched Sputnik also became stuck in orbit. Suddenly, the world was faced with a problem we didn’t know we needed to solve: outer space littering.

Thankfully, Sputnik and the rocket debris it left behind deorbited shortly after launch and burned up in the atmosphere. However, this was not always the case. Just 66 years of space exploration has left vast amounts of detritus in orbit around Earth.

Now, NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) are considering ideas to help solve this problem. The idea is to build a satellite out of wood, a widely available biodegradable material.

Space junk is currently a problem

The problems that government agencies are trying to address are big and complex, and they need to know how big the first phase of the project was. At least 130 million pieces of man-made debris are known to be orbiting the Earth, most of them flying at speeds of more than 7 kilometers per second. This is eight times faster than a normal bullet. But while this is a staggering number, some scientists believe it is a conservative estimate.

Most objects sent into space remain in space until either they deorbit and burn up on re-entry, or they are pulled away from Earth into graveyard orbits, where they orbit for hundreds of years. The majority of such objects are actually very small, less than 1 cm in diameter, from paint chips to small pieces of electronic equipment to pieces of insulation foam and aluminum.

Such tiny pieces cannot be seen from Earth, even with powerful telescopes. Therefore, we need to look for evidence left behind when it collides with other objects in space. This is no easy task.

Work to assess the scope of the problem began in earnest after five extraordinary objects, the NASA Space Shuttles, repeatedly orbited and returned. Since 1981, NASA has launched a total of 135 shuttle missions.

After each shuttle returned to Earth, it was evaluated using a fine-tooth comb to identify damage caused by orbital debris. This gives NASA a clearer picture of the problem of small pieces of dead satellites flying through space.

read more:

NASA scientists have discovered exactly what they expected: small pieces of debris just a few millimeters in diameter can cause small but powerful impacts. NASA also produced the first estimates of how degraded the debris environment is.

Prior to 1978, NASA scientists Don Kessler and Barton Coolpare had proposed a scenario they named Kessler syndrome. The phenomenon they discussed is a catastrophic event in which when a satellite is shattered by space debris, the resulting debris destroys more satellites, creating even more debris, repeating an endless chain of events. It is a chain of

Obviously, this is a big problem. So how can we slow down the rate of debris formation or eliminate it altogether? Proposed solutions include using radiation hardening to reach space within five years of launch. It involves taking the ship out of orbit.

materials (designed to be less susceptible to damage from exposure to the high levels of radiation and extreme temperatures experienced in space) and launches on reusable rockets.

Incorporate the idea of a wooden satellite. LignoSat, the name of the NASA and JAXA project, is a coffee machine built using traditional Japanese joinery techniques that houses electronics and other materials needed for space missions, much like today's CubeSats. It is a cup-sized (approximately 10x10x10cm) wooden box.

Wood samples were tested for suitability over 290 days in 2022 on the International Space Station's Kibo Japanese Experiment Module.

Magnolia coped well and performed best when exposed to intense cosmic rays and extreme temperature changes in its harsh environment. It does not burn, rot, crack, or deform, and has the important property that upon re-entry into the atmosphere, it burns up to a fine ash, leaving behind small fragments.

Lignosat prototype.Photo provided by: Kyoto University

Another advantage of wooden satellites is their reflectivity, or rather their lack of reflectivity. Currently, reflections from aluminum satellites are so bright that they can be easily spotted from Earth with the naked eye. Importantly, this reflected light can reach sensitive areas and interfere with astronomical observations.

LignoSat test launch is currently scheduled for 2024. Success could pave the way for further missions.

So will all satellites be made of wood in the near future? Unfortunately, that is unlikely. On the plus side, projects like this encourage researchers to think outside the box and can have a greater impact in the future. If LignoSat is successful, more research groups may try to introduce biodegradable materials to reduce further debris generation.

But for now, I strongly support efforts to actively track as many objects in Earth orbit as possible to reduce future collisions with matter in space.

read more:

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

New research reveals signs that your dog may be a genius

Posted on December 30, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

If your dog can distinguish between toys and doesn’t destroy them, then it may be a genius. That’s according to scientists who have identified a unique type of genius dog and have found that it all depends on how well they know their toys. You can read more about it here.

The dogs referred to by the researchers behind this study are known as gifted word learner (GWL) dogs. They know the names of their toys and can retrieve them on command. In fact, they can learn words very quickly and have been found to be incredibly rare.

One of the first organizations to closely examine the characteristics of these dogs, using a sample of 41 dogs from nine countries, was the Eötvös Lorand University (ELTE) in Hungary. The results showed that the genius dogs knew the names of 29 toys on average, but many of them knew over 100 of their toys by the end of the study.

Max, one of the genius dogs studied, knows the names of over 200 toys. Max, a 5-year-old male border collie, is from Hungary. – Photo credit: Ildiko Gyenes

To confirm that these dogs were real, the researchers first asked owners to send in videos of their dogs retrieving toys by name. After this stage, the researchers met with owners in a “virtual lab” to test the toy retrieval in more controlled conditions.

The study conducted by ELTE revealed that GWL dog owners reported that their talented pups were able to learn the names of new toys within 30 minutes. It became clear that certain breeds, such as Border Collies, were more likely to have this talent than others. However, no special training is required to own a GWL dog.

These dogs are so rare that it took researchers five years to find 41 dogs in nine countries using social media. You can watch their experiments here.

“GWL dogs are so rare that until now we only had anecdotes about their background.” – Professor Adam Miklosi, head of the Department of Animal Behavior at ELTE

For more information, read more

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

New research uncovers the ‘visual masking’ phenomenon in animal behavior

Posted on December 29, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

A strange phenomenon called visual masking can reveal the time scale of perception, but its underlying mechanisms are not well understood.

Colored plots show neural activity recorded in mouse visual cortex (V1). Each row of tick marks represents the spikes of a different neuron. Although researchers can predict the target side from neural activity with near-perfect accuracy, animal subjects often get incorrect masked trials due to how brain regions downstream of V1 process this information. I am.Image credit: Gail other.

Have you ever wanted to make something invisible? It turns out your brain can do it.

Unfortunately, this is a limited superpower. In visual masking, we do not consciously recognize another image when it appears in rapid succession.

But the timing of those images is important. For masking to work, the first image must flash very quickly, and the second image must follow rapidly (on the order of 50 milliseconds).

Don't get me wrong, the first image doesn't stay in view very long, but it's definitely long enough to be recognizable without the second image or mask.

Scientists discovered this phenomenon in the 19th century, but why and how the human brain does this remains a mystery.

“This is an interesting observation, that your perception doesn't accurately reflect what exists in the world,” said Dr. Sean Olsen, a researcher at the Allen Institute.

“Like other optical illusions, we think this tells us something about how the visual system works and, ultimately, the neural circuits underlying visual perception.”

In a new study, Dr. Olsen and colleagues take a closer look at the science behind this bizarre illusion and show for the first time that it also occurs in mice.

When the mice were trained to report what they saw, they were also able to pinpoint the specific areas of the brain needed for the visual masking illusion to work.

Dr. Christoph Koch, also from the Allen Institute, said, “Our research has narrowed down the region of the brain responsible for perceiving the world around us.''

“What are the steps from the time the photons rain down on your retina to when you actually become consciously aware of what you’re seeing?”

When a rain of photons hits our retina, the information follows a predetermined path from the eyeball through several different areas of the brain and into the highly-processed areas of the cortex, the wrinkled outermost shell of the brain. It ends with

Previous research on visual masking has led scientists to believe that neurons in the early part of the brain in the retina and its pathways are activated even when a person is unaware that they are looking at an image. I know. In other words, your brain sees things without your knowledge.

To explore where unconscious sensations turn into conscious perceptions and actions, scientists first asked 16 mice to move a small mouse in the direction of rapidly flashing images in exchange for a reward if they chose the correct direction. I trained him to spin a Lego wheel.

I then added different masking images on either side of the screen, immediately after the target image.

Adding a mask prevented the animal from performing the task correctly. This means that the animal can no longer recognize the original target image.

Because visual masking had never been tested in mice before, the authors had to create a task for mice, in which the images and the way they were presented were different from those used in previous human studies. I meant that.

To confirm that the optical illusion they showed to rodents was also relevant to us, they tested it on 16 people.

It turns out that human perception (or lack thereof) and mouse perception of this particular visual masking illusion are very similar.

The researchers then used a special technique known as optogenetics, which allowed them to quickly suppress activity in cells or areas throughout the brain with flashes of light.

They targeted this inhibition to the mouse's primary visual cortex, known as the first part of the cortex where visual information from the eyes enters higher cortical areas of the brain.

By turning off the primary visual cortex the moment the masking image appeared, they were able to completely block visual masking after the target image. Even though the masking image was visible, the mouse reverted to accurately locating the first image. the current.

This result implies that conscious perception is occurring in the visual cortex or in higher regions of the cortex downstream.

“This is consistent with the general idea in the field that the cortex is the seat of conscious cognition in mammals, including ourselves,” Dr. Koch said.

Although this study narrowed down the region responsible for conscious perception to the cortex, there are still many regions of the cortex that may be involved.

Further studies will need to silence these other areas to test their effects on visual masking tasks.

“We're starting to put some limits on where masking is occurring,” Dr. Olsen said.

“We think this is a good paradigm to track to track other areas that are listening to the primary visual cortex and essentially fusing the flow of target and mask information in the brain. Masu.”

of findings It was published in the magazine natural neuroscience.

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SD Gale other. Visual cortex is required for posterior masking in mice. nut neurosi, published online on November 13, 2023. doi: 10.1038/s41593-023-01488-0

Source: www.sci.news

Chitin may have an anti-obesity impact, according to new research

Posted on December 24, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

A recent study reveals that ingesting chitin, found in insect exoskeletons, activates the immune system in mice and reduces weight gain, potentially as an addition to the diet to fight obesity.

Research conducted in mice suggests that engaging certain types of fiber with the immune system may help prevent obesity.

Who can forget the stomach-churning moment when contestants on “Survivor” ate crunchy insects and other unpalatable foods for a chance to win $1 million? The TV show featured contestants demonstrating their gastronomic courage by trying their hand at cooking, leaving viewers feeling uncomfortable.

Digestion in a crunchy creature begins with the sound of its hard protective covering, the exoskeleton. It may be unpalatable, but hardcovers may be good for your metabolism, according to a new study in mice from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Immune system activation and dietary fiber

Researchers led by Dr. Stephen Van Dyken, assistant professor of pathology and immunology, have discovered that the immune system is involved in digesting chitin, a dietary fiber found abundantly in insect exoskeletons, mushrooms, and crustacean shells. A vigorous immune response was associated with less weight gain, less body fat, and resistance to obesity.

“Obesity is an epidemic,” Van Dyken said. “What we put into our bodies has a huge impact on our physiology and how we metabolize food. Based on this, we are researching ways to combat obesity.”

This study was recently published in the journal science.

The immune system is well known for protecting the body from a variety of threats such as bacteria, viruses, allergens, and even cancer. Researchers have discovered that specific departments of the immune system are also involved in chitin digestion. Stomach distension after chitin ingestion activates the immune response, causing gastric cells to increase production of enzymes known as chitinases, which break down chitin. Notably, chitin is insoluble and cannot be dissolved in liquids, so enzymes and harsh acidic conditions are required for digestion.

Research methods and findings

Dr. Do-hyun Kim, a postdoctoral fellow and lead author of the study, conducted experiments on germ-free mice lacking gut bacteria. His results show that chitin activates the immune response in the absence of bacteria.

“We believe that chitin digestion relies primarily on the host’s own chitinases,” van Dijken said. “The cells of the stomach change their enzyme output through a process called adaptation. However, bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract are also a source of chitinase, which breaks down chitin, so it is unlikely that this process is occurring without microbial input. Dr. van Dijken noted that in mice with gut bacteria, dietary chitin altered the bacterial composition of the lower gastrointestinal tract, suggesting that after the gut bacteria left the stomach, This also suggests that they can also adapt to chitin-containing foods.

The researchers found that chitin, which activates the immune system but is not digested, had the greatest effect on obesity in mice. Mice fed a high-fat diet were also given chitin. Some mice lacked the ability to produce chitinase, which breaks down chitin. Mice that ate but were unable to break down chitin gained the least weight, had the lowest body fat measurements, and were resistant to obesity compared to mice that did not eat chitin or mice that ate chitin but were able to break it down. did.

Although mice could still break down chitin, which would give them a metabolic advantage, they adapted by overproducing chitinases to extract nutrients from chitin.

Van Dijken and his team will next follow up on the results of the human study to determine whether chitin can be added to the human diet to help control obesity.

“There are several ways to inhibit gastric chitinases,” he says. “Combining these approaches with chitin-containing foods could have enormous metabolic benefits.”

Reference: “The gastric type 2 immune circuit controls mammalian adaptation to dietary chitin” Do-Hyun Kim, Yilin Wang, Haerin Jung, Rachael L. Field, Xinya Zhang, Ta-Chiang Liu, Changqing Ma, James Written by S. Fraser, Jonathan R. Brestoff and Stephen J. Van Dyken, September 7, 2023. science.
DOI: 10.1126/science.add5649

This study was supported by the Children’s Discovery Institute, Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation, Rheumatic Disease Research Resource Base Center, National Institutes of Healthand Burroughs Wellcome Fund.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Research shows that individuals who are unable to burp may experience feelings of anxiety and depression | Latest Science and Technology Updates

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

A new study has found that people who are unable to burp due to a rare health condition feel more anxious, depressed and embarrassed.

Published on December 20th, the study was conducted by experts from around the world to investigate the social impact of retrograde cricopharyngeal muscle dysfunction (R-CPD), also known as “inability to burp syndrome.”

R-CPD involves dysfunction of the cricopharyngeus muscle, which prevents the patient from relaxing enough to expel gas. It was first reported in 1987, but it wasn’t given an official name until 2019.

Out of the 199 people who participated in the study, 98% reported feeling bloated, 93% reported a “socially unpleasant rumbling sound,” 89% reported excessive flatulence, and 55% reported difficulty vomiting.

R-CPD patients often have to lie down or force themselves to vomit to relieve painful symptoms.

Although the condition can be treated by injecting Botox into the affected muscles, the treatment is not available on the NHS in the UK and must be carried out in private.

Researchers found that participants reported high levels of embarrassment, anxiety, and depression, which also negatively impacted their relationships and work lives.

Read more from Sky News:
There’s a risk of painful injuries in the bedroom this Christmas
Christmas vegetables that may help fight cancer

“R-CPD is a disease that is unfamiliar to many healthcare providers and leaves patients underserved. It affects not only their daily lives but also their personal and professional relationships. It will affect you.”

“Understanding and raising awareness of the basic characteristics of the disease has the potential to improve diagnosis and treatment rates and improve quality of life.”

A spokesperson for NHS England said: “Clinical evidence for this condition is very limited due to the small number of people coming forward with the condition, but NHS staff have been advised by NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) to Establishing clinical advice, providing care and services appropriate to patients with specific conditions and needs.”

Source: news.sky.com

New Research Uncovers the Secrets of Sarcomeres

Posted on December 20, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Diagram of interacting thick and thin filaments within cardiac sarcomeres based on structural cryo-electron tomography data. Credit: MPI of Molecular Physiology

Scientists have captured the first true-to-life 3D images of the thick filaments of a mammal’s heart muscle.

Atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and stroke are among the serious health conditions that can result from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and are important factors in sudden cardiac death in people under 35 years of age.

“The heart muscle is the central engine of the human body. Of course, if you know how engines are made and how they work, it’s easy to repair a broken engine,” says Stefan Lunser. say. “At the beginning of our study of muscle, we were able to use cryo-electron microscopy to visualize the structure of key muscle components and how they interact.”

“But these were still images of proteins taken from living cells. We just don’t teach them much,” Rounser said.

through thick and thin

Skeletal and cardiac muscles contract through the interaction of two types of parallel protein filaments (thin and thick) within the sarcomere. Sarcomeres are subdivided into several regions called zones and bands, and these filaments are arranged in different ways.

Thin filaments are composed of F-actin, troponin, tropomyosin, and nebulin. Thick filaments are formed by myosin, titin, and myosin-binding protein C (MyBP-C). The latter can form bonds between filaments, while the so-called motor protein myosin interacts with thin filaments to generate force and muscle contraction.

Thick filament structures within relaxed cardiac sarcomeres. The image above shows a tomographic slice of a cardiac sarcomere. Thin filaments are marked with green marks, thick filaments with purple arrows. The middle image shows reconstructed thick filaments (purple) and thin filaments (green). The image below shows the structure of thin filaments spanning several sarcomere regions. Scale bar indicates 50 nm. credit:
Molecular Physiology MPI

Muscle research milestones

“If we want to fully understand how muscles work at the molecular level, we need to delineate their components in their natural environment. This is one of the biggest challenges in biological research today. and cannot be addressed using traditional experimental approaches,” says Rounser.

To overcome this obstacle, his team developed an electron cryo-tomography workflow specifically for examining muscle samples. The scientists flash-frozen mammalian heart muscle samples produced by his Gautel group in London at very low temperatures (-175°C). ).

3D structure of a sarcomere showing thick filaments (purple) and thin filaments (green). Credit: MPI of Molecular Physiology

This maintains moisture and microstructure, keeping it pristine. Next, a focused ion beam (FIB milling) is applied to thin the sample to a thickness of approximately 100 nanometers, ideal for transmission electron microscopy, and multiple images are acquired while tilting the sample along its axis. Masu. Finally, computational methods reconstruct his three-dimensional image in high resolution.

In recent years, Raunser’s group has successfully applied customized workflows and recently published two groundbreaking publications. They created the first high-resolution images of sarcomeres and, so far, a misty muscle protein called nebulin. Both studies investigated the 3D organization of muscle proteins in sarcomeres, such as how myosin binds to actin to control muscle contraction, and how nebulin binds to actin to stabilize it and its We provide unprecedented insight into the 3D organization of muscle proteins in sarcomeres, including what determines their length.

complete the picture

In the current study, scientists have created, for the first time, high-resolution images of the heart’s thick filaments spanning several regions of the sarcomere. “With a length of 500 nm, this makes it the longest and largest structure ever resolved by cryo-ET,” said Davide Tamborini of MPI Dortmund, lead author of the study. Masu.

Even more impressive is the new insight gained into the molecular organization of the thick filaments and, by extension, their function. The arrangement of myosin molecules depends on their position within the filament.

Scientists believe that this allows the thick filaments to sense and process a large number of muscle-regulating signals and adjust the strength of muscle contractions depending on the sarcomere area. They also revealed how titin chains run along the filament. Titin chains intertwine with myosin and serve as a scaffold for its assembly, likely regulating length-dependent sarcomere activation.

“Our goal is to one day paint a complete picture of sarcomeres. The images of thick filaments in this study are ‘only’ snapshots of the muscle in its relaxed state. “We want to analyze sarcomeres in different states, such as during contraction, to fully understand how they function and how they are regulated,” says Rounser.

Comparisons with samples from patients with muscle diseases will ultimately contribute to a better understanding of diseases such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and the development of innovative treatments.

Reference: “Structure of native myosin filaments in relaxed cardiac sarcomeres” Davide Tamborrini, Zhexin Wang, Thorsten Wagner, Sebastian Tacke, Markus Stabrin, Michael Grange, Ay Lin Kho, Martin Rees, Pauline Bennett, Mathias Gautel, Stefan Raunser, 2023 October 32nd Nature.
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06690-5

Source: scitechdaily.com

Research indicates that the canine teeth of marsupial carnivores grow continuously throughout their lives.

Posted on December 18, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

New research from the University of Tasmania also confirms important and fundamental morphological differences in Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) compared to most other animals.

Young Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii). Image credit: Keres H. / CC BY-SA 4.0.

There has long been interest in comparing the biology of placental and marsupial mammals and how different traits relate to adaptation and converging ecomorphological niches in different regions of the world. I’m here. One interesting feature is the tooth replacement pattern.

“Unlike humans, dogs and many other animals, which have a second set of baby teeth and adult teeth, we now know that the Tasmanian devil only has one tooth that serves them throughout their lives.” said researchers at the University of Tasmania. Professor Mena Jonesstudy author.

“When Tasmanian devil joeys are young, they have very small teeth that fit their small bodies.”

“Tasmanian devils are separated from their mothers when they are just one-third of their adult size, and at this point they must become independent and feed themselves.”

“Instead of spending time erupting into adult teeth like humans, the Tasmanian devil’s teeth simply ‘erupt’ from the jaw and gums, pushing out more and more to fill the Tasmanian devil’s large mouth and head. , they raise animals to hold meat and prey and for protection. ”

“This is a really cool fact about a really cool species, and it points to a completely different evolutionary solution to the formation of teeth in growing animals than we know.”

The same phenomenon is seen in local possums and possums, as well as in some ancient marsupials such as the giant volhyaenids and sabertooths of South America.

“This information will help researchers determine the age of the animals they are studying, including those monitored in the wild for Tasmanian devil facial tumor research,” Professor Jones said.

of study Published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

_____

Mena E. Jones. 2023. Overbudding of teeth in marsupial carnivores: compensation for constraints. Procedure R. Soc. B 290 (2013): 20230644; doi: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0644

Source: www.sci.news

Miniature VR goggles revolutionizing brain research

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

This diagram shows a VR setup with an “overhead threat” projected into the top field of view.Credit: Dom Pinke/Northwestern University
For the first time, the goggles allow researchers to study responses to overhead threats. northwestern university
Researchers have developed a new virtual reality (VR) goggle for mice. These tiny goggles aren’t just cute, they offer a more immersive experience for lab mice. By more faithfully simulating natural environments, researchers can more accurately and precisely study the neural circuits underlying behavior. A leap forward in VR goggles The new goggles represent a breakthrough compared to current state-of-the-art systems that simply surround a mouse with a computer or projection screen. Current systems allow the mouse to see the laboratory environment peeking out from behind the screen, but the flat nature of the screen prevents it from conveying three-dimensional (3D) depth. Another drawback was that the researchers couldn’t easily attach a screen above the mice’s heads to simulate overhead threats, such as looming birds of prey. New VR goggles avoid all of these problems. And as VR grows in popularity, the goggles could also help researchers gain new insights into how the human brain adapts and responds to repeated VR exposure. . This area is currently poorly understood. The study was published in the journal Dec. 8. neuron. This is the first time researchers have used a VR system to simulate overhead threats. A view through new miniature VR goggles.Credit: Dom Pinke/Northwestern University “For the past 15 years, we’ve been using VR systems on mice,” said Daniel Dombeck of Northwestern University, lead author of the study. “Traditionally, labs have used large computers and projection screens to surround the animals. For humans, this is like watching TV in the living room. You can still see the couch and walls. You There are cues around it that let you know you’re not in the scene. Next, consider wearing VR goggles, like the Oculus Rift, that occupy your entire field of vision, except the projected scene. They can’t see anything, and each eye projects a different scene to create depth information, which the rats lacked.” Dombeck is a professor of neurobiology in Northwestern University’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. His laboratory is a leader in the development of his VR-based systems and high-resolution laser-based imaging systems for animal research. The value of VR Although researchers can observe animals in nature, it is extremely difficult to image patterns of brain activity in real time while animals interact with the real world. To overcome this challenge, the researchers integrated his VR into a laboratory setting. In these experimental settings, animals use a treadmill to move through a scene, such as a virtual maze, projected onto a screen around them. By keeping the mouse in place on a treadmill, rather than running it through a natural environment or a physical maze, neurobiologists can use tools to The brain can be observed and mapped. Ultimately, this will help researchers understand the general principles of how neural circuits activated during different behaviors encode information. “VR essentially recreates a real-life environment,” Dombeck says. “While we’ve had a lot of success with this VR system, the animals may not be as immersed as they would be in a real environment. Force the mouse to pay attention to the screen and ignore the surrounding lab.” That alone requires a lot of training.” Introduction to iMRSIV Recent advances in hardware miniaturization led Dombeck and his team to wonder if they could develop VR goggles that more closely replicate real-world environments. We created compact goggles using custom-designed lenses and a small organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. The system, called Miniature Rodent Stereo Illumination VR (iMRSIV), consists of two lenses and two screens, one on each side of the head, that illuminate each eye individually for 3D vision. This provides each eye with a 180-degree field of view that fully immerses the mouse and excludes the surrounding environment. An artist’s interpretation of a cartoon of a mouse wearing VR goggles. Credit: @rita
Unlike VR goggles for humans, the iMRSIV (pronounced “immersive”) system does not wrap around the mouse’s head. Instead, the goggles are attached to experimental equipment and sit snugly right in front of the mouse’s face. Since the mouse runs in place on the treadmill, the goggles still cover the mouse’s field of view.
“We designed and built a custom holder for the goggles,” said John Issa, a postdoctoral fellow in Dombeck’s lab and co-first author of the study. “The entire optical display, the screen and lens, goes all the way around the mouse.” Enhance learning and engagement By mapping the brains of mice, Dombeck and his team found that the brains of mice wearing goggles activated in a manner very similar to that of freely moving animals. And in a side-by-side comparison, the researchers found that mice with goggles were able to immerse themselves in the scene much faster than mice with traditional VR systems. “We went through the same kind of training paradigm that we’ve done in the past, but the mice with the goggles learned faster,” Dombeck said. “After the first session they were already able to complete the task. They knew where to run and were looking for the right place to get the reward. We think they may not actually need as much training because they can interact with their environment in such a way.” Simulating overhead threats for the first time Next, the researchers used goggles to simulate overhead threats. This was not possible with the current system. Since the hardware for the imaging technology is already on top of the mouse, there is no place to attach a computer screen. But the skies above rats are often where animals are searching for important, sometimes life-or-death information. “The upper part of the visual field in mice is very sensitive to detecting predators from above, like in birds,” said co-first author Dom Pinke, a research specialist in Dombeck’s lab. . “It’s not a learned behavior. It’s an imprinted behavior. It’s hardwired into the mouse’s brain.” To create the looming threat, the researchers projected a dark, expanding disk onto the top of the goggles and above the mouse’s field of view. In experiments, mice ran faster and froze up when they noticed the disc. Both behaviors are common responses to overhead threats. Researchers were able to record neural activity to study these responses in detail. “In the future, we would like to investigate situations in which rats are predators rather than prey,” Issa said. “For example, we can observe brain activity while chasing a fly. This activity involves a lot of depth perception and distance estimation. Those are things we can start to capture. is.” Accessibility in neurobiological research Dombeck hopes the goggles will not only open the door to further research, but also to new researchers. He believes the goggles could make neurobiology research more accessible because they are relatively inexpensive and require less intensive laboratory preparation. “Traditional VR systems are very complex,” Dombeck says. “It’s expensive and it’s big. You need a large lab with plenty of space. Additionally, the long time it takes to train a mouse to perform a task limits the number of experiments you can perform. Although we are still working on improvements, our goggles are small, relatively inexpensive, and also very easy to use. This could make VR technology available to other labs. There is a gender.” References: “Full-field virtual reality goggles for mice” by Domonkos Pinke, John B. Issa, Gabriel A. Dara, Gergely Dobos, Daniel A. Dombeck, December 8, 2023. neuron.DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.11.019 This research “Full-field virtual reality goggles for mice” National Institutes of Health (Award Number R01-MH101297), the National Science Foundation (Award Number ECCS-1835389), the Hartwell Foundation, and the Brain and Behavioral Research Foundation. (function(d, s, id){
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