Tag Archives: scratching

Thanks to a Unique Evolutionary Trait, Pandas Use Tools for Scratching.

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Bamboo is not just for eating

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Observations have shown that giant pandas utilize twigs and bamboo pieces to inflict self-harm. Beyond the longstanding tale of pandas applying dirt to their fur, this marks the inaugural documentation of tool usage among these creatures, as noted by Yang Bin from the Shaanxi Zoological Research Institute in China.

“People often perceive pandas as lethargic and solely driven by their appetite,” Yang remarked. “Discovering their ability to use tools has significantly reshaped our understanding of pandas.”

Yang and colleagues observed this behavior during various tasks and attempted to delve deeper. They recorded 383 instances of tool use across 50 days while monitoring 18 captive giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) in Chinese zoos, which included both males and females.

The pandas primarily employed twigs and bamboo fragments from trees, often for scratching purposes. This behavior allows them to reach body parts that are notoriously difficult to access without tools.

Considering the outdoor natural habitats where these zoo pandas reside, Yang suggested that wild pandas might exhibit similar tool usage; however, no such behaviors have been documented in the wild thus far.

Distinct from other bears, pandas possess “false thumbs” on their feet—essentially a sixth digit that, while shorter than a human thumb, enables them to grasp objects in unique ways. Researchers have noted that pandas possess relatively large brains and the capability to plan short-term, particularly with the manner in which they use broken sticks as tools.

“Pandas may exhibit more complex cognitive abilities and behaviors than we previously realized,” Yang stated, emphasizing that further investigation is required to understand this behavior better, including whether pandas can be trained to use tools.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Unusual Events on the Moon: Our Team is Left Scratching Their Heads

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A recent study by NASA has uncovered an unexpected and curious fact about the moon’s deep interior.

Utilizing data from the Grail Spacecraft, researchers found that the side of the moon facing Earth is “bending” more than the far side, indicating a remarkably unstable internal structure between the two hemispheres.

“We have long believed the moon to be spherically symmetrical deep down, so encountering clear evidence to the contrary was both surprising and challenging,” said Dr. Ryan Park, the study’s lead author and head of the Solar System Dynamics Group at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as reported by BBC Science Focus.

Published in Nature, the study reveals that the moon visible from Earth deforms more significantly under the gravitational influence of Earth than on its far side, measured using ultra-precision gravity techniques.

This finding relies on a metric known as the “Love number,” which quantifies the extent to which a celestial body deforms due to tidal forces. After nearly a decade of intricate calculations involving millions of parameters, the team found that the Love number was approximately 72% greater than what would be expected for a symmetrically spherical moon.

“When we first calculated higher Love numbers than anticipated, our team was genuinely perplexed,” Park noted. However, the calculations confirmed it: the moon exhibits instability both internally and externally.

These views of the near and far side of the moon are compiled from observations by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. -NASA/JPL-Caltech

The cause? The mantle on the near side is warmer and less rigid compared to the far side, attributed to radioactive heating early in the moon’s history.

This phenomenon is likely due to ancient geological activities. The near side contains a significantly higher concentration of radioactive materials, including up to 10 times more thorium. These elements emit heat as they decay.

Billion years ago, this heat led to the formation of pockets of partially melted rock, sparking massive volcanic eruptions. These eruptions resurfaced the near side with dark plains known as “Mare,” while the far side remained rugged and cratered.

This study generates the most comprehensive gravity map of the moon to date. Future missions, such as NASA’s Artemis program, aim to enhance navigation on the lunar surface and aid in developing lunar navigation systems.

Looking to other regions of the solar system, Park plans to apply a similar methodology to investigate the metal-rich asteroid Psyche and the icy moons of Jupiter, particularly Europa.

“The most astonishing aspect was how pronounced the asymmetry was,” Park added. “This compelled us to examine the intricacies of the moon’s thermal and structural evolution, ultimately yielding new insights into how the moon—and potentially other celestial bodies—develop internal disparities over billions of years.”

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About our experts

Ryan Park is the supervisor of the Solar System Dynamics Group at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. His research has been featured in prestigious journals, including Science, Journal of Astrophysics, and Nature.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Scratching an itch has been proven to promote allergic inflammation in research.

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Itching is a dominant symptom of dermatitis (eczema), and scratch promotes skin inflammation, which deteriorates the disease. However, it is almost unknown whether scratching can make the spots and the lord benefit the mechanism that worsens inflammation. New research conducted in the mouse reveals the double nature of scratching. It can worsen skin inflammation, but can also increase immunity against bacterial infections at the site of injury.

Scratch is synergistic with the activation of FCεRI mast cells and promotes inflammation of allergic skin. Image credit: LIU et al。 , Doi: 10.1126/Science.adn9390.

Scratch is an attractive, typical, evolved behavioral reaction to the sensation of itching of the skin.

In many common skin diseases such as dermatitis, prolonged itching is a dominant symptom, indicating a substantial source of affection.

In response to itching, scratch is well -clinically recognized to worsen dermatitis, and some diseases are pathogenic.

However, itching is often a fun feeling and does not cause evasion behavior. This suggests that it can have some benefits to the host.

“Scratch is often fun. This suggests that this behavior must be a profit to evolve,” said Professor Daniel Kaplan of Pittsburgh University.

“Our research helps solve this paradox by providing evidence that scratches also provide bacterial defense against skin infections.”

How to use a new genetic modification mouse model to eliminate the function of neurons that senses itching, called non -peptide giku 2 (NP2), is in the relationship between scratches, injuries, and inflammation. We investigated whether it will affect.

They discovered that they revitalized neurons that sensed the pain that releasing a substance P (SP) when scratched.

However, scratch can worsen problems such as dermatitis, but reducing bacteria can help you to use immune protection. Staphylococcus aureusInfection.

Furthermore, the wound affects the microorganisms in the skin at the damaged site, and can prevent the imbalance of microorganisms, but chronic conditions such as atopic dermatitis complicate this.

The survey suggests that scratching functions as a pathological factor in inflammation and as an evolved mechanism to strengthen protection against infections.

“Discover that scratch improves defense Staphylococcus aureus It suggests that some context may be useful, “said Professor Kaplan.

“But if the itch is chronic, the damage caused by the skin will probably exceed this advantage.”

Survey results It will be displayed in the journal Science。

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Andrew W. Rue et al。 2025. Scratch promotes allergic inflammation and host defense through the activation of nerve gesturing mast cells. Science 387 (6733); DOI: 10.1126/Science.adn9390

Source: www.sci.news