When we hear somebody wheezing, coughing, showing chest tightness and shortness of breath, most of us will immediately recognize the underlying cause: Asthma . This is not a minor issue, but one affecting approximately 5% of the entire world population (and steeply growing every year) and causing the death of nearly 400000 people back in […]
Space travel can hurt astronauts’ eye nerves Tissues that surround part of astronauts’ optic nerves become damaged due to long-term space travel. The study looked at 15 astronauts who had been in space for about six months. Live Science Evidence that world’s freshwater is acidifying The world’s freshwater appears to be acidifying. Researchers noted an […]
Mimicking natural processes has been a recurrent strategy for the development of new technologies, from velcro to bullet trains. Thanks to the advances in scientific knowledge and technological tools achieved over the last decades, biologically inspired research has evolved from the macroscale to the nanoscale. This poses an interdisciplinary challenge, involving fields such as molecular […]
Our core theory of fundamental physics, the Standard Model (SM), describes a vast range of phenomena precisely and very accurately. In that sense it is close to Nature’s last word. It presents, however, some shortcomings. For example, the SM contains three different forces and many independent fields. It is attractive to imagine that a deeper […]
Microglial cells are the immune cells that reside in the central nervous system. They have phagocytic capacity, constitute 10% of the cells of the brain and form a fairly regular three-dimensional network in which each microglia has a unique territory. Its cell body presents many expansions with numerous fine processes, amazingly mobile, with which they […]
Genes linked to exploration in birds may help them adapt to climate change Birds whose genes favour exploration of new habitats will likely handle climate change better than those inclined to stay where they are. Researchers have identified a pair of genes, DRD4 and DEAF1, in yellow warblers that are linked to migration and exploration […]
Condensed matter • Materials • Nanotechnology • Physics • Theoretical physics
For centuries, metals were employed in optical applications only as mirrors and gratings. New vistas opened up in the late 1970s and early 1980s with the discovery of surface-enhanced Raman scattering and the use of surface plasmon (collective electronic oscillations at the surface of metals) resonances for sensing. However, it was not until the 1990s […]
Nowadays, most important news concerning science focuses on applicability ; if you read a newspaper or magazine you will see news about how a new drug or appliance can be applied in the fight against disease, hunger, etc. However, behind the results lies a lot of hard work on the part of different group s- […]
Sponge, algae growth on rise in Caribbean reefs Sponges and algae appear to be taking over reefs from coral in the Caribbean. Fewer predators due to overfishing and coral bleaching are spurring the growth of sponges, which have developed a nutritional relationship with the algae. National Geographic Arecibo grabs images of close-flying asteroid Puerto Rico’s […]
Our immune system comprises a great variety of cell types and each of these groups is specialized in separate and defined actions. Macrophages play an essential role within this defence system by enhancing the immune response. In particular, they are in charge of “swallowing” (technically speaking, fagocyting) waste products, foreign materials and microorganisms. In addition […]