The question of how human interaction works is a neurochemical one, but it’s not easy to solve. While many experiments cannot be performed on humans or primates, smaller laboratory animals are useless for this research due to their differences with us. But prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) have social traits that had previously been assumed as […]
Ancient Easter Islanders’ ancestry charted through DNA tests Ancient Easter Island inhabitants had no contact with outside people before Europeans came in the early 1700s. “They are 100% completely Polynesian ancestry as far as we can see,” said study author Pontus Skoglund. The New York Times Soft tissues, stomach contents found in well-preserved salamander fossil […]
Prolonged exposure to sunlight is not recommended. Even though is really important to synthesize vitamin D which helps us absorbing calcium or phosphate and maintain a mineralized skeleton, the effects of sun´s ultraviolet radiation (mainly UVA and UVB) can be prejudicial in the long term. Main issues may be sunburn (UVB), reduced skin elasticity leading […]
The number of genes linked to autism has not stopped growing in the last decade. Although there are hundreds of variants that are more frequent in people who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) than in the general population, there are sixty genes that have a clearer linkage and could help build the genetic […]
Varying levels of pesticides found in most honey samples collected worldwide Scientists have found varying levels of neonicotinoid pesticides in 75% of samples of honey from almost 200 areas around the world. Neonicotinoid pesticides are believed to cause such health issues in bees as impaired brain function and slowed colony growth. Nature New genus, species […]
There is a variable that is relevant for such seemingly different fields as outer space exploration , nanotechnology , fusion research , or medicine. And that is electronic stopping, its precise knowledge important for the understanding of space weathering, ion beam patterning, plasma-wall interactions, or radiation therapy, respectively. When ions propagate in matter, they are […]
Plants emit a great amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). They are mainly produced in flowers and fruits and confer them their classical pleasant smell. However, leaves and roots also emit an important quantity of volatiles. VOCs have different functions mostly related with the communication of the plant with the environment. They are responsible of […]
Almost every one of our body cells bears in its nucleus about 2 meters of DNA containing the genes that shape our being. All that, roughly 20.000 protein-coding genes, regulatory and unknown-function sequences, tightly packed inside a structure that has a volume of only a few cubic micrometres. How this huge amount of material is […]
Self-folding exoskeletons can help robots adapt for different missions Origami-like heat-activated exoskeletons can help robots adapt for varied missions by giving them the ability to roll, glide, walk and sail. Live Science Japan’s Akatsuki spacecraft collecting Venus climate data after rocky start After a difficult start, Japan has been collecting data about the harsh climate […]
There are plenty of examples of drugs that have been repurposed in recent years. For instance, thalidomide, the initially prescribed medication for headache in pregnant women which led to countless numbers of babies born with body malformations during the 50s and 60s, now this drug is used for treating certain types of cancer, such as […]