There’s currently ahole in the Sun
With the use of extreme ultraviolet light, NASA has imaged a large hole in the Sun’s corona from their Solar Dynamics Observatory. Find out more about the Sun’s ultraviolet side.
Smartphone addiction causes brain chemistry imbalance
A study of young people diagnosed with internet or smartphone addiction revealed a significantly higher ratio of the neurotransmitters gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) to glutamate-glutamine (GIx) within their brains. GABA slows down the signals within the brain, whereas GIx electrically excites the brain’s neurons. This ratio between the two neurotransmitters significantly reduced once the patients underwent cognitive behavioural therapy.
Mussels can improve water quality
Researchers have found that ribbed mussels remove excess nutrients, such as nitrogen and hosphorus, in urban estuaries. This process is known as nutrient bioextraction, with samples taken from the Bronx River in New York. High levels of nitrogen and phosphorus can lead to harmful levels of algal blooms which deplete oxygen levels, andtherefore results in the death of other organisms such as fish. Mussels are currently used in fish farms but may offer solutions for cleaning urban water.
Antibodies can help reduce migraines
Migraines affect 1 billion people globally and are most common in those aged 25–55. Research has shown that antibodies are able to neutralise the migraine-triggering molecules, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Ina study of 955 patients experiencing on average eight migraines per month, after treatment with the antibody erenumab 50 per cent of the patients found that they had half the number of migraine attacks.
Julius Caesar invaded Britain via Kent
New evidence has unearthed the truth about Julius Caesar’s invasion of Britain in 54 BCE. Archaeologists at the University of Leicester have found a defensive ditch during preliminary excavations for a planned road development at the hamlet of Ebbsfleet, Kent. Radiocarbon dating of
artefacts suggested is was a Roman base dating to 1st century BCE, around the same time as Caesar’s invasion.
Nanoparticles can fight cancer
Tiny drug-laden nanoparticles have been developed by researchers at the University of Illinois to combat rare cancer stem cells. Loaded with the drug niclosamide, these particles bind to a specific protein, which only appears on cancerouscells, toprevent thestemcell fromreturning or spreading.
Egyptian papyri ink contained copper
A study of 2,000-year-old Egyptian papyri fragments analysed by the University of Copenhagen has revealed a surprising element: copper. Mixed in carbon ink, it was identified using synchrotron radiationbased X-ray microscopy. It is thought to be copper from sulphurous ores.
Anti-aging proteins can boost immune cells
Researchers at the Gladstone Institutes have discovered another purpose for an anti-aging protein called SIRT1. Commonly known for its role in protecting against age-related diseases such as neurodegeneration, the new study suggests that SIRT1 can also rejuvenate cells in the immune system. These cytotoxic T cells kill other cells that are infected by viruses, damaged and even
cancerous, but as these cells age they lose SIRT1, and may begin producing more toxic proteins. Proposed drug developments could reintroduce the lost SIPR1, giving the T cells a new lease of life.
Dogs lick their mouths around angry humans
When exposed to simulations of angry humans, researchers have found that dogs respond by licking their mouths. Researchers from the UK and Brazil exposed dogs to both visual and audio cues of humans and other dogs expressing positive and negative behaviour. The findings showed that dogs predominantly displayed the licking behaviour in response to angry humans rather than dogs. The team suggest that this is a behavioural understanding of emotional information and can facilitate dog-human communication.
Lightning makes anti matter
Thunderstorms produce much more than a flash and boom according to a Japanese research team. Studying lightning bolts as they struck the northwest coast of Honshu, the team found a series of gamma radiation-releasing events. Due to a chain event involving the separation of neutrons, atmospheric nitrogen is left unstable, releasing the antimatter counterpart of electrons known as positrons.
Scientists have linked extreme weather tohuman activity Studies published in the December 2017 issue of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS) have shown that certain extreme weather events in 2016 could not havebeen caused by natural climate variations alone. The events listed included the deadly heat wave that swept across Asia, the global increase in temperature (resulting in the hottest year on record) and areas of unusually high ocean temperatures that caused mass die-offs. The reports link these events to the human influence on the global climate, such as the atmospheric warming from fossil fuel use.
A duck-like dinosaur used to waddle on Earth
Recently discovered remains have revealed a dinosaur that looked like a duck and swam like a penguin. It’s the first dinosaur discovered so far that was able to both walk and swim, and it was found by Andrea Cau and his colleagues at the Museum of Geology and Palaeontology in Bologna, Italy. The new species, named Halszkaraptor escuilliei, would have looked a little clumsy, with flipper-like forelimbs, a long neck and a walk that relied on balancing its weight on its hips.
Scientists can block the siren call of aggressive cancers
Aggressive cancers like glioblastoma and metastatic breast cancer use a ‘siren call’ that signals to the bone marrow to send over the resources needed for the tumours to thrive. A recent breakthrough
has started testing a new treatment that aims to block the production of this chemical messenger (called 20-HETE) in order to slow or prevent the growth and spread of tumours.
Two famous Egyptian mummies had different daddies
DNA analysis on a pair of ancient Egyptian mummies, known as the Two Brothers, has revealed that they were actually half-brothers. The priests Khnum-nakht and Nakht-ankh were discovered in
Egypt in 1907. They had originally been assumed to be brothers when they were discovered together, and inscriptions on their sarcophagi implied they were both the sons of a governor. Each one also
lists the same name for their mother Khnum-aa. The study confirmed their true relationship by using DNA taken from inside the teeth of their remains.
Nanotechnology could be used against malaria
Pharmacologist Professor Andrew Owen and materials chemist Professor Steve Rannard want to use nanotechnology to improve how an existing antimalarial drug is administered to make the treatment
last longer. Nanoparticles thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair are injected into muscle, where they can release the drug into the bloodstream slowly over an extended period of time.
Stroke survivors may benefit from a special diet
The MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention forNeurodegenerative Delay) diet may reduc ethe risk of cardiovascular conditions such as high bloodpressure, heart attack and stroke. Scientists from RushUniversityMedical Center inChicago,US, have found that the diet promotes brain health as it includes plenty of vegetables, berries, fish, and oliveoil, and ithas the potential to slow cognitive decline after a stroke.
Mathematicians can predict tsunami impacts
Acoustic gravitywaves are generated inthedeepocean justafter tsunamitriggering events, such as underwater earthquakes. Researchers hope to use the fast-moving underwater sound bursts as a
real-time early warning system and to help predict the size and force of the waves.
Astronomers directly observed a giant star’s surface
An international teamhave taken images of a giant staroutsideourSolarSystemingreaterdetail thanhas
ever been achieved before. The result has revealed that Pi1Gruis is almost completely circular, with a complex convective pattern and dust-free atmosphere.
Naked mole rats don’t really age
You would assume that the older an animal gets the more likely it is to die. A logical assumption, but one that the naked mole rat has proven wrong; this superhero species defies the laws of biology. The
chances of them dying remains at about one in 10,000 throughout their life, from birth through to sexual maturation and beyond.
Cats have paw preferences
Whether they are stepping into the litter box or climbing the stairs, researchers have discovered that female cats tend to have a dominant right paw, while males favour the left. Furthermore, animals
that rely more heavily on their left tend to show stronger fear responses, aggressive outbursts and cope more poorly with stressful situations.
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