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As American Heart Month draws attention to cardiovascular wellness, a newly released scientific review is putting the spotlight on pecans, America’s native nut, and their role in heart healthy eating patterns. Published in the peer reviewed journal Nutrients, the analysis brings together more than two decades of research on pecans.…
As the population grows older and diabetes becomes more common, chronic wounds are affecting more people than ever. These slow healing injuries significantly raise the risk of infection, tissue damage, and amputation. Researchers at UC Riverside have developed a new oxygen delivering gel designed to help wounds heal before they…
Triceratops and other horned dinosaurs had exceptionally large nasal cavities compared to most animals. To better understand what filled that space, researchers including a team from the University of Tokyo analyzed CT scans of fossilized Triceratops skulls. They compared those scans with the snout anatomy of living animals such as…
In their natural condition, peatlands rank among the planet’s most important carbon reservoirs. The soil is saturated with water and contains very little oxygen, which slows the breakdown of dead plants. Instead of fully decomposing, plant material builds up layer upon layer over thousands of years, forming deep deposits of…
People with roots in the Outer Hebrides and north west Ireland face the highest known risk of developing hemochromatosis, a genetic disorder that causes the body to absorb and store too much iron. Over time, that excess iron can build up to dangerous levels. This is the first time researchers…
For years, researchers have observed that people who live at high elevations, where oxygen is scarce, tend to develop diabetes less often than those at sea level. Although the trend was well documented, the biological explanation behind it was unclear. Scientists at Gladstone Institutes now say they have identified the…
Running extreme distances may do more than exhaust muscles. A study published in the American Society of Hematology’s journal Blood Red Cells & Iron reports that ultra-endurance events can injure red blood cells in ways that may interfere with how they function. Researchers do not yet know how long the…
Scientists believe so called triplet superconductors could open the door to the most energy efficient technologies ever developed. “A triplet superconductor is high on the wish list of many physicists working in the field of solid state physics,” said Professor Jacob Linder. Linder is a physicist at the Norwegian University…
In an early real world test of artificial intelligence in health research, scientists at UC San Francisco and Wayne State University discovered that generative AI could process enormous medical datasets far faster than traditional computer science teams — and in some cases produce even stronger results. Human experts had spent…
For the first time, astronomers have charted the vertical structure of Uranus’s upper atmosphere, revealing how temperature and electrically charged particles change with altitude across the planet. An international research team used the James Webb Space Telescope and its NIRSpec instrument to monitor Uranus for nearly one full rotation. By…
Most galaxies blaze with billions of stars, lighting up the universe across vast distances. But a small and unusual group barely glows at all. These are low-surface-brightness galaxies, systems so faint they are difficult to detect and so sparse in stars that dark matter makes up most of their mass.…
A common respiratory bacterium that typically causes pneumonia and sinus infections may also play a role in Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers at Cedars-Sinai report that Chlamydia pneumoniae can persist in both the eye and the brain for years, where it may worsen the damage associated with Alzheimer’s. The findings, published in…
Researchers at UC San Francisco have identified a biological process that may explain why exercise sharpens thinking and memory. Their findings suggest that physical activity strengthens the brain’s built in defense system, helping protect it from age related damage. As people grow older, the blood-brain barrier becomes more fragile. This…
Human language is remarkably rich and intricate. Yet from the standpoint of information theory, the same ideas could theoretically be transmitted in a far more compressed format. That raises an intriguing question: why do people not communicate in a digital system of ones and zeros like computers do? Michael Hahn,…
Researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute have significantly increased how quickly changes in delicate quantum states can be detected inside a qubit. By combining commercially available hardware with new adaptive measurement techniques, the team can now observe rapid shifts in qubit behavior that were previously impossible to see. Qubits are…
Researchers at Stanford University have produced the first worldwide map of an unusual type of earthquake that occurs deep in Earth’s mantle rather than in the crust. The mantle lies between the planet’s thin outer crust and its molten core. By charting these rare events, scientists hope to better understand…
Parkinson’s disease is a long term neurological condition that gradually worsens over time. More than one million people in the United States are living with the disorder, and about 90,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Current medications and therapies can ease symptoms, but no treatment has been proven to…
A team at the University of Oxford has created an advanced technique that makes it possible to clearly see a vital component inside lithium-ion battery electrodes that scientists have struggled to track. The findings, published on February 17 in Nature Communications, could make battery manufacturing more efficient and help improve…
Older adults who live with higher levels of air pollution are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research led by Yanling Deng of Emory University, U.S.A. The study was published February 17th in the open access journal PLOS Medicine. Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia…
Scientists widely agree that complex life emerged after two very different microbes formed a close partnership. That merger eventually gave rise to plants, animals, and fungi, collectively known as eukaryotes. Yet one key question has lingered for years. How did these two organisms meet if one required oxygen to survive…
A sweeping new investigation by the Silent Spring Institute has found dozens of potentially harmful chemicals in widely sold hair extensions, including those made from human hair. The findings represent the most detailed chemical review so far of this largely unregulated beauty product category. Researchers say the results add strong…
The story of how life began on Earth grows even more intriguing when viruses enter the picture. These microscopic particles are thought to have existed since the earliest cells emerged. Unlike living cells, viruses consist only of genetic material and cannot produce proteins on their own. Because proteins are essential…
Researchers at University College London have identified a biological process that helps the body shut down inflammation once it is no longer needed. The discovery could pave the way for new treatments for chronic diseases that affect millions of people around the world. Inflammation is an essential defense mechanism that…
Scientists have uncovered a powerful source of natural disease resistance in a wild banana, offering new hope for protecting the global banana supply from a dangerous fungal threat. Researchers at The University of Queensland, led by Dr. Andrew Chen and Professor Elizabeth Aitken, identified the specific genomic region responsible for…
Ion channels are tiny openings that control the movement of charged particles in living organisms. These narrow pathways are essential for many biological functions. In some cases, their tightest sections measure only a few angstroms across, roughly the width of individual atoms. Reproducing structures this small with precision and consistency…
Scientists at Nagoya University in Japan have identified two gut bacteria that appear to work together to trigger chronic constipation. The microbes, Akkermansia muciniphila and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, break down the protective mucus layer that lines the colon. This slippery coating is essential for keeping the colon lubricated and stool soft.…
For years, the sharp rise in myopia — or nearsightedness — has largely been blamed on growing screen use, particularly among children and young adults. However, new research from scientists at the SUNY College of Optometry suggests the explanation may be more nuanced. A study scheduled for publication in Cell…
Scroll through TikTok or Instagram and you will likely see the familiar line: “Your frontal lobe isn’t fully developed yet.” It has become a popular explanation for questionable choices, from ordering another drink to texting someone you promised to avoid. The frontal lobe is responsible for many higher level abilities,…
A young woman was laid to rest with two small children at her side. For years, it might have seemed natural to assume they were her own. But DNA testing tells a different story. The children were closely related to each other, yet the woman was not their mother. In…
An international group of researchers, including scientists from the University of Wollongong (UOW), has uncovered strong evidence that shifting climate conditions contributed to the disappearance of Homo floresiensis, the small-bodied human species often called the hobbits. The findings, published in Communications Earth & Environment, indicate that these early humans left…
