Dynamical fractal discovered in clean magnetic crystal

The nature and properties of materials depend strongly on dimension. Imagine how different life in a one-dimensional or two-dimensional world would be from the three dimensions we’re commonly accustomed to. With this in mind, it is perhaps not surprising that fractals – objects with fractional dimension — have garnered significant…

Octopuses may link evolution of complex life to genetic ‘dark matter’: Findings suggest role of microRNAs in advanced brain development, including in humans

Octopuses have captured the attention of scientists and the public with their remarkable intelligence, including the use of tools, engaging in creative play and problem-solving, and even escaping from aquariums. Now, their acuity may provide a critical link in understanding the evolution of complex life and cognition, including the human…

Looking for an early sign of LATE

Limbic predominate age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy or LATE is a recently recognized form of dementia that affects memory, thinking and social skills. It mimics Alzheimer’s disease or AD (and sometimes co-exists with it), but LATE is a different condition, with its own risks and causes. In a new study, published December…

Medical terminology can be confusing for patients

Published in JAMA Network Open, University of Minnesota Medical School researchers found there is often a disconnect between the medical language used by doctors and patient understanding. This mismatch in clinicians’ intent to speak plainly with the reality that they continue to use confusing terminology is known as jargon oblivion.…

New support for a serotonin deficit in depression

Since the 1960s, researchers have postulated that major depression stems from disruptions in the serotonin neurotransmitter system, but the evidence for that idea, though plentiful, was indirect. In fact, a recent comprehensive analysis of existing studies concluded that there was not strong evidence to support the “serotonin hypothesis.” In its…

Whales could be a valuable carbon sink, say scientists

Nature-based solutions to fight climate change take a holistic approach that promotes biodiversity and ecosystem preservation. While many efforts have focused on planting trees or restoring wetlands, researchers publishing in Trends in Ecology and Evolution on December 15 advocate for the importance of understanding the carbon sequestration potential of the…

Harmful fungal toxins in wheat: a growing threat

Wheat — the most widely cultivated crop in the world — is under growing attack from harmful toxins. Across Europe, almost half of wheat crops are impacted by the fungal infection that gives rise to these toxins, according to a study led by fungal biologist Dr Neil Brown from the…

Astronomers find that two exoplanets may be mostly water

A team led by UdeM astronomers has found evidence that two exoplanets orbiting a red dwarf star are “water worlds,” planets where water makes up a large fraction of the volume. These worlds, located in a planetary system 218 light-years away in the constellation Lyra, are unlike any planets found…

Insights get the right fish on the right plate

To alleviate hunger and food insecurity, it’s not just the size of the fish catch — it’s about who ultimately is able to put the right fish on the table. A group led by scientists at Michigan State University (MSU) have devised a way to track and measure the true…

Affecting baseball friction with different substances

Applying either rosin powder made from pine resin or a wax-like sticky substance to a baseball significantly alters the friction between the pitcher’s fingertips and the ball surface, which can in turn influence the rate at which the ball spins. These findings, published in Communications Materials, also highlight how rosin…

New study method finds two blood pressure drugs equally effective

A large VA clinical trial found that the blood pressure drug chlorthalidone (CTD) was not superior to hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) for the prevention of cardiovascular disease or non-cancer death. Both drugs are in a class of medications called thiazide diuretics, commonly known as water pills. They are used to help the…

Exquisite views of distant galaxies

For decades, the Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based telescopes have provided us with spectacular images of galaxies. This all changed when the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launched in December 2021 and successfully completed commissioning during the first half of 2022. For astronomers, the universe, as we had seen it,…

Machine learning reveals how black holes grow

As different as they may seem, black holes and Las Vegas have one thing in common: What happens there stays there — much to the frustration of astrophysicists trying to understand how, when and why black holes form and grow. Black holes are surrounded by a mysterious, invisible layer —…

A shield for 2D materials that adds vibrations to reduce vibration problems: Ultra-thin, protective, liquid-metal-printed layer improves performance of electronics, suppressing vibrational resistance

Monash University researchers have demonstrated a new, counterintuitive way to protect atomically-thin electronics — adding vibrations, to reduce vibrations. By ‘squeezing’ a thin droplet of liquid gallium, graphene devices are painted with a protective coating of glass, gallium-oxide. This oxide is remarkably thin, less than 100 atoms, yet covers centimetre-wide…

A message that resonates

Researchers from the University of Tsukuba have shown how adding a tiny resonator structure to an ultrafast electron pulse detector reduced the intensity of terahertz radiation required to characterize the pulse duration. To study proteins — for example, when determining the mechanisms of their biological actions — researchers need to…

Drought encouraged Attila’s Huns to attack the Roman empire, tree rings suggest

Hunnic peoples migrated westward across Eurasia, switched between farming and herding, and became violent raiders in response to severe drought in the Danube frontier provinces of the Roman empire, a new study argues. Hungary has just experienced its driest summer since meteorological measurements began, devastating the country’s usually productive farmland.…