New research links continents to key transitions in Earth’s oceans, atmosphere and climate
A new study led by University of Wisconsin Oshkosh geologist Timothy Paulsen and Michigan Tech geologist Chad Deering advances the understanding of the role that continents have played in the chemical evolution of Earth’s oceans, with implications for understanding atmospheric oxygenation and global climate oscillations. The team of researchers analyzed a global database of the […]
Early humans placed the hearth at the optimal location in their cave — for maximum benefit and minimum smoke exposure
A groundbreaking study in prehistoric archaeology at Tel Aviv University provides evidence for high cognitive abilities in early humans who lived 170,000 years ago. In a first-of-its kind study, the researchers developed a software-based smoke dispersal simulation model and applied it to a known prehistoric site. They discovered that the early humans who occupied the […]
Complex three-dimensional kidney tissue generated in the lab from the scratch
A research team based in Kumamoto University (Japan) has created complex 3D kidney tissue in the lab solely from cultured mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. These organoids could lead the way to better kidney research and, eventually, artificial kidneys for human transplant. By focusing on an often-overlooked tissue type of organoid generation research, a type […]
Look who’s talking now: The fishes! Widespread sound communication among fish
There’s a whole lot of talking going on beneath the waves. A new study from Cornell University finds that fish are far more likely to communicate with sound than generally thought — and some fish have been doing this for at least 155 million years. These findings were just published in the journal Ichthyology & […]
Microbiome of mother’s vagina may affect infant mortality risk and baby’s development, study in mice shows
A new study in mice from University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers showed that an unhealthy vaginal microbiome in pregnant mothers in combination with an unhealthy diet contributed to increased pup deaths and altered development in the surviving babies. The researchers offset these deaths from the unhealthy vaginal microbiome by giving the mothers a […]
Scientists discover new avian immunological pathway
A research team led by a biomedical scientist at the University of California, Riverside, has discovered a new immune pathway in chickens that viruses — such as those that tend to infect birds, humans, and animals and spread diseases like influenza or Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever — may be targeting. The discovery, which has implications also […]
Why the Omicron variant causes less severe disease: Eight COVID-19 drugs remain active against Omicron in cell culture study
A new study by researchers from the University of Kent and the Goethe University Frankfurt shows that the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is less effective than Delta at blocking a cellular defence mechanism against viruses, the so-called “interferon response.” Moreover, cell culture findings indicate that eight important COVID-19 drugs and drug candidates remain effective against Omicron. […]
Compounds derived from hops show promise as treatment for common liver disease
Research by Oregon State University suggests a pair of compounds originating from hops can help thwart a dangerous buildup of fat in the liver known as hepatic steatosis. The findings, published today in eLife, are important because the condition affects roughly one-fourth of people in the United States and Europe. While heavy drinking is often […]
Tug of sun, moon could be driving plate motions on ‘imbalanced’ Earth
A study led by geophysicist Anne M. Hofmeister in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis proposes that imbalanced forces and torques in the Earth-moon-sun system drive circulation of the whole mantle. The new analysis provides an alternative to the hypothesis that the movement of tectonic plates is related to convection currents in […]
River flows linked to the ups and downs of imperiled Chinook salmon population
A study led by Simon Fraser University researchers has discovered that sufficient water flows during summer can be critical to a Chinook salmon population in the interior of British Columbia. The researchers investigated how water flows in the Nicola watershed affect early summer-run Chinook salmon. The team used an advanced time-series model to understand 22 […]