Science & Technology
Diagnosing sports-related concussions may be harder than thought
The tool being used to diagnose concussions might be overestimating the condition and wrongly identifying symptoms like fatigue and neck pain caused from intense exercise and not a brain injury, according to researchers. This new research raises new qu…
Genetic ‘hotspots’ that speed up and slow down brain aging could provide new targets for Alzheimer’s drugs
Researchers have discovered 15 ‘hotspots’ in the genome that either speed up brain aging or slow it down — a finding that could provide new drug targets to resist Alzheimer’s disease and other degenerative brain disorders, as well as developmental del…
Innovation flows across regions and sectors in complex ways, study shows
Knowledge creation — the generation of new ideas and patents — is an important driver of economic growth. Understanding how knowledge moves across industry sectors and regions can inform research and development (R&D) efforts, promote university-indu…
Loud and clear: High-energy ads keep viewers tuned in, study shows
More energetic commercials are likely to be tuned in more or avoided less by viewers, according a new study.
Rational neural network advances machine-human discovery
Math is the language of the physical world, and some see mathematical patterns everywhere: in weather, in the way soundwaves move, and even in the spots or stripes zebra fish develop in embryos.
Molecules produced by cells in response to stress may be indicators of various diseases
Certain small RNAs called tDRs can be found inside and outside cells during stress responses to different diseases. Researchers have created an atlas of the stress signatures for tDRs that might be used as markers of disease and identify new disease-ca…
U.S. trees may provide over $100 billion dollars in savings via environmental benefits — but face growing threats
The concept of ecosystem services allows researchers to quantify the benefits that nature contributes to people into monetary units. A new study suggests that trees provide greater economic value when used to regulate climate and air quality than the v…
Engineers point the way to more affordable, sustainable urban neighborhoods
Analysis presents a first-of-its-kind framework to design the most efficient mix of urban buildings along with integrated systems to supply power and water services. The approach could significantly reduce costs and pollution compared to traditional sy…
The dark matter of the brain
They are part of the brain of almost every animal species, yet they remain usually invisible even under the electron microscope.
Treated plastic waste good at grabbing carbon dioxide
Rice University chemists treat waste plastic to absorb carbon dioxide from flue gas streams more efficiently than current processes.
Sugar-coated nanoparticles target macrophages, reverse pulmonary fibrosis
Scientists have developed a treatment for pulmonary fibrosis by using nanoparticles coated in mannose — a type of sugar — to stop a population of lung cells called macrophages that contribute to lung tissue scarring. The cell-targeting method holds p…
The pleasant smell of wet soil indicates danger to bacteria-eating worms, researchers find
Researchers have found that geosmin is made by certain kinds of bacteria that are known toxin producers. This acts as a warning to C. elegans, a common type of worm, that the bacteria they are about to graze on is poisonous. The chemical is an aposemat…
How left brain asymmetry is related to reading ability
Researchers report that two seemingly opposing theories of language processing are both correct. The study shows that greater left-brain asymmetry can predict both better performance and average performance on a foundational measure of reading ability,…
Reproductive factors and dementia risk
Pregnancy, long reproductive span, and older age at menopause are associated with a lower risk of dementia in women, according to a new study. Inversely, hysterectomy, younger age of first birth, and younger or older than average age at first period we…
Women seen as happy and men as angry despite real emotions
Faces and voices are more likely to be judged as male when they are angry, and as female when they are happy, new research has revealed. The study found that how we understand the emotional expression of a face or voice is heavily influenced by perceiv…