Science & Technology
Free-flight training applied to parrot conservation
A training technique that has been practiced by parrot owners for decades is now being applied to establishing new bird flocks in the wild. While many parrot owners clip their birds’ wings to reduce their flight abilities, free-flight involves training…
New AI algorithm to improve brain stimulation devices to treat disease
For millions of people with epilepsy and movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, electrical stimulation of the brain already is widening treatment possibilities. In the future, electrical stimulation may help people with psychiatric illness and…
Imaging single spine structural plasticity at the nanoscale level
Researchers have developed a new imaging technique capable of visualizing the dynamically changing structure of dendritic spines with unprecedented resolution. By combining two cutting-edge types of microscopies, scientists now have the tools necessary…
Gut bacteria influence brain development
Extremely premature infants are at a high risk for brain damage. Researchers have now found possible targets for the early treatment of such damage outside the brain: Bacteria in the gut of premature infants may play a key role. The research team found…
Severe infections during pregnancy associated with complications around childbirth
Individuals who are hospitalized during pregnancy due to sepsis have higher odds of complications surrounding childbirth, according to a new study. The study found that pregnancies complicated by sepsis were associated with an increased risk of cesarea…
Linking humans with blue carbon ecosystems
Social vulnerabilities of coastal communities and their reliance on blue carbon ecosystem services may be improved by addressing three major factors, according to a new study.
Global warming threatens the existence of an Arctic oasis
The most significant Arctic oasis is susceptible to climate change — researchers say that global warming is threatening the region’s ecosystem, and predict that the oasis will cease to exist.
Identification of plant-parasitic nematode attractant
Scientists have purified and identified an attractant for crop-infecting root-knot nematodes from flaxseeds. Their experiments revealed that rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I), a flaxseed cell wall component, can attract root-knot nematodes. The linkages betw…
Predicting possible Alzheimer’s with nearly 100 percent accuracy
Researchers have developed a deep learning-based method that can predict the possible onset of Alzheimer’s disease from brain images with an accuracy of over 99 percent. The method was developed while analyzing functional MRI images obtained from 138 s…
Researchers find a way to check that quantum computers return accurate answers
Quantum computers become ever more powerful, but how can we be sure that the answers they return are accurate? A team of physicists solves this problem by letting quantum computers check each other’s work.
Statistical model defines ketamine anesthesia’s effects on the brain
Neuroscientists have developed a statistical framework that rigorously describes the brain state changes that patients experience under ketamine-induced anesthesia.
Tiger sharks have social preferences for one another
Scientists have found that tiger sharks, often considered a solitary nomadic species, are social creatures, having preferences for one another.
Subscription-based payment models may improve access to hepatitis C medications
Subscription-based payment models (SBPM), a novel approach in which states contract exclusively with a single manufacturer to supply prescriptions at a reduced price, could increase access to these life-saving treatments, according to a new study. In a…
New model for solving novel problems uses mental map
How do we make decisions about a situation we have not encountered before? New work shows that we can solve abstract problems in the same way that we can find a novel route between two known locations — by using an internal cognitive map.
Researchers identify the biosynthesis of carthamin, the historic red colorant in safflowers
Carthamin’s usage as dye dates back to ancient Egypt. But scientists only discovered its chemical structure in 2019. Now, a group of researchers has identified the genes required for the biosynthesis of carthamin.
Analyzing successful Judo throws
Researchers use statistical methods on video data to quantitatively determine the biomechanical techniques correlated with successful judo throws. This work may assist in developing supervised or self-guided training routines.
The first cells might have used temperature to divide
A simple mechanism could underlie the growth and self-replication of protocells — putative ancestors of modern living cells — suggests a new study. Protocells are vesicles bounded by a membrane bilayer and are potentially similar to the first unicell…
Engineered ‘mini’ CRISPR genome editing system developed
Bioengineers have repurposed a ‘non-working’ CRISPR system to make a smaller version of the genome engineering tool. Its diminutive size should make it easier to deliver into human cells, tissues and the body for gene therapy.
Secret garden: Drug-resistant pathogen strains meet and evolve on plant bulbs
Researchers have found that drug-resistant strains of a potentially deadly fungus isolated from a tulip bulb showed evidence of genetic recombination and fungicide resistance. The team revealed that plant bulbs provide a place for strains of the human …