For The Better

Picrodontids — an extinct family of placental mammals that lived several million years after the extinction of the dinosaurs — are not primates as previously believed.

Novel findings from a preclinical head-to-head comparison show that administering a COVID-19 vaccine as a nasal spray rather than a subcutaneous injection enhances the body’s long-term immune memory, thereby increasing the vaccine’s overall effectivene…

Research reveals that adults with PTSD have a 2% smaller cerebellum than people without the disorder. The finding expands understanding of the cerebellum’s role in the brain beyond balance and movement to include emotion and cognition and also suggests…

The North Arabian Desert oases were inhabited by sedentary populations in the 4th and 3rd millennia BCE. A fortification enclosing the Khaybar Oasis — one of the longest known going back to this period — was just revealed by a team of scientists. Thi…

New research from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience shows that chandelier cells, a specific type of brain cell, become active during unexpected situations. ‘Researchers have been wondering about the functionality of these cells for a long time’.

New research has revealed how light can be used to destroy infectious coronavirus particles that contaminate surfaces. Scientists are interested in how environments, such as surgeries, can be thoroughly disinfected from viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 that …

Exposure therapy for a specific fear can also help reduce other fears. This is the conclusion reached by psychologists who studied 50 people with a fear of spiders and heights. Although they only treated the fear of spiders, the fear of heights was lik…

A new method can track changes in live cell gene expression over extended periods of time. Based on Raman spectroscopy, the method doesn’t harm cells and can be performed repeatedly.

Researchers are working on a new cutting-edge railway switch (points) technology to improve upon the traditional design, which has been in use for over 200 years.

Researchers discover unexpected patterns in mutation risks across individuals, uncovering 13 distinct genomic patterns. The study provides crucial insights into cancer evolution, identifying the genes most affected by changes in mutation risk and shedd…

A new study shows that human hunting and land use have a decisive influence on red deer density in Europe. Red deer density is only reduced when wolves, lynx and bears co-occur at the same site.

The ocean plays a crucial role in the storage of carbon dioxide (CO2). The so-called marine biological carbon pump is an important research topic in this context. However a key component is often overlooked. Colleagues outline why it is insufficient to…

Scientists have investigated lamprey embryos using cutting-edge microscopic techniques to reveal interesting insights about vertebrate head evolution, clarifying an unresolved mystery in basic science.

Free charge carriers in perovskite solar cells likely have a special form of protection from recombination, researchers have discovered. This may be key to the high efficiency of this cell type, which has been increased to over 25 % within a decade.

In any group of red knots, respective individuals exhibit a remarkable array of distinct character types. Birds with an exploratory character are motivated to investigate their environment and readily explore unfamiliar areas. Meanwhile, birds with ina…

In people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), changes in neurons appear to activate immune cells. Lowering the inflammation could reduce the symptoms of the disease, according to a new study.

The frigid Arctic Ocean is far removed from the places most people live, but even so, ‘forever chemicals’ reach this remote landscape. Now, research suggests that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) won’t stay there indefinitely. Instead, they a…

Teens from larger families have poorer mental health than those with fewer siblings, according to a large analysis of children in the United States and China. The details of the pattern vary depending on factors such as the spacing of sibling ages and …

Outdoor humidity and temperature levels during pregnancy could affect the future blood pressure of the unborn child, according to new research.

Researchers have shown that nasal drops with IgA antibodies can protect mice from SARS-CoV-2 infection. The results imply a new way to protect individuals at high risk from different variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and possibly other infections.