For The Better

University of Maryland researchers discovered a way that Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacterium that causes tuberculosis, can cause a person’s immune cells to lower their defenses. Specifically, they identified a gene in the bacterium that sup…

Researchers have discovered the mechanism that underlies spitting in the roundworm C. elegans — expanding our understanding of how neurons control muscle cells to shape behavior.

Sleep researchers have found it’s possible to determine the timing of a person’s internal biological clock via a single blood draw. Ultimately, the findings could lead to a simple blood test for assessing circadian rhythm and personalized recommendatio…

Using a CeO2 catalyst, researchers develop an effective catalytic process for the direct synthesis of polycarbonate diols without the need for dehydrating agents. The high yield, high selective process has CO2 blown at atmospheric pressure to evaporate…

Minuscule tunnels through the cell membrane help cells to perceive and respond to mechanical forces, such as pressure or touch. A new study directly investigates what PIEZO channels are doing in the tip-growing cells in moss and pollen tubes of floweri…

Researchers compiled a dataset of 209 crustacean and 155 mollusk species from 16 mangrove forests around the world. They found that mangroves, when compared with other ecosystems, are among those with the lowest functional redundancy among resident fau…

Primates who are more tolerant of each other use vocal communication more than their stricter counterparts, research shows.

Researchers have discovered long narrow dust filaments which surround and feed black holes in the centers of galaxies, and which could be the natural cause of the darkening of the centers of many galaxies when their nuclear black holes are active.

A study has found photos of a person’s living space can accurately point at personality traits and the mood of the people who live there, especially as a person gets older. Applying the findings could help lead to happier lives, including for older adu…

The shoots of plants get all of the glory, with their fruit and flowers and visible structure. But it’s the portion that lies below the soil — the branching, reaching arms of roots and hairs pulling up water and nutrients — that interests some plant ph…

For years scientists have been debating what might lay under the Martian planet’s south polar cap after bright radar reflections were discovered and initially attributed to water. But now, a new study puts that theory to rest and demonstrates for the f…

Researchers report the identification of a new target for the PARP inhibitor drug talazoparib and show that combination treatment with talazoparib and the WEE1 inhibitor adavosertib results in enhanced anti-cancer effects.

Interventions to prevent obesity in children typically don’t target the first 1,000 days of life – -a critical period in which environmental and nutritional cues can increase the risk for obesity. A new study demonstrates how changing parents’ health b…

Treating obese mice with the cytokine known as TSLP led to significant abdominal fat and weight loss compared to controls. The animal model findings support the possibility that increasing sebum production via the immune system could be a strategy for …

Neuroscientists have connected some of the dots to reveal the brain networks that give anxiety influence over decisions. The group has published a review that synthesizes results from years of brain measurements in rats and primates and relates these f…

New research has identified a 100-million-year-old weevil unlike any other known fossilized or living weevil.

A new study shows that people who eat a diet that includes at least half a serving per day of foods high in flavonoids like strawberries, oranges, peppers and apples may have a 20% lower risk of cognitive decline. The study looked at several types of f…