For The Better

Researchers have discovered a mechanism in a small area of the brain that regulates whole-body glucose balance without affecting body weight.

Large thunderstorms in the Southern Great Plains of the U.S. are some of the strongest on Earth. In recent years, these storms have increased in frequency and intensity, and new research shows that these shifts are linked to climate variability.

Diet rich in sugar and fat leads to disruption in the gut’s microbial culture and contributes to inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis. Research shows that switching to a more balanced diet restores the gut’s health and suppresses inflammation.

The story of efforts to conserve the endangered oribi in South Africa represent a diaspora of issues as varied as the people who live there.

In two new studies on life in the seafloor of the Guaymas Basin, in the Gulf of California, scientists show that distinct regions within the Basin harbor specially adapted microorganisms; discover new microbial inhabitants of this deep-sea community; a…

Years before they are diagnosed, persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) make significantly more visits to doctors and hospitals than others. Specialists have recently discussed whether this might represent a preliminary phase of MS – known as a prodrome….

A new study offers quantitative evidence linking psychological stress to graying hair in people.

The nucleus is much more than a storage compartment for chromosomes: It also contains the complex machinery producing transcripts of the genes that are currently needed and releases them into the cell body. Some of the proteins involved herein are not …

Coastal wetlands like seagrass meadows, mangroves, and salt marshes play vital roles along the shoreline, from providing a buffer against storm surges, to providing critical habitat for animals, to capturing atmospheric carbon. We are still just beginn…

A novel way of synthesizing an essential powder is key to raising the efficiency of perovskite solar cells, say researchers.

Researchers have recently identified and described a new genus and species of xanthid crab found in Okinawa Island, Ryukyu Islands, Japan. Named Mabui calculus, it is the first among the 7,800 species of known crabs to have strongly asymmetrical male a…

A new study shows inherited risk of early-onset cancer is significantly higher among Latino and African American families for solid tumors, and Asian/Pacific Islander families for blood-based cancers, compared to non-Latino white families in California…

Oregon State University research has identified the oldest known specimen of a fungus parasitizing an ant, and the fossil also represents a new fungal genus and species.

Scientists have uncovered a mechanism that allows a protein complex to bind to DNA without impeding some of the important processes of cell division. Their findings could further understandings of developmental disorders arising from mutations in the g…

To understand what role an individual gene plays, biologists have, for 100 years, been using a trick of nature: While in principle, the genome in all cells of an organism is the same, mutations arise in individual cells. These mutations differentiate a…

Biologists have used rice to successfully illuminate the mechanism by which plants regulate the amount of starch produced via photosynthesis. This knowledge could contribute towards improving the quality and yield of agricultural crops.

Without an audience, men run slower and women faster: The lack of spectators during the coronavirus pandemic appears to have had a noticeable effect on the performance of athletes at the 2020 Biathlon World Cup, a new study shows. According to the new …