For The Better

A naturally occurring peptide in sunflower seeds was synthetically optimized and has now been identified as a potential drug for treating abdominal pain or inflammation (in the gastrointestinal tract, abdominal area and/or internal organs).

In new research, water from African and Mongolian waterholes as well as bloodmeals from Southeast Asian leeches were assessed for the ability to retrieve mammalian viruses without the need to find and catch the mammals. The scientists analyzed the samp…

An international research team has developed a simple but robust blood test from Chinese patient data for early detection and screening of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with an accuracy level of over 96%.

Engineers have achieved record-high electron doping in a layered ferromagnet, causing magnetic phase transition — with significant promise for future electronics. Control of magnetism by electric voltage is vital for developing future, low-energy high…

Saturated fatty acid levels unexpectedly rise in the brain during memory formation, according to new research.

Slow earthquakes are long-period earthquakes that are not so dangerous alone, but are able to trigger more destructive earthquakes. Their origins lie in tectonic plate boundaries where one plate subsides below another. Though the causal mechanism is al…

New type of multifunctional wound dressings feature glowing nanosensors to track and monitor for infection. Harnessing the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory power of magnesium hydroxide, the smart dressings can also fight bacteria and reduce inflamma…

Researchers study the use of nanoparticles to induce crystallization of supercooled aqueous solutions to clathrate hydrates. On the basis of scanning electron microscopy images, they discovered that silver nanoparticles are much more effective compared…

A three-dimensional atlas of the bumblebee brain is now available. It will allow to even better research how nerve cells are interconnected and how they process information.

The thin, flexible, lightweight device could be used in patients who need temporary pacing after cardiac surgery or while waiting for a permanent pacemaker. All components of the pacemaker are biocompatible and naturally absorb into the body’s biofluid…

Scientists have discovered the first convincing evidence for a new type of stellar explosion — an electron-capture supernova. While they have been theorized for 40 years, real-world examples have been elusive. They are thought to arise from the explos…

Engineers have designed a prototype face mask that can diagnose the person wearing the mask with Covid-19 within about 90 minutes. The technology can also be used to design wearable sensors for a variety of other pathogens or toxic chemicals.

All life on Earth 500 million years ago lived in the oceans, but scientists know little about how these animals and algae developed. A newly discovered fossil deposit near Kunming, China, may hold the keys to understanding how these organisms laid the …

Researchers have some good news for the well-meaning masses who place bird feeders in their yards: The small songbirds who visit the feeders seem unlikely to develop an unhealthy reliance on them.

New research finds that some cases of OCD are caused by damaging gene variants that, while rare, provide a needed starting point for the development of better therapeutics.