Some honeybees learn tasks better than others, and gene expression patterns in their brains may be associated with this difference in ability

Including “tactile emoticons” into social media communications can enhance communication, according to a study published June 12, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Alkistis Saramandi and Yee Ki Au from University College London, United Kingdom, and colleagues. Digital communications rely exclusively on visual and auditory cues (text, emoticons, videos, and music) to convey tone and emotion. Currently lacking from these platforms is touch, which can convey feelings of love and support, impact emotions, and influence behaviors. Technology companies are developing devices to incorporate touch into digital interactions, such as interactive kiss ...

Osaka, Japan – Women live longer than men. This isn’t unique to humans, either; we see this trend in a wide range of other animals. Biologists have theorized that the discrepancy in life expectancy between sexes might be partly related to reproduction, but how? In a study published in Science Advances, researchers from Osaka University have discovered for the first time that germ cells, the cells that develop into eggs in females and sperm in males, drive sex-dependent lifespan differences in vertebrate animals. The researchers ...

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed microscopic robots, known as microrobots, capable of swimming through the lungs to deliver cancer-fighting medication directly to metastatic tumors. This approach has shown promise in mice, where it inhibited the growth and spread of tumors that had metastasized to the lungs, thereby boosting survival rates compared to control treatments. The findings are detailed in a paper published on June 12 in Science Advances. The microrobots are an ingenious combination of biology ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Feeling ambivalent about a political issue might seem to be a recipe for indecision and even inaction.   But a new study suggests, surprisingly, that ambivalence can actually lead some people –especially those with polarized views – to be more supportive of extreme actions, such as violence.   The reason? Researchers found that ambivalence creates discomfort in those with extreme views by making them feel weak or insecure about their beliefs – and that can lead them to compensate for that weakness by supporting extreme actions to signal strength.   “When people have ...

In recent years, the field of metamaterials has experienced substantial growth, revealing exciting potential, especially in advancing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology. Three new studies led by Dr. Xin Zhang, a BU College of Engineering Distinguished Professor and a professor at the BU Photonics Center, highlight the promising opportunities within this field. These studies, in collaboration with Dr. Stephan Anderson, a BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine professor of radiology, published in Advanced Science, Advanced Materials, and Science Advances, showcase innovative approaches to enhance the MRI experience for all patients. ...

USC Rossier Education Technology Accelerator (USC EdTech Accelerator) announced a unique collaboration with Intel Corporation focused on supporting the use of technology for learning with a particular emphasis on supporting marginalized communities and AI. The Partnership The USC EdTech collaboration with Intel will provide free educational and technical assistance to learning-focused start-ups to increase the likelihood that they design viable, efficacious and scalable AI-enhanced solutions for learners. “We believe ...

Using a unique setup, researchers from the Social Brain Lab at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience have researched the neural mechanism behind a universal dilemma: deciding whether to help someone else even when it involves a personal sacrifice. We often have opportunities to give up something we care about to help others. What brain mechanisms help us make those decisions, and why do some people help more than others? Over the years, philosophers and scientists have suggested that the extent to which a person empathizes with the distress of others influences their willingness to help. To explore this hypothesis experimentally, Kalliopi ...

Osteoporosis is characterised by low bone mineral density and bone fragility.5 During menopause, falling oestrogen levels impair normal bone turnover, with an average reduction in bone mineral density of 10%.5 This is compounded by the age-related bone loss that occurs in both men and women. With an ageing population, post-menopausal osteoporosis represents a growing health problem.   These new data are from a case-control cohort study of over 128,000 women included in the French national claim database. The main aim was to estimate the incidence of long-term discontinuation of bisphosphonates – ...

VEXAS is characterised by predominantly rheumatic and haematologic systemic involvement, and caused by somatic mutation in UBA1 – a gene encoding ubiquitin-activating enzyme 1,1,2 which is necessary for a post-translation modification that affects protein functions ranging from degradation to subcellular localisation and kinase activation.3 The syndrome was first described in 2020, but diagnosis can be challenging as the symptoms overlap with many other inflammatory conditions.1 Hot on the heels of this recent discovery, research is underway to better understand pathogenesis, clinical features, and potential treatment options.1   To support this, ...

Arthritis affects various joints differently, despite systemic inflammatory cues.2 In people with rheumatoid arthritis, transcriptomic variances identified in synovial fibroblasts from various joint sites have been shown to translate into joint-specific phenotypes with distinct characteristics and responsiveness to cytokines.2,3 These findings suggest that different joints may potentially respond variably to specific immunosuppressive treatments. To expand on this, Ciurea and colleagues set out to investigate whether joints at different anatomical locations in people with PsA might respond differently to treatment with a tumour necrosis ...