Like a Valentine’s Day dinner or a box of chocolates, male fruit flies have their own rituals for wooing a potential mate. As part of a complex courtship behavior, male flies vibrate their wings to produce a distinctive song that conveys a message to nearby females. Using internal information and cues from females and the environment, males decide moment to moment whether to sing and how. Although scientists now know a lot about how fly movements produce songs, it was still not clear which cells and circuits in the fly’s nervous system enable the behavior. Now, using a suite of novel tools, ...

PULLMAN, Wash. – More time stranded on land means greater risk of starvation for polar bears, a new study indicates. During three summer weeks, 20 polar bears closely observed by scientists tried different strategies to maintain energy reserves, including resting, scavenging and foraging. Yet nearly all of them lost weight rapidly: on average around 1 kilogram, or 2.2 pounds, per day. Some have speculated that polar bears might adapt to the longer ice-free seasons due to climate warming by acting like their grizzly bear relatives ...

Key takeaways Diabetes remission: Gastric bypass surgery results in high rates of Type-2 diabetes remission five years after the operation, even after patients regain a significant amount of weight.   Gastric bypass vs. sleeve gastrectomy: Patients who underwent sleeve gastrectomy and regained their weight were five times more likely to see their diabetes return than patients who had gastric bypass surgery and regained their weight.   CHICAGO (February 13, 2024): Adults who have obesity and Type 2 diabetes are much more likely to see their diabetes stay in remission if they undergo gastric ...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2024 — Breast cancer is on the rise, but new tools for early detection could save lives. In Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B, by AIP Publishing, researchers from the University of Florida and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in Taiwan reported successful results from a hand-held breast cancer screening device that can detect breast cancer biomarkers from a tiny sample of saliva. Their biosensor design uses common components, such as widely available glucose testing strips and ...

University of Queensland-led research has shown there is more coral reef area across the globe than previously thought, with detailed satellite mapping helping to conserve these vital ecosystems. Dr Mitchell Lyons from UQ’s School of the Environment, working as part of the Allen Coral Atlas project, said scientists have now identified 348,000 square kilometres of shallow coral reefs, up to 20-30 metres deep. “This revises up our previous estimate of shallow reefs in the world’s oceans,” Dr Lyons said. “Importantly, the high-resolution, up-to-date mapping satellite technology also allows us to see what these habitats ...

About The Study: In this study of 61,000 adults age 45 or older, those who adhered to physical activity guidelines before the pandemic had lower odds of developing or being hospitalized for COVID-19. Thus, higher prepandemic physical activity levels may be associated with reduced odds of SARS-CoV-2 infection and hospitalization for COVID-19. Authors: Dennis Muñoz-Vergara, D.V.M., M.P.H., of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School in Boston, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/  (doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.55808) Editor’s Note: Please ...

About The Study: Maternal tobacco use during pregnancy was associated with enduring deficits in childhood neurocognition in this study including 11,000 children. Continued research on the association of maternal tobacco use during pregnancy with cognitive performance and brain structure related to language processing skills and episodic memory is needed. Authors: Hongying Daisy Dai, Ph.D., of the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website ...

Smelling a familiar scent can help depressed individuals recall specific autobiographical memories and potentially assist in their recovery, discovered a team of University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers and UPMC social workers in a study published today in JAMA Network Open. The study showed that scents are more effective than words at cueing up a memory of a specific event and could even be used in the clinical setting to help depressed individuals get out of the negative thought cycles and rewire thought patterns, ...

A cohort study of older adults found that those who followed recommended exercise guidelines before the pandemic had significantly lower odds of being infected or hospitalized from COVID-19 than those who did not follow guidelines Need another reason to keep up with your exercise routine? Staying active just might protect you from infection and hospitalization from COVID-19. A new study led by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of Mass General Brigham, suggests that higher levels of physical activity before the pandemic began in 2020 were associated with a lower likelihood of contracting ...

Type 2 diabetes alters the behavior of discs in the vertebral column, making them stiffer, and also causes the discs to change shape earlier than normal. As a result, the disc’s ability to withstand pressure is compromised. This is one of the findings of a new study in rodents from a team of engineers and physicians from the University of California San Diego, UC Davis, UCSF and the University of Utah.  Low back pain is a major cause of disability, often associated with intervertebral disc degeneration. People with Type 2 diabetes face ...

Ophthalmologists at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai (NYEE) have created a novel protocol to rapidly diagnose eye stroke and expedite care to prevent irreversible vision loss. Their study, published Tuesday, February 13, in Ophthalmology, describes using high-resolution retinal imaging in the emergency room, along with rapid remote consultation to confirm diagnosis and expedite care, improving outcomes for eye stroke patients and preserving vision. “The protocol implements highly sensitive retinal imaging at the patient’s point of entry into the medical system, reducing the need for onsite ophthalmology ...

In nature, the collective motion of some birds and fish, such as flocks of starlings and shoals of sardines, respectively, can generate impressive dynamic phenomena. Their study constitutes active matter science, which has been a topic of great interest for the past three decades. The unique collective dynamics of active matter are governed by the motion of each individual entity, the interactions among them, as well as their interaction with the environment. Recent studies show that some self-propelling molecules and bacteria show circular motion with a fixed chirality (the property of an object where it cannot be superimposed upon its mirror image through any number of rotations ...

Lost fishing lines and ropes are a growing problem. As a leading fishing nation, Norway, with its long coastline and fish-rich waters, is particularly vulnerable to marine litter. A new study from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) shows that only a third of all ropes produced and sold in Norway can be recycled in a sustainable way. The rest are burned, buried, sent out of the country - or just pile up and contribute to something called ghost fishing. That's when lost or abandoned fishing gear, floating in the ocean or anchored to the bottom, inadvertently continues to catch marine creatures long ...

The National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) proudly celebrates the outstanding contributions of Dr. Yung-Chi Cheng, the Henry Bronson Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine at Yale University.  Dr. Cheng's relentless dedication over the past three decades has led to an experimental botanical drug, YIV-906, to enter various phase II human trials and establishing a now clinical-stage platform biotechnology company committed to developing groundbreaking medicines targeting cancer and aging-related diseases. NFCR has been a vital and steadfast supporter of Dr. Cheng's pioneering work, providing more than $2.5 MM ...

Extracted from the core of sandalwood trees (santalum album tree), sandalwood oil has been used for many centuries by several cultures throughout the world for perfume, soaps, incense and candles. With its earthy sweet scent, this essential oil also is used in the food industry and topically in various cosmetic preparations. Importantly, this natural oil is known for its health benefits and medicinal applications from antibacterial to anticancer because of its phytochemical constituents. In addition to containing esters, free acids, aldehydes, ketones and santenone, sandalwood oil primarily (90 percent or more) constitutes santalol – ...

UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 8AM EST ON FEB. 13, 2024 ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell University researchers have created a new version of a microbe to compete economically with E. coli – a bacteria commonly used as a research tool due to its ability to synthesize proteins – to conduct low-cost and scalable synthetic biological experiments. As an inexpensive multiplier – much like having a photocopier in a test tube – the bacteria Vibrio natriegens could help labs test protein variants for creation of pharmaceuticals, synthetic fuels and sustainable compounds that battle weeds or pests. The microbe can work effectively without costly incubators, shakers or deep freezers ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new study examines the circumstances behind who is found at fault when cars hit pedestrians in an urban area.   Results showed that the environment where the crash took place – especially the types of roads and the amount of access to marked crosswalks – played a key role in whether the pedestrian or the driver was blamed for the collision.   In the study, done in Columbus, pedestrians were more likely to be blamed when they were crossing roads with a high volume of cars traveling at faster speeds, and where crosswalks were few and far between.   In areas of the city – such as downtown – ...

Oxytocin (OXT) is a hormone that is known for its effects on psychological well-being and emotional bonding in animals. Interestingly, research has shown that this natural chemical in the brain plays a crucial role in other cognitive processes as well, including learning and memory. Now, scientists may have discovered exactly how OXT influences memory in animals by studying “OXT neurons” that contain OXT receptors and function differently based on the availability of the chemical in the brain. In a recent study published on 16 November 2023, in PLOS One, a group ...

In supramolecular chemistry, the self-assembly state of molecules plays a significant role in determining their tangible properties. Controlling the self-assembled state has garnered significant attention as it can be exploited to design materials with desired properties like charge transport capability and fluorescence wavelength. For years, scientists have been trying to decipher how molecular organization impacts the properties of supramolecular assemblies that are in the nano (<10 nm) and mesoscopic (10–1000 nm) scales. However, the study of structures with supramolecular polymer assemblies derived from the same monomer is often hindered by dynamic structural ...

Marine heatwaves will become a regular occurrence in the Arctic in the near future and are a product of higher anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions – as shown in a study just released by Dr. Armineh Barkhordarian from Universität Hamburg’s Cluster of Excellence for climate research CLICCS. Since 2007, conditions in the Arctic have shifted, as confirmed by data recently published in the journal Nature Communications Earth & Environment. Between 2007 and 2021, the marginal zones ...

University of Leeds Press Release Under embargo until 10:00 GMT on 13 February There are graphics and photographic images that help explain this story – see under Note to editors Greenland’s ice sheet is melting - and being replaced by vegetation An estimated 11,000 sq miles or 28,707 sq kilometres of Greenland’s ice sheet and glaciers have melted over the last three decades, according to a major analysis of historic satellite records. The total area of ice loss is equivalent to the size of Albania, and represents about 1.6 % of Greenland’s ...

-With pictures- A new research from scientists at Durham University reveals an unexpected pathway towards brighter, more efficient, and more stable blue organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). The findings, published in the journal Nature Photonics could help enable the next generation of energy-saving display technologies. OLED displays, used in most modern smartphones and TVs, rely on light emission from specialised organic molecules. Obtaining stable, efficient blue emission suitable for displays remains a key challenge. Now, Durham ...

A new study, co-led by UCLA Health and the University of Glasgow, found that young teenagers who develop a strong distrust of other people as a result of childhood bullying are substantially more likely to have significant mental health problems as they enter adulthood compared to those who do not develop interpersonal trust issues. The study, published in the journal Nature Mental Health on Feb. 13, is believed to be the first to examine the link between peer bullying, interpersonal distrust, and the subsequent development of mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression, hyperactivity and anger. Researchers ...

On healthy reefs around the world, corals, algae, fishes and microbes live interconnected and in balance—exchanging nutrients, resources, and chemical signals. New research led by the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa and and the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) revealed that when coral bleaching occurs, corals release unique organic compounds into the surrounding water that not only promote bacterial growth overall, but select for opportunistic bacteria that may further stress reefs.  “Our results demonstrate how the impacts of both short-term thermal ...

Short and simple comments from ordinary social media users can help others online to spot fake news, a new study shows.   Research shows reading corrections from others online can reduce the perceived accuracy of and engagement with incorrect content.   Experts found the format and strength of corrective comments do not matter much. Social media users do not need to write long and detailed comments to flag false content.   While the study shows the general effectiveness of social correction, it also finds ...