Link to full release with images: https://www.washington.edu/news/2023/10/26/bat-teeth/ (Note: researcher contact information at the end)   They don’t know it, but Darwin’s finches changed the world. These closely related species — native to the Galapagos Islands — each sport a uniquely shaped beak that matches their preferred diet. Studying these birds helped Charles Darwin develop the theory of evolution by natural selection. A group of bats has a similar — ...

Receiving a clot-busting drug in an ambulance-based mobile stroke unit (MSU) increases the likelihood of averting strokes and complete recovery compared with standard hospital emergency care, according to researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian, UTHealth Houston, Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and five other medical centers across the United States. The study, published online in the Annals of Neurology on Oct. 6, determined that MSU care was associated with both increased odds of averting stroke compared with hospital emergency medical service (EMS) – ...

U.S. government reached a settlement with thousands of families separated under the zero-tolerance policy Experts highlight ‘mountain of a challenge’ that U.S. Family Reunification Task Force has had in accounting for separations Task force reuniting families is working within a limited scope of separated families  ‘If using DNA data to reunite families could help even one child, it’s worth giving it a shot,’ says researcher CHICAGO --- Five years since the retraction of the Trump-era zero-tolerance policy on illegal border crossings, which resulted in the separation ...

Bacteriophages, also called phages, are viruses that infect and kill bacteria, their natural hosts. But from a macromolecular viewpoint, phages can be viewed as nutritionally enriched packets of nucleotides wrapped in an amino acid shell. A study published October 26th in the open access journal PLOS Biology by Jeremy J. Barr at Monash University, Victoria, Australia, and colleagues suggests that mammalian cells internalize phages as a resource to promote cellular growth and survival. Phage interactions with bacteria are well known, and interactions between bacteria and their mammalian host can lead ...

New research from the University of Birmingham shows that the electronic structure of metals can strongly affect their mechanical properties. The research, published today (26th October) in the journal Science, demonstrates experimentally, for the first time, that the electronic and mechanical properties of a metal are connected. It was previously understood theoretically that there would be a connection, but it was thought that it would be too small to detect in an experiment. Dr Clifford Hicks, Reader in Condensed Matter Physics, who worked on the study said: “Mechanical properties are typically described ...

Semiconductors—most notably, silicon—underpin the computers, cellphones, and other electronic devices that power our daily lives, including the device on which you are reading this article. As ubiquitous as semiconductors have become, they come with limitations. The atomic structure of any material vibrates, which creates quantum particles called phonons. Phonons in turn cause the particles—either electrons or electron-hole pairs called excitons—that carry energy and information around electronic devices to scatter in a matter of nanometers and femtoseconds. This means that energy is lost in the form of heat, and that information transfer has ...

To date, research has suggested that only humans and some species of toothed whales live many years of active life after the loss of reproductive ability. But now, a new study shows female chimpanzees in Uganda show signs of menopause – surviving long past the end of their ability to reproduce. Signs of menopause in wild chimpanzees may provide insights into the evolution of this rare trait in humans. The vast majority of mammals stay fertile until the very ends of their lives, with humans and several species of toothed whales as the outliers; they experience menopause. In humans, menopause ...

For the first time in human history, say Daniel Gervais and John Nay in a Policy Forum, nonhuman entities that are not directed by humans – such as artificial intelligence (AI)-operated corporations – should enter the legal system as a new “species” of legal subject. AI has evolved to the point where it could function as a legal subject with rights and obligations, say the authors. As such, before the issue becomes too complex and difficult to disentangle, “interspecific” legal frameworks need to be developed by which AI can be treated as legal subjects, they write. Until now, the legal system has been univocal ...

While small, the hypothalamus – a complex structure located deep in the brain – plays a gargantuan role in coordinating the wide array of neuronal signals that are responsible for keeping the body in a stable state. In a Special Issue of Science, authors across four Reviews unpack this key brain region’s impact on physiological and behavioral homeostasis. The hypothalamus consists of a complex collection of neural circuits. These circuits receive, process, and integrate sensory inputs to drive coordinated communication via a range of behavioral, ...

In a Perspective, Stephen Tang and Samuel Sternberg discuss retroelement-based gene editing as a safer alternative to CRISPR-Cas approaches. Precision genome editing technologies have transformed modern biology. Capabilities for programable DNA targeting have improved rapidly, largely due to the development of bacterial RNA-guided CRISPR-Cas systems, which allow precise cleavage of target DNA sequences. However, CRISPR-Cas9 systems generate a DNA double strand break (DSB), which activates cellular DNA repair pathways that can lead to unwanted and complex byproducts, ...

Key takeaways Female chimpanzees in Uganda’s Ngogo community experienced a menopausal transition similar to women. Fertility among chimpanzees studied declined after age 30, and no births were observed after age 50. The data can help researchers better understand why menopause and post-fertile survival occur in nature and how it evolved in the human species.  A team of researchers studying the Ngogo community of wild chimpanzees in western Uganda’s Kibale National Park for two decades has published a report in Science showing that females in this population can ...

The hardness of materials is determined by the strength of the chemical bonds that are formed between the electrons of the neighbouring atoms.  For example, the bonds in diamond are very strong, so it is one of the hardest materials known.  The bonding is rooted in the laws of quantum mechanics, and the complex compounds that are of most interest in forefront research today are known as ‘quantum materials.’  In many quantum materials, layers of strongly bonded atoms separate layers in ...

Extreme conditions prevail in the Würzburg laboratory of experimental physicists Professor Matthias Bode and Dr. Artem Odobesko. Affiliated with the Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat, a collaboration between JMU Würzburg and TU Dresden, these visionaries are setting new milestones in quantum research. Their latest endeavor is unveiling the spinaron effect. They strategically placed individual cobalt atoms onto a copper surface, brought the temperature down to 1.4 Kelvin (–271.75° Celsius), and then subjected them to a powerful external magnetic field. “The magnet we use costs half a million euros. It’s not something that’s widely available,” explains ...

University of Alberta researchers have identified an amino acid that may play a key role in predicting poor clinical outcomes and the treatment of long COVID. In research published today in Cell Reports Medicine, the team says it has developed a predictive test to determine which patients with COVID-19 will go on to develop longer-term symptoms and proposes a clinical trial of an already-approved supplement as a potential treatment.   “This research helps us understand what’s happening in the bodies of people ...

A four-year, $3.4 million grant to investigate molecular mechanisms and therapeutic treatments for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has been awarded to UTHealth Houston researchers by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health. The study led by principal investigators Holger Eltzschig, MD, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, and Xiaoyi Yuan, PhD, assistant professor in the department, is built on many years of research in the endogenous ...

Research and technology development for plasma physics and fusion energy at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory just got a boost from a LaserNetUS award.  In total, the DOE’s Office of Science awarded $28.5 million to advance discovery science and inertial fusion energy, including a three-year grant for the development and operations of the Matter in Extreme Conditions (MEC) instrument at SLAC’s Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). MEC has been home to high intensity laser experiments since 2012, and joined ...

The basic idea is simple: unlike previous chips, where only calculations were carried out on transistors, they are now the location of data storage as well. That saves time and energy. “As a result, the performance of the chips is also boosted,” says Hussam Amrouch, a professor of AI processor design at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). The transistors on which he performs calculations and stores data measure just 28 nanometers, with millions of them placed on each of the new AI chips. The chips of the future will have to be faster and more efficient than earlier ones. Consequently, ...

SETI Institute Artist-in-Residence Daniela De Paulis to Receive 2023 Europlanet Prize for Public Engagement Daniela de Paulis is honored for her work bringing space and planetary science to international audiences. October 26, 2023, Mountain View, CA -- The SETI Institute is thrilled to announce that Daniela De Paulis, a SETI Artist-in-Residence (SETI AIR), will be honored with the prestigious 2023 Europlanet Prize for Public Engagement. De Paulis’ groundbreaking project, ‘A Sign in Space,’ invited a global audience to participate in decoding a simulated message from an extraterrestrial ...

DANVILLE, Pa. – Genomic screening to identify hemochromatosis—a disorder that causes iron levels in the body to rise to dangerous levels—encourages people with the condition to seek treatment and ongoing management, a Geisinger study found. Hereditary hemochromatosis type 1 (HH1), caused by a change in the HFE gene, is underdiagnosed, often resulting in missed opportunities for early and consistent treatment. Without treatment, hemochromatosis can cause iron overload, a buildup of iron that can damage many parts of the body. Treatment of hemochromatosis includes regular monitoring of iron levels and removing excess iron ...

People with autism less likely to succumb to bystander effect, York U father-son research duo finds Schulich School of Business and Faculty of Health researchers say that while as many as 90 per cent of people with autism are unemployed or underemployed, their study points to the benefits of having neurodivergent people in the workplace   TORONTO, Oct. 26, 2023 — A well-established psychological theory states that most of us are less likely to intervene in a bad situation if other people are present, and this ‘bystander effect’ also applies to workplace settings. However, new research led ...

(San Antonio, October 26, 2023) -- The Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CyManII) at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) has been selected by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to establish an ecosystem that will promote secure manufacturing strategies across South Texas. The Secure Manufacturing in South Texas Strategy Development Consortium, funded by a $500,000 Tech Hubs Strategy Development Grant, will enable CyManII to take initial steps to develop a Secure Manufacturing Tech Hub that will mature technologies, enhance business competitiveness ...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Tian Ma, a distinguished computer engineer in research and development at Sandia National Laboratories, has been honored as a 2023 Asian American Engineer of the Year by the Chinese Institute of Engineers-USA. Each year, CIE recognizes exceptional Asian American engineers who demonstrate strong technical skills, leadership abilities and a commitment to public service. Previous recipients of this award include Nobel laureates and astronauts. Ma’s expertise in data analysis and processing has propelled him to national recognition as an expert in detection algorithms and tracking systems. His journey ...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Venus, a scorching wasteland of a planet according to scientists, may have once had tectonic plate movements similar to those believed to have occurred on early Earth, a new study found. The finding sets up tantalizing scenarios regarding the possibility of early life on Venus, its evolutionary past and the history of the solar system. Writing in Nature Astronomy, a team of scientists led by Brown University researchers describes using atmospheric data from Venus and computer modeling to show that the composition of the planet’s current atmosphere and surface pressure would only have been possible as a result of an early form of plate ...

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- A researcher at Binghamton University, State University of New York will lead a $2.5 million project from the National Institutes of Health to develop machine models to identify and predict cardiometabolic risks in adolescents and young adults. Cardiometabolic diseases are the top cause of preventable deaths worldwide, and the number of people who experience one or more of these conditions during their lifetime is increasing. Still, much of the research about these diseases has focused on the adult and senior populations. What if younger people and the healthcare professionals who ...

A groundbreaking clinical trial launched October 16 will explore the promise of new drug treatments for military personnel and veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The multi-site trial is spearheaded by the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity (USAMMDA), part of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, and supported by a project team that includes representatives from the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy, and Special Operations Command. Military veterans are more likely to have PTSD than civilians, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and service members who deployed to ...