The DAM-Decision and Memory group studies the cognitive and neural computations that guide decision-making and long-term memory, as well as the mnemonic processes of social behaviour The DAM-Decision and Memory group at Universitat Jaume I in Castelló, led by Raphael Kaplan and composed of researchers from Spain, Italy and the United States, has recently published the results of two studies that provide new insights into human brain behaviour in everyday activities such as decision-making and social interaction. In a new line…
Images taken from an unmanned aerial vehicle, processed with free software, help assess water stress parameters in corn experiments and select varieties that are better adapted to water shortages. A method using free software and a drone with a low-cost camera has made it possible to select drought-tolerant corn plants. The tool contributes to the selection of plants that can better withstand water stress, one of the impacts of climate change on agriculture. The results of the experiments were published in an…
Cedars-Sinai-led study of AI-enabled virtual visits found that AI recommendations were graded higher than physician decisions Do physicians or artificial intelligence (AI) offer better treatment recommendations for patients examined through a virtual urgent care setting? A new Cedars-Sinai study shows physicians and AI models have distinct strengths. The late-breaking study presented at the American College of Physicians Internal Medicine Meeting and published simultaneously in the Annals of Internal Medicine compared initial AI treatment recommendations to final recommendations of physicians who…
Study led by Johns Hopkins researchers may advance efforts to reveal how epigenetic events contribute to cancer development Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists say they have found a pattern of so-called epigenetic “marks” in a transition state between normal and pancreatic cancer cells in mice, and that the normal cells may keep at least a temporary “memory” of those cancer-linked marks. Epigenetic marks are chemical modifications that help regulate genetic expression without directly altering DNA sequence in the makeup of genes….
Chromatin remodeling plays a vital role in gene regulation, affecting how DNA is accessed. Disruptions in this process can also lead to cancer and other diseases. To better understand how chromatin remodeling works, scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital used cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to obtain fine structural details of a human chromatin remodeler in action. The researchers captured 13 structures that together offer a comprehensive view of how the remodeling enzyme SNF2H works, offering insights that are likely shared…
Australia’s exposure to extreme heat continues to grow while the country has emerged as a global hotspot for climate change litigation, according to the latest MJA–Lancet Countdown report. Released today, the report reveals Australia has experienced a 37 per cent increase in excess heat factor over the past 20 years. Lead author and Director of the Lancet Countdown Centre in Oceania, Professor Paul Beggs from Macquarie University, says these findings underscore the importance of long-term tracking of climate hazards and…
Examining group effects on motivation in English as second language classes Project-based learning (PBL), which improves skills through various challenges, is a technique utilized in foreign language and general education classes. Though group work in PBL is actively carried out, the impact of the environment and team size on the motivation to learn has not been fully examined. Further, individual factors, such as language ability, can affect motivation, but it is not clear what effect group work has on these…
Out of 206 fourth-grade students, 19 met criteria for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. This was found in a pilot study conducted at the University of Gothenburg. The results indicate that birth defects caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy may be as common in Sweden as in several other European countries. The study ran at six schools in western Sweden and constituted an add-on to the regular health check-up for all fourth-grade students. The participants underwent a physical examination, review of…
The German Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT has launched the “lokalRAIN” research project in collaboration with Pan Acoustics GmbH from Wolfenbüttel. The goal of the project is to develop an acoustic rain sensor and a cost-efficient sensor network for the precise real-time detection and transmission of precipitation data. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and runs from October 2024 to June 2026. Accurately measuring precipitation remains a major challenge,…
Researchers can pull carbon directly from the air using changes in humidity, now with materials at a fraction of the cost EVANSTON, Ill. — Researchers at Northwestern University have expanded the potential of carbon capture technology that plucks CO2 directly from the air by demonstrating that there are multiple suitable and abundant materials that can facilitate direct air capture. In a paper to be published on Thursday (April 3) in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, the Northwestern researchers present…
An enzyme cloned from an insect found by Brazilian researchers – and genetically modified – makes it possible to monitor intracellular acidity and could be used to study diseases and drugs. The gene encoding an enzyme from a firefly, discovered at the Sorocaba campus of the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) in Brazil, has given rise to a biosensor capable of detecting pH changes in mammalian cells – which could be useful, for example, in studying diseases and assessing…
More than two-fifths of Oregon community pharmacies require a prescription to purchase syringes, even though they can be sold over the counter, creating an access barrier that could exacerbate the spread of bloodborne diseases like hepatitis C. Oregon State University researchers conducted a telephone survey of more than 400 pharmacies in Oregon and learned that 43% of them were unwilling to sell a 10-pack of syringes to someone without a prescription. The scientists say the study was the largest to…
This Sea Grant publication will serve as a valuable resource for fish farmers and policymakers navigating the complex legal environment of aquaculture Fish farmers across the Great Lakes states can face a confusing web of permits, policies and regulations that can hinder the growth of their operations. A new Sea Grant publication, Aquaculture Regulations in the Great Lakes, offers much-needed clarity. The report breaks down complex legal frameworks and provides practical insights to help aquaculture producers understand and navigate state and…
Annual award given to a researcher perceived as a major creative force, actively generating new concepts in nutrition The American Society for Nutrition, or ASN, and the ASN Foundation announced the distinguished recipients of the 2025 National Scientific Achievement Awards today. Recognizing outstanding contributions and pioneering advancements in the field of nutrition, these awards serve as a testament to excellence and innovation. Among the honorees is Pennington Biomedical Research Center’s Dr. Leanne Redman, who received the E. V. McCollum Award…
Groundbreaking research by physicists at The City College of New York is being credited for a novel discovery regarding the interaction of electronic excitations via spin waves. The finding by the Laboratory for Nano and Micro Photonics (LaNMP) team headed by physicist Vinod Menon could open the door to future technologies and advanced applications such as optical modulators, all-optical logic gates, and quantum transducers. The work is reported in the journal Nature Materials. The researchers showed the emergence of interaction…
From seat cushions to mattresses to insulation, foam is everywhere — even if we don’t always see it. Now, researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas have fused chemistry with technology to create a 3D-printed foam that is more durable and more recyclable than the polymer foam found in many everyday products. The research, which appears in the March 1 print edition of RSC Applied Polymers, a journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry, focused on creating a sturdy but lightweight foam…
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