Marine microorganisms have been found in amber dating from the middle of the Cretaceous period. The fossils were collected in Charente, in France. This completely unexpected discovery will deepen our understanding of these lost marine species as well as providing precious data about the coastal environment of Western France during the Cretaceous.
Brain cells can adopt a new chemical code in response to cues from the outside world. Dark tadpoles blanch when exposed to bright light. Cells in the tadpole brain respond to illumination by making dopamine, a neurotransmitter that is recognized by the system that controls pigmentation. The discovery opens the possibility that brain chemistry could [...]
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Colugos, the closest living relatives of primates most notable for their ability to glide from tree to tree over considerable distances, are more diverse than had previously been believed, according to a new report in Current Biology.
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Nanoparticles that are one milliard of a meter in size are widely used, for example, in cosmetics and food packaging materials. There are also significant amounts of nanoparticles in exhaust emissions. New findings give rise to concern that nanoparticles carry potential health hazards.
A gene mutation that causes high levels of uric acid in all Dalmatian dogs and bladder stones in some Dalmatians, has been identified. The discovery equips dog breeders with the tools to eliminate that trait from the Dalmatian breed and yields clues to the cause of similar problems in humans.
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Numerous studies have shown a connection between sleep disorders and medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, and metabolic disorders, including the risk of obesity and diabetes mellitus.
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Exposure to prolonged temperature elevation reduces antifungal activity of a contact lens solution that was implicated in the epidemic of the eye infection Fusarium keratitis that occurred between 2004 and 2006, according to a new article.
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Using a test that probed consumers’ beliefs in luck, researchers investigated the question of who the best prospects are for “lucky draw” in their article appearing in the journal Psychology & Marketing.
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NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has taken the first visible-light snapshot of a planet circling another star. Estimated to be no more than three times Jupiter’s mass, the planet, called Fomalhaut b, orbits the bright southern star Fomalhaut, located 25 light-years away in the constellation Piscis Australis (the Southern Fish).
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In HIV-infected patients, the body’s immune system is unable to fight off the virus. A new study shows that T cells in HIV-infected individuals express a protein called TIM-3, which inactivates their virus killing capacity. Blocking this protein, the study suggests, might one day help patients to eliminate HIV as well as other chronic infections.
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