Just as people plug in to computers, smart phones and electric outlets to communicate, electric fish communicate by quickly plugging special channels into their cells to generate electrical impulses, researchers have discovered.
Scientists have uncovered the evolutionary ancestry of the prion gene, which may reveal new understandings of how the prion protein causes diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as “mad cow disease.”
Continue reading about Evolutionary Origins Of Prion Disease Gene Uncovered
Women should think twice before buying their next pair of high-heels or pumps, according to researchers in a new study of older adults and foot problems.
Continue reading about High-heels Linked To Heel And Ankle Pain
The link between obesity and osteoarthritis may be more than just the wear and tear on the skeleton caused by added weight. A new study has found that the absence of the appetite hormone leptin can determine whether obese mice experience arthritis, no matter how heavy they are.
Continue reading about Obesity Alone Does Not Cause Arthritis In Animals, Scientists Find
Inspired by James Clerk Maxwell’s findings, first expounded in the 1850s, a physicist is reintroducing the idea of using a “fish-eye” lens — a lens that can work in any direction — to create the perfect image.
Continue reading about Perfect Image Without Metamaterials … And A Reprieve For Silicon Chips
A common nuisance, the fruit fly, is capable of intricate social learning much like that used by humans, according to new research.
Continue reading about Pesky Fruit Flies Learn From Experienced Females
New research indicates that patients with lesser degrees of celiac disease-related symptoms, such as intestinal inflammation or latent celiac disease, have a modestly increased risk of death, according to a new study.
The global threat to the pollination of flowers and food production crops, highlighted by a dramatic decline in honeybee colonies, could be eased by a renewed focus on ‘wild’ pollinators. Agri-environment schemes that encourage farmers to create bee-friendly habitats could be the key to increasing numbers of valuable wild pollinators like bumblebees in the wider [...]
Continue reading about Focus On The Wild Could Avert Plant Pollination Threat
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), the most common non-invasive lesion of the breast, presents unique challenges for patients and providers largely because the natural course of the untreated disease is not well understood. Because most women diagnosed with DCIS are treated, it is difficult to determine the comparative benefits of different treatment strategies versus active [...]
The Potato Genome Sequencing Consortium, an international team of scientists from industry and academia in 14 countries, has released a draft sequence of the potato genome. A unique phureja type of potato variety has accelerated the development of a blueprint for one of the world’s most important food crops.
Continue reading about Draft Potato Genome Based On Unique Potato Variety