The highest-resolution-yet temperature map and images of Saturn’s icy moon Mimas obtained by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft reveal surprising patterns on the surface of the small moon, including unexpected hot regions that resemble “Pac-Man” eating a dot, and striking bands of light and dark in crater walls.
Continue reading about ‘Pac-Man’ in space: 1980s video game icon glows on Saturn’s moon Mimas
Expression of inflammatory-related genes in breast tissue of women who have previously given birth may explain the aggressiveness and frequency of pregnancy-associated breast cancer, according to new research.
Continue reading about Clues to pregnancy-associated breast cancer found
A recent WHO report on inadequate road safety opened with some stark figures: 1.2 million deaths and up to 50 million nonfatal injuries occur every year on the world’s roads.
Continue reading about Preventing road deaths: New research focuses on worldwide problem
New research shows how a mutation causes a common inherited neurodegenerative disease. The study shows that the mutation of a specific protein known to cause Charcot-Marie-Tooth disrupts the movement of mitochondria, the energy-supplying machines inside each cell. The regulated movement of mitochondria along nerve cell fibers is vital to normal communication between the brain and [...]
Continue reading about Disease-causing mutation disrupts movement of cell’s ‘power house’
The identification of compounds that could be promising candidates for drug development has become easier following new research. Scientists have developed a series of “filters” that can be used to weed out those molecules likely to come up as false positives when screening a chemical library for compounds that could be useful in drug development.
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“The value of animal experiments for predicting the effectiveness of treatment strategies in clinical trials has remained controversial, mainly because of a recurrent failure of interventions apparently promising in animal models to translate to the clinic,” say the authors of a new article in which they discuss the controversies and possibilities of translating the results [...]
Continue reading about Can animal models of disease reliably inform human studies?
Acoustic analysis of the “giggle” sound made by spotted hyenas has revealed that the animals’ laughter encodes information about age, dominance and identity. Researchers recorded the calls of 26 hyenas in captivity and found that variations in the giggles’ pitch and timbre may help hyenas to establish social hierarchies.
A Brazilian scorpion has provided researchers insight into venom’s effects on the ability of certain cells to release critical components. The findings may prove useful in understanding diseases like pancreatitis or in targeted drug delivery.
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Despite the fact that bats are active after sunset, they rely on the sun as their most trusted source of navigation. Researchers found that the greater mouse-eared bat orients itself with the help of the Earth’s magnetic field at night and calibrates this compass to the sun’s position at sunset.
Continue reading about Bat navigation: After the next sunset, please turn right
Progressive dementia of Alzheimer’s patients is due to an inexorable loss of nerve cells from the brain. Neuroscientists have now shown that microglia may actually make a significant contribution to the loss of neurons associated with Alzheimer’s disease.