Other Sciences News

Cummings et al suggest that specifically reducing dietary BCAAs may represent a highly translatable option for the treatment of obesity and insulin resistance. Image credit: Jill Wellington.

Diet Low in Branched-Chain Amino Acids May Be Key to Weight Loss: Study

Dec 27, 2017 by News Staff

A specific group of amino acids called branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) is elevated in the blood of obese, insulin-resistant humans and rodents. A new...

A chip with a Coulomb blockade thermometer on it is prepared for experiments at extremely low temperatures. Image credit: University of Basel.

Researchers Create World’s Coldest Chip

Dec 21, 2017 by News Staff

University of Basel’s Professor Dominik Zumbühl and colleagues have succeeded in magnetically cooling a nanoelectronic device to a temperature of 2.8...

Neurons. Image credit: National Institute on Aging.

Study Identifies First Brain Cells that Respond to Sound

Dec 21, 2017 by News Staff

A new study by University of Maryland’s Professor Patrick Kanold and co-authors is the first to identify a mechanism that could explain an early link...

NASA’s SeaWiFS satellite photographed this eddy field in the waters around Tasmania in November 2000. Image credit: NASA.

Scientists Find ‘Smoke Rings’ in Earth’s Oceans

Dec 17, 2017 by News Staff

A team of scientists from the United Kingdom has spotted the equivalent of smoke-rings in the Earth’s southern oceans which they think could ‘suck-up’...

Plants infused with the luminescence of fireflies could help reduce our dependence on conventional lighting. Image credit: Seon-Yeong Kwak.

Researchers Create Nanobionic Light-Emitting Plants

Dec 14, 2017 by News Staff

A team of scientists from the University of California and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has found a way to infuse plants with the luminescence...

Young adults could be at risk of heavy drinking with shortened night of sleep. Image credit: Michal Jarmoluk.

Study: Shortened Night of Sleep May Increase Young Adults’ Risk of Heavier Drinking

Dec 13, 2017 by News Staff

According to a study published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, heavier alcohol use may delay sleep timing among heavy-drinking young adults; in...

Gas-phase structure of alpha-pinene was experimentally unveiled, using Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. Image credit: Elias M. Neeman.

Scientists Determine Structure of Alpha-Pinene, Major Component of Forest Aroma

Dec 11, 2017 by News Staff

An international team of scientists from France and Spain has accurately determined the gas-phase structure of alpha-pinene, a molecule emitted into the...

New technique 3D prints genetically programmed bacterial cells into living devices. Image credit: Liu et al / Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

MIT Researchers 3D Print Living Tattoo

Dec 6, 2017 by News Staff

A team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has devised a 3D printing technique that uses a novel kind of hydrogel ink made...

According to the study, you are more likely to remember something if you read it out loud. Image credit: Pexels.

Reading Text Aloud Improves Long-Term Memory, New Study Finds

Dec 5, 2017 by News Staff

A new study has found that speaking text aloud helps to get words into long-term memory. Dubbed the ‘production effect,’ the study determined that...

Vanilla plant, 1915. Image credit: McCormick and Company.

Vanillin Intake Reduces Psoriatic Skin Inflammation in Mice

Dec 4, 2017 by News Staff

Vanillin, one of the most widely used flavoring products worldwide, is an effective bioactive compound against psoriatic skin inflammation, according to...

According to Alvarenga et al, dogs are brainier than cats. Image credit: Rihaij.

Dogs Have More Brain Neurons Than Cats, New Study Says

Dec 1, 2017 by News Staff

According to the first study to count the number of cortical neurons in the brains of a number of carnivores, dogs have about 530 million cortical neurons...

Gonzalez et al assessed molecular responses of human fat cells to 6 weeks of morning fasting. Image credit: StockSnap.

For Fat Cells, Breakfast is Most Important Meal of the Day

Nov 30, 2017 by News Staff

According to a new study from the Universities of Bath and Nottingham, UK, regularly eating breakfast affects fat cells by decreasing the activity of genes...

Prehistoric Central European women’s manual labor was tougher than rowing in today’s boat crews.

Study: Prehistoric Women Were Stronger Than Today’s Female Athletes

Nov 29, 2017 by News Staff

Prehistoric women that lived in Central Europe during the first 5,500 years of farming had stronger upper arms than living female rowing champions, according...

Dr. Wheeler (front) developed a switchable photovoltaic window along with (from left) Nathan Neale, Robert Tenent, Jeffrey Blackburn, Elisa Miller, and David Moore. Image credit: Dennis Schroeder, National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Researchers Develop Switchable Photovoltaic Window

Nov 29, 2017 by News Staff

A team of researchers at the U.S. DoE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory has developed a thermochromic window capable of converting sunlight into...

Heisz et al examined the combined effect of physical exercise and cognitive training on memory and neurotrophic factors in healthy, young adults. Image credit: Sasin Tipchai.

Study: Intense Physical Exercise Boosts Memory

Nov 28, 2017 by News Staff

A team of researchers has found that six weeks of intense exercise — short bouts of interval training over the course of 20 minutes — showed...

Enoto et al describe how gamma rays from lightning react with the air to produce radioisotopes and even positrons. Image credit: Teruaki Enoto, Kyoto University.

Lightning Strikes Produce Antimatter Particles in Earth’s Atmosphere

Nov 23, 2017 by News Staff

Scientists from Japan and Singapore report in the November 23 issue of the journal Nature that they observed positron (antimatter counterpart of the electron)...

Dr. Ståhl and Dr. van Prooijen attempted to identify psychological precursors of skepticism toward unfounded beliefs. Image credit: Patrick Neufelder.

High Cognitive Ability Alone Does Not Protect Against Unfounded Beliefs, Psychologists Say

Nov 17, 2017 by News Staff

In a paper published the journal Personality and Individual Differences, Dr. Tomas Ståhl of the University of Illinois at Chicago and Dr. Jan-Willem van...

Exercise can improve memory function and brain health. Image credit: Olga.

Study: Aerobic Exercise Increases Brain Size, Improves Neuronal Health

Nov 14, 2017 by News Staff

In a new study published in the journal NeuroImage, an international team of researchers examined the effects of aerobic exercise on a region of the brain...

Mushrooms contain unusually high amounts of antioxidants called glutathione and ergothioneine. Image credit: Jan Plywacz.

Study: Mushrooms Contain Powerful Antioxidants with Anti-Aging Potential

Nov 9, 2017 by News Staff

Certain mushroom species are high in two antioxidants — glutathione and ergothioneine — that may help with anti-aging treatments and strategies,...