4,986 articles mezi dny 1.1.2020 a 31.1.2020

New function for potential tumor suppressor in brain development

The gene Cdkn1c could have been considered an open-and-shut case: Mice in which the gene is removed are larger and have bigger brains, so Cdkn1c should function to inhibit growth. This rationale has led to Cdkn1c being studied as a tumour suppressor gene. New research from the group of Simon Hippenmeyer, professor at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), has now uncovered...

Stellar black holes: When David poses as Goliath

Stellar black holes form when massive stars end their life in a dramatic collapse. Observations have shown that stellar black holes typically have masses of about ten times that of the Sun, in accordance with the theory of stellar evolution. Recently, a Chinese team of astronomers claimed to have discovered a black hole as massive as 70 solar masses, which, if confirmed, would severely challenge...

Water governance: could less sometimes be more?

Researchers from UNIGE and UNIL analysed water governance in six European countries from 1750 onwards. They demonstrated that there has been an inflationary trend in the number of regulations, and that—far from improving the situation—this has led to serious malfunctions in the system.

Water governance: Could less sometimes be more?

Does the never-ending introduction of new regulations of environmental resources have a positive effect? Researchers analyzed water governance regulations in six European countries from 1750 to 2006 and show that rules designed to improve resource management come into conflict in the long run, creating an equal number of positive and negative effects until the system falls apart. At this point,...

Losing tongue fat improves sleep apnea

Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure the effect of weight loss on the upper airway in obese patients, researchers found that reducing tongue fat is a primary factor in lessening the severity of OSA.

A stripped helium star solves the massive black hole mystery

Recently, a Chinese team of astronomers claimed to have discovered a black hole as massive as 70 solar masses, which, if confirmed, would severely challenge the current view of stellar evolution. Among those to take a closer look at the object were astronomers from the Universities of Erlangen-Nürnberg and Potsdam. They discovered that it may not necessarily be a black hole at all, but possibly a...

Novel avian species: 10 new bird taxa in islands of Wallacea

A research team found five bird species and five subspecies new to science in three small island groups off Sulawesi, Indonesia. The islands are situated in Indonesia's Wallacea region, an archipelago at the interface between the Oriental and Australian biogeographical realms, named after Sir Alfred Wallace.

‘Most realistic’ plant-based steak revealed

Vegan alternatives to meat are popular but recreating the texture of steak is challengingThe “most realistic” plant-based steak to date has been revealed, mimicking the texture and appearance of a real cut of meat.The fake steak’s ingredients include pea, seaweed and beetroot juice, which are extruded into fine fibres to recreate muscle tissue. Its producer, the Spanish company Novameat,...

Molecular 'doormen' open the way to potential obesity treatment

Fat cells are filled with droplets coated by molecules that act like hotel doormen: These 'doormen' control cellular access for nutrients as well as for the exit of energy-supplying molecules called lipids. In healthy individuals, outgoing and incoming traffic in fat cells is finely balanced, supplying energy while preventing excessive spread of undesirable fat in the belly.

Cracks in Arctic sea ice turn low clouds on and off

The prevailing view has been that more leads are associated with more low-level clouds during winter. But an atmospheric scientists noticed something strange in their study of these leads: when lead occurrence was greater, there were fewer, not more clouds.