feed info

40 articles from ScienceDaily

Dust may have controlled ancient human civilization

When early humans began to travel out of Africa and spread into Eurasia over a hundred thousand years ago, a fertile region around the eastern Mediterranean Sea called the Levant served as a critical gateway between northern Africa and Eurasia. A new study shows that the existence of that oasis depended almost entirely on something we almost never think about: dust.

Going small for big solutions: Sub-nanoparticle catalysts made from coinage elements as effective catalysts

'Sub-nanometer' particles (SNPs) are very popular because of their diverse applications, but technical difficulties in their synthesis has hindered research in this field. Scientists used an 'atom-hybridization method' to overcome this barrier they developed to study the reactivity of alloy SNPs made from three coinage metal elements. Their findings are an important step in improving the knowledge...

Key role of immune cells in brain infection

Researchers have identified the specific type of immune cell that induces brain inflammation in herpes simplex virus (HSV) encephalitis. Crucially, they have also determined the signalling protein that calls this immune cell into the brain from the bloodstream. The findings could aid the development of targeted treatments for the brain infection, which is the most common cause of viral...

Real neurons are noisy: Can neural implants figure that out?

Signals sent from the retina to the brain have a lot of background noise, yet we see the world clearly. Researchers show that to achieve visual clarity the brain must accurately measure how this noise is distributed across neurons when processing the signals sent down the optic nerve. These results are likely to shape the design of future retinal prosthetics and other brain-machine interfaces.

Human white blood cells use molecular paddles to swim

Human white blood cells, known as leukocytes, swim using a newly described mechanism called molecular paddling, researchers report. This microswimming mechanism could explain how both immune cells and cancer cells migrate in various fluid-filled niches in the body, for good or for harm.

New dopamine sensors could help unlock the mysteries of brain chemistry

Scientists developed dLight1, a single fluorescent protein-based biosensor. This sensor allows high resolution, real-time imaging of the spatial and temporal release of dopamine in live animals. Now, the team expanded the color spectrum of dLight1 to YdLight1 and RdLight1. The increased light penetration and imaging depth of these variants provide enhanced dopamine signal quality allowing...

Study shows difficulty in finding evidence of life on Mars

While scientists are eager to study the red planet's soils for signs of life, researchers must ponder a considerable new challenge: Acidic fluids - which once flowed on the Martian surface - may have destroyed biological evidence hidden within Mars' iron-rich clays, according to researchers.

People react better to both negative and positive events with more sleep

New research finds that after a night of shorter sleep, people react more emotionally to stressful events the next day -- and they don't find as much joy in the good things. This has important health implications: previous research shows that being unable to maintain positive emotions in the face of stress puts people at risk of inflammation and even an earlier death.

Risk gene for Alzheimer's has early effects on the brain

A genetic predisposition to late-onset Alzheimer's disease affects how the brains of young adults cope with certain memory tasks. Researchers find are based on studies with magnetic resonance imaging in individuals at the age of about 20 years. The scientists suspect that the observed effects could be related to very early disease processes.

Tiny protein motor fuels bacterial movement

The ability to move is key for bacteria like some strains of salmonella and E. coli to efficiently spread infections. They can propel themselves forward using threads, known as flagella, powered by the flagellar rotary motor. But how this rotary motor is powered has been a mystery among scientists. Now, researchers show that the bacterial flagellar motor is powered by yet another even tinier,...

Single photons from a silicon chip

Quantum technology holds great promise: Quantum computers are expected to revolutionize database searches, AI systems, and computational simulations. Today already, quantum cryptography can guarantee secure data transfer, albeit with limitations. The greatest possible compatibility with current silicon-based electronics will be a key advantage. And that is precisely where physicists have made...

Satellite images display changes in the condition of European forests

The forest canopy, the closed vegetation cover consisting of treetops, is rapidly declining according to new research. The team used satellite images, to create the first high-resolution map of canopy openings in Europe's forests and reached the conclusion that the canopy of more than 36 million forest areas has been lost over the past 30 years.

Rare pattern observed in migrating common swifts

Compared with other migratory birds, the common swift follows a very unusual pattern when it migrates from the breeding areas in Europe to its wintering locations south of the Sahara. This is what researchers have observed in a major eleven-year international study of the birds.