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46 articles from ScienceDaily

Global dementia cases forecasted to triple by 2050

Positive trends in global education access are expected to decrease dementia prevalence worldwide by 6.2 million cases by the year 2050. Meanwhile, anticipated trends in smoking, high body mass index and high blood sugar are predicted to increase prevalence by nearly the same number: 6.8 million cases.

The pulse of the Dead Sea

Researchers have for the first time demonstrated a direct link between the decrease in the Dead Sea's water table, evaporation and land subsidence.

Plastic, the Trojan Horse

A new study has found plastic accumulation in foods may be underestimated. There is also concern these microplastics will carry potentially harmful bacteria such as E. coli, which are commonly found in coastal waters, up the food chain.

More than just walking: A new role for core brain region

For decades, a key brain area has been thought to merely regulate locomotion. Now, a research group has shown that the region is involved in much more than walking, as it contains distinct populations of neurons that control different body movements. The findings could help to improve certain therapies for Parkinson's disease.

A naturally inspired, reusable system that purifies water and builds itself

In nature, the interaction of molecules at the boundary of different liquids can give rise to new structures. These self-assembling molecules make cell formation possible and are instrumental to the development of all life on Earth. They can also be engineered to perform specific functions -- and now, a team of researchers has leveraged this opportunity to develop a material that could remove...

Fruit fly offers lessons in good taste

The fruit fly has multiple taste organs throughout its body to detect chemicals, called tastants, that signal whether a food is palatable or harmful. It is still unclear, however, how individual neurons in each taste organ act to control feeding. To explore this question, a team used the fly pharynx as a model to study whether taste information regulates sugar and amino acid consumption at the...

Selenium may support deep microbial life in Earth's continental crust

International drilling efforts over the last decades into the seafloor have provided increasing evidence for the existence of an extensive deep biosphere below the seafloor. There, circulating fluids in the sub-seafloor deliver chemical compounds from which energy is produced to fuel microbial life in such deep ecosystems. Our understanding of the role of such chemolithotrophic microbes in the...

New strategy for drug design: Keeping copper atoms closer to keep bacteria away

Hydrogen peroxide reacts with copper to produce hydroxyl radicals with strong antibacterial properties. However, this requires high copper concentrations because two copper atoms have to come close together, which occurs by chance. Now, scientists have engineered a long polymer with copper-containing side units that create regions with locally high copper density, boosting the antibacterial...

Bird’s-eye view could be key to navigating without GPS

A bird's-eye view may take on new meaning thanks to new research. Scientists found that a protein in bird's retinas is sensitive to the Earth's magnetic field thus guiding its migratory patterns. That finding could be key to Army navigation of both autonomous and manned vehicles where GPS is unavailable.