The third millennium BCE brought about substantial transformations that are visible in the cultures of Bronze Age Europeans. A new study documents the arrival of new genetic ancestry to southern Iberia, concomitant with the rise of the Early Bronze Age El Argar culture around 2,200 BCE.

A team of scientists has identified an additional force that likely contributed to a mass extinction event 250 million years ago. Its analysis of minerals in southern China indicate that volcano eruptions produced a 'volcanic winter' that drastically lowered earth's temperatures -- a change that added to the environmental effects resulting from other phenomena at the time.

A clinical trial has found people prefer receiving information on the 5:2 diet than standard GP weight management advice despite both interventions achieving similar modest weight loss results.

Scientists warn, without good biosecurity measures 'alien organisms' on Earth may become a reality stranger than fiction. Scientists are calling for greater recognition of the biosecurity risks ahead of the space industry.

Zinc deficiency is prevalent around the world, and among children, these mineral shortfalls can lead to stunting, embryonic malformations and neurobehavioral abnormalities. Over several decades, science has improved understanding of zinc metabolism, but an accurate, comprehensive assessment tool for its physiological status within a human body has remained elusive. Until now.

Chemistry researchers have developed a new method using blue light to create pharmaceuticals in a more sustainable way, significantly reducing the amount of energy needed and the chemical waste created in the manufacture process.

Scientists have conducted research showing in precise detail how chemicals bind to mast cells to cause itch, and the scientists figured out the detailed structure of receptor proteins on the surface of these cells when a compound is bound to those proteins.

Researchers have used advanced electron microscopes to delve deeper into the process of protein degradation. They described the structure of a key enzyme that helps mediate ubiquitination in yeast, part of a cellular process called the N-degron pathway that may be responsible for determining the rate of degradation for up to 80% of equivalent proteins in humans.

The social cost of nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that is the largest remaining threat to the ozone layer, is understated, concludes an international team of researchers. In their assessment, the authors write that improving the accuracy of these calculations would not only give a more accurate picture of the impact of climate change, but also spur nations to more aggressively address it.

More than half of U.S. adults are carriers of HSV1 (herpes simplex virus type 1) which hibernates in the peripheral nervous system and can never be eradicated. A new study has uncovered herpes' sneaky strategy for infecting the nervous system, opening a door to long-needed vaccine development for both HSV1 and its close sibling HSV2.

Chemotherapy successfully treats many forms of cancer, but the side effects can wreak havoc on the rest of the body. Delivering drugs directly to cancer cells could help reduce these unpleasant symptoms. Now, in a proof-of-concept study, researchers have made fish-shaped microrobots that are guided with magnets to cancer cells, where a pH change triggers them to open their mouths and release their...

Researchers have identified a new group of molecules that have an antibacterial effect against many antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Since the properties of the molecules can easily be altered chemically, the hope is to develop new, effective antibiotics with few side effects.

Acetogens are a group of bacteria that can metabolise formate. For example, they form acetic acid -- an important basic chemical. If these bacteria were manipulated to produce ethanol or lactic acid, a comprehensive circular economy for the greenhouse gas CO2 could be realised. To ensure that the process is sustainable, the CO2 is extracted directly from the air and converted to formate using...

Study of a perky little bird suggests there may be far more avian species in the tropics than those identified so far. After a genetic study of the White-crowned Manakin, scientists say it's not just one species and one of the main drivers of its diversity is the South American landscape and its history of change.

Most people around the world agree that the made-up word 'bouba' sounds round in shape, and the made-up word 'kiki' sounds pointy -- a discovery that may help to explain how spoken languages develop, according to a new study. Language scientists have discovered that this effect exists independently of the language that a person speaks or the writing system that they use, and it could be a clue to...

A research group presents a new simulation method for describing the attachment of a liquid to a surface.

When toddlers have to wait, it often leads to negative affect, as they can't yet regulate their emotions. Psychologists set out to find out how to help them. Is temperament a factor that influences toddler behavior while waiting? Whom can children imitate in order to cope better with long waits? They concluded that, left to their own devices, children prefer activities which correspond to their...

Northwestern University researchers have invented a new high-resolution camera that can see the unseen -- including around corners and through scattering media, such as skin, fog or potentially even the human skull.

Recycling carbon dioxide, especially through conversion to methane, is compelling while anthropogenic CO2 emissions are still rising. A useful process for this transformation is photothermal methanation, in which CO2 and hydrogen are catalytically converted into CH4 and water upon irradiation with sunlight. A team of researchers has now reported the synthesis of a highly active, stable,...

Arterial stiffness is a novel risk factor to be targeted for preventing and treating hypertension and obesity from a young age, a new study suggests.

Exercise increases the body's own cannabis-like substances, which in turn helps reduce inflammation and could potentially help treat certain conditions such as arthritis, cancer and heart disease.

Current medications aren't particularly effective against fungi. The situation is becoming more challenging because these organisms are developing resistance to antimicrobial treatments, just as bacteria are. Now, researchers report that they have identified compounds that tackle these infections in a new way -- by interfering with fungal enzymes required for fatty acid synthesis -- potentially...

The wild strawberry is even more highly prized than its store-bought cousin because of its intense aroma and uniquely sweet taste. However, they're hard to find in the wild, so some companies make synthetic versions of this flavor. Now, researchers have come up with a naturally derived wild strawberry aroma by having an edible fungus make it from waste from black currant juice production.

Researchers have obtained new insights into the process of crystallization in glasses that can lead to a loss of transparency and mechanical strength. The researchers are the first to relate the coordinated atomic dynamics that lead to "devitrification" with a physical mechanism. This research may lead to improvements in the long term stability of industrial glass.