147 articles from WEDNESDAY 28.9.2022

Social resistance of Bronze Age communities in response to emerging state societies in the Iberian Peninsula

A UAB study using a Big Data approach to analyze settlement dynamics reveals that communities of the central-eastern Iberian Peninsula existing 4,000 years ago deployed "escape economies," using enrockment and segmentation tactics to protect themselves from the exploitation and conflicts arising from the expansion of the El Argar society, one of the first state societies in Europe.

Gather ideas from strangers, but work through them with people close to you

The creative process, in any knowledge-based activity, is increasingly a collective process, and those who take charge of its development must know how to activate the most appropriate personal ties at each stage. In an article in Academy of Management Journal, Pier Vittorio Mannucci (Bocconi Department of Management and Technology) and Jill E. Perry-Smith (Emory University), conducted a series of...

No environmental sustainability means no positive peace, and vice versa

Peace and environmental sustainability—two lofty but vital goals for all countries—are known to be intrinsically related, according to Dahlia Simangan, associate professor at the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Hiroshima University. However, researchers still tend to investigate them separately, and, when they are viewed together, it is often with broad strokes, with...

Success of experimental Alzheimer’s drug hailed as ‘historic moment’

Study shows cognition in early-stage patients on lecanemab declines by 27% less than those on placeboAn experimental drug has slowed the rate of decline in memory and thinking in people with early Alzheimer’s disease in what is being described as a “historic moment” for dementia treatment.The cognition of Alzheimer’s patients given the drug, developed by Eisai and Biogen, declined by 27%...

‘Honorary authors’ of scientific papers abound—but they probably shouldn’t

It’s a practice that makes some scientists cringe: The lead author of a paper pays homage to a department chair, or a colleague who helped secure a grant, by listing them among the manuscript’s authors—even though the person made no intellectual contribution to the paper. Such “honorary authorship” is discouraged by many journals, publishing industry groups, and universities,...

Ultra-diffuse galaxy F8D1 has a giant tidal tail, observations find

Using the Subaru telescope and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), an international team of astronomers has observed an ultra-diffuse galaxy known as F8D1. The observational campaign has revealed an enormous tidal stream emanating from this galaxy. The finding was presented September 21 on the arXiv pre-print server.

Single cell research spotlights the role of DNA methylation in cell fate decisions

Research applying single-cell analysis techniques and comparisons to a cell atlas resource allowed researchers at the Babraham Institute to connect observed development defects caused by disrupted DNA methylation processes with an understanding of the cell types affected. This work, published in Genome Biology, builds on previous work undertaken with collaborators to establish a detailed cell...

Radical action is needed for the climate. This means transforming the way we do science

Record-breaking heat waves, droughts and floods make regular headlines around the globe, and scientists say the risk, frequency and intensity of these weather extremes are tied to the ever-increasing levels of planet-heating gases we pump into the atmosphere. Humanity's incremental response to the climate crisis has yet to show signs of getting the existential threat under control. Radical,...

Better understanding of cellular metabolism with the help of AI

Metabolism is essential to all living organisms, and modeling the chemical reactions that sustain life is no easy task. Now, EPFL scientists have released REKINDLE, a deep-learning process that is paving the way for more efficient and accurate modeling of metabolic processes.

A new window into plants of the past

Herbaria collections have long served as a vital record of what plant species exist on Earth and where they grow. But hidden within the desiccated leaves, stems, flowers and roots is far more information on how the plants interacted with their environment while they were alive. Until now the only way to learn about these traits from herbarium collections has required destroying bits of the...

Omega-3 fatty acids, and in particular DHA, are associated with increased attention scores in adolescents

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is associated with a greater capacity for selective and sustained attention in adolescents, while alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is associated with lower impulsivity, according to a new study. The results confirm the importance of having a diet that provides sufficient amounts of these polyunsaturated fatty acids for a healthy brain development.