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45 articles from ScienceDaily

Coral select algae partnerships to ease environmental stress

Corals live symbiotically with a variety of microscopic algae that provide most of the energy corals require, and some algae can make coral more resilient to heat stress. In assessing one of the main reef builders in Hawai'i, Montipora capitata or rice coral, researchers found that the symbiont community in those corals varied significantly in different parts of Kaneohe Bay.

Researchers' flow platform advances water harvesting technology

The researchers' unique platform solves a key problem in water harvesting: Collected water droplets form a thermal barrier that prevents further condensation, so they need to be removed from the surface as rapidly as possible to make room for more harvesting. The team addressed this problem by developing a platform with a unique shape. They cut a series of mushroom-like channels -- smaller in...

'Kipferl': Guiding the defense against jumping genes

Researchers describe how different types of repetitive DNA elements are controlled by the same silencing mechanism in fruit fly ovaries. Central to their findings is an uncharacterized protein that the researchers named 'Kipferl', which ensures the effective control of jumping genes. The findings suggest that different selfish elements compete for the host genome defense system and that Kipferl...

New algorithms help four-legged robots run in the wild

A new system of algorithms enables four-legged robots to walk and run on challenging terrain while avoiding both static and moving obstacles. The work brings researchers a step closer to building robots that can perform search and rescue missions or collect information in places that are too dangerous or difficult for humans.

Clinical trial of phage therapy for cystic fibrosis begins

Enrollment has begun in an early-stage clinical trial evaluating bacteriophage therapy in adults with cystic fibrosis (CF) who carry Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) in their lungs. The trial is evaluating whether the bacteriophage, or 'phage,' therapy is safe and able to reduce the amount of bacteria in the lungs of volunteers.

Microscopic octopuses from a 3D printer

The microscopic creatures like geckos and octopuses fabricated by 3D laser printing could open up new opportunities in fields such as microrobotics or biomedicine. These 'life-like' 3D microstructures are made from novel smart polymers whose size and mechanical properties can be tuned on demand.

Helping our heroes: Time-restricted eating improves health of firefighters

Scientists conducted a clinical trial and found that time-restricted eating improved measures of health and wellbeing in firefighters. The lifestyle intervention only required the firefighters to eat during a 10-hour window and did not involve skipping meals. The new findings may also have implications for shift workers, such as military personnel; health care, food service, and transportation...

Combining time-restricted eating and HIIT improves health measures in women with obesity

Both time-restricted eating (TRE) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) have been shown to improve cardiometabolic health in people who are overweight and at risk of serious disease. Now a randomized, controlled trial has tested whether combining these two approaches is more effective than either of them on their own. The results show that the combination improved the average long-term...

Mouse study explores Alzheimer's link to the X chromosome

Evidence in mice and human brain tissue reveals a mechanism that may explain the sex-based differences in Alzheimer's disease, including why females are more vulnerable. Researchers report that female brains show higher expression of an X-linked enzyme called ubiquitin-specific peptidase 11 (USP11) compared to males, resulting in greater accumulation of a protein called tau.

Scientists chart how exercise affects the body

Researchers mapped out many of the cells, genes, and cellular pathways that are modified by exercise or a high-fat diet. They hope their findings will help guide the design of drugs that might mimic some beneficial effects of exercise.

Eating late increases hunger, decreases calories burned, and changes fat tissue

Obesity afflicts approximately 42 percent of the U.S. adult population and contributes to the onset of chronic diseases, including diabetes, cancer, and other conditions. While popular healthy diet mantras advise against midnight snacking, few studies have comprehensively investigated the simultaneous effects of late eating on the three main players in body weight regulation and thus obesity risk:...