A new study found that blocking the action of calcium signals in immune cells counters the most common form of asthma without compromising the body's defenses against flu viruses.

High temperatures, fuelled by climate change, dried out soils across Europe and the Northern Hemisphere this summer, finds a team of climate scientists.

Our genetics, the environment and our age all play important roles in our health, but which of these is the most important? A new study suggests that in many cases, age plays a more important role than genetics in determining which genes in our bodies are turned on or off, influencing our susceptibility to disease.

Telemedicine-driven program cut the time from an initial new patient visit to fertility treatment from more than two months to 41 days.

Researchers have identified how multiple genes of SARS-CoV-2 affect disease severity, which could lead to new ways in how we develop future vaccines or develop newer treatments. The genes control the immune system of the host, contributing to how fiercely the body responds to a COVID-19 infection.

Autonomous optimal navigation of microswimmers is in fact possible, as researchers have recently shown. In contrast to the targeted navigation of boats, the motion of swimmers at the microscale is strongly disturbed by fluctuations. The researchers now described a navigation strategy for microswimmers that does not need an external interpreter. Their findings may contribute to the understanding of...

Communicating with babies in infant-directed-speech is considered an essential prerequisite for successful language development of the little ones. Researchers have now investigated how the mood of mothers in the postpartum period affects their child's development. They found that even children whose mothers suffer from mild depressive mood that do not yet require medical treatment show early...

Despite being considered well established, the physics of optical waves have some fundamental aspects, which are still under debate. One of these effects, the anomalous behavior of focused light fields, has now been investigated in a new light, a quantum light. Researchers have shown that quantum light with a well-defined photon number behaves differently to standard focused laser beams. This...

A research team shows in a new study how leaf beetles could successfully use new and previously indigestible food sources in the course of evolution. The insects acquired enzymes from microorganisms via horizontal gene transfer that enabled them to degrade pectins, solid components of the plant cell wall. Since the degradation products resulting from pectin digestion are not per se crucial for the...

In fossil leaves, puzzling structures are often visible under the microscope. Researchers have now been able to show for the first time that they originate from calcium oxalate crystals. On the one hand, their discovery facilitates the identification of the ancient plant remains. But it also provides answers as to how the ability to form such crystals arose and what function they presumably...

Researchers mapped the organization of human retinal cell chromatin, the fibers that package 3 billion nucleotide-long DNA molecules into compact structures that fit into chromosomes within each cell's nucleus. The resulting comprehensive gene regulatory network provides insights into regulation of gene expression in general, and in retinal function, in both rare and common eye diseases.

In order to produce green hydrogen, water can be split up via electrocatalysis, powered by renewable sources such as sun or wind. A review article shows how modern X-ray sources such as BESSY II can advance the development of suitable electrocatalysts. In particular, X-ray absorption spectroscopy can be used to determine the active states of catalytically active materials for the oxygen evolution...

Researchers have observed that the length of daylight hours impacts opioid receptor levels in brown fat. When daylight hours shorten, the receptor activity levels elevate. A similar phenomenon also takes place in the brain. Both phenomena help people and animals in the adaptation to seasonal changes.

Using state of the art techniques, researchers have shown that the metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes was much more disturbed than previously known, and that it varied between organs and severity of the disease.

A new study has revealed that global warming has at least doubled the occurrence probability of extreme ocean warming events near Japan since the 2000s, which rarely occur in the preindustrial era. This study suggests that limiting global warming below 1.5°C is efficient to prevent record-high sea surface temperatures to be the new normal climate around Japan in the future.

By analyzing movie reviews from Rotten Tomatoes, a film and TV review website, new research proposes a 'topic consistency' measure to capture the degree of overlap between critic and user review content and finds that it does impact movie sales.

Jazz must swing -- jazz musicians agree on that. However, even 100 years after the beginnings of jazz, it is still unclear what exactly constitutes the swing feel. With a sophisticated experiment and data analyses on more than 450 well-known jazz solos, physicists together with psychologists have unraveled a secret of swing. They were able to demonstrate that certain systematic deviations in...

Scientists have developed a possible solution to one of the biggest problems of the Internet of Energy, energy efficiency. They did so by creating a controller that has a sleep mode and only procures energy when needed.

As urban environments continue to encroach on natural habitats, instances of human-wildlife conflict tend to increase. While some animals avoid human contact at all costs, other species thrive in urban habitats.

Researchers have detected methane levels that were up to 1,000 times higher than normal in the Nord stream leak area.

Standing electric scooters, commonly referred to as e-scooters, have been increasing in popularity across the country over the past decade. According to a new research, e-scooter injuries are becoming much more common and increasingly severe.

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death in adolescents, and risky driving behaviors like speeding, rapid accelerations, and cellphone use can contribute to crashes. New research finds many teens struggle to abide the rules of the road.

Agricultural producers around the world must adapt to changing weather patterns. Much research has focused on mitigation strategies for crop production, but livestock producers face unique challenges. A new study looks at how cattle ranchers in Brazil respond to climate change in the Amazon. Previous research shows the dry season is increasing up to 0.6 days per year. This puts more stress on...

Researchers have developed a method to detect build-up of amyloid beta in the brain, a characteristic of Alzheimer's disease, from biomarkers in blood samples.