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279,032 articles from PhysOrg

How brain 'wiring' develops in babies

Scientists funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) have shown, for the first time, how our brain 'wiring' develops in the first few months of life. Using a new imaging technique, the scientists monitored the formation of insulating layers around nerve cells, a process called myelination, which is vital for normal brain function. Damage to the myelination process is believed to contribute to a...

Inclined orbits prevail in exoplanetary systems

A research team led by astronomers from the University of Tokyo and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) has discovered that inclined orbits may be typical rather than rare for exoplanetary systems -- those outside of our solar system. Their measurements of the angles between the axes of the star's rotation (stellar rotational axis) and the planet's orbit (planetary orbital axis)...

Merck stops trial for potential blood thinner

(AP) -- Shares of Merck & Co. are falling after the drugmaker says it has halted one late-stage trial of a potential blood thinner and will immediately stop giving the drug in another study to patients who have had a stroke.

Natural tick control tested

Nootkatone, a component of essential oil in grapefruit peels and other sources, is used in many food, beverage and personal-care products because of its clean, citrusy taste and smell.

New software quantifies leaf venation networks, enables plant biology advances

Plant biologists are facing pressure to quantify the response of plants to changing environments and to breed plants that can respond to such changes. One method of monitoring the response of plants to different environments is by studying their vein network patterns. These networks impact whole plant photosynthesis and the mechanical properties of leaves, and vary between species that have...

New tool for cell research may help unravel secrets of disease

Advancements in understanding rotational motion in living cells may help researchers shed light on the causes of deadly diseases, such as Alzheimer's, according to Ning Fang, an associate scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory and faculty member at Iowa State University.

Planet affects a star's spin

The discovery of a hot Jupiter exoplanet that transfers orbital momentum to its host star may hold the key to a clearer understanding of the evolution of common planetary systems, according to findings presented by Dr. Edward Guinan, a professor of astronomy at Villanova University in Villanova, Pa.

Suicide risk greater for people living at higher elevations

Twenty years of mortality data from counties across the United States led to the striking discovery that living at higher altitudes may be a risk factor for suicide, according to a provocative study published online ahead of print in High Altitude Medicine & Biology.

What is life? New answers to an age-old question in astrobiology

Biologists have been unable to agree on a definition of the complex phenomenon known as "life." In a special collection of essays in Astrobiology, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., leaders in the fields of philosophy, science, and molecular evolution present a variety of perspectives on defining life. Tables of content and a free sample issue are available online.

'Longevity' protein SIRT1 may ward off precursor to prostate cancer

Researchers from the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson and two other institutions have discovered new evidence that suggests the "longevity" protein SIRT1, known for its life-spanning effects in different species, can inhibit the development of a known precursor to prostate cancer, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN).

Improving grades, saving money

In their paper, ‘Exploring the impacts of accelerated delivery on student learning, achievement and satisfaction’, published in Research in Post-Compulsory Education, Stephen Wilkins, from the International Center of Higher Education Management, Dr. Susan Martin, from the Department of Education, along with Dr. Ian Walker, from the Department of Psychology, suggest that many high ability...

Inventions of evolution: What gives frogs a face

Zoologists of the University Jena (Germany) analysed the central factor for the development of the morphologically distinctive features of the tadpoles. "We were able to show that the 'FOXN3' most of all influences the development of the cartilages in the oral region and the gills," professor Dr. Lennart Olsson points out. These structures in particular belong to the evolutionary new developments...