openscience

Adolescence, like infancy, has been said to include distinct sensitive periods during which brain plasticity is heightened; but in a review of the neuroscience literature saw little evidence for this claim. However, a small number of studies do support that memory formation, social stress, and drug use are processed differently in the adolescent brain compared to other periods of life.

Tremendous controversy erupted in early 2014 when two papers published in Nature described how a technique called 'stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency,' or STAP, could quickly and efficiently turn ordinary cells into pluripotent stem cells, that is, stem cells capable of developing into all the tissues in the body. The simplicity of the approach -- subjecting the cells to particular stresses like mild acid exposure -- seemed too good to be true. And it was.

Scientists may have cracked a part of the chemical code for one of the most basic, yet mysterious, processes in the natural world -- nature's ability to transform nitrogen from the air into usable nitrogen compounds.

A new study reveals the soft palate is a key site for evolution of airborne transmissibility. Scientists made the surprising finding while examining the H1N1 flu strain, which caused a 2009 pandemic that killed more than 250,000 people.

Neutrons, normally thought of as particles, can also be utilized as waves. These waves should, like many other quantum objects, possess a commodity called orbital angular momentum. A new experiment is able, for the first time, to deliberately alter this quantum variable for neutrons.

Scientists describe capturing and studying individual metastatic cells from human breast cancer tumors implanted into mice as the cells escaped into the blood stream and began to form tumors elsewhere in the body.

When did the enamel that covers our teeth evolve? And where in the body did this tissue first appear? In a new study, researchers combined data from two very different research fields -- paleontology and genomics -- to arrive at a clear but unexpected answer to this question: enamel originated in the skin and colonized the teeth much later.

Νέα έρευνα υποδεικνύει ότι χαμηλά επίπεδα τρανς λιπαρών οξέων μπορεί ενδεχομένως να μην είναι τόσο βλαβερά για την ανθρώπινη υγεία όσο εκτιμάτο προηγουμένως.

Researchers have identified two new cancer-causing gene mutations – mutations that may be particularly susceptible to cancer-fighting drugs already approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration. One of the gene mutations also may play a key role in early menopause.

Individuals who blame karma for their poor health have more pain and worse physical and mental health, according to a new study. Targeted interventions to counteract negative spiritual beliefs could help some individuals decrease pain and improve their overall health, the researchers said.

Duplicate copies of genes safeguard survival of the biotech yeast Pichia pastoris in environments where only methanol is present as feed. A recently elucidated metabolism is similar to that used by plants for the utilization of carbon dioxide, scientists report.

Η αποστολή απλών συμβουλών με γραπτά μηνύματα σε καρδιοπαθείς οδήγησε σε καλύτερη αρτηριακή πίεση και σε καλύτερα επίπεδα χοληστερόλης και σωματικής δραστηριότητας.

The implantation of medical devices is not without risks. Bacterial or fungal infections can occur and the body's strong immune response may lead to the rejection of the implant. Researchers have succeeded in creating a biofilm with antimicrobial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties.

Findings of a new study could support a number of fields from animal poaching to paleoecology. Researchers report on a mathematical analytical tool that was designed to predict a common elemental signal in surface water -- resulting in significant savings compared with traditional field surveys. It is also, they say, effective at predicting values for a wide range of materials, and is in fact most successful when applied to the bones and teeth of mammals.

Almost one-third of families whose children were being treated for cancer faced food, housing or energy insecurity and one-quarter lost more than 40 percent of household income, according to a new American study. The study follows emerging research in pediatric oncology finding that low-income status predicts poor adherence to oral chemotherapy and decreased overall survival.

Most veterans undergoing general surgical operations of low complexity preferred telehealth (video or telephone) follow-up than visiting a clinic, and data suggested that telehealth visits may help identify veterans requiring in-person assessment or further care, according to a study.

Στη μάχη κατά του καρκίνου, ‘’έξυπνο’’ ρομπότ σχεδιάζει και πραγματοποιεί πειράματα με πολλές ουσίες, ενώ εξάγει και συμπεράσματα από τα αποτελέσματα.

Ερευνητική ομάδα ανακοίνωσε ότι δεν ανακάλυψε ενδείξεις πως η υψηλή κατανάλωση καφέ αυξάνει τον κίνδυνο κολπικής μαρμαρυγής.

Many stroke patients suffer from spasticity of the arm that cause pain and impaired sensorimotor function. But there are ways of identifying such patients ahead of time so that they can obtain the earliest possible treatment, scientists say.

Researchers are looking at flint flakes to study laterality in Palaeolithic humans, in other words, which hand they used to fashion their artefacts. Laterality is the preference of human beings for one side of our bodies; being left-handed or right-handed, for example, or having a preference for using one eye or ear or the other.