Researchers are reporting a novel technique for tracing the activity of individual nerve fibers known as axons, and determining how neurons communicate. The team used this technique to uncover details about how the brain responds to light signals received by the retina in mice.
Read moreMore than a century ago, early geneticists showed that the inheritance of a single mutation by fruit flies can change the insect's body color and simultaneously disrupt its mating behavior.
Read moreHumans are diurnal — we are active in the day and sleep at night. But diurnalism is by far the exception rather the rule in mammals. About 250-230 million years ago, the mammalian ancestors, called the therapsids, became exclusively nocturnal, and stayed so until the demise of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.
Read moreRecent research has revealed increased inflammatory activity in a subgroup of patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Increased inflammation was associated with parkinsonism symptoms and more rapid disease progression. In addition, the results showed that cancer is rare in FTD, whereas some autoimmune diseases may be more common among FTD patients. These findings may indicate an overactive immune system in FTD.
Read moreA phenomenon that has previously been seen when researchers simulate the properties of planet cores at extreme pressures has now also been observed in pure titanium at atmospheric pressure. Chains of atoms dash around at lightning speeds inside the solid material.
Read moreUsing a range of theoretical and simulation approaches, physicists have shown that liquids in contact with substrates can exhibit a finite number of classes of behavior and identify the important new ones.
Read moreAn oscillation assisted digital light processing (DLP) based 3D printing approach is developed to enable ultrafast fabrication of microlens arrays with optically smooth surface (1 nm surface roughness) via a single 1-3 seconds exposure of grayscale UV light.
Read moreThe human brain is about three times the size of the brains of great apes. This has to do, among other things, with the evolution of novel brain structures that enabled complex behaviors such as language and tool production. A study by anthropologists now shows that changes in the brain occurred independent of evolutionary rearrangements of the braincase.
Read moreResearchers have discovered that a key cell type involved in liver injury and cancer consists of two cellular families with different origins and functions.
Read moreResearchers decipher assembly of glutamate receptors and its importance for memory formation.
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