Building a brighter way for capturing cancer during surgery
Bioengineer's smart surgical microscope shows promise for more accurately and quickly identifying cancer cells in the operating room.
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Curved nanochannels allow independent tuning of charge and spin currents
To increase the efficiency of microchips, 3D structures are now being investigated. However, spintronic components, which rely on electron spin rather than charge, are always flat. To investigate how to connect these to 3D electronics, physicists have created curved spin transport channels. They discovered that this new geometry makes it possible to independently tune charge and spin currents.
Read morePeople with anxiety may strategically choose worrying over relaxing
Relaxing is supposed to be good for the body and soul, but people with anxiety may actively resist relaxation and continue worrying to avoid a large jump in anxiety if something bad does happen, according to new research.
Read morePossible therapeutic target for slow healing of aged muscles
An age-related decline in recovery from muscle injury can be traced to a protein that suppresses the special ability of muscle stem cells to build new muscles, according to new work.
Read moreMolecular basis of vision revealed
Researchers have solved the three-dimensional structure of a protein complex involved in vertebrate vision at atomic resolution, a finding that has broad implications for our understanding of biological signaling processes and the design of over a third of the drugs on the market today.
Read moreUnderwater manatee chatter may aid in their conservation
Scientists propose a new method for calculating populations of the Antillean manatee, a marine mammal in danger of extinction, through underwater recordings.
Read moreIs this brain cell your 'mind's eye'?
No-one knows what connects awareness — the state of consciousness — with its contents, i.e. thoughts and experiences. Now researchers propose an elegant solution: a literal, structural connection via 'L5p neurons'. The group offers evidence – and caveats. Their challenge to experimentalists: if consciousness requires L5p neurons, all brain activity without them must be unconscious.
Read moreCooking food alters the microbiome
Scientists have shown for the first time that cooking food fundamentally alters the microbiomes of both mice and humans, a finding with implications both for optimizing our microbial health and for understanding how cooking may have altered the evolution of the our microbiomes during human prehistory.
Read moreDo Celiac families really need 2 toasters?
Parents using multiple kitchen appliances and utensils to prevent their child with celiac disease from being exposed to gluten may be able to eliminate some cumbersome steps. A new preliminary study found no significant gluten transfer when tools like the same toaster or knives are used for both gluten-free and gluten-containing foods.
Read moreFish fathers exhibit signatures of 'baby brain' that may facilitate parental care behavior
Many new parents are familiar with terms like 'baby brain' or 'mommy brain' that hint at an unavoidable decline in cognitive function associated with the hormonal changes of pregnancy, childbirth, and maternal caregiving. A new study of parental care in stickleback fish is a reminder that such parenting-induced changes in the brain and associated shifts in cognition and behavior are not just for females — and they're not just for mammals either.
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