After Hurricane Maria battered Puerto Rico in 2017, monkeys living there forged new bonds to share a suddenly scarce resource: shade. Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) that were willing to hang…
Category: Life
During the COVID pandemic, Republicans in Ohio and Florida had a higher mortality rate than Democrats
Let’s start with the disclaimers. Most importantly, “excess” deaths, meaning a higher number than might be anticipated, are based on the assumption that the baseline death used to determine excess was…
Many frogs glow in blue light, and it may be a secret, eerie language
In the dim twilight hours, many frogs may be capable of emitting a faint green or orange glow. A survey of hundreds of frogs in South America shows that far…
AI Pinpoints Parkinson’s Subtypes Using Stem Cell Images
Summary: Researchers enabled machine learning to accurately predict Parkinson’s disease subtypes using stem cell images. This breakthrough showcases computer models classifying four Parkinson’s subtypes, with top accuracies reaching 95%. This…
Brain’s ‘Traffic Directors’: Neurons That Keep Us Focused on Tasks
Summary: Researchers have illuminated how our brain maintains focus amidst distractions. Their study identifies “visual-movement” neurons in the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) that use coordinated activity called “beta bursts” to…
Baby Gut Microbes: A Link to Early Cognitive Skills?
Summary: Researchers discovered associations between specific microbes in infants’ guts and early cognitive development performance. This exploratory study examined 56 infants, revealing that certain microbiome compositions corresponded with success in…
Long-term Acid Reflux Drugs Linked to Higher Dementia Risk?
Summary: Long-term use (over 4.4 years) of proton pump inhibitors, prescribed for acid reflux, may be associated with an increased risk of dementia. However, this research does not establish a…
Dopamine Tunes the Brain for Both Singing and Speech
Summary: Contrary to popular belief, speech and singing use overlapping brain circuits, primarily located in the left hemisphere. This discovery challenges the 50-year notion that the right hemisphere supports the…
Should University Agricultural Research Scientists Partner With Industry?
Paul Vincelli, extension professor and Provost’s Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Kentucky | March 7, 2017 HIGHLIGHTS: • Biases, conflicts of interest come from many sources, including associations with…
The fastest-evolving moss in the world may not adapt to climate change
The world’s oldest moss has seen three mass extinctions — but may not survive climate change. The genus Takakia has the highest number of fast-evolving genes of any moss, researchers…
