Dr. Laura Figueroa—currently an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow and incoming Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA—shares her recently accepted paper: “Sunflower…
Category: Life
Personalized genetic cancer treatments key in increasing longevity and quality of life
Many people think of cancer as a single disease, and for many years the only treatment was to cut out tumor tissue that could be seen. However, the history of…
Link Between Poor Verbal Memory and Hospitalization in Depression and Bipolar Disorder Patients
Summary: Poor verbal memory may increase the risk of psychiatric hospitalization for patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder or depression. The severity of the illness was previously thought to have an…
Swarming locusts can deploy a chemical to avoid being cannibalized
For many locusts, life in a swarm is a picnic. Crowded conditions create a locust-eat-locust world. But it turns out some migrating insects deploy a “don’t-eat-me” pheromone that can deter…
Closely tropical herbs have similar tolerance to high temperatures – Functional Ecologists
In our newest post Georgia Hernández Corrales—PhD candidate at University of Connecticut, USA—presents her work ‘Evolutionary history constrains heat tolerance of native and exotic tropical Zingiberales’. She discusses the importance…
Viewpoint fact check: Honeybees aren’t disappearing and GMOs do not cause colony collapse disorder
Myth: The honeybees are disappearing Fact: In 2020 the EU had approximately 19 million honeybee hives, managed by 615,000 beekeepers. These hives altogether produced 275,000 tonnes of honey. Beekeeping is practiced…
Sleep Spindles Play a Role in Soothing PTSD Anxiety and Enhancing Memory Retention
Summary: Brief bursts of brain activity during sleep known as sleep spindles could potentially help regulate anxiety in people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Researchers believe that the study’s findings…
Music Can Be an Alternative to Opioid-Based Medication for Chronic Pain
Summary: Music has been suggested as a complementary alternative to chronic pain medication. A new study examines the experience of a woman with chronic pain who used music for pain…
A 2,200-year-old poop time capsule reveals secrets of the Andean condor
For over 2,000 years, Andean condors have been nesting — and pooping — in the same cliffside grotto high in the Andes. This gargantuan pile of guano is now providing…
Harnessing Psilocybin to Treat PTSD
Summary: Psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, can restore fear extinction and help treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study found that psilocybin promotes the growth of new neurons…
