Biological

For decades, the answer to when fusion power would arrive was like the punchline to an oft-repeated joke — it was always 10 or 20 years away. Now, it might actually be on the cusp of commercialization. No, really. If that refrain sounds all too familiar, it’s because, well, something like that was written 10 years ago. Fusion research has been simmering for decades. But now, it’s reaching a boiling point, and there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that this time will be different. For a field…

A new tool from Belsky and his colleagues, introduced in 2020 and updated earlier this year, acts as an aging speedometer. In creating their Pace of Aging biomarker, they quantified the rate of change in 19 markers of organ function at four ages, compiled them into a single index, and modeled it with methylation. “We’re actually quantifying the ongoing process of age-related decline and system integrity,” Belsky said. Those who age faster by this measure die younger, he said, adding that it predicts mortality about as…

Vertical sections of water column properties along meridional transect on the Bering-Chukchi shelf and zonal transect just south of the Bering Strait. Credit: Science China Press This study is led by Dr. Chen Jianfang and Dr. Li Hongliang from the Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources. Based on the field observation though two Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition (CHINARE) cruises in 2003 and…

There is a lot scientists still don’t know about the female reproductive system. They don’t know enough about how to treat the most common vaginal infection, bacterial vaginosis. They don’t have good solutions for many people suffering from endometriosis, a common and sometimes incredibly painful condition where tissue similar to what grows inside the uterus grows elsewhere in the body. They still have a lot of questions about what menopause does to a body. So a few years ago, Rachel Gross, a science reporter who…

She ultimately found a postdoctoral position in the lab of one of her thesis committee members. And in the years since, as she has established a lab of her own at the university’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, she has painstakingly made the case that sex—defined by biological attributes such as our sex chromosomes, sex hormones, and reproductive tissues—really does influence immune responses.  Through research in animal models and humans, Klein and others have shown how and why male and female immune systems…

Mindy Kaling has faced rumours and unverified reports about the paternity of her children of later. Many have claimed that her The Office co-actor and longtime friend BJ Novak is the father of her children. In a recent interview, Mindy addressed these rumours and said they do not bother her or affect her happiness but also cleared the air. Also read: Priyanka Chopra will play Punjabi woman in Hollywood rom-com with Mindy KalingMindy has two children. Her daughter was born in December 2017 and her son in September 2020.…

The scientists were able to predict political behavior by simply looking at a scan of the brain.Research reveals that partisan views have biological roots.According to the largest study of its type, brain scans of individuals obtained as they engaged in different activities or even did nothing accurately indicated whether they were politically conservative or liberal.Researchers discovered that the “signatures” in the brain revealed by the scans were just as good at predicting political ideology as the strongest predictor…

More than a million individuals in Japan are believed to suffer from hikikomori, and research over the last ten years has suggested that the disease is “spreading” internationally. Some worry that the COVID-19 pandemic may result in an international surge of hikikomori patients. Credit: Kyushu UniversityResearchers find multiple important biomarkers in people with Hikikomori (pathological social withdrawal), and they demonstrate their potential for predicting the severity of the disorder.Key blood biomarkers for the…

Using DNA to build a “nano-robot” to explore microscopic cell processes up close.Constructing a tiny robot out of <span class="glossaryLink" aria-describedby="tt" data-cmtooltip="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>DNA</div><div class=glossaryItemBody>DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is a molecule composed of two long strands of nucleotides that coil around each other to form a double helix. It is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms that carries genetic…

According to scientists, most recognized biological pathways in the brain are affected by Alzheimer’s disease.A comprehensive review of the scientific literature reveals that immunological, metabolic, and depression-related pathways are the most often reported disease mechanisms.<span class="glossaryLink" aria-describedby="tt" data-cmtooltip="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>Alzheimer’s</div><div class=glossaryItemBody>Alzheimer's disease is a disease that attacks the brain,…