findings

Credit: Tel-Aviv University A breakthrough achieved by researchers from four Israeli universities—Tel Aviv University, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Bar-Ilan University and Ariel University—will enable archaeologists to identify burnt materials discovered in excavations and estimate their firing temperatures. Applying their method to findings…

Recent research uncovers how dopamine in the brain guides animals to identify and refine behaviors leading to rewards. This study, linking specific actions to dopamine release, has implications for improving learning processes in education and AI. Credit: SciTechDaily.comRewards don’t just reinforce a specific action—they quickly change the whole pattern of how we behave.Imagine you’re teaching a dog to play fetch. You throw a ball, and your dog sprints after it, picks it up, and runs back. You then reward your panting…

Image shows thymic cells (mouse model). Nuclei of all cells present are dark blue, M cells are turquoise, and B cells (lymphocytes) are red or red/green. Credit: Lo lab, UC RiversideBiomedical scientists from UC Riverside state that the cells resemble M cells found in the gut and airways.It came as a surprise to Professor David Lo and his graduate student Diana Del Castillo when they were recently consulted by researchers in Israel for their expertise on specialized cells called Microfold cells, or M cells, which are…

A recent study on asteroid Ryugu’s samples, brought back by Hayabusa2, offers new understanding of early solar system materials, challenging previous beliefs about asteroid compositions and the impact of Earth’s atmosphere on meteorites. (Japan’s Hayabusa2 mission to asteroid Ryugu.) Credit: JAXAA groundbreaking study conducted by a team of international scientists has unveiled unprecedented insights into the nature of the asteroid Ryugu and shed light on the composition of water- and carbon-rich small bodies in the solar…

New research highlights the dangers of formaldehyde, a widespread chemical, on epigenetics. It disrupts key processes controlling gene activity, potentially leading to cancer and other diseases. The research also emphasizes the need for stricter policies to limit formaldehyde exposure, considering its prevalence in numerous industries and environmental sources.Epigenetics involves chemical processes that regulate gene activity, enabling our cells, tissues, and organs to adapt to environmental changes. However, this…

Precipitation and TPW following DI events. a–d, Same as in Fig. 2 but for precipitation anomaly (mm day−1, shading) and TPW anomaly (integrated from the surface to 200 hPa, mm, magenta contours). The black box in a–d is the target region associated with significant changes in precipitation and TPW over India and the Arabian Sea. Credit: npj Climate and Atmospheric Science (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41612-023-00374-7 In 2018, in the…

Graphical abstract. Credit: Chemosphere (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140949 The Marathon City Council says it will end the use of shallow sewage wells, a move that could drastically reduce the pervasive pharmaceutical contamination in local fish populations uncovered by FIU scientists. The announcement was made following a settlement with…

The much-anticipated State of DevOps 2023 report is finally out. Developed by the DORA team at Google, this annual report is a synthesis of trends and insights collected from professionals and organizations working in the realm of DevOps.  Key Takeaways: The ramifications of AI on productivity What factors contribute to job satisfaction and burnout? What matters when choosing a cloud? The non-linear nature of investing in reliability and SRE practices. I've published a video covering all the key insights.…

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. Vertex developed a CRISPR cure. It’s already on the hunt for something better.The company that just got approval to sell the first gene-editing treatment in history, for sickle-cell disease, is already looking for an ordinary drug that could take its place. Vertex Pharmaceuticals has a 50-person team working to make a pill that doesn’t do gene editing at all—but achieves…

Some specimens of mulgaras used in this investigation from the Western Australian Museum Mammology collection. Credit: Photo by Jake Newman-Martin. Courtesy WA Museum Researchers from Curtin University have made a bittersweet discovery, identifying three new species of mulgaras, small Australian marsupials. While this finding expands our understanding of marsupials related to Tasmanian Devils and quolls, it is marred by the likelihood that these newly discovered species are already extinct. These mulgaras, known for…