Wildlife biologists used a novel technique to trace the movement of carbon through Arctic and boreal forest food webs and found that climate warming resulted in a shift from plant-based food webs to fungal-based food webs for several high-latitude species, with potential indirect effects on nutrient cycling and ecosystem function. ​Wildlife biologists used a novel …

Microbial awakening restructures high-latitude food webs as permafrost thaws Read More »

Sentences with greater linguistic complexity are most likely to fire up a key brain language processing center, according to a study that employed an artificial language network. ​Sentences with greater linguistic complexity are most likely to fire up a key brain language processing center, according to a study that employed an artificial language network. Sentences with …

Complex, unfamiliar sentences make the brain’s language network work harder Read More »

A new study finds that older adult drivers who are recently diagnosed with migraines are three times as likely to experience a motor vehicle crash. Older adult drivers who reported having ever had migraines in the past were no more likely to have a motor vehicle crash than those without migraines. ​A new study finds …

Older adults with newly diagnosed migraine disorder three times more likely to have motor vehicle crash Read More »

Chlorophyll plays a pivotal role in photosynthesis, which is why plants have evolved to have high chlorophyll levels in their leaves. However, making this pigment is expensive because plants invest a significant portion of the available nitrogen in both chlorophyll and the special proteins that bind it. As a result, nitrogen is unavailable for other …

Researchers improve seed nitrogen content by reducing plant chlorophyll levels Read More »

Researchers have determined how Eastern equine encephalitis virus attaches to a receptor it uses to enter and infect cells. The findings laid the groundwork for a receptor decoy molecule that protects mice from encephalitis caused by the virus. ​Researchers have determined how Eastern equine encephalitis virus attaches to a receptor it uses to enter and …

Study reveals clues to how Eastern equine encephalitis virus invades brain cells Read More »

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can cause lasting damage, but stopping the rampant brain inflammation they cause is difficult. A team at the Wyss, @SEAS and @MGH led by Samir Mitragotri has made a new treatment using macrophages — immune cells that migrate to the brain. By attaching microparticle ‘backpacks’ that kept the macrophages in a …

Using the body’s own cells to treat traumatic brain injury Read More »

We all know someone who’s had a head injury that was ‘only’ a concussion, but even mild traumatic brain injuries can cause lasting damage, and the vast majority are never diagnosed. A team created a way to diagnose mild TBIs (mTBIs) even when MRI scans showed nothing, using the body’s own immune cells called macrophages. …

Shining a light on the hidden damage of mild brain injuries Read More »

For children, the world is full of surprises. Adults, on the other hand, are much more difficult to surprise. And there are complex processes behind this apparently straightforward state of affairs. Researchers have been using mice to decode how reactions to the unexpected develop in the growing brain. ​For children, the world is full of …

Surprise! — How the brain learns to deal with the unexpected Read More »

A new study provides further evidence that the Nord Stream seismic signals came from a complex source. The signals lasted longer than would be expected from a single explosive source, the researchers say, and were more like the signals detected from an underwater volcano or a pipeline venting gas. ​A new study provides further evidence …

Seismic and infrasonic signals used to characterize Nord Stream pipeline events Read More »

Researchers explored innovative therapeutic strategies that could greatly advance the understanding and management of OSA-related morbidities. A groundbreaking study provides new insights into the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and its associated health impacts. ​Researchers explored innovative therapeutic strategies that could greatly advance the understanding and management of OSA-related morbidities. A groundbreaking study provides …

Research reveals promising approach to enhance treatment for sleep apnea-related issues Read More »