The Dura-Europos site in modern-day Syria is famous for its exceptional state of preservation. Like Pompeii, this ancient city has yielded many great discoveries, and serves as a window into the world of the ancient Hellenistic, Parthian, and Roman periods. Yet despite the prominence of Dura-Europos in Near Eastern scholarship, there is another city, only …

‘Forgotten city:’ the identification of Dura-Europos’ neglected sister site in Syria Read More »

A study has found direct evidence of a species — the American woodcock, a migratory shorebird from eastern and central North America — that overlaps periods of migration and reproduction, a rare breeding strategy known as ‘itinerant breeding.’ ​A study has found direct evidence of a species — the American woodcock, a migratory shorebird from …

‘Itinerant breeding’ in East Coast shorebird species Read More »

A new fabric-based touch sensor used machine learning to control mobile apps, video games and other devices while integrated into clothing. ​A new fabric-based touch sensor used machine learning to control mobile apps, video games and other devices while integrated into clothing. A new fabric-based touch sensor used machine learning to control mobile apps, video games …

Machine learning used to create a fabric-based touch sensor Read More »

Despite progress in defining functional elements of noncoding DNA, it is still not fully understood. Researchers, using an experiment that elucidated the function of tens of thousands of noncoding variants, discovered a link between functional mutations and genes linked to cancer pathways, as well as indicators to predict cancer patient survival. Understanding the mutations’ influence …

Mutations in noncoding DNA become functional in some cancer-driving genes Read More »

A heart attack will leave a permanent scar on a human heart, yet other animals, including zebrafish, can clear cardiac scar tissue and regrow damaged muscle as adults. Biologists sheds new light on how zebrafish heal heart tissue by comparing how this species responds to heart injury with medaka, a fish species that cannot regenerate …

Why can zebrafish regenerate damaged heart tissue, while other fish species cannot? Read More »

Although there are still some aspects pending confirmation for its use in the clinical setting, and its resolution needs to be improved slightly, a study has shown that a method routinely used to carry out ophthalmological tests can also be used to monitor the neurodegeneration that occurs in Parkinson’s patients. In the course of the …

Analyzing the progression in retinal thickness could predict cognitive progression in Parkinson’s patients Read More »

Researchers have designed a new method for developing immunotherapy drugs using engineered peptides to elicit a natural immune response inside the body. ​Researchers have designed a new method for developing immunotherapy drugs using engineered peptides to elicit a natural immune response inside the body. Researchers have designed a new method for developing immunotherapy drugs using engineered …

Study opens new avenue for immunotherapy drug development Read More »

In a discovery that could hasten treatment for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), scientists have discovered a harbinger in the blood of some people who later went on to develop the disease. ​In a discovery that could hasten treatment for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), scientists have discovered a harbinger in the blood of some …

Signs of multiple sclerosis show up in blood years before symptoms Read More »

The fossilized remains of a second gigantic jawbone measuring more than two meters long has been found on a beach in Somerset, UK. ​The fossilized remains of a second gigantic jawbone measuring more than two meters long has been found on a beach in Somerset, UK. The fossilized remains of a second gigantic jawbone measuring more …

Paleontologists unearth what may be the largest known marine reptile Read More »