Category: World

World

Researchers look to gut microbiome to improve bone health

George, 0 comment

A Cornell-led collaboration has been awarded a five-year, $3.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to explore the ways that the gut microbiome – that mass of microorganisms inside us all – impacts bone quality. Their findings could potentially lead to the creation of a microbiome-based therapeutic for improving bone health. The Cornell team is led by principal investigator Christopher J. Hernandez, professor in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, in collaboration with researchers at Tufts University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Hernandez came to the gut microbiome…

Read More
World

Study tracks food’s value from farm to plate globally

George, 0 comment

June 7, 2021 | Tom Fleischman As soon as an ear of corn is taken off its stalk, or a potato is pulled from the ground, it travels anywhere from a few miles to across continents, and sometimes undergoes a multitude of processes that transform it into the food we consume. These miles and processes all contribute to what’s known as the food value chain (FVC), along which, as one might expect, the value of the product increases. However, most of the research and attention thus far paid to FVCs…

Read More
World

Neurons Stripped of Their Identity Are Hallmark of Alzheimer’s Disease, Study Finds

George, 0 comment

November 13, 2020 | By Liezel Labios Researchers at the University of California San Diego have identified new mechanisms in neurons that cause Alzheimer’s disease. In particular, they discovered that changes in the structure of chromatin, the tightly coiled form of DNA, trigger neurons to lose their specialized function and revert to an earlier cell state. This results in the loss of synaptic connections, an effect associated with memory loss and dementia. The findings are published Nov. 13 in Science Advances. The study was founded on the question: how do…

Read More
World

Fossil footprints tell story of prehistoric parent’s journey

George0 comment

Hungry giant predators, treacherous mud and a tired, probably cranky toddler – more than 10,000 years ago, that was the stuff of every parent’s nightmare. Footprints found at White Sands National Park in New Mexico, from more than 11,000 years ago, of an adult carrying a child for nearly a mile, then returning along the same path without the child. Evidence of that type of frightening trek was recently uncovered, and at nearly a mile it is the longest known trackway of early-human footprints ever found. The discovery, published in…

Read More
Lifestyle World

Studies Find Physical Activity Measurably Boosts Health

George0 comment

Studies Find Even Minimal Physical Activity Measurably Boosts Health Two new studies from UC San Diego find that simply standing up or walking around can provide positive health benefits; and Americans sit too much October 12, 2020 | By Jeanna Vazquez More than 5 million people around the world die from causes associated with a lack of physical activity. Two research teams at UC San Diego School of Medicine sought to understand sedentary lifestyles, with one study finding that even light physical activity, including just standing, can benefit health, and…

Read More
World

Ladybugs love their leafy greens

George0 comment

By Krishna Ramanujan |September 28, 2020 Most predators obtain a balanced diet from their prey, but Cornell researchers recently discovered that in the case of aphid-eating ladybugs, the rule doesn’t apply. That’s because a diet consisting solely of aphids lacks an essential nutrient –sterols, like cholesterol – which all male animals need to make sperm, hormones, and to maintain cell health. As a result, farm-friendly aphid-eating ladybugs supplement their diets with sterol-rich leafy greens. “We showed that a large group of predacious lady beetles eat leaves to obtain sterols,” said…

Read More
World

Migrations research highlights human impacts on environment

George0 comment

By Megan DeMint, Sheri Englund |September 24, 2020 As smoke from western wildfires blots out the sun in Northern California and drifts as far as the East Coast and Europe, locals watch daily wildfire updates for evacuation and air-quality warnings. Outside at their birdfeeders, there’s another warning: silence. Birders across the Rocky Mountain region are reporting a decline in backyard traffic and dead migratory birds – including evidence of mass bird deaths in New Mexico. Sentinel species like wild songbirds are a potent reminder that humans and wildlife depend on…

Read More
Tech World

A redesigned face mask that is comfortable and effective

George, 0 comment

Imagine a reusable face mask that protects wearers and those around them from SARS-CoV-2, is comfortable enough to wear all day, and stays in place without frequent adjustment. Based on decades of experience with filtration and textile materials, Georgia Institute of Technology researchers have designed a new mask intended to do just that — and are providing the plans so individuals and manufacturers can make it. The modular Georgia Tech mask combines a barrier filtration material with a stretchable fabric to hold it in place. Prototypes made for testing use…

Read More
Featured World

China’s green plan displaces villagers, forces inequity

George, 0 comment

By Blaine Friedlander | August 31, 2020 As China creates more green space around its giant cities, the country’s modernization plan – which includes relocating 250 million rural villagers into urban centers by 2025 – appears to have a dark side: socioeconomic inequity. While many studies have lauded China’s new environmental goals, much of this research has focused on the technical ways to make urban infrastructure sustainable and reduce emissions. However, new research suggests a relationship between urbanism and social inequity. There are no national standards for land valuation and…

Read More
World

Revised tree ring data confirms ancient Mediterranean dates

George0 comment

By Kate Blackwood | August 26, 2020 Sturt Manning is leading investigations into the timelines of ancient events, using tree ring data to refine the widely used radiocarbon dating method. In research published Aug. 17 in Scientific Reports, Manning, the Goldwin Smith Professor of Classical Archaeology in the College of Arts and Sciences, fine-tunes date ranges for ancient events in Mesopotamia, Egypt and Anatolia, and a controversial volcanic eruption on ancient Thera. He and collaborators, including Brita Lorentzen, research associate in the Cornell Tree Ring Laboratory, used IntCal20, an international…

Read More