Harvard stem cell scientists have a new theory for how stem cells decide whether to become liver or pancreatic cells during development. A cell's fate, the researchers found, is determined by the nearby presence of prostaglandin E2, a messenger molecule best known for its role in inflammation and...

A paper-based device that mimics the electrochemical signalling in the human brain has been created by a group of researchers from China. The thin-film transistor (TFT) has been designed to replicate the junction between two neurons, known as a biological synapse, and could become a key component...

For centuries, geologists have recognized that the rocks that line riverbeds tend to be smaller and rounder further downstream. But these experts have not agreed on the reason these patterns exist. Abrasion causes rocks to grind down and become rounder as they are transported down the river. Does...

Recently derived equations that describe development patterns in modern urban areas appear to work equally well to describe ancient cities settled thousands of years ago, according to a new study. Fuente : http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/m...

Scientists have demonstrated how new satellite technology can be used to count whales, and ultimately estimate their population size. Using Very High Resolution satellite imagery, alongside image processing software, they were able to automatically detect and count whales breeding in part of the...

El apuro del gobierno sudafricano por suministrar agua a millones de personas tras la caída del régimen del apartheid posiblemente haya comprometido la capacidad de prestar este servicio al país a largo plazo. Sudáfrica es el trigésimo país más seco del mundo, pero es también uno de los...

Defensores de los derechos humanos advierten sobre los riesgos sociales y ambientales de un acuerdo, pactado a puertas cerradas y cuyos alcances se desconocen, para la construcción de una enorme represa en República Democrática del Congo (RDC) con inversión privada de China. Las negociaciones por...

Scientists have crafted the first global geologic map of Ganymede, illustrating the varied geologic character of the solar system's largest moon. Fuente : http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/x...

Cancer researchers led by stem cell scientist Dr. John Dick have discovered a pre-leukemic stem cell that may be the first step in initiating disease and also the culprit that evades therapy and triggers relapse in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Fuente :...

The rapid conversion of natural lands to cement-dominated urban centers is causing great losses in biodiversity. Yet, according to a new study involving 147 cities worldwide, surprisingly high numbers of plant and animal species persist and even flourish in urban environments -- to the tune of...

Geologists have uncovered geologic evidence that supports historical narratives for two earthquakes in the 68 years prior to San Francisco's devastating 1906 disaster. Fuente : http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/D...

Poets and physicians know that a scarred heart cannot beat the way it used to, but the science of reprogramming cells offers hope -- for the physical heart, at least. Fuente : http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/l...

New research begins to uncover how our gut bacteria metabolize the complex dietary carbohydrates found in fruits and vegetables. Fuente : http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/W...

The heroes and villains in animated films tend to be on opposite ends of the moral spectrum. But they're often similar in their hair, which is usually extremely rigid or -- if it moves at all -- is straight and swings to and fro. It's rare to see an animated character with bouncy, curly hair, since...

The Clovis people were not the first humans in America, but they represent the first humans with a wide expansion on the North American continent -- until the culture mysteriously disappeared only a few hundred years after its origin. Now genome mapping shows that some 80 percent of all present-day...

Fear is primal. In the wild, it serves as a protective mechanism, but for humans, fear is more complex. A normal amount keeps us safe. But too much fear, like PTSD, can prevent people from living healthy lives. Researchers are working to understand how the brain translates fear into action. Today,...

Scientists present new fossil evidence for the origin of one of the most important and emotionally significant parts of our anatomy: the face. Scientists show how a series of fossils, with a 410 million year old armored fish called Romundina at its center, documents the step-by-step assembly of the...

Investigadores del Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, en California, han conseguido por primera vez liberar más energía en una reacción de fusión nuclear que la absorbida por el combustible empleado. Para el experimento se ha optado por la técnica del confinamiento inercial, que usa tecnología láser para calentar y...

XPRIZE, the global leader in incentivized prize competitions, today announced that team registration is open for the $2 million Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health XPRIZE, a competition to incentivize breakthroughs in ocean pH sensor technology that will radically transform our understanding of ocean...

Hoy Darwin cumpliría 205 años, y coincidiendo con la fecha de su nacimiento, investigadores de la Universidad de Tennessee en Chattanooga (EE UU) han publicado en la revista ZooKeys la descripción de una nueva especie de escarabajo que el geólogo y naturalista inglés descubrió hace 180 años en Bahía Blanca, Argentina. El...

Científicos españoles han analizado la respuesta a un mismo probiótico entre diversos grupos de población y han observado que es ‘altamente variable’. Las conclusiones, publicadas en el British Journal of Nutrition, destacan la necesidad de seleccionar probióticos específicos para cada tipo de población. Fuente :...

25/03/2014, As part of Birmingham’s Creative City Partnership, Birmingham City University is set to host the second ReThink Media conference next month. With an impressive line-up of industry leaders, including Joe Harland, Executive Producer at BBC Radio 1 and Simon Fox, Chief Executive at Trinity...

Topics in this current batch of Geology articles posted ahead of print include the puzzle of parallel mountain chains; 25 years on the East Pacific Rise; unique episodes in Earth's history; turbidity currents; computer models; Wilson cycles; salt structure beneath the sea bed; the North Scotia...

Gli scienziati hanno identificato, per la prima volta, un potenziale meccanismo alla base della ridotta connettività funzionale presente nel cervello di persone affette da autismo. L’effetto sembrerebbe essere causato da deficit legati a cellule chiamate microglia che non sono in grado di ridurre...

Un grupo de investigadores del Instituto Español de Oceanografía, en colaboración con el grupo de biogeografía de la Universidad de Málaga, han publicado un trabajo que analiza los principales factores que determinan la captura accidental de la pardela cenicienta (Calonectris diomedea) por la flota española de palangre de...

More than 30 European universities and companies, led by GlaxoSmithKline, are joining forces in a six-year programme funded by the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) for the sum of EUR 85 millions with the aim of developing new antibiotics against Gram-negative pathogens. The programme is called ENABLE (European...

Un equipo científico liderado por investigadores del instituto VIB, la Universidad de Gante (Bélgica), y el Instituto Max Planck (Alemania), acaba de identificar un nuevo complejo proteico, esencial para la endocitosis vegetal –movimiento de moléculas hacia adentro de la célula– y que solo existe en las plantas. Fuente :...

Astrónomos del Teide Observatory Tenerife Asteroid Survey (TOTAS) han detectado al nuevo cometa P/2014 C1, bautizado con el nombre del equipo descubridor. Se trata de una diminuta mota de luz que órbita el Sol en las profundidades del sistema solar. Fuente : http://www.agenciasinc.es/Noticias/Descubierto-el-...

Hace 35 años, millones de iraníes se abrazaron a la promesa de un líder religioso que terminó con una monarquía corrupta y ofrecía garantizar la independencia nacional. Ahora, muchos quieren mejorar el nivel de vida y ampliar los derechos civiles. “Los estándares de vida son 50 por ciento más altos...