Researchers have identified the gene related to the greenish flower mutation in the Habenaria orchid.

Some forms of ALS and frontotemporal dementia share a common loss of functioning of RNA-binding proteins that regulate gene expression, says a new study.

Researchers warn that a combination of nanoparticles and contaminants may form a cocktail that is harmful to our cells. In their study, 72 pct. of cells died after exposure to a cocktail of nano-silver and cadmium ions.

There are currently great hopes for solid-state batteries. They contain no liquid parts that could leak or catch fire. For this reason, they do not require cooling and are considered to be much safer, more reliable, and longer lasting than traditional lithium-ion batteries. Scientists have now introduced a new concept that allows currents up to ten times greater during charging and discharging than previously described in the literature.

Researchers have discovered that non-flaming combustion (smoldering) of a porous specimen can sustain, even under nearly 1 percent of atmospheric pressure. The thermal structure of a 2-mm-diameter burning specimen at very near extinction condition was successfully measured using an embedded ultra-fine thermocouple, clarifying the key issues that lead to fire extinction at low pressures. The outcome of this research will contribute to improved space exploration fire safety strategies.

A longitudinal study examined anxiety, depression, social withdrawal, and submissiveness to predict the end of teen friendships. Do friendships end because of one child's mental health problems or do they end because of differences between friends on the degree to which each friend suffers from these problems? Findings show that children's personal struggles need not adversely impact their social relationships, and mental health issues do not necessarily ruin their chances of making and maintaining worthwhile friendships.

Enzymes perform very specific functions and require only little energy — which is why the biocatalysts are also of interest to the chemical industry. Biologists have now provided a summary on what is known about the mechanisms of enzymes in nature. Moreover, the authors outline a future vision: artificial biocatalysts that are not protein-based, as they usually are in nature, but which are rather made from DNA.

Research demonstrates that a technique used to produce stone tools that were first found half a million years ago is likely to have needed a modern human-like hand. This links a stone tool production technique known as 'platform preparation' to the biology of human hands, demonstrating that without the ability to perform highly forceful precision grips, our ancestors would not have been able to produce advanced stone tools like spear points.

Stalling summer weather as we are experiencing right now in the Northern hemisphere can turn into 'extreme extremes' from heat to drought, from rain to flood.

A change in breakfast routine may provide benefits for the management of type 2 diabetes, according to a new study. A team of scientists found that milk consumed with breakfast cereal reduced postprandial blood glucose concentration compared with water, and high dairy protein concentration reduced postprandial blood glucose concentration compared with normal dairy protein concentration. The high-protein treatment also reduced appetite after the second meal compared with the low-protein equivalent.