ScienceDaily: All - January 23, 2025
Today's top research news
How your brain learns from rewards might hold the key to treating depression
Using computational models, the researchers studied how the brain's reward-learning system functions in those with depression, especially among individuals experiencing anhedonia, the inability to feel pleasure. By analyzing dopamine-linked responses, they identified unique brain activity patterns that could help predict who is likely to recover.
T cells rise up to fight infections in the gut
Pathogen-fighting immune cells called tissue-resident memory CD8 T cells (TRM cells) go through a surprising transformation -- and relocation -- as they fight infections in the small intestine.
Exposure to stress during early pregnancy affects offspring into adulthood
Maternal stress hormone levels during early pregnancy can have a lasting effect on the stress system of the offspring. The results of a long-term study on wild Assamese macaques in Thailand indicate that maternal stress in the first half of pregnancy is particularly relevant. Elevated stress hormones later during pregnancy or after birth did not have the same effects. The long-term study provides important insights into the influence of early life stages on the development of the stress system under natural environmental conditions.
Fossil discovery in the Geiseltal Collection: Researchers identify unique bird skull
Around 45 million years ago, a 4.6 feet-tall (1.40 meters) flightless bird called Diatryma roamed the Geiseltal region in southern Saxony-Anhalt. An international team of researchers report on the bird's fully preserved skull. The fossil was unearthed in the 1950s in a former lignite mining area in the Geiseltal in Germany. It was initially misclassified and thus led a shadowy existence until its rediscovery. The only other place that a similar skull fossil has been found is the USA.
New epilepsy tech could cut misdiagnoses by nearly 70% using routine EEGs
Doctors could soon reduce epilepsy misdiagnoses by up to 70% using a new tool that turns routine electroencephalogram, or EEG, tests that appear normal into highly accurate epilepsy predictors, a study has found.
Childhood epilepsy may predispose to memory disorders later in life
Researchers demonstrated that individuals who had childhood epilepsy have an increased accumulation of brain amyloid later in life, potentially predisposing them to late-onset brain amyloid disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease.
Study shows travelers are dreaming forward, not looking back
When it comes to getting people to want to go places, the future is ever more lovely than the past, according to a new study. The study found that forestalgia-focused destination ads -- those that emphasize an idealized future -- are more effective at enticing travelers to click the purchase button for a vacation than ads based on fond recollections.
SIDS discovery could ID babies at risk of sudden death
New research revealing the fingerprints of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome within blood samples could open the door to simple tests to identify babies at risk.
Copper-detection tool designed to discover possible chelation target for lung cancer
Copper chelation shows promising results in certain lung cancers where cells have two related phenomena: a heightened transcription factor responding to oxidative stress and a diminished level of bioavailable copper. Copper imbalances have long been implicated in cancer cell growth and other disease states.
Fighting experience plays key role in brain chemical's control of male aggression
Like humans, mice will compete over territory and mates, and show increased confidence in their fighting skills the more they win. At first, a brain chemical called dopamine is essential for young males to master this behavior. But as they gain experience, the chemical grows less important in promoting aggression, a new study shows.
AI in cell research: Moscot reveals cell dynamics in unprecedented detail
Thanks to a new technology called Moscot ('Multi-Omics Single-Cell Optimal Transport'), researchers can now observe millions of cells simultaneously as they develop into a new organ -- for example, a pancreas.
Final synthetic yeast chromosome unlocks new era in biotechnology
Scientists have completed construction of the final chromosome in the worlds' first synthetic yeast genome following more than a decade of work, opening new possibilities for creating resilient, engineered organisms.
Research shows PTSD, anxiety may affect reproductive health of women firefighters
Investigators found negative mental health conditions among women firefighters may reduce levels of key hormone associated with ovarian reserve.
Recommendations for studying the impact of AI on young people's mental health
Experts highlight the need for a clear framework when it comes to AI research, given the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence by children and adolescents using digital devices to access the internet and social media.
Wild baboons not capable of visual self-awareness when viewing their own reflection
Wild baboons failed to demonstrate visual self-recognition in a test carried out by anthropologists.
Here's what's causing the Great Salt Lake to shrink
The Great Salt Lake, the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere, reached historic low levels in 2022, raising economic, ecological and public health concerns for Utah. New research is believed to be the first peer-reviewed study that quantifies the contributing factors to the record low water volume levels, which the researchers say is important for anticipating and managing future lake changes.