Most plants have developed mechanisms to prevent self-fertilization and its detrimental effects of inbreeding depression. Traits promoting selfing in plants have been approached mainly from the perspective of a loss of function, or even only considered as a by-product of non-adaptive evolutionary processes. However, the shift from cross-fertilization to selfing has been identified as one…
NEW YORK, NY (Feb. 8, 2019)–Athletes know a vigorous workout can release a flood of endorphins: “feel-good” hormones that boost mood. Now there’s evidence that exercise produces another hormone that may improve memory and protect against Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study co-led by Ottavio Arancio, MD, PhD, a researcher at Columbia University’s Vagelos College…
It has been many decades since I went through menopause. At the time, I regretted the concurrent invisibility, when men stopped noticing me on the street. The funniest moment happened in Italy, where, as a young student, I had grown accustomed to walking down the street in a mist of commentary: “Bellina, bella.” Later, visiting…
IMAGE: Professor Peter’s team has now developed a new imaging and platelet targeting chemotherapy agent for the early detection and treatment of cancers. view more Credit: N/A An unexpected finding in pre-clinical platelet studies by Baker Institute researchers could provide a novel approach to targeting and destroying difficult-to-treat cancer cells, providing new therapeutic options for a…
IMAGE: Economic activity is associated with mortality trends. view more Credit: Photo by chuttersnap on Unsplash Barcelona, 8 February 2019- In recent decades, Europe has experienced a downward trend in the annual number of deaths. Not only was this trend not arrested by the economic recession that started in 2008, in fact, the rate of decline…
VIDEO: These tools, which are powered by cell-sized artificial muscles, can carry out complicated manipulation tasks under physiological conditions on a microscopic scale. view more Human tissues experience a variety of mechanical stimuli that can affect their ability to carry out their physiological functions, such as protecting organs from injury. The controlled application of such stimuli…
IMAGE: This is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). view more Credit: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention A Rutgers-led team has discovered two genes that make some strains of harmful Staphyloccocus bacteria resistant to treatment by copper, a potent and frequently used antibacterial agent. The discovery shows that Staphyloccocus aureus can acquire additional genes that promote…
I was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome when I was 8. Now I’m a teenager, and that isn’t a diagnosis anymore. I have autism spectrum disorder now. I’m considered “high functioning.” But when I’m happy or upset, I sometimes rock my body or flap my hands. My mom says I shouldn’t do this in public because…
Nearly a year and a half after Hurricane Maria, stories of hope and progress are emerging in Puerto Rico, just as the island’s tropical vegetation is flourishing once again. While there is still much work to be done, and some rural areas might not fully recover for years, the capital of San Juan has been…
One of the standout looks from Tom Ford’s fall 2019 collection was deep, red and monochromatic: a red velvet blazer, maroon bodysuit, shiny silk cuffed suit pants, and velvet peep-toe platforms. Getty ImagesVictor VIRGILE Sure, part of the reason the look stood out was because it was modeled by ELLE’s March cover star Gigi Hadid,…