Phys.org news
Phys.org / Distinct neurons drive mice's social sounds and squeaks
Mice use almost completely distinct sets of neurons for their two different types of vocalizations—the squeaks they produce when in distress or fighting and the whistle-like ultrasonic vocalizations they use when communicating ...
Phys.org / Structural snapshots reveal key steps in switching on DNA replication
Every time a cell divides, it must accurately copy its entire genetic instruction manual. Before this process can begin, cells load their DNA-copying motor—a complex of six subunits known as the MCM2-7 helicase—onto DNA. ...
Phys.org / Long-range magnetic interactions govern how a ferrimagnet approaches its phase transition
Close to a phase transition, very different materials can follow the same mathematical rules. The concept of universality, which groups seemingly distinct systems based on their common properties, was developed to describe ...
Phys.org / Existing drug could treat invasive canine oral tumors
A benign but invasive canine oral cancer is often mistaken for a similar malignant one, leading to misdiagnoses in close to a third of cases. But a new diagnostic tool can now distinguish between the two, according to a new ...
Phys.org / An African bat overlooked for two centuries is confirmed in Europe
An African bat whose presence in Sicily had remained an unresolved zoological mystery for almost two centuries has now been documented on Pantelleria Island. A study published in Global Ecology and Conservation reports the ...
Phys.org / End-to-end design creates two low-cost materials to capture methane
Developing new materials to tackle pressing global issues is a gap-filled process that can leave potential climate solutions lost in unread academic papers and forgotten dissertations.
Phys.org / Deep-learning approach rapidly predicts where metals bind within proteins
In the living world, roughly a third of all proteins we know rely on metals to function. Zinc helps enzymes break down molecules, iron helps carry oxygen in the blood, calcium helps relay signals in cells and potassium flows ...
Phys.org / 'Snooping' on dolphins offers acoustic clues to hotspots for food and friends
For dolphins, the ocean is a world of sound. Their whistles carry social information, helping them communicate and stay connected, while echolocation—rapid-fire clicks—functions like underwater sonar, helping them navigate ...
Phys.org / Sound-based traps reveal how fragile biomolecular droplets move, merge and change stiffness
Being able to measure something plays a vital role in our ability to understand many phenomena. But measuring can often affect what we are trying to measure. This is particularly the case when measuring substances that are ...
Phys.org / Cells remodel actin normally without coronins, challenging textbook view
Coronins are found throughout the animal kingdom, from single-celled amoebae to humans, and are involved in many vital processes, including immunity, development and cell survival. For decades, textbooks and hundreds of scientific ...
Phys.org / Genome-folding complex reveals a mechanism that helps establish neuron identity
A functional nervous system depends on the cooperation of many kinds of cells. As developing organisms build their nervous systems, their neurons must take on different forms and functions to fulfill their designated roles. ...
Phys.org / Male Neanderthal pelvises resemble those of modern females, challenging decades-old assumptions
A new study by the Department of Anatomy and Anthropology at Tel Aviv University, published in Scientific Reports, offers an explanation for one of the striking differences between men and women: the evolutionary development ...
