Fertilization is the union of two cells: an egg and a sperm. Before the egg and the sperm fuse, an event known as the “acrosome reaction” needs to occur in the sperm. Now, a team from Osaka University has identified a protein called FER1L5 that is essential for sperm to undergo the acrosome reaction. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.org

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Researchers have pinpointed the biggest threats to the only population of rare, endangered mule ear orchids in the U.S. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.org

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For more than 100 years, biologists have wondered why animals display different types of life cycles. Some species, like humans and most vertebrates, develop directly into a fully formed yet smaller version of an adult. In contrast, many other animals give rise to beautifully diverse intermediate forms we call larvae, which then metamorphose into the adult. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.org

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Immigration is one of the most controversial social and political issues in American life. Yet little attention is given to the aftermath of U.S. immigration policies or the immigrant Americans who are deported back to their country of origin. What is the resulting impact on mental and physical health disparities, both individually and at the societal level? This question is at the heart of research by scholars at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work.

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When we smell hot dogs, it may trigger memories of backyard barbeques or attending baseball games during childhood. During this process, the areas of the brain that control smell and long-term memory are rapidly firing off impulses. To fuel these signals from neurons, the active brain regions need oxygen and energy in the form of blood sugar glucose, which is quickly delivered through blood vessels. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.

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Approximately 85% of the mass of our galaxy is comprised by dark matter, matter that does not emit, absorb or reflect light and thus cannot be directly observed. While several studies have hinted at or theorized about its composition, it remains one of the greatest unresolved physics problems. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.org

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This year’s perennial back-to-school uniform discussion happens during a cost of living crisis. And we already know that the upfront and maintenance costs of school uniforms are a stress for families on lower incomes, in New Zealand and globally across rich and poor countries alike. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.org

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How and with what effort does a bacterium—or a virus—enter a cell and cause an infection? Researchers from Freiburg have now made an important contribution to answering this question. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.org

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From climate change to global pandemics, the world is facing major environmental and health-related challenges that are driving life science research institutions to pool their data and digital resources in search of solutions. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.org

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A machine-learning analysis has revealed patterns in online hate speech that suggest complex—and sometimes counterintuitive—links between real-world events and different types of hate speech. Yonatan Lupu of George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on January 25. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.org

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Microchip fab plants in the United States can cram billions of data processing transistors onto a tiny silicon chip, but a critical device, in essence a “clock,” to time the operation of those transistors must be made separately—creating a weak point in chip security and the supply line. A new approach uses commercial chip fab materials and techniques to fabricate specialized transistors that serve as the building block of this timing device, addressing the weak point and enabling new functionality through enhanced integration.

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The two men who shot dead 18 people in separate incidents just days apart in California are the latest perpetrators in America’s long history of mass gun violence. But something about these public shootings, and the men held responsible, stands out. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.org

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Mitochondria are responsible for the energy supply of the organism and fulfill functions in metabolic and signaling processes. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Freiburg have gained systematic insight into the organization of proteins in mitochondria. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.org

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The wealth gap was partly due to significant rises in stock market prices, according to the new study from Imperial College Business School, published in the Journal of Monetary Economics. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.org

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In 2013, Felipe Braga-Ribas and collaborators, using ground-based telescopes, discovered that Chariklo hosts a system of two thin rings. Such rings had been expected only around large planets such as Jupiter and Neptune. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.org

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What drives crocodile evolution? Is climate a major factor or changes in sea levels? Determined to find answers to these questions, researchers from McGill University discovered that while changing temperatures and rainfall had little impact on the crocodiles’ gene flow over the past three million years, changes to sea levels during the Ice Age had a different effect. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.org

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Conventional wisdom says it pays to speak up at work: When an employee offers a novel idea for workplace improvements, and managers listen and act, both the organization and employee win. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.org

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If you’re feeling lonely, you’re not alone. Loneliness is an increasingly common experience, and it can have severe consequences. People who feel lonely are at higher risk of serious health issues, including heart disease, immune deficiency and depression. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.org

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Remote jobs can help workers craft more satisfying lives, with higher psychological well-being and work engagement, but only if that work occurs during regularly contracted hours, according to new ILR School research. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.org

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Scientists have detailed a lifestyle switch that occurs in marine bacteria, in which they change from coexisting with algae hosts in a mutually beneficial interaction to suddenly killing them. The results are published today in eLife. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.org

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Diversity, inclusion and equity policies are now broadly endorsed in Australian organizations. But not all diversities are equal. Our research suggests while programs for women and some racial minorities are being embraced, other diversities are excluded. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.org

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What is behind dark energy—and what connects it to the cosmological constant introduced by Albert Einstein? Two physicists from the University of Luxembourg point the way to answering these open questions of physics. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.org

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Metastases occur when cancer cells leave a primary tumor and spread throughout the body. For this to happen, they have to break connections with neighboring cells and migrate to other tissues. Both processes are promoted by signaling molecules released by the cancer cells, which thereby increase the malignancy of tumors. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.org

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Researchers of the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung have expanded the molecular toolbox for efficient, targeted syntheses: To do so, they use a very special catalyst—and the energy of light. The result of their work has now been published in Science. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.org

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Leaders in the U.S. are getting older. For example, politicians in the House of Representatives are 20 years older than the average voter, and the country’s 80-year-old President may stand for re-election. According to research from the University of Gothenburg, there is a risk that younger voters will become disinterested in democracy in the U.S. because it is so difficult for younger candidates to get elected. Read Full Article Here

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