Perpetually hungry, worms are strategic when it comes to searching for food. The microscopic roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, or C. elegans, is known to spend up to 20 minutes seeking out snacks in its immediate surroundings ...
Feb 26, 2019
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Cancer cells are, in some respects, impressive: They can grow relentlessly, sidestep the aging process by becoming immortal, and evade the immune system's persistent attacks. But in the process of acquiring such superpowers, ...
Feb 14, 2019
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If you live in the United States, you are unlikely to come into contact with the microbe that causes tuberculosis. Your odds of encountering the microbe are so low, in fact, that risk factors for the disease can easily go ...
Dec 28, 2018
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To treat and prevent pregnancy-related disorders, researchers must understand not only what can go wrong, but when. Complications, such as preeclampsia and pre-term birth, often occur in the second or third trimester, and ...
Nov 22, 2018
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It takes a lot of cells to make a human brain. The organ houses not only an enormous quantity of neurons (tens of billions), but also an impressive diversity of neuron types. In recent years, scientists have been developing ...
Nov 21, 2018
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In an effort to develop more effective cancer treatments, scientists are looking for therapies that supercharge patients' immune systems. One possibility is to use antibodies that activate CD40, an immune-cell protein that, ...
Oct 26, 2018
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Life-changing moments are also brain-changing moments: everything from a first kiss to a last goodbye modifies cells within the skull. The capacity to learn and remember, however, extends beyond the profound experiences that ...
Oct 24, 2018
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Contrary to popular belief, the brain is not a computer. However brains do, in their own way, compute. They integrate informational inputs to generate outputs, including behaviors, thoughts, and feelings.
Oct 3, 2018
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Thanks to improvements in antiretroviral therapy, HIV is now a manageable condition. Yet even the best drugs do not entirely eliminate the virus, which latently lingers in the body, threatening to rise to dangerous levels ...
Sep 26, 2018
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In the brain, as in business, connections are everything. To maintain cellular associates, the outer surface of a neuron, its membrane, must express particular proteins—proverbial hands that reach out and greet nearby cells. ...
Sep 22, 2018
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