Study sheds light on the role genetics play in shaping the human microbiome.
Legalized marijuana for recreational use reduces the demand for prescription medications, a new study reveals. Researchers found the volume of medical prescriptions for pain, sleep disorders, anxiety, and some neurological conditions declined significantly when recreational marijuana was legalized.
Increased choline consumption during pregnancy was associated with better performance in tasks requiring sustained attention in children aged seven. Researchers found doubling the recommended amount of choline by increasing consumption of nuts, eggs, red meats, and fish during pregnancy had the greatest benefits for the developing fetal brain.
A new study reveals there is a genetic component to spatial memory in Mountain Chickadees.
Following periods of acute isolation, female mice display a strong desire to socialize with other females by significantly increasing their production of social calls that are much like human emotional vocalizations. The behavioral response provides a new avenue to understand neural mechanisms through which social isolation affects a person's social motivation and mental health.
Researchers uncover the role activity in the anterior insula plays in how political ideology influences race perception.
Researchers identified a structural loop in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, the area of the coronavirus that facilitates entry into cells, and a sequence of four amino acids in the loop that are different from other known human coronaviruses in this viral lineage. SARS-CoV-2 has some shared properties with the 2003 virus responsible for the SARS outbreak. The loop appears to be important to both the transmission and stability of the virus. The study also found that in addition to humans and primates, cats, ferrets, and minks are also susceptible to COVID-19 infection.
Biological sequencing of the fusion peptides of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 found them to be a 93% match. Calcium ions interacting with the fusion peptide alters the peptide's structure, and how it interacts with membranes to promote infection. The findings provide a potential target for antiviral development to treat coronavirus.
Spending as little as ten minutes in a natural setting can help people feel happier and decrease the effects of both physical and mental stress.
Parents unconsciously modify their speech to include fewer unique words, shorter sentences, and one-word replies when their baby babbles, but not when they are simply speaking to the baby.
Researchers report a boost in healthy antioxidants for green tea brewed with bottled, as opposed to tap, water.
A new virtual reality study reveals people's perception of taste can be altered by what they experience in their surroundings.
