Neat News - Neat things do happen

There has been a big improvement in the treatment of HIV/AIDS by the combination of different drugs. New research is done to establish whether attacking Alzheimer's disease in a similar way may be more promising than trying single types of medication.

The general scientific view was that the visual cortex - the part of the brain that processes the images sent from the eyes - is fully developed after the first five or six years of life. Scientists have now studied brain tissue of deceased people and found that the visual cortex reaches its maturity around an age of 36 years.

The difference in the salt concentration between river water and sea water at a river mouth can be used to generate electricity. If used it has the potential to generate big quantities of electricity.

There is evidence that regular moderate intake of cocoa (one to two servings of chocolate per week) reduces the risk of atrial fibrillation, an abnormal heart rhythm.

Patients who have lost the functioning of a part of their brain and suffer as a consequence of a paralysis of a hand can be helped by a new device. It can read a part of the mind that prepares the movement but whose signals would lead nowhere. This is connected to an exoskeleton, a device which takes direct control of the hand. After training a number of patients regained a limited use of their hand.

Humans have an instinctive way to detect oncoming disease in others before it breaks out. This allows them to avoid such people and avoid being contaminated. Vision and smell seem to be particularly important for this ability.

Archaeologists try to solve some puzzles about the Chaco culture by using modern DNA techniques. This way they want to match the finds which are distributed over different museums in the USA. The culture is assumed to have had its heyday more than 1000 years ago.

Flamingos have such a stable stance when standing on one leg that they need less energy this way than standing on two legs. Scientists measured this by evaluating how much they sway (in a radius of only 3.2 millimetres) and how much effort they need to remain in an equilibrium.

Ultra thin so-called nano-holograms have been built, much thinner than a human hair. This opens the possibility to integrate them in devices such as smart phones.

An antibody that was developed in the study of multiple sclerosis can stimulate T cells of the immune system so that it attacks some sorts of cancer cells. In models this results in a reduction in tumour growth. This makes the antibody a candidate for a new medication against cancer.

In the last four years four snow leopards have been collared in Nepal as part of a conservation project. Data collected from the collars is used to track the movements and to detemine important habitats. The project is supported by the WWF

There is further evidence that Omega-3 fatty acids are useful for maintaining the health of an ageing brain; in particular, they may help slowing cognitive decline.

By the analysis of the blood of an Ebola survivor human antibodies against the Ebola virus have been found. This may in the long run result in a medication against the different forms of the disease as well as in a vaccine.

A new method to transform a particular form of blood cells into blood-forming stem cells has been developed and tested in mice. If the findings can be applied to humans, the technique may be used to treat certain genetic and acquired blood diseases such as leukemia.

People who had a good night's rest are more attractive than those who did not. Tiredness or sleepiness reduces the attractiveness of people even if shown on photos.

There is a new more efficient catalyst which makes the splitting of water in hydrogen and oxygen easier. Splitting water in order to produce hydrogen is important since hydrogen is a clean source of energy. The new catalyst is made of ferrous metaphosphate.

Scanning the brain gives new insights which parts are active when particular decisions are taken. It has now been studied which parts are active when moral choices are done such as deciding whether to inflict pain to a person for personal gain. It has been found, for instance, that the communication of the prefrontal cortex with the striatum is increased when people refuse to profit from harming others.

The gut contains microbes which have influence on the wellbeing of people. In experiments with mice it was posible to show that an immunization of the gut with a bacterium can reduce the exhibited anxiety in the mice.

Earthworms are important for the health of soil. In heavily ploughed fields, however, half of the earthworms disappear. But in a decade after going back to a sustainable usage of the soil the number of earthworms recovers to their previous levels.

The Zika virus is particularly dangerous for unborn babies. Brazil has now reported that the number of cases have dropped by 95% in the first four months of this year compared to a year ago. As a consequence Brazil has declared that the national Zika emergency is over.

New drugs treat HIV/AIDS patients better and as a consequence the life expectancy of these patients is now near the standard life expectancy if they get appropriate medication. For this it is, however, important that the treatment starts early.

Scientist have a better understanding why the moderate intake of red wine protects neurons from diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. It is now understood that wine contains so-called metabolites which in going through the gut are transformed and then protect the brain cells in different parts of the cell, ameliorating stress a cell may be under.

In experiments with mice researchers have found out that the decrease in memory performance of old mice can be reversed by giving them a prolonged low-dose of cannabis. Clinical trials on humans are needed now in order to see whether this can result in a treatment for dementia.

According to new research the production of tools in the stone age was more linked to musical than linguistic capabilities. Using brain scans in modern humans it has been found that their ability to the production of stone age tools is linked to the ability to play the piano but not so much to regions of the brain responsible for linguistics. The findings are a step in the understanding of the evolution of human intelligence.

Pictures taken from a Greenpeace ship show the beauty of the West Aftican Atlantic Ocean with fish, dolphins, mangroves, and beaches. Greenpeace campaigns for its protection and sustainable fishery.

A hot wave which is with 200,000 light years bigger than our galaxy is currently moving through neighbouring galaxies. It is assumed that it is the consequence of the interaction of the Perseus cluster with a smaller galaxy cluster which passed by.

There are connections between the immune system and the nervous system. Building up on tests with rats, there was now a test in humans which suggests that stimulating the vagus nerve may be useful in treating some autoimmune diseases such as Crohn's disease. Corresponding stimulation devices may replace some drugs in the long run.

By the combined effect of sharing cars, electrification, and automation it is possible to reduce carbon emissions from cars by 80% by 2050. Action is the more important since transportation plays an increasingly important role as the top source of greenhouse gas emissions (at around 30% in the USA).

Students who work in a room with the aroma of rosemary in the air have shown a 5% to 7% improvement in memory tests. There is a suggestion that the smell stimulates certain neurotransmitters in the brain which are associated with memory.

The genetic code of tea has been studied in order to find out what makes the tea plant, Camellia sinensis, so special. Its leaves are used inter alia for black and green tea. The genome is extraordinarily large and has slowly and steadily evolved. The research may result in the development of more diverse flavours.

There is a suggestion by the American Heart Association that eating late night might be bad for the heart. While the evidence is not very strong and a lot depends on the diet itself, there is some research that points in the direction that the timing of the final meal of the day is linked to heart disease and stroke.