When a person has diabetes, their body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or doesn’t process blood sugar properly; at the root of that is the failure of ?-cells (beta cells), whose job is to produce the sugar-regulating hormone insulin. A Brigham Young University-led study finds beta cells work better and …
Read More »JAXA’s Akatsuki Orbiter Spots Equatorial Jet in Venus’ Atmosphere
New observations from Akatsuki, a robotic spacecraft launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in 2010 to orbit Venus, have revealed an equatorial jet in the lower-to-middle cloud layer of the planet’s hostile atmosphere. An illustration of JAXA’s Akatsuki orbiter successfully tracking lower-altitude clouds during the night with its …
Read More »Researchers Uncover Purpose of Mysterious Amazonian Geoglyphs
Geometrical earthworks found in the Amazon rainforest — dubbed the Geoglyphs of Acre — were once important ritual communication spaces, says a duo of researchers from the São Paulo University in Brazil and the University of Helsinki in Finland. Sa and Seu Chiquinho sites featuring circular, square, and U-shaped earthworks. …
Read More »Archaic Whales were Ferocious Predators, New Research Shows
The teeth of archaic whales were as sharp as those of terrestrial predators, and thus were capable of capturing and processing prey, according to new research published in the journal Biology Letters. Reconstruction of the ancient toothed whale Janjucetus. Image credit: Carl Buell. “Contrary to what many people thought, it …
Read More »Australian Anthropologist Finds Clue to Fate of Famous French Explorer Jean Francois La Perouse
Australian National University anthropologist Garrick Hitchcock has stumbled across a clue to resolving one of the most enduring mysteries of Pacific history — the fate of Jean François de Galaup, Comte de La Pérouse, a French naval officer and explorer whose expedition vanished in 1788. Dr. Hitchcock believes the last …
Read More »Smooth-Coated Otters Can Learn How to Solve Puzzles by Copying Each Other, Research Shows
A team of researchers in the UK created a series of puzzles baited with food, and found smooth-coated otters (Lutrogale perspicillata) watched and copied each other’s problem-solving techniques, with young animals more likely to copy than their parents. Surprisingly, another species called the Asian short-clawed otter (Aonyx cinerea) showed no …
Read More »Meet Lagenanectes richterae, One of Oldest Known Elasmosaurs
In a study published Friday in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, paleontologists report the discovery of a partially-preserved skeleton of one of the earliest known elasmosaurs, from the Early Cretaceous (130 million years ago) of Germany. Life reconstruction of Lagenanectes richterae. Image credit: Joschua Knuppe. Elasmosaurs (Elasmosauridae) were a family …
Read More »COMPASS Study: Combination of Rivaroxaban and Aspirin Works Best for Heart Diseases
A major new study has found that the combination of two drugs — rivaroxaban and aspirin — is superior to aspirin alone in preventing further heart complications in people with vascular disease. Among patients with stable atherosclerotic vascular disease, those assigned to rivaroxaban (2.5 mg twice daily) plus aspirin had …
Read More »Saturn’s North Polar Vortex Stuns in New Cassini Photo
NASA’s Cassini robotic orbiter captured this view of Saturn’s north polar vortex on April 26, 2017, the day it began its Grand Finale, a daring series of 22 weekly dives between the gas giant and its rings. Saturn’s north polar region is pictured in great detail in this Cassini image …
Read More »Best-Ever Image of Distant Star Shows Puzzling ‘Vigorous’ Currents
The red supergiant star Antares is one of the brightest objects in the sky, and that makes it an attractive target for astronomers. Indeed, an international team of scientists has acquired an incredibly detailed image of the star — it’s the best image ever of a star outside our solar …
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