Tag

Nature Communications

All articles tagged with #nature communications

science7 days ago•4 min saved

UCF Team Confirms Altermagnetism in Layered Cobalt-Tantalum-Selenium Compound

Researchers at the University of Central Florida have provided the first experimental evidence of altermagnetism in a layered material called Co₁/₄TaSe₂. Published in Nature Communications, the study confirms that this compound combines the spin-splitting capabilities of ferromagnets with the lack of stray magnetic fields found in antiferromagnets. By using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, the team demonstrated that the material’s electronic bands split based on electron spin direction, a key requirement for future spintronic devices. This discovery offers a new platform for developing energy-efficient electronics, ultrafast memory, and terahertz networks without the interference issues typical of conventional magnets.

via ScienceAlert|

#altermagnetism #nature-communications #quantum-materials

science-and-technology8 days ago•15 min saved

AI System 'mHolmes' Uses Microbiome Data to Estimate Time of Death with High Accuracy

Researchers have developed an AI system called mHolmes that estimates the time since death by analyzing microbial changes on cadavers. Published in Nature Communications, the tool achieves an average error of less than two days, outperforming traditional methods that often err by three days or more. The system can also reconstruct microbial history for bodies discovered late or in fragmented states, offering a potential breakthrough for forensic investigations.

via Gizmodo|

#artificial-intelligence #forensic-science #microbiome

health13 days ago•6 min saved

mRNA Cocktail Erases Pancreatic Tumors in Half of Mice

A new mRNA-based immunotherapy has shown unprecedented success in animal models of pancreatic cancer. Researchers at UMass Chan Medical School developed a single injection combining five cytokine mRNAs and three tumor-associated antigens. In mice with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, approximately 50% experienced complete tumor regression that lasted up to one year after treatment stopped. The therapy works by weakening the fibrotic barrier around tumors and training the immune system to recognize cancer cells, potentially creating long-term immune memory. While mouse results do not guarantee human success, the team is developing an IND-ready product for clinical trials.

via SciTechDaily|

#health #immunotherapy #mrna-therapy

science17 days ago•7 min saved

Constantinople Emerges as Empire’s Central Overland Hub, New Study Finds

A Nature Communications study mapping roughly 190,000 miles of Roman roads shows Constantinople (Istanbul) rose as a central overland hub after the 4th-century capital move, complicating the maxim 'All roads lead to Rome' while confirming Rome’s enduring political weight and maritime routes as the empire’s major connectivity networks.

via Fox News|

#constantinople #imperial-capital #nature-communications

science1 month ago•11 min saved

Six decades of ship logs reveal a hidden timeline of ocean plastic

Researchers mined six decades of fault logs from the Continuous Plankton Recorder tows and found 208 confirmed macroplastic entanglements among 16,725 tows (1957–2016) across the North Atlantic. The first entry in 1957 noted trawl twine off Iceland, with a 1965 bag entanglement; from the 1990s onward the rate climbs, dominated by fishing gear, nets, and rope, while plastic bags decline after 2000. The dataset is not pollution-designed but provides a long, fixed-depth record aligned with other evidence of rising ocean plastic, illustrating how existing monitoring programs can reveal pollution trends even when not intended for that purpose. The CPR continues to operate, but the record has clear limits (no volume, no deep-water data).

via Space Daily|

#continuous-plankton-recorder #marine-debris #nature-communications

science1 month ago•5 min saved

Earth’s Chemistry Teetered Before the Five Great Extinctions

A Nature Communications study finds Earth’s climate oscillated through five distinct regimes over 539 million years, with rapid transitions that heightened life’s vulnerability and align with the planet’s Big Five mass extinctions. By tracking ocean oxygen and carbon isotopes and creating a biosphere vulnerability index, researchers show that higher temperatures and regime boundaries correlate with increased extinction risk, though the index measures overall system fragility rather than predicting specific events. The work offers a historical warning that, while the current era (Cenozoic) appears relatively stable, rapid environmental change can amplify the impact of disasters and push the biosphere toward instability.

via ScienceAlert|

#biosphere-vulnerability #climate-regimes #isotopes

space2 months ago•105 min saved

First known binary-star pair where both stars exploded as supernovae

Astronomers analyzing 16+ years of multiwavelength data (including NASA’s Fermi gamma-ray observations) identify IC 443, the Jellyfish Nebula, and the nearby remnant G189.6+3.3 as a likely first binary-star supernova pair: two massive stars that exploded within the same interstellar cloud, about 30–50 light-years apart. IC 443 is estimated at 8,000–9,000 years old, while G189.6+3.3 is older (20,000–110,000 years). The odds of a random alignment are ~1 in 1,000, suggesting a genuine binary progenitor and providing insights into how massive binary stars evolve and end their lives.

via Space|

#binary-stars #g189633 #ic-443-jellyfish-nebula

technology2 months ago•8 min saved

Cyborg Cockroaches Dive In: Tiny Suit Could Aid Disaster Search and Rescue

Researchers from NTU Singapore and Waseda University developed a flexible diving suit that feeds oxygen to a cyborg cockroach, enabling underwater movement for up to three hours and allowing it to traverse tight spaces in flooded or rubble-filled disaster zones. The system leverages the insect’s own locomotion to reduce power needs, but it remains experimental and not yet ready for practical rescue use.

via Fox News|

#cyborg-cockroaches #disaster-response #nature-communications

health3 months ago•27 min saved

9/11 PTSD linked to signs of accelerated aging, study finds

A Stony Brook-led study of 393 World Trade Center responders (232 with PTSD) found widespread molecular changes in blood—114 proteins and seven metabolites—that affect brain function, immune activity, energy metabolism and tissue repair, with evidence of accelerated aging in organs like the heart, kidneys, liver and lungs. The findings support PTSD as a “whole-body” condition with long-term health implications and may help explain higher risks of chronic diseases, though the study shows associations rather than causation and has limitations (e.g., underrepresentation of women and a unique responder population). The research, funded by the CDC and NIH, was published in Nature Communications.

via New York Post|

#911 #aging #health

science3 months ago•6 min saved

Long-Lived Heliconius Butterflies Reveal Hidden Longevity Tricks

Some tropical Heliconius butterflies live up to 348 days, far longer than relatives, with pollen-rich diets contributing to longer lifespans but not fully explaining the longevity. The researchers found evidence of evolved anti-aging mechanisms in these butterflies, suggesting they could serve as model organisms for human aging research; even without pollen, several species remain long-lived. The study used a grip-strength test called The Pullinator to assess age-related decline, highlighting nutrition and intrinsic longevity adaptations across the genus.

via CNN|

#aging #heliconius #longevity

science3 months ago•11 min saved

Left-turning by Default: Humans Exhibit a Counterclockwise Walking Bias

Across studies in Spain and Japan, as well as with people walking alone, humans show a consistent counterclockwise bias when moving in open spaces, not explained by culture or handedness; stronger in children, suggesting a biomechanical or neural basis with possible public-space design implications.

via ZME Science|

#biomechanics #crowd-dynamics #human-behavior

science4 months ago•3 min saved

Humans show a universal anticlockwise walking bias, study finds

New experiments show people naturally drift counterclockwise when walking in crowds, a bias observed in Spain and Japan across genders and ages (more pronounced in children). The reason remains unclear, but understanding it could improve crowd and evacuation simulations and the design of everyday spaces.

via The Guardian|

#anticlockwise-walking #biomechanics #crowd-dynamics

publishing4 months ago•6 min saved

Tough Peer Feedback May Boost a Paper’s Future Impact

An AI-assisted analysis of public peer-review reports for 8,000 Nature Communications papers (2017–2024) finds that papers subjected to tougher criticism and larger revision costs tend to be more highly cited in the following three years. While the quality of reviewer comments correlates with impact, how constructive the feedback is does not, suggesting that rigorous review can both reflect ambitious work and help raise its future influence.

via Nature|

#ai #citations #nature-communications

science4 months ago•9 min saved

One Psilocybin Dose May Rewire the Brain for Weeks

A UCSF and Imperial College London study found that a single 25 mg dose of psilocybin increases brain entropy during the experience and is followed by lasting changes in brain connectivity for about a month, alongside reported boosts in psychological insight and well-being. The results suggest the psychedelic experience itself may drive durable mental health benefits and could inform optimized psilocybin-based therapies.

via SciTechDaily|

#brain-entropy #nature-communications #neural-connectivity

technology5 months ago•59 min saved

Centuries-Long, Non-Toxic Water Battery Aims to Transform Grid Storage

Chinese researchers report a non-toxic aqueous battery using covalent organic polymers as the anode with a neutral water-based electrolyte, achieving an estimated 120,000 charge cycles—about 300 years—before replacement. The electrolytes are safe enough to dispose of directly in the environment, addressing toxicity concerns of water-based batteries, though energy density remains lower than lithium-ion. The technology could be well suited for large-scale grid storage where safety and longevity are prioritized.

via Live Science|

#aqueous-battery #covalent-organic-polymers #grid-storage