Plants and water can mitigate heat in cities. Using Zurich as a case study, researchers tested a climate model which indicates how large the effect of green and blue spaces is. The model supports urban planning and shows where improvements would be particularly effective. As a result of climate change, heatwaves are becoming more frequent - with particularly harmful effects on human health, livelihoods and infrastructure in cities.

Many people could greatly improve their odds against developing dementia by making four, low-cost lifestyle changes, Western researchers have discovered. In the first study of its kind , researchers at Lawson Research Institute (Lawson) and Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry found about half of dementia cases in Canada can be influenced by 12 lifestyle factors.

Study uncovers the early immune responses that make insect venom immunotherapy the gold standard for curing severe allergies, offering hope for improving treatments worldwide. In a landmark clinical study just published in Nature Communications, researchers from the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) of the University of Luxembourg, the Allergy Center Wiesbaden, Ulm University Hospital and Vrije Universiteit Brussels and UZ Brussel revealed the early immune mechanisms behind the exceptional success of insect venom immunotherapy.

International research team describes for the first time the structure and function of the Zorya system, a highly specialised antiviral protection mechanism of bacteria.

Scientists unravel timing and impact of Neandertal gene flow into early modern humans Ancient DNA research suggests that our non-African ancestors mixed with Neandertals about 50,000 years ago, resulting in one to two percent Neandertal DNA in non-African modern humans. In a study of 300 genomes, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig and the University of California, Berkeley found that this likely occurred in a single instance about 47,000 years ago, suggesting a human migration out of Africa no later than 43,500 years ago.

Genomes of seven early Europeans show they belonged to a small, isolated group that had recently mixed with Neandertals but left no present-day descendants Few genomes have been sequenced from early modern humans, who first arrived in Europe when the region was already inhabited by Neandertals. An international team led by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology has now sequenced the oldest modern human genomes to date.

From hard-working newspaper reporter to world-saving superhero, Clark Kent makes the transition to Superman in just a few seconds. Now, scientists have discovered that human cells are home to their own hidden superheroes, secretly helping us to fight off a range of viruses. The latest study, led by the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research in collaboration with the Rosalind Franklin Institute, has uncovered intriguing new insights into how our cells respond to viral infection.

Researchers have discovered a rare example of 'great fish parenting' with a common coral reef species found to actively protect their young by eating parasites. The University of Queensland's Dr Alexandra Grutter said the team identified that a species of damselfish cared for their offspring and improved their chances of survival by eating the parasitic gnathiid isopods.

The black box of the human brain is beginning to open. Although animal models are crucial for our understanding of the mammalian brain, the less frequently collected human data reveal important peculiarities. In a recent paper published in the journal Cell, a team led by the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and the Medical University of Vienna has shed light on the human hippocampal region CA3, which is central to memory storage.

Genetic variants that determine the shape of your teeth - including a gene inherited from Neanderthals - have been identified by a team co-led by UCL researchers. In a new paper published in Current Biology , scientists found substantial tooth differences between ethnicities, potentially due in part to a gene inherited from Neanderthals that was only found in study participants of European origin.

A team of Würzburg neuroscientists investigates communication pathways in the brain and predicts intelligence. A new study approach uses machine learning to improve our conceptual understanding of intelligence. The human brain is the central control organ of our body. It processes sensory information and enables us, among other things, to form thoughts, make decisions and store knowledge.

Contactless diagnosis: research team develops innovative measurement technology to determine vital signs A research team from TU Ilmenau and the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) has jointly developed an optical measurement system that can be used to monitor the health status of chronically ill or highly contagious people using vital parameters such as body temperature, respiratory rate or oxygen saturation without contact.

Rats release trapped companions, subsequently enabling them to collaborate for acquiring food. Experiments conducted at the University of Bern established this connection between obliging liberation behaviour and coordinated cooperation. These results may point towards a biological basis for empathy, presenting new perspectives on the evolutionary origins of compassionate behaviour.

A recent innovation from Johns Hopkins researchers enables deeper insights into gene function and disease-linked mutations Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a powerful new AI tool called Splam that can identify where splicing occurs in genes-an advance that could help scientists analyze genetic data with greater accuracy, offering new insights into how genes function and mutations contribute to disease.

Key Takeaways Laser-plasma accelerators could someday significantly reduce the size and cost of particle accelerators used in high-energy physics, medicine, materials science, and beyond. BELLA researchers used a petawatt laser to reach a key laser-plasma accelerator milestone: accelerating a high-quality 10-GeV electron beam in 30 centimeters, a significant improvement in both energy and quality compared to previous efforts.

Bonn researchers decipher structure of coagulation factor XIII using cryo-electron microscopy A deficiency in blood plasma coagulation factor XIII leads to a disruption in the cross-linking of fibrin, the "glue" in blood coagulation. The enzyme therefore plays an essential role in blood clotting. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn, together with Thermo Fisher Scientific in the Netherlands, deciphered the previously unknown structure of the Factor XIII complex using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), even at the atomic level.

ISTA biologists team up with neurosurgeons to unravel the human brain's specificities The black box of the human brain is starting to crack open. Although animal models are instrumental in shaping our understanding of the mammalian brain, scarce human data is uncovering important specificities. In a paper published in Cell , a team led by the Jonas group at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and neurosurgeons from the Medical University of Vienna shed light on the human hippocampal CA3 region, central for memory storage.

A UNIGE study reveals how mechanics, linked to tissue growth, help generate the diversity of biological structures. How can we explain the morphological diversity of living organisms? Although genetics is the answer that typically springs to mind, it is not the only explanation. By combining observations of embryonic development, advanced microscopy, and cutting-edge computer modelling, a multi-disciplinary team from the University of Geneva demonstrate that the crocodile head scales emerge from the mechanics of growing tissues, rather than molecular genetics.

Changes in atmospheric particles since preindustrial times have masked some of the warming caused by rising levels of carbon dioxide. Atmospheric particles cool the climate by directly reflecting sunlight and by making clouds more reflective; they are also deadly pollution. Fifteen years ago, it was thought that sulfuric acid drove almost all particle formation.

Using high-powered lasers, this new method could help biologists study the body's immune responses and develop new medicines. Metabolic imaging is a noninvasive method that enables clinicians and scientists to study living cells using laser light, which can help them assess disease progression and treatment responses.