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Researchers have adapted an existing coding system for human facial expressions so that the facial expressions of bonobos can also be systematically analyzed. Their research results, which have just been published in the journal PeerJ, confirm that these apes have a repertoire of 28 different facial movements, which are caused by 22 specific muscle movements.

Fibroblasts play a central role in maintaining healthy tissue structures, as well as in the development and progression of diseases. For a long time, these specialised connective tissue cells were thought to represent a single, uniform cell type. A recent publication by researchers at the University of Leipzig Medical Center shows that fibroblasts in human tissue actually consist of distinct populations with specialised functions.

Fibroblasts play a central role in the maintenance of healthy tissue structures, but also in the development and progression of diseases. For a long time, these specialized cells of the connective tissue were regarded as a uniform cell type. A recent publication by scientists at Leipzig University Medicine makes it clear that fibroblasts in human tissue consist of different populations with specialized tasks.

Children who use electronic media more frequently tend to show lower levels of attention, while independent reading is associated with better concentration. These are the findings of a survey of more than 1,000 children conducted as part of the LIFE Child study at Leipzig University's Faculty of Medicine.

A research team at the Carl Ludwig Institute of Physiology at Leipzig University has shown for the first time how the energy content of individual nerve cells in the brain changes during so-called depolarization waves, waves of activity that occur in various brain diseases. The results provide an important basis for understanding the energy metabolism in the event of an acute lack of blood flow, such as occurs in strokes.

People with the eating disorder ARFID severely limit their food intake in terms of quantity or variety - leading to physical and psychological impairments. The condition usually begins in childhood and has so far been studied mainly in children or people who are underweight. Now, researchers at the University of Leipzig Medical Center have shown that adults with a higher body weight can also be affected.

For the first time, scientists from Leipzig University and other research institutions have gained comprehensive insights into the entire nervous system of the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster). They have just published the first study in the scientific journal "Nature" that describes in detail the nerve cells (neurons) that span the entire nervous system of the adult fruit fly.

News from A new study published in PNAS, led by the United States Department of Agriculture and involving several researchers from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and Leipzig University, investigated how the relationship between mean annual precipitation (MAP) and grassland biomass changes when one or more nutrients are added.

A new study published in the journal PNAS examines how the relationship between mean annual precipitation and grassland biomass changes with the addition of one or more nutrients. Researchers from the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and Leipzig University were also involved in the global analysis, which was led by the US Department of Agriculture.

The pedunculate oaks typical of Leipzig's floodplain forest and other German oak forests are struggling to regenerate in the understorey due to a lack of light. One reason for this is the absence of flooding in floodplain forests. In a two-year oak experiment in Leipzig's floodplain forest, researchers from Leipzig University and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) found that the current tree dieback - caused by drought and pest outbreaks - combined with the thinning of certain understorey species, can actually support oak regeneration.

The English oaks typical of the Leipzig riparian forest and other German oak forests can hardly rejuvenate due to a lack of light in the undergrowth. One reason for this is the lack of flooding in alluvial forests. Researchers from Leipzig University and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) have discovered in a two-year oak experiment in Leipzig's alluvial forest that the current tree mortality as a result of droughts and the spread of pests can be used in combination with a thinning out of certain species in the undergrowth for oak regeneration.

The human brain can learn through experience to filter out disturbing and distracting stimuli - such as a glaring roadside billboard or a flashing banner on the internet. Scientists at Leipzig University and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam have used electroencephalography (EEG) to show that early visual processing in humans changes with repeated exposure.

The human brain can learn through experience to block out disturbing and distracting stimuli, such as a glaring billboard on the side of the road or a flashing banner on the internet. Researchers at Leipzig University and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam have discovered with the help of brain wave measurements (EEG) that early visual processing in humans changes through repeated experience.

Researchers at Leipzig University's Carl Ludwig Institute have discovered that in the cerebral cortex, synaptic signal transmission between brain cells functions very reliably even at low concentrations of calcium ions - unlike in the rear region of the brain. The findings contribute to our understanding of the healthy brain, but may also prove useful to the computer industry, for example in the development of neural networks.

News from A forest with high tree-species diversity is better at buffering heat peaks in summer and cold peaks in winter than a forest with fewer tree species. This is the result of a study led by researchers from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Leipzig University, and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU).

A forest with a high diversity of tree species can buffer heat waves in summer and cold spells in winter better than a forest with fewer tree species. This is the result of a study led by the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Leipzig University and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU).

News from Researchers have found that so-called conservative species, which are most efficient at using nutrients, water and energy, generally grow faster under real-world conditions than acquisitive, or supposedly fast-growing, species. The findings, published in Nature, broaden our understanding of which trees have the greatest potential to mitigate CO2 emissions.

A new study in the journal Nature shows that so-called conservative species, which use nutrients, water and energy most efficiently, generally grow faster under real conditions than acquisitive, supposedly fast-growing species. The results contribute to a better understanding of which trees have the greatest potential to reduce CO2 emissions.

A research team at Leipzig University Medicine has found a possible cause for the development of Long Covid. The disruption of certain signaling pathways in the nervous system plays an important role in this. In addition, the positive effect of nicotine patches on Long Covid symptoms was demonstrated for the first time using imaging as part of these therapeutic trials.

In an international study, researchers have examined different fat cells in adipose tissues of the human body. Using innovative technology, they were able to identify unique subpopulations of fat cells for the first time and determine differences between human fat tissues in intercellular communication.