 | A proposed model suggests that consciousness may result from the brain's resonant coupling with the quantum electromagnetic zero-point field (ZPF). Cortical microcolumns, via glutamate-ZPF interactions, could form coherence domains that stabilize quantum effects and maintain critical neural dynamics essential for awareness. Disruption of this coupling may underlie unconscious states. |
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 | Uranus and Neptune may have interiors richer in rock and poorer in ice than previously assumed, challenging their traditional classification as ice giants. New modeling suggests both planets could be either water-rich or rock-rich, with current data unable to distinguish between these scenarios. Their complex magnetic fields may be explained by ionic water layers at different depths. Further missions are needed for clarification. |
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 | China has paused its plans for the Circular Electron Positron Collider, leaving CERN's proposed Future Circular Collider (FCC) as the leading candidate for the next major particle accelerator. The FCC, with a planned circumference of 91 km and a cost of $17 billion, aims to investigate dark matter and dark energy, which constitute about 95% of the universe. Approval could come by 2028, with operation possible by the late 2040s. |
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 | Humans exhibit a relatively high degree of monogamy compared to most mammals, ranking between meerkats and beavers in the proportion of full siblings produced. Genetic and ethnographic data indicate that, despite cultural diversity in mating practices, humans consistently show higher monogamy rates than most non-human primates, supporting monogamy as a dominant reproductive pattern in our species. |
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 | Prostate cancer cells develop resistance to androgen receptor inhibitors by undergoing epigenetic changes, specifically through NSD2-mediated histone modification, which induces a neuroendocrine phenotype. Inhibiting NSD2 reverses this lineage plasticity, restoring drug sensitivity in preclinical models. This approach may offer a strategy to overcome treatment resistance in prostate cancer and potentially other cancers. |
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 | Drug resistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is driven by the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process regulated mainly by ERK kinase signaling, with JNK and growth factors also contributing. EMT heterogeneity within tumors correlates with poorer patient outcomes. Inhibiting ERK may reduce EMT-induced chemoresistance and improve therapeutic response. |
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 | Detailed 3D temperature models reveal significant variations in the Earth's thermal structure beneath Greenland, linked to its tectonic history and passage over the Iceland hotspot. These subsurface temperature differences affect ice sheet-bedrock interactions, improving predictions of ice sheet behavior and future contributions to global sea level rise. |
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 | Ponderosa pine forests in the American Southwest are rapidly disappearing due to a combination of past wildfire suppression policies and intensified heat and drought from climate change. Over 200 million trees have died since 2000, with projections indicating that more than 90% of these forests could vanish within decades, leading to major ecological, hydrological, and cultural impacts. |
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 | A 120-meter-long submerged wall and related structures dating to 5,800–5,300 BC were discovered nine meters underwater off Brittany, France. Likely serving as fish traps or sea defenses, these granite constructions demonstrate advanced technical skills and social organization, predating known megalithic monuments in the region by several centuries. |
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 | Analysis of genetic data from over 6 million individuals reveals that 14 psychiatric disorders cluster into five groups with significant genetic overlap. Major depression, anxiety, and PTSD share about 90% of genetic risk, while schizophrenia and bipolar disorder share 66%. Shared genetic variants and expression patterns help explain frequent comorbidity among these conditions. |
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 | A supermassive black hole in NGC 3783 was observed ejecting gas at 20% the speed of light, likely triggered by magnetic reconnection rather than radiation. The event, captured during a 10-day XRISM observation, provides direct evidence of magnetically driven outflows from the accretion disk, offering new insight into black hole feedback and its role in galaxy evolution. |
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 | Observations of the tidal disruption event AT2020afhd provide the first direct evidence of Lense-Thirring precession, where a rapidly spinning black hole drags spacetime and causes a surrounding disk and jet to wobble with a 20-day period. This confirms a key prediction of general relativity and offers new insights into black hole spin, accretion, and jet formation. |
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 | Even in societies considered highly egalitarian, measurable inequalities persist in areas such as embodied capital, social capital, gender, age, knowledge, and resource control. Relative equality arises not from altruism but from individuals pursuing self-interest through mechanisms like demand-sharing and status-leveling. Egalitarianism is thus distinct from true equality. |
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 | Isotope analyses of mosasaur teeth from North Dakota indicate these large marine reptiles inhabited freshwater river environments in the final million years before extinction. The chemical signatures differ from those of marine mosasaurs, supporting adaptation to riverine habitats as the Western Interior Seaway transitioned from saltwater to freshwater. |
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 | Axolotls can regenerate a fully functional thymus after complete removal, with new thymic tissue restoring normal immune function in most cases within 35 days. The regeneration process involves the growth factor midkine (MDK), while the gene FOXN1 is not essential for regrowth. These findings may inform future strategies for thymus regeneration in humans. |
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 | Among Nepali adolescents, over 40% experience anxiety, with high rates of depression and stress also reported. Authoritarian parenting is linked to increased depression and lower self-esteem, while authoritative parenting is associated with better mental health and higher self-esteem. Social support and positive school environments further contribute to improved adolescent mental health. |
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 | A cat's purr provides a more stable and individually distinctive vocal signature than its meow, making it a better cue for identifying individual cats. Meows are highly variable and flexible, especially in domestic cats, reflecting adaptation to human interaction. Domestication has increased meow variability, while purrs remain consistent and reliable for individual recognition. |
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 | Antarctica’s only native insect, Belgica antarctica, has been found to ingest microplastics, indicating that even remote ecosystems are affected by plastic pollution. While short-term exposure did not impact survival or metabolism, larvae exposed to higher microplastic levels showed reduced fat reserves. Microplastics were detected in wild-caught larvae, though at low frequencies. |
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 | A new robotic model for tomato harvesting uses image recognition and statistical analysis to estimate the ease of picking each fruit, considering factors like clustering, stem geometry, and occlusion. This approach achieved an 81% success rate, with robots adapting their picking direction for difficult tomatoes, supporting more efficient and intelligent automated harvesting. |
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 | Daily supplementation with four grams of fish oil, containing EPA and DHA, reduced serious cardiovascular events by 43% in patients undergoing dialysis for kidney failure compared to placebo. The benefit was observed specifically in this high-risk group and should not be generalized to healthy individuals or other patient populations. |
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