Ricerca dell’Università di Padova, in collaborazione con IRCCS “E. Medea” di Conegliano e Università di Cambridge, scopre relazione tra il funzionamento neurale in condizioni di riposo e il funzionamento cognitivo quotidiano in bambini di età prescolare.
L’attività cerebrale dei bambini a riposo cambia in base al sesso biologico e all’età? È possibile prevedere eventuali problemi comportamentali, emotivi o legati alle funzioni esecutive attraverso questa attività?
La risposta arriva dalla ricerca dal titolo Dynamic transient brain states in preschoolers mirror parental report of behavior and emotion regulation, pubblicata sulla rivista «Human Brain Mapping», guidata da Lisa Toffoli e Giovanni Mento del Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale dall’Università di Padova in collaborazione con Gian Marco Duma dell’IRCCS “E. Medea” di Conegliano e Duncan Astle dell’Università di Cambridge.

Researchers from Osaka University have revealed a close link between cells in a “polyploid” state and the accumulation of DNA damage, which may prove critical in developing treatments for certain drug-resistant cancers

Osaka, Japan – Polyploidy is a state where a cell contains more copies of the genetic material than the usual “diploid” cell, which contains two copies. Polyploidy often occurs in human diseases and cancers, and its effect on cell fate was unclear. Now, however, researchers from Japan have shown that polyploidy can be a double-edged sword when it comes to cancer and its treatment.

In a study published this month in Cell Death Discovery, researchers from Osaka University have revealed that polyploidy is closely linked to the accumulation of damage to the genetic material within the cell, while also allowing those cells to tolerate higher levels of this DNA damage.

Pan-Arctic light-emitting human activity map showing unlit areas versus lit areas with significantly increasing or decreasing light-emitting human activity from 1992 to 2013. (Image: Cengiz Akandil, University of Zurich; Natural Earth)

More than 800,000 km2 of the Arctic were affected by human activity in 2013, according to an analysis of satellite-derived data on artificial light at night. On average, 85% of the light-polluted areas are due to industrial activities rather than urban development. According to the international team led by UZH researchers, the results are crucial for sustainable development and nature conservation in this highly vulnerable region.

The Arctic is threatened by strong climate change: the average temperature has risen by about 3°C since 1979 – almost four times faster than the global average. The region around the North Pole is home to some of the world’s most fragile ecosystems, and has experienced low anthropogenic disturbance for decades. Warming has increased the accessibility of land in the Arctic, encouraging industrial and urban development. Understanding where and what kind of human activities take place is key to ensuring sustainable development in the region – for both people and the environment. Until now, a comprehensive assessment of this part of the world has been lacking.

Scientists from the UAB and Iowa State University have generated the genome assemblies of two hidden-neck turtles, unpublished until now. The results, which revealed a new three-dimensional structure of the genome within the phylogenetic group of reptiles, birds and mammals, will contribute to the development of more effective turtle conservation strategies, and to the study of the evolution of the genome and chromosomal organisation of vertebrates.

The study was led by researchers Aurora Ruiz-Herrera (UAB) and Nicole Valenzuela (Iowa State University), with the participation of researchers from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-UPF) and Earlham College. Published in Genome Research, it highlights the important role of chromatin, a three-dimensional structure into which genetic material folds and is packaged within the cell nucleus, in the regulation of gene function and its impact on evolution and speciation.