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Science, Ahead of Print.

Science, Ahead of Print.

Science, Ahead of Print.

Osteopenia is a common but often overlooked condition that causes bones to become less dense and more fragile. Because it develops silently, many people only discover they have it after a fracture or bone scan. Aging, menopause, poor diet, and inactivity can all contribute to bone loss. Fortunately, exercise, adequate calcium and vitamin D, and other healthy habits can slow or even partially reverse the decline.

In pursuit of human-level intelligence, researchers are developing agents that learn by acting in virtual environments rather than simply absorbing more text

What if consciousness isn’t limited to brains like ours? Philosophers Eric Schwitzgebel and Jeremy Pober argue that consciousness could arise in many different forms of life, even in beings built from radically different materials than those found on Earth. Drawing on the vastness of the universe and the likely existence of countless alien civilizations, they suggest it would be surprisingly Earth-centric to assume that only Earth-like biology can support conscious experience.

Scientists have discovered a tiny group of neurons in an ancient brain region that acts like a built-in focus filter, helping the brain ignore distractions and zero in on what matters most. When researchers temporarily switched off these neurons in mice, the animals became unusually distractible—similar to what is seen in ADHD—but regained normal focus as soon as the neurons were reactivated.

Scientists have uncovered a surprising new twist in what happens when cells die. As dying cells break apart, they leave behind tiny “footprints of death” packed with newly discovered particles that help guide the immune system to clean up the remains. But researchers found that influenza viruses can exploit this process, hiding inside these microscopic packages and potentially using them to spread to nearby cells.

Investigation finds problems in a key clinical trial that critics said was too good to be true

Analysis of fossil proteins deepens mystery of the enigmatic Homo naledi

Neurofeedback, which consists of recording and visualizing neural activity in real-time, is a method currently being investigated as a supplementary treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD). By using implanted deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrodes with interleaved sensing capability, previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of neurofeedback based on beta oscillations in the basal ganglia. Herein, for the first time, we explored short-term neurofeedback ability over the course of multiple...

Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) is a serine/threonine kinase that plays a central role in regulating cellular processes, including growth, proliferation, survival, and migration. ROCK exists as two isoforms, ROCK1 and ROCK2, which function as the principal downstream effectors of Rho GTPases. Activation of the RhoA-ROCK signaling pathway is induced by a variety of extracellular stimuli, including angiotensin II (Ang II), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), integrins, and vascular...