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What causes that “deer-in-the-headlights”
reflex, where people freeze momentarily in
response to a potential threat? If we’re anything
like flies, it could be serotonin. US researchers
have discovered that when a fly experiences
an unexpected change in its surroundings, the
release of the chemical helps to temporarily
stop it in its tracks.IN FOCUS: HEALTH
Stop fretting about your split ends. A new
study suggests they actually allow your hair
to endure greater tension before it breaks.
Thin hair tends to be stronger than thick hair.
Elephant hair is four time thicker than human
hair, for example, but only half as strong.Researchers are developing a dye that
could allow a person’s vaccination
record to be injected into their body
at the same time as a vaccine. It would
then be stored beneath the skin for up to
five years, avoiding the all-too-common
problem of vaccination details being
lost, and follow-up vaccinations missed.Korean researchers have invented a magnetic
microbot that delivers stem cells to damaged
cartilage in the knee, a discovery that could
lead to treatments that prevent debilitating
osteoarthritis. The device was tested in
animals, but they are seeking approval for
clinical trials in humans.Australian researchers have
developed a new way of analysing
data from individual human cells by
combining conventional techniques
with machine learning algorithms.
The resulting process, which they
liken to fingerprinting cells, allows
single cells with a unique genomic
profile to be identified from a tissue
sample.Pathology appears to be a new focus for
the inexorable march of AI into medical
science. In January, just days apart, US
and Dutch scientists separately unveiled
technology they say can match and even
beat trained humans in classifying surgical
samples for brain and prostate cancers
respectively.Overall, obesity is the primary risk factor for
obstructive sleep apnoea. Now US researchers
using magnetic resonance imaging have found
that reducing tongue fat is a primary factor
in lessening the severity of the debilitating
condition.http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/ 01biology/why-do-we-freeze-when-startled 02 biology/structured-for-strength 03 biology/structured-for-strength
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DIGEST
Issue 86 COSMOS – 15