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Mice that were free to scratch their itchy ears saw the number of immune cells go up and levels of infection-causing bacteria decline

Researchers have designed flexible, bat-like wings that boost lift and improve flight performance. This innovation could lead to more efficient drones or energy-harvesting technologies.

Flexible perovskite solar cells are promising for lightweight and versatile applications but their sensitivity to humidity and temperature poses a challenge to long-term durability. To address this, researchers have conducted a comprehensive study to test the degradation of these solar modules under extreme heat and humidity. Through accelerated testing, they identified how the water vapor transmission rates of barrier films affect the module's stability, giving critical insights for development of durable solar cells.

Personalized medicine aims to tailor treatments to individual patients. Until now, this has been done using a small number of parameters to predict the course of a disease. However, these few parameters are often not enough to understand the complexity of diseases such as cancer. A team of researchers has developed a new approach to this problem using artificial intelligence (AI).

A new study shows that artificial intelligence (AI) can help doctors make better decisions when treating cancer. However, it also highlights challenges in how doctors and AI work together. The study focused on AI-assisted radiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer).

A study suggests that a computer-generated breathing coach could be as effective as sessions with a human trainer.

A study suggests that a computer-generated breathing coach could be as effective as sessions with a human trainer.

Muon spin rotation ( SR) spectroscopy is a powerful technique used to study the behavior of materials at the atomic level. In this study, researchers employed SR to examine phosphorus-containing 12-phosphatetraphene 1 molecule (muoniated radical). Their findings provide new insights into the radical's structure and behavior, advancing understanding of reactive species and radical behavior.

A nanotechnology-based drug delivery system developed to save patients from repeated surgeries has proved to have unexpectedly long-lasting benefits in lab tests -- a promising sign for its potential to help human patients.

Researchers developed a new optical system that uses holograms to encode information, creating a level of encryption that traditional methods cannot penetrate.

Researchers developed a new optical system that uses holograms to encode information, creating a level of encryption that traditional methods cannot penetrate.

Researchers have shown that plumes of wildfire smoke can carry contaminants hundreds of kilometers, leaving a toxic and lingering footprint which has the potential to be re-released into the environment.

Researchers verified the chiral-induced spin selectivity effect, i.e., the influence of chiral molecules on spin, using spintronic analytical techniques.

Researchers report that a more efficient and environmentally friendly form of refrigeration might be on the horizon. The new technology is based on thermogalvanic cells that produce a cooling effect by way of a reversible electrochemical reaction. Thermogalvanic refrigeration is cheaper and more environmentally friendly than other cooling methods because it requires a far lower energy input, and its scalability means that it could be used for various applications -- from wearable cooling devices to industrial-grade scenarios.

Zaps of static electricity might be a wintertime annoyance, but to certain scientists, they represent an untapped source of energy. Using a device called a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), mechanical energy can be converted into electrical energy using triboelectric effect static. Many TENGs contain expensive, specially fabricated materials, but one team has instead used inexpensive store-bought tape, plastic and aluminum metal.

Researchers have developed a recyclable alternative to a durable class of plastics used for items like car tires, replacement hip joints and bowling balls.

Some US states may see the number of power cuts caused by hurricanes jump by 60 per cent by 2100 in a high-emissions scenario, affecting tens of millions each decade

People receiving talking therapy for mild to severe depression reported greater improvements to their symptoms when also taking creatine compared with those on a placebo

Today’s photos come from Phil Frymire, who sends us birds photographed in South Africa. Phil’s captions and IDs are indented, and you can enlarge his photos by clicking on them.

Moving on from my previous submissions of mammals, here is a selection of birds from an August trip to South Africa. Lilac-breasted rollers are unforgettable, but I am a bit fuzzy on some of the other identifications. I forgot some of them and had to look them up online. Hopefully readers can make corrections if any errors remain.

Red-crested korhaan (Lophotis ruficrista):

Magpie shrike (Urolestes melanoleucus)

A pair of African fish eagles (Haliaeetus vocifer):

White-backed vulture (Gyps africanus), waiting for lions to leave a giraffe kill:

This is a poor photo of a black-headed oriole (Oriolus larvatus). This bird is a beautiful bright yellow. This was the only one we saw and it was quite skittish:

African green pigeon (Treron calvus):

White-fronted bee-eater (Merops bullockoides), perched on some elephant dung:

A gaggle of Egyptian geese (Alopochen aegyptiaca):

Hooded vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus), waiting for lions to abandon a buffalo kill:

Crested barbet (Trachyphonus vaillantii):

Helmeted guinea fowl (Numisa meleagris):

This is a saddle-billed stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis). The first time I saw one I thought it must have an injury on its breast. No, the bare red spot is typical for the species:

Last, but certainly not least, my favorite bird seen on the trip, three lilac-breasted rollers (Coracias caudatus) [: This is my favorite African bird, too!]

Burn marks left on trees show that fires occurred frequently in North America from 1750 to 1880, but they tended to be less severe than modern fires and may have even been beneficial to forests