ScienceDaily: Top News

Researchers have shed light on the structure of an enzyme important in the metabolism of the pathogenic bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii. The enzyme 'MtlD' is critical for the bacterium's synthesis of the sugar alcohol mannitol, with which it protects itself against water loss and desiccation in dry or salty environments such as blood or urine. Structural analysis has revealed weak spots where it might be possible to inhibit the enzyme and thus attack the pathogen.

The tropical tree, from whose seeds chocolate and other sweets are produced, has its secrets. Unravelling them is not so easy.

Earthworms are a welcome sight for gardeners and farmers because the wriggling invertebrates recycle nutrients from soil, making them more accessible to plants. As worms burrow, they consume almost everything in their path, including microscopic plastic pollution. Now, researchers have observed that earthworms actually prefer soil with some types of microplastics but digest the polymers differently, which the team suggests could impact the animals' health and the ecosystem.

When dieting and exercise aren't enough, weight-loss surgery can be an effective obesity treatment. But people who don't want surgery have other options, including insertion of an appetite-suppressing balloon or other implant in the stomach. Now, researchers report that they have augmented that procedure in laboratory animals by coating an implant with a laser-activated dye that kills cells producing ghrelin, the 'hunger hormone.'

Researchers have created a detailed set of maps examining the flood risk for all farmland in Iowa. The maps show 450,000 acres of crops in areas with a 50% chance of flooding, and losses from flooding averaging $230 million annually.

Researchers have used virtual reality and 3D eye-tracking technology to examine what drew the attention of the visitors when entering the stunning environment of an ancient Roman house. The team recreated the House of Greek Epigrams in 3D and tracked the gaze of study participants as they viewed the home.

On average, people with epilepsy live 10-12 years fewer than those who do not have the condition. Excess mortality is particularly pronounced among people with epilepsy and mental disorders.

Patients who are most likely to suffer severe pain following an operation can be reliably identified using a new technique.

Scientists presents evidence that adults can generate new brain cells, and that this process is dramatically altered in patients with long-term epilepsy. The study details the presence of newborn neurons and an immature version of a related cell type, known as astroglia, in patients with epilepsy, furnishing new evidence of neurogenesis in adults and new insights into how immature astroglia might contribute to epilepsy. The study also opens an unexplored avenue toward the development of new anti-seizure medications for millions of people.