Higher activity in the ventral striatum, the brain’s reward center, may buffer some individuals against the negative mental health effects of poor sleep. Credit: Annchen R. Knodt, Duke University

Brain’s reward center activity may protect against negative mental health effects. Poor sleep is both a risk factor, and a common symptom, of depression. But not everyone who tosses and turns at night becomes depressed. Individuals whose brains are more attuned to rewards may be protected from the negative mental health effects of poor sleep, says a new study by Duke University neuroscientists.

The researchers found that college students with poor quality sleep were less likely to have symptoms of depression if they also had higher activity in a reward-sensitive region of the brain...

This is a figure showing RNA sequence of command. Credit: Professor Jaramillo/University of Warwick

New research has discovered that RNA can be genetically engineered to allow scientists to program the actions of a cell. As well as fighting disease and injury in humans, scientists could harness this technique to control plant cells and reverse environmental and agricultural issues, making plants more resilient to disease and pests.

RNAs carry information between protein and DNA in cells, and Professor Jaramillo has proved that these molecules can be produced and organised into tailor-made sequences of commands – similar to codes for computer software – which feed specific instructions into cells, programming them to do what we want.

Much like a classic Turing computer system, cells have th...

Ultra-high Data-rate Communication and Efficient Wireless Power Transfer at 13.56 MHz. IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters, 2017; 1 DOI: 10.1109/LAWP.2017.2736883

North Carolina State University researchers have developed a system that can simultaneously deliver watts of power and transmit data at rates high enough to stream video over the same wireless connection. By integrating power and high-speed data, a true single “wireless” connection can be achieved. A/Prof David Ricketts said: “One of the most popular applications is in wireless cell phone charging pads. As many know, these unfortunately often require almost physical contact with the pad, limiting the usefulness of a truly ‘wireless’ power source...