A new Tulane University study suggests the Mediterranean diet’s brain-boosting benefits may work by changing the balance of bacteria in the gut.

In a study published in Gut Microbes Reports, researchers at Tulane University School of Medicine found that subjects following a Mediterranean diet developed distinctly different gut bacteria patterns compared to those eating a typical Western diet. These bacterial changes correlated with better memory and cognitive performance.

“We’ve known that what we eat affects brain function, but this study explores how that could be happening,” said lead author Rebecca Solch-Ottaiano, Ph.D...

A new study in published in Physical Review Letters analyzes the most complete set of galaxy clustering data to test the ΛCDM model, revealing discrepancies in the formation of cosmic structures in the universe, hinting at a new physics.

The ΛCDM model is the standard model of cosmology describing the universe’s evolution, expansion, and structure. It encompasses cold dark matter (CDM), normal matter and radiation, and the cosmological constant (Λ), which accounts for dark energy.

The model has been successful in explaining several cosmological observations, including the large-scale structure of the univer...

Researchers are making strides in improving gene therapies for genetic diseases, particularly chronic kidney disease, using adeno-associated virus, or AAV, vectors. While AAV-based treatments have shown promise, delivering these therapies effectively to the kidneys has remained a challenge—until now.

There are many different types of AAV capsids—the protein shells of virus particles—that have been used to deliver genes to cells, each with unique effects...

A research team from DGIST’s (President Kunwoo Lee) Division of Energy & Environmental Technology, led by Principal Researcher Kim Jae-hyun, has developed a lithium metal battery using a “triple-layer solid polymer electrolyte” that offers greatly enhanced fire safety and an extended lifespan. This research holds promise for diverse applications, including in electric vehicles and large-scale energy storage systems.

Conventional solid polymer electrolyte batteries perform poorly due to structural limitations which hinder an optimal electrode contact.

This could not eliminate the issue of “dendrites” either, where lithium grows in tree-like structures during repeated charging and discharging cycles.

Dendrites are a critical issue, as an irregular lithium growth can disrupt bat...