Main Regulator for the Body`s ‘Oven’ discovered

Main regulator for the body`s oven discovered
Main regulator for the body`s oven discovered – (from left): Prof. Alexander Pfeifer and Dr. Laia Reverte-Salisa identify protein that increases the formation of good brown and beige fat.© University Hospital Bonn (UKB) / Alessandro Winkler

Bonn researchers identify protein that increases the formation of good brown and beige fat. Brown fat cells convert energy into heat — a key to eliminating unwanted fat deposits. In addition, they also protect against cardiovascular diseases. Researchers from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the Transdisciplinary Research Area “Life & Health” at the University of Bonn have now identified the protein EPAC1 as a new pharmacological target to increase brown fat mass and activity. The long-term aim is to find medicines that support weight loss...

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New Study uses Machine Learning to Bridge the Reality Gap in Quantum Devices

New study uses machine learning to bridge the reality gap in quantum devices
(a) Device geometry including the gate electrodes (labeled G1–G8), donor ion plane, and an example disorder potential experienced by confined electrons. Typical flow of current from source to drain is indicated by the white arrow. (b) Schematic of the disorder inference process. Colors indicate the following: red for experimentally controllable variables, green for quantities relevant to the electrostatic model, blue for experimental device, and yellow for machine learning methods. Dashed arrows represent the process of generating training data for the deep learning approximation and are not part of the disorder inference process. Credit: Physical Review X (2024). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevX.14.011001

A study led by the University of Oxford has used the power of machine learning to ove...

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Centaurs Gain Comet-like Characteristics through Close Encounters with Jupiter, Saturn

Objects that look like asteroids can still become active for numerous reasons. These objects are known as Centaurs and can have spots of activity and generate tails.
Credit: Pamela L Gay/PSI.

A rapid reshaping of orbits resulting from a close encounter with Jupiter or Saturn can lead Centaurs to exhibit comet-like activity, according to a Planetary Science Institute Senior Scientist Eva Lilly paper.

Centaurs are small bodies similar to asteroids in size but to comets in composition that revolve around the sun in the outer solar system, mainly between the orbits of Jupiter and Neptune.

“We have found some answers to the long-standing mystery of why some Centaurs became active like comets while the rest appear like regular quiet asteroids. Nobody knew why they behaved this way...

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Lifespan Increases in Mice when Specific Brain Cells are Activated, study finds

In recent years, research has begun to reveal that the lines of communication between the body’s organs are key regulators of aging. When these lines are open, the body’s organs and systems work well together. But with age, communication lines deteriorate, and organs don’t get the molecular and electrical messages they need to function properly.

A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis identifies, in mice, a critical communication pathway connecting the brain and the body’s fat tissue in a feedback loop that appears central to energy production throughout the body. The research suggests that the gradual deterioration of this feedback loop contributes to the increasing health problems that are typical of natural aging.

The study—published in the jour...

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