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Working memory might be more flexible than previously thought

Breaking with the long-held idea that working memory has fixed limits, a new study by researchers at Uppsala University and New York University suggests that these limits adapt themselves to the task that one is performing. The results are presented in the scientific journal eLife.

Matter and antimatter in the nanoscale magnetic universe: A gas of skyrmions (purple) and antiskyrmions (green) generated from the trochoidal dynamics of a single antiskyrmion seed. Credit: Joo-Von Kim, University Paris-Saclay

Magnetic antiparticles offer new horizons for information technologies

Nanosized magnetic particles called skyrmions are considered highly promising candidates for new data storage and information technologies. Now, physicists have revealed new behaviour involving the antiparticle equivalent of skyrmions in a ferromagnetic material. The results are published in Nature Electronics.

Late Maastrichtian marine assemblage. Image courtesy of Julius Csotonyi.

​The end-Cretaceous extinction unleashed modern shark diversity

A study that examined the shape of hundreds of fossilized shark teeth suggests that modern shark biodiversity was triggered by the end-Cretaceous mass extinction event, about 66 million years ago. This finding is reported this week in Current Biology.

​Magma storage and eruptive behaviour at Bali volcano

A new study by researchers at Uppsala University and INGV, Italy, sheds light on magma storage under the currently active Agung volcano on the island of Bali in Indonesia. Magma at Agung is stored at both mantle (~20 km) and shallow crustal (~5 km) depths, which may be a potential cause for sudden pressure-driven eruptions in this densely populated part of the world. (Scientific Reports 180712)

New research detects brain cell that improves learning

The workings of memory and learning have yet to be clarified, especially at the neural circuitry level. But researchers at Uppsala University have now, jointly with Brazilian collaborators, discovered a specific brain neuron with a central role in learning. This study, published in Neuron, may have a bearing on the potential for counteracting memory loss in Alzheimer’s disease.

Illustration of striking phenotypic differences between domestic and wild rabbits including changes in the size of the amygdala and the medial prefrontal cortex. Credit: Fabian Sinzinger

Striking differences in brain morphology between wild and domestic rabbits

The most characteristic feature of domestic animals is their tame behaviour. A team of scientists has now used high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study how domestication has affected brain morphology in domestic rabbits. The results show that domestication has had a profound effect on brain morphology in particular regions of the brain involved in fear processing.

UCDP: fatalities in organised violence still decreasing

​New data from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP), Uppsala University shows that the number of fatalities in organised violence decreased for the third consecutive year. In 2017, almost 90,000 deaths were recorded by UCDP, a decrease of 32% compared to the latest peak in 2014. The most significant drop took place in Syria.

Ecotoxicologist Cecilia Berg feeds the frogs in her laboratory at Uppsala University’s Department of Environmental Toxicology, one of the few laboratories worldwide that performs life-cycle testing of chemicals on frogs. Credit: Margareta Mattsson

Endocrine-disrupting pesticides impair frog reproduction

In a new study, researchers from Sweden and Britain have investigated how the endocrine-disrupting substance linuron affects reproduction in the West African clawed frog. The scientists found that linuron, which is used as a pesticicide, impaired the males’ fertility, and that tadpoles developed ovaries instead of testicles to a greater extent, which caused a female‐biased sex ratio.

Large-scale whaling in north Scandinavia may date back to 6th century

The intensive whaling that has pushed many species to the brink of extinction today may be several centuries older than previously assumed. This view is held by archaeologists from Uppsala and York whose findings are presented in the European Journal of Archaeology.

Extent of immune response associated with degree of inflammation and joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis

To diagnose rheumatoid arthritis, antibodies to the amino acid citrulline are commonly measured. A new study from Uppsala University shows that a broad mix of different antibodies in the joints is the dominant factor that can be associated with severe inflammation and joint damage. These findings, published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, may eventually lead to improved diagnostics.

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Uppsala University - quality, knowledge, and creativity since 1477

Founded in 1477, Uppsala University is the oldest university in Sweden. With more than 50,000 students and 7,500 employees in Uppsala and Visby, we are a broad university with research in social sciences, humanities, technology, natural sciences, medicine and pharmacology. Our mission is to conduct education and research of the highest quality and relevance to society on a long-term basis. Uppsala University is regularly ranked among the world’s top universities.

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