The gut bacteria of giraffes are not primarily determined by what they eat, but by the species they belong to. This is shown in a new study from Uppsala University and Brown University in which researchers have analysed the link between diet and gut flora in three giraffe species in Kenya. The study also provides new knowledge that can help secure the food supply of endangered giraffe species.
Previous research has indicated that there is a resistance to education among young people in industrial towns. A new thesis based on interviews with young people and parents in Söderhamn shows that this is not the case. They have a positive view of higher education and believe continuing with their education can be necessary to get a good job.
Researchers have uncovered the ancestral origins and genetic diversity of the Fulani, one of Africa’s largest pastoral populations. The study reveals a complex genetic ancestry with influences from both North and West African groups, shaped by historical migrations that have left a lasting impact on their genetic landscape.
Should the world stop using the name ‘Russia’ and go back to the old name ‘Muscovy’? The question has been raised by critics of Russia in recent years and in his new book “Russia reverts to Muscovy”, Stefan Hedlund, Professor Emeritus of East European Studies, highlights several arguments in favour of a change of name.
The American artist and author Joe Brainard (1942–1994) stood out with his strikingly unique style of writing, manifested among other ways in his many years of correspondence with other well-known artists and writers. Selections from his letters have now been published in a new volume with comments and analyses by Daniel Kane, professor of American literature at Uppsala University.
On the exoplanet WASP-127b, over 500 light years away, wind speeds can reach 33,000 kilometres per hour, according to a study by an international team of scientists. This is the first time winds of this type have been detected and it has been possible thanks to an instrument partly built at Uppsala University. The study is published in Astronomy & Astrophysics.
Professor Aarti Gupta from Wageningen University and Professor Frank Biermann from Utrecht University will become Visiting Professors of Climate Change Leadership at Uppsala University. The ten-year visiting professorship, with a new professor invited each or every other year, is funded by a donation to Uppsala University by entrepreneur Niklas Zennström and his wife, Catherine Zennström.
People with the skin condition psoriasis often have invisible inflammation in the small intestine with an increased propensity for ‘leaky gut’, according to new research at Uppsala University. These changes in the gut could explain why psoriasis sufferers often have gastrointestinal problems and are more prone to developing Crohn’s disease.
A recent study shows that the Semliki Forest virus enters the central nervous system by first entering the cerebrospinal fluid and then binding to a specific cell type before penetrating deeper into the brain. This finding could potentially be used to develop the Semliki Forest virus as an agent for treating brain cancer. The study has been published in the journal Nature Communications.
New study: An app can help parents who are mourning the loss of a child. Parents who used the app for three months reported reduced symptoms of prolonged grief and post-traumatic stress, and also had fewer negative thoughts. Some parents thought that in future, the app should be offered early in the process of mourning. The study is published in the scholarly journal Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.
Researchers have analysed the effects of seven different hormone treatments for menopausal symptoms, and the risk of blood clots, stroke and heart attack. The risks differ depending on the active substance and how the medicine is taken. The study involves around one million women aged 50-58 and is the largest and most comprehensive study of currently prescribed hormonal substances in the world.
In an international collaboration, researchers at Uppsala University have been able to identify undigested food remains, plants and prey in the fossilised faeces of dinosaurs. These analyses of hundreds of samples provide clues about the role dinosaurs played in the ecosystem around 200 million years ago. The findings have been published in the journal Nature.