US plutonium: Japan enjoys inside track

Recent trends of plutonium fallout observed in Japan: plutonium as a proxy for desertification.

Plutonium in monthly deposition samples collected in Tsukuba (the Meteorological Research Institute), Japan from 1990 to end of 2001 is reported, together with monthly plutonium deposition in Nagasaki and Yonaguni in 2000. The annual deposition of (239,240)Pu during the period from 1990 to 2001 shows no systematic interannual variation. However, monthly (239,240)Pu depositions show a typical se...

Our Brain Enjoys Making Friends

In fact, research shows that human beings who are socially isolated not only report higher rates of depression, which is a state characterized by persistent feelings of very low mood, they also get sick more often and live shorter lives [1]. Many brain functions are involved in allowing us to have healthy human interactions. One such function is empathy. Empathy allows us to understand and resp...

The Inside Track: Privileged Neural Communication through Axon-Carrying Dendrites

Whether morphology tailors functional properties of pyramidal neurons is not completely understood. In this issue of Neuron, Thome et al. (2014) show that, in hippocampal pyramidal neurons, axons frequently originate from basal dendrites rather than the soma, constituting a "privileged" channel for synaptic inputs located in these axon-carrying dendrites.

The Changing US-Japan Security Alliance

Plutonium problems.

Contaminants in Fish From the icy waters of Boston Harbor to the warm waves of San Diego Bay, bottomdwelling fish suffer liver damage caused by chemical contaminants, according to researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But seafood lovers need not panic, because damaged specimens were captured primarily in urban waters where commercial fishing is prohibited, said Lyn...