https://www.research-in-germany.org/en/news-and-research-areas/research-news http://www.research-in-germany.org/idw-news/en_US/2026/9/2026-09-01_In_tune_with_nature__Human_speech_follows_a_rhythm_that_is_also_found_in_the_animal_kingdom The temporal structure of speech rhythms resembles that of the communication signals of numerous animal species. This is shown by a recent study conducted by a research team from the Leibniz Centre for General Linguistics (ZAS) in Berlin, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, the University of Regensburg and the Institute for Advanced Studies at Aix-Marseille University. For the study, speech recordings from 48 languages across all inhabited continents were analysed and compared with rhythmic data from animal species such as fish, seals and birds. The aim was to determine whether the rhythm of human speech is unique, and if not, how it fits into a broader biological pattern across species. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:28:18 GMT http://www.research-in-germany.org/idw-news/en_US/2026/9/2026-09-01_In_tune_with_nature__Human_speech_follows_a_rhythm_that_is_also_found_in_the_animal_kingdom 2026-08-31T23:28:18Z http://www.research-in-germany.org/idw-news/en_US/2026/8/2026-08-31_Why_atmospheric_nanoparticles_grow_at_similar_rates_everywhere Authors: Thomas Berkemeier, Ulrich Pöschl The effects of temperature on the chemical composition, volatility and diffusivity of condensable organic vapors largely cancel each other out. This effectively buffers the rate at which new aerosol particles grow in the atmosphere. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 15:42:04 GMT http://www.research-in-germany.org/idw-news/en_US/2026/8/2026-08-31_Why_atmospheric_nanoparticles_grow_at_similar_rates_everywhere 2026-08-31T15:42:04Z http://www.research-in-germany.org/idw-news/en_US/2026/8/2026-08-31_Even_ancient_bacteria_possessed_intercellular_communication_structures_like_humans_today Biology: Publication in The EMBO Journal Communication between cells in plants, animals and humans takes place via specialised connecting structures. An international team led by biologists from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) and involving the University of Tübingen has now discovered how the regulation of very similar structures was already present in multicellular bacteria, implying that this must have originated much earlier in the course of evolution. In the scientific journal published by the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), they describe that the exchange of calcium plays a central role in bacteria, just as it does in humans. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT http://www.research-in-germany.org/idw-news/en_US/2026/8/2026-08-31_Even_ancient_bacteria_possessed_intercellular_communication_structures_like_humans_today 2026-08-31T15:00:00Z http://www.research-in-germany.org/idw-news/en_US/2026/8/2026-08-31_Semen_facilitates_infection_with_Monkeypox_virus Monkeypox virus used to be transmitted predominantly from animals to humans. In recent years, however, new virus variants have become increasingly capable of spreading from person to person. Researchers at Goethe University and Universitätsmedizin Frankfurt have now found that seminal fluid facilitates the uptake of monkeypox virus into cells. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT http://www.research-in-germany.org/idw-news/en_US/2026/8/2026-08-31_Semen_facilitates_infection_with_Monkeypox_virus 2026-08-31T14:00:00Z http://www.research-in-germany.org/idw-news/en_US/2026/8/2026-08-31_Higher_yields_and_greater_resilience__TUM_investigates_mechanisms_of_disease_resistance_in_plants Growth or immune response? Higher organisms must constantly balance these two priorities. As in humans, hormones regulate this balance in plants as well. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have now discovered a mechanism by which plant steroid hormones can inhibit immune responses and thereby make resources available for growth. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 10:53:44 GMT http://www.research-in-germany.org/idw-news/en_US/2026/8/2026-08-31_Higher_yields_and_greater_resilience__TUM_investigates_mechanisms_of_disease_resistance_in_plants 2026-08-31T10:53:44Z http://www.research-in-germany.org/idw-news/en_US/2026/8/2026-08-31_Smoky_Off-Flavors_in_Cocoa_Aren_t_Caused_Solely_by_Smoke Researchers show: Overfermentation can also cause undesirable flavors Fermented cocoa occasionally exhibits off-flavors that can compromise the quality of chocolate and other cocoa products. But what causes these undesirable flavors? Researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich have now shown that overfermentation of cocoa beans can cause smoky, leathery, and cheesy off-flavors. Smoky flavors, therefore, are not necessarily attributable to smoke contamination. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 10:01:23 GMT http://www.research-in-germany.org/idw-news/en_US/2026/8/2026-08-31_Smoky_Off-Flavors_in_Cocoa_Aren_t_Caused_Solely_by_Smoke 2026-08-31T10:01:23Z http://www.research-in-germany.org/idw-news/en_US/2026/8/2026-08-31_Flexible_Nanopores_Shed_New_Light_on_Parkinson_s_and_ALS In a promising new milestone for nanotechnology, Constructor University has contributed to a study that demonstrates self-assembling nanopores capable of detecting disease proteins associated with illnesses like Parkinson's and ALS. The international research project, published in the prestigious journal Nature Nanotechnology, produced synthetic nanoscale pores that adjust like a camera aperture to capture and analyze different proteins at low concentrations—even distinguishing between healthy proteins and the dangerous mutated versions that contribute to disease. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 08:47:22 GMT http://www.research-in-germany.org/idw-news/en_US/2026/8/2026-08-31_Flexible_Nanopores_Shed_New_Light_on_Parkinson_s_and_ALS 2026-08-31T08:47:22Z http://www.research-in-germany.org/idw-news/en_US/2026/8/2026-08-31_Treating_atrial_fibrillation__Study_provides_new_insights_into_quality_of_life Catheter ablation is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat atrial fibrillation, the world’s most common heart rhythm disorder. During the procedure, a catheter is guided through the femoral vein to the left atrium. Small areas of heart tissue are then ablated to disrupt the faulty electrical signals causing the irregular heartbeat. An international study led by Leipzig University, the Deutsches Herzzentrum der Charité (DHZC) and Leipzig Heart Center shows that although the procedure significantly reduces the recurrence of atrial fibrillation, after six months it provides no greater improvement in patients’ quality of life than a sham procedure. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 08:29:23 GMT http://www.research-in-germany.org/idw-news/en_US/2026/8/2026-08-31_Treating_atrial_fibrillation__Study_provides_new_insights_into_quality_of_life 2026-08-31T08:29:23Z http://www.research-in-germany.org/idw-news/en_US/2026/8/2026-08-28_Study_TU_Darmstadt__Those_who_understand_AI_better_are_more_afraid_of_losing_their_jobs Whether employees are worried about losing their jobs to AI depends largely on their knowledge of artificial intelligence – and on the extent to which their work can be digitalised. This is one of the findings of the latest AI Monitor published by TU Darmstadt, based on a representative survey of more than 2,000 people conducted in cooperation with the market research and polling institute YouGov. Fri, 28 Aug 2026 13:50:09 GMT http://www.research-in-germany.org/idw-news/en_US/2026/8/2026-08-28_Study_TU_Darmstadt__Those_who_understand_AI_better_are_more_afraid_of_losing_their_jobs 2026-08-28T13:50:09Z http://www.research-in-germany.org/idw-news/en_US/2026/8/2026-08-28_Record_Precision_in_Electrical_Resistance__Kajetan_Fijalkowski_Receives_Helmholtz_Prize Würzburg physicist Dr. Kajetan Fijalkowski conducts research into the high-precision measurement of electrical resistance. He has investigated the quantum anomalous Hall effect at a new level of precision, demonstrating that this effect can be used to determine electrical resistance with high accuracy — even without an external magnetic field. This could allow electrical units such as the ohm, volt, and ampere to be derived more reliably and directly from fundamental constants. For its work on this novel quantum resistance standard, a research team was presented with the Helmholtz Prize in the Fundamentals category in Berlin on August 25, 2026. The award comes with €20,000 in prize money. Fri, 28 Aug 2026 10:00:12 GMT http://www.research-in-germany.org/idw-news/en_US/2026/8/2026-08-28_Record_Precision_in_Electrical_Resistance__Kajetan_Fijalkowski_Receives_Helmholtz_Prize 2026-08-28T10:00:12Z