ScienceDaily: Latest Science News |
| Hydrologic simulation models that inform policy decisions are difficult to interpret Posted: 11 Oct 2019 01:53 PM PDT Hydrologic models that simulate and predict water flow are used to estimate how natural systems respond to different scenarios such as changes in climate, land use, and soil management. The output from these models can inform policy and regulatory decisions regarding water and land management practices. Numerical models have become increasingly easy to employ with advances in computer technology and software with graphical user interface (GUI). While these technologies make the models more accessible, problems can arise if they are used by inexperienced modelers. |
| Brain protein promotes maintenance of chronic pain Posted: 11 Oct 2019 01:53 PM PDT Study results illuminate the potential of novel approach for the treatment of chronic pain. |
| Contextual engineering improves success of projects in non-industrial societies Posted: 11 Oct 2019 01:53 PM PDT Humanitarian engineering projects often focus on bringing western technologies to non-industrialized societies. But environmental and cultural factors in these locations may be very different from conditions in the West, and the projects may not meet client needs if engineers do not fully understand the context in which they are operating. |
| Black holes stunt growth of dwarf galaxies Posted: 11 Oct 2019 01:53 PM PDT Astronomers have discovered that powerful winds driven by supermassive black holes in the centers of dwarf galaxies have a significant impact on the evolution of these galaxies by suppressing star formation. |
| How preprocessing methods affect the conversion efficiency of biomass energy production Posted: 11 Oct 2019 01:53 PM PDT Research on energy production from biomass usually focuses on the amount of energy generated. But it is also important to consider how much energy goes into the process, a component that is often neglected. A study from the University of Illinois takes a look at the bioconversion efficiency of two products often used as biomass for energy production, miscanthus giganteus and sugarcane bagasse. |
| New tool enables Nova Scotia lobster fishery to address impacts of climate change Posted: 11 Oct 2019 12:53 PM PDT Researchers use long-term survey data sets and climate models to help fishing communities plan for a warmer ocean. Researchers have developed a tool that incorporates projected changes in ocean climate onto a geographic fishery management area. Now fishermen, resource managers, and policy-makers can use it to plan for the future sustainability of the lobster fishery in Nova Scotia and Canadian waters of the Gulf of Maine. |
| Nanoscale manipulation of light leads to exciting new advancement Posted: 11 Oct 2019 12:53 PM PDT Controlling the interactions between light and matter has been a long-standing ambition for scientists seeking to develop and advance numerous technologies that are fundamental to society. With the boom of nanotechnology in recent years, the nanoscale manipulation of light has become both, a promising pathway to continue this advancement, as well as a unique challenge due to new behaviors that appear when the dimensions of structures become comparable to the wavelength of light. |
| 'Electroadhesive' stamp picks up and puts down microscopic structures Posted: 11 Oct 2019 11:46 AM PDT New technique could enable assembly of circuit boards and displays with more minute components. |
| Coffee bean extracts alleviate inflammation, insulin resistance in mouse cells Posted: 11 Oct 2019 11:46 AM PDT Food science and human nutrition researchers are interested in the potential of inflammation-fighting compounds found in the silverskin and husk of coffee beans, not only for their benefits in alleviating chronic disease, but also in adding value to would-be 'waste' products from the coffee processing industry. |
| Opioid Rx dosages drop with state law changes Posted: 11 Oct 2019 11:46 AM PDT The total amount of opioids dispensed per new opioid prescription decreased by 22% in Penn Medicine outpatient practices in New Jersey after the state passed a law limiting prescriptions to a five-day supply for new opioid prescriptions. Penn Medicine implemented an electronic health record (EMR) alert, or 'nudge,' to notify clinicians if that limit had been reached. |
| New soft actuators could make soft robots less bulky Posted: 11 Oct 2019 11:20 AM PDT Engineers have developed a way to build soft robots that are compact, portable and multifunctional. The advance was made possible by creating soft, tubular actuators whose movements are electrically controlled, making them easy to integrate with small electronic components. As a proof of concept, engineers used the new actuators to build an untethered, battery-powered, walking soft robot and a soft gripper. |
| Fast-acting German insecticide lost in the aftermath of WWII Posted: 11 Oct 2019 10:19 AM PDT A new study explores the chemistry as well as the complicated and alarming history of DFDT, a fast-acting insecticide. |
| The impact of human-caused noise pollution on birds Posted: 11 Oct 2019 10:19 AM PDT Anthropogenic noise pollution (ANP) is a globally invasive phenomenon impacting natural systems, but most research has occurred at local scales with few species. Researchers in this study investigated continental-scale breeding season associations with ANP for 322 bird species to test whether local-scale predictions are consistent at broad spatial extents for an extensive group of North American bird species in the continental United States. |
| Sox9 reshapes the biliary tree in Alagille syndrome Posted: 11 Oct 2019 10:19 AM PDT Mose model shows that SOX9 gene influences the severity Alagille syndrome. |
| Six degrees of nuclear separation Posted: 11 Oct 2019 10:19 AM PDT For the first time, scientists have printed 3D parts that pave the way to recycling up to 97 percent of the waste produced by nuclear reactors. |
| Private property, not productivity, precipitated Neolithic agricultural revolution Posted: 11 Oct 2019 10:18 AM PDT The Neolithic Agricultural Revolution is one of the most thoroughly-studied episodes in prehistory. But a new article shows that most explanations for it don't agree with the evidence, and offers a new interpretation. |
| CO2 emissions cause lost labor productivity Posted: 11 Oct 2019 10:18 AM PDT Extreme high temperatures caused by CO2 emissions could lead to losses in labor productivity. The authors found that every trillion tons of CO2 emitted could cause global GDP losses of about half a percent. They add that we may already be seeing economic losses of as much as 2% of global GDP as a result of what we have already emitted. |
| Slower walkers have older brains and bodies at 45 Posted: 11 Oct 2019 08:22 AM PDT The walking speed of 45-year-olds can be used as a marker of their aging brains and bodies. The evidence was there in neurocognitive testing these individuals took at age 3 to indicate who would become the slower walkers. At 45, slower walkers have 'accelerated aging' on a 19-measure scale devised by researchers, and their lungs, teeth and immune systems tended to be in worse shape than the people who walked faster. |
| New test diagnoses Lyme disease within 15 minutes Posted: 11 Oct 2019 08:22 AM PDT Current testing for Lyme disease, called the standard 2-tiered approach or the STT, involves running two complex assays (ELISA and western blot) to detect antibodies against the bacterium, and requires experienced personnel in a lab, and a few hours to carry out and interpret. Biomedical engineers have developed a rapid microfluidic test that can detect Lyme disease with similar performance as the STT in a much shorter time -- 15 minutes. |
| Under time pressure, people tell us what we want to hear Posted: 11 Oct 2019 08:22 AM PDT When asked to answer questions quickly and impulsively, people tend to respond with a socially desirable answer rather than an honest one, a set of experiments shows. |
| Expert second opinion improves reliability of melanoma diagnoses Posted: 11 Oct 2019 08:22 AM PDT A new study has found that obtaining a second opinion from pathologists who are board certified or have fellowship training in dermatopathology can help improve the accuracy and reliability of diagnosing melanoma. |
| Family of crop viruses at the molecular level Posted: 11 Oct 2019 08:22 AM PDT For the first-time we can take a molecular-level look at one of the world's deadliest crop killers. |
| Overweight before age 40 increases the cancer risk Posted: 11 Oct 2019 08:22 AM PDT The risk of cancer increases considerably if you gain weight before the age of 40. |
| Habitual tea drinking modulates brain efficiency: Evidence from brain connectivity evaluation Posted: 11 Oct 2019 08:22 AM PDT The researchers recruited healthy older participants to two groups according to their history of tea drinking frequency and investigated both functional and structural networks to reveal the role of tea drinking on brain organization. |
| 'Cross-transfer' benefits of special exercise technique questioned Posted: 11 Oct 2019 08:22 AM PDT Researchers question the effectiveness of a patented exercise system for relieving lower back pain. |
| New material captures carbon dioxide and converts it into useful chemicals Posted: 11 Oct 2019 08:22 AM PDT The captured CO2 can be converted into useful organic materials. |
| Population aging to create pockets of climate vulnerability in the US Posted: 11 Oct 2019 08:22 AM PDT Population aging projections across the US show a divide between cities and rural areas, which could lead to pockets of vulnerability to climate change. |
| Overcoming the blood-brain-barrier: Delivering therapeutics to the brain Posted: 11 Oct 2019 06:59 AM PDT For the first time, scientists have identified a simple way that can effectively transport medication into the brain - which could lead to improved treatments for neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. |
| Physics: DNA-PAINT super-resolution microscopy at speed Posted: 11 Oct 2019 06:59 AM PDT Recent advances in fluorescence microscopy allow researchers to study biological processes below the classical diffraction limit of light. Researchers have now developed DNA-PAINT, a variant of these so-called super-resolution approaches. |
| Illumination of abnormal neuronal activities caused by myelin impairment Posted: 11 Oct 2019 06:59 AM PDT The neural circuit basis for motor learning tasks when myelination is impaired has been illuminated for the first time. Researchers also succeeded in compensating for the impaired motor learning process by pairing appropriate actions with brain photo-simulation to promote synchronization of neuronal activities. This could contribute to future treatments for neurological and psychiatric diseases in which white matter function is impaired. |
| Liquid metals the secret ingredients to clean up environment Posted: 11 Oct 2019 06:59 AM PDT Liquid metal catalysts show great promise for capturing carbon and cleaning up pollutants, requiring so little energy they can even be created in the kitchen. |
| Physics: An ultrafast glimpse of the photochemistry of the atmosphere Posted: 11 Oct 2019 06:59 AM PDT Researchers have explored the initial consequences of the interaction of light with molecules on the surface of nanoscopic aerosols. |
| Cold temperatures linked to high status Posted: 11 Oct 2019 06:59 AM PDT Researchers have discovered that people associate cold temperatures with luxury items, which is important for companies that are trying to promote products that convey high status. |
| Powerful new genomics method can be used to reveal the causes of rare genetic diseases Posted: 11 Oct 2019 06:59 AM PDT The technique makes use of the fact that people inherit two copies or ''alleles'' of virtually every gene, one from the mother and one from the father. The new method compares activity levels of maternal and paternal alleles across the genome and detects when the activity of an allele lies far enough outside the normal range to be a plausible cause of disease. |
| Rare sleep disorder common among veterans with PTSD Posted: 11 Oct 2019 06:59 AM PDT Military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder or concussion suffer from a thrashing form of sleep behavior at a rate that is far higher than the general population, according to a new study. Researchers next want to probe whether the sleep disorder might provide an early signal of the development of neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease. |
| Fairy-wrens change breeding habits to cope with climate change Posted: 11 Oct 2019 06:59 AM PDT Warmer temperatures linked to climate change are having a big impact on the breeding habits of one of Australia's most recognisable bird species. |
| Chronobiology: Sleep and synaptic rhythms Posted: 11 Oct 2019 06:59 AM PDT Chronobiologists show how critical the sleep-wake cycle is for protein and phosphorylation dynamics in synapses to ultimately regulate its activity. |
| Type 2 diabetes and obesity could be treated by new, less invasive procedure Posted: 11 Oct 2019 06:59 AM PDT New research has found that a newly tested medical device, called Sleeveballoon, mimics the effects of traditional bariatric surgery in rodents and produces impressive results on body weight, fatty liver and diabetes control. |
| Bacteria contradict Darwin: Survival of the friendliest Posted: 11 Oct 2019 06:59 AM PDT New microbial research suggests that 'survival of the friendliest' outweighs 'survival of the fittest' for groups of bacteria. Bacteria make space for one another and sacrifice properties if it benefits the bacterial community as a whole. |
| New genetic link found for some forms of SIDS Posted: 11 Oct 2019 04:47 AM PDT Some forms of sudden infant death syndrome stem from a genetic mutation that keeps infants from processing lipids in milk, a new study has discovered. The build-up of unprocessed fatty material disrupts heart functions. While no treatments are yet available, the finding could help in genetic screening. Drugs are also being tested to see if they can help. |
| Physicists look to navigational 'rhumb lines' to study polymer's unique spindle structure Posted: 11 Oct 2019 04:47 AM PDT A new study describes how spheres can be transformed into twisted spindles thanks to insights from 16th century navigational tools. Researchers show how polymers can contract into spiral structures, known as loxodromes, that have complex patterning ten times smaller than the width of a human hair. |
| A reliable clock for your microbiome Posted: 11 Oct 2019 04:47 AM PDT The microbiome is a treasure trove of information about human health and disease, but getting it to reveal its secrets is challenging. A new genetic 'repressilator' circuit acts like a clock that tracks how bacterial growth changes over time with single-cell precision. This tool allows scientists to noninvasively study the dynamics of the microbiome, and also unlocks the potential for complex, synthetic-biology-based diagnostics and therapeutics for the human gut. |
| Controlling superconducting regions within an exotic metal Posted: 11 Oct 2019 04:47 AM PDT Researchers have created a metallic microdevice in which they can define and tune patterns of superconductivity. Their discovery holds great promise for quantum technologies of the future. |
| Targeting immune cells may be potential therapy for Alzheimer's Posted: 11 Oct 2019 04:47 AM PDT A study has found that microglia drive neurodegeneration in diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, that are linked to tau protein. Targeting microglia may help treat such diseases. |
| Jumping genes can cause rare developmental disorders in children Posted: 11 Oct 2019 04:47 AM PDT The largest study of its kind into childhood developmental disorders has discovered that jumping genes cause genetic changes in some patients with undiagnosed neurodevelopmental diseases. The research enabled genetic diagnoses for three children with previously undiagnosed rare developmental diseases, enrolled in the Deciphering Developmental Disorders project. Reported in Nature Communications, these diagnoses will help the families access support and understand the disease risks for any future children. |
| Deciphering the early stages of Parkinson's disease is a matter of time Posted: 11 Oct 2019 04:47 AM PDT Researchers haveidentified for the first time the initial steps of alpha-synuclein protein aggregates related to early onsets of hereditary Parkinson cases. The results may help the understanding of the early stages of the disease and how it develops over time. |
| Radiation detector with the lowest noise in the world boosts quantum work Posted: 11 Oct 2019 04:47 AM PDT The nanoscale radiation detector is a hundred times faster than its predecessors, and can function without interruption. |
| Combination of techniques could improve security for IoT devices Posted: 10 Oct 2019 01:48 PM PDT A multi-pronged data analysis approach that can strengthen the security of Internet of Things (IoT) devices -- such as smart TVs, home video cameras and baby monitors -- against current risks and threats has been created. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |