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| Only alcohol -- not caffeine, diet or lack of sleep -- might trigger heart rhythm condition Posted: 24 Nov 2021 12:41 PM PST New research that tested possible triggers of a common heart condition, including caffeine, sleep deprivation and sleeping on the left side, found that only alcohol use was consistently associated with more episodes of the heart arrhythmia. |
| Living walls can reduce heat lost from buildings by over 30% Posted: 24 Nov 2021 12:41 PM PST Retrofitting existing masonry cavity walled buildings with a green or living wall could be a game-changer in helping countries achieve net-zero commitments. |
| Morning exposure to deep red light improves declining eyesight Posted: 24 Nov 2021 12:41 PM PST Just three minutes of exposure to deep red light once a week, when delivered in the morning, can significantly improve declining eyesight, finds a pioneering new study. |
| A new way to generate electricity from waste heat: Using an antiferromagnet for solid devices Posted: 24 Nov 2021 12:40 PM PST Researchers have discovered a giant thermoelectric effect in an antiferromagnet. The study shows, surprisingly, that antiferromagnets can have the same value of the anomalous Nernst effect as conventional ferromagnets, but without any stray magnetic fields that would otherwise affect surrounding devices. The newly discovered recipe for generating large Nernst voltages opens a new research direction for the development of highly efficient thermoelectric devices. |
| New ultrahard diamond glass synthesized Posted: 24 Nov 2021 12:38 PM PST An international research team that synthesized a new ultrahard form of carbon glass with a wealth of potential practical applications for devices and electronics. It is the hardest known glass with the highest thermal conductivity among all glass materials. |
| Hubble witnesses shock wave of colliding gases in Running Man Nebula Posted: 24 Nov 2021 12:38 PM PST Mounded, luminous clouds of gas and dust glow in this Hubble image of a Herbig-Haro object known as HH 45. Herbig-Haro objects are a rarely seen type of nebula that occurs when hot gas ejected by a newborn star collides with the gas and dust around it at hundreds of miles per second, creating bright shock waves. In this image, blue indicates ionized oxygen (O II) and purple shows ionized magnesium (Mg II). Researchers were particularly interested in these elements because they can be used to identify shocks and ionization fronts. This object is located in the nebula NGC 1977, which itself is part of a complex of three nebulae called The Running Man. NGC 1977 -- like its companions NGC 1975 and NGC 1973 -- is a reflection nebula, which means that it doesn't emit light on its own, but reflects light from nearby stars, like a streetlight illuminating fog. Hubble observed this region to look for stellar jets and planet-forming disks around young stars, and examine how their environment affects the evolution of such disks. |
| Collapse of ancient Liangzhu culture caused by climate change Posted: 24 Nov 2021 12:38 PM PST Referred to as 'China's Venice of the Stone Age', the Liangzhu excavation site in eastern China is considered one of the most significant testimonies of early Chinese advanced civilization. More than 5000 years ago, the city already had an elaborate water management system. Until now, it has been controversial what led to the sudden collapse. Massive flooding triggered by anomalously intense monsoon rains caused the collapse, as geologists and climate researchers have now shown. |
| How eating less in early life could help with reproduction later on Posted: 23 Nov 2021 05:09 PM PST New research shows how switching from a restricted diet to eating as much as you like could be beneficial for reproduction in later life. Researchers studied the eating and mating habits of the small fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. They found that those that switched from a restricted diet to unlimited food, started mating and reproducing more. |
| Latte lovers rejoice! Study reveals drinking coffee could lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease Posted: 23 Nov 2021 10:14 AM PST Good news for those of us who can't face the day without their morning flat white: a long-term study has revealed drinking higher amounts of coffee may make you less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. |
| Prehistoric mums may have cared for kids better than we thought Posted: 23 Nov 2021 10:14 AM PST A new study has revealed the death rate of babies in ancient societies is not a reflection of poor healthcare, disease and other factors, but instead is an indication of the number of babies born in that era. |
| Can we perceive gender from children's voices? Posted: 23 Nov 2021 10:13 AM PST Researchers report developing a database of speech samples from children ages 5 to 18 to explore two questions: What types of changes occur in children's voices as they become adults, and how do listeners adjust to the enormous variability in acoustic patterns across speakers? When they presented listeners with both syllables and sentences from different speakers, gender identification improved for sentences. They said this supports the stylistic elements of speech that highlight gender differences and come across better in sentences. |
| Meat-eating 'vulture bees' sport acidic guts Posted: 23 Nov 2021 10:10 AM PST A little-known species of tropical bee has evolved an extra tooth for biting flesh and a gut that more closely resembles that of vultures rather than other bees. |
| Ancient human relative, Australopithecus sediba, 'walked like a human, but climbed like an ape' Posted: 23 Nov 2021 10:08 AM PST The recovery of new lumbar vertebrae from the lower back of a single individual of the human relative, Australopithecus sediba, and portions of other vertebrae of the same female from Malapa, South Africa, together with previously discovered vertebrae, form one of the most complete lower backs ever discovered in the early hominid record and give insight into how this ancient human relative walked and climbed. |
| Analysis of Mars’s wind-induced vibrations sheds light on the planet’s subsurface properties Posted: 23 Nov 2021 10:07 AM PST NASA's Mars mission InSight probes the geology of the Elysium Planitia, finding alternate layers of basalt and sediments. An international team of scientists compares on-the-ground data with data from models, which helps to understand, e.g., the surface's load-bearing capacity and trafficability. |
| Cause of biodiversity loss: Logistical Herculean tasks Posted: 22 Nov 2021 10:54 AM PST The question of the causes of species extinction confronts science with complex tasks. |
| Clear as (quasi) crystal: Scientists discover the first ferromagnetic quasicrystals Posted: 22 Nov 2021 10:54 AM PST Since the discovery of quasicrystals (QCs), solids that mimic crystals in their long-range order but lack periodicity, scientists have sought physical properties related to their peculiar structure. Now, an international group of researchers report a long-range magnetic order in QCs with icosahedral symmetry that turn ferromagnetic below certain temperatures. This groundbreaking discovery opens doors to future research on these exotic materials. |
| How people understand other people Posted: 22 Nov 2021 10:54 AM PST To successfully cooperate or compete with other people in everyday life, it is important to know what the other person thinks, feels, or wants. Researchers have explored which strategies people use to understand other people. |
| Feast or forage: Study finds circuit that helps a brain decide Posted: 22 Nov 2021 10:54 AM PST By integrating multiple sensory inputs, a loop of mutual inhibition among a small set of neurons allows worms to switch between long-lasting behavioral states. |
| Pathway for ‘green ammonia’ opens in a combined experimental and computational study Posted: 22 Nov 2021 10:54 AM PST A combined experimental and computational study shows promising results for a new class of catalysts producing ammonia under mild conditions. |
| Giving social support to others may boost your health Posted: 22 Nov 2021 10:54 AM PST When it comes to your health, being willing to give social support to your spouse, friends and family may be just as important as receiving assistance, a new study suggests. |
| Gold-based cancer therapy could face competition from other substances Posted: 22 Nov 2021 10:53 AM PST The gold complex auranofin has traditionally been used for treating rheumatism but is also being evaluated as a treatment for certain forms of cancer. Researchers now show that other molecules that inhibit the same biological system have a more specific effect than auranofin and therefore may have greater potential as cancer therapies. |
| Study digs up roles bacteria play in global carbon cycle Posted: 22 Nov 2021 10:53 AM PST Researchers have developed an innovative technique to track microbes and understand the various ways they process soil carbon, findings that add to our knowledge of how bacteria contribute to the global carbon cycle. |
| Deleting dysfunctional cells alleviates diabetes Posted: 22 Nov 2021 10:53 AM PST Eliminating old, dysfunctional cells in human fat also alleviates signs of diabetes, researchers report. The discovery could lead to new treatments for Type 2 diabetes and other metabolic diseases. |
| Getting quantum dots to stop blinking Posted: 22 Nov 2021 10:53 AM PST Quantum dots have many possible applications, but they are limited by their tendency to blink off at random intervals. Chemists have come up with a way to control this unwanted blinking without requiring any modification to the formulation or the manufacturing process. |
| Posted: 22 Nov 2021 10:53 AM PST Engineers have invented a breakthrough optical phase modulator that controls visible light -- without dimming it -- with the smallest footprint and lowest power consumption. New device will improve LIDAR for remote sensing, AR/VR goggles, quantum information processing chips, implantable optogenetic probes, and more. |
| Researchers reveal how to turn a global warming liability into a profitable food security solution Posted: 22 Nov 2021 10:53 AM PST Methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, can be captured and transformed into protein-rich feed for farmed fish -- an increasingly important food sector. A new analysis shows how to make the approach more cost-effective than current fish feeds. |
| Tracing mechanisms of large exon splicing during vertebrate evolution Posted: 20 Nov 2021 08:44 AM PST In vertebrates, large exons often skip splicing events and are evolutionarily conserved. Scientists from Nagoya University, Japan, have recently identified the mechanism behind regulated splicing of large constitutive exons which are rich in disordered regions, and their potential involvement in the assembly of transcription factors. They also explained how dual-regulation by two distinct groups of splicing factors ensures phase-separation of large exon-containing transcription factors. |
| A stealthy way to combat tumors Posted: 19 Nov 2021 12:56 PM PST Researchers uncovered a new way to indirectly activate T cells that can target tumors, by recruiting a population of helper immune cells called dendritic cells. |
| Delta-like SARS-CoV-2 variants are most likely to increase pandemic severity Posted: 19 Nov 2021 12:56 PM PST Mathematical model indicates SARS-CoV-2 variants that combine enhanced transmissibility with the ability to escape immunity cause more infections than variants with either trait alone. Understanding which type of variants are most likely to increase infections and pandemic severity could help researchers and public health officials interpret the significance of novel and existing variants and design tailored public health responses for various scenarios based on a variant's characteristics. In the case of Delta-like variants, vaccination is predicted to be highly beneficial because vaccinations would prevent a greater number of cases that a more transmissible virus would potentially cause, and because the milder nature of breakthrough infections should substantially reduce overall mortality. |
| New link between diet, intestinal stem cells and disease discovered Posted: 19 Nov 2021 12:56 PM PST Obesity, diabetes and gastrointestinal cancer are frequently linked to an unhealthy diet. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for this are not fully understood. Researchers have gained some new insights that help to better understand this connection. These findings provide an important basis for the development of non-invasive therapies. |
| Unborn babies could contract COVID-19, says study, but it would be uncommon Posted: 19 Nov 2021 12:56 PM PST An unborn baby could become infected with COVID-19 if their gut is exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, finds a new study. |
| Posted: 19 Nov 2021 12:55 PM PST A plant-based antiviral has been found to be just as effective at treating all variants of the virus SARS-CoV-2, even the highly infectious Delta variant. |
| Repurposed ALS drug shows promise in mouse model of rare childhood genetic disorder Posted: 19 Nov 2021 12:55 PM PST Riluzole, a drug approved to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a disease affecting nerve cells controlling movement, could slow the gradual loss of a particular brain cell that occurs in Niemann-Pick disease type C1 (NPC1), a rare genetic disorder affecting children and adolescents, suggests a study in mice. |
| Breaking down cancer’s defenses Posted: 19 Nov 2021 12:55 PM PST Researchers have developed a new probiotic bacteria designed to break down solid cancer cell walls and make other therapies more effective. |
| Can defects turn inert materials into useful, active ones? Posted: 19 Nov 2021 12:55 PM PST Demonstrating that a material thought to be always chemically inert, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), can be turned chemically active holds potential for a new class of catalysts with a wide range of applications, according to an international team of researchers. |
| Urbanization not always bad for food and land use diversity Posted: 19 Nov 2021 12:55 PM PST Widely accepted myths that urbanization negatively impacts food and land use biodiversity are incorrect, according to a team of researchers who developed a framework for evaluating this intersection. |
| Age, sex and waning COVID-19 antibodies Posted: 19 Nov 2021 12:55 PM PST Antibodies after COVID-19 vaccination peaked higher for women and younger people than men and individuals over the age of 65, respectively, but levels dropped by half within six months for everyone in a study group. |
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