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| Seasonal temperature impacts patient lab results Posted: 10 Dec 2021 08:30 AM PST Ambient temperature influences the results of some of the most used laboratory tests, and these distortions likely affect medical decision making, such as whether to prescribe medications, researchers report. The authors say that laboratories could statistically adjust for ambient temperature on test days when reporting lab results to account for day-to-day variability. |
| Scientists identify malfunctioning brain cells as potential target for Alzheimer's treatment Posted: 10 Dec 2021 08:30 AM PST Scientists have identified a rare population of potentially toxic senescent cells in human brains that can serve as a target for a new Alzheimer's disease treatment. |
| Dinosaurs’ last spring: Study pinpoints timing of Chicxulub asteroid impact Posted: 10 Dec 2021 07:31 AM PST Scientists conclusively confirm the time year of the catastrophic Chicxulub asteroid, responsible for the extinction of dinosaurs and 75 percent of life on Earth 66 million years ago. Springtime, the season of new beginnings, ended the 165-million-year reign of dinosaurs and changed the course of evolution on Earth. |
| An easy relationship between a beetle and its yeast symbiont Posted: 10 Dec 2021 07:31 AM PST Lizard beetles farm yeast inside bamboo stems for their developing larvae to eat. Scientists have now found that, contrary to other insect-fungus relationships, the job of the yeast in this one does not involve digesting the complex sugars in bamboo's woody tissues for its host. |
| First structure of human protein complex with 'license to kill' Posted: 10 Dec 2021 07:31 AM PST A team of researchers has for the first time visualized a human cell death complex linked to autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease, and injuries associated with excessive cell death. |
| Development of a versatile, accurate AI prediction technique even with a small number of experiments Posted: 10 Dec 2021 07:31 AM PST Researchers have used the chemical materials open platform framework to develop an AI technique capable of increasing the accuracy of machine learning-based predictions of material properties (e.g., strength, brittleness) through efficient use of material structural data obtained from only a small number of experiments. This technique may expedite the development of various materials, including polymers. |
| Resolving the puzzles of graphene superconductivity Posted: 10 Dec 2021 07:31 AM PST Since superconductivity in three-layered graphene was discovered in September, the physics community has been left puzzled. Now, three months later, physicists can successfully explain the results by drawing from a theory of unconventional superconductivity. |
| Posted: 10 Dec 2021 07:31 AM PST A study measured arterial stiffness in women from wide age range. Increased stiffness is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Age was a strong determinant of arterial stiffness. Indicative of the role of hormones, menstrual cycle phase, contraceptive pill phase and menopausal state were also associated with arterial stiffness. |
| New phenomenon: Forest mammals eavesdrop on messy monkeys Posted: 10 Dec 2021 07:31 AM PST Researchers have discovered a unique phenomenon among forest mammals -- eavesdropping. Their study demonstrates that various animal species depend on one another in more ways than ever imagined when it comes to finding food. Consequently, one species' disappearance from a habitat can have major consequences. |
| Dinosaurs and amber: A new window to the Cretaceous world from 110 million years ago Posted: 10 Dec 2021 07:31 AM PST New findings of amber in the site of Ariño in Teruel (Spain) have enabled the reconstruction of a swampy paleoenvironment with a rich coastal resin forest from 110 million years ago, from the era of dinosaurs. This place featured conifers and understories of gymnosperms and ferns, and flower plants, where insects, turtles, crocodiles, mammals and dinosaurs such as the species Proa valdearinnoensis and Europelta carbonensis lived. |
| Infant stars identified at the center of our galaxy Posted: 10 Dec 2021 07:31 AM PST A cosmic object originally classified as a gas and dust cloud actually consists of three stars and could resolve a controversy among astronomers. |
| The tetra-neutron – experiment finds evidence for a long-sought particle comprising four neutrons Posted: 10 Dec 2021 07:31 AM PST While all atomic nuclei except hydrogen are composed of protons and neutrons, physicists have been searching for a particle consisting of two, three or four neutrons for over half a century. Experiments by a team of physicists now indicate that a particle comprising four bound neutrons may well exist. |
| Innovative silicon nanochip can reprogram biological tissue in living body Posted: 10 Dec 2021 07:30 AM PST A silicon device that can change skin tissue into blood vessels and nerve cells has advanced from prototype to standardized fabrication, meaning it can now be made in a consistent, reproducible way. |
| Doctoral student finds alternative cell option for organs-on-chips Posted: 10 Dec 2021 07:30 AM PST Organ-on-a-chip technology has provided a push to discover new drugs for a variety of rare and ignored diseases for which current models either don't exist or lack precision. In particular, these platforms can include the cells of a patient, resulting in patient-specific discovery. |
| New biosensors shine a light on CRISPR gene editing Posted: 10 Dec 2021 07:29 AM PST Detecting the activity of CRISPR gene editing tools in organisms with the naked eye and an ultraviolet flashlight is now possible using new technology. |
| A step toward 'living biotherapeutics' Posted: 10 Dec 2021 06:30 AM PST Chemical engineers have developed a protective coating that helps anaerobic microbes survive the manufacturing process, making it potentially easier to use them to treat gastrointestinal disease. |
| Development of a high-energy-resolution, LaB6 nanowire-based field emission gun Posted: 10 Dec 2021 06:30 AM PST Engineers have developed a lanthanum hexaboride (LaB6) nanowire-based field emission gun that is installable on an aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope (TEM). This combined unit is able to perform atomic resolution observation at an energy resolution of 0.2 eV -- the highest resolution ever recorded for non-monochromatic electron guns -- with a high current stability of 0.4%. |
| Atom laser creates reflective patterns similar to light Posted: 10 Dec 2021 06:30 AM PST Cooled to almost absolute zero, atoms not only move in waves like light but also can be focused into shapes called caustics, similar to the reflecting or refracting patterns light makes on the bottom of a swimming pool or through a curved wine glass. In experiments, scientists have developed a technique to see these matter wave caustics by placing attractive or repulsive obstacles in the path of a cold atom laser. The results are curving cusps or folds, upward or downward 'V' shapes. These caustics have potential applications for highly precise measurement or timing devices such as interferometers and atomic clocks. |
| Real-world study shows the potential of gait authentication to enhance smartphone security Posted: 10 Dec 2021 06:30 AM PST A study showed that -- within an appropriate framework -- gait recognition could be a viable technique for protecting individuals and their data from potential crime. |
| Differentiating friends from foes in the fungal root microbiome Posted: 10 Dec 2021 06:28 AM PST A collaborative project has shed light on the fungal genetic determinants that explain why some fungi from the root microbiome can colonize roots and cause disease more efficiently than others. |
| Artificial intelligence that can discover hidden physical laws in various data Posted: 09 Dec 2021 07:21 PM PST Researchers have successfully developed artificial intelligence technology that can extract hidden equations of motion from regular observational data and create a model that is faithful to the laws of physics. This technology could enable us to discover the hidden equations of motion behind phenomena for which the laws were considered unexplainable. For example, it may be possible to use physics-based knowledge and simulations to examine ecosystem sustainability. |
| Virtual conferences are better for the environment and more inclusive Posted: 09 Dec 2021 05:17 PM PST A research team led by engineers found that virtual conferences are more inclusive than in-person events, and also carry a smaller environmental footprint. |
| Family dynamics can motivate and prevent talking about health Posted: 09 Dec 2021 05:17 PM PST New research explores how family dynamics factor into whether 18- to 25-year-olds share private health information and involve their parents when making medical decisions. Having open and respectful conversations and reciprocal information sharing early on could help improve an emerging adult's overall health. |
| Mini-jet found near Milky Way's supermassive black hole Posted: 09 Dec 2021 05:16 PM PST Our Milky Way's central black hole has a leak. This supermassive black hole looks like it still has the vestiges of a blowtorch-like jet dating back several thousand years. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope hasn't photographed the phantom jet but has helped find circumstantial evidence that it is still pushing feebly into a huge hydrogen cloud and then splattering, like the narrow stream from a hose aimed into a pile of sand. |
| Two-year follow up shows delaying umbilical cord clamping saves babies’ lives Posted: 09 Dec 2021 05:16 PM PST A new study finds that aiming to wait just 60 seconds to clamp the umbilical cord of very premature babies at birth continues to have benefits two years on - decreasing the child's risk of death or major disability. |
| Dinosaur faces and feet may have popped with color Posted: 09 Dec 2021 05:16 PM PST A study finds that there is a 50 percent chance that the common ancestor of birds and dinosaurs had bright colors on its skin, beaks and scales, but 0 percent chance that it had bright colors on its feathers or claws. |
| ‘Super trees’ may help save Houston … and beyond Posted: 09 Dec 2021 05:14 PM PST Statisticians are sharing strategies to identify 'super trees' for urban areas that help mitigate pollution, flooding and heat. |
| A beetle chemical defense gland offers clues about how complex organs evolve Posted: 09 Dec 2021 11:26 AM PST Rove beetles are among the chemists of the insect world, concocting noxious compounds within their bodies that are weaponized to ward off predators, enabling the beetles to survive in leaf litter and soil in ecosystems across the planet. Investigators studying a species of rove beetle report how two distinct cell types have come together to form a specialized gland for making and secreting these defensive cocktails. The work has implications for mapping out the evolution of more sophisticated organs found across the animal kingdom, including in humans. |
| Scientists solve the grass leaf conundrum Posted: 09 Dec 2021 11:25 AM PST The mystery of grass leaf formation has now been unraveled using the latest computational modelling and developmental genetic techniques. |
| Machine learning decodes tremors of the universe Posted: 09 Dec 2021 11:25 AM PST Researchers train a neural network to estimate -- in just a few seconds -- the precise characteristics of merging black holes based on their gravitational-wave emissions. The network determines the masses and spins of the black holes, where in the sky, at what angle, and how far away from Earth the merger took place. |
| How plasma swirling around black holes can produce heat and light Posted: 09 Dec 2021 11:25 AM PST Researchers have uncovered a process in the swirling masses of plasma surrounding black holes and neutron stars that can cause previously unexplained emissions of light and heat. These findings can increase basic understanding of fundamental astrophysical processes throughout the universe. |
| Common drugs affect our gut microbiome differently, with good and bad impacts on health Posted: 09 Dec 2021 11:25 AM PST Gut bacteria are both positively and negatively influenced by common medicines, new research shows. Medications that lower cholesterol and blood pressure are associated with a healthier composition and function of gut bacteria, while gastric acid inhibitors and antibiotics interfere with health-promoting bacterial communities. |
| The long-term consequences of sepsis: Years of treatment and care needs Posted: 09 Dec 2021 11:25 AM PST Three in four sepsis survivors experience new-onset memory problems, psychological impairments or physical diagnoses. This also applies to more than half of sepsis survivors under the age of 40 at the time of their discharge from hospital. |
| Quest to deliver ultra-fast and energy efficient magnetic recording moves step closer Posted: 09 Dec 2021 11:25 AM PST The quest to deliver ultra-fast and energy efficient magnetic recording could be a step closer to fruition, due to pioneering new research on all-optical switching of magnetization. |
| Are scientists homing in on a cure for Parkinson’s disease? Posted: 09 Dec 2021 10:39 AM PST A peptide known to prevent the protein error that gives rise to Parkinson's disease has been optimized by scientists. The new peptide is a strong candidate for future development into a cure. |
| Climate-only models likely underestimate species extinction Posted: 09 Dec 2021 10:39 AM PST To accurately predict species' distributions and risk of extinction, models must include more than just climate, according to new research. |
| A new super-cooled microwave source boosts the scale-up of quantum computers Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:44 AM PST Researchers have developed a circuit that produces the high-quality microwave signals required to control quantum computers while operating at temperatures near absolute zero. This is a key step towards moving the control system closer to the quantum processor, which may make it possible to greatly increase the number of qubits in the processor. |
| A diet rich in plant-based products reduces the risk of cognitive impairment in the elderly Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:44 AM PST A diet rich in plant products reduces the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia in the elderly. |
| Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:44 AM PST A new genomics marker tool has been shown to accurately identify tilapia species and tell apart their hybrids, providing a novel resource to help develop aquaculture and empower conservation in Tanzania, Africa. Crucially, the new tool offers a cheaper solution than full genome data analysis -- the current approach to monitoring local biodiversity. |
| Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:43 AM PST A new study suggests that persistent exposure to air pollutants in residential communities can impact health outcomes for COVID-19 patients. |
| Catch me if you can: How mRNA therapeutics are delivered into cells Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:43 AM PST In recent years, ribonucleic acid (RNA) has emerged as a powerful tool for the development of novel therapies. RNA is used to copy genetic information contained in our hereditary material, the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and then serves as a template for building proteins, the building blocks of life. Delivery of RNA into cells remains a major challenge for the development of novel therapies across a broad range of diseases. |
| DNA transcription speeds, a function of collective modes driven by DNA supercoiling Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:43 AM PST A team of physicists working at the intersection of theory and experiment are shedding new light on the 'teamwork' of molecular motors -- called RNA polymerases (RNAPs) -- that mediate DNA transcription. The researchers' work revealed for the first time two essential elements in modeling transcription under torsion: first, transcription factors that are well known to affect the rate at which RNAP initiate transcription can also control the propagation of DNA supercoils, and second, the number of RNAPs present affects the torsional stress experienced by individual RNAPs. |
| A tool to speed development of new solar cells Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:42 AM PST Researchers have developed a computational simulator that can help predict whether changes to materials or design will improve performance in new photovoltaic cells. |
| Fine-tuning motivation in the brain Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:42 AM PST Neuroscientists have discovered a set of brain cells that influence the motivation of mice to perform tasks for rewards. Increasing the cells' activity makes a mouse work harder or more vigorously. The neurons come with a feature that prevents the mouse from overdoing it and becoming addicted to the reward. The findings reveal new possible therapeutic strategies for treating mental illnesses like depression that impair motivation. |
| Researchers identify brain signals associated with OCD symptoms, paving way for adaptive treatment Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:42 AM PST The discovery of electrical signals in the brain associated with OCD could enable an emerging type of adaptive deep brain stimulation therapy as an improved treatment. |
| A young, sun-like star may hold warnings for life on Earth Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:42 AM PST Last year, scientists looked on as a star called EK Draconis ejected a massive burst of energy and charged particles many times more powerful than anything recorded on Earth's sun. Such explosive events may have been common in the early years of our solar system, the researchers say. |
| Previously unrecorded Chilean tsunami identified Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:42 AM PST A large earthquake off the coast of south-central Chile in 1737 may have caused a substantial tsunami that was absent from historical records. Historical records are used to predict how often tsunamis are likely to occur in a region in the future. Until now, it was previously believed that tsunami-causing earthquakes had occurred in this area of Chile three times since the 1570s, including after the magnitude 9.5 earthquake of 1960. However, this discovery of an unrecorded tsunami means that tsunamis may have struck the Chilean coast more frequently than previously believed. This means the average time between historical tsunami occurrences could be significantly reduced, to an average of 130 years. |
| Experimental mRNA HIV vaccine safe, shows promise in animals Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:42 AM PST An experimental HIV vaccine based on mRNA -- the same platform technology used in two highly effective COVID-19 vaccines -- shows promise in mice and non-human primates, according to scientists. Their results show that the novel vaccine was safe and prompted desired antibody and cellular immune responses against an HIV-like virus. |
| Talk between immune cells could lead to new cancer vaccine Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:42 AM PST In the past decade, immunotherapy has helped save the lives of many cancer patients, many with lung cancer, who might have otherwise faced almost certain death sentences. However, only about 20% of patients who received immune therapies -- designed to enhance or override natural limitations on immune system response -- saw sustained benefits from treatment. Now Yale scientists have helped identify crucial ways that immune system cells congregate and communicate with each other to identify and eradicate tumors, an insight that can help improve these outcomes. |
| Measuring cancer cell state can reveal drug susceptibility Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:42 AM PST Pancreatic cancer cells can exist in, and transition between, three different cell states, according to new research. These states respond differently to a variety of cancer drugs, and altering the tumor microenvironment can drive tumor cells from one state to another, potentially offering a way to make them more susceptible to a particular drug. |
| Fire hastens permafrost collapse in Arctic Alaska Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:42 AM PST While climate change is the primary driver of permafrost degradation in Arctic Alaska, a new analysis of 70 years of data reveals that tundra fires are accelerating that decline, contributing disproportionately to a phenomenon known as 'thermokarst,' the abrupt collapse of ice-rich permafrost as a result of thawing. |
| China’s crops at risk: Climate change boosts spread of crop pests and diseases Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:42 AM PST Crop pests and diseases in China have significantly increased, with climate change being one of the relevant drivers, new research finds. |
| Better deep brain stimulation therapy for OCD Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:42 AM PST Researchers captured more than 1,000 hours of brain recordings from patients with OCD in the clinic and at home. These data are a key first step towards designing improved deep brain stimulation (DBS) treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders. |
| Atomic structure of antifungal drug confirms unusual mechanism, opens door to less-toxic derivatives Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:42 AM PST Advanced molecular imaging technology has now mapped the structure of a drug widely used to treat fungal infections but whose workings have mystified researchers and physicians for nearly 70 years. Researchers now described in atomistic detail the structure of the drug amphotericin B, a powerful but toxic antifungal agent. Seeing the structure provides illumination in the researchers' quest to formulate less-toxic AmB derivatives. |
| Citizen scientists find young-Jupiter-like object missed by previous exoplanet searches Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:42 AM PST Citizen scientists have discovered a new object orbiting a Sun-like star that had been missed by previous searches. The object is very distant from its host star -- more than 1,600 times farther than the Earth is from the Sun -- and is thought to be a large planet or a small brown dwarf, a type of object that is not massive enough to burn hydrogen like true stars. |
| Algorithm shows that under the right conditions, mosquitoes can even flourish in winter Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:42 AM PST With an impressive capability of drinking up to three times their body weight in a single blood meal, mosquitoes are formidable parasites. But to reach adulthood, mosquitoes need to be raised in environments where the temperatures are conducive to their breeding, growth and development. |
| Early developmental gene can cause deadly aneurysms Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:37 AM PST Mutations of a gene that regulates formation of blood vessels in the brain of vertebrates can lead to potentially deadly aneurysms in adults. Saccular brain aneurysms affect nearly 3% of the human population. If they rupture, it can cause subarachnoid hemorrhage, the deadliest type of intracranial hemorrhage. Approximately 500,000 hemorrhagic strokes are reported annually worldwide; nearly one in four victims die before reaching the hospital. |
| How bone-bordering cells may help shape a skull Posted: 09 Dec 2021 09:36 AM PST In a study of mice, scientists showed how the activity of one gene, turned on in a newly discovered group of bone-bordering cells, may play an important role in shaping the skull. The skulls of mice that were missing the gene were misshapen and were depleted of the cells in a manner that is reminiscent of craniosynostosis, a developmental disorder that affects about one out every 2,500 babies born in the United States. |
| New study gives a better understanding of how housekeeping takes place in cells Posted: 09 Dec 2021 06:56 AM PST Normal household waste is collected and disposed of by waste collectors, and a similar process occurs in cells to remove damaged and potentially harmful proteins. A new research study provides a better understanding of how this is done. |
| Stretchy, washable battery brings wearable devices closer to reality Posted: 09 Dec 2021 06:56 AM PST Researchers have created what could be the first battery that is both flexible and washable. In addition to watches and patches for measuring vital signs, the battery might also be integrated with clothing that can actively change color or temperature. |
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