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ScienceDaily: Latest Science News |
| Immune memory less durable after severe COVID-19, study suggests Posted: 23 Dec 2021 01:10 PM PST Patients recovering from severe COVID-19 may have a more dysfunctional B cell response than patients who had less-severe COVID-19, a new study suggests. |
| New study adds more evidence for omicron immune evasion Posted: 23 Dec 2021 12:15 PM PST A new study adds more evidence that the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can evade the immune protection conferred by vaccines and natural infection and suggests the need for new vaccines and treatments that anticipate how the virus may soon evolve. |
| Templating approach stabilizes 'ideal' material for alternative solar cells Posted: 23 Dec 2021 11:31 AM PST Researchers have developed a method to stabilize a promising material known as perovskite for cheap solar cells, without compromising its near-perfect performance. |
| Posted: 23 Dec 2021 11:30 AM PST The two-meter skull of an enormous new ichthyosaur species, Earth's first known giant creature, reveals how both the extinct marine reptiles and modern whales became giants. |
| COVID-19 infection detected in deer in six Ohio locations Posted: 23 Dec 2021 08:32 AM PST Scientists have detected infection by at least three variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 in free-ranging white-tailed deer in six northeast Ohio locations, the research team has reported. |
| SARS-CoV-2 goes 'underground' to spread from cell to cell Posted: 23 Dec 2021 08:31 AM PST The virus that causes COVID-19 has adopted some stealth moves to stay alive and kicking, and one secret to its success is hiding from the immune system by spreading through cell-to-cell transmission, a new study has found. |
| What makes an mRNA vaccine so effective against severe COVID-19? Posted: 23 Dec 2021 08:31 AM PST A new study helps explain why mRNA vaccines have been so successful at preventing severe disease. |
| ‘Pop-up’ electronic sensors could detect when individual heart cells misbehave Posted: 23 Dec 2021 08:30 AM PST UC San Diego engineers developed a powerful new tool that directly measures the movement and speed of electrical signals inside heart cells, using tiny 'pop-up' sensors that poke into cells without damaging them. It could be used to gain more detailed insights into heart disorders and diseases. |
| No more annual flu shot? New target for universal influenza vaccine Posted: 23 Dec 2021 08:30 AM PST A new antibody discovered in the blood of some people vaccinated against or infected with influenza can recognize a broad variety of flu viruses. |
| Dominant SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variant evolved to evade our innate immune system Posted: 23 Dec 2021 08:30 AM PST The SARS-CoV-2 Alpha (B.1.1.7) variant mutated to evade our 'innate immune system', helping establish it as the world's first 'Variant of Concern', a new study finds. |
| Microorganism sheds new light on cancer resistance Posted: 23 Dec 2021 07:14 AM PST Scientists describe T. adhaerens' unusual behavior, including its capacity to repair its DNA even after significant radiation damage and to extrude injured cells, which later die. The findings advance scientific investigations of natural cancer-suppression mechanisms across life. Insights gleaned from these evolutionary adaptations may find their way into new and more effective therapies for this leading killer. |
| Posted: 23 Dec 2021 07:14 AM PST Researchers used magnetic resonance imaging to study the brains of secondary school students during a task focused on musical observation. They found that students trained to play music from a young age exhibited certain kinds of brain activity more strongly than other students. The researchers also observed a specific link between musical processing and areas of the brain associated with language processing for the first time. |
| Exposure to formaldehyde at work linked to cognitive problems later Posted: 22 Dec 2021 03:54 PM PST A variety of jobs expose people to formaldehyde, a strong-smelling gas used in manufacturing wood and chemical products, plastics and in other applications. A new study suggests that long-term exposure to formaldehyde during work may be associated with cognitive impairment later on. |
| Researchers lay groundwork for potential dog-allergy vaccine Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:32 PM PST Scientists have identified a series of molecular candidates for those parts of dog allergens that cause immune reactions in people--the first step in developing a vaccine against most causes of dog allergies. |
| Iodine in desert dust destroys ozone Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:31 PM PST When winds loft fine desert dust high into the atmosphere, iodine in that dust can trigger chemical reactions that destroy some air pollution, but also let greenhouse gases stick around longer. The finding may force researchers to re-evaluate how particles from land can impact the chemistry of the atmosphere. |
| Estimating the strength of selection for new COVID-19 variants Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:31 PM PST In an effort to make sense of new COVID-19 variants, scientists have developed methods to quantify how much more or less transmissible they are, which could have far-reaching implications for public health in terms of COVID-19 risk and the vaccination levels required to obtain herd immunity. |
| How tissues form complex shapes that enable organ function Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:31 PM PST From the smooth tubes of our arteries and veins to the textured pockets of our internal organs, our bodies are made of tissues arranged in complex shapes that aid in performing specific functions. |
| These fish work together by the hundreds of thousands to make waves Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:31 PM PST In the sports arena, spectators sometimes create a spectacle known as a wave, as successive groups stand up in unison to yell with arms in the air. Now, researchers have shown that small freshwater fish known as sulphur mollies do a similar thing, and for life or death reasons. The collective wave action produced by hundreds of thousands of fish working together helps to protect them from predatory birds. |
| Study confirms nutrient’s role in childhood blood cancer Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:31 PM PST A molecular building block of many animal proteins, the amino acid valine, plays a key role in cancerous growth seen in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a new study shows. |
| Ancient DNA reveals the world’s oldest family tree Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:31 PM PST Analysis of ancient DNA from one of the best-preserved Neolithic tombs in Britain has revealed that most of the people buried there were from five continuous generations of a single extended family. By analysing DNA extracted from the bones and teeth of 35 individuals entombed at Hazleton North long cairn in the Cotswolds-Severn region, the research team was able to detect that 27 of them were close biological relatives. The group lived approximately 5700 years ago. |
| Geneticists’ new research on ancient Britain contains insights on language, ancestry, kinship, milk Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:31 PM PST New research revealing a major migration to the island of Great Britain offers fresh insights into the languages spoken at the time, the ancestry of present-day England and Wales, and even ancient habits of dairy consumption. |
| Astronomers uncover largest group of rogue planets yet Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:31 PM PST Rogue planets are elusive cosmic objects that have masses comparable to those of the planets in our Solar System but do not orbit a star, instead roaming freely on their own. Not many were known until now, but a team of astronomers, using data from several European Southern Observatory (ESO) telescopes and other facilities, have just discovered at least 70 new rogue planets in our galaxy. This is the largest group of rogue planets ever discovered, an important step towards understanding the origins and features of these mysterious galactic nomads. |
| Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:31 PM PST Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who had a combination of high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, or other conditions associated with metabolic syndrome were at much higher risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and death, according to a new study. |
| How do our organs know when to stop growing? Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:30 PM PST The smallest fish in the world, the Paedocypris, measures only 7 millimeters. This is nothing compared to the 9 meters of the whale shark. The small fish shares many of the same genes and the same anatomy with the shark, but the dorsal and caudal fins, gills, stomach and heart, are thousands of times smaller! How do organs and tissues of this miniature fish stop growing very quickly, unlike those of their giant cousin? A multidisciplinary team was able to answer this fundamental question by studying its physics and using mathematical equations. |
| Astronomers capture black hole eruption spanning 16 times the full Moon in the sky Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:30 PM PST Astronomers have produced the most comprehensive image of radio emission from the nearest actively feeding supermassive black hole to Earth. The emission is powered by a central black hole in the galaxy Centaurus A, about 12 million light years away. When viewed from Earth, the eruption from Centaurus A now extends eight degrees across the sky -- the length of 16 full Moons laid side by side. |
| Solar flare throws light on ancient trade between the Islamic Middle East and the Viking Age Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:30 PM PST An interdisciplinary Danish team of researchers has used new astronomical knowledge to establish an exact time anchor for the arrival of trade flows from the Middle East in Viking-age Scandinavia. The results are published in the leading international journal Nature. |
| Tracking down the forces that shaped our Solar System’s evolution Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:30 PM PST Meteorites are remnants of the building blocks that formed Earth and the other planets orbiting our Sun. Recent analysis of their isotopic makeup led settles a longstanding debate about the geochemical evolution of our Solar System and our home planet. |
| Earth and Mars were formed from inner Solar System material Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:30 PM PST Cosmochemists now present the most comprehensive comparison to date of the isotopic composition of Earth, Mars and pristine building material from the inner and outer Solar System. |
| Scientists demonstrate a novel rocket for deep-space exploration Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:30 PM PST The growing interest in deep-space exploration has sparked the need for powerful long-lived rocket systems to drive spacecraft through the cosmos. Scientists have developed a tiny version of a Hall thruster propulsion system that increases the lifetime of the rocket and produces high power. |
| Semiconductors reach the quantum world Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:29 PM PST Quantum effects in superconductors could give semiconductor technology a new twist. Researchers have identified a composite material that could integrate quantum devices into semiconductor technology, making electronic components significantly more powerful. |
| Humble lizards offer surprising approach to engineering artificial lungs Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:29 PM PST A new study shows how the brown anole lizard solves one of nature's most complex problems -- breathing -- with ultimate simplicity. Whereas human lungs develop over months and years into baroque tree-like structures, the anole lung develops in just a few days into crude lobes covered with bulbous protuberances. These gourd-like structures, while far less refined, allow the lizard to exchange oxygen for waste gases just as human lungs do. And because they grow quickly by leveraging simple mechanical processes, anole lungs provide new inspiration for engineers designing advanced biotechnologies. |
| Quantum marbles in a bowl of light Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:11 PM PST Which factors determine how fast a quantum computer can perform its calculations? Physicists have devised an elegant experiment to answer this question. |
| Innovative X-ray imaging shows COVID-19 can cause vascular damage to the heart Posted: 22 Dec 2021 07:49 AM PST Researchers have detected significant changes in the heart muscle tissue of people who died from COVID-19. The study underpins the involvement of the heart in COVID-19 at the microscopic level by imaging and analyzing the affected tissue in the three dimensions. |
| Team succeeds in culturing the pygmy zebra octopus Posted: 22 Dec 2021 07:49 AM PST Researchers report culturing methods for the pygmy zebra octopus, an emerging laboratory research organism. |
| Posted: 22 Dec 2021 07:08 AM PST Scientists predict that continued global warming under current trends could lead to an elevation of the sea level by as much as five meters by the year 3000 CE. |
| For some Greenlanders, eating sugar is healthy Posted: 22 Dec 2021 07:08 AM PST A genetic variation among some Greenlanders makes sugar healthy -- significantly more than for most people. According to a new study, gut bacteria and a unique diet that has nourished Greenlanders for millennia have provided them with a genetic variation that offers an incredible advantage. |
| Novel biosensors set to revolutionize brain-controlled robotics Posted: 22 Dec 2021 07:08 AM PST A novel carbon-based biosensor is set to drive new innovations in brain-controlled robotics. The biosensor adheres to the skin of the face and head in order to detect electrical signals being sent by the brain. These signals can be translated into commands to control autonomous robotic systems. The sensor, made of epitaxial graphene grown onto a silicon carbide on silicon substrate, overcomes three major challenges of graphene-based biosensing: corrosion, durability and skin-contact resistance. |
| Reduce frailty to lower dementia Posted: 22 Dec 2021 05:40 AM PST Reducing frailty in older adults could be an effective strategy to prevent dementia, according to a largescale new study. |
| Machine learning models quantum devices Posted: 22 Dec 2021 05:40 AM PST Technologies that take advantage of novel quantum mechanical behaviors are likely to become commonplace in the near future. These may include devices that use quantum information as input and output data, which require careful verification due to inherent uncertainties. The verification is more challenging if the device is time dependent when the output depends on past inputs. For the first time, researchers using machine learning dramatically improved the efficiency of verification for time-dependent quantum devices by incorporating a certain memory effect present in these systems. |
| Developing bioactive coatings for better orthopaedic implants Posted: 22 Dec 2021 05:40 AM PST Bioactive coatings play a vital role in the success of implants such as those for knees or hips, because their properties induce a biological response that is good for the health. Researchers are working on a coating that mimics bone tissue. |
| People with IBD have more microplastics in their feces Posted: 22 Dec 2021 05:40 AM PST Microplastics -- tiny pieces of plastic less than 5 mm in length -- are everywhere, from bottled water to food to air. According to recent estimates, people consume tens of thousands of these particles each year, with unknown health consequences. Now, researchers have found that people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have more microplastics in their feces than healthy controls, suggesting that the fragments could be related to the disease process. |
| Study finds electric vehicles provide lower carbon emissions through additional channels Posted: 21 Dec 2021 06:25 PM PST A recent study found that the total indirect emissions from the supply of chain of electric vehicles pale in comparison to the same indirect emissions from fossil fuel-powered vehicles. |
| Toxoplasma parasites manipulate brain cells to survive Posted: 21 Dec 2021 06:24 PM PST Researchers have discovered that Toxoplasma parasites lay dormant and undetected inside neurons (brain cells) and muscle cells by releasing proteins that switch off the cells' ability to alert the immune system. |
| Wise old elephants keep the young calm Posted: 21 Dec 2021 06:24 PM PST Male elephants are more aggressive when fewer older males are present, new research suggests. |
| Fueling the future with new perovskite-related oxide-ion conductors Posted: 21 Dec 2021 06:24 PM PST Stable and high oxide-ion conductors based on a new hexagonal perovskite-related oxide has been reported in a recent study. These high-performance oxide-ion conductors could pave the way for the development of solid electrolytes for next-generation batteries and clean energy devices such as solid oxide fuel cells. |
| Could EKGs help doctors use AI to detect pulmonary embolisms? Posted: 21 Dec 2021 01:27 PM PST Pulmonary embolisms are dangerous, lung-clogging blot clots. In a pilot study, scientists showed that artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms can detect signs of these clots in electrocardiograms (EKGs), a finding which may one day help doctors with screening. |
| First model to predict lifetime risk of heart failure Posted: 21 Dec 2021 01:27 PM PST By answering a few basic questions, a new heart failure-risk model can provide an on-the-spot estimate of whether an individual will experience heart failure in the next 30 years. The ability to identify who is at greatest risk for heart failure -- especially among high-risk young adult populations -- will allow physicians to start prevention measures sooner. |
| Key neural mechanism believed to support advanced cognitive abilities discovered Posted: 21 Dec 2021 01:27 PM PST Scientists have discovered a neural mechanism that is believed to support advanced cognitive abilities such as planning and problem-solving. |
| Birds’ dazzling iridescence tied to nanoscale tweak of feather structure Posted: 21 Dec 2021 10:35 AM PST Researchers found that the iridescent shimmer that makes birds such as peacocks and hummingbirds so striking is rooted in an evolutionary tweak in feather nanostructure that has more than doubled the range of iridescent colors birds can display. This insight could help researchers understand how and when iridescence first evolved in birds, as well as inspire the development of new materials that can capture or manipulate light. |
| Tsunamis’ magnetic fields are detectable before sea level change Posted: 21 Dec 2021 10:35 AM PST A new study finds the magnetic field generated by a tsunami can be detected a few minutes earlier than changes in sea level and could improve warnings of these giant waves. |
| Form, function and a deadly fungus Posted: 21 Dec 2021 10:35 AM PST New research marks a major step forward in understanding C. auris biology, homing in on the genetics behind its ability to shape-shift from a round yeast form to a more hair-like, filamentous form -- potentially unlocking how the emerging pathogen causes disease. |
| Exquisitely preserved embryo found inside fossilized dinosaur egg Posted: 21 Dec 2021 10:35 AM PST A 72 to 66-million-year-old embryo found inside a fossilized dinosaur egg sheds new light on the link between the behavior of modern birds and dinosaurs, according to a new study. |
| 3D-bioprinted tissues can now be stored in the freezer until needed Posted: 21 Dec 2021 10:35 AM PST A major obstacle to widespread study and clinical use of 3D tissues is their short shelf-life, which may be anywhere from a just few hours to a few days. As in the case of an organ transplant, a bioprinted tissue must be transported rapidly to the location where it is needed, or it will not be viable. Researchers now describe new work combining 3D bioprinting with cryopreservative techniques to create tissues which can be preserved in a freezer at -196°C and thawed within minutes for immediate use. |
| Your seat on public transportation determines level of exposure to exhaled droplets, study finds Posted: 21 Dec 2021 10:35 AM PST In a new study, researchers developed a model with an unprecedented level of detail and focused on conditions that are more characteristic of asymptomatic transmission. The multiphysics model involved air and droplet dynamics, heat transfer, evaporation, humidity, and effects of ventilation systems. The researchers modeled various scenarios in close detail and were able to reconstruct their ventilation paths. |
| Robotic manipulators inspired by nature Posted: 21 Dec 2021 10:35 AM PST Traditional robots can have difficulty grasping and manipulating soft objects if their manipulators are not flexible in the way elephant trunks, octopus tentacles, or human fingers can be. Investigators developed a type of multiple-segment soft manipulator inspired by these biological systems. The soft manipulators are based on pneu-nets, which are pneumatically actuated elastomeric structures. The group designed manipulators for a variety of 3D trajectories by varying the geometric, material, and loading parameters for their pneu-net structures. |
| Genes are switched on in the human embryo from the get-go Posted: 21 Dec 2021 10:35 AM PST Scientists have discovered that genes in human embryos rapidly become active after fertilization, opening a new window onto the start of human embryonic life. |
| A new platform for controlled design of printed electronics with 2D materials Posted: 21 Dec 2021 10:35 AM PST Scientists have shown how electricity is transported in printed 2D materials, paving the way for design of flexible devices for healthcare and beyond. |
| Honing in on shared network of cancer genes Posted: 21 Dec 2021 10:35 AM PST Using network modeling, researchers have honed in on a set of gene interactions that are critical to malignancy and likely to be fertile ground for broad cancer therapies. |
| Sensor based on quantum physics could detect SARS-CoV-2 virus Posted: 21 Dec 2021 10:34 AM PST Researchers found it's possible to design a sensor, based on quantum physics, that could detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The approach may offer faster, cheaper, and more accurate detection of Covid-19, including of new variants. |
| Posted: 21 Dec 2021 10:34 AM PST As the Arctic and the oceans warm due to climate change, understanding how a rapidly changing environment may affect birds making annual journeys between the Arctic and the high seas is vital to international conservation efforts. However, for some Arctic species, there are still many unknowns about their migration routes. Using telemetry to solve some mysteries of three related seabird species -- the pomarine jaeger, parasitic jaeger and long-tailed jaeger -- scientists discovered they took different paths across four oceans from a shared central Canadian high Arctic nesting location. |
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