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| For female yellowthroats, there’s more than one way to spot a winning mate Posted: 14 Feb 2022 12:48 PM PST One population of female common yellowthroats prefer males with larger black masks, but another group of females favors a larger yellow bib. A new study has found that both kinds of ornaments are linked to superior genes. |
| Solar-powered system offers a route to inexpensive desalination Posted: 14 Feb 2022 11:40 AM PST Researchers developed a desalination system that is more efficient and less expensive than previous methods. In addition to providing fresh water, the process could be used to treat contaminated wastewater or generate steam for sterilizing medical instruments, all without requiring a power source other than sunlight. |
| Highly responsive immune cells seem to be beneficial for the brain Posted: 14 Feb 2022 11:40 AM PST New findings support the view that hyperactive immune cells in the brain can have a protective effect in the course of neurodegenerative diseases. |
| Behind a good mutation: How a gene variant protects against Alzheimer’s Posted: 14 Feb 2022 11:40 AM PST While the word 'mutation' may conjure up alarming notions, a mutation in brain immune cells serves a positive role in protecting people against Alzheimer's disease. Now biologists have discovered the mechanisms behind this crucial process. |
| Posted: 14 Feb 2022 11:40 AM PST With the early assessment of sustainable, newly developed chemicals and products it is possible to assess a potential risk of toxic substances being released at a later point in product cascades. In the course of the study the toxicity of sustainable biosurfactants, potentially applied in, e.g., bio-shampoos, and of a new technology for the economical deployment of plant protection agents were analyzed using a combination of computer modelling and laboratory experiments. The study is the first step towards a safe bioeconomy from an eco-toxicological stance, and which uses sustainable resources and processes to reduce environmental burdens significantly. |
| Secondary cratering on Earth: The Wyoming impact crater field Posted: 14 Feb 2022 11:40 AM PST Several dozen small impact craters, 10--70-m in size, have been discovered in southeastern Wyoming. A team of U.S. and German geoscientists found these ancient craters in exposed sedimentary layers from the Permian period (280 million years ago). After discovering the first craters, the team initially suspected that they are a crater-strewn field, formed by the breakup of an asteroid that entered the atmosphere. However, with the discovery of more and more craters over a wide area, this interpretation was ruled out. |
| New study reveals potential target for alcohol-associated liver disease Posted: 14 Feb 2022 11:40 AM PST Researchers have uncovered a new pathway that helps explain how consuming too much alcohol causes damage to the liver, specifically mitochondrial dysfunction in alcohol-associated liver disease. |
| A microbial compound in the gut leads to anxious behaviors in mice Posted: 14 Feb 2022 09:12 AM PST A new study shows how a particular molecule, produced by gut bacteria, affects brain function and promotes anxiety-like behaviors in mice. |
| New method for stimulating signaling to improve metabolic health and possibly treat obesity Posted: 14 Feb 2022 09:12 AM PST Following up on a 2018 study that identified an epigenetic modifier known as histone deacetylase 11 (HDAC11) as a potential therapeutic target for treating obesity and diabetes, researchers have published new research that finds HDAC11 regulates G protein-coupled receptors. |
| How galaxies can exist without dark matter Posted: 14 Feb 2022 09:12 AM PST Astrophysicists report how, when tiny galaxies collide with bigger ones, the bigger galaxies can strip the smaller galaxies of their dark matter -- matter that we can't see directly, but which astrophysicists think must exist because, without its gravitational effects, they couldn't explain things like the motions of a galaxy's stars. |
| 'Math neurons' identified in the brain Posted: 14 Feb 2022 09:12 AM PST The brain has neurons that fire specifically during certain mathematical operations. The findings indicate that some of the neurons detected are active exclusively during additions, while others are active during subtractions. They respond in the same manner whether the calculation instruction is written down as a word or a symbol. |
| Decolonize research to save heritage threatened by climate change Posted: 14 Feb 2022 08:18 AM PST Climate change threatens to destroy invaluable heritage sites and traditions in marginalized countries -- but empowering local people is key to adaptation. Locally led research and more equitable research funding are needed to address the true potential loss and damage to heritage from climate change, researchers argue. |
| DisCo: Boosting the efficiency of single-cell RNA sequencing Posted: 14 Feb 2022 08:18 AM PST Bioengineershave found a way to radically increase the efficiency of single-cell RNA-sequencing, a powerful tool that can 'read' the genetic profile of an individual cell. |
| Cell groups push, rather than pull, themselves into place as organs form and cancers spread Posted: 14 Feb 2022 08:18 AM PST A new study found in a living embryo that the back ends of moving cell groups push the group forward, with implications for how organs form and cancer spreads. |
| Transient BP spikes coupled to learning in brain Posted: 14 Feb 2022 08:18 AM PST Minor everyday rises in blood pressure due to short-term stressors can be linked to a brain area that controls conscious and learned motor skills. This discovery paves the way for a chance to influence the rises in blood pressure and, in the long run, prevent hypertension. |
| Mapping the quantum future with smart TV technology Posted: 14 Feb 2022 08:18 AM PST Scientists have created the first ever 2D map of the Overhauser field in organic LEDs, shedding light on the challenges we face in designing accurate quantum-based technologies. |
| Quest for quantum materials through better measurement of quantum entanglement Posted: 14 Feb 2022 08:18 AM PST A research team has developed a new algorithm to measure entanglement entropy, advancing the exploration of more comprehensive laws in quantum mechanics, a move closer towards actualization of application of quantum materials. |
| 'Amazing' nanoparticles from maize: A potent and economical anti-cancer therapeutic Posted: 14 Feb 2022 08:18 AM PST Nanomaterials have revolutionized the world of cancer therapy, and plant-derived nanoparticles have the added advantage of being cost-effective and easy to mass produce. Researchers have recently developed novel corn-derived bionanoparticles for targeting cancer cells directly, via an immune mechanism. The results are encouraging, and the technique has demonstrated efficacy in treating tumor-bearing laboratory mice. Moreover, no serious adverse effects have been reported in mice so far. |
| Satellite imagery gives researchers timeline of when swine waste lagoons were built Posted: 14 Feb 2022 08:18 AM PST Researchers have developed an automated technique that uses satellite imagery to determine when swine waste lagoons were constructed, allowing researchers to determine the extent to which these facilities may have affected environmental quality. |
| Disorder-engineered inorganic nanocrystals set a new efficiency record for ultrathin solar cells Posted: 14 Feb 2022 08:17 AM PST Researchers report on a novel disorder-engineering technique for inorganic solar cells that achieves a record-breaking power conversion efficiency. |
| Blood levels of common antiepileptic drugs drop during pregnancy, causing breakthrough seizures Posted: 14 Feb 2022 08:17 AM PST Blood levels of many commonly used antiepileptic drugs drop dramatically with the onset of pregnancy, report researchers. |
| DNA testing exposes tactics of international criminal networks trafficking elephant ivory Posted: 14 Feb 2022 08:17 AM PST Scientists have used genetic testing of ivory shipments seized by law enforcement to uncover the international criminal networks behind ivory trafficking out of Africa. The genetic connections across shipments that they've uncovered exposes an even higher degree of organization among ivory smuggling networks than previously known. The article incorporates results from DNA testing of more than 4,000 African elephant tusks from 49 different ivory seizures made in 12 African nations over a 17-year period. |
| Nuclear power may be the key to least-cost, zero-emission electricity systems Posted: 14 Feb 2022 08:17 AM PST Nuclear power generation can play a crucial role in helping the world reach a key goal of zero carbon emissions by the middle of the century, especially in countries with low wind resources, according to new work. |
| Study reveals likely link between mitochondrial dysfunction and age-dependent cognitive disorders Posted: 14 Feb 2022 06:58 AM PST Increased oxidative damage is linked to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Even though the pathophysiology of AD has been widely investigated, the likely relationship between mitochondrial dysfunction and the disease remains largely unknown. A research team has now confirmed that AD progression is linked to oxidative brain damage, which impairs cognitive function in AD transgenic mice in an age-dependent manner. |
| Fertility: A missing 'motor' causes our eggs to fail Posted: 14 Feb 2022 06:58 AM PST Human eggs often contain the wrong number of chromosomes, leading to miscarriages and infertility. A research team has discovered that human eggs are missing an important protein, which acts as a molecular motor. This motor helps to stabilize the machinery that separates the chromosomes during cell division. The researchers' findings open up new avenues for therapeutic approaches that could reduce chromosome segregation errors in human eggs. Researchers essentially find a way to recapitulate spindle stability in human eggs. |
| Study recommends six steps to improve our water quality Posted: 14 Feb 2022 06:58 AM PST Nitrogen fertilizers are critical for growing crops to feed the world, yet when applied in excess can pollute our water for decades. A new study provides six steps to address nitrogen pollution and improve water quality. |
| Helping the body overcome SARS-CoV-2 Posted: 14 Feb 2022 06:57 AM PST Interferons are the host's first line of defense against infections. Different subtypes of these messenger substances have different effects. Researchers showed which subtypes are most effective against SARS-CoV-2. The researchers not only elucidated the principles underlying the host's defense mechanisms against the virus, but also presented potential alternative treatment options for high-risk patients in the early stages of an infection. |
| Researchers find trove of proteins that may influence cystic fibrosis Posted: 14 Feb 2022 06:57 AM PST Researchers have identified hundreds of new proteins that could play a role in cystic fibrosis, and which may shed light on why some patients respond better than others to current therapies. |
| Cultivated and wild bananas in northern Viet Nam threatened by devastating fungal disease Posted: 14 Feb 2022 06:57 AM PST For over 100 years, Fusarium, one of the most important fungal plant pathogens, has affected banana production worldwide. In Viet Nam, predictions on its impact are dramatic: an estimated loss in banana production area of up to 71% within the next 25 years. To find out what individual species are causing the Fusarium wilt among Vietnamese bananas, an international research team used DNA analyses and morphological characterization. |
| A serendipitous finding lends new insight into how atopic dermatitis develops Posted: 14 Feb 2022 06:56 AM PST New research reveals a mechanism behind the inflammation that is a feature of the common skin disease. |
| Posted: 14 Feb 2022 06:55 AM PST Within the next 30 years, a highly destructive Nankai Trough megathrust earthquake is predicted to hit southwest Japan. Understanding long-term slow slip events that occur along the plate interface between the subducting Philippine Sea plate and overriding Amurian plate under the Bungo Channel is essential for pinpointing when such an earthquake will happen. |
| Posted: 12 Feb 2022 10:10 AM PST Bile duct cancer, also known as cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), is a rare cancer often diagnosed only at an advanced stage. A comprehensive analysis of diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic aspects of over 2,200 patients in Europe now provides a valuable knowledge base for raising awareness and managing CCA to improve outcomes. |
| Robots that can check your blood pressure Posted: 11 Feb 2022 07:27 AM PST Scientists are empowering small, humanoid-sensing robots to take a patient's blood pressure -- using only a simple touch. |
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