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| Bone marrow cancer: Potential drug targets Posted: 17 Mar 2022 02:24 PM PDT New research finds that patients with ASXL1-mutant chronic myelomonocytic leukemia -- an uncommon type of cancer of the bone marrow -- have distinctive epigenetic changes that can activate harmful genes and cause the cancer to grow faster. The ASXL1 genetic mutation also can transform the disease into the more aggressive acute myeloid leukemia. |
| Physicists find direct evidence of strong electron correlation in a 2D material Posted: 17 Mar 2022 01:36 PM PDT MIT physicists have detected electron correlations in a 2D material called ABC trilayer graphene. Understanding how electron correlations drive electrical states can help scientists engineer exotic functional materials, such as unconventional superconductors. |
| Massive study shows urbanization drives adaptive evolution Posted: 17 Mar 2022 01:36 PM PDT A massive study on a tiny roadside weed shows urbanization is leading to adaptive evolution at a global scale. Scientists from 160 cities across six continents collected more than 110,000 samples of white clover plants in urban, suburban, and rural areas to study urbanization's effects on the plants. |
| New computer predictive model useful in identifying ancient hunter-gatherer sites Posted: 17 Mar 2022 01:36 PM PDT Researchers looking to identify some of the most difficult 'finds' in archaeology --including sites used by nomadic hunter-gatherer communities--are tapping technology to help in the search. |
| How cattle ranchers in Brazil could help reduce carbon emissions Posted: 17 Mar 2022 01:36 PM PDT Providing customized training to Brazilian ranchers can not only help keep carbon in the ground, but improve their livelihoods and mitigate climate change, according to new research. |
| As oceans warm, marine cold spells are disappearing Posted: 17 Mar 2022 01:34 PM PDT Marine cold spells are cold versions of heat waves: periods of exceptionally cold water, able to hurt or help the ecosystems they hit. Today, the oceans experience just 25% of the number of cold spell days they did in the 1980s, and cold spells are about 15% less intense, researchers found. Weaker cold spells could mean they're less likely to cause mass die-off events, but having fewer cold spells also means refuges and recovery periods from marine heat waves are disappearing. |
| New strategy for designing thermoelectric materials Posted: 17 Mar 2022 11:37 AM PDT Scientists have developed a new approach to the design of thermoelectric materials by constructing a database of electronic structure parameters correlated with materials' thermoelectric conversion properties and by a comprehensive analysis of the database. This approach can be used to develop higher performance thermoelectric materials. |
| Chemists find a quick way to synthesize novel neuroactive compounds found in rainforest tree Posted: 17 Mar 2022 11:37 AM PDT A potential cornucopia of neuroactive compounds, which might yield clues to the design of future psychiatric and neurological drugs, has become more accessible to synthetic chemists. |
| Smoke from major wildfires destroys the ozone layer Posted: 17 Mar 2022 11:37 AM PDT A new study shows that smoke from wildfires destroys the ozone layer. Researchers caution that if major fires become more frequent with a changing climate, more damaging ultraviolet radiation from the sun will reach the ground. |
| Pioneering technique could unlock targeted treatments for cancer Posted: 17 Mar 2022 11:37 AM PDT Researchers have described application of a pioneering chemical technique which could unlock ground-breaking new treatments for cancer and other diseases. |
| Rapid adaptation in fruit flies Posted: 17 Mar 2022 11:37 AM PDT Evolution is normally considered to be a gradual process, unfolding over long timescales. But new findings show that widespread physical and genomic adaptation to the environment can occur within just weeks. |
| Lighting the way to healthier daily rhythms Posted: 17 Mar 2022 11:37 AM PDT A new report addresses the issue of exactly how bright lighting should be during the day and in the evening to support healthy body rhythms, restful sleep, and daytime alertness. |
| Forest restoration must navigate trade-offs between environmental and wood production goals Posted: 17 Mar 2022 11:37 AM PDT Forest restoration schemes should prioritize restoring native forests for greatest climate and environmental benefits, but these benefits incur a trade-off with wood production in comparison with tree plantations. |
| Methane-eating bacteria convert greenhouse gas to fuel Posted: 17 Mar 2022 11:37 AM PDT Methanotrophic bacteria consume 30 million metric tons of methane per year and have captivated researchers for their natural ability to convert the potent greenhouse gas into usable fuel. Yet we know very little about how the complex reaction occurs, limiting our ability to use the double benefit to our advantage. |
| Lithium may decrease risk of developing dementia Posted: 17 Mar 2022 11:37 AM PDT Researchers have identified a link suggesting that lithium could decrease the risk of developing dementia, which affects nearly one million people in the UK. |
| Long-suspected turbocharger for memory found in brain cells of mice Posted: 17 Mar 2022 11:32 AM PDT Scientists have long known that learning requires the flow of calcium into and out of brain cells. But researchers have now discovered that floods of calcium originating from within neurons can also boost learning. The finding emerged from studies of how mice remember new places they explore. |
| Scientists discover why women are more resistant to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease than men Posted: 17 Mar 2022 09:04 AM PDT Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. However, why premenopausal women are more resistant to NAFLD than men is currently unknown. Now, scientists demonstrate, through sex-balanced experiments on mice, that the female liver produces higher levels of a protein that has a protective effect against NAFLD. Their findings could lead to new therapeutic strategies for treating NAFLD. |
| AI provides accurate breast density classification Posted: 17 Mar 2022 09:04 AM PDT An artificial intelligence (AI) tool can accurately and consistently classify breast density on mammograms, according to a new study. |
| Mathematical paradoxes demonstrate the limits of AI Posted: 17 Mar 2022 09:03 AM PDT Humans are usually pretty good at recognizing when they get things wrong, but artificial intelligence systems are not. According to a new study, AI generally suffers from inherent limitations due to a century-old mathematical paradox. |
| Researchers put a spotlight on aggressive cancer cells Posted: 17 Mar 2022 09:03 AM PDT Metastases in cancer are often caused by a few abnormal cells. These behave more aggressively than the other cancer cells in a tumor. Researchers are now on a method to detect these cells. |
| Engineering an 'invisible cloak' for bacteria to deliver drugs to tumors Posted: 17 Mar 2022 09:03 AM PDT Researchers have genetically engineered a microbial encapsulation system for therapeutic bacteria that can hide them from immune systems, enabling them to reach tumors more effectively and kill cancer cells in mice. |
| The oxidation of volcanoes -- a magma opus Posted: 17 Mar 2022 09:03 AM PDT A new study unlocks the science behind a key ingredient -- namely oxygen -- in some of the world's most violent volcanoes. The research offers a new model for understanding the oxidation state of arc magmas, the lavas that form some volcanoes, such as the one that erupted dramatically in Tonga earlier this year. The plume from Tonga's underwater volcanic eruption on Jan. 15 rose 36 miles into the air. Ash from the volcano reached the mesosphere, Earth's third layer of atmosphere. |
| In U.S., alcohol use disorder linked to 232 million missed workdays annually Posted: 17 Mar 2022 08:19 AM PDT Researchers have found that people with severe alcohol use disorder miss more than double the number of workdays missed by individuals without alcohol use disorder. |
| Posted: 17 Mar 2022 08:19 AM PDT A delta breakthrough infection generates a potent and broad neutralizing antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 in double vaccinated individuals, according to new research. |
| Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease treatment shows promising early results Posted: 17 Mar 2022 08:19 AM PDT A promising new treatment for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) has shown 'very encouraging' early results following its use in six patients. |
| Large study on traumatic brain injury highlights global inequality in causes and treatment Posted: 17 Mar 2022 08:19 AM PDT A large study examining the surgical management of traumatic brain injuries highlights regional inequalities in both major causes and treatment of such injuries. |
| A gene could prevent Parkinson's disease Posted: 17 Mar 2022 08:19 AM PDT Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the destruction of a specific population of neurons: the dopaminergic neurons. A team has investigated the destruction of these dopaminergic neurons using the fruit fly as study model. The scientists identified a key protein in flies, and also in mice, which plays a protective role against this disease and could be a new therapeutic target. |
| Black swifts descended rapidly during lunar eclipse Posted: 17 Mar 2022 08:19 AM PDT An international research team has studied the flight behavior of the mysterious black swift. They found, among other things, that the black swift rises to extreme heights during a full moon, seemingly catching insects in the moonlight. And, during a lunar eclipse, the birds simultaneously lost altitude. |
| Aspects of Asian elephants’ social life are related to their amount of stress hormones Posted: 17 Mar 2022 08:19 AM PDT An international team of scientists found that sociality is linked to stress in Asian elephants. For example, loneliness increased male elephants' level of stress, whereas having babies present reduced the stress level in female elephants. |
| Rare monkey adapts to fragmented habitat by dieting and reducing activity Posted: 17 Mar 2022 08:18 AM PDT A team of scientists found that a rare species of monkey in Bolivia has adapted to living in a fragmented forest by dieting and moving less during lean times. |
| New PCR test can identify all SARS-CoV-2 variants in a positive patient sample Posted: 17 Mar 2022 08:18 AM PDT As SARS-C0V-2 variants emerged, researchers developed a PCR test that uses molecular beacons not only to diagnose COVID-19 infection, but also to identify the specific variant causing that infection. |
| Plasma biomarker screening could improve accuracy, health equity in Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis Posted: 17 Mar 2022 08:18 AM PDT A new study focuses on RNA molecules in plasma as biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease in African Americans -- the population at greatest risk for developing Alzheimer's disease. This approach enabled researchers to pinpoint specific molecules in plasma that could serve as biomarkers to confirm a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease in this population. |
| Alzheimer’s: Protective immune cells active decades before symptom onset Posted: 17 Mar 2022 06:47 AM PDT In individuals with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's disease, the immune cells of the brain -- the 'microglia' -- start exerting a protective effect up to two decades before the first symptoms appear. A team draws this conclusion based on a study of more than 200 volunteers. In light of their study data, the scientists consider modulating the activity of microglia to be a promising therapeutic approach. To this end, they aim to develop drugs that target a cellular receptor called TREM2. |
| Moon's orbit proposed as a gravitational wave detector Posted: 17 Mar 2022 06:47 AM PDT Researchers propose using the variations in distance between the Earth and the Moon, which can be measured with a precision of less than a centimeter, as a new gravitational wave detector within a frequency range that current devices cannot detect. The research could pave the way for the detection of signals from the early universe. |
| Public transport: AI assesses resilience of timetables Posted: 17 Mar 2022 06:47 AM PDT A brief traffic jam, a stuck door, or many passengers getting on and off at a stop - even small delays in the timetables of trains and buses can lead to major problems. A new artificial intelligence (AI) could help designing schedules that are less susceptible to those minor disruptions. |
| New study finds higher rates of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes after infection with mild COVID-19 Posted: 17 Mar 2022 06:47 AM PDT New research suggests a possible association between mild COVID-19 cases and subsequently diagnosing type 2 diabetes. |
| Monkeys play to reduce group tension Posted: 17 Mar 2022 06:47 AM PDT New research has discovered that monkeys use play to avoid conflict and reduce group tension. The study found that adult howler monkeys spend more time playing with other adults, rather than juveniles. And rather than being associated with fun or education, play increases when howler monkeys are foraging for fruit, which is a highly prized resource that generates competition. |
| Mother to child transmission of COVID-19 infection, possible but rare, study finds Posted: 17 Mar 2022 06:47 AM PDT SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing the COVID-19 infection, can be transmitted from mother to baby before, during and after childbirth -- but such occurrences are rare, a new study reveals. |
| If blood pressure rises upon standing, so may risk for heart attack Posted: 17 Mar 2022 06:47 AM PDT Young and middle-aged adults with high blood pressure whose systolic blood pressure (top-number) rose more than 6.5 mm Hg upon standing were more likely to later have a heart attack, stroke, heart-related chest pain or other major heart disease-related event than those with lower systolic blood pressure in response to standing. The researchers highlight the importance of measuring standing blood pressure in young and middle-aged adults with hypertension, suggesting early treatment for those who have elevated blood pressure upon standing. |
| One bird's joy is another bird's sorrow Posted: 17 Mar 2022 06:47 AM PDT A genetic conflict between the sexes promotes intraspecific diversity in ruffs. Ruffs are characterized by three supergene variants that lead to different appearances and courtship behavior in males. Whether these variants affect females was previously unknown. Researchers now show that females of the so-called Faeder variant produce less offspring. However, this female handicap helps their males: Disguised as females, Faeder males benefit from their own rarity and obtain more matings. The contrasting effect of the variant in males and females thus contributes to its persistence over time. The study thereby provides important insights into the mechanisms that maintain biodiversity. |
| Scientists identify neurons in the brain that drive competition and social behavior within groups Posted: 16 Mar 2022 02:32 PM PDT In mice, social ranking in a group was linked to the results of competition, and certain neurons in the brain stored this social ranking information to inform decisions. Manipulating the activity of these neurons could increase or decrease an animal's competitive effort and therefore control their ability to successfully compete against others. |
| Blood test may indicate higher risk pregnancies in patients with COVID-19 Posted: 16 Mar 2022 02:32 PM PDT A small preliminary study has shown that a blood test may identify risk of stillbirth and placentitis in pregnant individuals who have had COVID-19. The finding builds on another study with similar results and could have implications in how physicians screen for and address high-risk pregnancies. |
| Inhalable 'aerogel' triggers immunity to COVID-19 in mice, may block transmission Posted: 16 Mar 2022 11:58 AM PDT An inhalable 'aerogel' loaded with DNA that encodes for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein successfully induces an immune response against COVID-19 in the lungs of mice, according to new research. The team said its aerogel could be used to create an inhalable vaccine that blocks SARS-CoV-2 transmission by preventing the virus from establishing an infection in the lungs. |
| Posted: 16 Mar 2022 11:57 AM PDT Collagens and elastin in the extracellular matrix, which forms a scaffold to support organs, cause the immune system's natural killer cells to switch off their 'killer' function. The hypertension drug losartan can cause a previously resistant melanoma to become sensitive to natural killer cells by blocking collagen deposition in the tumor. |
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