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| Secrets of thymus formation revealed Posted: 25 May 2022 10:12 AM PDT Scientists have identified processes that control the development and composition of thymic tissue throughout life. Specifically, they were able to show that a certain growth factor can maintain progenitor cells even in the aging thymus and thus counteract the age-related shrinkage of the organ and the reduction in the number of powerful immune cells. The results provide new avenues for therapeutic approaches to autoimmune diseases. |
| Artificial cilia could someday power diagnostic devices Posted: 25 May 2022 10:12 AM PDT Researchers have now designed a micro-sized artificial cilial system using platinum-based components that can control the movement of fluids at such a scale. The technology could someday enable low-cost, portable diagnostic devices for testing blood samples, manipulating cells or assisting in microfabrication processes. |
| Physicist uses intuition, supercomputers to identify new high-temperature superconductor Posted: 25 May 2022 10:12 AM PDT In 2021, scientists discovered a new form of superconducting nickelate using computational methods. The discovery lets researchers explore similarities and differences between nickelates and cuprates -- promising copper-based materials -- and among nickelates. Both families of materials appear to display 'super-exchange,' where the material trades electrons in copper or nickel atoms through a pathway that contains oxygen, rather than directly. This, researchers believe, may be one of the factors that governs superconductivity. |
| Study reveals cause, potential precision therapies for aggressive type of lymphoma Posted: 25 May 2022 10:11 AM PDT DNA mutations are essential to the rapid development of an array of antibody-producing immune cells called B cells that collectively can recognize a vast number of specific targets. But this process can go awry in people with a mutation in a gene called SETD2, leading to a type of aggressive blood cancer, according to a new study. |
| Researchers teleport quantum information across rudimentary quantum network Posted: 25 May 2022 10:11 AM PDT Researchers have succeeded in teleporting quantum information across a rudimentary network. This first of its kind is an important step towards a future quantum Internet. This breakthrough was made possible by a greatly improved quantum memory and enhanced quality of the quantum links between the three nodes of the network. |
| Archaeologists reveal pre-Hispanic cities in Bolivia with laser technology Posted: 25 May 2022 08:09 AM PDT Several hundred settlements from the time between 500 and 1400 AD lie in the Bolivian Llanos de Mojos savannah and have fascinated archaeologists for years. Researchers have now visualized the dimensions of the largest known settlement of the so-called Casarabe culture. Mapping with the laser technology LIDAR indicates that it is an early urbanism with a low population density -- the only known case so far from the Amazon lowlands. The results shed new light on how globally widespread and diverse early urban life was and how earlier societies lived in the Amazon. |
| Roboticists go off road to compile data that could train self-driving ATVs Posted: 25 May 2022 08:09 AM PDT Researchers took an all-terrain vehicle on wild rides through tall grass, loose gravel and mud to gather data about how the ATV interacted with a challenging, off-road environment. They drove the heavily instrumented ATV aggressively at speeds up to 30 miles an hour. They slid through turns, took it up and down hills, and even got it stuck in the mud -- all while gathering data such as video, the speed of each wheel and the amount of suspension shock travel from seven types of sensors. |
| High air pollution from fracking in Ohio county Posted: 25 May 2022 08:09 AM PDT Residents of Belmont County in eastern Ohio have long suffered from health problems they suspected were the result of air pollution from fracking facilities, but regulators dismissed and downplayed their concerns. With technical assistance from volunteer scientists, local advocacy groups set up their own network of low-cost sensors. They found that the region's three EPA sensors were not providing an accurate picture: The sensors revealed concerning levels of air pollution, and correlations between local spikes and health impacts. |
| Silicone wristbands track firefighters' exposures to harmful chemicals Posted: 25 May 2022 08:09 AM PDT Researchers have used silicone wristbands to track firefighters' exposures to 134 potentially carcinogenic chemicals. Analysis of the chemicals absorbed by the wristbands over a six-day shift show that while some exposures are linked to being at the scene of a fire, others aren't. This suggests that just being a firefighter means you are exposed to more of these compounds than the average adult, regardless of whether you respond to a fire. |
| Longer duration of exclusive breastfeeding has protective effect on childhood asthma Posted: 25 May 2022 08:08 AM PDT A new study shows that a longer period of exclusive breastfeeding was associated with decreased odds of current asthma. |
| Hot-blooded T. rex and cold-blooded Stegosaurus: Chemical clues reveal dinosaur metabolisms Posted: 25 May 2022 08:08 AM PDT There's a new method for determining whether dinosaurs were hot- or cold-blooded, using clues in their bones that indicated how much the individual animals breathed in their last hour of life. The study shows that the bird-hipped dinosaurs like T. rex and Brachiosaurus were hot-blooded, while the lizard-hipped dinosaurs like Triceratops and Stegosaurus were cold-blooded. |
| Genetic roots of 3 mitochondrial diseases ID'd via new approach Posted: 25 May 2022 08:08 AM PDT Researchers have identified the genetic causes of three mitochondrial diseases by figuring out what dozens of poorly understood mitochondrial proteins do. The functions of hundreds more mitochondrial proteins remain unknown, indicating that this approach could be a promising path to finding better ways to diagnose and treat the bewildering array of conditions linked to malfunctioning mitochondria. |
| Mice choose best escape route without ever experiencing threat Posted: 25 May 2022 08:08 AM PDT Escaping imminent danger is essential for survival. Animals must learn a new environment fast enough for them to be able to choose the shortest route to safety. But how do they do this without ever having experienced threat in the new environment? |
| Posted: 25 May 2022 07:29 AM PDT Researchers have outlined a powerful new tool for monitoring trade of rare and endangered fish species in Hong Kong wet markets. Using environmental DNA (eDNA) present in the drain runoff water of fish markets, researchers were able to extract and sequence enough DNA to identify over 100 species of fish that had passed through the market. |
| New discovery about distant galaxies: Stars are more massive than we thought Posted: 25 May 2022 07:29 AM PDT A team of astrophysicists has arrived at a major result regarding star populations beyond the Milky Way. The result could change our understanding of a wide range of astronomical phenomena, including the formation of black holes, supernovae and why galaxies die. |
| Astrophysics student discovers link between global warming and locally unstable weather Posted: 25 May 2022 07:29 AM PDT Climate change gives rise to more unstable weather, local droughts and extreme temperature records, but a coherent theory relating local and global climate is still under active development. Now an astrophysics student has used a mathematical approach -- inspired by research in the Universe's light -- to unveil how global temperature increase engenders locally unstable weather on Earth. |
| Wake up and smell the burning rubbish? Secrets of disordered smell found Posted: 25 May 2022 07:29 AM PDT Researchers have discovered the secrets of why certain food and drinks smell (and likely taste) disgusting to people with parosmia. |
| Secure communication with light particles Posted: 25 May 2022 07:29 AM PDT While quantum computers offer many novel possibilities, they also pose a threat to internet security since these supercomputers make common encryption methods vulnerable. Based on the so-called quantum key distribution, researchers have developed a new, tap-proof communication network. |
| First Australians ate giant eggs of huge flightless birds, ancient proteins confirm Posted: 25 May 2022 07:29 AM PDT Scientists settle debate surrounding species that laid eggs exploited by early Australian people around 50,000 years ago. Shell proteins point to Genyornis, which was among the 'mega-fauna' to go extinct a few thousand years after humans arrived on the continent. |
| Epigenetic markers predict complications in patients with type 2 diabetes Posted: 25 May 2022 07:29 AM PDT A new study supports the notion that patients with type 2 diabetes patient should be divided into subgroups and given individualized treatment. The study demonstrates that there are distinct epigenetic differences between different groups of patients with type 2 diabetes. The epigenetic markers are also associated with different risks of developing common complications in type 2 diabetes, such as stroke, heart attack and kidney disease. |
| When male buddies become less important than female mating partners Posted: 25 May 2022 07:29 AM PDT Close friendships among males are rare in the animal kingdom, as males usually compete for rank and access to females. However, male friendships can also be beneficial for male reproduction, as friends can provide support in climbing the rank ladder or defending females from other males. Scientists have now investigated the benefits of male friendships in wild Guinea baboons in Senegal. |
| Researchers develop new biobattery for hydrogen storage Posted: 25 May 2022 07:29 AM PDT A team of microbiologists has succeeded in using bacteria for the controlled storage and release of hydrogen. This is an important step in the search for carbon-neutral energy sources in the interest of climate protection. |
| Type 2 diabetes accelerates brain aging and cognitive decline Posted: 25 May 2022 05:05 AM PDT Scientists have demonstrated that normal brain aging is accelerated by approximately 26% in people with progressive type 2 diabetes compared with individuals without the disease, reports a new study. |
| Scientists build subcellular map of entire brain networks Posted: 25 May 2022 05:05 AM PDT Researchers have developed an imaging technique to capture information about the structure and function of brain tissue at subcellular level -- a few billionth of a meter, while also capturing information about the surrounding environment. The unique approach, overcomes the challenges of imaging tissues at different scales, allowing scientists to see the surrounding cells and how they function, so they can build a complete picture of neural networks in the brain. |
| Some nomadic birds look for social cues to stop migrating Posted: 25 May 2022 05:05 AM PDT A study of nomadic pine siskins, a type of finch often seen on backyard feeders, found that when male migratory siskins were paired with a settled male bird in captivity, they started exhibiting signs of ending migration too. They stopped restless flying and lost body mass, fat stores and muscle size, compared to a control group placed in solo enclosures. The apparent reliance on social cues for the end of migration has implications for other nomadic animals as well. |
| AI can predict cancer risk of lung nodules Posted: 25 May 2022 05:05 AM PDT An artificial intelligence (AI) tool helps doctors predict the cancer risk in lung nodules seen on CT, according to a new study. |
| The road to success when it comes to mitigating flood disasters Posted: 25 May 2022 05:04 AM PDT As Australia continues to mop up after one of the wettest years on record, councils might want to consider a new flood mitigation strategy -- permeable pavements to suit specific soil and rainfall conditions. |
| Highest efficiency 1-sun solar cell Posted: 24 May 2022 02:12 PM PDT Researchers have created a solar cell with a record 39.5% efficiency under 1-sun global illumination. This is believed to be the highest efficiency solar cell of any type, measured using standard 1-sun conditions. |
| New gene identified in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy Posted: 24 May 2022 01:36 PM PDT Researchers have used advanced sequencing technology to better understand the heart disease arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, in which heart muscle tissue is replaced by fat cells. Using explanted human hearts, they found regions in which heart muscle was actively degenerated and identified a new gene, ZBTB11, that drives heart muscle cell degradation. |
| A good defect? Researchers discover helicoidal screw dislocations in layered polymers Posted: 24 May 2022 01:36 PM PDT Researchers recently discovered a helicoidal-shaped defect in layered polymers, uncovering how solvents can diffuse through layers and produce color changes. |
| Experts forecast the wind plant of the future to be taller and more economical Posted: 24 May 2022 01:36 PM PDT Anticipating key features of wind plants a decade or more ahead of their installation can inform today's investment, research, and energy system planning decisions. Researchers elicited opinions from more than 140 of the world's leading experts about their expectations of future wind plant design in 2035. |
| Hubble reaches new milestone in mystery of universe's expansion rate Posted: 24 May 2022 01:00 PM PDT NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has calibrated more than 40 'milepost markers' of space and time to help scientists precisely measure the expansion rate of the universe -- a quest with a plot twist. |
| Scientists discover gene plays critical role in embryo development Posted: 24 May 2022 12:49 PM PDT Developing drugs that affect the function of the Cnpy4 gene, which is involved in human embryo development, may provide potential new treatment options for diseases, including cancer. |
| AI reveals unsuspected math underlying search for exoplanets Posted: 24 May 2022 12:49 PM PDT The astronomers' goal: find an artificial intelligence algorithm to interpret microlensing events captured by the upcoming Roman Space Telescope and speed detection of exoplanets around other stars. They achieved that, but the AI told them something unexpected and deep: the theory used to infer stellar and exoplanetary masses and orbits from observations was incomplete. Digging into the mathematics, they uncovered a theory that explains all types of microlensing events and possible ambiguities in interpreting them. |
| Breakthrough in quantum universal gate sets: A high-fidelity iToffoli gate Posted: 24 May 2022 09:49 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated the first three-qubit high-fidelity iToffoli native gate in a superconducting quantum information processor and in a single step. This demonstration adds a novel easy-to-implement native three-qubit logic gate for universal quantum computing. |
| Scientists develop method for seasonal prediction of Western wildfires Posted: 24 May 2022 09:49 AM PDT This summer's Western wildfire season is likely to be more severe than average but not as devastating as last year's near-record, according to an experimental prediction method that predicts wildfire season months in advance. |
| Traveling wave of light sparks simple liquid crystal microposts to perform complex dance Posted: 24 May 2022 09:48 AM PDT Mastering control over the dynamic interplay among optical, chemical and mechanical behavior in single-material, liquid crystalline elastomers, results in microposts that combine bending, twisting and turning into complex dances. The advancement could contribute toward further development of soft robotics and other devices. |
| Posted: 24 May 2022 09:48 AM PDT How stress is transmitted from one animal to another is the study topic of behavioral ecologists and collective behavior researchers. |
| Emulating impossible 'unipolar' laser pulses paves the way for processing quantum information Posted: 24 May 2022 09:48 AM PDT A laser pulse that sidesteps the inherent symmetry of light waves could manipulate quantum information, potentially bringing us closer to room temperature quantum computing. |
| How eating eggs can boost heart health Posted: 24 May 2022 09:48 AM PDT Researchers have shown how moderate egg consumption can increase the amount of heart-healthy metabolites in the blood. |
| Developing next-generation superconducting cables Posted: 24 May 2022 09:46 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated a new, ready-to-use superconducting cable system that uses helium gas for crucial cooling. |
| Scientists use quantum computers to simulate quantum materials Posted: 24 May 2022 09:46 AM PDT Researchers have used quantum computers to simulate spin defects, an important material property for the next generation of quantum computers. |
| Climate change on course to hit U.S. Corn Belt especially hard, study finds Posted: 24 May 2022 09:46 AM PDT Climate change will make the U.S. Corn Belt unsuitable for cultivating corn by 2100 without major technological advances in agricultural practices, a new study finds. |
| Living with dogs (but not cats) as a toddler might protect against Crohn's disease Posted: 24 May 2022 09:45 AM PDT Young children who grow up with a dog or in a large family may have some protection later in life from a common inflammatory bowel disease known as Crohn's disease, according to a new study. |
| Cornea T cells protect eyes from viral infections, researchers discover Posted: 24 May 2022 08:07 AM PDT The cornea -- the transparent protective outer layer of the eye critical to helping us see -- produces a delicate and limited immune response to fight infections without damaging our vision, according to a new study. |
| Secret to treating 'Achilles' heel' of alternatives to silicon solar panels revealed Posted: 24 May 2022 08:07 AM PDT A team of researchers has found that the tiny defects which limit the efficiency of perovskites -- cheaper alternative materials for solar cells -- are also responsible for structural changes in the material that lead to degradation. |
| 'Happy hormone' dopamine plays role in identifying emotions Posted: 24 May 2022 08:06 AM PDT Emotion-recognition among people with disorders such as Parkinson's disease or schizophrenia may be affected by changes in the levels dopamine in the brain, say researchers. |
| How anesthetics affect brain functions Posted: 24 May 2022 08:06 AM PDT Modern anesthesia is one of the most important medical achievements. Whereas before, patients had to suffer hellish agonies during every operation, today anesthesia enables completely painless procedures. One feels nothing and can remember nothing afterwards. It is already known from electroencephalography (EEG) studies on patients that during anesthesia the brain is put into a deep sleep-like state in which periods of rhythmic electrical activity alternate with periods of complete inactivity. This state is called burst-suppression. Until now, it was unclear where exactly this state happens in the brain and which brain areas are involved. |
| Scientists make plastic more degradable under UV light Posted: 24 May 2022 08:06 AM PDT Scientists found that incorporating sugar units into polymers makes them more degradable when exposed to UV light. |
| Curbing other climate pollutants, not just CO2, gives Earth a chance Posted: 24 May 2022 08:06 AM PDT Slashing emissions of carbon dioxide by itself isn't enough to prevent catastrophic global warming, a new study shows. But if we simultaneously also reduce emissions of methane and other often overlooked climate pollutants, we could cut the rate of global warming in half by 2050 and give the world a fighting chance. |
| Significant energy savings using neuromorphic hardware Posted: 24 May 2022 07:06 AM PDT New research illustrates neuromorphic technology is up to sixteen times more energy-efficient for large deep learning networks than other AI systems. |
| Researchers develop algorithm to divvy up tasks for human-robot teams Posted: 24 May 2022 07:06 AM PDT Researchers have developed an algorithmic planner that helps delegate tasks to humans and robots. The planner, 'Act, Delegate or Learn' (ADL), considers a list of tasks and decides how best to assign them. The researchers asked three questions: When should a robot act to complete a task? When should a task be delegated to a human? And when should a robot learn a new task? |
| Posted: 24 May 2022 07:06 AM PDT Watching too much TV is associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease regardless of an individual's genetic makeup, say scientists. The researchers show that -- assuming a causal link -- 11% of cases of coronary heart disease could be prevented if people watched less than an hour of TV each day. |
| Horses and pigs sense harsh speaking tones Posted: 24 May 2022 07:05 AM PDT How we speak matters to animals. Horses, pigs and wild horses can distinguish between negative and positive sounds from their fellow species and near relatives, as well as from human speech. The study provides insight into the history of emotional development and opens up interesting perspectives with regards to animal welfare. |
| Human influence is the culprit for warm and wet winters in northwest Russia Posted: 24 May 2022 07:05 AM PDT A research team reveals the reason behind hot and wet winters in northwest Russia from 2019/20 winter. Anthropogenic influence found to be the reason for widespread warming according to the CMIP6 data. |
| Research boosts 'game-changing' technology to strengthen drug development Posted: 24 May 2022 07:05 AM PDT Researchers have boosted pioneering technology to show whether potential treatments are worth progressing into human trials, in a game-changing move that could dramatically reduce the high failure rates in drug discovery and development. |
| Posted: 24 May 2022 07:05 AM PDT Mustelids are the most ecologically and taxonomically diverse family within the order Carnivora. From the tayra in the neotropics to the wolverine in the subarctic, they inhabit a variety of ecological niches and developed corresponding species-specific traits related to their diet, reproductive strategy and morphology. An international team of scientists conducted a comparative analysis of whole genomes of several mustelids to obtain insights into the molecular basis of these adaptations. |
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