ScienceDaily: Most Popular News

Pandemic paleo: A wayward skull, at-home fossil analyses, a first for Antarctic amphibians

Posted: 21 May 2021 08:53 AM PDT

Researchers have discovered the first fossil evidence of an ancient amphibian, Micropholis stowi, from Antarctica. Micropholis lived in the Early Triassic, shortly after Earth's largest mass extinction. It was previously known only from fossils in South Africa, and its presence in Antarctica has implications for how amphibians adapted to high-latitude regions in this dynamic period of Earth's history.

Itch insight: Skin itch mechanisms differ on hairless versus hairy skin

Posted: 21 May 2021 08:53 AM PDT

Chronic skin itch affects 7% of U.S. adults but until recently neuroscientists considered the mechanisms of skin itch the same. Researchers have uncovered differences in itch on hairy versus non-hairy skin that could lead to more effective treatments for patients with persistent skin itching.

Brain's memory center stays active during 'infantile amnesia'

Posted: 21 May 2021 08:53 AM PDT

A new brain imaging study shows that infants as young as three months are already enlisting the hippocampus to recognize and learn patterns.

Water treatment: Removing hormones with sunlight

Posted: 21 May 2021 08:53 AM PDT

Micropollutants such as steroid hormones contaminate drinking water worldwide. Until now, easily scalable water treatment technologies that remove them efficiently and sustainably have been lacking. Scientists have developed a new chemical process for removing hormones. It takes advantage of the mechanisms of photocatalysis and transforms the pollutants into potentially safe oxidation products.

Nanoparticles: The complex rhythm of chemistry

Posted: 21 May 2021 07:18 AM PDT

In order to understand catalysts, we have to understand how chemical reactions evolve on nanoparticles. Different facets of the particles can have different properties, leading to intriguing 'chemical waves'.

Culture influences mask wearing, study finds

Posted: 20 May 2021 01:46 PM PDT

Countries and US states more predisposed to collectivist behavior have more people following mask guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study.

Total deaths due to COVID-19 underestimated by 20 percent in U.S. counties, study finds

Posted: 20 May 2021 11:53 AM PDT

More than 15 months into the pandemic, the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 is nearing 600,000. But COVID-19 deaths may be underestimated by 20 percent, according to a new study.

A new form of carbon opens door to nanosized wires

Posted: 20 May 2021 11:53 AM PDT

A new allotrope of carbon has been produced. Like graphene, it is only one atom thick, but unlike graphene it behaves like a metal even at small scales, ideal for nanosized wires. This result is exciting for engineers trying to develop new carbon-based electronics and the new method demonstrates a novel way to produce other theoretically-designed but not-yet-created forms of nanoscale carbon materials.

Entire genome from Pestera Muierii 1 sequenced

Posted: 20 May 2021 10:37 AM PDT

Researchers have successfully sequenced the entire genome from the skull of Pestera Muierii 1, a woman who lived in today's Romania 35,000 years ago. Her high genetic diversity shows that the out of Africa migration was not the great bottleneck in human development but rather this occurred during and after the most recent Ice Age.

Solid-state batteries line up for better performance

Posted: 20 May 2021 10:37 AM PDT

Solid-state batteries pack a lot of energy into a small space, but their electrodes are not good at keeping in touch with their electrolytes. Liquid electrolytes reach every nook and cranny of an electrode to spark energy, but liquids take up space without storing energy and fail over time. Researchers are now putting solid electrolytes in touch with electrodes made of strategically arranged materials - at the atomic level - and the results are helping drive better solid-state battery technologies.

Survival of migrating juvenile salmon depends on stream flow thresholds

Posted: 20 May 2021 10:37 AM PDT

Juvenile salmon migrating to the sea in the Sacramento River face a gauntlet of hazards in an environment drastically modified by humans, especially with respect to historical patterns of stream flow. Now fisheries scientists have identified key thresholds in the relationship between stream flow and salmon survival that can serve as actionable targets for managing water resources in the Sacramento River.

The viruses in our genes: When activated, they damage brain development

Posted: 20 May 2021 10:37 AM PDT

New research shows that activation of distinct human endogenous retroviruses, which are part of our genome, impair brain development dramatically. The finding could help to advance research into therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.

New tool factors effects of fossil-fuel emissions on ocean research

Posted: 20 May 2021 06:51 AM PDT

A newly developed tool will allow scientists to better gauge how centuries of fossil fuel emissions could be skewing the data they collect from marine environments. Researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks led the effort, which created a way for marine scientists to factor into their results the vast amounts of anthropogenic carbon dioxide that are being absorbed by oceans.

Walking in their shoes: Using virtual reality to elicit empathy in healthcare providers

Posted: 20 May 2021 06:50 AM PDT

Research has shown empathy gives healthcare workers the ability to provide appropriate supports and make fewer mistakes. This helps increase patient satisfaction and enhance patient outcomes, resulting in better overall care.

Genetic tools help identify a cellular culprit for type 1 diabetes

Posted: 19 May 2021 10:26 AM PDT

By mapping its genetic underpinnings, researchers have identified a predictive causal role for specific cell types in type 1 diabetes, a condition that affects more than 1.6 million Americans.

Long search finds grain of hope in the glume

Posted: 19 May 2021 09:09 AM PDT

Researchers have found the elusive genetic element controlling the elongated grains and glumes of a wheat variety identified by the renowned botanist Carl Linnaeus more than 250 years ago.

Liquid-like motion in crystals could explain their promising behavior in solar cells

Posted: 19 May 2021 09:08 AM PDT

Scientists studied the inner workings of a solar cell material using X-ray and neutron scattering. The study revealed that liquid-like motion in the material may be responsible for their high efficiency in producing electric currents from solar energy.