ScienceDaily: Most Popular News


Clever biomolecular labelling enables identification of immune cells

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 05:22 PM PDT

Biomolecules regulate the biological functions inside every living cell. If scientists can understand the molecular mechanisms, then it is possible to detect severe dysfunction. At a molecular level, this can be achieved with fluorescent markers that are incorporated into the respective biomolecules. Researchers are now able to show that a complex of manganese makes it possible to conveniently label certain biomolecules.

Defying body clock linked to depression and lower wellbeing

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 05:22 PM PDT

People whose sleep pattern goes against their natural body clock are more likely to have depression and lower levels of wellbeing, according to a large-scale new study.

Massive plankton blooms with very different ecosystem impacts

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 05:22 PM PDT

"The big mystery about plankton is what controls its distribution and abundance, and what conditions lead to big plankton blooms," according to the author of a new study. Researchers explore this question and provide examples of conditions that lead to massive plankton blooms with vastly different potential impacts on the ecosystem.

New drug-formulation method may lead to smaller pills

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 05:22 PM PDT

Chemical engineers have devised a simpler process for incorporating hydrophobic drugs into tablets or other drug formulations, using nanoemulsions. With this method, it may be possible to make many pills smaller and easier to swallow.

Climate change a bigger threat to landscape biodiversity than emerald ash borer

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 05:22 PM PDT

Despite the devastating impact the emerald ashborer beetle has had on forests in the eastern and midwestern parts of the U.S., climate change will have a much larger and widespread impact on these landscapes through the end of the century, according to researchers.

Monoclonal antibody prevents HIV infection in monkeys, study finds

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 05:22 PM PDT

The experimental, lab-made antibody leronlimab can completely prevent nonhuman primates from being infected with the monkey form of HIV, new research shows. The results will inform a future human clinical trial evaluating leronlimab as a potential pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, therapy to prevent human infection from the virus that causes AIDS.

A breakthrough in the physics of blood clotting

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 05:22 PM PDT

Understanding the physics of clot contraction could potentially lead to new ways to treat bleeding problems and clotting problems.

Stabilizing gassy electrolytes could make ultra-low temperature batteries safer

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 05:22 PM PDT

A new technology could dramatically improve the safety and performance of lithium-ion batteries that operate with gas electrolytes at ultra-low temperatures. By keeping electrolytes from vaporizing, the technology can prevent pressure buildup inside the battery that leads to swelling and explosions.

Plants get a faster start to their day than we think

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 05:22 PM PDT

To describe something as slow and boring we might say it's 'like watching grass grow', but scientists studying the early morning activity of plants have found they make a rapid start to their day - within minutes of dawn.

Drop in convalescent plasma use at US hospitals linked to higher COVID-19 mortality rate, study suggests

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 01:12 PM PDT

A new study suggests a slowdown in the use of convalescent plasma to treat hospitalized COVID-19 patients led to a higher COVID-19 mortality during a critical period during this past winter's surge.

This forest has stayed wild for 5,000 years -- the soil shows it

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 01:12 PM PDT

Parts of the Amazon have been cultivated by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years, and mere centuries ago were the sites of cities and farmland, but other parts are 'untouched.' By examining microscopic bits of plant remains and charcoal in the soil, scientists learned that the Putumayo region of Peru's plant life hasn't changed much in 5,000 years, meaning that the people who have lived there found a long-term way to co-exist with nature.

Innovative batteries put flying cars on the horizon

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 01:12 PM PDT

Jet packs, robot maids and flying cars were all promises for the 21st century. We got mechanized, autonomous vacuum cleaners instead. Now a team of Penn State researchers are exploring the requirements for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles and designing and testing potential battery power sources.

Arctic rotifer lives after 24,000 years in a frozen state

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 01:11 PM PDT

Bdelloid rotifers are multicellular animals so small you need a microscope to see them. Despite their size, they're known for being tough, capable of surviving through drying, freezing, starvation, and low oxygen. Now, researchers have found that not only can they withstand being frozen, but they can also persist for at least 24,000 years in the Siberian permafrost and survive.

Physicists report definitive evidence how auroras are created

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 01:11 PM PDT

Physicistsreport definitive evidence of how auroras are created. In experiments, the physicists demonstrated the physical mechanisms for the acceleration of electrons by Alfven waves under conditions corresponding to Earth's auroral magnetosphere.

Conserving coastal seaweed: A must have for migrating sea birds

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 01:11 PM PDT

Ecologists are urging coastal communities to embrace all that the season brings, including the sometimes-unwelcome deposits of brown seaweed that can accumulate on the southern shores.

Antarctica: How have temperatures varied since the last glacial period?

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 01:11 PM PDT

Antarctica has experienced significant temperature changes, especially since the last glacial period. An international collaboration has now challenged previously accepted estimates of these variations, using new measurements. Their study highlights differences in behavior between East and West Antarctica, connected in particular to differing variations in their altitude.

Protein identified as new therapeutic anti-viral target for COVID-19

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 01:11 PM PDT

New research identified a novel interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and the galectin-3-binding protein (LGALS3BP) which could be a new therapeutic anti-viral target.

Researchers find toxin from maple tree in cow's milk

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 01:11 PM PDT

Cows can pass on the hypoglycin A toxin through their milk, a study shows. The substance can cause severe symptoms in humans and animals. Small amounts of the toxin were detected in the raw milk of cows that grazed in a pasture exposed to sycamore maple. The team calls for further investigations to realistically assess the potential dangers.

The origin of the first structures formed in galaxies like the Milky Way identified

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 01:10 PM PDT

An international team of scientists has used the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) to study a representative sample of galaxies, both disc and spheroidal, in a deep sky zone in the constellation of the Great Bear to characterize the properties of the stellar populations of galactic bulges.

Ancient chickens lived significantly longer than modern fowl because they were seen as sacred, not food

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 01:10 PM PDT

Ancient chickens lived significantly longer than their modern equivalents because they were seen as sacred -- not food -- archaeologists have found.

Climate warming to increase carbon loss in Canadian peatland by 103 per cent

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 01:10 PM PDT

Carbon loss in Canadian peatland is projected to increase by 103 per cent under a high emission scenario, according to new research.

Odds of stem cell transplant restoring fertility are as random as a coin toss -- until now

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 01:10 PM PDT

The chances of restoring fertility through sperm stem cell transplant are as random as a coin toss. But a team of scientists developed a new strategy that serves as a 'weighted coin' that can favorably rig the odds to achieve outcomes where fertility is successfully restored.

Lighting up ultrafast magnetism in a metal oxide

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 01:10 PM PDT

Understanding how magnetic correlations change over short timescales is the first step in being able to control magnetism for applications.

Carbon dioxide sensors in two urban areas registered big drop in emissions during COVID-19 pandemic

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 01:10 PM PDT

Carbon dioxide emissions in Los Angeles and the Washington DC/Baltimore regions fell roughly 33 percent in April of 2020 compared with previous years, as roads emptied and economic activity slowed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study. But while the emissions reductions are significant, the method that scientists used to measure them may have the greater long-term impact.

A quantum step to a heat switch with no moving parts

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 01:10 PM PDT

Researchers have discovered a new electronic property at the frontier between the thermal and quantum sciences in a specially engineered metal alloy -- and in the process identified a promising material for future devices that could turn heat on and off with the application of a magnetic 'switch.'

School lesson gone wrong leads to new, bigger megalodon size estimate

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 01:10 PM PDT

A more reliable way of estimating the size of megalodon shows the extinct shark may have been bigger than previously thought, measuring up to 65 feet, nearly the length of two school buses.

Lead halide perovskites -- a horse of a different color

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 01:10 PM PDT

Researchers have developed a novel spectroscopic technique for the study of charge carrier dynamics in lead halide perovskites.

Infrared imaging leaves invasive pythons nowhere to hide

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 01:10 PM PDT

Researchers report that a near infrared camera helped people detect Burmese pythons at distances up to 1.3 times farther away than was possible using a traditional visible-wavelength camera.

Puerto Rico is prone to more flooding than the island is prepared to handle

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 01:10 PM PDT

Puerto Rico is not ready for another hurricane season, let alone the effects of climate change, according to a new study that shows the island's outstanding capacity to produce record-breaking floods and trigger a large number of landslides.

African great apes to suffer massive range loss in next 30 years

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 01:10 PM PDT

A new study predicts massive range declines of Africa's great apes -- gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos -- due to the impacts of climate change, land-use changes and human population growth.

Research advances one step closer to stem cell therapy for type 1 diabetes

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 01:09 PM PDT

Scientists are developing a promising approach for treating type 1 diabetes by using stem cells to create insulin-producing cells (called beta cells) that could replace nonfunctional pancreatic cells.

Trained viruses prove more effective at fighting antibiotic resistance

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 01:09 PM PDT

Research reveals that viruses known as bacteriophages that undergo special evolutionary training increase their capacity to subdue bacteria. The results provide hope in the ongoing battle against antibiotic resistance, a rising threat as deadly bacteria continue to evolve to render many modern drugs ineffective.

Sensing what plants sense: Integrated framework helps scientists explain biology and predict crop performance

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 01:09 PM PDT

Scientists have invested great time and effort into making connections between a crop's genotype and its phenotype. But environmental conditions play a role as well. Researchers untangle those complex interactions with the help of advanced data analytics in a newly published study.

Computers can now predict our preferences directly from our brain

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 08:03 AM PDT

A research team demonstrates it is possible to predict individual preferences based on how a person's brain responses match up to others. This could potentially be used to provide individually tailored media content -- and perhaps even to enlighten us about ourselves.

Axions could be the fossil of the universe researchers have been waiting for

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 08:02 AM PDT

No one knows what happened in the universe for its first 400,000 years, but a new paper suggests discovering the hypothetical particle axion could shed light on the early history of the universe. What's more, current dark matter experiments may have already detected it in its data.

New insights into survival of ancient Western Desert peoples

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 08:02 AM PDT

Researchers have used more than two decades of satellite-derived environmental data to form hypotheses about the possible foraging habitats of pre-contact Aboriginal peoples living in Australia's Western Desert.

Fundamental advance in understanding T cell immunity

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 08:02 AM PDT

Researchers have provided a fundamental advance regarding how T cells become activated when encountering pathogens such as viruses.

How coronavirus aerosols travel through our lungs

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 08:02 AM PDT

When we inhale isolated coronavirus particles, more than 65 percent reach the deepest region of our lungs, new research has discovered, and more of these aerosols reach the right lung than the left.

New drug to halt dementia after multiple head injuries

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 08:01 AM PDT

An international study has identified a new drug to stop athletes developing dementia after sustaining repeated head injuries in their career.

Regulation of protein homeostasis by cardiac glycosides

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 06:57 AM PDT

The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a pivotal mechanism to mitigate protein homeostasis through transcriptional or translational control. On the other hand, since dysregulation of UPR has been associated with various human diseases, the compounds modulating UPR can clarify the pathological significance of the UPR.

Popularity runs in families

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 06:57 AM PDT

To investigate the role genes play in the evolution of social structure, researchers created an experiment they likened to the 1998 film 'The Truman Show.' Genetically identical versions of 20 fruit flies were placed in 98 controlled enclosures, and video cameras recorded their interactions. The study revealed the same clones occupied the same social positions in each enclosure, regardless of living conditions, providing evidence that popularity is heritable.

Applying mathematics takes 'friendship paradox' beyond averages

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 05:46 AM PDT

In network science, the famous 'friendship paradox' describes why your friends are (on average) more popular, richer, and more attractive than you are. But a slightly more nuanced picture emerges when we apply mathematics to real-world data.

Researchers identify a molecule critical to functional brain rejuvenation

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 05:46 AM PDT

A new study has identified a molecule called ten-eleven-translocation 1 (TET1) as a necessary component in the repair of myelin, which protects nerves and facilitates accurate transmission of electrical signals. The discovery could have important implications in treating neurodegenerative diseases and for molecular rejuvenation of aging brains in healthy individuals.

Pandemic prevention measures linked to lower rates of Kawasaki disease in children

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 05:46 AM PDT

Rates of Kawasaki disease -- a condition that creates inflammation in blood vessels in the heart and is more common in children of Asian/Pacific Island descent -- have substantially decreased in South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study. The decrease could be due to mask-wearing, hand-washing, school closures and physical distancing, suggesting Kawasaki disease may be prompted by infectious agents.

How a Vietnamese raw pork snack could help us keep food fresh, naturally

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 05:46 AM PDT

Nem Chua is eaten raw but doesn't cause food poisoning when prepared correctly. Food scientists went to explore why - and discovered a powerful new bacteria-killer. A new study reveals the ideal growth conditions to potentially make the bacteriocin at industrial scales.

Controlling insulin production with a smartwatch

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 05:46 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a gene switch that can be operated with the green LED light emitted by commercial smartwatches. This revolutionary approach could be used to treat diabetes in the future.

Simple blood test can accurately reveal underlying neurodegeneration

Posted: 07 Jun 2021 05:46 AM PDT

A new study of over 3000 people, has shown for the first time that a single biomarker can accurately indicate the presence of underlying neurodegeneration in people with cognitive issues.

Soft tissue measurements critical to hominid reconstruction

Posted: 04 Jun 2021 06:35 PM PDT

Accurate soft tissue measurements are critical when making reconstructions of human ancestors, a new study has found.