ScienceDaily: Most Popular News


New economic model finds wetlands provide billions in filtration value

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 02:32 PM PST

Southern Ontario wetlands provide $4.2 billion worth of sediment filtration and phosphorus removal services each year, keeping our drinking water sources clean and helping to mitigate harmful and nuisance algal blooms in our lakes and rivers.

Scientists discover new avian immunological pathway

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 01:48 PM PST

Biomedical scientists have discovered a new immune pathway in chickens that viruses may be targeting. The discovery, which has implications also for diseases affecting other birds, sheds greater light on birds' immune responses to zoonotic viruses -- specifically, how those may differ from responses seen in humans.

Stem cell discoveries hold potential to improve cancer treatment

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 01:24 PM PST

Recent discoveries by stem cell scientists may help make cancer treatment more efficient and shorten the time it takes for people to recover from radiation and chemotherapy.

Faulty BRCA genes linked to prostate and pancreatic cancers

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 01:24 PM PST

Faulty versions of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are well known to increase the risk of breast cancer in men and women, and in ovarian cancer. Now BRCA1 and BRCA2 have been linked to several other cancers, including those that affect men.

How a smart electric grid will power our future

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 12:10 PM PST

A novel plan that offers partnership in keeping the United States electric grid stable and reliable could be a win-win for consumers and utility operators.

Silicon fluorescence shines through microcracks in cement, revealing early signs of damage

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 12:10 PM PST

Scientists and engineers discover fluorescence from silicon nanoparticles in cement and show how it can be used to reveal early signs of damage in concrete structures.

Hospitalization for COVID-19 linked to greater risk of later readmission or death

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 12:10 PM PST

A large study conducted in England found that, compared to the general population, people who had been hospitalized for COVID-19 -- and survived for at least one week after discharge -- were more than twice as likely to die or be readmitted to the hospital in the next several months.

Hungry yeast are tiny, living thermometers

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 12:10 PM PST

Researchers report that a yeast cells can actively regulate a process called phase separation in one of their membranes. During phase separation, the membrane remains intact but partitions into multiple, distinct zones or domains that segregate lipids and proteins. The new findings show for the first time that, in response to environmental conditions, yeast cells precisely regulate the temperature at which their membrane undergoes phase separation.

Atomic Armor for accelerators enables discoveries

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 12:10 PM PST

Protective coatings are common for many things in daily life that see a lot of use: we coat wood floors with finish; apply Teflon to the paint on cars; even use diamond coatings on medical devices. Protective coatings are also essential in many demanding research and industrial applications.

Fat injections could treat common cause of foot pain, plantar fasciitis

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 10:37 AM PST

A novel technique that transplants a patient's own fat into the sole of their foot could offer relief to those suffering from a common and painful condition called plantar fasciitis.

How the timing of dinner and genetics affect individuals’ blood sugar control

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 09:40 AM PST

Eating dinner close to bedtime, when melatonin levels are high, disturbs blood sugar control, especially in individuals with a genetic variant in the melatonin receptor MTNR1B, which has been linked to an elevated risk of type 2 diabetes. The high melatonin levels and food intake associated with late eating impairs blood sugar control in carriers of the MTNR1B genetic risk variant through a defect in insulin secretion.

Liquid water beneath Martian south polar cap?

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 09:40 AM PST

Scientists measured the properties of ice-brine mixtures as cold as -145 degrees Fahrenheit to help confirm that salty water likely exists between grains of ice or sediment under the ice cap at Mars' south pole. Laboratory measurements support oddly bright reflections detected by the MARSIS subsurface sounding radar aboard ESA's Mars Express orbiter.

Vision loss and retinal changes in Stargardt disease

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 09:40 AM PST

Researchers developed and validated an artificial-intelligence-based method to evaluate patients with Stargardt, an eye disease that can lead to childhood vision loss. The method quantifies disease-related loss of light-sensing retina cells, yielding information for monitoring patients, understanding genetic causes of the disease, and developing therapies to treat it.

Asymmetry is key to creating more stable blue perovskite LEDs

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 09:40 AM PST

For the first time, researchers have created blue LEDs using layers of metal halide perovskite linked with asymmetrical bridges, solving a critical instability problem.

Lead lurking in your soil? New Chicago project maps distribution

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:26 AM PST

Lead haunts old homes in chipping paint and pipes, but it also lurks outside, in soil. It's the stuff of mud pies and garden plots, crumbling from boot treads to join household dust in forgotten corners. It's easily overlooked, but soil can be an important source of lead where children live and play.

'Lefty' tightens control of embryonic development

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:26 AM PST

A protein known as Lefty pumps the brakes as human embryos begin to differentiate into the bones, soft tissues and organs that make us.

Combined 3D modelling technique predicts abnormal heart rhythms in patients with genetic heart disease

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:26 AM PST

Modelling the heart in 3D using combined imaging techniques can help predict heart rhythm abnormalities, or arrhythmias, in patients with the genetic heart disease hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

New study validates benefits of convalescent plasma for some COVID-19 patients

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:25 AM PST

Transfusions of blood plasma donated by people who have already recovered from infection with the pandemic virus may help other patients hospitalized with COVID-19, a new international study shows.

Most 'pathogenic' genetic variants have a low risk of causing disease

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:25 AM PST

Researchers discovered that the chance a pathogenic genetic variant may actually cause a disease is relatively low - about 7 percent. They also found that some variants, such as those associated with breast cancer, are linked to a wide range of risks for disease. The results could alter the way the risks associated with these variants are reported, and one day, help guide the way physicians interpret genetic testing results.

Using the eye as a window into heart disease

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:25 AM PST

Scientists have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) system that can analyze eye scans taken during a routine visit to an optician or eye clinic and identify patients at a high risk of a heart attack. Doctors have recognized that changes to the tiny blood vessels in the retina are indicators of broader vascular disease, including problems with the heart. In the research, deep learning techniques were used to train an AI system to automatically read retinal scans and identify those people who, over the following year, were likely to have a heart attack.

Sediments a likely culprit in spread of deadly disease on Florida coral reefs, study finds

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:25 AM PST

A new study found that seafloor sediments have the potential to transmit a deadly pathogen to local corals and hypothesizes that sediments have played a role in the persistence of a devastating coral disease outbreak throughout Florida and the Caribbean.

Viral proteins join forces to lower plants' defense 'shields'

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:25 AM PST

New research into how viral proteins interact and can be disabled holds promise to help plants defend themselves against viruses -- and ultimately prevent crop losses. The study found that viral proteins interact with each other to help a virus hijack its host plant and complete its life cycle. When some of these viral proteins were disabled, the researchers found that the virus could not move from cell to cell.

Study reveals fourfold range in rates of mental health problems among US children based on relational and social risks

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:25 AM PST

The analysis, based on 2016-2019 data survey responses covering nearly 132,000 children ages 3 to 17, examined the complex interplay between common mental health problems among children, social and relational health risks, and protective factors.

Southern Ocean storms cause outgassing of carbon dioxide

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:25 AM PST

Storms over the waters around Antarctica drive an outgassing of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, according to a new international study. The research group used advanced ocean robots for the study, which provides a better understanding of climate change and can lead to better global climate models.

Ultrasound technique predicts hip dysplasia in infants

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:25 AM PST

A technique that uses ultrasound images to determine the depth and shape of the hip socket can accurately predict which infants with hip dysplasia will develop normal hip structure and which remain dysplastic, according to a new study. Researchers said statistical shape modeling improves on existing techniques and could spare many infants from unnecessary treatment.

New study suggests two paths toward 'super immunity' to COVID-19

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:25 AM PST

New laboratory research reveals more than one path toward robust immunity from COVID-19. A new study finds that two forms of immunity -- breakthrough infections following vaccination or natural infection followed by vaccination -- provide roughly equal levels of enhanced immune protection. The research follows an earlier study that described extremely high levels of immune response following breakthrough infections -- so-called 'super immunity.' That study was the first to use multiple live SARS-CoV-2 variants to measure cross-neutralization of blood serum from breakthrough cases.

Scientists observe record high hydride ion conductivity using modified lanthanum trihydride

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:25 AM PST

Lanthanum trihydride, a compound of lanthanum and hydrogen, when lightly doped with oxygen shows potential as an efficient hydrogen carrier, according to a new study. Hydride ion (H--) conductors are expected to be used in chemical reactors and energy storage systems. However, the low H-- conductivity at room temperature introduces certain technical limitations. These limitations may now be overcome with this latest innovation by the researchers.

SARS-CoV-2: New insights into antibody response against viral variants

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:25 AM PST

Researchers present new findings on the immune response against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Their study is based on investigations of antibodies elicited by infection with the Beta variant of the virus. The researchers conclude that the Beta variant can confer broad immunity to multiple viral strains, which could be beneficial for protection against the currently prevalent Delta and Omicron variants, as well as against future viral variants.

Can reactor fuel debris be safely removed from Fukushima Daiichi?

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 06:30 AM PST

Decommissioning and clean-up are ongoing at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP); however, many difficult problems remain unaddressed. Chief amongst these problems is the retrieval and management of fuel debris.

Researchers identify immunological markers for SARS-CoV-2 reinfection

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 06:30 AM PST

Tracking new hotspots of SARS-CoV-2 will become more important as the virus evolves and becomes endemic. New variants may be more contagious than previous ones -- and escape vaccines. Serum biomarkers, identified in rhesus macaques, can differentiate between primary infection and reinfection. A tool utilizing these biomarkers may help identify surges in reinfection, scientists noted.

An unexpected attraction of nucleic acids and fat

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 06:30 AM PST

All cells on Earth are enveloped in a fatty layer of lipids. Lipid membranes protect the content of the cells, including genetic information such as RNA and DNA. A new study reveals how lipids and RNA can directly interact and how this regulates RNA activity in unexpected ways. The study could help explain how RNA could be regulated in primordial or synthetic biological systems and lead to improvements in the design of RNA vaccines.

Novel research identifies fresh 'mixers' in river pollution 'cocktail'

Posted: 25 Jan 2022 06:29 AM PST

Water quality in rivers is affected by underpinning 'natural' hydrogeological and biogeochemical processes, as well as interactions between people and their environment that are accelerating stress on water resources at unprecedented rates. Pollutants can move at different speeds and accumulate in varying quantities along rivers where the mix of the complex 'cocktail' of chemicals that is making its way towards the ocean is constantly changing, a new study reveals.

Forest emissions scheme makes 'tiny' contribution to Indonesia’s Paris targets

Posted: 24 Jan 2022 12:10 PM PST

More than 70 million tons of carbon were prevented from being released into the atmosphere under a deforestation emissions reduction scheme in Indonesia -- but researchers point out this is only 3 per cent of the total required by Indonesia's Nationally Defined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement.