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| Did rapid spin delay 2017 collapse of merged neutron stars into black hole? Posted: 01 Mar 2022 01:20 PM PST Continuing X-ray observations by Chandra of the kilonova from the merger of two neutron stars to form a black hole hint at new processes. Initially, a gamma-ray burst and subsequent X-ray emissions told of a jet of material produced by the merger, but X-rays from this jet should be dimming. They're not, suggesting that ejecta from the merger, given an extra bounce from the merged neutron stars a second before collapse, is also generating X-rays. |
| Small water samples can find really big animals Posted: 01 Mar 2022 10:11 AM PST Scientists used an emerging genetic tool that analyzes DNA in water samples to detect whales and dolphins in New York waters. |
| New technique unlocks ancient history of Earth from grains of sand Posted: 01 Mar 2022 10:11 AM PST Researchers have developed a new technique by studying the age of ancient grains of sand from beaches, rivers and rocks from around the world to reveal previously hidden details of the Earth's distant geological past. |
| Green chemistry: Scientists develop new process for more eco-friendly liquid crystals Posted: 01 Mar 2022 10:11 AM PST Liquid crystals could soon be produced more efficiently and in a more environmentally friendly way. A new process has been developed. Compared to conventional methods, it is faster, more energy-efficient and promises a high yield. Liquid crystals are used in most smartphone, tablet and computer displays. |
| Study could help to defend humans and crops from yeast infection Posted: 01 Mar 2022 10:11 AM PST Clues to the mechanism of yeast infections, which present risks to both humans and crops, have been identified in new research. |
| Posted: 01 Mar 2022 10:11 AM PST Multiple myeloma, the most common type of bone marrow cancer in Germany, almost always returns, even after initial treatment success. In the majority of cases, the reasons behind this treatment resistance (e.g., genetic mutations) and the subsequent return of the disease, remain unknown. According to new research, it is the increased production of a specific protein which diminishes the cancer's sensitivity to treatment. |
| For new insights into aerodynamics, scientists turn to paper airplanes Posted: 01 Mar 2022 10:11 AM PST A series of experiments using paper airplanes reveals new aerodynamic effects, a team of scientists has discovered. Its findings enhance our understanding of flight stability and could inspire new types of flying robots and small drones. |
| Wild baboons sacrifice sleep to meet pressing demands Posted: 01 Mar 2022 10:11 AM PST Sleep study on a troop of wild baboons reveals that sacrificing sleep to meet pressing demands is common -- and might even be part of our evolutionary history. |
| Posted: 01 Mar 2022 10:10 AM PST A new study using serum from human blood samples suggests neutralizing antibody levels produced by two-dose mRNA vaccines against the original and early variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus wane substantially over time, and offer essentially no protection against the omicron variant. |
| These solar panels pull in water vapor to grow crops in the desert Posted: 01 Mar 2022 10:10 AM PST Using a unique hydrogel, scientists have created a solar-driven system that successfully grows spinach by using water drawn from the air while producing electricity. The proof-of-concept design offers a sustainable, low-cost strategy to improve food and water security for people living in dry-climate regions. |
| Bacteria genes gave ancient plants traits to colonize land Posted: 01 Mar 2022 10:10 AM PST Genes jumping from microbes to green algae hundreds of millions of years ago might have driven the evolution of land plants, researchers report. Their analysis reveals that hundreds of genes from bacteria, fungi, and viruses have been integrated into plants, giving them desirable traits for a terrestrial life. |
| Machine learning improves human speech recognition Posted: 01 Mar 2022 10:10 AM PST To understand how hearing loss impacts people, researchers study people's ability to recognize speech, and hearing aid algorithms are often used to improve human speech recognition. Researchers explore a human speech recognition model based on machine learning and deep neural networks. They calculated how many words per sentence a listener understands using automatic speech recognition. The study consisted of eight normal-hearing and 20 hearing-impaired listeners who were exposed to a variety of complex noises that mask the speech. |
| Cloth masks inferior for protection against airborne viral spread Posted: 01 Mar 2022 10:10 AM PST A new study examines the efficacy of particle filtration by woven fabric, which consists of fibers twisted together into yarns. There are, therefore, two lengthscales: the diameters of the fiber and the yarn. Using 3D imagery produced by confocal microscopy to see the air flow channels, the scientists simulate the airflow through these channels and calculate filtration efficiency for particles a micrometer and larger in diameter. The study concludes for particles in this size range, the filtration efficiency is low. |
| Intestinal cells change functions during their lives Posted: 01 Mar 2022 10:10 AM PST Intestinal cells can change specializations during their lives. The BMP signaling pathway -- an important communication mechanism between cells -- appears to be the driver of these changes, according to research with organoids and mice. The study offers new insights into potential targets for the treatment of metabolic diseases. |
| The role of lipids in the development of Alzheimer’s disease Posted: 01 Mar 2022 10:10 AM PST Neurons in the brain coexist with and rely on many other cell types to function properly. Astrocytes, which take their name from their star shape, ensure the survival of neurons by feeding and detoxifying them with the help of a multifunctional protein, APOE. One of three forms of this protein, APOE4, significantly increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, but the mechanisms at play are unknown. |
| What’s happening in the depths of distant worlds? Posted: 01 Mar 2022 10:10 AM PST The physics and chemistry that take place deep inside our planet are fundamental to the existence of life as we know it. But what forces are at work in the interiors of distant worlds, and how do these conditions affect their potential for habitability? New work uses lab-based mimicry to reveal a new crystal structure that has major implications for our understanding of the interiors of large, rocky exoplanets. |
| Harmless or deadly? New study examines evolution of E. coli bacteria Posted: 01 Mar 2022 06:37 AM PST A new study suggests genetic material from E. coli bacteria in farm animals could be contributing to the evolution of deadly strains of E. coli in humans. |
| Researchers develop procedure to interpret x-ray emission spectra of liquid water Posted: 01 Mar 2022 06:37 AM PST Water is an abundant and essential compound, found everywhere on Earth. Yet despite its familiarity and simple structure, water displays many unusual physical properties. For more than a century, scientists have turned their attention to the study of water, attempting to better interpret its structure. |
| New epigenetic biomarkers found that potentially predict preterm birth Posted: 01 Mar 2022 06:37 AM PST A signature found in the cheek cells of mothers and fathers of preterm infants may help develop a test to determine whether a pregnancy may end too early. Such a test could help prevent premature births and the many resulting health impacts on infants by alerting medical providers to the need for early intervention measures. In a proof of concept study, researchers documented more than 100 epigenetic biomarkers in mothers of preterm babies that were distinct from mothers of babies carried to term. Fathers had fewer biomarkers but enough to indicate a likely paternal role in preterm birth. They also found that the preterm female babies carried more than 100 of these biomarkers, indicating the propensity to have a preterm baby may be passed down. |
| Noble false widow spider captures bats in the attic Posted: 01 Mar 2022 06:36 AM PST Scientists have published the first record of a Noble False Widow spider feeding on a protected species of Pipistrelle bats in the UK. The new study demonstrates that False Widow spiders continue to impact native species. |
| Face masks play a crucial role, new COVID research confirms Posted: 01 Mar 2022 06:36 AM PST Researchers have developed a new theoretical model to better assess the risks of spreading viruses such as COVID-19 -- with and without a face mask. The results show how the standard 'safe' distance of two meters does not always apply but varies greatly depending on a range of environmental factors, and that face masks can indeed play a crucial role. |
| Protein protects brain cells most impacted by glaucoma Posted: 01 Mar 2022 06:36 AM PST A ubiquitous protein called sigma 1 receptor, which is known to protect cells from stress, appears key to the function and survival of the neurons most impacted by glaucoma, scientists report. |
| Tiny tire particles inhibit growth of organisms in freshwater, coastal estuaries, studies find Posted: 01 Mar 2022 06:36 AM PST Small particles from tires inhibited the growth and caused adverse behavioral changes in organisms found in freshwater and coastal estuary ecosystems, two new research papers found. |
| Surprising semiconductor properties revealed with innovative new method Posted: 01 Mar 2022 06:36 AM PST Semiconductor experiments reveal a surprising new source of conductivity from oxygen atoms trapped inside the material. |
| Why exercise gets harder the less you do Posted: 28 Feb 2022 04:10 PM PST Doing less exercise could deactivate a vital protein in the body, causing further inactivity and making exercise more difficult, new research suggests. Deactivating the Piezo1 protein, a blood flow sensor, reduces the density of capillaries carrying blood to the muscles. This restricted blood flow means activity becomes more difficult and can lead to a reduction in how much exercise is possible. This helps to explain the biology of why exercise becomes harder the less you do. |
| New optical tweezers put on the pressure to change color Posted: 28 Feb 2022 02:20 PM PST Scientists demonstrate an optical trapping technique using nanotextured black silicon that can efficiently trap polymer chains. By adjusting the laser intensity, these 'optical tweezers' can control the florescence color emitted through a local concentration of a perylene-modified polymer solution. From a low intensity blue to high intensity orange, this reversible and fully remote technology can almost reach the entire RGB spectrum. |
| Plastic labelling needs 'sustainability scale' Posted: 28 Feb 2022 02:20 PM PST Labelling of plastic products needs a drastic overhaul including a new 'sustainability scale' to help consumers, researchers say. |
| New screening system may point the way to clean, renewable hydrogen power Posted: 28 Feb 2022 02:20 PM PST A new, highly sensitive system for detecting the production of hydrogen gas may play an important role in the quest to develop hydrogen as an environmentally friendly and economical alternative to fossil fuels. |
| Researchers establish first-of-its-kind framework to diagnose 3D-printing errors Posted: 28 Feb 2022 02:20 PM PST Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, can create custom parts for electromagnetic devices on-demand and at a low cost. These devices are highly sensitive, and each component requires precise fabrication. Until recently, though, the only way to diagnose printing errors was to make, measure and test a device or to use in-line simulation, both of which are computationally expensive and inefficient. |
| Immunotherapy drug bolsters head and neck cancer treatment Posted: 28 Feb 2022 02:08 PM PST A clinical trial has shown that the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab increased survival rates for head and neck cancer patients with intermediate risk. |
| Scientists discover a new molecular pathway shared by two neurodegenerative disorders Posted: 28 Feb 2022 01:16 PM PST Researchers from two independent research teams have discovered how the mislocalization of a protein, known as TDP-43, alters the genetic instructions for UNC13A, providing a possible therapeutic target that could also have implications in treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and other forms of dementia. ALS and FTD are two neurodegenerative disorders in which many cases are linked by mislocalization of TDP-43, where instead of being primarily located in the nucleus of the cell where genes are activated, it forms aggregates outside the nucleus in multiple neurodegenerative diseases. Rare mutations in the TDP-43 gene are known to cause ALS, but almost all cases of ALS show mislocalization of TDP-43. |
| Scaling laws in enzymes may help predict life ‘as we don’t know it' Posted: 28 Feb 2022 01:16 PM PST A team of researchers is developing tools to predict the features of life as we don't know it. |
| Physicists bring a once-theoretical effect of quantum matter into observable reality Posted: 28 Feb 2022 12:06 PM PST Physicists have experimentally observed a quirky behavior of the quantum world: a 'quantum boomerang' effect that occurs when particles in a disordered system are kicked out of their locations. Instead of landing elsewhere as one might expect, they turn around and come back to where they started and stop there. |
| Under pressure: A new theory lets us predict when soft materials will fail Posted: 28 Feb 2022 12:06 PM PST Researchers recently announced a major theoretical and experimental breakthrough that allows scientists to predict, with an unprecedented precision, when a soft material will crack and fail. The findings have immediate implications for the engineering and manufacture of a wide range of polymers. They also provide insights into how natural soft materials -- such as the connective tissues in our bodies and even our brains -- break down. |
| Overlooked channels influence water flow and flooding along Gulf Coast Posted: 28 Feb 2022 12:06 PM PST An unnoticed network of channels is cutting across the coastal plain landscape along the Gulf Coast and influencing how water flows, according to new research that could help predict flooding from major storms in the future. |
| Climate change: A threat to human wellbeing and health of the planet Posted: 28 Feb 2022 10:15 AM PST Human-induced climate change is causing dangerous and widespread disruption in nature and affecting the lives of billions of people around the world, despite efforts to reduce the risks. People and ecosystems least able to cope are being hardest hit, said scientists in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report. |
| Physical fitness linked to lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease Posted: 28 Feb 2022 09:57 AM PST People who are more physically fit are less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than people who are less physically fit, according to a preliminary study. |
| Clues to better batteries emerge from tracking lithium Posted: 28 Feb 2022 09:56 AM PST A new study tracked lithium metal deposition and removal from a battery anode while it was cycling to find clues as to how failure occurs. The research could help improve the use of pure lithium metal in anodes for electric vehicle batteries, which would reduce battery weights and dramatically extend driving range. |
| Discovery of an innate immunological memory in the intestine Posted: 28 Feb 2022 09:56 AM PST The innate immune system plays a crucial role in regulating host-microbe interactions, and especially in providing protection against pathogens that invade the mucosa. Using an intestinal infection model, scientists discovered that innate effector cells -- group 3 innate lymphoid cells -- act not only during the early stages of infection but can also be trained to develop an innate form of immunological memory that can protect the host during reinfection. |
| Metasurface-based antenna turns ambient radio waves into electric power Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:44 AM PST Researchers report that lab tests of a new metasurface-based antenna that can harvest 100 microwatts of power, enough to power simple devices, from low power radio waves. This represents an important step toward making it practical to harvest energy from radio waves, such as the ones used in cell phone networks or Bluetooth connections. |
| How a two-faced molecule can silence problematic genes Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:44 AM PST Researchers have developed a technology, heteroduplex oligonucleotide (HDO), that silences certain genes whose high expression levels fuel disease. Adding a specific molecular tag allowed them to target the HDO to immune cells called lymphocytes safely and efficiently. Doing so with an HDO specific to a gene called Itga4 improved symptoms in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis, suggesting this technology may be developed to use in human immune disorders. |
| Healthy gut microbiome improves success of cancer treatment Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:44 AM PST The largest study to date has confirmed the link between the gut microbiome and the response to cancer immunotherapy therapy for melanoma. |
| The root of it: Understanding molecular basis of lateral root development in rice Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:44 AM PST The ability of rice plants to modify their root systems to adapt to the surrounding soil water conditions is a great example of a phenomenon called phenotype plasticity. However, the exact mechanism behind this remained unknown. Now researchers have determined the role of two WUSCHEL-related homeobox (WOX) genes in controlling the root primordium size in lateral roots. |
| Your lunchtime walks in the summer could be making you less productive Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:44 AM PST Researchers discovered that a brief 15-minute walk in a hot outdoor environment impairs cognitive function. Moreover, this effect was most pronounced in sleep-deprived men and could negatively impact the productivity and learning of workers and students in urban cities in the summer months. |
| Cholesterol-lowering drugs may slow down metastases Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:43 AM PST Many people have to take statins to lower their cholesterol levels. But statins may be able to do even more: Researchers report that these drugs inhibit a gene that promotes cancer cell metastasis. |
| Spintronics: Innovative crystals for future computer electronics Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:43 AM PST Computer chips and storage elements are expected to function as quickly as possible and be energy-saving at the same time. Innovative spintronic modules are at an advantage here thanks to their high speed and efficiency, as there is no lossy electrical current, rather the electrons couple with one another magnetically -- like a series of tiny magnetic needles which interact with almost no friction loss. A team of scientists has now found promising properties with crystals grown from rare-earth atoms, which offer hope on the long path towards usage as spintronic components. |
| Suspending syringe services programs will result in an increase of HIV infections Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:43 AM PST A new study shows the effectiveness of syringe services programs in both curbing HIV transmission among people who use drugs and preventing future outbreaks. |
| Bark of neem tree may protect against coronavirus variants, study finds Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:43 AM PST Extract from the bark of the Neem tree may help treat and reduce the spread of coronavirus, according to a new study. The research shows that components of Neem bark may target a wide range of viral proteins, suggesting its potential as an antiviral agent against emerging variants of coronaviruses (including SARS-CoV-2). |
| Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:43 AM PST Hydrogels have an astonishing ability to swell and take on water. In daily life, they are used in dressings, nappies, and more to lock moisture away. A team of researchers has now found another use: quickly extracting large amounts of freshwater from air using a specially developed hydrogel containing a hygroscopic salt. The study shows that the salt enhances the moisture uptake of the gel, making it suitable for water harvesting in dry regions. |
| Snail competition leads to fewer parasites that cause schistosomiasis Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:43 AM PST A new study shows that schistosome transmission can actually be highest when freshwater snail populations are low. This study demonstrates how the size of a freshwater snail population relates to its parasitic infection rate. |
| Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:43 AM PST Researchers have shared a comprehensive multiomics study from a rare cohort of 56 patients with transformed CTCL and identified several genomic alterations and oncogenic programs that may be potential novel therapeutic targets. |
| Elephant seal’s map sense tells them when to head ‘home’ Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:43 AM PST Each year, pregnant female elephant seals take an approximately 240-day trek over 10,000 kilometers across the Eastern North Pacific Ocean before returning to their breeding beaches to give birth within five days of their arrival. Now, a study finds that this impressive navigation ability depends on an internal map sense, which functions much like a built-in GPS. |
| New, nature-inspired concepts for turning CO2 into clean fuels Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:43 AM PST Researchers have developed an efficient concept to turn carbon dioxide into clean, sustainable fuels, without any unwanted by-products or waste. |
| New data analysis tool uncovers important COVID-19 clues Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:43 AM PST A new data analysis tool has revealed the specific immune cell types associated with increased risk of death from COVID-19. |
| For cancer patients on immunotherapy, harmful gut bacteria might matter more than helpful ones Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:43 AM PST Melanoma patients receiving therapy that helps their immune system kill cancer cells respond to treatment differently depending on the types of microbes in their gut, and new research suggests the microorganisms hindering therapy have more influence than the beneficial ones. |
| Separator key when it comes to 'stable' vs. 'safe' battery Posted: 28 Feb 2022 07:38 AM PST Researchers have discovered the key to making a stable, safe battery. |
| Posted: 28 Feb 2022 07:38 AM PST New research has revealed a key neural mechanism underlying the feeling of being unable to stop eating, the most salient aspect of binge episodes in eating disorders like bulimia nervosa. |
| Social networking for fossils shows community impacts of mass extinctions Posted: 28 Feb 2022 07:38 AM PST By applying an algorithm akin to what social media sites use to make friend suggestions, researchers have identified communities of ancient life in the fossil record and tracked how their numbers changed through each of the planet's mass extinctions. |
| Gas flares tied to premature deaths Posted: 28 Feb 2022 07:38 AM PST Engineers suggest that flaring of natural gas at oil and gas fields in the United States, primarily in North Dakota and Texas, contributed to dozens of premature deaths in 2019. |
| New way viruses trigger autoimmunity discovered Posted: 28 Feb 2022 07:38 AM PST Studying mice, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered that roseolovirus can trigger autoimmunity in a previously unknown way: by disrupting the process by which immune cells learn to avoid targeting their own body's cells and tissues. |
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