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| Chagas disease: Hybrid strains make insidious parasite more dangerous Posted: 10 May 2022 07:29 AM PDT Researchers have mapped how the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi forms new variants that are more effective at evading the immune system and causing disease. Their findings can give rise to new methods for diagnosing, preventing and treating Chagas disease, which affects millions of people in Central and South America, causing thousands of deaths every year. |
| What benefits nutrition in Africa the most? Posted: 10 May 2022 07:29 AM PDT Malnutrition in developing countries is best addressed not by increasing the variety of crops grown on smallholder farms, but by improving access to markets. More variety in animal production, however, does show positive effects. |
| Soil microbes use different pathways to metabolize carbon Posted: 10 May 2022 07:29 AM PDT Much of what scientists think about soil metabolism may be wrong. New evidence suggests that microbes in different soils use different biochemical pathways to process nutrients, respire, and grow. The study upends long-held assumptions in the field of soil ecology and calls for more investigation and higher-resolution methods to be applied to what has been a black box for the field. |
| AI predicts infant age, gender based on temperament Posted: 10 May 2022 07:28 AM PDT A new study used machine learning to classify infants as either male or female at 0-24 weeks of age, 24-48 weeks of age and older than 48 weeks based off 14 temperament dimensions. Accuracy rates increased with age, ranging from a low of 38% for age group one, to 57% for age group three. |
| Researchers conduct first assessment of metabolites in African savanna elephants Posted: 10 May 2022 07:28 AM PDT Researchers have conducted the first assessment of metabolites in African savanna elephants, an important step in understanding the relationship between metabolism and health in these endangered animals. |
| Animal research: Influence of experimenters on results less strong than expected Posted: 10 May 2022 07:28 AM PDT The Number One confounding factor in animal research is the person conducting the experiment. Behavioral biologists examined this factor in behavioral experiments involving mice at different locations. |
| Head, body, eye coordination conserved across animal kingdom Posted: 10 May 2022 07:28 AM PDT Fruit flies synchronize the movements of their heads and bodies to stabilize their vision and fly effectively, according to researchers who utilized virtual-reality flight simulators. The finding appears to hold true in primates and other animals, the researchers say, indicating that animals evolved to move their eyes and bodies independently to conserve energy and improve performance. This understanding could inform the design of advanced mobile robots. |
| Joubert Syndrome: Intellectual disability and defects in the hippocampus Posted: 10 May 2022 07:28 AM PDT An important link has been found between the intellectual disability experienced by children with the rare disease Joubert Syndrome (JS) and defects in the hippocampus. The hippocampus is the part of the brain associated with learning and memory. It also plays a role in various neurological and psychiatric disorders. Joubert Syndrome is a rare childhood disease that leads to poor muscle coordination, developmental delay, abnormal eye movements and neonatal breathing abnormalities. It is estimated that between 1 in 80,000 and 1 in 100,000 newborns are affected by the condition. |
| Stress may be associated with fertility issues in women Posted: 10 May 2022 07:28 AM PDT Female rats exposed to a scream sound may have diminished ovarian reserve and reduced fertility, according to a small animal study. |
| Bali-like temperatures in Wyoming? Fossils reveal tropically hot North America 95 million years ago Posted: 10 May 2022 07:28 AM PDT A new study that used fossil oyster shells as paleothermometers found the shallow sea that covered much of western North America 95 million years ago was as warm as today's tropics. |
| Poor eyesight unfairly mistaken for brain decline Posted: 09 May 2022 05:49 PM PDT Millions of older people with poor vision are at risk of being misdiagnosed with mild brain decline due to cognitive tests that rely on vision-dependent tasks. |
| Hidden distortions trigger promising thermoelectric property Posted: 09 May 2022 04:15 PM PDT A study describes a new mechanism for lowering thermal conductivity to aid the search for materials that convert heat to electricity or electricity to heat. Scientists describe the previously hidden sub-nanoscale origins of exceptional thermoelectric properties in silver gallium telluride. The discovery reveals a quantum mechanical twist on what drives the emergence of these properties -- and opens up a completely new direction for searching for new high-performance thermoelectrics. |
| Exposure to wildfires increases risk of cancer Posted: 09 May 2022 04:15 PM PDT A new study finds higher incidence of lung cancer and brain tumors in people exposed to wildfires. The study, which tracks over two million Canadians over a period of 20 years, is the first to examine how proximity to forest fires may influence cancer risk. |
| New research pinpoints 'blue corridors' for highly migratory fish Posted: 09 May 2022 04:15 PM PDT New research has pinpointed four high-traffic areas in the Pacific Ocean that should be considered of high priority if conservation efforts focused on large pelagic fishes such as tuna, blue marlin and swordfish are to be successful. |
| Crystal study may resolve DNA mystery Posted: 09 May 2022 02:10 PM PDT Bioscientists have uncovered a tiny detail that could help us understand how DNA replicates with such astounding accuracy. |
| Methylation of tRNA-derived fragments regulates gene-silencing activity in bladder cancer Posted: 09 May 2022 02:10 PM PDT Researchers describe a novel form of gene regulation that is altered in bladder cancer, leading to the boosting of a gene pathway that helps the cancer cells survive during rapid growth. The work focuses on a 22-base fragment of transfer RNA, tRF-3b, which is modified by the enzyme complex TRMT6/61A. In bladder cancer, the levels of TRMT6/61A -- a methyltransferase -- are elevated. The methylation modification prevents tRF-3bs from silencing the expression of various genes in the unfolded protein response pathway in the cancer cells. |
| More difficult than expected for glaciers to recover from climate warming Posted: 09 May 2022 01:28 PM PDT Ice shelves are floating extensions of glaciers. If Greenland's second largest ice shelf breaks up, it may not recover unless Earth's future climate cools considerably. |
| Are new carbon sinks appearing in the Arctic? Posted: 09 May 2022 01:28 PM PDT Global warming can result in the spread of peatland vegetation in the Arctic. An international research group has discovered signs of 'proto-peat', which may be the beginning of new peatlands. |
| How do water mold spores swim? Posted: 09 May 2022 01:28 PM PDT Oomycetes, also known as water moulds, are pathogenic microorganisms that resemble fungi and are responsible for a group of diseases affecting several plant species. To reach and infect plants, the spores swim to their target. Physicists and biologists have now precisely measured the movement of each flagellum while a zoospore follows a linear trajectory and when it is turning. |
| Stopping lung damage before it turns deadly Posted: 09 May 2022 01:28 PM PDT New research shows that hypoxia can activate the same group of immune cells that cause inflammation during asthma attacks. |
| Drugs showing promise in cancer trials reduce scarring for scleroderma Posted: 09 May 2022 01:28 PM PDT Epigenetic drugs that have shown promise in cancer trials significantly reduce scarring in the cells of patients with scleroderma, a new study shows. Results reveal that drugs that inhibit BRD4, known to play a role in cancer, also affect fibrosis in scleroderma. Researchers tested BRD4 inhibitors on the skin fibroblasts of scleroderma patients and in mouse models of skin fibrosis, finding that the treatment stopped scarring in both human-derived cells and in animals. |
| Researchers identify key factors impacting adaptive therapy Posted: 09 May 2022 01:28 PM PDT Researchers have been investigating an alternative treatment approach called adaptive therapy that focuses on maintaining disease control instead of complete tumor cell elimination. Researchers used mathematical modeling to reveal that the spatial organization of a tumor is an important factor that governs how cells compete with one another and the effectiveness of adaptive therapy. |
| Newly discovered lake may hold secret to Antarctic ice sheet's rise and fall Posted: 09 May 2022 01:28 PM PDT Scientists investigating the underside of the world's largest ice sheet in East Antarctica have discovered a city-size lake whose sediments might answer questions about what Antarctica was like before it froze, how climate change has affected it over its history, and how the ice sheet might behave as the world warms. |
| Ice-capped volcanoes slower to erupt, study finds Posted: 09 May 2022 01:24 PM PDT The Westdahl Peak volcano in Alaska last erupted in 1992, and continued expansion hints at another eruption soon. Experts previously forecasted the next blast to occur by 2010, but the volcano -- located under about 1 kilometer of glacial ice -- has yet to erupt again. Using the Westdahl Peak volcano as inspiration, a new volcanic modeling study examined how glaciers affect the stability and short-term eruption cycles of high-latitude volcanic systems -- some of which exist along major air transportation routes. |
| Posted: 09 May 2022 01:24 PM PDT In June 2019, a magnitude 4.0 earthquake occurred beneath Lake Erie just off the shoreline of Ohio, about 20 miles northeast of Cleveland. |
| Nonlethal parasites reduce how much their wild hosts eat, leading to ecosystem effects Posted: 09 May 2022 01:23 PM PDT Pervasive parasitic infections reduce herbivory rates and can therefore trigger trophic cascades that impact plant communities, according to new research. This work helps fill a recognized knowledge gap regarding the ecological consequences of parasitic infections in natural ecosystems. |
| Ultrafast 'camera' captures hidden behavior of potential 'neuromorphic' material Posted: 09 May 2022 12:07 PM PDT Imagine a computer that can think as fast as the human brain while using very little energy. That's the goal of scientists seeking to discover or develop 'neuromorphic' materials that can send and process signals as easily as the brain's neurons and synapses. In a paper just published scientists describe surprising new details about vanadium dioxide, one of the most promising neuromorphic materials. |
| Gene therapy shows promise in treating neuropathy from spinal cord injuries Posted: 09 May 2022 12:07 PM PDT Researchers report that a gene therapy that inhibits targeted nerve cell signaling effectively reduced neuropathic pain with no detectable side effects in mice with spinal cord or peripheral nerve injuries. |
| 'Self-driving' microscopes discover shortcuts to new materials Posted: 09 May 2022 12:07 PM PDT Researchers are teaching microscopes to drive discoveries with an intuitive algorithm that could guide breakthroughs in new materials for energy technologies, sensing and computing. |
| Hypertensive pregnancy disorders linked to future cardiac events Posted: 09 May 2022 12:07 PM PDT Women who experienced complications related to developing high blood pressure, or hypertension, during pregnancy had a 63% increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease later in life, according to new research. |
| Quantifying cognitive decline in dogs could help humans with Alzheimer's disease Posted: 09 May 2022 12:07 PM PDT Researchers have found that a suite of complimentary tests can quantify changes in dogs suspected of suffering from cognitive decline. The approach could not only aid owners in managing their elderly canine's care, but could also serve as a model for evaluating cognitive decline progression in -- and treatments for -- humans with Alzheimer's disease. |
| Shipping poses significant threat to the endangered whale shark Posted: 09 May 2022 12:06 PM PDT New research indicates that lethal collisions of whale sharks with large ships are vastly underestimated, and could be the reason why populations are falling. |
| T cell behavior determines which tumors respond to treatment Posted: 09 May 2022 10:26 AM PDT Immunotherapy unleashes the power of the immune system to fight cancer. However, for some patients, immunotherapy doesn't work, and new research may help explain why. When immune cells called T lymphocytes infiltrate malignant tumors, the genetic program of those T cells and the developmental path they then follow, may affect their response to immunotherapy and predict overall patient survival, according to a new study. The results overturn the prevailing model of immune responses in melanoma and present different therapeutic approaches. |
| Spider can hide underwater for 30 minutes Posted: 09 May 2022 10:26 AM PDT A tropical spider species uses a 'film' of air to hide underwater from predators for as long as 30 minutes, according to new research. |
| In a pair of merging supermassive black holes, a new method for measuring the void Posted: 09 May 2022 10:26 AM PDT Researchers have devised a potentially easier way of gazing into the abyss. Their imaging technique could allow astronomers to study black holes smaller than M87's, a monster with a mass of 6.5 billion suns, harbored in galaxies more distant than M87, which at 55 million light-years away, is still relatively close to our own Milky Way. |
| Confirmed: Atmospheric helium levels are rising Posted: 09 May 2022 08:21 AM PDT Scientists used an unprecedented technique to detect that levels of helium are rising in the atmosphere, resolving an issue that has lingered among atmospheric chemists for decades. |
| Multi-tasking wearable continuously monitors glucose, alcohol, and lactate Posted: 09 May 2022 08:20 AM PDT Imagine being able to measure your blood sugar levels, know if you've had too much to drink, and track your fatigue during a workout, all in one small device worn on your skin. Engineers developed a prototype of such a wearable that continuously monitors several health stats at once. |
| Chronobiologists identify key circadian clock mechanism in cyanobacteria Posted: 09 May 2022 08:20 AM PDT The activation and inactivation mechanisms of a key protein involved in the circadian clock system of cyanobacteria -- an important organism in the evolution of such internal clocks -- have long eluded scientists. But researchers have now identified how the system is driven. |
| A better diet helps beat depression in young men Posted: 09 May 2022 08:20 AM PDT Young men with a poor diet saw a significant improvement in their symptoms of depression when they switched to a healthy Mediterranean diet, a new study shows. |
| New method to synchronize devices on Earth makes use of cosmic rays Posted: 09 May 2022 08:20 AM PDT Various technologies, networks and institutions benefit from or require accurate time keeping to synchronize their activities. Current ways of synchronizing time have some drawbacks that a new proposed method seeks to address. The cosmic time synchronizer works by synchronizing devices around cosmic ray events detected by those devices. This could bring accurate timing abilities to remote sensing stations, or even underwater, places that other methods cannot serve. Early tests show promise, but the real challenge may lie in the adoption of this new technique. |
| Failed eruptions are at the origin of copper deposits Posted: 09 May 2022 08:20 AM PDT Copper is one of the most widely used metals on the planet today due to its electrical and thermal conduction properties. The greatest natural resources of this metal are the so-called 'porphyry' deposits that come from magmas deep in the Earth. In recent research, scientists demonstrate that these deposits are largely produced by mechanisms similar to those causing large volcanic eruptions. At a time when current copper resources are dwindling and this metal plays a key role in the energy transition, this discovery opens up new avenues for the development of tools to find new deposits. |
| Bolder marmoset monkeys learn faster than shy ones Posted: 09 May 2022 08:20 AM PDT Individual traits seem to drive our learning success: for instance, conscientious individuals often show higher academic performance. A group of cognitive and behavioral biologists conducted personality assessments and a battery of learning tests with common marmosets and found that such a link, intertwined with family group membership, exists in these monkeys, too. |
| These bats deter predators by buzzing like hornets Posted: 09 May 2022 08:20 AM PDT In Batesian mimicry, a harmless species imitates a more dangerous one in an evolutionary 'ruse' that affords the mimic protection from would-be predators. Now, researchers have discovered the first case of acoustic Batesian mimicry in mammals and one of very few documented in any species: greater mouse-eared bats imitate the buzzing sound of a stinging insect to discourage predatory owls from eating them. |
| Targeting interleukin-6 could help relieve immunotherapy side effects Posted: 09 May 2022 08:20 AM PDT Researchers have identified a novel strategy to reduce immune-related adverse events from immunotherapy treatment by targeting the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6). |
| Novel approach could lead to treatment of devastating brain tumors Posted: 09 May 2022 07:09 AM PDT Findings from a seven-year research project suggests that there could be a new approach to treating one of the most common and devasting forms of brain cancer in adults -- Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM). |
| Major discovery provides new hope for blood cancer patients Posted: 09 May 2022 07:09 AM PDT Acute myeloid leukaemia is a rare and devastating blood cancer that is highly resistant to treatment. Now, scientists have discovered a way to suppress a specific protein that promotes drug resistance. |
| Research breakthrough means warp speed 'Unruh effect' can finally be tested in lab settings Posted: 09 May 2022 07:09 AM PDT A major hurdle for work at the forefront of fundamental physics is the inability to test cutting-edge theories in a laboratory setting. But a recent discovery opens the door for scientists to see ideas in action that were previously only understood in theory or represented in science fiction. |
| Getting sticky with it: Phospholipid found to play a key role in epithelial cell adhesion Posted: 09 May 2022 07:09 AM PDT Cells have certain proteins that help them adhere to each other while covering body surfaces and organs. Loss of these identifying proteins could result in cellular progression towards cancer and, subsequently, metastasis. However, lipids may play a role in maintaining cellular identity as well. Scientists have now identified the role of PIP2, a phospholipid, in maintaining epithelial cell-cell adhesion and cellular identity. Their findings will help develop strategies aimed at suppressing metastasis. |
| Food insecurity risk related to diabetes later in life Posted: 09 May 2022 07:09 AM PDT Young adults who were at risk of food insecurity had increased incidence of diabetes 10 years later, according to a new study. While previous research has associated food insecurity with a range of health issues including diabetes, obesity and hypertension, this study showed a connection over time, suggesting a causal relationship. Researchers analyzed data on nearly 4,000 people from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. They found that adults ages 24-32 who said they'd been worried about food running out in the last year showed greater incidence of diabetes, either through blood glucose tests or self-reports, at ages 32-42, compared to those who did not report food insecurity risk. |
| Energy researchers invent chameleon metal that acts like many others Posted: 09 May 2022 07:09 AM PDT Researchers have invented a groundbreaking device that electronically converts one metal into behaving like another to use as a catalyst for speeding chemical reactions. |
| Why science doesn't help sell chocolate chip cookies Posted: 09 May 2022 07:09 AM PDT People don't want science anywhere near their delicious chocolate chip cookies. But they're happy to have science create body wash that fights odor-causing bacteria. |
| Researchers identify rare genetic markers of drug-resistant tuberculosis Posted: 09 May 2022 07:09 AM PDT Researchers have identified rare genetic markers in M. tuberculosis that could improve early detection of drug-resistant strains of the disease, helping prevent their spread. |
| Future super cyclones would expose many in most vulnerable locations to extreme flooding Posted: 09 May 2022 07:08 AM PDT A new study has revealed super cyclones, the most intense form of tropical storm, are likely to have a much more devastating impact on people in South Asia in future years. |
| Emissions tied to the international trade of agricultural goods are rising Posted: 06 May 2022 03:40 PM PDT Scientists have conducted a thorough examination of international trade in agricultural goods, finding that consumers in wealthy countries enjoy the produce while people in less-developed nations endure heightened greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation. |
| Targeting molecular pathway that causes pulmonary arterial hypertension Posted: 06 May 2022 12:14 PM PDT Researchers describe the underlying signaling pathway that results in pulmonary arterial hypertension and a novel monoclonal antibody therapy that blocks the abnormal blood vessel formation characterizing the disease. |
| Posted: 06 May 2022 12:14 PM PDT Labeling the credibility of information sources does not shift the consumption of news away from low-quality sources or reduce belief in widely circulated inaccurate claims among average internet users, but providing an indicator of sources' quality may improve the news diet quality of the heaviest consumers of misinformation. |
| World's ocean is losing its 'memory' under global warming Posted: 06 May 2022 12:14 PM PDT Using future projections from the latest generation of Earth System Models, a recent study found that most of the world's ocean is steadily losing its year-to-year memory under global warming. |
| The forest as a shelter for insects in warmer climates? Posted: 06 May 2022 12:14 PM PDT Insect diversity is declining in Bavaria. Land use is a major driver, but the impact of climate change is still unknown. A study has now investigated in more detail how both factors interact in driving insect diversity and what can be done to conserve it. |
| Operating rooms are the climate change contributor no one's talking about Posted: 06 May 2022 12:14 PM PDT The health care industry accounts for about 8.5% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, and surgery is one of hospitals' biggest culprits in this space. Two surgeons-in-training give some solutions to combat this problem. |
| Retinal cell map could advance precise therapies for blinding diseases Posted: 06 May 2022 12:14 PM PDT Researchers have identified distinct differences among the cells comprising a tissue in the retina that is vital to human visual perception. The scientists discovered five subpopulations of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) -- a layer of tissue that nourishes and supports the retina's light-sensing photoreceptors. Using artificial intelligence, the researchers analyzed images of RPE at single-cell resolution to create a reference map that locates each subpopulation within the eye. |
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