ScienceDaily: Most Popular News


Bacterial cellulose could enable microbial life on Mars

Posted: 06 Jun 2022 03:12 PM PDT

An international research team has investigated the chances of survival of kombucha cultures under Mars-like conditions. Kombucha is known as a drink, sometimes called tea fungus or mushroom tea, which is produced by fermenting sugared tea using kombucha cultures -- a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. Although the simulated Martian environment destroyed the microbial ecology of the kombucha cultures, surprisingly, a cellulose-producing bacterial species survived.

Cannabis products demonstrate short-term reduction in chronic pain, little else, review finds

Posted: 06 Jun 2022 03:12 PM PDT

Evidence behind the effectiveness of cannabis-related products to treat chronic pain is surprisingly thin, according to a new systematic evidence review. Voters in a number of states have legalized medical and recreational marijuana; however, the researchers found many of the products now available at U.S. dispensaries have not been well studied.

Gene variation may be early indicator for gastric cancer

Posted: 06 Jun 2022 03:11 PM PDT

Researchers are hoping to catch stomach cancer before it develops in at-risk patients. Researchers identified a genetic variation that could help identify when patients with Helicobacter pylori are more likely to develop stomach cancer.

A novel all-optical switching method makes optical computing and communication systems more power-efficient

Posted: 06 Jun 2022 11:54 AM PDT

Photonics researchers have introduced a novel method to control a light beam with another beam through a unique plasmonic metasurface in a linear medium at ultra-low power. This simple linear switching method makes nanophotonic devices such as optical computing and communication systems more sustainable requiring low intensity of light.

Study explores the promises and pitfalls of evolutionary genomics

Posted: 06 Jun 2022 11:54 AM PDT

A new study examines mathematical models designed to draw inferences about how evolution operates at the level of populations of organisms. The study concludes that such models must be constructed with the greatest care, avoiding unwarranted initial assumptions, weighing the quality of existing knowledge and remaining open to alternate explanations.

COVID-19 increases risk of psychiatric diagnoses in the months after infection, study finds

Posted: 06 Jun 2022 11:54 AM PDT

A recent study found that COVID-19 patients had a roughly 25% increased risk of developing a psychiatric disorder in the four months following their infection, compared with people who had other types of respiratory tract infections.

New study deepens understanding of how animals see, and what colors

Posted: 06 Jun 2022 11:54 AM PDT

Gathering vision data for hundreds of vertebrates and invertebrates, biologists have deepened scientists' understanding of animal vision, including the colors they see. The researchers determined that animals adapted to land are able to see more colors than animals adapted to water. Animals adapted to open terrestrial habitats see a wider range of colors than animals adapted to forests.

Cover crops not enough to improve soil after decades of continuous corn

Posted: 06 Jun 2022 11:54 AM PDT

Although about 20% of Illinois cropping systems are planted to continuous corn, it's nearly impossible to find fields planted this way for decades at a time. Yet long-term experiments, including over 40 years of continuous corn under different nitrogen fertilizer rates, provide incredible learning opportunities and soil management lessons for researchers and farmers alike.

Color-changing mouse model allows researchers to non-invasively study deep tissues

Posted: 06 Jun 2022 11:54 AM PDT

Biomedical and genetic engineers have developed a process to change the color of a mouse's tissue to better image its internal physiology. The approach will help researchers isolate and remove sources of strong background noise in biomedical images, giving them unprecedented access to observe, influence and image biological processes with a swiftly developing imaging technique called photoacoustic imaging.

Bumps could smooth quantum investigations

Posted: 06 Jun 2022 11:54 AM PDT

Materials theorists model a contoured surface overlaid with 2D materials and find it possible to control their electronic and magnetic properties. The discovery could simplify research into many-body effects, including quantum systems.

Phase separation found in immune response within cells

Posted: 06 Jun 2022 10:44 AM PDT

Protein complexes that play a critical role in launching an immune response assemble in droplets that form within the liquid environment in cells much like oil droplets in water, scientists report in a new study. The work could lead to new interventions to regulate immunity in individuals with overactive or underactive immune responses.

Wildlife's worm-wide web

Posted: 06 Jun 2022 10:44 AM PDT

Many of us try to repress the thought of them, while others have come to accept them. Whatever your take on parasites is, they can tell scientists a lot about ecology, health and the environment.

Textile filter testing shows promise for carbon capture

Posted: 06 Jun 2022 10:44 AM PDT

Researchers found they could filter carbon dioxide from air and gas mixtures at promising rates using a proposed new textile-based filter that combines cotton fabric and an enzyme called carbonic anhydrase -- one of nature's tools for speeding chemical reactions.

How a knee replacement impacts the planet

Posted: 06 Jun 2022 10:44 AM PDT

Researchers are quantifying the effects of healthcare on the environment, specifically the particularly waste-heavy and energy-intensive specialty of orthopedic surgery. The researchers reviewed existing literature and found that while data is still sparse, efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of orthopedic surgery could make a huge impact.

New technology protects authenticity of engineered cell lines

Posted: 06 Jun 2022 10:44 AM PDT

A team of researchers has developed a first-of-its-kind method to create a unique identifier for each copy of a cell line to allow users to verify its authenticity and protect the manufacturer's intellectual property (IP).

Breakthrough study examines evolution of snake venom genes

Posted: 06 Jun 2022 10:44 AM PDT

A new study provides the first comprehensive explanation of how snake venom regulatory systems evolved -- an important example that illuminates the evolution of new complex traits.

Genetically modified corn does not damage non-target organisms

Posted: 06 Jun 2022 10:44 AM PDT

The largest, highest quality analysis of data ever conducted reveals that genetically modified Bt corn has little impact on nontarget insects and other organisms, especially compared to growing conventional corn.

Small package, big potential to help cell-based therapies

Posted: 06 Jun 2022 10:44 AM PDT

Innovative research is exploring the use of a new cell delivery method to help cells stick and stay where they're needed most.

Chemists design chemical probe for detecting minute temperature shifts in the body

Posted: 06 Jun 2022 10:44 AM PDT

A chemistry team has engineered a cobalt complex to act as a noninvasive chemical thermometer. They've done so by making the cobalt complex's nuclear spin ­-- a workhorse, fundamental magnetic property ­­-- mimic the agile, but less stable sensitivity of an electron's spin.

Poor sleep linked to increased risk of COPD flare-ups

Posted: 06 Jun 2022 10:44 AM PDT

Poor sleep is associated with a significantly increased risk of life-threatening flare-ups in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, according to a new study. The risk for these flare-ups -- sudden bouts of worsening breathing -- was 25% to 95% higher in people who experienced poor sleep than in people who had good quality sleep. The findings suggest that poor sleep may be a better predictor of flare-ups than even a person's history of smoking.

Grain boundaries go with the flow

Posted: 03 Jun 2022 12:54 PM PDT

Engineers mimic atom-scale grain boundaries with magnetic particles to see how shear stress influences their movement.