ScienceDaily: Top News


Imaging space debris in high resolution

Posted: 27 Feb 2021 05:33 AM PST

Researchers have introduced a new method for taking high-resolution images of fast-moving and rotating objects in space, such as satellites or debris in low Earth orbit. They created an imaging process that first utilizes a novel algorithm to estimate the speed and angle at which an object in space is rotating, then applies those estimates to develop a high-resolution picture of the target.

When using pyrite to understand Earth's ocean and atmosphere: Think local, not global

Posted: 27 Feb 2021 05:33 AM PST

Scientists have long used information from sediments at the bottom of the ocean to reconstruct the conditions in oceans of the past. But a study raises concerns about the common use of pyrite sulfur isotopes to reconstruct Earth's evolving oxidation state. These signals aren't the global fingerprint of oxygen in the atmosphere, according to new research from Washington University in St. Louis.

Meteorites remember conditions of stellar explosions

Posted: 27 Feb 2021 05:33 AM PST

A team of international researchers went back to the formation of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago to gain new insights into the cosmic origin of the heaviest elements on the periodic table.

How bacteria defeat drugs that fight cystic fibrosis

Posted: 27 Feb 2021 05:33 AM PST

Researchers and their partners have discovered a slimy strategy used by bacteria to defeat antibiotics and other drugs used to combat infections afflicting people with cystic fibrosis.

Sensing robot healthcare helpers

Posted: 27 Feb 2021 05:32 AM PST

Robots that could take on basic healthcare tasks to support the work of doctors and nurses may be the way of the future. Who knows, maybe a medical robot can prescribe your medicine someday? That's the idea behind 3D structural-sensing robots being developed and tested right now.

'Explicit instruction' provides dramatic benefits in learning to read

Posted: 27 Feb 2021 05:32 AM PST

When it comes to learning to read, new research suggests that explicit instruction -- a phonics teaching method in which the relationship between sound and spelling is taught directly and systematically -- is more effective than self-discovery through reading.

Oahu marine protected areas offer limited protection of coral reef herbivorous fishes

Posted: 27 Feb 2021 05:32 AM PST

Marine protected areas (MPAs) around Oahu do not adequately protect populations of herbivorous reef fishes that eat algae on coral reefs.

New study highlights importance of context to physical theories

Posted: 26 Feb 2021 10:55 AM PST

A scientist's research into the geometrical characteristics of a physical theories is highlighted in a new article. A physicist examines what structural property of a theory like quantum mechanics makes it prone to contextuality.

Bioinformatics tool accurately tracks synthetic DNA

Posted: 26 Feb 2021 09:12 AM PST

A computer science lab challenges -- and beats -- deep learning in a test to see if a new bioinformatics approach effectively tracks the lab of origin of a synthetic genetic sequence.

Changing the silkworm's diet to spin stronger silk

Posted: 26 Feb 2021 07:37 AM PST

Researchers have produced cellulose nanofiber (CNF) synthesized silk naturally through a simple tweak to silkworms' diet. Mixing CNF with commercially available food and feeding the silkworms resulted in a stronger and more tensile silk.

Ancient Egyptian manual reveals new details about mummification

Posted: 26 Feb 2021 07:37 AM PST

Based on a manual recently discovered in a 3,500-year-old medical papyrus, an Egyptologist has been able to reconstruct the embalming process used to prepare ancient Egyptians for the afterlife. It is the oldest surviving manual on mummification yet discovered.

Signal transduction without signal: Receptor clusters can direct cell movement

Posted: 25 Feb 2021 04:09 PM PST

Whether we smell, taste or see, or when adrenaline rushes through our veins, all of these signals are received by our cells via a specific group of receptor proteins called G protein-coupled receptors, which transmit signals to the inside of the cell. Biochemists have now discovered that such receptors can also produce signals even in the absence of an external stimulus: For certain receptors clustering is apparently sufficient.

New sustainable building simulation method points to the future of design

Posted: 25 Feb 2021 02:16 PM PST

A team has put forth a new framework for injecting as much information as possible into the pre-design and early design phases of a project, potentially saving architects and design teams time and money down the road.

Scientists use Doppler to peer inside cells

Posted: 25 Feb 2021 02:16 PM PST

Doppler radar improves lives by peeking inside air masses to predict the weather. A team is using similar technology to look inside living cells, introducing a method to detect pathogens and treat infections in ways that scientists never have before.

Nuclear physicists on hunt for squeezed protons

Posted: 25 Feb 2021 01:32 PM PST

While protons populate the nucleus of every atom in the universe, sometimes they can be squeezed into a smaller size and slip out of the nucleus for a romp on their own. Observing these squeezed protons may offer unique insights into the particles that build our universe. Now, researchers hunting for these squeezed protons have come up empty-handed, suggesting there's more to the phenomenon than first thought.

A tangled food web

Posted: 25 Feb 2021 01:32 PM PST

Born in food web ecology, the concept of trophic levels -- the hierarchy of who eats who in the natural world -- is an elegant way to understand how biomass and energy move through a natural system. It's only natural that the idea found its way into the realm of aquaculture, where marine and freshwater farmers try to maximize their product with efficient inputs.

Rare bee found after 100 years

Posted: 25 Feb 2021 11:39 AM PST

A widespread field search for a rare Australian native bee not recorded for almost a century has found it's been there all along - but is probably under increasing pressure to survive.

Scientists identify cells responsible for liver tissue maintenance and regeneration

Posted: 25 Feb 2021 11:39 AM PST

While the amazing regenerative power of the liver has been known since ancient times, the cells responsible for maintaining and replenishing the liver have remained a mystery. Now, research has identified the cells responsible for liver maintenance and regeneration while also pinpointing where they reside in the liver.

Smartphones could help to prevent glaucoma blindness

Posted: 25 Feb 2021 11:39 AM PST

Smartphones could be used to scan people's eyes for early-warning signs of glaucoma - helping to prevent severe ocular diseases and blindness, a new study reveals.

64 human genomes as new reference for global genetic diversity

Posted: 25 Feb 2021 11:38 AM PST

20 years after the successful completion of the Human Genome Project', an international research group has now sequenced 64 human genomes at high resolution. This reference data includes individuals from around the world, better capturing the genetic diversity of the human species. Among other applications, the work enables population-specific studies on genetic predispositions to human diseases as well as the discovery of more complex forms of genetic variation.

New signaling pathway in neurons

Posted: 25 Feb 2021 11:38 AM PST

A new signaling pathway has been identified that can prevent the overproduction of certain RNA-protein complexes in neurons. These complexes play an important role in neurodegenerative diseases.

Eating human food could mean trouble for urban coyotes, study shows

Posted: 25 Feb 2021 11:38 AM PST

A diet rich in human food may be wreaking havoc on the health of urban coyotes, according to a new study.

Tiny crustaceans' show fastest repeatable movements ever seen in marine animals

Posted: 25 Feb 2021 11:38 AM PST

A group of crustaceans called amphipods can accelerate as fast as a bullet--literally, according to a new study.

Post-wildfire landslides becoming more frequent in southern California

Posted: 25 Feb 2021 11:38 AM PST

Southern California can now expect to see post-wildfire landslides occurring almost every year, with major events expected roughly every ten years, a new study finds. The results show Californians are now facing a double whammy of increased wildfire and landslide risk caused by climate change-induced shifts in the state's wet and dry seasons, according to researchers who mapped landslide vulnerability in the southern half of the state.

Harnessing the power of proteins in our cells to combat disease

Posted: 25 Feb 2021 11:38 AM PST

Over many decades now, traditional drug discovery methods have steadily improved at keeping diseases at bay and cancer in remission. And for the most part, it's worked well. But it hasn't worked perfectly.

Artificial 'brain' reveals why we can't always believe our eyes

Posted: 25 Feb 2021 11:37 AM PST

A computer network closely modelled on part of the human brain is enabling new insights into the way our brains process moving images - and explains some perplexing optical illusions.

Laser system generates random numbers at ultrafast speeds

Posted: 25 Feb 2021 11:37 AM PST

Scientists have developed a system that can generate random numbers over a hundred times faster than current technologies, paving the way towards faster, cheaper, and more secure data encryption in today's digitally connected world.

Gut health and mood genetically entwined

Posted: 25 Feb 2021 11:37 AM PST

Researchers have provided clues to how the gut and brain work together by studying health data from nearly half a million people.

Benefits of team building exercises jeopardized if not truly voluntary

Posted: 25 Feb 2021 11:37 AM PST

Zoom dress up parties, tug-of-war, 'trust falls' and escape rooms - team building exercises have become the go-to tool for managers trying to increase team rapport and productivity, but unfortunately many employees resent compulsory bonding and often regard these exercises as the bane of their workplace existence.  A paper published by Sydney researchers has found participants have mixed feelings about team-building interventions, with the research revealing ethical implications in forcing employees to take part.