ScienceDaily: Top News

The 'Great Dying'

Posted: 19 May 2021 01:37 PM PDT

The Paleozoic era culminated 251.9 million years ago in the most severe mass extinction recorded in the geologic record. Known as the 'great dying,' this event saw the loss of up to 96% of all marine species and around 70% of terrestrial species, including plants and insects.

Half of Guadeloupe's snakes and lizards went extinct after European colonization

Posted: 19 May 2021 01:36 PM PDT

A new study uses fossil and archaeological archives to demonstrate that colonial era extinctions in Guadeloupe occurred on a much more massive scale than previously thought, with more than 50% of the islands' squamate species disappearing in the centuries after 1492.

Unexpected 'Black Swan' defect discovered in soft matter

Posted: 19 May 2021 01:36 PM PDT

Scientists have revealed a single microscopic defect called a 'twin' in a soft-block copolymer using an advanced electron microscopy technique. This defect may be exploited in the future to create materials with novel acoustic and photonic properties.

High levels of contaminants in killer whales

Posted: 19 May 2021 09:07 AM PDT

Little is known concerning environmental contaminants in predators at the top of a food chain. A study has demonstrated that new types of brominated flame retardants accumulate in the tissues of killer whales near Norway and are also passed on to nursing offspring.

Closer to gene therapy that would restore hearing for the congenitally deaf

Posted: 19 May 2021 05:04 AM PDT

Researchers have found a key new piece of the puzzle in the quest to use gene therapy to enable people born deaf to hear.

What happens in the brain when we imagine the future?

Posted: 18 May 2021 05:54 PM PDT

What happens in the brain when people think about the future? Neuroscientist find that two sub-networks play a role. One focuses on creating the new event. Another evaluates whether that event is positive or negative.

A new theory for what's happening in the brain when something looks familiar

Posted: 18 May 2021 05:54 PM PDT

Neuroscientists present a new theory for what's happening in the brain when something looks familiar. The work brings the field one step closer to understanding how memory functions. Long-term, it could have implications for treating diseases like Alzheimer's.

A gentler strategy for avoiding childhood dental decay

Posted: 18 May 2021 05:54 PM PDT

By targeting the bonds between bacteria and yeast that can form a sticky dental plaque, a new therapeutic strategy could help wash away the build-up while sparing oral tissues, according to a new study.

New framework incorporating renewables and flexible carbon capture

Posted: 18 May 2021 05:54 PM PDT

As the global energy demand continues to grow along with atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), there has been a major push to adopt more sustainable and more carbon-neutral energy sources. Solar/wind power and CO2 capture - the process of capturing waste CO2 so it is not introduced into the atmosphere - are two promising pathways for decarbonization, but both have significant drawbacks.

Test detects childhood tuberculosis a year ahead

Posted: 18 May 2021 08:48 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a highly sensitive blood test that can find traces of the bacteria that causes tuberculosis (TB) in infants a year before they develop the deadly disease, according to a new study.

Why some pockets of conifer survive repeated forest fires

Posted: 18 May 2021 08:48 AM PDT

Researchers say topographic templates' can help forest conservation managers develop strategies for protecting and restoring the most fire-resistant parts of vulnerable forests across a range of ecosystems.

Embryo cryopreservation minimizes cryoinjuries, offers hope for would-be parents

Posted: 18 May 2021 08:48 AM PDT

Not all embryo transfers succeed, which gives rise to the practice of freezing extra embryos from an IVF cycle for future transfers. This allows those with at-risk fertility, due to age or treatments such as chemotherapy, to delay their transfer. Researchers introduce a standalone microfluidics system to automate the process of embryo vitrification of replacing water with cryoprotectants, which exposes embryos to a slow and constantly increasing concentration of cryoprotectants.

Adding antibodies to enhance photodynamic therapy for viral and bacterial disease

Posted: 18 May 2021 08:48 AM PDT

Photodynamic therapy, or using light to inactivate viruses, bacteria, and other microbes, has garnered promising results in recent decades for treating respiratory tract infections and some types of cancer. Researchers review the existing approaches and propose adding antibodies to enhance PDT efficacy. They provide a model to help expedite overall PDT development as a rapid response to emergent viral pandemic threats.

Wake steering potentially boosts energy production at US wind plants

Posted: 18 May 2021 08:47 AM PDT

Wake steering is a strategy employed at wind power plants involving misaligning upstream turbines with the wind direction to deflect wakes away from downstream turbines, which consequently increases the net production of wind power at a plant. Researchers illustrate how wake steering can increase energy production for a large sampling of commercial land-based U.S. wind power plants. Several were ideal candidates.

Synaptic transmission: Not a one-way street

Posted: 18 May 2021 08:44 AM PDT

When neuroscientists analyzed the exact properties of nerve connections in the brain, they made a startling observation: At a key connection, or synapse, messages are sent against the usual stream of information. The study reports that the signal glutamate likely plays a role in this unusual transmission.

Rechargeable cement-based batteries

Posted: 18 May 2021 08:42 AM PDT

Imagine an entire twenty storey concrete building which can store energy like a giant battery. Thanks to unique research, such a vision could someday be a reality. Researchers recently published an article outlining a new concept for rechargeable batteries - made of cement.

Electric cars: Special dyes could prevent unnecessary motor replacements

Posted: 18 May 2021 08:42 AM PDT

In the near future dyes in electric motors might indicate when cable insulation is becoming brittle and the motor needs replacing. Scientists have developed a new process that enables the dyes to be directly integrated into the insulation. By changing color, they reveal how much the insulating resin layer around the copper wires in the motor has degraded.

Grazing management of salt marshes contributes to coastal defense

Posted: 18 May 2021 08:41 AM PDT

Combining natural salt marsh habitats with conventional dikes may provide a more sustainable alternative for fully engineered flood protection. Researchers studied how salt marsh management can be optimized for coastal defense purposes. They found that grazing by both cattle and small herbivores such as geese and hare and artificial mowing can reduce salt marsh erosion, therefore contributing to nature-based coastal defense.

When one become two: Separating DNA for more accurate nanopore analysis

Posted: 18 May 2021 08:41 AM PDT

A new software tool will help bioinformaticians improve the quality and accuracy of their biological data, and avoid mis-assemblies. The fast, lightweight, user-friendly tool visualizes genome assemblies and gene alignments from the latest next generation sequencing technologies.

Mathematical model predicts effect of bacterial mutations on antibiotic success

Posted: 18 May 2021 08:41 AM PDT

Scientists have developed a mathematical model that predicts how the number and effects of bacterial mutations leading to drug resistance will influence the success of antibiotic treatments.

Scientists map gene changes underlying brain and cognitive decline in aging

Posted: 18 May 2021 08:41 AM PDT

Alzheimer's disease shares some key similarities with healthy aging, according to a new mathematical model.

Linguistic and biological diversity linked

Posted: 17 May 2021 04:47 PM PDT

Cultural diversity -- indicated by linguistic diversity -- and biodiversity are linked, and their connection may be another way to preserve both natural environments and Indigenous populations in Africa and perhaps worldwide, according to an international team of researchers.

From Avocet to Zebra Finch: Big data study finds more than 50 billion birds in the world

Posted: 17 May 2021 04:46 PM PDT

There are roughly 50 billion individual birds in the world, a new big data study suggests - about six birds for every human on the planet.