ScienceDaily: Top News

New discovery shows human cells can write RNA sequences into DNA

Posted: 11 Jun 2021 02:40 PM PDT

In a discovery that challenges long-held dogma in biology, researchers show that mammalian cells can convert RNA sequences back into DNA, a feat more common in viruses than eukaryotic cells.

Edge of Pine Island Glacier's ice shelf is ripping apart, causing key Antarctic glacier to gain speed

Posted: 11 Jun 2021 02:40 PM PDT

Pine Island Glacier's ice shelf lost about one-fifth of its total area between 2017 and 2020, in three dramatic collapses. Meanwhile the glacier sped up by 12 percent. The rest of the ice shelf, the authors say, could disappear much sooner than previous studies had suggested.

Study finds brain areas involved in seeking information about bad possibilities

Posted: 11 Jun 2021 08:08 AM PDT

Researchers have identified the brain regions involved in choosing whether to find out if a bad event is about to happen.

An omega-3 that's poison for tumors

Posted: 11 Jun 2021 08:08 AM PDT

3D tumors that disintegrate within a few days thanks to the action of a well-known omega-3 (DHA, found mainly in fish) -- this is a promising discovery. Hungry for fatty acids, tumor cells in acidosis gorge themselves on DHA but are unable to store it correctly and literally poison themselves. The result? They die.

Fashion for pointy shoes unleashed plague of bunions in medieval Britain

Posted: 11 Jun 2021 05:56 AM PDT

Researchers analysing skeletal remains in the city of Cambridge find a dramatic increase in 'hallux valgus' around the time that pointed shoes became de rigueur in the 1300s. They also uncover a link between this minor deformity and increased risk of fractures.

Astronomers spot a 'blinking giant' near the center of the Galaxy

Posted: 11 Jun 2021 05:56 AM PDT

Astronomers have spotted a giant 'blinking' star towards the centre of the Milky Way, more than 25,000 light years away.

Star's death will play a mean pinball with rhythmic planets

Posted: 11 Jun 2021 05:56 AM PDT

Four planets locked in a perfect rhythm around a nearby star are destined to be pinballed around their solar system when their sun eventually dies, according to a new study that peers into its future.

Study examines the effects of COVID-19 on human kidney cells

Posted: 10 Jun 2021 02:39 PM PDT

The virus that causes COVID-19 can infect and replicate in human kidney cells, but this does not typically lead to cell death. Kidney cells that already have features of injury may be more easily infected and develop additional injury.

Rudeness leads to anchoring, including in medical diagnoses

Posted: 10 Jun 2021 02:39 PM PDT

Research looks at how experiencing rudeness amplifies anchoring bias including in doctors' decision-making.

Leaders who embrace on-job learning and listen to employees have more resilient teams

Posted: 10 Jun 2021 02:39 PM PDT

Leaders who encourage their employees to learn on the job and speak up with ideas and suggestions for change have teams that are more effective and resilient in the face of unexpected situations, according to new research.

Florida python hunters may have a new tool

Posted: 10 Jun 2021 01:24 PM PDT

Researchers have published a first- of-its-kind study that shows that near-infrared (NIR) spectrum cameras can help python hunters more effectively track down these invasive snakes, especially at night.

Butterflies and moths have difficulty adjusting to a rapidly changing climate

Posted: 10 Jun 2021 01:24 PM PDT

Climate change exerts great pressure for change on species and biodiversity. A recent study indicates that the few moth and butterfly species (Lepidoptera) capable of adjusting to a changing climate by advancing their flight period and moving further north have fared the best in Finland. In contrast, roughly 40% of Lepidoptera species have not been able to respond in either way, seeing their populations decline.

Study sheds light on treatment options for devastating childhood brain cancer

Posted: 10 Jun 2021 01:24 PM PDT

Research suggests that children with average risk medulloblastoma can receive radiation to a smaller volume of the brain at the end of a six-week course of treatment and still maintain the same disease control as those receiving radiation to a larger area. But the dose of preventive radiation treatments given to the whole brain and spine over the six-week regimen cannot be reduced without reducing survival.

Study identifies how COVID-19 linked to Alzheimer's disease-like cognitive impairment

Posted: 10 Jun 2021 01:24 PM PDT

A new study has identified mechanisms by which COVID-19 can lead to Alzheimer's disease-like dementia. The findings indicate an overlap between COVID-19 and brain changes common in Alzheimer's, and may help inform risk management and therapeutic strategies for COVID-19-associated cognitive impairment.

Ocean microplastics: First global view shows seasonal changes and sources

Posted: 10 Jun 2021 01:23 PM PDT

An estimated 8 million tons of plastic trash enters the ocean each year, and most of it is battered by sun and waves into microplastics -- tiny flecks that can ride currents hundreds or thousands of miles from their point of entry.

Novel liquid crystal metalens offers electric zoom

Posted: 10 Jun 2021 01:23 PM PDT

Researchers have created a first-of-its-kind metalens - a metamaterial lens - that can be focused using voltage instead of mechanically moving its components.

Forget me not: Novel target shows promise in treating Alzheimer's and related dementias

Posted: 10 Jun 2021 01:23 PM PDT

Researchers have identified a previously unknown early driver of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD). They report high levels of cis P-tau, a pathogenic protein, in human AD and VaD brains as well as preclinical disease models. Treatment with an antibody to the toxic protein prevented disease progression and reversed disease symptoms and restored cognitive function in older mice.

Music listening near bedtime disruptive to sleep

Posted: 10 Jun 2021 01:23 PM PDT

Most people listen to music throughout their day and often near bedtime to wind down. But can that actually cause your sleep to suffer? When a sleep researcher realized he was waking in the middle of the night with a song stuck in his head, he saw an opportunity to study how music -- and particularly stuck songs -- might affect sleep patterns.

'Roadmaps' of the brain reveal regions vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease

Posted: 10 Jun 2021 12:01 PM PDT

Much like a supply truck crossing the countryside, the misfolded proteins that damage neurons in Alzheimer's disease travel the 'roads' of the brain, sometimes stopping and sometimes re-routing to avoid roadblocks.

Astronomy meets pathology to identify predictive biomarkers for cancer immunotherapy

Posted: 10 Jun 2021 12:01 PM PDT

Pairing sky-mapping algorithms with advanced immunofluorescence imaging of cancer biopsies, researchers developed a robust platform to guide immunotherapy by predicting which cancers will respond to specific therapies targeting the immune system.

Like night and day: Animal studies may not translate to humans without time considerations

Posted: 10 Jun 2021 11:45 AM PDT

In a recent survey of published animal studies, researchers found disregarding the animals' circadian rhythms can hamper reproducibility, reliability and validity.

Printing flexible wearable electronics for smart device applications

Posted: 10 Jun 2021 11:44 AM PDT

With the increase in demand for flexible wearable electronics, researchers have explored flexible energy storage devices, such as flexible supercapacitators, that are lightweight and safe and easily integrate with other devices. Printing electronics has proved to be an economical, simple, and scalable strategy for fabricating FSCs. Researchers provide a review of printed FSCs in terms of ability to formulate functional inks, design printable electrodes, and integrate functions with other electronic devices.

Bacteria: Serving tasty solution to global plastic crisis

Posted: 10 Jun 2021 10:57 AM PDT

Scientists have devised a novel way of tackling the mounting issue of plastic pollution -- by using bacteria to transform plastic waste into vanilla flavoring.

Study of Hurricane Harvey flooding aids in quantifying climate change

Posted: 10 Jun 2021 10:56 AM PDT

Researchers used a hydraulic model to consider the degree to which human-caused climate change may have affected flooding in Houston in 2017 during Hurricane Harvey. Resources were used to quantify the increase in Houston flood area and depth and to host a portal where other scientists and the public can access and explore the resulting data.

'Bad fat' suppresses killer T cells from attacking cancer

Posted: 10 Jun 2021 10:56 AM PDT

Researchers have identified how tumors cause immune cells to lose their ability to fight cancer, by producing harmful fats the energy-hungry immune cells ingest, impairing their functionality. The understanding opens new avenues for novel immunotherapies for cancer.

Improved climate resilience through better seasonal forecasts

Posted: 10 Jun 2021 10:56 AM PDT

Lack of water, floods, or crop losses: As a result of climate change, pronounced periods of drought and rainfall are causing human suffering and major economic damage. Precise seasonal forecasts can help to mitigate these consequences. A research team has now been able to improve global forecasts using statistical methods so that they can be used on the regional level.

Model shows sharp decrease in HIV incidence in England

Posted: 10 Jun 2021 10:56 AM PDT

The annual number of new HIV infections among men who have sex with men in England is likely to have fallen dramatically, from 2,770 in 2013 to 854 in 2018, showing elimination of HIV transmission by 2030 to be within reach -- suggests new work.