ScienceDaily: Top News

Meningitis: Researchers find possible treatment strategy without antibiotics

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 02:22 PM PDT

Meningitis is a very serious brain infection with limited treatment options. In a new study performed in rats, researchers present an alternative treatment based on immune cells that helps rinse away toxins that accumulate during the infection.

New active agent against parasites

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 02:22 PM PDT

Researchers have identified a chemical compound that may be suitable as an active agent against several different unicellular parasites. Among these are the pathogens that cause malaria and toxoplasmosis. The point of attack for this promising substance is the protein tubulin: It helps cells divide and therefore is essential for the multiplication of the parasites.

Putting honeybee hives on solar parks could boost the value of UK agriculture

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 02:22 PM PDT

The value of UK agriculture could be boosted by millions of pounds a year if thousands of honeybee hives were deployed on solar parks across the country, a new study reveals. However, scientists caution that the benefits of managing solar parks for wild pollinators over honeybees should be prioritized where appropriate and should be assessed on a site by site basis.

Researchers identify brain circuitry in rodents that may be responsible for negative emotional aspects of pain

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 02:22 PM PDT

A new study has uncovered neuronal circuitry in the brain of rodents that may play an important role in mediating pain-induced anhedonia -- a decrease in motivation to perform reward-driven behaviors. Researchers were able to change the activity of this circuit and restore levels of motivation in a pre-clinical model of pain tested in rodents.

Solar energy can be cheap and reliable across China by 2060

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 01:32 PM PDT

How much will solar power really cost in China in the coming decades, including the challenges its inherent variability poses to the grid? Researchers have found that solar energy could provide 43.2% of China's electricity demands in 2060 at less than two-and-a-half U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour.

Breakthrough proof clears path for quantum AI

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 12:42 PM PDT

Convolutional neural networks running on quantum computers have generated significant buzz for their potential to analyze quantum data better than classical computers can.

How marsh grass protects shorelines

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 12:42 PM PDT

Marsh plants can play a major role in mitigating coastal damage as sea levels rise and storm surges increase. A new study provides greater detail about how these protective benefits work under real-world conditions shaped by waves and currents.

Neuroinflammation protein linked to worse survival in men with glioblastoma

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 12:06 PM PDT

Scientists have discovered a new link that could bring the scientific and medical community closer to understanding why glioblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor, is deadlier in males than females.

Powerful technique allows scientists to study how proteins change shape inside cells

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 12:06 PM PDT

The scientists' new 'binder-tag' technique allows researchers to pinpoint and track proteins that are in a desired shape or 'conformation,' and to do so in real time inside living cells. The scientists demonstrated the technique in, essentially, movies that track the active version of an important signaling protein -- a molecule, in this case, important for cell growth.

People love the billionaire, but hate the billionaires’ club

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 12:06 PM PDT

Americans may respect and admire how individual billionaires -- think Oprah Winfrey or Bill Gates -- made their billions, even as they rage against the "top 1%" as a group, new research finds.

A new treatment for glaucoma?

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 11:17 AM PDT

A new study in mice has identified new treatment targets for glaucoma, including preventing a severe pediatric form of glaucoma, as well as uncovering a possible new class of therapy for the most common form of glaucoma in adults.

So-called junk DNA plays critical role in mammalian development

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 11:05 AM PDT

Despite the prevalent view that some 98% of our genome is junk DNA, new research shows that one piece of junk DNA -- the promoter of a virus-based transposon -- plays a critical role in cell proliferation and timing of embryo implantation in mice. The group found virus-based promoters linked to genes involved in development in other mammals, including humans, suggesting that transposons have been broadly repurposed for important regulatory roles.

Climate change and human pressure mean migration may be 'no longer worth it'

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 10:04 AM PDT

Researchers have found that the benefits of migration have been eroded by the effects of climate change and human pressure.

How herbivore activity around water affects plant communities

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 10:03 AM PDT

Plants need water to grow. So if there's water, shouldn't there be more plants? New research shows it's a lot more complicated than that.

Titan’s river maps may advise Dragonfly’s 'sedimental' journey

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 10:03 AM PDT

With future space exploration in mind, a team of astronomers has published the final maps of Titan's liquid methane rivers and tributaries -- as seen by NASA's late Cassini mission -- so that may help provide context for Dragonfly's upcoming 2030s expedition.

Four-legged swarm robots

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 10:03 AM PDT

Engineers have built multi-legged robots capable of maneuvering in challenging environments and accomplishing difficult tasks collectively, mimicking their natural-world counterparts.

Uncovering the secrets of ultra-low frequency gravitational waves

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 08:25 AM PDT

New methods of detecting ultra-low frequency gravitational waves can be combined with other, less sensitive measurements to deliver fresh insights into the early development of our universe, according to researchers.

How the brain navigates cities

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 08:25 AM PDT

A study suggests our brains are not optimized to calculate the shortest possible route when navigating on foot. Instead, pedestrians use vector-based navigation, choosing 'pointiest' paths that point most directly toward their destination, even if the routes are longer.

Optimum pressure to improve the performance of lithium metal batteries

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 08:25 AM PDT

A team of materials scientists and chemists has determined the proper stack pressure that lithium metal batteries, or LMBs, need to be subjected to during battery operation in order to produce optimal performance.

Fasting is required to see the full benefit of calorie restriction in mice

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 08:25 AM PDT

Over the last few decades, scientists have discovered that long-term calorie restriction provides a wealth of benefits in animals. Researchers have largely assumed that reduced food intake drove these benefits by reprogramming metabolism. But a new study finds that reduced calorie intake alone is not enough; fasting is essential for mice to derive full benefit.

The human immune system is an early riser

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 08:24 AM PDT

Circadian clocks, which regulate most of the physiological processes of living beings over a rhythm of about 24 hours, are one of the most fundamental biological mechanisms. By deciphering the cell migration mechanisms underlying the immune response, scientists have shown that the activation of the immune system is modulated according to the time of day. Indeed, the migration of immune cells from the skin to the lymph nodes oscillates over a 24-hours period. Immune function is highest in the resting phase, just before activity resumes -- in the afternoon for mice, which are nocturnal animals, and early morning for humans. These results suggest that the time of day should possibly be taken into account when administering vaccines or immunotherapies against cancer, in order to increase their effectiveness.

Lakes are changing worldwide: Human activities to blame

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 08:24 AM PDT

Worldwide, lake temperatures are rising and seasonal ice cover is shorter and thiner. This effects lake ecosystems, drinking water supply and fishing. International research now shows that these global changes in lake temperature and ice cover are not due to natural climate variability. They can only be explained by massive greenhouse gas emissions since the Industrial Revolution. To demonstrate this, the team has developed multiple computer simulations with models of lakes on a global scale, on which they ran a series of climate models. The researchers found clear similarities between the observed changes in lakes and model simulations of lakes in a climate influenced by greenhouse gas emissions. Besides measuring the historical impact of climate change, the team also analyzed various future climate scenarios.

Mammalian motivation circuits: Maybe they’re born with it

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 08:24 AM PDT

Are animals born to seek rewards or avoid punishment? Researchers found that mice have pre-programmed neurons and circuits that process 'positive' and 'negative' stimuli. Their findings may be useful for studying neurological and psychiatric disorders in humans.

Developing a treatment for vision loss through transplant of photoreceptor precursors

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 07:59 AM PDT

A recent study examining the therapeutic potential of photoreceptor precursors, derived from clinically compliant induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), has demonstrated the safety and therapeutic potential of clinically compliant iPSC-derived photoreceptor precursors as a cell replacement source for future clinical trials.

Scientists discover method to boost energy generation from microalgae

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 07:59 AM PDT

The variety of humble algae that cover the surface of ponds and seas could hold the key to boosting the efficiency of artificial photosynthesis, allowing scientists to produce more energy and lower waste in the process. A study showed how encasing algae protein in liquid droplets can dramatically enhance the algae's light-harvesting and energy-conversion properties by up to three times. This energy is produced as the algae undergoes photosynthesis, which is the process used by plants, algae and certain bacteria to harness energy from sunlight and turn it into chemical energy. When light hits the droplet, light waves travel around the curved edges of the droplet. Light is effectively trapped within the droplet for a longer period of time, giving more opportunity for photosynthesis to take place, hence generating more energy.

Aging breast tissue could set the stage for invasive breast cancer

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 07:59 AM PDT

A new study examines how the extracellular matrix (ECM) -- an underlying network of molecules and proteins that provide the structure for tissue growth -- can trigger invasive cancer-related genes.

Artificial chromosomes study sheds light on gene therapies

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 07:00 AM PDT

A research team led by Dr Karen Wing Yee YUEN, Associate Professor from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), revealed the mechanism of artificial chromosome (AC) formation in the embryos of the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, a 1-mm long, transparent nematode.

Delicious discoveries: Scientists just described a new onion species from the Himalaya

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 05:23 AM PDT

While the onion, garlic, scallion, shallot and chives have been on our plates for centuries, becoming staple foods around the world, their group, the genus Allium, seems to be a long way from running out of surprises. Recently, a group of researchers from India described a new onion species from the western Himalaya region, long known to the locals as 'jambu' and 'phran.'

Challenges and lessons learned caring for diverse, vulnerable populations in the ER

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 05:23 AM PDT

Interviews with two dozen emergency medicine residents in academic medical center found most placed importance on learning to deliver high-quality care to diverse populations. However, many did not feel their programs made enough effort to incorporate effective cultural competency education into the curriculum.

Ecology of fishing jaguars: Rare social interactions

Posted: 18 Oct 2021 05:23 AM PDT

Scientists have gained new insights into the diet, population density and social interactions of a group of Brazilian jaguars.

NASA, ULA launch Lucy Mission to ‘fossils’ of planet formation

Posted: 17 Oct 2021 07:05 AM PDT

NASA's Lucy mission, the agency's first to Jupiter's Trojan asteroids, launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Over the next 12 years, Lucy will fly by one main-belt asteroid and seven Trojan asteroids, making it the agency's first single spacecraft mission in history to explore so many different asteroids. Lucy will investigate these 'fossils' of planetary formation up close during its journey.

Our brains have a 'fingerprint' too

Posted: 15 Oct 2021 03:42 PM PDT

An EPFL scientist has pinpointed the signs of brain activity that make up our brain fingerprint, which -- like our regular fingerprint -- is unique.