ScienceDaily: Top News


Moments of silence point the way towards better superconductors

Posted: 20 Dec 2021 09:06 AM PST

High-precision measurements have provided important clues about processes that impair the efficiency of superconductors. Future work building on this research could offer improvements in a range of superconductor devices, such quantum computers and sensitive particle detectors.

New research moves closer to harnessing viruses to fight bacteria and reduce antibiotic use

Posted: 20 Dec 2021 09:06 AM PST

A new study has cast new light on how to best combine antibiotics and phage therapy. Researchers conducted laboratory experiments on Pseudomonas aeruginosa a bacterium which causes disease in immunocompromised and cystic fibrosis patients. They exposed the bacterium to eight types of antibiotics -- and found differences in the mechanisms by which the bacteria evolve resistance to phages, which affect how harmful they are.

Shoots and roots respond differently to climate change

Posted: 20 Dec 2021 09:06 AM PST

A new synthesis reveals mismatches between above- and below-ground plant phenology due to climate change. These findings are important to understand the consequences of climate change on terrestrial biodiversity.

A pathway emerges: Biologists describe structure and function of a heme transport and assembly machine

Posted: 20 Dec 2021 09:00 AM PST

Researchers described for the first time the structure of a bifunctional protein, called CcsBA, that transports heme and attaches it to cytochromes. The study captured two conformational states of CcsBA, a bacterial and chloroplast protein, allowing scientists to characterize the enzyme mechanism.

Abundance of life discovered beneath an Antarctic ice shelf

Posted: 20 Dec 2021 09:00 AM PST

Far beneath the ice shelves of the Antarctic, there is more marine life than expected.

Gum disease increases risk of other illness such as mental health and heart conditions, study suggests

Posted: 20 Dec 2021 05:31 AM PST

A new study shows an increased risk of patients developing illnesses including mental ill-health and heart conditions if they have a GP-inputted medical history of gum disease.

Wearable biosensors can help people with complex health conditions

Posted: 20 Dec 2021 05:31 AM PST

Remote monitoring of health-related behavior with wearable sensor technology is feasible for people with complex health conditions, shows a recent study.

Small measures can be a big help for children of mothers with depression

Posted: 20 Dec 2021 05:31 AM PST

Several new studies among Syrian refugee families in Turkey and families with infants in Sweden and Bhutan show that children of mothers in poor mental health risk falling behind in their cognitive development. However, very small changes can suffice to break this correlation and enable the children to return to their normal developmental level. Having plenty of people around them and an available community are two of the most important factors for helping children, in all three countries.

Himalayan glaciers melting at 'exceptional rate'

Posted: 20 Dec 2021 05:31 AM PST

The accelerating melting of the Himalayan glaciers threatens the water supply of millions of people in Asia, new research warns. The study concludes that over recent decades the Himalayan glaciers have lost ice ten times more quickly over the last few decades than on average since the last major glacier expansion 400-700 years ago, a period known as the Little Ice Age.

Deadliest period in Earth’s history was also the stinkiest

Posted: 20 Dec 2021 05:30 AM PST

Tiny microbes belching toxic gas helped cause -- and prolong -- the biggest mass extinction in Earth's history, a new study suggests.

Using sparse data to predict lab earthquakes

Posted: 17 Dec 2021 02:28 PM PST

A machine-learning approach developed for sparse data reliably predicts fault slip in laboratory earthquakes and could be key to predicting fault slip and potentially earthquakes in the field.

Earthquake depth impacts potential tsunami threat

Posted: 17 Dec 2021 02:28 PM PST

Earthquakes of similar magnitude can cause tsunamis of greatly varying sizes. This commonly observed, but not well-understood phenomenon has hindered reliable warnings of local tsunamis. This research provides new insight that connects the characteristics of earthquakes -- magnitude, depth where two tectonic plates slip past each other and the rigidity of the plates involved -- with the potential size of a resulting tsunami.

Wear and tear in vulnerable brain areas lead to lesions linked to cognitive decline

Posted: 17 Dec 2021 02:27 PM PST

As our brains age, small lesions begin to pop up in the bundles of white matter that carry messages between our neurons. The lesions can damage this white matter and lead to cognitive deficits. Now, researchers not only provide an explanation for the location of these lesions but also how they develop in the first place.

California spotted owls benefit from forest restoration

Posted: 17 Dec 2021 12:19 PM PST

Forest restoration treatments can reduce future fire severity and benefit populations of California spotted owls, even with temporary disruptions within owl habitats in the Sierra Nevada, CA.

Mirror-image peptides form ‘rippled sheet’ structure predicted in 1953

Posted: 17 Dec 2021 09:38 AM PST

By mixing a small peptide with equal amounts of its mirror image, scientists have created an unusual protein structure known as a 'rippled beta sheet' and obtained images of it using x-ray crystallography. The rippled sheet is a distinctive variation on the pleated beta sheet, which is a well-known structural motif found in thousands of proteins, including important disease-related proteins. Linus Pauling and Robert Corey described the rippled beta sheet in 1953, two years after introducing the concept of the pleated beta sheet.

Discovering sources of Roman silver coinage from the Iberian Peninsula

Posted: 17 Dec 2021 09:38 AM PST

Despite its prior status as a luxury commodity, silver became widely used for coinage in the Roman world from the 7th century BCE onward and provided a standardized monetary system for ancient Mediterranean civilizations. However, the sources of silver used to produce Roman coinage have largely been used up, making it difficult to determine which deposits Roman miners exploited.

Using ergonomics to reduce pain from technology use

Posted: 17 Dec 2021 09:38 AM PST

The use of smartphones, tablets and laptops has become commonplace throughout the world and has been especially prevalent among college students. Recent studies have found that college students have higher levels of screen time, and they utilize multiple devices at higher rates compared to previous generations.

Sauropod dinosaurs were restricted to warmer regions of Earth

Posted: 17 Dec 2021 09:38 AM PST

A study investigated the enigma of why sauropod fossils are only found at lower latitudes, while fossils of other main dinosaur types seem ubiquitously present, with many located in the polar regions.

How the brain understands one voice in a noisy crowd

Posted: 17 Dec 2021 08:32 AM PST

Researchers find that the brain is taking an extra step when listening to one speaker in a crowd, and not taking that step with the other words swirling around the conversation.

In last 15 years, deforestation made outdoor work unsafe for millions

Posted: 17 Dec 2021 08:32 AM PST

The tropics is becoming hotter due to a combination of warming associated with deforestation and climate change -- and that can reduce the ability of outdoor workers to perform their jobs safely. Researchers estimated how many safe working hours people living in the tropics have lost due to local temperature change associated with loss of trees during the past 15 years.

Voluntary pledges could cut utility GHG emissions by a third

Posted: 17 Dec 2021 08:32 AM PST

An analysis of pledges made by many of the largest U.S. electric utilities to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions suggests that pledged reductions could reduce power sector emissions by a third as compared to 2018 levels. The study also found that about one-seventh of the cuts utilities have promised are reductions they would have to make anyway due to existing state requirements.

Understanding cobalt’s human cost

Posted: 17 Dec 2021 08:32 AM PST

After studying the impacts of mining cobalt -- a common ingredient in lithium-ion batteries -- on communities in Africa's Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), an interdisciplinary team of researchers is calling for more data into how emerging technologies affect human health and livelihoods.

Pain and anxiety impact breathing on a cellular level

Posted: 17 Dec 2021 08:29 AM PST

A team of scientists has uncovered a neural network in the brain that coordinates breathing rhythm with feelings of pain and fear. Along with contributions to the fields of pain management, psychological theories of anxiety, and philosophical investigations into the nature of pain, their findings could lead to development of an analgesic that would prevent opioid-induced respiratory depression (OIRD), the disrupted breathing that causes overdose deaths.

New major discovery in the animal kingdom: 14 new species of shrews

Posted: 17 Dec 2021 07:29 AM PST

Researchers recently made a major discovery -- 14 new species of shrews, which is the largest number of new mammals described in a scientific paper since 1931. After a decade-long journey taking inventory of Indonesian shrews living on the island of Sulawesi, a group of scientists has identified 14 new endemic species.

Mitigating environmental impact of herbicides

Posted: 17 Dec 2021 07:29 AM PST

Research looks at the interactions of different herbicides and what they mean for herbicide drift.

Keeping active through varied activities can reduce risk of developing dementia

Posted: 17 Dec 2021 07:28 AM PST

Older adults who participate in a variety of different activities are able to reduce their risk of developing dementia, according to a new study.

New device advances commercial viability of solar fuels

Posted: 17 Dec 2021 07:28 AM PST

A research team has developed a new artificial photosynthesis device with remarkable stability and longevity as it converts sunlight and carbon dioxide into two promising sources of renewable fuels -- ethylene and hydrogen.

Research takes early step towards drug to treat common diabetes complication hypoglycemia

Posted: 17 Dec 2021 07:28 AM PST

New research has taken an important step towards the goal for a treatment for the common diabetes complication hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. Researchers found a way help to defend against hypoglycemia by boosting hormonal defense systems. The team believes they have identified a promising target in the brain could be useful for future drug development to create an anti-hypoglycemia drug.

Redrawing the lines: Growing inexpensive, high-quality iron-based superconductors

Posted: 17 Dec 2021 07:28 AM PST

Superconducting materials show zero electrical resistance at low temperatures, which allows them to conduct 'supercurrents' without dissipation. Recently, a group of scientists developed an inexpensive, scalable way to produce high-temperature superconductors using 'grain boundary engineering' techniques. The new method could help develop stronger, inexpensive, and high operating temperature superconductors with impactful technological applications.

Ocean acidification and warming disrupts fish shoals

Posted: 17 Dec 2021 07:28 AM PST

Researchers have found that the way fish interact in groups is being upset by ocean acidification and global warming.

Rollercoaster of emotions: Exploring emotions with virtual reality

Posted: 17 Dec 2021 07:28 AM PST

To the left and right, the landscape drifts idly by, the track in front of you. Suddenly, a fire. The tension builds. The ride reaches its highest point. Only one thing lies ahead: the abyss. Plummeting down into the depths of the earth. These are scenes of a rollercoaster ride as experienced by participants in a recent study. However, not in real life, but virtually, with the help of virtual reality (VR) glasses. The aim of the research was to find out what happens in participants' brains while they experience emotionally engaging situations.

Women who practice self-compassion are at lower risk of cardiovascular disease

Posted: 16 Dec 2021 12:00 PM PST

Middle-aged women who practiced self-compassion had lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease, irrespective of their blood pressure, insulin resistance and cholesterol levels.