ScienceDaily: Top News


Plastic labelling needs 'sustainability scale'

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 02:20 PM PST

Labelling of plastic products needs a drastic overhaul including a new 'sustainability scale' to help consumers, researchers say.

New screening system may point the way to clean, renewable hydrogen power

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 02:20 PM PST

A new, highly sensitive system for detecting the production of hydrogen gas may play an important role in the quest to develop hydrogen as an environmentally friendly and economical alternative to fossil fuels.

Researchers establish first-of-its-kind framework to diagnose 3D-printing errors

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 02:20 PM PST

Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, can create custom parts for electromagnetic devices on-demand and at a low cost. These devices are highly sensitive, and each component requires precise fabrication. Until recently, though, the only way to diagnose printing errors was to make, measure and test a device or to use in-line simulation, both of which are computationally expensive and inefficient.

Immunotherapy drug bolsters head and neck cancer treatment

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 02:08 PM PST

A clinical trial has shown that the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab increased survival rates for head and neck cancer patients with intermediate risk.

Scientists discover a new molecular pathway shared by two neurodegenerative disorders

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 01:16 PM PST

Researchers from two independent research teams have discovered how the mislocalization of a protein, known as TDP-43, alters the genetic instructions for UNC13A, providing a possible therapeutic target that could also have implications in treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and other forms of dementia. ALS and FTD are two neurodegenerative disorders in which many cases are linked by mislocalization of TDP-43, where instead of being primarily located in the nucleus of the cell where genes are activated, it forms aggregates outside the nucleus in multiple neurodegenerative diseases. Rare mutations in the TDP-43 gene are known to cause ALS, but almost all cases of ALS show mislocalization of TDP-43.

Scaling laws in enzymes may help predict life ‘as we don’t know it'

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 01:16 PM PST

A team of researchers is developing tools to predict the features of life as we don't know it.

Physicists bring a once-theoretical effect of quantum matter into observable reality

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 12:06 PM PST

Physicists have experimentally observed a quirky behavior of the quantum world: a 'quantum boomerang' effect that occurs when particles in a disordered system are kicked out of their locations. Instead of landing elsewhere as one might expect, they turn around and come back to where they started and stop there.

Under pressure: A new theory lets us predict when soft materials will fail

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 12:06 PM PST

Researchers recently announced a major theoretical and experimental breakthrough that allows scientists to predict, with an unprecedented precision, when a soft material will crack and fail. The findings have immediate implications for the engineering and manufacture of a wide range of polymers. They also provide insights into how natural soft materials -- such as the connective tissues in our bodies and even our brains -- break down.

Overlooked channels influence water flow and flooding along Gulf Coast

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 12:06 PM PST

An unnoticed network of channels is cutting across the coastal plain landscape along the Gulf Coast and influencing how water flows, according to new research that could help predict flooding from major storms in the future.

Climate change: A threat to human wellbeing and health of the planet

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 10:15 AM PST

Human-induced climate change is causing dangerous and widespread disruption in nature and affecting the lives of billions of people around the world, despite efforts to reduce the risks. People and ecosystems least able to cope are being hardest hit, said scientists in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.

Physical fitness linked to lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 09:57 AM PST

People who are more physically fit are less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than people who are less physically fit, according to a preliminary study.

Clues to better batteries emerge from tracking lithium

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 09:56 AM PST

A new study tracked lithium metal deposition and removal from a battery anode while it was cycling to find clues as to how failure occurs. The research could help improve the use of pure lithium metal in anodes for electric vehicle batteries, which would reduce battery weights and dramatically extend driving range.

How a two-faced molecule can silence problematic genes

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:44 AM PST

Researchers have developed a technology, heteroduplex oligonucleotide (HDO), that silences certain genes whose high expression levels fuel disease. Adding a specific molecular tag allowed them to target the HDO to immune cells called lymphocytes safely and efficiently. Doing so with an HDO specific to a gene called Itga4 improved symptoms in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis, suggesting this technology may be developed to use in human immune disorders.

Healthy gut microbiome improves success of cancer treatment

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:44 AM PST

The largest study to date has confirmed the link between the gut microbiome and the response to cancer immunotherapy therapy for melanoma.

Your lunchtime walks in the summer could be making you less productive

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:44 AM PST

Researchers discovered that a brief 15-minute walk in a hot outdoor environment impairs cognitive function. Moreover, this effect was most pronounced in sleep-deprived men and could negatively impact the productivity and learning of workers and students in urban cities in the summer months.

Cholesterol-lowering drugs may slow down metastases

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:43 AM PST

Many people have to take statins to lower their cholesterol levels. But statins may be able to do even more: Researchers report that these drugs inhibit a gene that promotes cancer cell metastasis.

Spintronics: Innovative crystals for future computer electronics

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:43 AM PST

Computer chips and storage elements are expected to function as quickly as possible and be energy-saving at the same time. Innovative spintronic modules are at an advantage here thanks to their high speed and efficiency, as there is no lossy electrical current, rather the electrons couple with one another magnetically -- like a series of tiny magnetic needles which interact with almost no friction loss. A team of scientists has now found promising properties with crystals grown from rare-earth atoms, which offer hope on the long path towards usage as spintronic components.

Suspending syringe services programs will result in an increase of HIV infections

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:43 AM PST

A new study shows the effectiveness of syringe services programs in both curbing HIV transmission among people who use drugs and preventing future outbreaks.

Bark of neem tree may protect against coronavirus variants, study finds

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:43 AM PST

Extract from the bark of the Neem tree may help treat and reduce the spread of coronavirus, according to a new study. The research shows that components of Neem bark may target a wide range of viral proteins, suggesting its potential as an antiviral agent against emerging variants of coronaviruses (including SARS-CoV-2).

Freshwater from thin air

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:43 AM PST

Hydrogels have an astonishing ability to swell and take on water. In daily life, they are used in dressings, nappies, and more to lock moisture away. A team of researchers has now found another use: quickly extracting large amounts of freshwater from air using a specially developed hydrogel containing a hygroscopic salt. The study shows that the salt enhances the moisture uptake of the gel, making it suitable for water harvesting in dry regions.

Snail competition leads to fewer parasites that cause schistosomiasis

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:43 AM PST

A new study shows that schistosome transmission can actually be highest when freshwater snail populations are low. This study demonstrates how the size of a freshwater snail population relates to its parasitic infection rate.

Key genomic alterations and potential therapeutic vulnerabilities in transformed cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:43 AM PST

Researchers have shared a comprehensive multiomics study from a rare cohort of 56 patients with transformed CTCL and identified several genomic alterations and oncogenic programs that may be potential novel therapeutic targets.

Elephant seal’s map sense tells them when to head ‘home’

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:43 AM PST

Each year, pregnant female elephant seals take an approximately 240-day trek over 10,000 kilometers across the Eastern North Pacific Ocean before returning to their breeding beaches to give birth within five days of their arrival. Now, a study finds that this impressive navigation ability depends on an internal map sense, which functions much like a built-in GPS.

New, nature-inspired concepts for turning CO2 into clean fuels

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:43 AM PST

Researchers have developed an efficient concept to turn carbon dioxide into clean, sustainable fuels, without any unwanted by-products or waste.

New data analysis tool uncovers important COVID-19 clues

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 08:43 AM PST

A new data analysis tool has revealed the specific immune cell types associated with increased risk of death from COVID-19.

Separator key when it comes to 'stable' vs. 'safe' battery

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 07:38 AM PST

Researchers have discovered the key to making a stable, safe battery.

Diminished activation of specific prefrontal brain region may directly contribute to binge eating in bulimia nervosa

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 07:38 AM PST

New research has revealed a key neural mechanism underlying the feeling of being unable to stop eating, the most salient aspect of binge episodes in eating disorders like bulimia nervosa.

Social networking for fossils shows community impacts of mass extinctions

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 07:38 AM PST

By applying an algorithm akin to what social media sites use to make friend suggestions, researchers have identified communities of ancient life in the fossil record and tracked how their numbers changed through each of the planet's mass extinctions.

Gas flares tied to premature deaths

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 07:38 AM PST

Engineers suggest that flaring of natural gas at oil and gas fields in the United States, primarily in North Dakota and Texas, contributed to dozens of premature deaths in 2019.

New way viruses trigger autoimmunity discovered

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 07:38 AM PST

Studying mice, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered that roseolovirus can trigger autoimmunity in a previously unknown way: by disrupting the process by which immune cells learn to avoid targeting their own body's cells and tissues.

Mystery solved about the origin of the 30,000-year-old Venus of Willendorf

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 06:55 AM PST

The almost 11 cm high figurine from Willendorf is one of the most important examples of early art in Europe. It is made of a rock called 'oolite' which is not found in or around Willendorf. Anthropologist, geologists and prehistorians have now found out, with the help of high-resolution tomographic images, that the material from which the Venus was carved likely comes from northern Italy. This sheds new light on the remarkable mobility of the first modern humans south and north of the Alps.

Antibiotic doesn’t prevent future wheezing in babies hospitalized with RSV

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 06:11 AM PST

Antibiotics provide no benefit in preventing future recurrent wheezing in babies hospitalized with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), according to a new study. And there is some evidence that antibiotics may make wheezing worse.

Computer drug simulations offer warning about promising diabetes and cancer treatment

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 06:11 AM PST

Using computer drug simulations, researchers have found that doctors need to be wary of prescribing a promising treatment for all types of cancer and patients.

Seismic study reveals key reason why Patagonia is rising as glaciers melt

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 06:11 AM PST

Geologists have discovered a link between recent ice mass loss, rapid rock uplift and a gap between tectonic plates that underlie Patagonia.

Endangered, new to science orchid discovered in Ecuador with the help of a commercial nursery

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 06:11 AM PST

An astounding new species of rare orchid has been discovered in the cloud rainforest of Northern Ecuador. Known from a restricted area in the province of Carchi, the plant is presumed to be a critically endangered species, as its rare populations already experience the ill-effects of climate change and human activity. The discovery was aided by a local commercial nursery, which was already cultivating these orchids. The study is published in the open-access journal PhytoKeys.

New DNA modification system discovered in animals, captured from bacteria more than 60 MYA

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 06:11 AM PST

In humans and other eukaryotes, two principal epigenetic marks are known. A team has discovered a third, novel epigenetic mark -- one formerly known only in bacteria -- in bdelloid rotifers, small freshwater animals. Epigenetic marks are modifications to DNA bases that don't change the underlying genetic code, but 'write' extra information on top of it that can be inherited along with your genome.

A potential breakthrough for production of superior battery technology

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 06:11 AM PST

Micro supercapacitors could revolutionize the way we use batteries by increasing their lifespan and enabling extremely fast charging. Manufacturers of everything from smartphones to electric cars are therefore investing heavily into research and development of these electronic components. Now, researchers have developed a method that represents a breakthrough for how such supercapacitors can be produced.

A slow-motion section of the San Andreas fault may not be so harmless after all

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 06:11 AM PST

The central section of the great fault spanning California, thought to be creeping along harmlessly at the moment, has experienced big quakes in the past, says a new study.

Making the invisible visible: A clearer ‘picture’ of blood vessels in health and disease thanks to new imaging approach

Posted: 28 Feb 2022 06:11 AM PST

Researchers have developed and tested a new imaging approach they say will accelerate imaging-based research in the lab by allowing investigators to capture images of blood vessels at different spatial scales.