ScienceDaily: Top News

The ‘equal-opportunity jerk’ defense: Rudeness can obfuscate gender bias

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 12:56 PM PST

If you're an 'equal-opportunity jerk,' does that mean you can't also be sexist? New research shows that many people think so -- and consider men to be gender blind when they're rude, condescending, and berating to women and men equally.

Physical activity may protect your brain as you age

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 12:56 PM PST

We all know we should exercise and eat healthy foods. But doing that isn't just good for maintaining your figure as you age. New research shows that physical activity could help protect your cognitive abilities as you age. And it doesn't have to be intense exercise to make an impact.

Student researchers discover genes unique to humans in search for source of our evolutionary distinctiveness

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 12:56 PM PST

A team of student researchers has discovered human microRNA genes not shared with any other primate species and which may have played an important role in the unique evolution of the human species. The students found at least three families of microRNA genes on chromosome 21.

Earthquake fracture energy relates to how a quake stops

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 12:56 PM PST

By examining earthquake models from a fresh perspective, engineers now show that the earthquake fracture energy -- once thought to relate to how faults in the Earth's crust weaken -- is related to how quakes stop.

New dental tool prototype can spot the acidic conditions that lead to cavities

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 12:56 PM PST

Researchers have shown that a dental tool they created can measure the acidity built up by the bacteria in plaque that leads to cavities.

Research advances understanding of DNA repair

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 12:56 PM PST

A researcher has made a discovery that alters our understanding of how the body's DNA repair process works and may lead to new chemotherapy treatments for cancer and other disorders. Researchers discovered that base excision repair has a built-in mechanism to increase its effectiveness -- it just needs to be captured at a very precise point in the cell life cycle.

Treating heart attacks with a medium chain fatty acid

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 11:11 AM PST

Heart attacks mean energy deprivation. Could a fatty acid found in energy drinks, then, help recovery? A preclinical study explores this question.

Dementia patients struggle to cope with change because of damage to general intelligence brain networks

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 10:05 AM PST

People with dementia struggle to adapt to changes in their environment because of damage to areas of the brain known as 'multiple demand networks', highly-evolved areas of the brain that support general intelligence, say scientists.

NASA's NICER telescope sees hot spots merge on a magnetar

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 10:05 AM PST

For the first time, NASA's Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) has observed the merging of multimillion-degree X-ray spots on the surface of a magnetar, a supermagnetized stellar core no larger than a city.

Anticipation and accents: Talking like a southerner even if you're not

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 09:01 AM PST

Linguistic convergence refers to temporary (and often subtle) shifts in speech to sound more similar to those around us. A new study shows that even our expectations about how other people might speak (rather than the speech itself) is enough to shape our own speech patterns.

Distinct biological ages across individuals’ various organs and systems

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 08:58 AM PST

It's common to say that someone looks either younger or older than their chronological age, but aging is more than skin deep. Our various organs and systems may have different ages, at least from a biological perspective. Investigators used biomarkers, statistical modeling, and other techniques to develop tools for measuring the biological ages of various organ systems. Based on their findings, the researchers report that there are multiple 'clocks' within the body that vary widely based on factors including genetics and lifestyle in each individual.

Placenta plays active part in transferring vitamin D to fetus during pregnancy

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 08:58 AM PST

Scientists have shed new light on the role of the placenta in managing the relationships between maternal vitamin D and fetal development, according to a new study.

How animal swarms respond to threats

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 08:58 AM PST

With the help of microrobots, physicists decode how swarms of animals respond effectively to danger.

Hurricanes and other tropical cyclones linked to rise in U.S. deaths from several major causes

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 08:57 AM PST

Over recent decades, hurricanes and other tropical cyclones in the U.S. were associated with up to 33.4 percent higher death rates from several major causes in subsequent months. The study exemplifies how far-reaching and varied the hidden costs to life could be from climate-related disasters and climate change. Until now, there had been a critical knowledge gap about cause-specific tropical cyclone mortality risks from a large-scale study covering the entire U.S. across multiple decades.

Astrocyte networks in the mouse brain control spatial learning and memory

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 08:56 AM PST

Astrocytes form large networks of interconnected cells in the central nervous system. When these cell-to-cell couplings are disrupted in the brain of adult mice, the animals are no longer able to store spatial information. The astrocytes network is thus essential for spatial learning and memory formation, as neuroscientists now show.

New species of extinct vampire-squid-like cephalopod is the first of its kind with 10 functional arms

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 08:56 AM PST

New research shows that the oldest ancestors of the group of animals that includes octopuses and vampire squids had not eight but 10 arms. The study, which describes a new species of vampyropod based on a 328-million-year-old fossil that had not been previously described, pushes back the age of the group by nearly 82 million years.

Self-administered screening can provide benefits for patients and providers

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 08:56 AM PST

Doctors wondered if patients might be more forthcoming with honest information by completing a self-administered questionnaire on a tablet computer instead of responding verbally to nursing staff. In a recent study, the tablet screening detected twice as many people with depression, fall risk or intimate partner violence compared to usual in-person screening by nursing staff.

Migrating through small spaces makes cancer cells more aggressive

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 08:56 AM PST

Squeezing through tight spaces makes cancer cells more aggressive and helps them evade cell death, shows a new study.

Intermingling between populations may contribute to HIV spread

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 08:56 AM PST

Sexual partnerships between individuals from different communities may help explain why some community-based HIV prevention efforts were moderately effective, shows a new study.

Toward ever-more powerful microchips and supercomputers

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:51 AM PST

A look at the process to extend 'Moore's law,' which has doubled the number of transistors that can be packed on a microchip roughly every two years, and develop new ways to produce more capable, efficient, and cost-effective chips.

Single protein prompts mature brain cells to regenerate multiple cell types

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:28 AM PST

A single protein can reverse the developmental clock on adult brain cells called astrocytes, morphing them into stem-like cells that produce neurons and other cell types, UT Southwestern researchers report in a new study. The findings might someday lead to a way to regenerate brain tissue after disease or injury.

Stress damages the movement centers in the brain

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:28 AM PST

Stress seems to have a negative effect on the learning of movements - at least in mice. This is the conclusion of a recent study. According to the study, the neurons of rodents lose some of their contacts with other neurons after stress. The animals also developed motor deficits. The results may be useful for earlier diagnosis and improved therapy of stress-related diseases such as depression. They also document that stress leaves traces in the brain - possibly permanent ones.

Biologists observe a molecular 'hand-off' that plays a key role in reproduction

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:28 AM PST

Novel research on the life history of fruit fly sperm demonstrates molecular continuity between the male and female reproductive tracts.

Tiny mite triggers domino effect in the high Andes

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:28 AM PST

What happens when a disease disrupts a protected ecosystem so forcefully that cascading consequences are felt by nearly all wildlife and plants within it? A study examines how the mange outbreak among vicuñas restructured tightly linked food-chain interactions that were previously driven by pumas.

Leaks an untapped opportunity for water savings

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:28 AM PST

The first large-scale assessment of utility-level water loss in the United States found that leak reduction by utilities can be the most cost-effective tool in an urban water manager's toolkit, provided utility-specific approaches are used. California is among the first in the world to require water utilities to regulate their water losses.

Reading builds resilience among at-risk kids

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:28 AM PST

New research from the shows that reading aloud can triple a child's resilience at school, particularly for children at-risk.

Ancient Mexican city endured for centuries without extremes in wealth and power

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:28 AM PST

An ancient Mexican city, Monte Albán, was the biggest settlement in the region and lasted for more than a thousand years. Some hypotheses for the city's success are that people were drawn to fertile farmland in the area, or were forced to move there by powerful rulers. This new study challenges those ideas by showing that the land isn't especially good for farming, and the society didn't have the highly concentrated wealth and power that would come with a powerful ruler forcing people to move there. Instead, the city had a more collective form of government that could have attracted people to the city.

New research demonstrates high value 'injurious weeds' can bring to pollinators

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:28 AM PST

New research compares the biodiversity value of plants classed as 'injurious weeds' against those stipulated by DEFRA for pollinator targeted agri-environmental options. The findings show that the abundance and diversity of pollinators visiting weed species are far higher than DEFRA recommended plants.

Engineered light waves enable rapid recording of 3D microscope images

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:28 AM PST

Researchers have developed a new method for rapid 3D imaging. Instead of having to scan repeatedly in 2D, the researchers proposed a one-scan technique that uses a light needle to process at depth and laterally.

Astronomers discover largest molecule yet in a planet-forming disc

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:28 AM PST

Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, researchers have for the first time detected dimethyl ether in a planet-forming disc. With nine atoms, this is the largest molecule identified in such a disc to date. It is also a precursor of larger organic molecules that can lead to the emergence of life.

Traces of life in the Earth's deep mantle

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:28 AM PST

The rapid development of fauna 540 million years ago has permanently changed the Earth - deep into its lower mantle. A team has now found traces of this development in rocks from this zone.

Global warming projected to increase health burden from hyponatremia

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:27 AM PST

Global warming is likely to increase the number of people requiring hospitalization due to critically low sodium levels in the blood, a condition known as hyponatremia. A new study projects that a temperature rise of 2 degrees Celsius would increase the burden on hospitals from hyponatremia by almost 14 percent.

Lab-grown pig heart tissue could help replace live animals in heart disease research

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:27 AM PST

A new way to replicate what happens inside the heart after cardiac arrest could open new avenues for the study of heart regeneration whilst reducing the use of live animals in research, according to a new study.

Nordic diet lowers cholesterol and blood sugar – even if you don't lose weight

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:27 AM PST

A healthy Nordic diet can prevent a range of diseases. Until now, the health benefits attributed to a Nordic diet by researchers primarily focused on weight loss. But in a new study, researchers found clear evidence that a Nordic diet can lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels even without weight loss. In particular, they point to the composition of dietary fats as a possible explanation for the diet's positive effects.

Lower chance of pregnancy and childbirth after IVF with one ovary

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:27 AM PST

Women who have had one ovary surgically removed (unilateral oophorectomy) are less likely to become pregnant after in vitro fertilization and give birth to fewer babies than women with both ovaries. That is according to an extensive meta-analysis.

The language of the eyes

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:27 AM PST

What is the significance of the sclera of our eyes? A question which researchers have been interested in for some time now. Recently a research team led by a comparative psychologist has succeeded in deciphering the mystery: The white of the eye contributes decisively to the visibility of directions of gaze through its basic color properties.

New strategy for COVID-19 prophylaxis

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:27 AM PST

SARS-CoV-2 viruses can hide from recognition by the immune system. However, the antiviral immune receptor RIG-I can be stimulated, which improves protection against lethal SARS-CoV-2 infections. Researchers have shown this in mice. Also, the incidence of severe disease progression was observed to be significantly reduced.

Digital toolbox may help diagnose dementia earlier

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:27 AM PST

Detecting cognitive changes early in the onset of dementia would be a game-changer for thousands impacted by the disease and would allow for interventions well before significant brain changes occur. While cognitive function is often measured using paper and pencil tests with scores calculated by the number of correct answers, this number (score) omits a lot of information about the process a person uses to answer a question that might reveal important information about their brain function.

Unusual partners aid blood vessel growth

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:27 AM PST

Insufficient oxygen to an area like the heart or legs, called hypoxia, is a cue to our bodies to make more blood vessels, and scientists have found some unusual partners are key to making that happen. They've found that two receptors on the surface of those cells come together then dive inside to enable the new growth, called angiogenesis, scientists report.

Analysis suggests China has passed U.S. on one research measure

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:27 AM PST

After decades of dominance by the United States, a new measure suggests that China edged the U.S. in 2019 on one important measurement of national research success.

Stunning new-to-science fairy wrasse is first-ever fish described by a Maldivian scientist

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:27 AM PST

The Rose-Veiled Fairy Wrasse, a stunning new addition to the tree of life, is the first-ever Maldivian fish to be described by a local scientist.

Natural gas flares likely source of respiratory illness spike

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:27 AM PST

Flaring of natural gas from oil wells appeared to cause an increase of around 11,000 hospital visits for respiratory reasons in North Dakota, US, up to 60 miles away from oil drilling sites.

Study of rare disease reveals insights on immune system response process

Posted: 08 Mar 2022 07:27 AM PST

In laboratory experiments involving a class of mutations in people with a rare collection of immune system disorders, researchers say they have uncovered new details about how immune system cells respond to disease-causing bacteria, fungi and viruses such as SARS-CoV-2.

Communities with higher levels of racial prejudice have worse health outcomes

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 04:07 PM PST

People who live in communities with higher levels of racial prejudice have worse health outcomes, including more heart disease and mental health problems and higher overall mortality rates, according to new research.

Locally sourced: Pelicans prefer native fish to sportfish at Utah's strawberry reservoir

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 04:06 PM PST

American white pelicans who pause their migration at Strawberry Reservoir in Utah are filling their bellies with native species like Utah sucker for the most part, leaving cutthroat trout to the human anglers, according to new research.

New risk algorithm would improve screening for prostate cancer

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 04:06 PM PST

Researchers developed an algorithm estimating a person's risk of developing prostate cancer based on age and the levels of two prostate cancer markers, PSA and hK2 (human kalliknein peptidase). They found that, by setting a risk threshold above which men are counted as 'screen positive', the approach would reduce the number of false positives by three quarters compared to a standard PSA test, while catching the same proportion of cancers.

Human-induced disease outbreak in animals causes cascading ecological effects

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 04:06 PM PST

A study that investigated the impacts of a mange outbreak that killed vicunas in a protected area in the Argentine Andes found that it had unique effects on the ecology of the region.

Objection: No one can understand what you’re saying

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 01:20 PM PST

A new study from cognitive scientists offers an answer to why legal documents such as contracts or deeds are often so impenetrable.

How baboons keep healthy family boundaries

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 01:20 PM PST

Drawing on 48 years of data on the family trees and mate choices of 1,624 wild baboons in Kenya, a new study finds that baboons generally steer clear of mates that are half-siblings or closer. But baboons proved less discriminating with their father's side of the family than their mother's, the researchers report.

Physicists discover method for emulating nonlinear quantum electrodynamics in a laboratory setting

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 01:20 PM PST

On the big screen, in video games and in our imaginations, lightsabers flare and catch when they clash together. That clashing, or interference, happens only in fiction -- and in places with enormous magnetic and electric fields, which happens in nature only near massive objects such as neutron stars. A team of physicists has discovered discovered that it is possible to produce this effect in a laboratory setting, using a class of novel materials.

Bunkers that save sight? Researchers take a close look

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 01:20 PM PST

Chronically stressing the retina can weaken it and damage our ability to see. But retinal cells have a remarkable ability to wall off damage, a team of neuroscientists reports. The walling-off or 'bunkering' of the damage may be key to preserving our eyesight.

Researchers create tool to help protect native fish from hybridizing with non-natives

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 01:20 PM PST

Researchers have created a tool to assess the risk of hybridization among native and non-native fish, a development that could aid natural resource managers trying to protect threatened or endangered freshwater fish species.

Lead exposure in last century shrank IQ scores of half of Americans, study finds

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 01:20 PM PST

Researchers calculate that exposure to car exhaust from leaded gas during childhood stole a collective 824 million IQ points from over 170 million Americans alive today, more than half of the population of the United States.

Early killer whales ate fish -- not other marine mammals

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 10:20 AM PST

A new study provides vital clues on when killer whales began feeding on other marine mammals.

World Trade Center responders at higher risk for blood cancer-associated mutations, study finds

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 10:20 AM PST

Scientists determined that 9/11 first responders to the World Trade Center have increased levels of mutations that escalate their risk for blood cancers or cardiovascular disease, according to a new study.

Predicting the progression of rheumatoid arthritis

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 10:20 AM PST

Researchers evaluated the ability of a polygenic risk score constructed from a genome-wide association study of rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility to predict radiographic progression, which is indicative of structural joint damage in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis. The research team identified an association between the polygenic risk score and radiographic progression, an observation that was pronounced in people with a younger age of onset of rheumatoid arthritis.

Simulated human eye movement aims to train metaverse platforms

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 10:20 AM PST

Computer engineers have developed virtual eyes that simulate how humans look at the world accurately enough for companies to train virtual reality and augmented reality programs. Called EyeSyn for short, the program will help developers create applications for the rapidly expanding metaverse while protecting user data.

The secret to longevity? Ask a yellow-bellied marmot

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 10:19 AM PST

A new study shows that aging slows to a crawl when yellow-bellied marmots hibernate. These large ground squirrels are able to virtually halt the aging process during the seven to eight months they spend hibernating in their underground burrows, the researchers report. The study is the first to analyze the rate of aging among marmots in the wild.

New maps show airplane contrails over the U.S. dropped steeply in 2020

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 10:19 AM PST

Researchers have generated new maps of jet contrails over the United States before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, which show a steep reduction in the area covered by contrails in 2020.

New study questions explanation for last winter's brutal U.S. cold snap

Posted: 07 Mar 2022 10:19 AM PST

A new study challenges a commonly accepted explanation that a 'sudden stratospheric warming' caused the unusually cold weather over the U.S. early last year, a view which was widely reported in the media and discussed among scientists at the time.