ScienceDaily: Top News


Humans disrupting 66 million-year-old feature of ecosystems

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 10:10 AM PDT

Human-related extinctions of the largest herbivores and carnivores are disrupting what appears to be a fundamental feature of past and present ecosystems, says a new study.

Glowing spider fossils prompt breakthrough study of how they were preserved at Aix-en-Provence

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 10:10 AM PDT

A new study asks: What are the unique chemical and geological processes at Aix-en-Provence that preserve spiders from the Oligocene Period so exquisitely?

Life history: Scholars call for greater collaboration between zoos, museums

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 07:01 AM PDT

The animal collections housed at zoos and natural history museums -- living specimens in the first case, preserved in the other -- constitute an exhaustive trove of information about Earth's biodiversity. A new paper lays out a pathway to increasing collaboration between these groups that would enhance our understanding of the animal kingdom.

Researchers detect coronavirus particles with 'slow light'

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 06:41 AM PDT

Existing methods for detecting and diagnosing COVID-19 are either expensive and complex or inaccurate. Now, scientists have developed a novel biosensing platform to detect and quantify viral particles using a simple optical microscope and antibody proteins. Their versatile approach, based on slowing down light, could pave the way to new diagnostic tools and next-generation detection platforms that are fast, accurate, and low-cost.

New bird app spreads its wings

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 06:41 AM PDT

Researchers have helped design an app to protect birds at risk of extinction across the world by breaking down language barriers between scientists.

Anglo-Saxon kings were mostly veggie but peasants treated them to huge barbecues, new study argues

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 06:41 AM PDT

Very few people in England ate large amounts of meat before the Vikings settled, and there is no evidence that elites ate more meat than other people, a major new bioarchaeological study suggests. Its sister study also argues that peasants occasionally hosted lavish meat feasts for their rulers. The findings overturn major assumptions about early medieval English history.

'Whup' and 'grumble' calls reveal secrets of humpback whales

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 06:41 AM PDT

Sounds made by humpback whales -- including a previously unknown call -- have given researchers a glimpse of their lives in the high seas.

Brains and brawn helped crows and ravens take over the world

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 06:41 AM PDT

Crows and ravens have great flying ability, which allows them to gain access to new places more easily. While these skills were key to their success, new research also shows that big bodies and big brains played an important role in helping crows and ravens survive in the new climates they occupied.

Symptom data help predict COVID-19 admissions

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 06:40 AM PDT

Researchers are conducting one of the largest citizen science projects in Sweden to date. Since the start of the pandemic, study participants have used an app to report how they feel daily even if they are well. This symptom data could be used to estimate COVID-19 infection trends across Sweden and predict hospital admissions due to COVID-19 a week in advance.

For cooperative teams, modesty leaves the best impression

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 06:40 AM PDT

People may forgo displaying luxury brands and other signals of status when they want to convince others that they will collaborate well with a team, as people who signal their wealth and social status could be perceived as uncooperative, according to new research.

People with diabetes and cognitive decline may be at higher risk for heart disease

Posted: 21 Apr 2022 06:40 AM PDT

People with type 2 diabetes who have cognitive impairment could be at greater risk for stroke, heart attack or death than other individuals with diabetes, according to a new study.

Risky driving behaviors increase as common sleep disorder worsens

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 02:05 PM PDT

Up to half of older adults may have sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing and sleep are briefly interrupted many times a night. A new study shows that this chronic tiredness can have serious implications for road safety.

For neurons, where they begin isn't necessarily where they end

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 02:05 PM PDT

Scientists describe novel methods for inferring the movement of human brain cells during fetal development by studying healthy adult individuals who have recently passed away from natural causes.

Widespread brain receptor hides surprising mechanism of action

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 02:05 PM PDT

One of the most important molecules in the brain doesn't work quite the way scientists thought it did, according to new work.

African dust crosses the Atlantic

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 02:04 PM PDT

A beautiful sunset over the Atlantic off the Florida coast, or an orangey glow in the Texas sky at dusk may be caused by dust from West Africa, according to researchers who are looking at the paths of particulate matter in the skies over the Sahara desert and the semi-arid Sahel.

Making a game of it: Contests help new moms increase their steps

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 02:04 PM PDT

Fun and games could be a solution to serious problems like preeclampsia and hypertension among pregnant people and holds promise for significant progress, according to a new study. Researchers found that gamification—broadly defined as the use of specially engineered games to stimulate learning and behavioral change—could generate greater levels of exercise in postpartum individuals who developed these types of conditions.

Study challenges theories of earlier human arrival in Americas

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 02:04 PM PDT

The new analysis suggests that misinterpretation of archaeological evidence at certain sites in North and South America might be responsible for theories that humans arrived long before 13,000-14,200 years ago.

Therapeutic target for aggressive blood cancer

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 02:04 PM PDT

Researchers have found that the KLF4 gene is reprogrammed at the onset of acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL), an aggressive type of blood cancer that is responsible for 5-15% of all types of leukemia. Overexpressing KLF4 suppressed the self-renewal traits of cancerous cells and reversed the effects caused by the actions of oncofusion events that cause the disease. The findings pave the way for the development of drugs that boost the expression of the gene at the earliest stages of cancer formation, intercepting the disease before it becomes uncontrollable.

Helping prevent transmission of HIV from mother to child during breastfeeding

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 12:16 PM PDT

The antibody function known as antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and the ADCC sensitivity of HIV strains may influence the transmission of HIV from mother to child during breastfeeding. These data imply that enhancing ADCC, through a vaccine, for example, may not be sufficient to prevent transmission because chronically infected individuals can harbor ADCC-resistant strains. The findings provide novel insights about immunologic characteristics that a vaccine may need to elicit to help block HIV transmission.

Lab grown, self-sustainable muscle cells repair muscle injury and disease, mouse study shows

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 12:16 PM PDT

In proof-of-concept experiments, scientists say they have successfully cultivated human muscle stem cells capable of renewing themselves and repairing muscle tissue damage in mice, potentially advancing efforts to treat muscle injuries and muscle-wasting disorders in people.

Studies detail current, future obstacles to abortion care

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 12:16 PM PDT

Two new studies provide insights into what additional limits on abortion care could mean, particularly for those who will have to travel across state lines. Distance to care will increase substantially and access barriers will be inequitable, researchers say.

Women's earnings drop after childbirth, study finds

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 12:16 PM PDT

When U.S. couples have their first child, mothers' earnings still drop substantially relative to fathers', and new research demonstrates the stubborn, decades-old pattern isn't changing despite broad increases in other aspects of gender equality.

Cannabis poisoning cases in pets have increased significantly, study finds

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 12:16 PM PDT

A survey of veterinarians in the U.S. and Canada highlights mounting cases of cannabis poisoning among pets and sheds new light on symptoms, treatments, and outcomes.

Opioid-related deaths affecting more younger adults, study finds

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 12:16 PM PDT

From 2003 through 2020, as opioid-related mortality in Ontario, Canada increased five-fold, the age distribution also shifted downward -- with rates now peaking for people in their mid-30s -- according to a new study.

Antidepressants are not associated with improved quality of life in the long run, study finds

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 12:15 PM PDT

Over time, using antidepressants is not associated with significantly better health-related quality of life, compared to people with depression who do not take the drugs, according to a new study.

Prehistoric people created art by firelight, new research reveals

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 12:15 PM PDT

Stones that were incised with artistic designs around 15,000 years ago have patterns of heat damage which suggests they were carved close to the flickering light of a fire, a new study has found.

Got food cravings? What's living in your gut may be responsible

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 12:15 PM PDT

New research on mice shows for the first time that the microbes in animals' guts influence what they choose to eat, making substances that prompt cravings for different kinds of foods.

Molecular robots work cooperatively in swarms

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 12:14 PM PDT

Scientists have demonstrated that molecular robots are able to accomplish cargo delivery by employing a strategy of swarming, achieving a transport efficiency five times greater than that of single robots.

Portable MRIs almost as effective as standard MRIs in detecting strokes

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 12:13 PM PDT

Portable MRI machines, an emerging technology that makes medical imaging accessible even in remote locations, detected ischemic strokes, or strokes caused by clotting, in 90% of patients scanned, according to a new study.

Climate change may actually accelerate ocean currents

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 12:13 PM PDT

Scientists have used computer model simulations to find that climate change is altering the mechanics of surface ocean circulations, making them become faster and thinner.

Dying stars' cocoons might explain fast blue optical transients

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:36 AM PDT

Using a newly developed model, astrophysicists present a new theory to explain fast blue optical transients, a new class of transients that has boggled researchers since their discovery in 2018. In the new study, astrophysicists find that FBOTs could result from the actively cooling cocoons that surround jets launched by dying stars.

Pterosaur discovery solves ancient feather mystery

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:36 AM PDT

Palaeontologists have discovered remarkable new evidence that pterosaurs, the flying relatives of dinosaurs, were able to control the color of their feathers using melanin pigments.

Astronomers identify likely location of medium-sized black holes

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:36 AM PDT

Intermediate-mass black holes are notoriously hard to find but a new study indicates there may be some at the center of dense, star clusters located throughout the universe. A study now sheds new light on when and where black holes of about 100-100,000 solar masses could form and how they came into being.

Scientists identify potential new 'soldier' for cancer immunotherapy

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:36 AM PDT

The new cells, which the scientists have dubbed killer innate-like T cells, differ in several notable ways from the conventional target of many immunotherapies.

New global forecasts of marine heatwaves foretell ecological and economic impacts

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:36 AM PDT

Researchers have developed global forecasts that can provide up to a year's notice of marine heatwaves, sudden and pronounced increases in ocean temperatures that can dramatically affect ocean ecosystems.

New research reveals the complexity of improving rangeland management in Africa

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:36 AM PDT

Herding communities across northern Namibia are afflicted by poverty and overgrazed rangelands, but international funding to improve the situation hasn't always translated into direct benefits for people or the land. New research explores the reasons why there is a disconnect. The reasons for the failures, up to now, have remained something of a puzzle.

Clearing up biases in artificial intelligence

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:36 AM PDT

Scientists have noticed grave disparities in artificial intelligence, noting that the methods are not objective, especially when it comes to geodiversity. AI tools, whether forecasting hail, wind or tornadoes, are assumed to be inherently objective, says one of the researchers. They aren't, she says.

SMEs are likely to achieve higher environmental performance through circular economy adoption, new research finds

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:36 AM PDT

New findings have found Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) are likely to achieve higher environmental performance through circular economy (CE) adoption.

Lasers trigger magnetism in atomically thin quantum materials

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:36 AM PDT

Researchers have discovered that light -- from a laser -- can trigger a form of magnetism in a normally nonmagnetic material. This magnetism centers on the behavior of electrons 'spins,' which have a potential applications in quantum computing. Scientists discovered that electrons within the material became oriented in the same direction when illuminated by photons from a laser. By controlling and aligning electron spins at this level of detail and accuracy, this platform could have applications in the field of quantum simulation.

Weapon against tumors, boost for the immune system

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:35 AM PDT

Radiation therapy is a proven approach to destroying tumors. However, it is possible that it might be able to do even more in the future -- namely stimulate the immune system at the same time and so fight cancer even more intensively. The foundations for this have now been laid. Researchers have found that x-rays trigger a calcium signalling cascade in cells of the immune system.

Fewer smartphones, more well-being

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:35 AM PDT

How much digital detox is necessary to live a better life? The good news is that we don't have to waive them completely.

Cellular diversity of esophageal tissue revealed

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:35 AM PDT

Researchers have defined 11 subsets of cells found in the esophagus of mice, information that could potentially help clinicians diagnose or treat certain types of cancer.

Gastric inflammation: How a bacterial infection causes tissue changes

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:35 AM PDT

When the bacterium Helicobacter pylori infects the stomach, it causes gastric inflammation and increases the risk of stomach cancer. Researchers have been able to elucidate characteristic changes which occur inside the gastric glands during an H. pylori infection. The researchers discovered a novel mechanism which, by restricting cell division in healthy stomach tissue, protects the stomach against cancerous changes. An inflammation of the stomach, however, deactivates this mechanism, enabling cells to grow in an uncontrolled manner. The researchers' findings may herald a new treatment target in stomach cancer.

Multiple treatments to slow age-related muscle wasting

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:35 AM PDT

Everyone wants to stay fit and healthy as they grow old. But as we age, our body degrades, our muscles shrink and strength declines. Some older people suffer from excessive muscle loss, a condition known as sarcopenia. Researchers show that a combination therapy could delay the onset of sarcopenia.

Stop the clocks: Brisk walking may slow biological aging process, study shows

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:35 AM PDT

A new study of genetic data of more than 400,000 UK adults has revealed a clear link between walking pace and a genetic marker of biological age.

Arm movement and running speed: Is the partnership overrated?

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:35 AM PDT

New research into human speed suggests that athletes who performed short sprints with their arms closed across their chests were nearly as fast as when they sprinted with their normal arm swing.

Everyday plastic products release trillions of microscopic particles into water

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:35 AM PDT

Plastics surround us, whether it's the grocery bags we use at the supermarket or household items such as shampoo and detergent bottles. Plastics don't exist only as large objects, but also as microscopic particles that are released from these larger products. These microscopic plastics can end up in the environment, and they can be ingested into our bodies.

A new pathway to shrink cancerous tumors through body's immune cells

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:35 AM PDT

Cancer researchers say they have successfully suppressed the growth of some solid tumors in research models by manipulating immune cells known as a macrophages.

Ethical communication in the age of information

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:35 AM PDT

To comprehensively understand the ethical issues involved when communicating with research participants through the Internet, researchers developed an ethical framework and practical guidelines to implement findings from their research. This is the first such framework and accompanying guidelines for the use of electronic methods for communication with research participants, and is anticipated to foster better practice in medical research using the Internet.

New technology 3D-prints glass microstructures with rays of light

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 10:35 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a new way to 3D-print glass microstructures that is faster and produces objects with higher optical quality, design flexibility and strength.

In the race to solve Alzheimer's disease, scientists find more needles in the haystack

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 09:49 AM PDT

The International Genomics of Alzheimer's Project (IGAP) analyzed millions of genetic variants to come up with the latest listing of 75 variations associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Astronomers discover micronovae, a new kind of stellar explosion

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 09:23 AM PDT

A team of astronomers has observed a new type of stellar explosion -- a micronova. These outbursts happen on the surface of certain stars, and can each burn through around 3.5 billion Great Pyramids of Giza of stellar material in only a few hours.

'Dative epitaxy': A new way to stack crystal films

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 09:20 AM PDT

Scientists have grown thin films of two different crystalline materials on top of each other using an innovative technique called 'dative epitaxy.' The researchers discovered the method by surprise. As a physicist explains, dative epitaxy holds layers of different materials together via a weak attractive force between the materials, paired with occasional chemical bonds called 'dative bonds.'

Whole-brain preclinical study illuminates how epileptic seizures originate

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 09:20 AM PDT

New evidence from a zebrafish model of epilepsy may help resolve a debate into how seizures originate, according to investigators. The findings may also be useful in the discovery and development of future epilepsy drugs.

Automated cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia delivered over the internet shown to be highly effective in Black women

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 08:30 AM PDT

Black women are disproportionately affected by poor sleep, which is associated with increased risk of adverse outcomes such as cardiovascular disease, depression and worse quality of life. The gold standard treatment for insomnia is cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), which specifically targets the individual's problematic sleep behaviors and beliefs.

How do our eyes stay focused on what we reach for?

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 08:30 AM PDT

Keeping our eyes focused on what we reach for, whether it be an item at the grocery store or a ground ball on the baseball field, may appear seamless, but, in fact, is due to a complex neurological process involving intricate timing and coordination. Researchers now shed additional light on the machinations that ensure we don't look away from where we are reaching.

Air pollution linked to higher risk of COVID-19 in young adults

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 08:29 AM PDT

Residential exposure to ambient air pollutants is linked to an elevated risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, an observational study of young adults in Stockholm, Sweden shows.

Marine microbes swim towards their favorite food

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 08:29 AM PDT

Although invisible to us, every teaspoon of seawater contains more than a million marine bacteria. These tiny microbes play pivotal roles in governing the chemical cycles that control our climate and shape the health of the global ocean, but are they passive drifters or purposeful hunters?

Protected areas don't always boost biodiversity

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 08:29 AM PDT

Protected areas such as national parks have a 'mixed impact' on wildlife, according to the largest ever global study of their effects.

Warming climate and agriculture halve insect populations in some areas

Posted: 20 Apr 2022 08:29 AM PDT

Climate change and intensive agricultural land use have already been responsible for a 49% reduction in the number of insects in the most impacted parts of the world, finds a new study.