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ScienceDaily: Top News |
| Haptics device creates realistic virtual textures Posted: 21 May 2022 06:33 AM PDT Tactile sensation is an incredibly important part of how humans perceive their reality. Haptics or devices that can produce extremely specific vibrations that can mimic the sensation of touch are a way to bring that third sense to life. However, as far as haptics have come, humans are incredibly particular about whether or not something feels 'right,' and virtual textures don't always hit the mark. Now, researchers at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering have developed a new method for computers to achieve that true texture -- with the help of human beings. Called a preference-driven model, the framework uses our ability to distinguish between the details of certain textures as a tool in order to give these virtual counterparts a tune-up. |
| Long-hypothesized 'next generation wonder material' created Posted: 21 May 2022 06:33 AM PDT New research fills a longstanding gap in carbon material science, potentially opening brand-new possibilities for electronics, optics and semiconducting material research. |
| Organic farming or flower strips: Which is better for bees? Posted: 21 May 2022 06:33 AM PDT How effective environmental measures in agriculture are for biodiversity and wild bee populations depends on various factors and your perspective. This is shown by agroecologists. The research team found that when assessing the effectiveness of different measures, whether in the field (organic farming) or next to the field (flower strips in conventional farming), biodiversity benefits should be evaluated differently. Like-for-like comparisons of environmental measures could easily be misleading, according to the scientists. |
| Where do 'Hawaiian box jellies' come from? Posted: 20 May 2022 03:12 PM PDT An insightful cross-disciplinary team, working for over a decade, published a study recently revealing that a key number of hours of darkness during the lunar cycle triggers mature 'Hawaiian box jellyfish' (Alatina alata) to swim to leeward O'ahu shores to spawn. |
| Unraveling a perplexing explosive process that occurs throughout the universe Posted: 20 May 2022 03:12 PM PDT Novel simulation brings extraordinary fast radio bursts into the laboratory in a way once thought impossible. |
| Researchers unveil a secret of stronger metals Posted: 20 May 2022 03:12 PM PDT Researchers determined exactly what happens as crystal grains in metals form during an extreme deformation process, at the tiniest scales, down to a few nanometers across. The findings could lead to better, more consistent properties in metals, such as hardness and toughness. |
| Deciphering the biosynthetic gene cluster for potent freshwater toxin Posted: 20 May 2022 11:47 AM PDT Scientists discover the enzymes responsible for the production of one of the most toxic and fast-acting neurotoxins associated with freshwater harmful algal blooms in lakes and ponds. The discovery revealed that guanitoxin-producing cyanobacteria are more prevalent than originally known in the United States, opening the possibility for new molecular diagnostic testing to better inform and protect the public from this natural freshwater toxin. |
| Study discovers an underlying cause for infantile spasms and points to a novel therapy Posted: 20 May 2022 11:47 AM PDT A groundbreaking study has found the underlying cause and a potential treatment for infantile spasms -- intractable epilepsy common in babies and with limited treatment options. |
| PFAS chemicals do not last forever Posted: 20 May 2022 11:47 AM PDT Once dubbed 'forever chemicals,' per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, might be in the market for a new nickname. Adding iodide to a water treatment reactor that uses ultraviolet (UV) light and sulfite destroys up to 90% of carbon-fluorine atoms in PFAS forever chemicals in just a few hours, reports a new study led by environmental engineers. The addition of iodide accelerates the speed of the reaction up to four times, saving energy and chemicals. |
| Haywire T cells attack protein in 'bad' cholesterol Posted: 20 May 2022 11:47 AM PDT Detecting these T cells may lead to diagnostics to better detect heart disease--and disease severity--through a blood sample. The knowledge also brings researchers closer to developing a vaccine that dampens this dangerous immune cell activity to prevent atherosclerosis. |
| Light pollution can disorient monarch butterflies Posted: 20 May 2022 11:46 AM PDT Biologists say nighttime light pollution can interfere with the remarkable navigational abilities of monarchs, which travel as far as Canada to Mexico and back during their multi-generational migration. Researchers found that butterflies roosting at night near artificial illumination such as a porch or streetlight can become disoriented the next day because the light interferes with their circadian rhythms. Artificial light can impede the molecular processes responsible for the butterfly's remarkable navigational ability and trigger the butterfly to take wing when it should be resting. |
| Posted: 20 May 2022 11:46 AM PDT Unlike fictional laser swords, real laser beams do not interact with each other when they cross -- unless the beams meet within a suitable material allowing for nonlinear light-matter interaction. In such a case, wave mixing can give rise to beams with changed colors and directions. |
| New research shows no evidence of structural brain change with short-term mindfulness training Posted: 20 May 2022 11:46 AM PDT A team found flaws in previous research that purported to show meditation could alter the brain's structure. |
| Scientists smash lethal bacteria that acts like a hammer Posted: 20 May 2022 11:46 AM PDT New research could lead to better treatment options for a rare but very lethal type of bacterial infection. |
| Neuromorphic memory device simulates neurons and synapses Posted: 20 May 2022 10:29 AM PDT Researchers have reported a nano-sized neuromorphic memory device that emulates neurons and synapses simultaneously in a unit cell, another step toward completing the goal of neuromorphic computing designed to rigorously mimic the human brain with semiconductor devices. |
| Children with same-sex parents are socially well-adjusted Posted: 20 May 2022 10:29 AM PDT Difficult social and legal conditions are stress factors for same-sex families, but do not affect the behavior of children and young people with same-sex parents, new research suggests. |
| Study links thalamus inhibition in adolescence to long-lasting cortical abnormalities Posted: 20 May 2022 10:28 AM PDT Researchers have reported new evidence that cognitive abnormalities seen in neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia may be traceable to altered activity in the thalamus during adolescence, a time window of heightened vulnerability for schizophrenia. |
| New research challenges established ideas about infant crying Posted: 20 May 2022 10:28 AM PDT A research project provides a new understanding of what can be defined as normal and excessive crying among infants. |
| Climate change likely to reduce the amount of sleep that people get per year Posted: 20 May 2022 10:28 AM PDT Most research looking at the impact of climate change on human life has focused on how extreme weather events affect economic and societal health outcomes on a broad scale. Yet climate change may also have a strong influence on fundamental daily human activities -- including a host of behavioral, psychological, and physiological outcomes that are essential to wellbeing. Investigators now report that increasing ambient temperatures negatively impact human sleep around the globe. |
| Function follows form in plant immunity Posted: 20 May 2022 10:28 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a novel biochemical mechanism explaining how immune proteins defend plants against invading microorganisms. |
| Killer T vs. memory -- DNA isn't destiny for T cells Posted: 20 May 2022 10:28 AM PDT Scientists have uncovered how one type of T cell creates two genetically identical, but functionally different, daughter cells. |
| Research reveals surprising inactivation mechanism for a voltage-gated ion channel Posted: 20 May 2022 10:28 AM PDT The study from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital presents a new understanding of how a VGIC, crucial for the communication of neurons and muscle cells, can become unresponsive. |
| Superconductivity and charge density waves caught intertwining at the nanoscale Posted: 20 May 2022 10:28 AM PDT Scientists discover superconductivity and charge density waves are intrinsically interconnected at the nanoscopic level, a new understanding that could help lead to the next generation of electronics and computers. |
| Posted: 20 May 2022 10:28 AM PDT Scientists have described a novel preclinical drug that could have the potential to combat depression, brain injury and diseases that impair cognition. The drug, which notably is brain-permeable, acts to inhibit the kinase enzyme Cdk5. |
| Earth's core: Unexpected flow behavior in liquid metals Posted: 20 May 2022 07:13 AM PDT Some metals are in liquid form, the prime example being mercury. But there are also enormous quantities of liquid metal in the Earth's core, where temperatures are so high that part of the iron is molten and undergoes complex flows. A team has now simulated a similar process in the laboratory and made a surprising discovery: Under certain circumstances, the flow of liquid metal is far more turbulent than expected -- and this has a significant impact on heat transport. |
| Uncovering new details of the brain's first line of defense Posted: 20 May 2022 07:13 AM PDT A research team has mapped out the development and genetic trajectory of previously understudied macrophages associated with the central nervous system. Among other things, the team found that meningeal macrophages are formed during gestation and develop in the same way as microglia, while perivascular macrophages develop after birth. Their new insights could pave the way for better understanding the origins and mechanisms behind leading brain-related pathologies such as Alzheimer's disease. |
| Insomnia in midlife may manifest as cognitive problems in retirement age Posted: 20 May 2022 07:13 AM PDT According to a new study, long-term insomnia symptoms can pose a risk of poorer cognitive functioning later in life. This is another reason why insomnia should be treated as early as possible. |
| Satellites and drones can help save pollinators Posted: 20 May 2022 04:31 AM PDT Satellites and drones can provide key information to protect pollinators. A new study examines new ways of using these technologies to track the availability of flowers, and says this could be combined with behavioral studies to see the world through the eyes of insects. |
| 'Moth highways' could help resist climate change impact Posted: 20 May 2022 04:31 AM PDT Real data gathered by volunteers was combined with new computer models for the first time to reveal which UK moth species are struggling to expand into new regions and the landscape barriers restricting their movement. Farmland and suburban moths were found to be struggling most, with hills or regions with variable temperatures acting as barriers. This has implications for British wildlife being forced to move to adapt to climate change, and habitat restoration in challenging areas could help wildlife movement. |
| Snake trade in Indonesia is not sustainable enough -- but it could be Posted: 20 May 2022 04:31 AM PDT A substantial part of the trade in blood pythons in Indonesia is illegal and underreported, a new study has found. The study found no convincing evidence that the harvest of blood pythons in the area is sustainable. Even though the harvest and trade of the species are regulated by a quota system, misdeclared, underreported and illegal trade remain a serious challenge to its sustainable exploitation. |
| Research brings hope for spinal cord injury treatment Posted: 20 May 2022 04:31 AM PDT Scientists have shown an existing drug may reduce damage after spinal cord injury, by blocking the inflammatory response in the spinal cord. |
| 'Traffic calming' boosts breeding on coral reefs Posted: 20 May 2022 04:31 AM PDT Coral reef fish breed more successfully if motorboat noise is reduced, new research shows. |
| Interplay between charge order and superconductivity at nanoscale Posted: 20 May 2022 04:31 AM PDT Scientists have been relentlessly working on understanding the fundamental mechanisms at the base of high-temperature superconductivity with the ultimate goal to design and engineer new quantum materials superconducting close to room temperature. |
| Two pathogens linked to salmon health and survival Posted: 19 May 2022 05:45 PM PDT Many wild salmon populations in B.C. have experienced substantial declines over the last three decades. New research can help chart a course towards better protection of wild salmon. |
| Prehistoric feces reveal parasites from feasting at Stonehenge Posted: 19 May 2022 05:45 PM PDT Study of ancient faeces found at a settlement thought to have housed builders of the famous stone monument suggests that parasites got consumed via badly-cooked cow offal during epic winter feasts. |
| Dietary cholesterol worsens inflammation, sickness in mice with influenza Posted: 19 May 2022 01:48 PM PDT New research suggests high levels of dietary cholesterol make mice sicker when infected with influenza. This study links cholesterol in the diet with exacerbation of a viral infection. |
| New breathable gas sensors may improve monitoring of health, environment Posted: 19 May 2022 01:19 PM PDT Newly developed flexible, porous and highly sensitive nitrogen dioxide sensors that can be applied to skin and clothing have potential applications in health care, environmental health monitoring and military use, according to researchers. |
| Using everyday WiFi to help robots see and navigate better indoors Posted: 19 May 2022 12:01 PM PDT Engineers have developed a low cost, low power technology to help robots accurately map their way indoors, even in poor lighting and without recognizable landmarks or features. The technology uses WiFi signals, instead of light, to help the robot 'see' where it's going. |
| Scientists devise method to prevent deadly hospital infections without antibiotics Posted: 19 May 2022 12:01 PM PDT Some 1.7 million Americans each year acquire hospital infections, resulting in nearly 100,000 deaths from infection-related complications. The biggest culprits: medical devices like catheters, stents and heart valves, whose surfaces often become covered with harmful bacterial films. A novel surface treatment developed by a UCLA-led team of scientists stops microbes from adhering to medical devices. The new findings are published May 19 in the journal Advanced Materials. |
| Lost or extinct? Study finds the existence of more than 500 animal species remains uncertain Posted: 19 May 2022 12:01 PM PDT An international study provides the first global evaluation of all terrestrial vertebrate species that have not been declared extinct and identifies more than 500 species considered to be 'lost'--those that haven't been seen by anyone in more than 50 years. |
| Epilepsy drug stops nervous system tumor growth in mice Posted: 19 May 2022 11:10 AM PDT People with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) develop tumors on nerves throughout their bodies. Researchers have discovered that nerve cells with the mutation that causes NF1 are hyperexcitable and that suppressing this hyperactivity with the epilepsy drug lamotrigine stops tumor growth in mice. |
| Posted: 19 May 2022 11:10 AM PDT Scientists have explored the importance of sea travel in prehistory by examining the genomes of ancient Maltese humans and comparing these with the genomes of this period from across Europe. Previous findings from the archaeological team had suggested that towards the end of the third millennium BC the use of the Maltese temples declined. Now, using genetic data from ancient Maltese individuals the current interdisciplinary research team has suggested a potential contributing cause. Researchers found that these ancient humans lacked some of the signatures of genetic changes that swept across Europe in this period, because of their island separation. Scientists concluded that physical topography, in particular seascapes played a central role as barriers to genetic exchange. |
| Some people fared better than others during COVID-19 pandemic due to genetics Posted: 19 May 2022 11:10 AM PDT Everyone has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but a new study finds that some individuals weathered the stress of the pandemic better than others, in part, due to their genetics. |
| Repurposed antibiotic may be an effective therapeutic in COVID-19 infected mice Posted: 19 May 2022 11:10 AM PDT Repurposed drugs may have a speedier path to clinical use because they have already been shown to be safe in people. A new study suggests clofoctol may be an effective treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infections in mice. |
| Past events reveal how future warming could harm cold-water corals Posted: 19 May 2022 11:10 AM PDT How will future warming of the planet impact cold-water corals? A new analysis of ancient evidence from the last major global warming event identifies food and oxygen supply as key environmental factors that influence the vitality of cold-water corals in the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. |
| Genetic risk scores help predict type 2 diabetes in people of south Asian origin, study finds Posted: 19 May 2022 11:10 AM PDT A polygenic risk score for type 2 diabetes could be used to help predict disease risk and stratify distinct disease subtypes to better allocate healthcare resources. |
| Discovery of 'ghost' fossils reveals plankton resilience to past global warming events Posted: 19 May 2022 11:10 AM PDT The 'ghost' fossils are imprints of single-celled plankton called coccolithophores and their discovery is changing our understanding of how plankton in the oceans are affected by climate change. |
| Is it topological? A new materials database has the answer Posted: 19 May 2022 11:09 AM PDT A new materials database reveals more than 90,000 known 'topological' materials with persistent electronic properties. |
| Genetic underpinnings of severe staph infections Posted: 19 May 2022 11:09 AM PDT Scientists identified a mutated gene common to many patients with life-threatening infections, and found that people living with 5p- syndrome may be at similar risk. |
| Human behavior is key to building a better long-term COVID forecast Posted: 19 May 2022 11:09 AM PDT From extreme weather to another wave of COVID-19, forecasts give decision-makers valuable time to prepare. When it comes to COVID, though, long-term forecasting is a challenge, because it involves human behavior. |
| Environment scientists close in on 'golden spike' to define Anthropocene Posted: 19 May 2022 11:09 AM PDT Researchers searching for a 'golden spike' to formally define humanity's current geological period -- and acknowledge human impact on our planet -- have announced a major step in their analysis. |
| Avian influenza: How it's spreading and what to know about this outbreak Posted: 19 May 2022 11:04 AM PDT A new study takes a data-driven look at influenza viruses circulating among different groups of birds and characterizes which types of birds are involved in spreading the virus. This paper publishes at a time when a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza has been spreading across North America. |
| Increasing urban greenery could have prevented at least 34,000 US deaths over two decades Posted: 19 May 2022 10:27 AM PDT A US nationwide study found that increasing green vegetation in large, metropolitan areas could have prevented between 34,000-38,000 deaths, based on data from 2000-2019. The study also showed that overall greenness in metro areas has increased in the past 20 years, by nearly 3 percent between 2000-2010 and 11 percent between 2010-2019. |
| Ghostly 'mirror world' might be cause of cosmic controversy Posted: 19 May 2022 10:27 AM PDT New research suggests an unseen 'mirror world' of particles that interacts with our world only via gravity that might be the key to solving a major puzzle in cosmology today -- the Hubble constant problem. The Hubble constant is the rate of expansion of the universe today. Predictions for this rate are significantly slower than the rate found by our most precise local measurements. This discrepancy is one that many cosmologists have been trying to solve by changing our current cosmological model. |
| Male pheromones improve health of females' eggs Posted: 19 May 2022 10:27 AM PDT New study on roundworms finds that exposure to male pheromones slows down aging of female eggs. Pheromone exposure decreased offspring death and chromosomal abnormalities by twofold. |
| Posted: 19 May 2022 10:27 AM PDT Researchers analyzed genomic data from global populations, including thousands of ethnically diverse Africans, to identify genetic variants that may be associated with clinical COVID-19 outcomes. |
| Poll the audience: Using data from citizen science to keep wild birds in flight Posted: 19 May 2022 10:27 AM PDT New research examines the accuracy of information produced by citizen science apps for monitoring bird populations and found that it could actually offer a lot of utility for researchers, with some caveats. |
| 'Sting' protein's efforts to clean up brain cell damage may speed Parkinson's disease progress Posted: 19 May 2022 10:27 AM PDT In studies with mouse and human tissue, as well as live mice, researchers report that a snag in the normal process of cleaning up broken DNA in brain cells may hasten the progression of Parkinson's disease. Specifically, the researchers found that a protein dubbed 'STING' responds to clean-up signals in brain cells damaged by Parkinson's disease by creating a cycle of inflammation that may accelerate the disease's progression. |
| Researchers find another layer to the code of life Posted: 19 May 2022 09:57 AM PDT A new examination of the way different tissues read information from genes has discovered that the brain and testes appear to be extraordinarily open to the use of rare codons to produce a given protein. Testes of both fruit flies and humans seem to be enriched in protein products of these rarely-used pieces of genetic code, suggesting another layer of control in the genome. |
| Research confirms eastern Wyoming Paleoindian site as Americas' oldest mine Posted: 19 May 2022 09:57 AM PDT The Powars II site at Sunrise in Wyoming's Platte County the oldest documented red ocher mine -- and likely the oldest known mine of any sort -- in all of North and South America. |
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