ScienceDaily: Top News

The younger we feel, the better we rehabilitate, research shows

Posted: 22 Jun 2022 08:31 AM PDT

Could the expression 'you're only as old as you feel' hold true for older people recuperating from physical disabilities? Apparently so. Researchers have found that feeling young can increase the chances of successful rehabilitation from medical conditions, even in old age.

COVID-19 booster increases antibodies by more than 85% in nursing home residents and their caregivers, study finds

Posted: 22 Jun 2022 08:31 AM PDT

A new study found that Omicron-specific antibodies reached detectable levels in 86% of nursing home residents and 93% of healthcare workers after receiving the booster shot, compared to just 28% of nursing home residents and healthcare workers after the initial two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series.

Scientists map sulfur residue on Jupiter's icy moon Europa

Posted: 22 Jun 2022 07:14 AM PDT

A team has used the Hubble Space Telescope to observe Jupiter's moon, Europa, at ultraviolet wavelengths, filling in a 'gap' in the various wavelengths used to observe this icy water world. The team's near-global UV maps show concentrations of sulfur dioxide on Europa's trailing side.

The secret lives of mites in the skin of our faces

Posted: 22 Jun 2022 07:14 AM PDT

A full DNA analysis of mites that live in the hair follicles of all humans reveals explanations for their bizarre mating habits, body features and evolutionary future. Inbreeding and isolation means they have shed genes and cells and are moving closer to a permanent existence with us.

No 'safest spot' to minimize risk of COVID-19 transmission on trains

Posted: 22 Jun 2022 07:13 AM PDT

Researchers have demonstrated how airborne diseases such as COVID-19 spread along the length of a train carriage and found that there is no 'safest spot' for passengers to minimise the risk of transmission.

Feelings of detachment predict worse mental health outcomes after trauma

Posted: 22 Jun 2022 07:13 AM PDT

Following trauma, feeling detached from one's surroundings may suggest a higher risk of later developing serious mental health conditions. It's important to screen for feeling detached to identify patients who might benefit from preventive care.

Organ storage a step closer with cryopreservation discovery

Posted: 22 Jun 2022 07:13 AM PDT

Scientists have taken the first step towards improved storage of human cells, which may lead to the safe storage of organs such as hearts and lungs.

Custom suits for worms that really deliver

Posted: 22 Jun 2022 07:13 AM PDT

Researchers have found that nematodes can be coated with a protective hydrogel sheath that can be engineered to carry functional cargo. This system could potentially be developed to deliver anti-cancer drugs to tumors using worms with a natural predilection for human cancer cells.

Topological superconductors: Fertile ground for elusive Majorana ('angel') particle

Posted: 22 Jun 2022 07:13 AM PDT

A new review investigates the search of Majorana fermions in iron-based superconductors. The elusive Majorana fermion, or 'angel particle' simultaneously behaves like a particle and an antiparticle -- and surprisingly remains stable rather than being self-destructive. Majorana fermions promise information and communications technology with zero resistance, addressing the rising energy consumption of modern electronics (already 8% of global electricity consumption), promising a sustainable future for computing. Majorana zero-energy modes in topological superconductors makes those exotic quantum materials the main candidate materials for realizing topological quantum computing.

Diabetes: Dopamine regulates insulin secretion through a complex of receptors

Posted: 22 Jun 2022 07:13 AM PDT

In a leap forward for diabetes research, researchers reveal that the feel-good hormone, dopamine, regulates insulin secretion through a heteromeric complex of receptors, thereby providing new targets for antidiabetic medication and therapy. The study is the first to elucidate the mechanism behind dopamine's down-regulation of insulin secretion.

Mugwort allergy: Study creates basis for vaccine

Posted: 22 Jun 2022 07:13 AM PDT

A research team has discovered key mechanisms of allergy to pollen from the common weed mugwort, thereby also laying the foundation for the development of the world's first vaccine. Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) poses a serious problem for allergic individuals in certain latitudes from July through to September. Currently, the symptoms, which often lead to asthma, can only be treated symptomatically. The recent findings are an essential first step toward causal therapy and prevention of mugwort pollen allergy.

PICASSO technique drives biological molecules into technicolor?

Posted: 22 Jun 2022 07:13 AM PDT

Pablo Picasso's surreal cubist artistic style shifted common features into unrecognizable scenes, but a new imaging approach bearing his namesake may elucidate the most complicated subject: the brain. Employing artificial intelligence to clarify spectral color blending of tiny molecules used to stain specific proteins and other items of research interest, the PICASSO technique, allows researchers to use more than 15 colors to image and parse our overlapping proteins.

Following ultrafast magnetization dynamics in depth

Posted: 22 Jun 2022 07:13 AM PDT

The future development of functional magnetic devices based on ultrafast optical manipulation of spins requires an understanding of the depth-dependent spin dynamics across the interfaces of complex magnetic heterostructures. A novel technique to obtain such an 'in depth' and time-resolved view on the magnetization has now been demonstrated.

Nanostructured surfaces for future quantum computer chips

Posted: 22 Jun 2022 07:13 AM PDT

Quantum computers are one of the key future technologies of the 21st century. Researchers have developed a new technology for manipulating light that can be used as a basis for future optical quantum computers.

Researchers discover a new receptor regulating sebaceous gland progenitor cell function

Posted: 22 Jun 2022 07:13 AM PDT

Stem cells and progenitor cells play an important role in the renewal of multiple tissues. Scientists have discovered a molecule called embigin on the surface of epithelia progenitor cells and proven its significance to sebaceous gland function.

Can we save more lives if we let resistant bacteria live?

Posted: 22 Jun 2022 07:13 AM PDT

Every day, people die of simple inflammation because bacteria can no longer be killed with antibiotics. So what do we do? Maybe we should spend less energy on killing them and more on 'only' making them harmless while they are in our body, researchers suggest.

Human cells take in less protein from a plant-based 'meat' than from chicken

Posted: 22 Jun 2022 07:13 AM PDT

Many people have now embraced the plant-based 'meat' movement. Plants high in protein, such as soybeans, are common ingredients, but it's been unclear how much of the nutrient makes it into human cells. Researchers now report that proteins in a model plant-based substitute were not as accessible to cells as those from meat. The team says this knowledge could eventually be used to develop more healthful products.

Sniffing out your identity with breath biometrics

Posted: 22 Jun 2022 07:13 AM PDT

Researchers have developed an artificial 'nose' that can identify individuals from their breath. Built with a 16-channel sensor array that can detect different compounds found in a person's breath, the olfactory sensor system has the potential to become another option in the biometric security toolkit. Combined with machine learning, the 'artificial nose' was able to authenticate up to 20 individuals with an average accuracy of more than 97%.

Technology helps self-driving cars learn from own 'memories'

Posted: 22 Jun 2022 07:13 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a way to help autonomous vehicles create 'memories' of previous experiences and use them in future navigation, especially during adverse weather conditions when the car cannot safely rely on its sensors.

Muscle biopsy test for biomarker could lead to earlier diagnosis of ALS

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 03:45 PM PDT

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive disease of the nervous system. It affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord called motor neurons. Motor neurons control muscle movement and ALS causes them to deteriorate and eventually die. The motor neurons lose the ability to send messages to the muscles in the body, affecting voluntary muscle movements. There have been recent advances in treating ALS, but current treatments can only slow disease progression. That is why it is important to diagnose ALS as early as possible.

2021 heat wave created 'perfect storm' for shellfish die-off

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 03:45 PM PDT

It's hard to forget the excruciating heat that blanketed the Pacific Northwest in late June 2021. Temperatures in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia soared to well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, with Seattle setting an all-time heat record of 108 degrees on June 28. A team has now compiled and analyzed hundreds of field observations to produce a comprehensive report of the impacts of the 2021 heat wave on shellfish.

Researchers make virus-fighting face masks

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 03:45 PM PDT

Researchers have developed an accessible way to make N95 face masks not only effective barriers to germs, but on-contact germ killers. The antiviral, antibacterial masks can potentially be worn longer, causing less plastic waste as the masks do not need to be replaced as frequently.

Quantum sensor can detect electromagnetic signals of any frequency

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 03:44 PM PDT

Researchers developed a method to enable quantum sensors to detect any arbitrary frequency, with no loss of their ability to measure nanometer-scale features. Quantum sensors detect the most minute variations in magnetic or electrical fields, but until now they have only been capable of detecting a few specific frequencies, limiting their usefulness.

Researchers derive new theory on behavior of new class of materials

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 03:44 PM PDT

Researchers have derived the governing equations that describe and explain the macroscopic mechanical behavior of elastomers filled with liquid inclusions directly in terms of their microscopic behavior.

Plant virus plus immune cell-activating antibody clear colon cancer in mice, prevent recurrence

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 03:44 PM PDT

A new combination therapy to combat cancer could one day consist of a plant virus and an antibody that activates the immune system's 'natural killer' cells, shows a new study. In mouse models of colon cancer, the combination therapy eliminated all tumors and prevented their recurrence, which in turn resulted in 100% survival. The therapy also increased survival in mouse models of melanoma.

What the nose doesn't know helps wildlife: Using olfactory cues to protect vulnerable species

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 01:33 PM PDT

Behavioral ecologists have discovered a way to harness animals' olfactory ability to protect vulnerable plants and endangered animals.

Researchers harness the power of a new solid-state thermal technology

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 12:51 PM PDT

Researchers have discovered a way to make a versatile thermal conductor, with promise for more energy-efficient electronic devices, green buildings and space exploration. They have demonstrated that a known material used in electronic equipment can now be used as a thermal regulator, too, when it is in a very pure form. This new class of material gives engineers the ability to make thermal conductivity increase or decrease on demand, changing a thermal insulator into a conductor and vice versa.

How the brain interprets motion while in motion

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 12:51 PM PDT

New research provides insights into a neural mechanism involved in how the brain interprets sensory information. The research may have applications for treating brain disorders and designing artificial intelligence.

Scientists unravel genetic mystery of rare neurodevelopmental disorder, provide definitive diagnoses to 21 families worldwide

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 12:51 PM PDT

Scientists have discovered 15 additional genetic mutations in the KCNK9 gene that cause a neurodevelopmental syndrome. Symptoms of the disorder range from speech and motor impairment to behavioral abnormalities, intellectual disability and distinctive facial features.

Relationships are best between people of similar desirability, study finds

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 12:51 PM PDT

New research found that not only are people who are similarly desirable more likely to enter into a relationship, but they are also more likely to experience success within that relationship.

Modern wind turbines can more than compensate for decline in global wind resource

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 12:51 PM PDT

Wind energy contributes significantly to the energy sector's sustainable, low-CO2 transformation. However, the efficiency of wind turbines depends on available wind resources and the technical characteristics of the turbines.

75% of teens aren't getting recommended daily exercise

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 11:18 AM PDT

Three out of every four teens aren't getting enough exercise, and this lack is even more pronounced among female students. But new research suggests improving a school's climate can increase physical activity among adolescents.

Study reveals smaller-than-expected percentage of research in psychology is truly multidisciplinary

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 11:18 AM PDT

Researchers examined scholarly articles for the years 2008-18 classified as 'Psychology, Multidisciplinary,' finding just 25% of citations referenced research published in fields outside psychology.

How tumors make immune cells 'go bad'

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 11:18 AM PDT

Investigators have discovered that cancerous tumors called soft-tissue sarcomas produce a protein that switches immune cells from tumor-attacking to tumor-promoting. The study could lead to improved treatments for soft-tissue sarcomas.

Robotic lightning bugs take flight

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 11:18 AM PDT

Inspired by fireflies, researchers created soft actuators that can emit light in different colors or patterns. These artificial muscles, which control the wings of featherweight flying robots, light up while the robot is in flight, which provides a low-cost way to track the robots and also could enable them to communicate.

Pacific whiting skin has anti-aging properties that prevent wrinkles, research suggests

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 11:18 AM PDT

The gelatin in the skin of Pacific whiting, an abundant fish on the Pacific Coast of North America, may help prevent skin wrinkling caused by ultraviolet radiation, a new study found.

New safe-sleep guidelines aim to reduce infant deaths

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 11:18 AM PDT

There are 3,500 sleep-related infant deaths in the United States each year. Many of those deaths are preventable, and the authors of the new guidelines are urging parents to take simple steps to help keep their children safe.

Children who had bronchitis linked to adult lung problem

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 11:18 AM PDT

Study into the consequences of childhood infection finds Australian children who had bronchitis at least once before the age of seven were more likely to have lung problems in later life.

COVID-19 rebound after taking Paxlovid likely due to insufficient drug exposure, study finds

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 11:17 AM PDT

COVID-19 rebound following Paxlovid treatment likely due to insufficient drug exposure, researchers find after showing rebound patient did not show drug resistance or impaired immunity.

Walking gives the brain a 'step-up' in function for some

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 11:17 AM PDT

It has long been thought that when walking is combined with a task -- both suffer. Researchers have now found that this is not always the case. Some young and healthy people improve performance on cognitive tasks while walking by changing the use of neural resources.

Robots turn racist and sexist with flawed AI, study finds

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 11:17 AM PDT

A robot operating with a popular Internet-based artificial intelligence system consistently gravitates to men over women, white people over people of color, and jumps to conclusions about peoples' jobs after a glance at their face. The work is believed to be the first to show that robots loaded with an accepted and widely-used model operate with significant gender and racial biases.

SeqScreen can reveal 'concerning' DNA

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 11:17 AM PDT

Computer scientists have developed a program to screen short DNA sequences, whether synthetic or natural, to determine their toxicity.

Genetic mutations enable efficient evolution of TB-causing bacteria

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 08:47 AM PDT

Researchers have identified how the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB) can evolve rapidly in response to new environments.

High vaccination rates blunted Delta variant surge in some US states

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 08:47 AM PDT

A joint modelling initiative by nine teams predicted the U.S. surge of COVID-19 caused by the Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the summer of 2021, and found vaccination uptake to be critical to limiting transmission.

Vitamins, supplements are a 'waste of money' for most Americans

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 08:47 AM PDT

Scientists say for non-pregnant, otherwise healthy Americans, vitamins are a waste of money because there isn't enough evidence they help prevent cardiovascular disease or cancer. They've written an editorial in support of new recommendations that state there was 'insufficient evidence' that taking multivitamins, paired supplements or single supplements can help prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer in otherwise healthy, non-pregnant adults.

1,700-year-old Korean genomes show genetic heterogeneity in Three Kingdoms period Gaya

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 08:47 AM PDT

Scientists have successfully sequenced and studied the whole genome of eight 1,700-year-old individuals dated to the Three Kingdoms period of Korea (approx. 57 BC-668 AD). The first published genomes from this period in Korea and bring key information for the understanding of Korean population history.

Global AFib study finds simple ablation has best outcomes

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 08:47 AM PDT

Results from one of the largest global studies of atrial fibrillation (AFib) procedures show that the simple approach is usually best when it comes to ablation, a procedure where physicians destroy or ablate cardiac tissue to correct irregular heart rhythms. Researchers found that using advanced image-guided technology to more aggressively target diseased areas of the heart that cause arrythmias didn't lead to better outcomes for patients -- and put some at higher risk of strokes, according to new results.

Scientists identify a possible source for Charon's red cap

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 07:56 AM PDT

Scientists combined data from NASA's New Horizons mission with novel laboratory experiments and exospheric modeling to reveal the likely composition of the red cap on Pluto's moon Charon and how it may have formed. This first-ever description of Charon's dynamic methane atmosphere using new experimental data provides a fascinating glimpse into the origins of this moon's red spot as described in two recent articles.

How elliptical craters could shed light on age of Saturn's moons

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 07:56 AM PDT

A new study describes how unique populations of craters on two of Saturn's moons could help indicate the satellites' age and the conditions of their formation. Using data from NASA's Cassini mission, researchers have surveyed elliptical craters on Saturn's moons Tethys and Dione for this study.

Research highlights importance of large wood in streams for land-based animals

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 07:56 AM PDT

Land managers have invested millions of dollars annually since the 1980s to place large pieces of wood back in streams, owing primarily to its importance for fish habitat. But little is known about how large wood in streams impacts birds and land-based animals. Scientists are beginning to change that with a just-published paper that outlines what they observed from one year of footage from motion-triggered video cameras they set up near multiple large log jams in a creek just west of Corvallis, Oregon.

Remote sensing helps track carbon storage in mangroves

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 07:56 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a model that can estimate the productivity of mangrove forests at large scales. A remote sensing-based productivity model that considered the effects of tidal inundation was developed. Comparisons with carbon measurements from carbon flux towers showed that the model was able to accurately estimate the productivity of mangrove forests in China. The results highlight the potential of this type of model for assessing the capacity of mangrove forests to store carbon.

Wildlife--human conflicts could shift with climate change

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 07:56 AM PDT

Researchers modeled the risk of human -- elephant conflict in Thailand under different climate change scenarios using a risk framework. A spatial shift in the risk of conflict was observed with climate change, with northern areas and higher latitudes showing increasing risk in the future. These results can be used to develop planning strategies in affected communities and increase coexistence awareness.

Sensor imperfections are perfect for forensic camera analysis

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 07:56 AM PDT

In a project aimed at developing intelligent tools to fight child exploitation, computer scientists have developed a system to analyze the noise produced by individual cameras. This information can be used to link a video or an image to a particular camera.

Natural mineral hackmanite can change color almost indefinitely enabling numerous applications

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 07:56 AM PDT

While investigating hackmanite, a natural wonder material, researchers found that it, in addition to two other minerals, can change their color upon exposure to UV radiation repeatedly without wearing out. The results show that the inexpensive hackmanite, which is easy to synthesise, is also an excellent material because of its high durability and applicability for different purposes.

A blueprint for life forms on Mars?

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 07:56 AM PDT

Microbes taken from surface sediment near Lost Hammer Spring, Canada, about 900 km south of the North Pole, could provide a blueprint for the kind of life forms that may once have existed, or may still exist, on Mars.

Magnetic superstructures resonate with global 6G developers

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 06:14 AM PDT

Scientists have detected collective resonance at remarkably high and broad frequency bands. In a magnetic superstructure called a chiral spin soliton lattice (CSL), they found that resonance could occur at such frequencies with small changes in magnetic field strength. The findings suggest CSL-hosting chiral helimagnets as promising materials for future communication technologies.

Females far likelier to suffer with Long COVID, a new review of studies shows, underscoring a critical need for sex-disaggregated research

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 06:14 AM PDT

A new study reveals that females are 'significantly' more likely to suffer from Long COVID than males and will experience substantially different symptoms.

Systematic warming pool discovered in the Pacific due to human activities

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 06:14 AM PDT

A long-term, increasingly warming pool of water in the northeast Pacific was recently discovered. It measures three million square kilometers, resulted from increased anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions, and is conducive to extreme heatwaves in the northeast Pacific.

Agriculture emissions pose risks to health and climate

Posted: 21 Jun 2022 06:14 AM PDT

Environmental engineers determine the economic cost of reactive nitrogen emissions from agriculture, and their significant risks to populations through air pollution and climate change.

Vital cell machinery behind the human body's incorporation of selenium observed

Posted: 20 Jun 2022 05:49 PM PDT

Scientists have determined the process for incorporating selenium -- an essential trace mineral found in soil, water and some foods that increases antioxidant effects in the body -- to 25 specialized proteins, a discovery that could help develop new therapies to treat a multitude of diseases from cancer to diabetes.