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| Achilles’ heel of dangerous hospital pathogen Posted: 06 Apr 2022 07:16 AM PDT Researchers have shed light on the structure of an enzyme important in the metabolism of the pathogenic bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii. The enzyme 'MtlD' is critical for the bacterium's synthesis of the sugar alcohol mannitol, with which it protects itself against water loss and desiccation in dry or salty environments such as blood or urine. Structural analysis has revealed weak spots where it might be possible to inhibit the enzyme and thus attack the pathogen. |
| Posted: 06 Apr 2022 07:16 AM PDT The tropical tree, from whose seeds chocolate and other sweets are produced, has its secrets. Unravelling them is not so easy. |
| Earthworms like to eat some plastics, but side effects of their digestion are unclear Posted: 06 Apr 2022 07:16 AM PDT Earthworms are a welcome sight for gardeners and farmers because the wriggling invertebrates recycle nutrients from soil, making them more accessible to plants. As worms burrow, they consume almost everything in their path, including microscopic plastic pollution. Now, researchers have observed that earthworms actually prefer soil with some types of microplastics but digest the polymers differently, which the team suggests could impact the animals' health and the ecosystem. |
| Laser light, a dye and a nonsurgical implant could help overcome obesity Posted: 06 Apr 2022 07:16 AM PDT When dieting and exercise aren't enough, weight-loss surgery can be an effective obesity treatment. But people who don't want surgery have other options, including insertion of an appetite-suppressing balloon or other implant in the stomach. Now, researchers report that they have augmented that procedure in laboratory animals by coating an implant with a laser-activated dye that kills cells producing ghrelin, the 'hunger hormone.' |
| Posted: 06 Apr 2022 07:16 AM PDT Researchers have created a detailed set of maps examining the flood risk for all farmland in Iowa. The maps show 450,000 acres of crops in areas with a 50% chance of flooding, and losses from flooding averaging $230 million annually. |
| How did visitors experience the domestic space in Pompeii? Posted: 06 Apr 2022 06:53 AM PDT Researchers have used virtual reality and 3D eye-tracking technology to examine what drew the attention of the visitors when entering the stunning environment of an ancient Roman house. The team recreated the House of Greek Epigrams in 3D and tracked the gaze of study participants as they viewed the home. |
| Diagnosing sports-related concussions may be harder than thought Posted: 05 Apr 2022 02:18 PM PDT The tool being used to diagnose concussions might be overestimating the condition and wrongly identifying symptoms like fatigue and neck pain caused from intense exercise and not a brain injury, according to researchers. This new research raises new questions about the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT), a questionnaire widely used along with other methods to diagnose concussions sustained during sports. |
| Posted: 05 Apr 2022 02:18 PM PDT Researchers have discovered 15 'hotspots' in the genome that either speed up brain aging or slow it down -- a finding that could provide new drug targets to resist Alzheimer's disease and other degenerative brain disorders, as well as developmental delays. |
| Innovation flows across regions and sectors in complex ways, study shows Posted: 05 Apr 2022 02:18 PM PDT Knowledge creation -- the generation of new ideas and patents -- is an important driver of economic growth. Understanding how knowledge moves across industry sectors and regions can inform research and development (R&D) efforts, promote university-industry partnerships for innovation, and impact private businesses' location decisions. A new study provides a thorough look at the flow of knowledge in five industrial sectors across the United States. |
| Loud and clear: High-energy ads keep viewers tuned in, study shows Posted: 05 Apr 2022 02:17 PM PDT More energetic commercials are likely to be tuned in more or avoided less by viewers, according a new study. |
| Rational neural network advances machine-human discovery Posted: 05 Apr 2022 02:17 PM PDT Math is the language of the physical world, and some see mathematical patterns everywhere: in weather, in the way soundwaves move, and even in the spots or stripes zebra fish develop in embryos. |
| Molecules produced by cells in response to stress may be indicators of various diseases Posted: 05 Apr 2022 12:19 PM PDT Certain small RNAs called tDRs can be found inside and outside cells during stress responses to different diseases. Researchers have created an atlas of the stress signatures for tDRs that might be used as markers of disease and identify new disease-causing pathways. |
| Posted: 05 Apr 2022 11:35 AM PDT The concept of ecosystem services allows researchers to quantify the benefits that nature contributes to people into monetary units. A new study suggests that trees provide greater economic value when used to regulate climate and air quality than the value they produce as wood products, food crops, and Christmas trees. |
| Engineers point the way to more affordable, sustainable urban neighborhoods Posted: 05 Apr 2022 11:35 AM PDT Analysis presents a first-of-its-kind framework to design the most efficient mix of urban buildings along with integrated systems to supply power and water services. The approach could significantly reduce costs and pollution compared to traditional systems. |
| Posted: 05 Apr 2022 11:35 AM PDT They are part of the brain of almost every animal species, yet they remain usually invisible even under the electron microscope. |
| Treated plastic waste good at grabbing carbon dioxide Posted: 05 Apr 2022 11:35 AM PDT Rice University chemists treat waste plastic to absorb carbon dioxide from flue gas streams more efficiently than current processes. |
| Sugar-coated nanoparticles target macrophages, reverse pulmonary fibrosis Posted: 05 Apr 2022 11:35 AM PDT Scientists have developed a treatment for pulmonary fibrosis by using nanoparticles coated in mannose -- a type of sugar -- to stop a population of lung cells called macrophages that contribute to lung tissue scarring. The cell-targeting method holds promise for preventing this severe lung scarring disease, which can result in life-threatening complications like shortness of breath. |
| The pleasant smell of wet soil indicates danger to bacteria-eating worms, researchers find Posted: 05 Apr 2022 11:35 AM PDT Researchers have found that geosmin is made by certain kinds of bacteria that are known toxin producers. This acts as a warning to C. elegans, a common type of worm, that the bacteria they are about to graze on is poisonous. The chemical is an aposematic signal that triggers the blind worm's sense of taste just like a caterpillar's bright colors or a pufferfish's spines tell a sighted predator to stay away. |
| How left brain asymmetry is related to reading ability Posted: 05 Apr 2022 11:35 AM PDT Researchers report that two seemingly opposing theories of language processing are both correct. The study shows that greater left-brain asymmetry can predict both better performance and average performance on a foundational measure of reading ability, depending on whether analysis is conducted over the whole brain or in specific regions. |
| Reproductive factors and dementia risk Posted: 05 Apr 2022 11:35 AM PDT Pregnancy, long reproductive span, and older age at menopause are associated with a lower risk of dementia in women, according to a new study. Inversely, hysterectomy, younger age of first birth, and younger or older than average age at first period were associated with greater dementia risk. |
| Women seen as happy and men as angry despite real emotions Posted: 05 Apr 2022 09:39 AM PDT Faces and voices are more likely to be judged as male when they are angry, and as female when they are happy, new research has revealed. The study found that how we understand the emotional expression of a face or voice is heavily influenced by perceived sex, and vice versa. He said: "This study shows how important it is not to rely too much on your first impressions, as they can easily be wrong. "Next time you find yourself attributing happiness or sadness to a woman be aware of your bias and possible misinterpretation." |
| 'Ears' for rover Perseverance's exploration of Mars Posted: 05 Apr 2022 09:39 AM PDT Scientists have built instruments to give humans eyes and a nose on Mars -- and now they are helping add ears as well. |
| People with epilepsy live shorter lives Posted: 05 Apr 2022 09:39 AM PDT On average, people with epilepsy live 10-12 years fewer than those who do not have the condition. Excess mortality is particularly pronounced among people with epilepsy and mental disorders. |
| Miniature brain models: Understanding autism Posted: 05 Apr 2022 09:39 AM PDT Scientists use brain organoids to understand how a mutated gene affects brain development. |
| Research discovery a pearl of hope for imperiled oyster reefs Posted: 05 Apr 2022 09:39 AM PDT Despite a greater than 85% population loss worldwide due to overharvesting, collaborative research shows oyster reefs can rebound through restorative efforts. |
| Alpha brain waves can predict post-surgery pain Posted: 05 Apr 2022 09:39 AM PDT Patients who are most likely to suffer severe pain following an operation can be reliably identified using a new technique. |
| Posted: 05 Apr 2022 09:39 AM PDT An international team of researchers has compiled a massive dataset that overlays years' worth of information on the position, migration and interaction of sharks and game fish. This research has immediate relevance for anglers, who have been reporting increased contact with sharks over the years. The research gives us the clearest window yet into complex ecological relationships and promises to be a useful tool in ongoing conservation efforts. |
| Newborn cells in the epileptic brain provide a potential target for treatment Posted: 05 Apr 2022 09:39 AM PDT Scientists presents evidence that adults can generate new brain cells, and that this process is dramatically altered in patients with long-term epilepsy. The study details the presence of newborn neurons and an immature version of a related cell type, known as astroglia, in patients with epilepsy, furnishing new evidence of neurogenesis in adults and new insights into how immature astroglia might contribute to epilepsy. The study also opens an unexplored avenue toward the development of new anti-seizure medications for millions of people. |
| The relationship between active areas and boundaries with energy input in snapping shells Posted: 05 Apr 2022 08:52 AM PDT New research looks at how the geometry of shells relates to the energy input required to actuate snap-through instability. |
| Investigating newly synthesized thallium compounds for optoelectronic devices Posted: 05 Apr 2022 08:52 AM PDT The burgeoning field of optoelectronic devices is driving the development of new alkali metal-based chalcogenides with qualities that have to be robustly investigated. |
| Sport improves concentration and quality of life Posted: 05 Apr 2022 08:52 AM PDT Physically fit primary school pupils feel better and can concentrate better. They are more likely to make it to higher-level secondary grammar schools than children with less sporting ability. |
| Astrophysical plasma study benefits from new soft X-ray transition energies benchmark Posted: 05 Apr 2022 08:52 AM PDT The analysis of astrophysical plasmas is vital in the quest to learn about some of the Universe's most powerful and mysterious objects and events such as stellar coronae and winds, cataclysmic variables, X-ray binaries containing neutron stars and black holes, supernova remnants, or outflows in active galactic nuclei. The success of such research will lead to future astrophysical X-ray observatories enabling scientists to access techniques that are currently not available to X-ray astronomy. A key requirement for the accurate interpretation of high-resolution X-ray spectra is accurate knowledge of transition energies. |
| Solar cell keeps working long after sun sets Posted: 05 Apr 2022 08:52 AM PDT Researchers have constructed a photovoltaic cell that harvests energy from the environment during the day and night, making use of the heat leaking from Earth back into space. At night, solar cells radiate and lose heat to the sky, reaching temperatures a few degrees below the ambient air. The device under development uses a thermoelectric module to generate voltage and current from the temperature gradient between the cell and the air. The setup is inexpensive and, in principle, could be incorporated within existing solar cells. |
| Late-onset alcohol abuse can be a presenting symptom of dementia Posted: 05 Apr 2022 07:29 AM PDT Clinical awareness of connection between alcohol and dementia is paramount to providing the best patient care management. |
| Local motion detectors in fruit flies sense complex patterns generated by their own motion Posted: 05 Apr 2022 07:28 AM PDT Scientists have gained new insights into how the eye of Drosophila processes motion patterns that are generated by self-motion through space. They have discovered that direction-selective cells can distinguish six types of global motion patterns. |
| Botany: Fitness needs the right timing Posted: 05 Apr 2022 07:28 AM PDT Life on Earth runs in 24-hour cycles. From tiny bacteria to human beings, organisms adapt to alterations of day and night. External factors, such as changes in light and temperature, are needed to entrain the clock. Many metabolic processes are controlled by the endogenous clock. Scientists have now studied the molecular rhythms of the endogenous clock in the 'green lineage.' |
| New technique offers faster security for non-volatile memory tech Posted: 05 Apr 2022 07:28 AM PDT Researchers have developed a technique that leverages hardware and software to improve file system security for next-generation memory technologies called non-volatile memories (NVMs). The new encryption technique also permits faster performance than existing software security technologies. |
| HIV drug stabilizes disease progression in metastatic colorectal cancer Posted: 05 Apr 2022 07:28 AM PDT Many cancers exhibit high levels of the reverse transcriptase enzyme. Single-agent lamivudine, a reverse transcriptase inhibitor, stopped disease progression in over 25% of patients with fourth-line refractory metastatic colorectal cancer. These results provide evidence for the evaluation of reverse transcriptase inhibitors as a new class of anti-cancer drugs. |
| Tiny jumping genes fingered as culprit in rise of antibiotic resistance Posted: 05 Apr 2022 07:28 AM PDT Biomedical engineers believe they have discovered the physical mechanism that causes high doses of antibiotics to promote the spread of antibiotic resistance between bacteria. The culprit, they say, is an overabundance of 'jumping genes,' called transposons, that carry the genetic instructions for resistance from the cell's source code to plasmids that shuttle between cells. |
| Carbs, sugary foods may influence poor oral health Posted: 05 Apr 2022 07:28 AM PDT New research on postmenopausal women identifies associations between commonly eaten foods and the diversity and composition of oral bacteria. |
| Scientists connect the dots between Galilean moon, auroral emissions on Jupiter Posted: 05 Apr 2022 07:28 AM PDT On November 8, 2020, NASA's Juno spacecraft flew through an intense beam of electrons traveling from Ganymede, Jupiter's largest moon, to its auroral footprint on the gas giant. Scientists used data from Juno's payload to study the particle population traveling along the magnetic field line connecting Ganymede to Jupiter while, at the same time, remotely sensing the associated auroral emissions to unveil the mysterious processes creating the shimmering lights. |
| Posted: 05 Apr 2022 06:27 AM PDT Like diseases affecting humans, parasites can wage a deadly evolutionary 'arms race' against their hosts. But can hosts and parasites upgrade their weapons at the same rate? |
| Scientists develop a recyclable pollen-based paper for repeated printing and ‘unprinting’ Posted: 05 Apr 2022 06:27 AM PDT Scientists have developed a pollen-based 'paper' that, after being printed on, can be 'erased' and reused multiple times without any damage to the paper. |
| Honey holds potential for making brain-like computer chips Posted: 05 Apr 2022 05:46 AM PDT Honey might be a sweet solution for developing environmentally friendly components for neuromorphic computers, systems designed to mimic the neurons and synapses found in the human brain. Hailed by some as the future of computing, neuromorphic systems are much faster and use much less power than traditional computers. Engineers have demonstrated one way to make them more organic too by using honey to make a memristor, a component similar to a transistor that can not only process but also store data in memory. They created the memristors by processing honey into a solid form and sandwiching it between two metal electrodes, making a structure similar to a human synapse. They then tested the honey memristors' ability to mimic the work of synapses with high switching on and off speeds of 100 and 500 nanoseconds respectively. The memristors also emulated the synapse functions known as spike-timing dependent plasticity and spike-rate dependent plasticity, which are responsible for learning processes in human brains and retaining new information in neurons. |
| Global team of scientists determine 'fingerprint' for how much heat, drought is too much for forests Posted: 05 Apr 2022 05:46 AM PDT A new study has compiled a global database of climate-induced forest die-off events, from 1970-2018, across 675 locations. After analyzing the climate conditions at each location during each event, researchers found a common 'hotter-drought fingerprint' for Earth's forests, a term that describes the combination of higher temperatures and more frequent droughts for a lethal set of climate conditions. Under further warming, this hotter-drought fingerprint will appear more frequently -- the authors conclude that limiting Earth's warming will determine survivability for many of Earth's forests. |
| Gene deletion behind anomaly in blood cancer cells Posted: 05 Apr 2022 05:46 AM PDT Although clinical labs have known for almost a century that a oddly shaped nucleus resembling pince-nez glasses in blood cells could indicate leukemia, the cause of this anomaly remained unknown. Scientists have now discovered that loss of nuclear Lamin B1 induces defects in the nuclear morphology and in human hematopoietic [blood-forming] stem cells associated with malignancy. The scientists went on to detail that lamin B1 deficiency alters genome organization. This in turn causes expansion of blood-forming stem cells, a bias towards their becoming myeloids, genome instability due to defective DNA damage repair and other problems that set the stage for cancer. |
| Squid recorded color-matching substrate for the first time Posted: 05 Apr 2022 05:45 AM PDT A new study has found that squid will camouflage against coral reef and other substrate as a way of avoiding predation. |
| New non-destructive DNA method opens opportunities Posted: 05 Apr 2022 05:45 AM PDT A new method of obtaining ancient genomic data without damaging source material has been developed, creating new opportunities for museum and archaeological collections worldwide. |
| DNA discovery reveals a critical 'accordion effect' for switching off genes Posted: 05 Apr 2022 05:45 AM PDT Researchers have revealed how an 'accordion effect' is critical to switching off genes, in a study that transforms the fundamentals of what we know about gene silencing. The finding expands our understanding of how we switch genes on and off to make the different cell types in our bodies, as we develop in the womb. |
| ‘Freeze-thaw battery’ is adept at preserving its energy Posted: 05 Apr 2022 05:45 AM PDT Scientists have created a battery designed for the electric grid that locks in energy for months without losing much storage capacity. It's a step toward batteries that can be used for seasonal storage: saving renewable energy in one season, such as the spring, and spending it in another, like autumn. |
| The global 'plastic flood' reaches the Arctic Posted: 05 Apr 2022 05:45 AM PDT Even the High North can't escape the global threat of plastic pollution. An international review study shows, the flood of plastic has reached all spheres of the Arctic: large quantities of plastic - transported by rivers, the air and shipping- can now be found in the Arctic Ocean. |
| New method for probing the bewildering diversity of the microbiome Posted: 04 Apr 2022 03:55 PM PDT Scientists describe a new method for probing the microbiome in unprecedented detail. The technique provides greater simplicity and ease of use compared with existing approaches. Using the new technique, the researchers demonstrate an improved ability to pinpoint biologically relevant characteristics, including a subject's age and sex based on microbiome samples. |
| Disbelief in human evolution linked to greater prejudice and racism Posted: 04 Apr 2022 01:46 PM PDT A disbelief in human evolution was associated with higher levels of prejudice, racist attitudes and support of discriminatory behavior against Blacks, immigrants and the LGBTQ community in the U.S., according to recent research. |
| The art of smell: Research suggests the brain processes smell both like a painting and a symphony Posted: 04 Apr 2022 01:45 PM PDT What happens when we smell a rose? How does our brain process the essence of its fragrance? Is it like a painting -- a snapshot of the flickering activity of cells -- captured in a moment in time? Or like a symphony, an evolving ensemble of different cells working together to capture the scent? New research suggests that our brain does both. |
| Millionaires more risk-tolerant and emotionally stable Posted: 04 Apr 2022 12:27 PM PDT Millionaires are more risk-tolerant, emotionally stable, open, extroverted, and conscientious than the general population, according to new research. |
| Protected tropical forest sees major bird declines over 40 years Posted: 04 Apr 2022 12:27 PM PDT Deep in a Panamanian rain forest, bird populations have been quietly declining for 44 years. A new study shows a whopping 70% of understory bird species declined in the forest between 1977 and 2020. And the vast majority of those are down by half or more. |
| The secret to better coffee? The birds and the bees Posted: 04 Apr 2022 12:27 PM PDT A groundbreaking study reveals that without birds and bees working together, some traveling thousands of miles, coffee farmers would see a whopping 25% drop in crop yields. Coffee is bigger and more plentiful when birds and bees team up to protect and pollinate coffee plants. The study is also the first to show, with real-world experiments, that the contributions of nature -- ie. from bees and birds -- are larger combined than their individual contributions. This suggests researchers may be underestimating how much the environment benefits society. |
| Firefighters with PTSD likely to have relationship problems Posted: 04 Apr 2022 12:01 PM PDT The stress firefighters face takes a toll. New research finds that those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are likely to have relationship problems due to an inability to regulate emotions. |
| Middle ear fluid common in kids on ventilators Posted: 04 Apr 2022 12:01 PM PDT Babies and toddlers who need a tracheostomy -- a tube surgically inserted into their windpipe to help relieve breathing problems -- are at a high risk of accumulating fluid behind their eardrum when on a ventilator. That's the conclusion of a new study by head and neck surgeons. This buildup of fluid, called a middle ear effusion, can put them at risk for ear infections, hearing loss, and delays in speech and language development. |
| Posted: 04 Apr 2022 12:01 PM PDT As the demand for home deliveries from online purchases continues to increase, researchers recently published research showing that some -- but not all -- consumers will accept going to alternate delivery locations to get their packages rather than having them delivered directly to their front door. |
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