Study identifies new metric for diagnosing autism
Autism spectrum disorder has yet to be linked to a single cause, due to the wide range of its symptoms and severity. However, a recent study suggests a promising new approach to finding answers, one that could lead to advances in the study of other neurological conditions.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:28:44 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417182844.htm
Researchers create new AI pipeline for identifying molecular interactions
AI developments in chemical biology could unlock new types of disease treatments.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:28:37 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417182837.htm
Clearing the air: Wind farms more land efficient than previously thought
Wind power is a source of energy that is both affordable and renewable. However, decision-makers have been reluctant to invest in wind energy due to a perception that wind farms require a lot of land compared to electric power plants driven by fossil fuels. Research was based on the assessment of the land-use of close to 320 wind farms in the U.S. paints a very different picture.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:28:34 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417182834.htm
Paper: To understand cognition--and its dysfunction--neuroscientists must learn its rhythms
Thought emerges and is controlled in the brain via the rhythmically and spatially coordinated activity of millions of neurons, scientists argue in a new article. Understanding cognition and its disorders requires studying it at that level.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:28:29 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417182829.htm
Protecting brain cells with cannabinol
Scientists created four cannabis-derived CBN analogs (chemical look-a-likes) with enhanced neuroprotective properties and potential for therapeutic application in neurological disorders like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and traumatic brain injury. Their findings reveal novel aspects of CBN's neuroprotective activity and demonstrate the clinical potential of CBN and value of studying its analogs.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:28:26 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417182826.htm
Does using your brain more at work help ward off thinking, memory problems?
The harder your brain works at your job, the less likely you may be to have memory and thinking problems later in life, according to a new study. This study does not prove that stimulating work prevents mild cognitive impairment. It only shows an association.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:28:23 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417182823.htm
Guidance on energy and macronutrients across the lifespan
In the long history of recommendations for nutritional intake, current research is trending toward the concept of 'food as medicine' -- a philosophy in which food and nutrition are positioned within interventions to support health and wellness.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:28:19 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417182819.htm
Calorie restriction study reveals complexities in how diet impacts aging
The rate at which human cells age is influenced by multiple interconnected factors. New research examined how restricting calories influences telomere length and biological aging.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:28:16 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417182816.htm
Atom-by-atom: Imaging structural transformations in 2D materials
Silicon-based electronics are approaching their physical limitations and new materials are needed to keep up with current technological demands. Two-dimensional (2D) materials have a rich array of properties, including superconductivity and magnetism, and are promising candidates for use in electronic systems, such as transistors. However, precisely controlling the properties of these materials is extraordinarily difficult.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:28:13 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417182813.htm
How 3D printers can give robots a soft touch
Soft skin coverings and touch sensors have emerged as a promising feature for robots that are both safer and more intuitive for human interaction, but they are expensive and difficult to make. A recent study demonstrates that soft skin pads doubling as sensors made from thermoplastic urethane can be efficiently manufactured using 3D printers.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:28:11 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417182811.htm
Honey bees experience multiple health stressors out-in-the-field
It's not a single pesticide or virus stressing honey bees, and affecting their health, but exposure to a complex web of multiple interacting stressors encountered while at work pollinating crops, found new research. Scientists have been unable to explain increasing colony mortality, even after decades of research examining the role of specific pesticides, parasitic mites, viruses or genetics. This led the research team to wonder if previous studies were missing something by focusing on one stressor at a time.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:28:08 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417182808.htm
Machine learning used to create a fabric-based touch sensor
A new fabric-based touch sensor used machine learning to control mobile apps, video games and other devices while integrated into clothing.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:27:56 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417182756.htm
Probiotic feed additive boosts growth, health in poultry in place of antibiotics
The growing need for antibiotic-free products has challenged producers to decrease or completely stop using antimicrobials as feed supplements in the diet of broiler chickens to improve feed efficiency, growth rate and intestinal health. A research team conducted a study of natural feed additives that are promising alternatives to substitute for antimicrobial growth promoters.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:27:53 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417182753.htm
Global study reveals health impacts of airborne trace elements
Researchers investigated global particulate matter, revealing health risks from trace elements.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:27:48 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417182748.htm
First evidence of human occupation in lava tube cave in Saudi Arabia
New research has highlighted an area in Arabia that once acted as a key point for cultural exchanges and trades amongst ancient people -- and it all took place in vast caves and lava tubes that have remained largely untapped reservoirs of archaeological abundance in Arabia. Through meticulous excavation and analysis, the international team uncovered a wealth of evidence at Umm Jirsan, spanning from the Neolithic to the Chalcolithic/Bronze Age periods (~10,000-3,500 years ago).
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:27:45 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417182745.htm
New data identifies trends in accidental opioid overdoses in children
The US saw a 22% decline in rates of prescription-opioid overdose related emergency department (ED) visits in children 17 and younger between 2008 and 2019, but an uptick in the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study. The authors also note that rates of pediatric opioid overdoses remain high in many populations.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:27:36 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417182736.htm
Artificial Intelligence beats doctors in accurately assessing eye problems
A study has found that the AI model GPT-4 significantly exceeds the ability of non-specialist doctors to assess eye problems and provide advice.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:27:12 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417182712.htm
Ice age climate analysis reduces worst-case warming expected from rising CO2
A detailed reconstruction of climate during the most recent ice age, when a large swath of North America was covered in ice, provides information on the relationship between CO2 and global temperature. Results show that while most future warming estimates remain unchanged, the absolute worst-case scenario is unlikely.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:27:09 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417182709.htm
East coast mussel shells are becoming more porous in warming waters
Researchers have found that over the last 120 years, the porosity -- or small-scale holes -- in mussel shells along the East Coast of the United States has increased, potentially due to warming waters. The study analyzed modern mussel shells in comparison to specimens in the Museum's historic collection.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:27:06 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417182706.htm
Researchers find that accelerated aging biology in the placenta contributes to a rare form of pregnancy-related heart failure
In a new study, researchers show that elevated levels of proteins related to cellular senescence, or aging, in the blood and the placenta are linked to this form of heart failure.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:27:03 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417182703.htm
Paleontologists unearth what may be the largest known marine reptile
The fossilized remains of a second gigantic jawbone measuring more than two meters long has been found on a beach in Somerset, UK.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:26:59 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417182659.htm
New class of antimicrobials discovered in soil bacteria
Researchers have discovered toxic protein particles, shaped like umbrellas, that soil bacteria known as Streptomyces secrete to squelch competitors in their crowded microbial communities, especially others of their own species. What makes these newly detected antibacterial toxins different is that, unlike the Streptomyces' small-molecule antibiotics, umbrella toxins are large complexes composed of multiple proteins. They are also far more specific in the bacteria they target. They tend to go after bacteria that form branching filaments, an usual growth pattern among bacteria. The scientists are intrigued by the potential clinical clinical applications of this discovery, because they suspect the pathogens that cause tuberculosis and diphtheria might be sensitive to umbrella toxins.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:11:43 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131143.htm
38 trillion dollars in damages each year: World economy already committed to income reduction of 19 % due to climate change
Even if CO2 emissions were to be drastically cut down starting today, the world economy is already committed to an income reduction of 19% until 2050 due to climate change, a new study finds. These damages are six times larger than the mitigation costs needed to limit global warming to two degrees. Based on empirical data from more than 1,600 regions worldwide over the past 40 years, scientists assessed future impacts of changing climatic conditions on economic growth and their persistence.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:11:38 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131138.htm
Mountain chickadees have remarkable memories. A new study explains why
Mountain chickadees have among the best spatial memory in the animal kingdom. New research identifies the genes at play and offers insight into how a shifting climate may impact the evolution of this unique skill.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:11:36 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131136.htm
Understanding climate warming impacts on carbon release from the tundra
The warming climate shifts the dynamics of tundra environments and makes them release trapped carbon, according to a new study published in Nature. These changes could transform tundras from carbon sinks into a carbon source, exacerbating the effects of climate change.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:11:27 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131127.htm
Solving a mini mystery of cell division
Trying to hit a target size before dividing seems like the best strategy for maintaining a precise cell size, but bacteria don't do that. Now we know why.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:11:21 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131121.htm
Workings of working memory detailed
Investigators have discovered how brain cells responsible for working memory -- the type required to remember a phone number long enough to dial it -- coordinate intentional focus and short-term storage of information.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:11:15 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131115.htm
Astronomers uncover methane emission on a cold brown dwarf
Astronomers have discovered methane emission on a brown dwarf, an unexpected finding for such a cold and isolated world. The findings suggest that this brown dwarf might generate aurorae similar to those seen on our own planet as well as on Jupiter and Saturn.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:11:13 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131113.htm
Marine plankton behavior could predict future marine extinctions
Marine communities migrated to Antarctica during the Earth's warmest period in 66 million years long before a mass-extinction event.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:11:09 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131109.htm
Substantial global cost of climate inaction
Pioneering study reveals that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius could reduce the global economic costs of climate change by two thirds. If warming continues to 3 degrees Celsius, global GDP will decrease by up to 10 percent -- with the worst impacts in less developed countries.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:11:03 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131103.htm
Plant sensors could act as an early warning system for farmers
Using a pair of sensors made from carbon nanotubes, researchers discovered signals that help plants respond to stresses such as heat, light, or attack from insects or bacteria. Farmers could use these sensors to monitor threats to their crops, allowing them to intervene before the crops are lost.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:10:57 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131057.htm
Genetic variant identified that shaped the human skull base
Researchers have identified a variant in the gene TBX1 as key in the development of the unique morphology at the base of the skull. TBX1 is present at higher levels in humans than in closely related hominins. Low TBX1 also occurs in certain genetic conditions causing altered skull base morphology. This study provides a greater understanding of human disease and evolution.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:10:55 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131055.htm
From defects to order: Spontaneously emerging crystal arrangements in perovskite halides
A new hybrid layered perovskite featuring elusive spontaneous defect ordering has been found, report scientists. By introducing specific concentrations of thiocyanate ions into FAPbI3 (FA = formamidinium), they observed that ordered columnar defects appeared in the stacked crystalline layers, taking up one-third of the lattice space. These findings could pave the way to an innovative strategy for adjusting the properties of hybrid perovskites, leading to practical advances in optoelectronics and energy generation.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:10:43 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131043.htm
'Tube map' around planets and moons made possible by knot theory
Scientists have developed a new method using knot theory to find the optimal routes for future space missions without the need to waste fuel.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:10:41 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131041.htm
Spintronics: A new path to room temperature swirling spin textures
In some materials, spins form complex magnetic structures within the nanometer and micrometer scale in which the magnetization direction twists and curls along specific directions. Examples of such structures are magnetic bubbles, skyrmions, and magnetic vortices. Spintronics aims to make use of such tiny magnetic structures to store data or perform logic operations with very low power consumption, compared to today's dominant microelectronic components. However, the generation and stabilization of most of these magnetic textures is restricted to a few materials and achievable under very specific conditions (temperature, magnetic field...). Physicists have now investigated a new approach that can be used to create and stabilize complex spin textures, such as radial vortices, in a variety of compounds.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:10:37 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131037.htm
Dog attacks on mountain tapirs highlight a growing threat to endangered wildlife
Researchers who captured footage of dog attacks on endangered mountain tapirs in Colombia are calling for action to protect threatened wildlife.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:10:31 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131031.htm
Adults with congenital heart disease faced higher risk of abnormal heart rhythms
Adults with congenital heart defects were more likely to experience an abnormal, irregular heartbeat, finds a new study.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:10:27 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131027.htm
A better view with new mid-infrared nanoscopy
A team has constructed an improved mid-infrared microscope, enabling them to see the structures inside living bacteria at the nanometer scale. Mid-infrared microscopy is typically limited by its low resolution, especially when compared to other microscopy techniques. This latest development produced images at 120 nanometers, which the researchers say is a thirtyfold improvement on the resolution of typical mid-infrared microscopes. Being able to view samples more clearly at this smaller scale can aid multiple fields of research, including into infectious diseases, and opens the way for developing even more accurate mid-infrared-based imaging in the future.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:10:25 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131025.htm
Interspecies competition led to even more forms of ancient human -- defying evolutionary trends in vertebrates
Competition between species played a major role in the rise and fall of hominins -- and produced a 'bizarre' evolutionary pattern for the Homo lineage -- according to a new study that revises the start and end dates for many of our early ancestors.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:10:21 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131021.htm
AI speeds up drug design for Parkinson's by ten-fold
Researchers have used artificial intelligence techniques to massively accelerate the search for Parkinson's disease treatments. The researchers designed and used an AI-based strategy to identify compounds that block the clumping, or aggregation, of alpha-synuclein, the protein that characterises Parkinson's.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:10:18 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131018.htm
E-tongue can detect white wine spoilage before humans can
While the electronic tongue bears little physical resemblance to its namesake, the strand-like sensory probes of the 'e-tongue' still outperformed human senses when detecting contaminated wine in a recent study. In a recent experiment, the e-tongue identified signs of microorganisms in white wine within a week after contamination -- four weeks before a human panel noticed the change in aroma. This was also before those microbes could be grown from the wine in a petri-dish. Winemakers traditionally rely on these two methods, sniffing the wine and petri-dish testing, to identify potential wine 'faults' or spoilage.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:10:14 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131014.htm
Unique field study shows how climate change affects fire-impacted forests
During the unusually dry year of 2018, Sweden was hit by numerous forest fires. A research team has investigated how climate change affects recently burnt boreal forests and their ability to absorb carbon dioxide.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:10:12 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131012.htm
Paradox of extreme cold events in a warming world
The Warm Arctic-Cold Continent (WACC) phenomenon is the puzzling combination of Arctic warming and extreme coldness in specific mid-latitude regions. However, the progression of WACC events remains unclear amidst global warming. Scientists have now predicted a sharp decline in the WACC phenomenon post-2030s, affecting extreme weather events. These findings offer critical insights for communities, scientists, and policymakers to refine climate models and strategies and battle climate change.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:10:10 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131010.htm
Study finds iron-rich enamel protects, but doesn't color, rodents' orange-brown incisors
Chattering squirrels, charming coypus, and tail-slapping beavers -- along with some other rodents -- have orange-brown front teeth. Researchers have produced high-resolution images of rodent incisors, providing an atomic-level view of the teeth's ingenious enamel and its coating. They discovered tiny pockets of iron-rich materials in the enamel that form a protective shield for the teeth but, importantly, don't contribute to the orange-brown hue -- new insights that could improve human dentistry.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:10:08 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131008.htm
Copper beads in pig feed reshape swine gut microbiome
Copper is a natural antimicrobial material that, when added to pig feed, may promote the growth and health of the animals. Since pigs can tolerate high levels of the metal, researchers recently investigated whether copper might be used to promote their gut health and reduce the shedding of microbes to the environment.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:10:06 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131006.htm
Tracking a protein's fleeting shape changes
Researchers have developed a powerful, new technique to generate 'movies' of changing protein structures and speeds of up to 50 frames per second.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:10:04 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131004.htm
Research explores how a father's diet could shape the health of his offspring
A mice study suggests a father's diet may shape the anxiety of his sons and the metabolic health of his daughters before they are even conceived.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:10:02 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131002.htm
Novel robotic training program reduces physician errors placing central lines
More than five million central lines are placed in patients who need prolonged drug delivery, such as those undergoing cancer treatments, in the United States every year, yet the common procedure can lead to a bevy of complications in almost a million of those cases. Researchers developed a robotic simulation training program to provide trainee physicians with more practice on the procedure. A year after deploying the program the team found that all complication types -- mechanical issues, infections and blood clots -- were significantly lower.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:10:00 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417131000.htm
Two-dimensional nanomaterial sets record for expert-defying, counter-intuitive expansion
Engineers have developed a record-setting nanomaterial which when stretched in one direction, expands perpendicular to the applied force.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:09:56 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417130956.htm
Making crops colorful for easier weeding
To make weeding easier, scientists suggest bioengineering crops to be colorful or to have differently shaped leaves so that they can be more easily distinguished from their wild and weedy counterparts. This could involve altering the crops' genomes so that they express pigments that are already produced by many plants, for example, anthocyanins, which make blueberries blue, or carotenoids, which make carrots orange. Then, they say, weeding robots could be trained to remove only the weeds using machine learning.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:09:52 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417130952.htm
Storks fly with a little help from their friends
All storks choose to migrate with conspecifics, but young storks rely more on social influences than adults do.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:09:44 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417130944.htm
Researchers uncover human DNA repair by nuclear metamorphosis
Researchers have discovered a DNA repair mechanism that advances understanding of how human cells stay healthy, and which could lead to new treatments for cancer and premature aging.
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 12:04:08 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240417120408.htm
Coral reef microbes point to new way to assess ecosystem health
A new study shows that ocean acidification is changing the mix of microbes in coral reef systems, which can be used to assess ecosystem health.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 21:46:53 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416214653.htm
Researchers discover urine-based test to detect head and neck cancer
Researchers have created a urine-based test that detects pieces of DNA fragments released by head and neck tumors. The test could potentially facilitate early detection of this cancer type, which currently does not have a reliable screening method.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 21:46:42 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416214642.htm
Reproductive success improves after a single generation in the wild for descendants of some hatchery-origin Chinook salmon
Researchers who created 'family trees' for nearly 10,000 fish found that first-generation, wild-born descendants of hatchery-origin Chinook salmon in an Oregon river show improved fitness.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 21:46:39 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416214639.htm
Researchers shine light on rapid changes in Arctic and boreal ecosystems
Arctic and boreal latitudes are warming faster than any other region on Earth.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 21:46:34 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416214634.htm
'Nanostitches' enable lighter and tougher composite materials
In an approach they call 'nanostitching,' engineers used carbon nanotubes to prevent cracking in multilayered composites. The advance could lead to next-generation airplanes and spacecraft.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 21:46:32 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416214632.htm
Trash to treasure -- researchers turn metal waste into catalyst for hydrogen
Scientists have found a way to transform metal waste into a highly efficient catalyst to make hydrogen from water, a discovery that could make hydrogen production more sustainable.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 21:46:29 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416214629.htm
Nanoparticle delivery of FZD4 to lung endothelial cells inhibits lung cancer progression and metastases
A recent breakthrough study has shown potential to improve therapeutic outcomes for patients suffering from lung cancers.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 21:46:24 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416214624.htm
CO2 worsens wildfires by helping plants grow
By fueling the growth of plants that become kindling, carbon dioxide is driving an increase in the severity and frequency of wildfires, according to a new study.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 21:46:21 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416214621.htm
