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
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
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
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
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
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
Huge database gives insight into salmon patterns at sea
A massive new analysis of high seas salmon surveys is enhancing the understanding of salmon ecology, adding details about where various species congregate in the North Pacific Ocean and their different temperature tolerances. The project integrates numerous international salmon studies from the North Pacific dating back to the 1950s.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 21:46:19 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416214619.htm
Following cellular lineage
Researchers have advanced the understanding of how the cerebral cortex develops by tracing the lineage of certain brain cells.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 21:46:16 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416214616.htm
Real-time detection of infectious disease viruses by searching for molecular fingerprinting
Researchers develop breakthrough technology for wide-ranging and ultra-sensitive active nano-spectral sensor, surpassing current limitations.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 21:46:09 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416214609.htm
New treatment method using plasma irradiation promotes faster bone healing
Aiming to shorten fracture recovery times, a research group is focusing on plasma irradiation as a treatment method to speed up bone healing.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 21:44:40 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416214440.htm
Older males out-compete young males outside breeding pairs, bird study shows
Young male blue tits are less successful in fathering offspring outside their breeding pair, not because of a lack of experience, but because they are outcompeted by older males, researchers report.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 21:44:24 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416214424.htm
Fires pose growing worldwide threat to wildland-urban interface
Fires that devastate wildland-urban interface areas are becoming more common around the globe, a trend that is likely to continue for at least the next two decades, new research finds. Such fires are especially dangerous, both because they imperil large numbers of people and because they emit far more toxins than forest and grassland fires.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 21:42:19 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416214219.htm
New tagging method provides bioadhesive interface for marine sensors on diverse, soft, and fragile species
Tagging marine animals with sensors to track their movements and ocean conditions can provide important environmental and behavioral information. Existing techniques to attach sensors currently largely rely on invasive physical anchors, suction cups, and rigid glues. While these techniques can be effective for tracking marine animals with hard exoskeletons and large animals such as sharks, individuals can incur physiological and metabolic stress during the tagging process, which can affect the quality of data collection. A newly developed soft hydrogel-based bioadhesive interface for marine sensors, referred to as BIMS, holds promise as an effective, rapid, robust, and non-invasive method to tag and track all sorts of marine species, including soft and fragile species. The BIMS tagging, which is also simple and versatile, can help researchers better understand animal behavior while also capturing oceanographic data critical for helping to better understand some impacts of climate change and for resource management.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 12:53:28 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416125328.htm
Cooler transformers could help electric grid
Simulations on the Stampede2 supercomputer of the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) are helping scientists engineer solutions to overheating of grid transformers -- a critical component of the electric grid.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 12:53:22 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416125322.htm
No gamma rays seen coming from nearby supernova
A nearby supernova in 2023 offered astrophysicists an excellent opportunity to test ideas about how these types of explosions boost particles, called cosmic rays, to near light-speed. But surprisingly, NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope detected none of the high-energy gamma-ray light those particles should produce.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 12:53:19 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416125319.htm
Neutrons rule the roost for cage-free lithium ions
Scientists using neutrons set the first benchmark (one nanosecond) for a polymer-electrolyte and lithium-salt mixture. Findings could boost power and safety for lithium batteries.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 12:53:16 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416125316.htm
Common HIV treatments may aid Alzheimer's disease patients
Scientists have identified promising real-world links between common HIV drugs and a reduced incidence of Alzheimer's disease.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 12:53:13 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416125313.htm
Plastic pollution can kill variety of ocean embryos
High levels of plastic pollution can kill the embryos of a wide range of ocean animals, new research shows.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 12:53:08 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416125308.htm
Yellowstone Lake ice cover unchanged despite warming climate
While most lakes around the world are experiencing shorter durations of ice cover, the length of time that Yellowstone Lake is covered by ice each year has not changed in the past century, possibly due to increased snowfall.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 12:53:05 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416125305.htm
Researchers advance pigment chemistry with moon-inspired reddish magentas
A researcher who made color history in 2009 with a vivid blue pigment has developed durable, reddish magentas inspired by lunar mineralogy and ancient Egyptian chemistry.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 12:00:00 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416120000.htm
Florida Wildlife Corridor eases worst impacts of climate change
Florida is projected to lose 3.5 million acres of land to development by 2070. A new study highlights how Florida can buffer itself against both climate change and population pressures by conserving the remaining 8 million acres of 'opportunity areas' within the Florida Wildlife Corridor (FLWC), the only designated statewide corridor in the U.S. Interactions between the FLWC and climate change had not been previously examined until now. Findings show substantial climate resilience benefits from the corridor, yielding a much higher return on investment than originally thought. About 90 percent of Floridians live within 20 miles of the corridor.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:59:58 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416115958.htm
Most massive stellar black hole in our galaxy found
Astronomers have identified the most massive stellar black hole yet discovered in the Milky Way galaxy. This black hole was spotted in data from the European Space Agency's Gaia mission because it imposes an odd 'wobbling' motion on the companion star orbiting it. Astronomers have verified the mass of the black hole, putting it at an impressive 33 times that of the Sun.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:59:55 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416115955.htm
Seed ferns: Plants experimented with complex leaf vein networks 201 million years ago
According to a research team led by palaeontologists, the net-like leaf veining typical for today's flowering plants developed much earlier than previously thought, but died out again several times. Using new methods, the fossilized plant Furcula granulifer was identified as such an early forerunner. The leaves of this seed fern species already exhibited the net-like veining in the late Triassic (around 201 million years ago).
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:59:52 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416115952.htm
Physicists explain--and eliminate--unknown force dragging against water droplets on superhydrophobic surfaces
Researchers adapt a novel force measurement technique to uncover the previously unidentified physics at play at the thin air-film gap between water droplets and superhydrophobic surfaces.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:59:50 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416115950.htm
New Inflammatory Bowel Disease testing protocol could speed up diagnosis
Patients with suspected inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) could benefit from better testing protocols that would reduce the need and lengthy wait for potentially unnecessary colonoscopies, a new study has found.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:59:44 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416115944.htm
Health behaviors accumulate and remain relatively stable throughout middle adulthood
According to a recent study, either healthier or unhealthier health behaviors cluster among individuals. These health behavior patterns remain relatively stable in middle adulthood and are predicted by several sociodemographic and personality characteristics.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:59:41 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416115941.htm
New insights could unlock immunotherapy for rare, deadly eye cancer
New research explains why metastatic uveal melanoma is resistant to conventional immunotherapies and how adoptive therapy, which involves growing a patient's T cells outside the body before reinfusing them, can successfully treat this rare and aggressive cancer.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:59:39 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416115939.htm
Biodiversity is key to the mental health benefits of nature
New research has found that spaces with a diverse range of natural features are associated with stronger improvements in our mental wellbeing compared to spaces with less natural diversity.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:59:36 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416115936.htm
A single atom layer of gold: Researchers create goldene
For the first time, scientists have managed to create sheets of gold only a single atom layer thick. The material has been termed goldene. According to researchers, this has given the gold new properties that can make it suitable for use in applications such as carbon dioxide conversion, hydrogen production, and production of value-added chemicals.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:59:33 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416115933.htm
Most countries struggle to meet climate pledges from 2009
Nineteen out of 34 countries surveyed failed to fully meet their 2020 climate commitments set 15 years ago in Copenhagen, according to a new study by UCL researchers.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:59:30 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416115930.htm
Twisted pollen tubes induce infertility
Plants with multiple sets of chromosomes, known as polyploids, are salt-tolerant or drought-resistant and often achieve higher yields. However, newly formed polyploid plants are often sterile or have reduced fertility and are unsuitable for breeding resistant lines. The reason is that the pollen tube in these plants grows incorrectly, which keeps fertilization from taking place. Pollen tube growth is mainly controlled by two genes that could be useful in crop breeding.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:59:17 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416115917.htm
Quantum electronics: Charge travels like light in bilayer graphene
An international research team has demonstrated experimentally that electrons in naturally occurring double-layer graphene move like particles without any mass, in the same way that light travels. Furthermore, they have shown that the current can be 'switched' on and off, which has potential for developing tiny, energy-efficient transistors -- like the light switch in your house but at a nanoscale.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:59:14 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416115914.htm
'One ring to rule them all': How actin filaments are assembled by formins
Researchers have visualized at the molecular level how formins bind to the ends of actin filaments. This allowed them to uncover how formins mediate the addition of new actin molecules to a growing filament. Furthermore, the scientists elucidated the reasons for the different speeds at which the different formins promote this process.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:59:12 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416115912.htm
Deadly bacteria show thirst for human blood
Some of the world's deadliest bacteria seek out and feed on human blood, a newly-discovered phenomenon researchers are calling 'bacterial vampirism.' Researchers have found the bacteria are attracted to the liquid part of blood, or serum, which contains nutrients the bacteria can use as food. One of the chemicals the bacteria seemed particularly drawn to was serine, an amino acid found in human blood that is also a common ingredient in protein drinks. The research finding, published in the journal eLife, provides new insights into how bloodstream infections occur and could potentially be treated.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:59:09 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416115909.htm
Creating an island paradise in a fusion reactor
In their ongoing quest to develop a range of methods for managing plasma so it can be used to generate electricity in a process known as fusion, researchers have shown how two old methods can be combined to provide greater flexibility.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:59:06 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416115906.htm
Researchers can help shipowners achieve ambitious climate targets
International shipping does not want to be a climate bad guy and is aiming to be emission-free by 2050. A new tool can help shipowners who are searching for green solutions.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:58:57 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416115857.htm
Crucial connection for 'quantum internet' made for the first time
Researchers have produced, stored, and retrieved quantum information for the first time, a critical step in quantum networking.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:58:54 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416115854.htm
Teen stress may raise risk of postpartum depression in adults
A research team reports that social stress during adolescence in female mice later results in prolonged elevation of the hormone cortisol after they give birth.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:58:49 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416115849.htm
Scientists identify cell vulnerability 'fingerprint' related to Parkinson's, Lewy body dementia
A new study offers a first look into the complex molecular changes that occur in brain cells with Lewy bodies, which are key pathological hallmarks of Parkinson's disease and some dementias. The findings reveal that brain cells with Lewy bodies exhibit a specific gene expression pattern akin to a disease-related fingerprint.
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:58:46 EDT
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240416115846.htm
