ScienceDaily: Top News

The hawk has landed: Braking mid-air to prioritize safety over energy or speed

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 11:22 AM PDT

New research using computer simulations and Hollywood-style motion capture shows how birds optimize their landing maneuvers for an accurate descent.

Signaling molecule potently stimulates hair growth

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 11:22 AM PDT

Researchers have discovered that a signaling molecule called SCUBE3 potently stimulates hair growth and may offer a therapeutic treatment for androgenetic alopecia, a common form of hair loss in both women and men.

Developmentally arrested IVF embryos can be coaxed to divide

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 11:22 AM PDT

Why do two-thirds of in vitro fertilization (IVF) embryos go into developmental arrest? A new study shows that many embryos stored for IVF undergo characteristic genetic and metabolic changes that inhibit development. These results help explain the loss of developmental ability of many harvested embryos, and may point to strategies for increasing the proportion of developmentally competent embryos.

Scientists engineer synthetic DNA to study 'architect' genes

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 11:21 AM PDT

Researchers have created artificial Hox genes -- which plan and direct where cells go to develop tissues or organs -- using new synthetic DNA technology and genomic engineering in stem cells. Their findings confirm how clusters of Hox genes help cells to learn and remember where they are in the body.

Dissolving implantable device relieves pain without drugs

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 11:21 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a small, soft, flexible implant that relieves pain on demand and without the use of drugs. The first-of-its-kind device could provide a much-needed alternative to opioids and other highly addictive medications. It works by softly wrapping around nerves to deliver precise, targeted cooling, which numbs nerves and blocks pain signals to the brain. After the device is no longer needed, it naturally absorbs into the body -- bypassing the need for surgical extraction.

Sleep triggered by stress can help mice cope with later anxiety

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 11:21 AM PDT

Stress boosts a kind of sleep in mice that subsequently relieves anxiety, according to new research that also pinpoints the mechanism responsible.

Cosmological thinking meets neuroscience in new theory about brain connections

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 10:48 AM PDT

A collaboration between a former cosmologist and a computational neuroscientist generates a new way to identify essential connections between brain cells.

Optical fiber imaging method advances studies of Alzheimer's disease

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 10:48 AM PDT

An optical fiber as thin as a strand of hair holds promise for use in minimally invasive deep-tissue studies of patients' brains that show the effects Alzheimer's disease and other brain disorders. The challenge is efficiently increasing image resolution at the subcellular level, because loss of information is inevitable from light scrambling.

New flood maps clarify the risk homeowners face

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 10:48 AM PDT

Flooding in urban areas cost Americans more than $106 billion between 1960 and 2016, damaging property, disrupting businesses and claiming lives in the process. Now, new research outlines a simplified, cost-effective method for developing flood maps that reflects the uncertainty in flood predictions.

Building explainability into the components of machine-learning models

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 10:48 AM PDT

Researchers have created a taxonomy and outlined steps that developers can take to design features in machine-learning models that are easier for decision-makers to understand.

How bacteria adhere to cells: Basis for the development of a new class of antibiotics

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 08:45 AM PDT

Researchers have unraveled how bacteria adhere to host cells and thus taken the first step towards developing a new class of antibiotics.

Breaking AIs to make them better

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 08:45 AM PDT

Current AIs are very accurate but inflexible at image recognition. Exactly why this is remains a mystery. Researchers have developed a method called 'Raw Zero-Shot' to assess how neural networks handle elements unknown to them. The results have the potential to help researchers identify the common features that make neural networks 'non-robust,' and develop methods to make AIs more reliable.

A closer look into the emergence of antibiotic resistance in bioaerosols and its monitoring

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 08:45 AM PDT

While there are many studies that discuss antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) in soil and water environments, there is currently very little research that focuses on ARG in aerial environments. In a recent review, researchers have analyzed current research trends regarding ARG in bioaerosols, including their sources, methods of detection, and implications for the future.

Hidden in caves: Mineral overgrowths reveal 'unprecedented' sea level rise

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 08:45 AM PDT

Through intricate study of cave deposits in Spain, geologists identified a rapid rise in sea level that started during the Industrial Revolution.

Researchers propose widespread banking of stool samples for fecal transplants later in life

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 08:45 AM PDT

Changes in the way that humans live and eat have resulted in tremendous alterations in the gut microbiome, especially over the past few decades. These changes have been linked to increased rates of asthma, allergies, diseases of the digestive system, type 2 diabetes, and other conditions. Scientists propose that we can combat these trends by having individuals bank samples of their own gut microbiota when they are young and healthy for potential use later in life in an autologous fecal microbiota transplant (FMT).

As these bacteria eat, they generate an unusual triangular molecule that can be used to make jet fuel

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 08:45 AM PDT

Aircrafts transport people, ship goods, and perform military operations, but the petroleum-based fuels that power them are in short supply. Researchers have found a way to generate an alternative jet fuel by harvesting an unusual carbon molecule produced by the metabolic process of bacteria commonly found in soil.

Some viruses make you smell tastier to mosquitoes

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 08:45 AM PDT

Zika and dengue fever viruses alter the scent of mice and humans they infect, a team of researchers report. The altered scent attracts mosquitoes, which bite the host, drink their infected blood and then carry the virus to its next victim.

How pandas survive solely on bamboo: Evolutionary history

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 08:44 AM PDT

An ancient fossil reveals the earliest panda to survive solely on bamboo and the evolutionary history of panda's false thumbs.

Activating the indicator and performing a shoulder check -- essential also for zebra finches

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 08:44 AM PDT

Zebra finches communicate via eye contact and calls to coordinate their spatial positions during flocking flight

Common gene used to profile microbial communities

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 08:44 AM PDT

Computer scientists develop Emu, an algorithm that uses long reads of genomes to identify the species of bacteria in a community. The program could simplify sorting harmful from helpful bacteria in microbiomes like those in the gut or in agriculture and the environment.

Climate change in oceanwater may impact mangrove dispersal, study finds

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 08:44 AM PDT

Researchers examined 21st century changes in ocean-surface temperature, salinity, and density, across mangrove forests worldwide. Their study suggests that changes in surface-ocean density may impact the dispersal patterns of widely distributed mangroves species, and more likely so in the Indo-West Pacific region, the primary hotspot of mangrove diversity.

Laser writing may enable 'electronic nose' for multi-gas sensor

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 06:57 AM PDT

Environmental sensors are a step closer to simultaneously sniffing out multiple gases that could indicate disease or pollution. Researchers combined laser writing and responsive sensor technologies to fabricate the first highly customizable microscale gas sensing devices.

Climate change will increase chances of wildfire globally -- but humans can still help reduce the risk

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 06:57 AM PDT

New research highlights how the risk of wildfire is rising globally due to climate change -- but also, how human actions and policies can play a critical role in regulating regional impacts. The study shows that anthropogenic climate change is a 'push' factor that enhances the risk of wildfires globally.

Pioneering recycling turns mixed waste into premium plastics with no climate impact

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 05:33 AM PDT

Only a fraction of the material that could be turned into new plastic is currently recycled. Researchers have now demonstrated how the carbon atoms in mixed waste can replace all fossil raw materials in the production of new plastic. The recycling method is inspired by the natural carbon cycle and could eliminate the climate impact of plastic materials, or even clean the air of carbon dioxide.

Powerful links between methane and climate change

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 05:33 AM PDT

Using data gathered over the last four decades to study the effects of temperature changes and rain on the atmospheric concentration of methane, scientists have concluded that Earth could be both delivering more, and removing less, methane into the air than previously estimated, with the result that more heat is being trapped in the atmosphere. The study, published in the scientific journal Nature Communications on 23 June, addresses the large uncertainty about the impact of climate change on atmospheric methane. The study finds that this impact could be four times greater than that estimated in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.

The mere sight of a meal triggers an inflammatory response in the brain

Posted: 30 Jun 2022 05:32 AM PDT

Even before carbohydrates reach the bloodstream, the very sight and smell of a meal trigger the release of insulin. For the first time, researchers have shown that this insulin release depends on a short-term inflammatory response that takes place in these circumstances. In overweight individuals, however, this inflammatory response is so excessive that it can impair insulin secretion.

The pair of Orcas deterring Great White Sharks

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 05:29 PM PDT

A pair of Orca (Killer Whales) that have been terrorizing and killing Great White Sharks off the coast of South Africa since 2017 has managed to drive large numbers of the sharks from their natural aggregation site.

Capturing an elusive shadow: State-by-state gun ownership

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 01:11 PM PDT

In a new study, researchers describe a spatio-temporal model to predict trends in firearm prevalence on a state-by-state level by fusing data from two available proxies -- background checks per capita and suicides committed with a firearm in a given state. Calibrating their results with yearly survey data, they determined that the two proxies can be simultaneously considered to draw precise information regarding firearm ownership.

Romantic partners can influence each other's beliefs and behaviors on climate change

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 01:11 PM PDT

A team of researchers surveyed couples about their ideas on climate change and found that while many partners exhibited similar beliefs and behaviors around the issue, there also were many discrepancies.

Shining some light on the obscure proteome

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 01:10 PM PDT

Mass-spectrometry based proteomics is the big-data science of proteins that allows the monitoring of the abundance of thousands of proteins in a sample at once. Therefore, it is a particularly well-suited readout for discovering which proteins are targeted by any small molecule. An international research team has investigated this using chemical proteomics.

Study finds women have more brain changes after menopause

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 01:09 PM PDT

Women who have gone through menopause may have more of a brain biomarker called white matter hyperintensities than premenopausal women or men of the same age, according to a new study.

Organoids reveal similarities between myotonic dystrophy type 1 and Rett syndrome

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 12:03 PM PDT

Using brain organoids, researchers discover mutational commonalities between muscular dystrophy type 1 and Rett syndrome, suggesting the potential of a similar treatment for both.

Immune cells anchored in tissues offer unique defenses against pathogens and cancers

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 12:03 PM PDT

Researchers have gained ground in understanding unique immune cells equipped to remember the identities of malicious invaders. The researchers developed a new atlas that describes tissue-resident memory T cells in diverse tissue settings, boosting the prospects of the development of immune defense strategies to enhance immunity at sites vulnerable to infection.

'Fake' data helps robots learn the ropes faster

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 12:03 PM PDT

In a step toward robots that can learn on the fly like humans do, a new approach expands training data sets for robots that work with soft objects like ropes and fabrics, or in cluttered environments.

New clues on unsolved genetic diseases in children

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 12:03 PM PDT

Scientists have discovered a new way to interpret unsolved Mendelian diseases -- diseases inherited from either parent due to gene mutations in the developing egg or sperm -- through studying the inheritance of a protein known as SMCHD1 which is coded by the SMCHD1 gene.

Awake prone positioning does not offer benefit in reducing intubation for COVID-19 induced acute respiratory failure

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 12:03 PM PDT

A large multicenter, randomized clinical trial revealed no difference in the risk of endotracheal intubation requirement at 30 days between awake prone positioning and standard positioning for patients with COVID-19 who suffered from acute hypoxemic respiratory failure.

Norovirus and other 'stomach viruses' can spread through saliva

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 12:03 PM PDT

A class of viruses known to cause severe diarrheal diseases -- including the one famous for widespread outbreaks on cruise ships -- can grow in the salivary glands of mice and spread through their saliva, scientists have discovered. The findings show that a new route of transmission exists for these common viruses, which afflict billions of people each year worldwide and can be deadly.

Helping babies to sleep more

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 12:03 PM PDT

Researchers have trained new mothers in skills that help newborns sleep more during the night. New research shows that second children in these families also slept longer.

Researchers develop online portal to show how biases in RNA sequences affect gene expression

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 12:03 PM PDT

Researchers explain the importance of identifying and understanding how differences between tissues and cells alter gene expression without changing the underlying genetic code.

'Quake brain' effects suffered by resilient Cantabrians fade over time

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 12:03 PM PDT

New research suggests the brain function of otherwise-healthy individuals exposed to event trauma has the ability to 'bounce back' over time once the threat resolves. Researchers conducted a follow-up study on a group of Cantabrians, who had been exposed to trauma during the region's earthquakes over a decade ago.

How friends can work together to help protect against unwanted sexual experiences in the first year of college

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 12:03 PM PDT

A new study is helping researchers understand how women in their early college years can use friends-based strategies to help avoid unwanted sexual experiences.

Study reveals the job problems contributing to physician suicide

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 12:03 PM PDT

Physical and mental health, substance use, relationships, legal matters and finances all contribute to physician suicide, a new study shows.

Researchers identify the microbes in 100-year-old snail guts

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 12:03 PM PDT

The gut 'microbiomes' of long-dead animals could give researchers surprising insights into how climate change and other factors have shaped the Rocky Mountains and other ecosystems over decades.

Asteroids: Researchers simulate defense of Earth

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 12:03 PM PDT

NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission is the world's first full-scale planetary defense test against potential asteroid impacts on Earth. Researchers now show that instead of leaving behind a relatively small crater, the impact of the DART spacecraft on its target could leave the asteroid near unrecognizable.

An engaging leadership style may boost employee engagement

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 12:02 PM PDT

A new analysis suggests that a particular leadership style dubbed 'engaging leadership' can boost employees' engagement and enhance team effectiveness within the workplace.

Underwater jars reveal Roman period winemaking practices

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 12:02 PM PDT

Winemaking practices in coastal Italy during the Roman period involved using native grapes for making wine in jars waterproofed with imported tar pitch, according to a new study.

Pollution exposure associated with multimorbidity risk

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 12:01 PM PDT

Exposure to the air pollution known as fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with an increased risk of having a cluster of multiple chronic diseases, according to a new study.

'Safety in numbers' tactic keeps Pacific salmon safe from predators

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 12:01 PM PDT

A new study that leverages historical data has found unique support for a 'safety in numbers' strategy, where Pacific salmon living in larger groups have a lower risk of being eaten by predators. But for some salmon species, schooling comes at the cost of competition for food, and those fish may trade safety for a meal.

Could carbon monoxide foam help fight inflammation?

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 12:01 PM PDT

A new way to safely deliver carbon monoxide to the body might help fight inflammation. Inspired by molecular gastronomy, researchers incorporated carbon monoxide into foams that can be delivered to the digestive tract.

Charismatic songbird's numbers have dramatically declined, survey suggests

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 12:01 PM PDT

An new study shows the number of evening grosbeaks using the campus as a migration stop-over site has gone down an average of 2.6% per year over the last four decades, emblematic of population declines across the charismatic songbird's range.

Artificial intelligence techniques used to obtain antibiotic resistance patterns

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 12:01 PM PDT

New research analyzes antibiotic resistance patterns, with the aim of finding trends that can help decide which treatment to apply to each type of patient and stop the spread of bacteria.

Enzyme of bacterial origin promoted the evolution of longhorned beetles

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 09:12 AM PDT

Larvae of longhorned beetles develop primarily in woody tissue, which is difficult for most organisms to digest. However, longhorned beetle larvae possess special enzymes to break down the various components of the plant cell wall. Researchers have now taken a closer look at a group of digestive enzymes found only in this beetle family. They resurrected the primordial enzymes, which first appeared in a common ancestor of longhorned beetles. Horizontal gene transfer from bacteria to the beetle as well as ancient and recent gene duplications promoted the evolution of this family of digestive enzymes and enabled longhorned beetles to degrade the main components of the plant cell wall, which make the bulk of their diet.

Changes in oceanographic fronts affect the gene flow among marine crab populations

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 09:12 AM PDT

In the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, the intensity and location of the oceanographic fronts that limit the gene connectivity among populations of marine crabs vary over time. These dynamic changes alter the gene structure of the populations of marine crabs of commercial and gastronomic interest.

Music is key to converting consumers' good intentions to actual purchases in ethical and sustainable markets

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 09:12 AM PDT

Companies selling ethical and sustainable products should use up-tempo major mode music in their marketing to help well-meaning consumers convert their good intentions into actual purchases, new research shows.

Underground carnivore: the first species of pitcher plant to dine on subterranean prey

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 09:12 AM PDT

A remarkable new species of carnivorous plant was discovered in a remote part of Borneo. It is the first pitcher plant known to produce functional underground traps, and the first for which capture of subterranean prey has been observed. While the traps themselves are often a rich maroon colour, they are produced on shoots that are entirely white, owing to their lack of chlorophyll.

Thawing permafrost is shaping the global climate

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 09:11 AM PDT

How is climate change affecting the permanently frozen soils of the Arctic? What will the consequences be for the global climate, human beings, and ecosystems? And what can be done to stop it?

A new personalized treatment concept to prevent colitis in a mouse model

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 09:11 AM PDT

A new oral treatment for ulcerative colitis that focuses on reducing inflammation in gut microbiota has been developed by researchers.

Being mindful can improve your interactions with co-workers, new study finds

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 09:11 AM PDT

Although mindfulness originates within an individual, a new study has found the benefits do not end with this person. The real payoffs emerge when an individual's mindfulness is translated into mindful interactions and relationships. Such interactions -- infused with intentionality, compassion and presence -- can bring about more harmonious and healthy organizations.

Monitoring COVID-19: Could medicine found in wastewater provide an early warning?

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 09:11 AM PDT

Research on wastewater finds that a large spike in acetaminophen preceded a spike in viral RNA during one COVID-19 wave in Western New York.

Researchers identify important factors for regulating the body's immune response

Posted: 29 Jun 2022 09:11 AM PDT

Researchers are learning more about how special regulatory T cells can impact the immune system's response and how those cells could be manipulated for potential treatments for food allergies and autoimmune disease.