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New AI noise-canceling headphone technology lets wearers pick which sounds they hear

Most anyone who's used noise-canceling headphones knows that hearing the right noise at the right time can be vital. Someone might want to erase car horns when working indoors, but not when walking along busy streets. Yet people can't choose what sounds their headphones cancel.

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Researchers realize water-air acoustic communication based on broadband impedance matching

With increasing demand for exploration and utilization of marine resources, achieving direct and efficient communication between water and air has been an urgent need. Sound waves, as the only propagation way with low attenuation in both water and air, has been considered the most practical way...

phys.org

People who contribute least in crowdsourcing can do the most to improve a public good, says study

Whether talking about the office kitchen, hiking trails or ratings on Yelp, there are always people who put in effort to leave those spaces better. There are also those who contribute nothing to that public good.

phys.org

Tsunami

Study examines link between underwater landslides and tsunamis

Scientists have calculated a way to determine the speed of past underwater landslides. To do so, researchers from The Ohio State University studied the remains of an underwater landslide just off the coast of Oregon—dubbed the 44-N Slide—that is part of the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ).

phys.org

Designing cities for 21st-century weather

Weather extremes, such as heat waves and torrential rainfalls, are becoming more frequent and more intense across the United States under climate change.

phys.org

Scientists map loss of groundwater storage around the world

Global water resources are stretched by climate change and human population growth, and farms and cities are increasingly turning to groundwater to fill their needs. Unfortunately, the pumping of groundwater can cause the ground surface above to sink, as the aquifers below are drained and the...

phys.org

On sleep

A (brief) surprise in study of alcohol, caffeine and sleep

The first known study to look at the combined real-world effects of alcohol and caffeine on nightly sleep quality and quantity came up with an unexpected finding — at first. Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine’s Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors and the...

newsroom.uw.edu

Blame game

Exploring how the human brain takes stock of blame

The human mind does not like to make mistakes—and makes time to avoid repeating them. A new study from University of Iowa researchers shows how the human brain, in just one second, can distinguish between an outcome caused by human error and one in which the person is not directly to blame.

medicalxpress.com

Spots

How animals get their stripes and spots

Nature has no shortage of patterns, from spots on leopards to stripes on zebras and hexagons on boxfish. But a full explanation for how these patterns form has remained elusive.

phys.org

New study using 3D scans of 85% of all known bird species sheds light on extraordinary avian diversity

A new study, using the digitized scans of beaks from over 8,700 bird species, is shedding light on how evolution changes at different scales. While the general principles of evolution by natural selection have been known for over 160 years, the 3D scanning of specimens housed at Natural History...

phys.org

Games

Japanese scientist conquers the board game Othello

"Othello is now solved." With that summation, a researcher at a Japanese computer company confirmed yet another milestone in supercomputing achievement.

techxplore.com

https://www.reddit.com/r/nextfuckinglevel/comments/17tkhj2

View: https://www.reddit.com/r/nextfuckinglevel/comments/17tkhj2/not_your_regular_boring_rubiks_cube_video/


Fin flow

Model shows how fish synchronize tail fins to save energy

Researchers from Tohoku University have developed a model that simulates the motion of fish tail fins. The model uncovers the underlying mechanisms behind a commonly observed phenomenon in fish: how they synchronize the movement of their tail fins, riding the resultant vortices created, thereby...

phys.org

The way a sperm tail moves can be explained by mathematics worked out by Alan Turing

Alan Turing might be best know for his work helping to crack Germany's "Enigma" communications code during the second world war. But he also came up with a theory where patterns can form just through chemical compounds spreading out (diffusing) and reacting with one another. This became known as...

phys.org

Climate

2023's record heat partly driven by 'mystery' process: NASA scientist

It's no secret human activity is warming the planet, driving more frequent and intense extreme weather events and transforming ecosystems at an extraordinary rate.

phys.org

Uncertainty abounds in seeding the sky to fight climate change, says study

As greenhouse gas levels increase in Earth's atmosphere, scientists are considering ways to temporarily limit rising temperatures. One idea is to inject aerosols into the stratosphere to reflect incoming sunlight, thereby reducing global warming and its associated risks.

phys.org

Hurricane waves hitting Americas grow 20% per decade: Study

The U.S., Mexico and countries in the Caribbean are being battered by hurricane-induced ocean waves that have grown in areal size by 80% over the past 40 years, a new study has found.

phys.org

Researchers discover how atmospheric feldspar dust contributes to cloud formation

Feldspar is a ubiquitous mineral and makes up about half of the Earth's crust. In the Earth's atmosphere, feldspars play a surprisingly important role. Fine powder carried by air influences cloud formation. Water molecules adhere better to feldspar dust than to other particles. Tiny feldspar...

phys.org

How magma and water shaped the iconic Columbia River Gorge

University of Oregon researchers are adding new details to the geological history of the iconic Columbia River Gorge, a wide river canyon that cuts through the volcanic peaks of the Cascades along the border between Oregon and Washington.

phys.org

Bio-Med

Scientists discover superbug's rapid path to antibiotic resistance

Clostridioides difficile (C. diff), a type of bacteria which often affects people who have taken antibiotics, is responsible for approximately 2,000 deaths annually in the UK.

phys.org

Zebrafish use surprising strategy to regrow spinal cord: Findings could help identify ways to heal spinal cord damage

Zebrafish are members of a rarefied group of vertebrates capable of fully healing a severed spinal cord. A clear understanding of how this regeneration takes place could provide clues toward strategies for healing spinal cord injuries in people. Such injuries can be devastating, causing...

phys.org

AI accurately diagnoses genetic condition from facial photographs

A Yale School of Medicine team reports in a new study that an artificial intelligence (AI) model was able to reliably diagnose people living with Marfan syndrome from a simple facial photograph.

medicalxpress.com

The hidden architect: How nuclei organize the eyes and brain

Inside each cell, individual structures known as organelles perform key functions, but how these organelles contribute to the formation of tissues and organs is unknown. New research from the Campàs group at the Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life of TU Dresden now reveals that the cell's...

phys.org

Treating radiation wounds with aspirin hydrogels

Radiation is a powerful tool for treating cancer, but prolonged exposure can damage the skin. Radiation-induced skin injuries are painful and increase a person's chances of infection and long-term inflammation. Now, researchers in ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering report an...

medicalxpress.com

Comprehensive atlas of normal breast cells offers new tool for understanding breast cancer origin

Researchers at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center have completed the most extensive mapping of healthy breast cells to date. These findings offer an important tool for researchers at IU and beyond to understand how breast cancer develops and the differences...

medicalxpress.com

Drinkable, carbon monoxide-infused foam enhances effectiveness of experimental cancer therapy

Did smokers do better than non-smokers in a clinical trial for an experimental cancer treatment? That was the intriguing question that led University of Iowa researchers and their colleagues to develop a drinkable, carbon monoxide-infused foam that boosted the effectiveness of the therapy, known...

medicalxpress.com

Patients with rare heart condition given lifeline through new drug

People diagnosed with a life-threatening cardiac condition have been given new hope, thanks to a ground-breaking new drug that protects the heart developed by researchers from UCL and the Royal Free Hospital.

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Why do we sleep? Researchers propose an answer to this age-old question

Sleep is a fundamental need, just like food or water. "You'll die without it," said Keith Hengen, an assistant professor of biology at Washington University in St. Louis. But what does sleep actually accomplish? For years, the best researchers could say is that sleep reduces sleepiness—hardly a...

medicalxpress.com

Transparent brain implant can read deep neural activity from the surface

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have developed a neural implant that provides information about activity deep inside the brain while sitting on its surface. The implant is made up of a thin, transparent and flexible polymer strip that is packed with a dense array of...

phys.org

New catalytic technique creates key component of incontinence drug in less time

A research group at Nagoya University in Japan has developed a new catalyst that promises to revolutionize the asymmetric synthesis of pharmaceuticals called chiral macrocyclic dilithium(I) salt. It overcomes the lack of reactivity of ketones and the difficulty inducing them to arrange atoms...

phys.org

Study shows otters, beavers and other semiaquatic mammals keep clean underwater, thanks to their flexible fur

Underwater surfaces can get grimy as they accumulate dirt, algae and bacteria, a process scientists call "fouling." But furry mammals like beavers and otters that spend most of their lives wet manage to avoid getting their fur slimy. These anti-fouling abilities come, in part, from one of fur's...

phys.org

Study on lamprey embryos sheds light on the evolutionary origin of vertebrate head

The origin of the vertebrate skull is a topic of much debate among evolutionary biologists. Some believe that the vertebrate head has developed as a result of modification of the segmental elements of the trunk, such as the vertebrae and somites. On the other hand, others believe that the...

phys.org

From embryo to evolution: Insights from the head of lizards and snakes

The evolution of animal heads is a remarkable example of how various anatomical features co-evolved to adapt to different ecological niches, behaviors and functions. But the intricate details of why vertebrate head shapes vary so greatly have remained elusive.

phys.org

Study gathers new insight about the evolutionary origin of vertebrate jaws

Jaws are bone- or cartilage-based structures that hold together teeth in the mouth of most vertebrates (i.e., all animal species with a backbone or spinal column). While these crucial structures have been the focus of numerous studies, their evolutionary origin and their development over...

phys.org

New research sheds light on an old fossil, solving an evolutionary mystery

A new research paper published in Biology Letters has revealed that picrodontids—an extinct family of placental mammals that lived several million years after the extinction of the dinosaurs—are not primates as previously believed.

phys.org

Study uncovers potential origins of life in ancient hot springs

Newcastle University research turns to ancient hot springs to explore the origins of life on Earth.

phys.org

How much life has ever existed on Earth?

All organisms are made of living cells. While it is difficult to pinpoint exactly when the first cells came to exist, geologists' best estimates suggest at least as early as 3.8 billion years ago. But how much life has inhabited this planet since the first cell on Earth? And how much life will...

phys.org

A unique approach to detecting and predicting dog mobility issues

Veterinary researchers at the University of Liverpool, along with partners at Dogs Trust, have developed a unique approach to detecting and predicting dog mobility issues.

phys.org

International team sequence the world's largest animal genome: Data help explain tetrapod evolution

Join us as we travel back in time. We have arrived in the Devonian period, some 420 to 360 million years ago. In a shallow area near the water's edge, something happened that would forever change life on our planet: a fish from the class of lobe-finned fishes uses its pair of powerful pectoral...

phys.org

Bumblebees' sense of direction rivals that of humans, study shows

Bumblebees have a great capacity to navigate despite their small brain size. This is borne out of new research conducted at Lund University in Sweden. The research results can potentially benefit the development of navigation robots in crisis situations where GPS does not work, for example.

phys.org

Review of 400 years of scientific literature corrects the Dodo extinction record

Researchers are setting out to challenge our misconceptions about the Dodo, one of the most well-known but poorly understood species of bird.

phys.org

New species of extinct walrus-like mammal discovered in the North Atlantic

A new discovery by a team of paleontologists, led by Dr. Mathieu Boisville (University of Tsukuba, Japan), has uncovered a new species of the extinct genus Ontocetus from the Lower Pleistocene deposits in the North Atlantic. This species, named Ontocetus posti, displays surprising similarities...

phys.org

Findings reveal eurypterids evolved giant size independently at least nine times

Sea scorpions, ancient predators that patrolled Earth's marine and freshwater habitats hundreds of millions of years ago, are the focus of a sizable scientific mystery.

phys.org

X-ray irradiation technique helps to control cancer-causing poison in corn

Corn, a staple food crop consumed by billions of people and animals worldwide, is frequently contaminated by the fungal toxin aflatoxin B1, a highly potent carcinogen produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus.

phys.org

Why do plants wiggle? New study provides answers

In a new study, physicists from the United States and Israel may have gotten to the bottom of a quirky behavior of growing plants—and a mystery that intrigued Charles Darwin himself during the later decades of his life.

phys.org

Trees compete for space, light and resources, and those clashes can leave battle scars

When you walk through a forest, it may feel like a static setting where very little is happening. But trees are constantly interacting and reacting to each other as they grow. There's intense competition for light and space. Every shift affects the overall makeup of the forest in some way.

phys.org

Researchers pump extra CO₂ into an oak forest and discover trees will be 'woodier' in future

Oak trees accumulate more wood when there is more carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere. That's the key finding from our new study, carried out in a long-established forest in Staffordshire, England, that we have turned into a huge field experiment by injecting with extra CO₂. After we...

phys.org

Mature forests are vital in frontline fight against climate change, research reveals

Mature forests have a key role to play in the fight against climate change—extracting carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and locking it into new wood, a new study reveals.

phys.org

Soundscape study shows how underground acoustics can amplify soil health

Barely audible to human ears, healthy soils produce a cacophony of sounds in many forms—a bit like an underground rave concert of bubble pops and clicks.

phys.org

Nearly 25% of European landscape could be rewilded, say researchers

Europe's abandoned farmlands could find new life through rewilding, a movement to restore ravaged landscapes to their wilderness before human intervention. A quarter of the European continent, 117 million hectares, is primed with rewilding opportunities, researchers report August 15 in the...

phys.org

How color shapes which animals we fear—and which we protect

Around the world, animals that exhibit rare color morphisms—including lighter-colored variants with albinism or leucism and dark-colored variants with melanism—are often the subject of both veneration and fear in humans.

phys.org

Earth's oldest, tiniest creatures are poised to be climate change winners—and the repercussions could be huge

The world's oceans are home to microscopic organisms invisible to the human eye. The tiny creatures, known as "prokaryotes," comprise 30% of life in the world's oceans.

phys.org

New genetic editing technique can modify wild populations with less risk

A new technique developed by researchers from Macquarie University and the California Institute of Technology could allow scientists to more safely alter the genetic makeup of wild populations. The study is published in the journal Nature Communications.

phys.org

Align or die: Revealing unknown mechanism essential for bacterial cell division

A previously unknown mechanism of active matter self-organization essential for bacterial cell division follows the motto "dying to align": Misaligned filaments "die" spontaneously to form a ring structure at the center of the dividing cell. The study, led by the Šarić group at the Institute of...

phys.org

How researchers reconstructed the ancestor of all life on Earth

Understanding how life began and evolved on Earth is a question that has fascinated humans for a long time, and modern scientists have made great advances when it comes to finding some answers. Now, our recent study hopes to offer new insights into the origin of life on Earth.

phys.org

Brain

Singing from memory unlocks a surprisingly common musical superpower

Psychologists from UC Santa Cruz wanted to study "earworms," the types of songs that get stuck in your head and play automatically on a loop. So they asked people to sing out any earworms they were experiencing and record them on their phones when prompted at random times throughout the day.

phys.org

Photon entanglement could explain the rapid brain signals behind consciousness

Understanding the nature of consciousness is one of the hardest problems in science. Some scientists have suggested that quantum mechanics, and in particular quantum entanglement, is the key to unraveling the phenomenon.

phys.org

International study detects consciousness in unresponsive patients with severe brain injury

New research co-led by experts at Mass General Brigham found that brain scans can detect consciousness in some patients with brain injury who are unresponsive.

medicalxpress.com

New brain-computer interface allows man with ALS to 'speak' again

A new brain-computer interface (BCI) developed at UC Davis Health translates brain signals into speech with up to 97% accuracy—the most accurate system of its kind.

medicalxpress.com

How experience shapes neural connectivity in the brain

Our brain interprets visual information by combining what we see with what we already know. A study published in the journal Neuron, by researchers at the Champalimaud Foundation, reveals a mechanism for learning and storing this existing knowledge about the world.

medicalxpress.com

Study sheds light on creative thinking

Creativity is the art of combining diverse ideas, making meaningful connections between concepts, and remaining focused to produce innovative ideas and useful solutions. Expansive and remote associations drive the generation of new ideas, while inhibition enables refining these ideas into...

phys.org

Scientists capture glimpse of how brain cells embody thought

The coordinated activity of brain cells, like birds flying in formation, helps us behave intelligently in new situations, according to a study led by Cedars-Sinai investigators. The work, published in Nature, is the first to illuminate the neurological processes known as abstraction and...

medicalxpress.com

Cleaning up the aging brain: Scientists restore brain's waste removal system

Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other neurological disorders can be seen as "dirty brain" diseases, where the brain struggles to clear out harmful waste. Aging is a key risk factor because, as we grow older, our brain's ability to remove toxic buildup slows down. However, new research in mice...

medicalxpress.com

Sleep resets neurons for new memories the next day, study finds

While everyone knows that a good night's sleep restores energy, a new Cornell University study finds it resets another vital function: memory.

medicalxpress.com

New study uncovers how brain cells form precise circuits before experience is able to shape wiring

In humans, the process of learning is driven by different groups of cells in the brain firing together. For instance, when the neurons associated with the process of recognizing a dog begin to fire in a coordinated manner in response to the cells that encode the features of a dog—four legs, fur...

medicalxpress.com

Navigating the future: Brain cells that plan where to go

Researchers from the RIKEN Center for Brain Science (CBS) in Japan have discovered a region of the brain that encodes where an animal is planning to be in the near future. Linked to internal maps of spatial locations and past movements, activity in the newly discovered grid cells accurately...

medicalxpress.com

Scientists discover method to activate dormant stem cells in the brain

Scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School and the Mechanobiology Institute (MBI) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have discovered a novel pathway to wake up dormant neural stem cells, offering potential new therapies for neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, learning...

medicalxpress.com

Lack of purpose and personal growth in older age may precede mild cognitive impairment

Feeling that your life lacks purpose and that there are few opportunities for personal growth in older age may precede the development of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a frequent precursor of dementia, suggests research published online in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

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Rewriting the evolutionary history of critical components of the nervous system

A new study has rewritten the conventionally understood evolutionary history of certain proteins critical for electrical signaling in the nervous system.

phys.org

'Origami-inspired' folding electrodes could reduce surgery needed to treat brain conditions

A research team led by the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge have created new 'origami-inspired' brain electrodes that can fold up to a fraction of their full size. This advance could significantly reduce the amount of surgery needed to treat conditions such as epilepsy, or to...

medicalxpress.com

State-of-the-art brain recordings reveal how neurons resonate

For decades, scientists have focused on how the brain processes information in a hierarchical manner, with different brain areas specialized for different tasks. However, how these areas communicate and integrate information to form a coherent whole has remained a mystery.

medicalxpress.com

DNA fold video

Capturing DNA origami folding with a new dynamic model

Most people are familiar with the DNA double-helix. Its twisted ladder shape forms because the long pieces of DNA that make up our genome are exactly complementary—every adenine paired to a thymine, and every cytosine paired to a guanine. Sequences of these four nucleotides hold the information...

phys.org

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV0L0Ai1154

 

[Scott Kenny]

On sleep

A (brief) surprise in study of alcohol, caffeine and sleep

The first known study to look at the combined real-world effects of alcohol and caffeine on nightly sleep quality and quantity came up with an unexpected finding — at first. Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine’s Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors and the...

newsroom.uw.edu

Needs a bigger test cohort, 17 volunteers is a little over half the size you need. And that's not getting into detail bits like race, sex (chromosomes), etc. Need at least 30 people per detail bit to start to get good data.

 

[publiusr]

Sound waves

Putting sound waves to work to create safer public spaces

The risk of hearing loss does not come just from loud machinery or other obvious noise. It can also affect people in public environments like theaters and concert halls. Absorbing this excess sound to make public environments safer for hearing and using the unwanted sound waves to create...

phys.org

Pilot found

Forensic scientists help locate missing Second World War pilot after eight decades

On a summer's day in July 1943, a U.S. B-25 Mitchell bomber left Tunisia in North Africa on a mission to attack the Sciacca Aerodrome in Sicily, Italy.

phys.org

Languages

When languages collide, which survives?

Language has the power to shape our perceptions and interactions with the world. Different languages can coexist, but their dynamics are shaped by the communities that speak them—and how those communities interact with each other.

phys.org

'You only assess what you care about': A new report looks at how research is assessed in Australia

Research plays a pivotal role in society. Through research, we gain new understandings, test theories and make discoveries.

phys.org

genius

Cracking the da Vinci chronology: System tries to bring order to the works of a Renaissance genius

Leonardo da Vinci may have been a genius, but he was also a hot mess—at least in terms of organizing his works. When he died in 1519, the Renaissance master left behind 7,000 pages of undated drawings, scientific observations and personal journals, more or less jumbled up in a box. So, when his...

techxplore.com

crime chart

New scientific methods for analyzing criminal careers

Researchers at the Complexity Science Hub have examined 1.2 million criminal incidents and developed an innovative method to identify patterns in criminal trajectories. The study is published in the journal Scientific Reports.

phys.org

Geology

Research reveals evidence of recurring ancient supereruption

Researchers have discovered a series of large undersea sediment deposits in a region near Italy that were likely formed by an ancient volcanic supereruption.

phys.org

Deep within the Earth, iron oxide withstands extreme temperatures and pressures

The core–mantle boundary (CMB) is the interface between the Earth's iron metal core and the thick rocky layer of mantle just above the core. It is a world of extremes—temperatures thousands of degrees Fahrenheit and pressures over a million times the pressure at the surface of the Earth. While...

phys.org

Researchers reveal that Earth's surface water can penetrate deep into the planet, transforming core's outer layer

A few decades ago, seismologists imaging the deep planet identified a thin layer, just over a few hundred kilometers thick. The origin of this layer, known as the E prime layer, has been a mystery—until now.

phys.org

climate

DeepMind tool makes 10-day weather forecast in 60 seconds

Google DeepMind researchers this week unveiled a highly accurate AI-based weather prediction model they say marks "a turning point in weather forecasting."

techxplore.com

Satellite data can help limit the dangers of windblown dust

Interstate 10, an artery that cuts through the rural drylands of southern New Mexico, is one of the country's deadliest roadways. On one stretch of the highway, just north of a dry lakebed called Lordsburg Playa, fatal collisions occur with such regularity that officials often call it the "dust...

phys.org

Climate engineering could slow Antarctic ice loss, study says

Scattering sunlight-reflecting particles in the atmosphere could slow rapid melting in West Antarctica and reduce the risk of catastrophic sea-level rise, according to a study led by Indiana University researchers.

phys.org

Twitter users in states affected by hurricanes discuss climate change up to 200% more frequently in the following weeks

Twitter users in areas affected by major hurricanes discussed climate change much more frequently right after the hurricane, according to a study published November 23, 2023 in the open-access journal PLOS Climate by Maddalena Torricelli from the City University of London, UK, and colleagues.

phys.org

New study shows ancient Europe was not all forest, half was covered in grassland

A team of ecologists, biologists, geographers, geologists and Earth scientists from across Europe, working with a colleague from the U.K. and another from Canada, has found evidence suggesting that Europe was not covered heavily by forest during the Last Interglacial period, as many have...

phys.org

Everlasting African wildfires fueled by aerosol feedback

Africa is on fire. It has been for thousands of years. The continent contains more than 50% of the total area on Earth that is burning, on average, and there is no sign of it stopping; indeed, the migrating, hemisphere-hopping African wildfire season is steadily increasing.

phys.org

The secret world of puddles

As the new year arrived in 2016, my home city of Newcastle upon Tyne was briefly the center of global attention—for a puddle. The Drummond Puddle, as it was grandly known, was a watery hazard placed perfectly where converging footpaths funneled a daily stream of victims to their doom. To the...

phys.org

Even far below freezing, ice's surface begins melting as temperatures rise

Physics is filled with mysteries. To find a few worth exploring, look no further than an ice cube. At room temperature, of course, the cube will melt before your eyes. But even far below freezing, ice can shift in barely perceptible ways that scientists are still trying to understand. Using...

phys.org

Iron snow ebb and flow may cause magnetic fields to come and go

Just as snow crystals form in the upper atmosphere, then fall to lower, warmer elevations and melt, scientists believe a phenomenon called iron snow happens in the molten iron cores of some planetary bodies. Cooling near the core-mantle boundary creates crystals of iron, which melt as they fall...

phys.org

Permian marine mass extinction linked to volcanism-induced anoxia

Mass extinctions are rapid global decreases in Earth's biodiversity, with five key events identified over the planet's history, arguably the most famous of which occurred ~66 million years ago during the Cretaceous, which brought the rein of dinosaurs to an end. However, the largest mass...

phys.org

Reducing inequality is essential in tackling climate crisis, researchers argue

Promoting climate-friendly behaviors will be more successful in societies where everyone has the capacity: financially, physically, and timewise, to make changes.

phys.org

Evolution might stop humans from solving climate change, researchers say

Central features of human evolution may stop our species from resolving global environmental problems like climate change, says a recent study led by the University of Maine.

phys.org

'Rights of nature' are being recognized overseas. In Australia, local leadership gives cause for optimism

As each day passes, the need to protect Australia's environment grows more urgent. As noted in the most recent State of Environment Report in 2021, we are increasingly turning to "measures of last resort" to prevent species extinctions and the collapse of ecosystems.

phys.org

Forming ice: There's a fungal protein for that

The way ice forms is a lot more interesting than you think. This basic physical process, among the most common in nature, also remains somewhat mysterious despite decades of scientific scrutiny.

phys.org

The Brain

How memories are formed in the brain: A new role for the internal compass

Since their discovery in the 1990s, the head-direction cells in the brain have been referred to as its "internal compass." These cells are activated when the head of an animal or human points in a certain direction, and are thought to be important for spatial orientation and navigation.

medicalxpress.com

Stem cell scientists develop game-changing organoid model to study human cerebellar development and disease

In a first for USC Stem Cell scientists, the laboratory of Giorgia Quadrato has pioneered a novel human brain organoid model that generates all the major cell types of the cerebellum, a hindbrain region predominantly made up of two cell types necessary for movement, cognition, and emotion...

medicalxpress.com

Researchers identify and manipulate neural circuits for risk/reward decision-making in primates

Life consists of infinite possibilities—appearing in the real world as multiple choices, that then require decision-making in order to determine the best course of action. However, with every choice there also exists a certain amount of uncertainty or "risk." Therefore, behind every decision...

medicalxpress.com

Shining a light on the hidden damage of mild brain injuries

Researchers have created a new brain imaging method that allows mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) to be diagnosed, even when existing imaging techniques like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) don't show any structural abnormalities. The technique involves loading gadolinium, a standard MRI...

medicalxpress.com

How the brain learns to deal with surprises

For children, the world is full of surprises. Adults, on the other hand, are much more difficult to surprise. And there are complex processes behind this apparently straightforward state of affairs. Researchers at the University of Basel have been using mice to decode how reactions to the...

medicalxpress.com

Complex, unfamiliar sentences make the brain's language network work harder, study reveals

With help from an artificial language network, MIT neuroscientists have discovered what kind of sentences are most likely to fire up the brain's key language processing centers.

medicalxpress.com

Biology

New study reveals surprising insights into feeding habits of carnivorous dinosaurs in North America

New research sheds light on the dining habits of ancient carnivorous dinosaurs from Jurassic rocks of the U.S.. A recent study published in PeerJ by Roberto Lei (Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia) and colleagues explores the bite marks left on the ancient bones of the giant...

phys.org

Did this chemical reaction create the building blocks of life on Earth?

How did life begin? How did chemical reactions on the early Earth create complex, self-replicating structures that developed into living things as we know them?

phys.org

Using miniature microphones to record rat's happy squeaks

A team of neurobiologists at the University of Haifa's, Sagol Department of Neurobiology has found, via the use of novel miniature microphones, that rats make sounds when in the company of other rats for no other reason than because they are happy. In their study, published open access in the...

phys.org

Researchers use a TV sitcom to uncover something about how the brain processes jokes

Researchers at Western University, Canada, have investigated the neural mechanisms underlying humor processing, specifically focusing on humor comprehension and appreciation. The researchers aimed to delineate the roles of two key brain regions, the dorsal and ventral striatum.

medicalxpress.com

Health professionals played 'central role' in Nazi crimes: study

Medical professionals played a "central role" in the crimes committed by the Nazis, according to a new study published Thursday, which aims to debunk "long-held misconceptions" about the scale of their involvement.

phys.org

Study suggests brain regulatory program predates central nervous system evolution

New research from the Layden Lab at Lehigh has demonstrated that the gene mechanisms at work during neurogenesis in the brain actually predate the evolutionary development of the central nervous system. In other words, to build our brains, nature is borrowing the blueprints from much simpler...

phys.org

Pseudoscorpions of Israel: Two new family records discovered

A new study on the pseudoscorpion fauna of Israel has been unveiled in a comprehensive publication titled "Pseudoscorpions of Israel: Annotated Checklist and Key, with New Records of Two Families." The research, conducted by Dr. Sharon Warburg, Dr. Efrat Gavish-Regev from the National Natural...

phys.org

'Miniature' mountain creature with 'squeaker'-like call discovered as new species

A "squeaker"-like sound pierced the air of a mountain forest in Rwanda. The call came from a "miniature" creature sitting on the forest floor. Scientists found the source of the sound—and discovered a new species.

phys.org

New study reveals the genetics of human head shape

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and KU Leuven have discovered a suite of genes that influence head shape in humans. These findings, published this week in Nature Communications, help explain the diversity of human head shapes and may also offer important clues about the genetic basis...

medicalxpress.com

https://phys.org/news/2023-11-3d-genome-theoretical-cell-identity.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-11-discovery-antibody-immune-cancer-cells.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-11-brain-benefits-electroconvulsive-therapy.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-11-drug-fda-patent-strategies-insulin.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-11-treatment-severe-short-stature.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-11-compound-outperforms-pain-drug-indirectly.html

https://phys.org/news/2023-11-beer-fermentation-yeast-reveals-unexpected.html

https://phys.org/news/2023-11-crime-scene-dna-forensics.html

https://phys.org/news/2023-11-secrets-brighten-day.html

https://phys.org/news/2023-11-rethink-term-bullying.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-11-christchurch-mutation-good-overpower-evil.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-11-brains-perceiveor-perceivewhat.html

https://www.reddit.com/r/lifehacks/comments/183n3w8

Farming and more biology news

Increase in rice farming in sub-Saharan Africa found to be producing rising amounts of methane

A team of engineers and atmospheric scientists at Harvard University, working with a colleague from the California Institute of Technology's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, has calculated the increased amount of methane being expelled into the atmosphere due to increases in rice farming in parts of...

phys.org

Discovery raises hopes of more temperature tolerant wheat

Gene-editing techniques have helped to identify a temperature tolerance factor that may protect wheat from the increasingly unpredictable challenges of climate change.

phys.org

Australian fossil suggests photosynthesis evolved at least 1.75 billion years ago

The oldest evidence of photosynthetic structures reported to date has been identified inside a collection of 1.75-billion-year-old microfossils, a Nature paper reveals. The discovery helps to shed light on the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis.

phys.org

Carnivorous plant traps help scientists explain the evolution of complex 'composite' traits

An international team of researchers led by Dr. Ulrike Bauer from the University of Bristol investigated two tropical pitcher plant species separated by 4,000 km of open ocean: The Slender Pitcher Plant (Nepenthes gracilis) found in Borneo, and Nepenthes pervillei from the Seychelles islands off...

phys.org

New research shows 'juvenile' T. rex fossils are a distinct species of small tyrannosaur

A new analysis of fossils believed to be juveniles of T. rex now shows they were adults of a small tyrannosaur, with narrower jaws, longer legs, and bigger arms than T. rex. The species, Nanotyrannus lancensis, was first named decades ago but later reinterpreted as a young T. rex.

phys.org

Fossil birds: Surfaces of cervical vertebrae show conspicuous tubercles that may have served as 'internal bony armor'

An international research team has examined unusual skeletal structures of various European bird fossils from the Eocene. The bone surfaces of the approximately 40- to 50-million-year-old cervical vertebrae show conspicuous tubercles, whose origin as yet remained elusive.

phys.org

Chicken whisperers: Humans crack the clucking code

A University of Queensland-led study has found humans can tell if chickens are excited or displeased, just by the sound of their clucks.

phys.org

Matabele ants recognize infected wounds and treat them with antibiotics

The African Matabele ants are often injured in fights with termites. Their conspecifics recognize when the wounds become infected and initiate antibiotic treatment.

phys.org

Study shows 3D organization of DNA controls cell identity programs

In a complex called chromatin, long strands of DNA in cells' nuclei are tightly wrapped around a scaffolding of proteins, like a rolled-up ball of yarn. A new study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators reveals that beyond providing a convenient way to store DNA in a tight space, the 3D...

phys.org

New evidence that insect wings may have evolved from gills

How did insect wings originate? This is a question that represents an unsolved mystery of insect evolution. Despite many years of research, it is still not entirely clear from which body structure insect wings actually evolved and what their original function was when they were not yet efficient...

phys.org

https://phys.org/news/2024-01-giant-predator-worms-billion-years.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-01-evolution-random-previously-thought.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-01-dataset-protist-genomes.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-01-deep-learning-based-analysis-toolkit-spatial-transcriptomics.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-01-technology-archaeological-biblical.html

That stings

Scientists brew killer bee beer

Scientists from Cardiff University have used brewer's yeast that resides in the gut microbiome of killer honeybees in Namibia and applied it to develop a unique craft beer.

phys.org

How craft-based firms project authenticity through credibly and visibly communicating their identity

Consumers are drawn to authenticity when it comes to craft-based firms, and a study published in the Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal explores what factors can help give credence to such a quality.

phys.org

View: https://www.reddit.com/r/lifehacks/comments/183n3w8/techniques_for_rapid_extraction_of_unconscious/

 

[publiusr]

Freak waves

AI finds formula for how to predict monster waves by using 700 years' worth of data

Long considered myth, freakishly large rogue waves are very real and can split apart ships and even damage oil rigs. Using 700 years' worth of wave data from more than a billion waves, scientists at the University of Copenhagen and University of Victoria have used artificial intelligence to find...

phys.org

A new theory to explain the nature of volcanic fountaining

A multi-institutional team of Earth scientists, meteorologists, geologists and volcanologists has developed a new theory to explain the nature of volcanic fountaining. In their project, reported in the journal Nature Communications, the group studied the 2021 eruption of the Fagradalsfjall...

phys.org

Biology

Some species of anglerfish may spend their whole lives swimming upside down

A multi-institutional team of oceanographers and marine biologists has found evidence showing that some deep-sea species of anglerfish spend their entire lives swimming upside down. In their paper published in the Journal of Fish Biology, the group describes their study of video captured by...

phys.org

Unearthing how a carnivorous fungus traps and digests worms

A new analysis sheds light on the molecular processes involved when a carnivorous species of fungus known as Arthrobotrys oligospora senses, traps and consumes a worm. Hung-Che Lin of Academia Sinica in Taipei, Taiwan, and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS Biology.

phys.org

Team takes first-ever photos of the Vangunu giant rat

A team of Zaira Rangers, a mammalogist with The University of Melbourne and a college professor with Solomon Islands National University have taken the first and only pictures of the rare Vangunu giant rat. In their project, reported in the journal Ecology and Evolution, the group set up camera...

phys.org

Unraveling the surprisingly complex history of crocodiles

Crocodiles have a deep and varied evolutionary past. Now researchers are peeling back the layers to find out how the surviving species came to be.

phys.org

Chemists explain why dinosaur collagen may have survived for millions of years

Collagen, a protein found in bones and connective tissue, has been found in dinosaur fossils as old as 195 million years. That far exceeds the normal half-life of the peptide bonds that hold proteins together, which is about 500 years.

phys.org

'Some pterosaurs would flap, others would soar'—new study confirms flight capability of these giants of the skies

Some species of pterosaurs flew by flapping their wings while others soared like vultures, demonstrates a new study published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

phys.org

A tiny relative of the Triceratops: International team discovers a new horned dinosaur

Carleton University's Michael Ryan is part of an international research team that has discovered a well-preserved fossil of a new horned dinosaur in Japan's Tambasasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture. Details have been published in the journal Papers in Palaeontology.

phys.org

Qunkasaura: New sauropod dinosaur from the Cretaceous discovered in the Iberian Peninsula

A new study led by Portuguese paleontologist Pedro Mocho, from the Instituto Dom Luiz of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (CIÊNCIAS), has just been published in Communications Biology. It announces a new species of sauropod dinosaur that lived in Cuenca, Spain, 75 million...

phys.org

Hawk defies expectations in the face of habitat decline

Ferruginous Hawks (Buteo regalis) that spend their winters in California seem to be going up in number, yet their preferred grassland habitat has been declining for over 20 years. Most other grassland bird species are, sadly, doing the expected: plummeting in tandem with the open areas that used...

phys.org

Like people, vultures get set in their ways and have fewer friends as they age

If you'd rather be watching TV on your couch than dancing at the club, you might have something in common with aging griffon vultures. New research shows that young griffon vultures move frequently between sleeping sites in different locations and interact with many friends but get set in their...

phys.org

Uncovering the secret communication of marmoset monkeys: They have names

A new study from Hebrew University reveals that marmoset monkeys use specific calls, known as "phee-calls," to name each other, a behavior previously known to exist only in humans, dolphins, and elephants. This discovery highlights the complexity of social communication in marmosets and suggests...

phys.org

Researchers rewrite termite classification system

Termites have a bad reputation. Most think of them as pests, a status that isn't helped by their recent reclassification into the cockroach family.

phys.org

Research team discovers 'impossible' unicellular organism

The origin of eukaryotes is considered one of the greatest enigmas in biology: according to current doctrine, two prokaryotes, a so-called Asgard archaeon and a bacterium, are believed to have merged. The bacterium is said to have developed into a mitochondrion. Thanks to its mitochondrion, this...

phys.org

Scientists discover how starfish get 'legless'

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have made a discovery about how starfish manage to survive predatory attacks by shedding their own limbs. The team has identified a neurohormone responsible for triggering this remarkable feat of self-preservation. The study is published in the...

phys.org

Novel motion simulator reveals key role of air flow in rodent navigation

How are rodents able to navigate pitch-black subway tunnels or other dark environments so adeptly, despite not being able to rely on vision?

phys.org

Unraveling the evolutionary secrets of how whales and dolphins adapted their backbones for aquatic life

If you've ever seen a dolphin swim, you may have wondered why they undulate their bodies up and down when swimming, instead of side to side as fishes do. Though they have a fishlike body, cetaceans (a group comprised of whales, dolphins, and porpoises) are mammals that descended from...

phys.org

New knowledge about a fungus that turns 60–80% of the flies in your home into zombies

What can we learn from a fungus that eats most of the flies in your home from the inside, turns them into zombies and then lures other flies to necrophilic intercourse? Possibly quite a lot, according to researchers at the University of Copenhagen.

phys.org

Scientists modify citrus pectin with induced electric field

Pectin, a natural and nontoxic acidic polysaccharide, is widely found in the primary cell wall and inner layer of terrestrial higher plants. The main domains of pectin are homogalacturonan and rhamnogalacturonan I, which contribute to the complexity of structure among natural polysaccharides.

phys.org

Mexican bat found to have photoluminescent feet

A small team of zoologists and ecologists with members from Instituto de Ecología and Soluciones Ambientales en Sustentabilidad Ambiental, both in Mexico, and the University of Texas at Austin, has found that a certain species of bat living in Mexico has photoluminescent bristles on their feet.

phys.org

Researchers find pet owners do not have better mental health

We all remember news stories about the so-called "pandemic puppies" and the soaring number of pet adoptions in countries all over the world as the COVID-19 lockdowns brought social life to a halt in 2020.

medicalxpress.com

This tiny backyard bug does the fastest backflips on Earth

Move over, Sonic. There's a new spin-jumping champion in town—the globular springtail (Dicyrtomina minuta). This diminutive hexapod backflips into the air, spinning to over 60 times its body height in the blink of an eye, and a new study features the first in-depth look at its jumping prowess.

phys.org

Salamanders are surprisingly abundant in US northeastern forests, research finds

Two recent amphibian-focused studies shed light on the ecological importance of red-backed salamanders, while confirming that proactive measures would prevent costly impacts from a wildlife disease spreading across Europe that has not yet reached North America.

phys.org

Breaking boundaries: The unexpected routes of minerals in crop growth

Imagine plants not just sipping nutrients dissolved in water, but actually munching on tiny mineral particles straight from the soil. A study sheds light on how wheat and lettuce aren't just passive feeders—they actively grab, transport, and utilize solid minerals from their roots all the way to...

phys.org

From smooth and button-size to spiky and giant-size, why are cacti so diverse?

Cacti are among the most diverse plants, from the giant saguaro cactus that can grow up to 18 meters in height, all the way down to the tiny button cactus which is a few centimeters tall. A new study by the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath has shed light on the mystery as to...

phys.org

Exploring Darwin's longstanding interest in biological rhythms

A close reading of Darwin's work suggests a deep interest in cyclical events. Rhythmic phenomena in nature—today the subjects of the field of chronobiology—have been studied since at least the 18th century. In a perspective, Tiago Gomes de Andrade and Andrew D. Beale examined the writings and...

phys.org

Darwin's fear was unjustified: Study suggests fossil record gaps not a major issue

Fossils are used to reconstruct evolutionary history, but not all animals and plants become fossils and many fossils are destroyed before we can find them (e.g., the rocks that contain the fossils are destroyed by erosion). As a result, the fossil record has gaps and is incomplete, and we're...

phys.org

Paper introduces strategies for holotomography in advanced bio research

Measuring and analyzing three-dimensional (3D) images of live cells and tissues is considered crucial in advanced fields of biology and medicine. Organoids, which are 3D structures that mimic organs, are particular examples that significantly benefit 3D live imaging. Organoids provide effective...

phys.org

Humans

New human gene cluster sequence discovered

Investigators from the laboratory of Ali Shilatifard, Ph.D., the Robert Francis Furchgott Professor and chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, have discovered a new repeat gene cluster sequence that is exclusively expressed in humans and non-human primates.

phys.org

Researchers pinpoint brain area where people who are blind recognize faces identified by sound

Using a specialized device that translates images into sound, Georgetown University Medical Center neuroscientists and colleagues showed that people who are blind recognized basic faces using the part of the brain known as the fusiform face area, a region that is crucial for the processing of...

medicalxpress.com

Shedding light on the complex evolution of human feet

An extensive study, published in Communications Biology, sheds new light on the complex evolution of our feet.

phys.org

Our brains are not able to 'rewire' themselves, despite what most scientists believe, new study argues

Contrary to the commonly held view, the brain does not have the ability to rewire itself to compensate for the loss of sight, an amputation or stroke, for example, say scientists from the University of Cambridge and Johns Hopkins University.

medicalxpress.com

Written in blood: How bloodstain 'tails' can point to significant, additional forensic details

Forensic science has captured the public imagination by storm, as the profusion of "true crime" media in the last decade or so suggests. By now, most of us know that evidence left at a crime scene, such as blood, can often reveal information that is key to investigating and understanding the...

phys.org

Why Do Some People Get Headaches From Drinking Red Wine?

Ever get a headache after drinking red wine? UC Davis researchers may have uncovered the culprit: the flavanol quercetin and its impact on alcohol metabolism.

www.ucdavis.edu

Why emotions stirred by music create such powerful memories

Time flows in a continuous stream—yet our memories are divided into separate episodes, all of which become part of our personal narrative. How emotions shape this memory formation process is a mystery that science has only recently begun to unravel. The latest clue comes from UCLA psychologists...

medicalxpress.com

Acoustics

Engineers develop framework to predict types of sounds likely to be heard at certain locations

Imagine yourself on a beautiful beach. You're likely visualizing sand and sea but also hearing a symphony of wind gusting, waves crashing and gulls cawing. In this scene—as well as in urban settings with neighbors talking, dogs barking and traffic whooshing—sounds are critical components of the...

techxplore.com

Filling with air

https://www.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/comments/183rws3

View: https://www.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/comments/183rws3/bernoullis_principle/

Tech from yesterday

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p45T7U5oi9Q

Universal translation

Study suggests existence of a universal, nonverbal communication system

Recent research conducted at Georgia State University shows that native language affects how people convey information from a young age and hints at the presence of a universal system of communication.

phys.org

Scientists Have Reported a Breakthrough In Understanding Whale Language

Researchers have identified new elements of whale vocalizations that they propose are analogous to human speech, including vowels and pitch.

www.vice.com

language and human interest news

Islands are engines of linguistic diversity, study shows

Islands drive language change and generate language diversity in similar ways to how they drive species diversity, according to research from The Australian National University (ANU) that analyzed languages from over 13,000 inhabited islands. The research is published in Nature Ecology & Evolution.

phys.org

A sensory pen that can read Braille could improve literacy among the visually impaired

A pen that can transform Braille into English text has been developed by experts at the University of Bristol.

techxplore.com

The Vesuvius challenge is using AI to virtually unroll Pompeii's ancient scrolls

The Vesuvius Challenge is an unparalleled competition in the field of classical studies, with the potential to pave the way for something akin to a second Renaissance. Its objective is to use artificial intelligence (AI) to virtually unroll hundreds of closed papyrus scrolls, containing ancient...

phys.org

Combining tech and tradition to revive Europe's endangered languages

The quest is on to support endangered European languages, some with only a handful of speakers left.

phys.org

How new words arise in social media

The more centrally connected someone is within their social media network, the more likely that new words they use will become adopted into mainstream language, according to a new study published in PLOS Complex Systems by Louise Tarrade of École Normale Supérieure, France, and colleagues.

phys.org

Non-cognitive skills: DNA-based analyses suggest a hidden key to academic success

A new Nature Human Behaviour study, jointly led by Dr. Margherita Malanchini at Queen Mary University of London and Dr. Andrea Allegrini at University College London, has revealed that non-cognitive skills, such as motivation and self-regulation, are as important as intelligence in determining...

medicalxpress.com

How thinking about death—mortality salience—drives early Halloween shopping and retail trends

It's becoming as much of a tradition as costumed trick-or-treaters and skeletons crawling across lawns studded with cardboard gravestones: candy corn and jumbo bags of Snickers start popping up on grocery store shelves a few weeks after Independence Day. We all gripe about it, bemoaning the...

phys.org

When expressing gratitude, it's all in the timing, says study

Thanks so much for reading this article all the way to the end! No, that wasn't an editorial error. It's a savvy managerial motivation strategy lurking somewhere in almost every employee's inbox or Slack channel.

phys.org

Study finds immediate psychological benefit to churchgoers

Regular weekend attendance to a religious service creates an immediate increase in positive emotions as well as a decrease in negative ones, according to a new study of U.S. adults. Researchers found there was no change in the emotional well-being of non-regular attendees.

phys.org

The urgent message coming from boys

Harvard Ph.D. Niobe Way, author of "Deep Secrets: Boys' Friendships and the Crisis of Connection" and, most recently, "Rebels with a Cause: Reimagining Boys, Ourselves, and Our Culture," is less interested in what boys and men can learn from the culture than what the culture can learn from boys...

phys.org

Research-based toolkit supports neurodiverse children

A new child-centered suite of resources, backed by the latest research, has been launched to support parents and teachers of neurodiverse children.

phys.org

 

[Richard N]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1729211228445188471

View: https://twitter.com/washingtonpost/status/1729211228445188471

 

[GTX]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1729211228445188471

View: https://twitter.com/washingtonpost/status/1729211228445188471

Really?

 

[publiusr]

Thermal antibubbles

Researchers describe the journey of thermal antibubbles in a hot bath

Bubbles are thin liquid shells surrounded by air. Although less well known, there are also antibubbles, which are the opposite of bubbles, i.e., a thin envelope of vapor surrounded by liquid. In a new study, we show that it is possible to create antibubbles by impacting a droplet of a volatile...

phys.org

Green energy

Improved water electrolysis performance and stability bring commercialization of green hydrogen one step closer

A technology has been developed by Professor Youngkook Kwon's team in the School of Chemical Engineering at UNIST, aiming to significantly improve the performance of an electrolyzer used for hydrogen generation. This advancement brings us a step closer to the commercialization of green hydrogen...

techxplore.com

Cool geology

A mineral produced by plate tectonics has a global cooling effect, study finds

Plate tectonics can trigger ice ages through the production of the carbon-trapping mineral smectite, according to a new MIT study.

news.mit.edu

Some high-threat volcanoes are severely understudied: Study

The Cascade Volcanic Arc stretches from Northern California to southern British Columbia and contains more than a dozen volcanoes. The U.S. Geological Survey classifies 11 of them, including Mount Baker and Mount Hood, as "very high threat," meaning they pose significant hazards to people and...

phys.org

Was 'witchcraft' in the Devil's Church in Koli based on acoustic resonance?

The national park of Koli in eastern Finland is home to a famous, 34-meter-long crevice cave known as Pirunkirkko, or Devil's Church in English. In folklore, this crevice cave was known as a place where local sages would meet to contact the spirit world. Even today, the place is visited by...

phys.org

Biology

The 'longevity bottleneck' hypothesis: Research suggests that dinosaurs may have influenced how human beings age

Human aging may have been influenced by millions of years of dinosaur domination according to a new theory from a leading aging expert. The 'longevity bottleneck' hypothesis has been proposed by Professor Joao Pedro de Magalhaes from the University of Birmingham in a new study published in...

phys.org

Citizen scientists help discover new mantis species

James Cook University researcher Matthew Connors has discovered two new praying mantis species with the help of citizen scientists. The finds have been published in Zootaxa.

phys.org

Are dogs or cats more skilled in relying on human pointing gestures?

Dog and cat owners are familiar with the age-old debate: which of the two species is smarter? However, answering this question is impossible, especially due to the difficulty of a sound comparison.

phys.org

Floral time travel: Flowers were more diverse 100 million years ago than they are today

An international team of researchers led by botanists at the University of Vienna, Austria, has analyzed the morphological diversity of fossilized flowers and compared it with the diversity of living species. They found that flowering plants had already produced a large number of different...

phys.org

Scientists map the antigenic landscape

A new paper in Science Advances details how scientists have succeeded in mapping a central part of the immune system—the HLA class II molecules—while accurately predicting how they display fragments of pathogens on the surface of cells.

medicalxpress.com

Brittle stars can learn just fine, even without a brain

We humans are fixated on big brains as a proxy for smarts. But headless animals called brittle stars have no brains at all and still manage to learn through experience, new research reveals.

phys.org

Harnessing the power of a parasite that can stop pain

For the first time, scientists have begun to figure out why the disfiguring skin lesions caused by cutaneous leishmaniasis don't hurt.

www.sciencedaily.com

Energy fingerprint

Study identifies the 'fingerprints' of energy models exploring emission mitigation scenarios

Over the past decades, environmental scientists and engineers have been trying to devise effective solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. This has led to the creation of various energy models, frameworks that can be used to investigate...

phys.org

Sandpaper X-ray technique could change how batteries are monitored

Batteries are challenging to observe and analyze. They can't really be opened up because of their volatile nature. One way to monitor batteries is through X-ray technology. However, the equipment is very expensive and those methods struggle to balance resolution, sensitivity and speed.

techxplore.com

Fortress

Oldest fortresses in the world discovered

In a groundbreaking archaeological discovery, an international team led by archaeologists from Freie Universität Berlin has uncovered fortified prehistoric settlements in a remote region of Siberia. The results of their research reveal that hunter–gatherers in Siberia constructed complex defense...

phys.org

Closer look at the Menga dolmen shows it was one of the greatest engineering feats of the Neolithic

A team of archaeologists, geologists and historians affiliated with several institutions in Spain has found that the Menga dolmen represents one of the greatest engineering feats of the Neolithic. In their study, published in Scientific Reports, the group used new technology to learn more about...

phys.org

Examining urban design for past, present and future cities

Increasingly, more people worldwide are living in cities. By the year 2050, it is projected that two-thirds of the global population will reside in urban areas. Living closely together in relatively small spaces offers advantages such as good infrastructure, job opportunities, and exchange with...

phys.org

Six-million-year-old groundwater pool discovered deep under Sicilian mountains

A multi-institutional team of geoscientists has discovered a deep, ancient underground pool of fresh water underneath part of the Sicilian mountains. In their study, reported in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, the group used publicly available data gathered from oil discovery...

phys.org

Humans, rats and dogs pushed the takahē into Fiordland—new genetic research maps its dramatic journey

Takahē are a striking bird and a national treasure in Aotearoa New Zealand. But the history and origin story of this flightless swamp hen have become a point of scientific debate.

phys.org

Examining Nazi plans for dividing and 'improving' Africa during World War II

While Germany's 1939 invasion of Poland marks the official start of World War II, one of the major on-ramps to war was the Italian invasion of Ethiopia four years earlier.

phys.org

Med watch

Scientists reconstruct assembly of the human centriole, image by image, for the first time

Cells contain various specialized structures—such as the nucleus, mitochondria or peroxisomes—known as "organelles." Tracing their genesis and determining their structure is fundamental to understanding cell function and the pathologies linked to their dysfunction.

phys.org

Industry gifts may influence which cardiac device is used in common lifesaving procedure

Physicians who received payments from the manufacturer of a specific set of cardiac devices are more likely to use those devices, often during a common procedure to unblock coronary arteries, according to a research letter published in JAMA authored by researchers from the University of...

medicalxpress.com

Scientists use wearable technology to detect stress levels during sleep

What if changes in a person's stress levels could be detected while they sleep using wearable devices? A new study by University of Vermont researchers published in PLOS Digital Health is the first to find changes in perceived stress levels reflected in sleep data—an important step towards...

medicalxpress.com

Long COVID leaves telltale traces in the blood, finds new study

Findings from the largest UK study of patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 infection show that long COVID leads to ongoing inflammation which can be detected in the blood.

medicalxpress.com

Researchers develop better way to make painkiller from trees

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have developed a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable way to make a popular pain reliever and other valuable products from plants instead of petroleum.

phys.org

No link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and cognitive risks, says large sibling study

In the largest study to date on the subject, researchers found no evidence to support a causal link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and increased risk of autism, ADHD and intellectual disability in children.

medicalxpress.com

How the body switches out of 'fight' mode: Study shows hormones reprogram metabolism of immune cells

Cortisone and other related glucocorticoids are extremely effective at curbing excessive immune reactions. But previously, astonishingly little was known about how they exactly do that. A team of researchers from Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Uniklinikum Erlangen and Ulm University have...

medicalxpress.com

How the inflamed brain becomes disconnected after a stroke

Whether reeling from a sudden stroke or buckling under the sustained assault of Alzheimer's, the brain becomes inflamed, leading to cognitive problems and even death.

medicalxpress.com

Two key brain systems are central to psychosis, study finds

Inside the brains of people with psychosis, two key systems are malfunctioning: a "filter" that directs attention toward important external events and internal thoughts, and a "predictor" composed of pathways that anticipate rewards.

medicalxpress.com

Researchers find new origin of deep brain waves

University of California, Irvine biomedical engineering researchers have uncovered a previously unknown source of two key brain waves crucial for deep sleep: slow waves and sleep spindles. Traditionally believed to originate from one brain circuit linking the thalamus and cortex, the team's...

medicalxpress.com

Neuroscience study taps into brain network patterns to understand deep focus, attention

From completing puzzles and playing music, to reading and exercising, growing up Dolly Seeburger loved activities that demanded her full attention. "It was in those times that I felt most content, like I was in the zone," she remembers. "Hours would pass, but it would feel like minutes."

medicalxpress.com

New state of mind: Rethinking how researchers understand brain activity

Understanding the link between brain activity and behavior is among the core interests of neuroscience. Having a better grasp of this relationship will both help scientists understand how the brain works on a basic level and uncover what specifically goes awry in cases of neurological and...

medicalxpress.com

New atlas of mRNA variants captures inner workings of the brain

Investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine have assembled the most comprehensive atlas to date of messenger RNA (mRNA) variants in the mouse and human brain. The atlas is an important new resource in understanding brain development, neuron specialization and other brain functions.

medicalxpress.com

New technique sheds light on memory and learning

Less than twenty minutes after finishing this article, your brain will begin to store the information that you've just read in a coordinated burst of neuronal activity. Underpinning this process is a phenomenon known as dendritic translation, which involves an uptick in localized protein...

medicalxpress.com

Scientists discover groups of spinal cord neurons that allow for brain-independent motor learning

Aya Takeoka at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science (CBS) in Japan and colleagues have discovered the neural circuitry in the spinal cord that allows brain-independent motor learning. Published in Science, the study found two critical groups of spinal cord neurons, one necessary for new adaptive...

medicalxpress.com

Certain personality traits possibly linked to increased risk of depression

A small team of psychiatrists and psychologists from The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, the University of Cambridge, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the University of Virginia has found that certain personality traits may put people at a higher risk of developing...

medicalxpress.com

Personality type can help predict who's single or in a relationship, and how happy they are, says study

The phrase "single life" may conjure images of a busy "Sex and the City"-like social calendar, packed with dates and drama. But researchers at the University of Toronto say that most singles are actually introverts—a far cry from the extroverted stereotypes we often see depicted in movies and on TV.

phys.org

New study finds potential targets at chromosome ends for degenerative disease prevention

We depend on our cells being able to divide and multiply, whether it's to replace sunburnt skin or replenish our blood supply and recover from injury. Chromosomes, which carry all of our genetic instructions, must be copied in a complete way during cell division. Telomeres, which cap the ends of...

phys.org

Scientists say outdated diabetes drug still has something to offer

Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) are a class of drug that can be used to treat type 2 diabetes by reversing insulin resistance, one of the main hallmarks of the disease. While TZDs were extremely popular in the 1990s and early 2000s, they have fallen out of use among physicians in recent decades...

medicalxpress.com

Study finds treating heart attack patients with beta-blockers may be unnecessary

Half of all patients discharged from hospital after a heart attack are treated with beta-blockers unnecessarily. This is according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

medicalxpress.com

Biomedical engineers use AI to build new tool for studying and diagnosing heart function

Understanding heart function and disease, as well as testing new drugs for heart conditions, has long been a complex and time-consuming task. A promising way to study disease and test new drugs is to use cellular and engineered tissue models in a dish, but existing methods to study heart cell...

medicalxpress.com

Scientists find new ways to convert inhibitors into degraders, paving the way for future drug discoveries

Researchers have discovered ways to convert inhibitor-style targeted cancer drugs into small molecules known as degraders, which help destroy cancer-promoting proteins in cells.

phys.org

Why some people with rheumatoid arthritis have pain without inflammation

Treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has come a long way in recent years. In many cases, a battery of medications can now successfully calm the inflammatory cells that cause swelling and pain when they infiltrate tissues around the joints.

medicalxpress.com

New microfluidic device for cancer detection achieves precise separation of tumor entities

Understanding the nature of malignant effusions, teeming with tumor cells and clusters, is critical in comprehending the breadth of cancer's impact. The significant role of tumor clusters, with their heightened potential for metastasis compared to individual cells, cannot be overstated in the...

medicalxpress.com

Scientists discover new phage resistance mechanism in phage-bacterial arms race

One of the most abundant and deadliest organisms on Earth is a virus called a bacteriophage (phage). These predators have lethal precision against their targets—not humans, but bacteria. Different phages have evolved to target different bacteria and play a critical role in microbial ecology...

phys.org

Researchers reveal mechanism behind most common mammalian mRNA modification

RNA—in the form of messenger RNA (mRNA), ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and transfer RNA (tRNA)—transforms the genome coded by DNA into proteins that form the backbone of all cellular functions. However, biochemical modifications to RNA frequently occur, with a subsequent influence on gene expression and...

phys.org

A new tool for tracing the family trees of cells

EPFL researchers have developed GEMLI, a pioneering tool that could democratize and vastly improve how we study the journey of cells from their embryonic state through to specialized roles in the body, as well as their changes in cancer and other diseases. The advance is reported in Nature...

phys.org

Advanced microscopy technique offers a new look inside cells

Imagine tuning into a football game, but all of the players are invisible except for the two quarterbacks. Without being able to see the orchestrated movements of the full teams, this would be a very confusing game to watch.

phys.org

'Virtual biopsy' lets clinicians analyze skin noninvasively

The next time you have a suspicious-looking mole on your back, your dermatologist may be able to skip the scalpel and instead scan the spot with a noninvasive "virtual biopsy" to determine whether it contains any cancerous cells. Similarly, surgeons trying to determine whether they have removed...

medicalxpress.com

Using AI to spot parasites in stool samples

A multi-institutional team of specialists is using artificial intelligence to diagnose parasitic infections in patients by scanning stool samples. Their study is published in the open-access journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

medicalxpress.com

Synthetic platelets stanch bleeding, promote healing in animal models

Researchers have developed synthetic platelets that can be used to stop bleeding and enhance healing at the site of an injury. The researchers have demonstrated that the synthetic platelets work well in animal models but have not yet begun clinical trials in humans.

medicalxpress.com

How a new drug prototype regenerates lung tissue

Pulmonary diseases are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. For many progressive lung diseases like idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a key issue is a low supply of new stem cells to repair and reverse damage. These cells are responsible for regenerating and increasing the...

medicalxpress.com

Serious flu damage prevented by compound that blocks unnecessary cell death

As lung cells are killed by the influenza virus, they burst open, releasing molecular signals that trigger the immune cells that can combat the infection. This strategy can be an important red flag that something is wrong; however, if one cell death response, called necroptosis, continues...

medicalxpress.com

Researchers develop first ever clinically-validated natural supplement to prevent postpartum blues

A new study published in eClinicalMedicine has confirmed that a novel natural supplement—invented, researched, developed and commercialized at the Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)—prevents postpartum blues, and reduces symptoms of postpartum depression over the following six months...

medicalxpress.com

New protein imaging method supports the design of innovative new cancer drugs

Scientists have successfully used a new imaging technique to determine the structure and interactions of a protein complex that plays a significant part in the initiation and progression of cancer. They showed that it was possible to use a high-resolution form of cryogenic electron microscopy...

phys.org

With the flick of a switch: Shaping cells with light

Imagine switching on a light and being able to understand and control the inner dynamics of a cell. This is what the Dimova group has achieved: by shining lights of different colors on replicates of cells, they altered the interactions between cellular elements. Controlling these complex...

phys.org

Researchers explore role of androgens in shaping sex differences

Sex differences are widespread across human development, physiological processes, and diseases, making it important to characterize the impact of sex differences in these areas. Understanding the regulatory mechanisms associated with these differences, including the role of androgens, is also...

medicalxpress.com

Researchers discover how we perceive bitter taste

Humans can sense five different tastes: sour, sweet, umami, bitter, and salty, using specialized sensors on our tongues called taste receptors. Other than allowing us to enjoy delicious foods, the sensation of taste allows us to determine the chemical makeup of food and prevents us from...

phys.org

Researchers develop neural decoding that can give back lost speech

Losing the ability to speak due to neurological damage can be incredibly isolating. But thanks to recent advancements in technology, there's hope on the horizon. Scientists have been working on neural speech prostheses, special devices that can help people who have trouble speaking by...

medicalxpress.com

New study highlights the benefit of touch on mental and physical health

Through a large-scale analysis, researchers at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience have uncovered the ways in which consensual touch can benefit a person's physical and mental well-being.

medicalxpress.com

bio-med

Newly discovered gene may influence longevity in humans

Sleep, fasting, exercise, green porridge, black coffee, a healthy social life—there is an abundance of advice out there on how to live a good, long life. Researchers are working hard to determine why some people live longer than others, and how we get the most out of our increasingly long lives.

medicalxpress.com

Study of former world's strongest man shows 'guy rope' muscles important for lifting

A team of sport and exercise specialists in the U.K., Qatar and Ireland has found that a little-known group of long, thin muscles that run from the knee to the pelvis play a much bigger role in lifting heavy objects than previously thought.

medicalxpress.com

From decades to days, biophysicists reveal DNA behavior in record time

Studying how single DNA molecules behave helps us to better understand genetic disorders and design better drugs. Until now, however, examining DNA molecules one-by-one was a slow process.

phys.org

Researchers map 50,000 of DNA's mysterious 'knots' in the human genome

Researchers have mapped 50,000 of DNA's mysterious "knots" in the human genome. The innovative study of DNA's hidden structures may open up new approaches for treatment and diagnosis of diseases, including cancer.

phys.org

Scientists unlock the secrets of how a key protein converts DNA into RNA

Researchers at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have uncovered new insights into the fundamental mechanisms of RNA polymerase II (Pol II), the protein responsible for transcribing DNA into RNA. Their study shows how the protein adds nucleotides to the growing RNA...

phys.org

Finding love: Study reveals where love lives in the brain

We use the word "love" in a bewildering range of contexts—from sexual adoration to parental love or the love of nature. Now, more comprehensive imaging of the brain may shed light on why we use the same word for such a diverse collection of human experiences.

medicalxpress.com

Prioritizing the unexpected: New brain mechanism uncovered

Researchers have discovered how two brain areas, the neocortex and the thalamus, work together to detect discrepancies between what animals expect from their environment and actual events. These prediction errors are implemented by selective boosting of unexpected sensory information. These...

medicalxpress.com

Brain study suggests regions that grew the most during evolution are most susceptible to aging

An international team of neuroscientists and anthropologists has found that the parts of the brain that grew the most during human evolution are the parts that are now the most susceptible to aging.

medicalxpress.com

Brain scanning approach shows wiring of depression

By repeatedly scanning the brains of a small group of patients for a year and a half, Weill Cornell Medicine researchers have identified a distinct pattern of neuronal interactions that appears to predispose some people to developing depression.

medicalxpress.com

Self-deployable, biodegradable electrode offers minimally invasive brain signal monitoring

Sensors that can be easily and safely introduced in the brain could have important medical applications and could also contribute to the development of brain-interfacing devices. While significant progress has been made toward the development of these sensors, most existing devices can only be...

medicalxpress.com

Collaborative research cracks the autism code, making the neurodivergent brain visible

A multi-university research team co-led by University of Virginia engineering professor Gustavo K. Rohde has developed a system that can spot genetic markers of autism in brain images with 89 to 95% accuracy.

medicalxpress.com

Bacterial cells transmit 'memories' to offspring, research finds

Bacterial cells can "remember" brief, temporary changes to their bodies and immediate surroundings, a new Northwestern University and University of Texas-Southwestern study has found.

phys.org

Human mouth bacteria reproduce through rare form of cell division, research reveals

One of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet is closer than you think—right inside your mouth. Your mouth is a thriving ecosystem of more than 500 different species of bacteria living in distinct, structured communities called biofilms. Nearly all of these bacteria grow by splitting [or...

phys.org

Crystallized alternative DNA structure sheds light on insulin and diabetes

The first crystal structure of an alternative DNA shape from the insulin gene has been revealed by a UCL-led research team.

phys.org

Newly discovered antibody protects against all COVID-19 variants

Researchers have discovered an antibody able to neutralize all known variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, as well as distantly related SARS-like coronaviruses that infect other animals.

medicalxpress.com

Tired muscles can indeed be a pain in the neck, spine movement study shows

Learning new languages, sending emails, attending a virtual class, or speaking to loved ones halfway around the world are just some of the tasks accomplished by touching a button on a smartphone. Unfortunately, the ease and convenience of modern devices have also come with a painful crick in the...

medicalxpress.com

Team develops injectable heart stimulator for emergency situations

A new study by researchers in Sweden shows that an injection of a solution of nanoparticles around the heart can cause a temporary heart stimulator to self-assemble and correct heart arrhythmia in emergency situations with the help of an external power source. After treatment, the electrode...

medicalxpress.com

Discovery explains the chemistry behind the cell's energy molecule

An international research team led by Professor Magnus Wolf-Watz at Umeå University has discovered how the magnesium atom directs the chemistry that catalyzes the production of the energy molecule ATP in a cell. The study is published in the journal Science Advances.

phys.org

Team identifies cell structure responsible for heat perception in humans

A study by the Medical University of Vienna has made important progress in understanding heat perception in humans. The research team was able to identify a specific cell structure that plays a role in recognizing heat. However, most of the protective recognition of heat in everyday life depends...

phys.org

Scientists uncover mechanism preserving centromere during cell division

Scientists have solved a decade-long question about the mechanism that preserves the centromere, the hub that ensures DNA divides correctly during cell division.

phys.org

Computer model boosts detection of cell-to-cell communication

A computer model developed by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers significantly enhances the ability of scientists to detect communication between cells, according to a new study published in Nature Methods.

phys.org

AI tool maps out cell metabolism with precision

Understanding how cells process nutrients and produce energy—collectively known as metabolism—is essential in biology. Modern biology generates large datasets on various cellular activities, but integrating and analyzing the vast amounts of data on cellular processes to determine metabolic...

phys.org

Team identifies a 'forcefield-like' defense system in solid tumors and the genetic elements that can switch it off

The tumor microenvironment—an ad hoc, messy amalgamation of signaling molecules, immune cells, fibroblasts, blood vessels, and the extracellular matrix—acts like a "powerful security system that protects solid tumors from invaders seeking to destroy them," says Michael Mitchell, a bioengineer at...

phys.org

New discovery of how bacteria navigate their environment could change how we treat infection

Scientists from the University of Sheffield have discovered a new sensory capability in bacteria which could transform treatments for bacterial infections.

phys.org

100-fold improvement in sight seen after gene therapy trial

The vision of people with a rare inherited condition that causes them to lose much of their sight early in childhood was 100 times better after they received gene therapy to address the genetic mutation causing it. Some patients even experienced a 10,000-fold improvement in their vision after...

medicalxpress.com

Novel software tool enables quality control independent of omics molecular types and can be used on multiple platforms

Quality control (QC) strategies for monitoring and assessing instrument performance during mass spectrometry analysis is crucial for ensuring that the data generated is high-quality, reproducible, and accurate.

phys.org

Agriculture accelerated human genome evolution to capture energy from starchy foods, study suggests

Over the past 12,000 years, humans in Europe have dramatically increased their ability to digest carbohydrates, expanding the number of genes they have for enzymes that break down starch from an average of eight to more than 11, according to a new study by researchers from the U.S., Italy and...

phys.org

Chemists find new pharmaceutically active substances from billions of newly combined molecules

Nowadays, there's lots of buzz about spectacular new medical treatments, such as personalized cancer therapy with modified immune cells or antibodies. Such treatments, however, are very complex and expensive and so find only limited application. Most medical therapies are still based on small...

phys.org

Scientists discover how the body's killer cells attack cancer

Scientists are on the verge of a cancer breakthrough after working out how the body's immune system targets cells devastated by the disease.

medicalxpress.com

Navigating the digestive tract: Study offers first detailed map of the small intestine

Tourists visiting an unfamiliar city would have a hard time finding their way around if they were using nothing but a topological map, no matter how detailed. Most tourist maps, therefore, highlight sights of interest and prominent landmarks.

medicalxpress.com

Treating depression with psilocybin or escitalopram found to result in different hierarchical brain reconfigurations

Depression is one of the most common mental disorders, affecting an estimated 300 million people worldwide. While there are currently numerous pharmacological treatments for depression, how different treatments impact the brains of the patients they are administered to is not yet fully understood.

medicalxpress.com

Mechanisms of how morphine relieves pain mapped out

In a study published in Science, researchers at Karolinska Institutet describe the neural processes behind how morphine relieves pain. This is valuable knowledge because the drug has such serious side effects.

medicalxpress.com

Uncovering the mechanics behind ketamine's rapid antidepressant effects

A team of brain and mental health specialists in China and the U.S. has uncovered some of the mechanics behind ketamine's rapid antidepressant effects. In their study, published in the journal Science, the group administered ketamine to depressed mouse models.

medicalxpress.com

Smart mask monitors breath for signs of health

Personalized wearable devices that monitor people's health are on the rise. From watches to patches and other types of sensors, these smart devices can monitor heart activity, inflammation levels, and more to help patients better manage their health from their own homes. Now, a new type of...

medicalxpress.com

Neuron populations in the medial prefrontal cortex shown to code the learning of avoidant behaviors

Over the course of their lives, animals form associations between sensory stimuli and predicted threats or rewards. These associations can, in turn, shape the behaviors of animals, prompting them to engage in avoidant behaviors (e.g., avoiding specific stimuli and situations) or conversely, to...

medicalxpress.com

Researchers develop new implant to power healing after spinal cord injury

A research team at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences has developed a new implant that conveys electrical signals and may have the potential to encourage nerve cell (neuron) repair after spinal cord injury.

medicalxpress.com

New photoacoustic probes enable deep brain tissue imaging, with potential to report on neuronal activity

To understand the brain better, we need new methods to observe its activity. That is at the heart of a molecular engineering project, spearheaded by two research groups at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), that has resulted in a novel approach to create photoacoustic probes for...

phys.org

AI-guided feedback outperforms human instructors in neurosurgical training study

Neurosurgery is perhaps one of the most demanding professions in health care. Surgeons spend long hours performing operations where expert performance means the difference between a good and bad patient outcome. While operative injuries are rare, when they occur, they can have serious and...

medicalxpress.com

Different mathematical solving methods can affect how information is memorized

The way we memorize information—a mathematical problem statement, for example—reveals the way we process it. A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), in collaboration with CY Cergy Paris University (CYU) and Bourgogne University (uB), has shown how different solving methods can alter the...

phys.org

 

[publiusr]

Eels---shades of THE THING---can change the genes of other organisms:

'Shocking' discovery: Electricity from electric eels may transfer genetic material to nearby animals

The electric eel is the biggest power-making creature on Earth. It can release up to 860 volts, which is enough to run a machine. In a recent study, a research group from Nagoya University in Japan found electric eels can release enough electricity to genetically modify small fish larvae. They...

phys.org

Speaking of...

Nature inspires a new wave of biotechnology

Biological molecules called peptides play a key role in many biological activities, including the transport of oxygen and electrons. Peptides consist of short chains of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. They are also the inspiration for new kinds of biotechnology.

phys.org

New enzyme allows CRISPR technologies to accurately target almost all human genes

A team of engineers at Duke University have developed a method to broaden the reach of CRISPR technologies. While the original CRISPR system could only target 12.5% of the human genome, the new method expands access to nearly every gene to potentially target and treat a broader range of diseases...

phys.org

Breakthrough in the synthesis of artificial cells

A study published in Nature Chemistry reveals a remarkable leap in the synthesis of artificial cells using synthetic materials, which was achieved by an international team led by Dr. Andrea Belluati, Prof. Nico Bruns (both TU Darmstadt) and Dr. Sètuhn Jimaja (University of Fribourg).

phys.org

Altering the behavior of living mice by editing genes in the brain

Researchers at Fudan University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China, have conducted whole-brain genome editing targeted to correct a single-base mutation associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in mice.

medicalxpress.com

https://phys.org/news/2023-12-health-zombie-cells-aging.html (biology and med)

Human intelligence: it’s how your brain is wired rather than size that matters

Human brains are bigger than those of our primate relatives, but evidence from extinct human ancestors suggests brain size isn't everything.

www.bbc.com

Study shows exoskeletons of insects become stronger when raised under higher mechanical load

Scientists from the Hochschule Bremen (HSB)—City University of Applied Sciences used a centrifuge to show that the exoskeletons of insects become stronger when they are raised under higher mechanical load. This fundamental knowledge is important to better understand the evolution of cuticle...

phys.org

Engineering customizable bio-adhesives for personalized medical repair

Traditional medical adhesives used in surgical applications often have limited bio-absorbability, high toxicity and a lack of customizability, leading to suboptimal surgical outcomes. Recent advances in synthetic biology offer a promising alternative—tailored biocompatible and biodegradable...

phys.org

One-step synthesis of Janus hydrogel

Janus adhesive hydrogels hold promising applications across health care fields. Nevertheless, a simple method to synthesize the material had yet to be bioengineered in the lab.

phys.org

Ultralight ultrafast enzymes: Isotopes more powerful than previously thought

In a recently published study in Angewandte Chemie International Edition, researchers at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics (MBB) at Karolinska Institutet have questioned the old paradigm surrounding isotopes of light elements—carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. These...

phys.org

The brain can exhibit signs of consciousness long after the heart stops, study finds

A study revealed that one-third of cardiac arrest survivors experienced consciousness, with EEG showing brain activity despite heart stoppage. This groundbreaking finding challenges current understandings of brain function during cardiac emergencies.

www.psypost.org

On our minds

The logic underlying recurrent activity in the primary visual cortex

In mammals, the perception of visual stimuli is supported by the coordinated activity of thousands of neurons in different brain regions. The images perceived by the eyes are represented in the brain, passing various steps through which representations are increasingly refined.

medicalxpress.com

Drumstick

Amazing Fossil Preserves Teenage Tyrannosaur’s Last Meal

Stomach contents from a juvenile Gorgosaurus reveal it feasted on small, bird-like species 75 million years ago

www.smithsonianmag.com

Watch: 'Beyond rare' white alligator born at Florida park - UPI.com

An alligator park in Florida announced the rare hatching of a solid white leucistic alligator at the facility.

www.upi.com

Weather and climate:

Acoustic monitoring shows surprising resilience of subtropical forests to extreme weather, but climate change looms

If a tree falls in a forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) have answered this question by remotely recording the soundscapes of Okinawan forests, allowing them to track how...

phys.org

The ocean may be storing more carbon than estimated in earlier studies

The ocean's capacity to store atmospheric carbon dioxide is some 20% greater than the estimates contained in the latest IPCC report. These are the findings of a study published in the journal Nature led by an international team including a biologist from the CNRS. The scientists looked at the...

phys.org

Jet stream will get faster as climate change continues, study finds

A new study in Nature Climate Change takes one of the first deep dives into how climate change will affect the fastest jet streams—the powerful, narrow winds in the upper atmosphere that steer much of the Earth's weather systems and are connected to outbreaks of severe weather.

phys.org

Wind of (climate) change: Himalayan glaciers react, blow cold winds down their slopes

Himalayan Glaciers fight back to preserve themselves, but for how long? An international team of researchers, co-led by Professor Francesca Pellicciotti of the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), explains a stunning phenomenon: rising global temperatures have led Himalayan...

phys.org

Research finds marine bacteria, atmospheric rivers can contribute to formation of ice clouds

Understanding cloud formation in polar regions is essential to discern the influence of solar radiation on the polar ice caps. Existing numerical models, however, struggle to replicate ice clouds accurately. Now, using real-world observations and climate data, researchers from Japan have found...

phys.org

Study suggests climate played a crucial role in human migration from Africa

About 6 million years ago, in the deep forests of eastern Africa, something spectacular happened. Chimpanzees, our closest relative in the animal kingdom, evolved in one direction, while our earliest ancestors continued in another.

phys.org

Researchers: The climate change we caused is here for at least 50,000 years—and probably far longer

In February 2000, Paul Crutzen rose to speak at the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme in Mexico. And when he spoke, people took notice. He was then one of the world's most cited scientists, a Nobel laureate working on huge-scale problems—the ozone hole, the effects of a nuclear winter.

phys.org

Improving thunderstorm prediction by watching lightning flashes from space

In a study published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences (AAS) on Dec. 6, Prof. Ming Xue and his team from the University of Oklahoma spearhead research focusing on harnessing the power of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite "R-series" (GOES-R) lightning flash observations to...

phys.org

Why regional differences in global warming are critical

Tiny fossils in marine sediments verify that climate models provide accurate calculations of average ocean temperatures during the last glacial maximum around 20,000 years ago, but that the spatial distribution of simulated temperatures is too uniform and thus only partially valid for predicting...

phys.org

Strange burn: New research identifies unique patterns in Utah wildfires

For a century fire ecologists have worked to decipher a complex question—what does a "normal'' wildfire year look like in the West? That's a hard question to answer for many reasons, but new research from a team in the Quinney College of Natural Resources shows that thanks to the state's unique...

phys.org

Current carbon dioxide levels last seen 14 million years ago

The last time carbon dioxide in the atmosphere consistently matched today's human-driven levels was 14 million years ago, according to a large new study Thursday that paints a grim picture of where Earth's climate is headed.

phys.org

Red sprites are best seen from space

Planet Earth is full of some truly awe-inspiring spectacles, but few are as intriguing as sprites, which are officially known as a transient luminous event (TLE) and consist of large-scale electric discharges that shoot upward while occurring above the cloud tops in the Earth's mesosphere at...

phys.org

Exploring the limitations of asteroid crater lakes as climate archives

In southern Germany just north of the Danube, there lies a large circular depression between the hilly surroundings: the Nördlinger Ries. Almost 15 million years ago, an asteroid struck this spot. Today, the impact crater is one of the most useful analogs for asteroid craters on early Mars.

phys.org

Colossal 'Megaberg' Twice the Size of Greater London Caught on Camera | Coast to Coast AM

The British Antarctic Survey recently unveiled remarkable footage showing the mammoth iceberg, catalogued as A23a, heading to the Southern Ocean.

www.coasttocoastam.com

Mars

250-Mile-High View of Mars Catches Glimpse of a Mystery Lurking in Orbit Above the Red Planet (Images) - The Debrief

An uncommon view of the Martian horizon obtained by NASA's Odyssey orbiter has caught a glimpse of one of the greatest Red Planet mysteries.

thedebrief.org

On being alone

Alone but not lonely: How solitude boosts well-being

New research from the University of Reading sheds light on the complex relationship between time spent alone and mental health. The study, published in Scientific Reports, reveals that solitude has both benefits and costs for well-being.

medicalxpress.com

Being child-free has been deemed 'selfish' for decades—the history of this misconception explained

Choosing to be child-free is more common than ever before in some countries, including the US. Many people see not having children an ethical and ecological choice, made to protect the environment, people and other species. Being child-free is about being "green". Consequently, more positive...

phys.org

A professor says science shows free will doesn't exist. Here's why he's mistaken

It seems like we have free will. Most of the time, we are the ones who choose what we eat, how we tie our shoelaces and what articles we read on The Conversation.

phys.org

Study finds visions of nonphysical world are common among cognitively healthy Ojibwe individuals

Visual hallucinations are common among people with Lewy body dementia and other types of dementia. Identifying visual hallucinations is an important component of a wide variety of medical and psychiatric diagnoses and treatments, but without cultural context, some patients' symptoms can be...

medicalxpress.com

Temple linked to Hercules and Alexander the Great discovered in ancient megacity in Iraq

Archaeologists have discovered two temples, one buried atop the other, in the ancient megacity of Girsu in Iraq. One temple is linked to Hercules and Alexander the Great.

www.livescience.com

The weird materials behind sustainable furniture

Seaweed, coffee bean shells and fungus are all being employed to cut the use of plastic in furniture.

www.bbc.com

Fight for your right to Science

Science is a human right—and its future is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Dec. 10 marks the anniversary of the 1948 signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations in the aftermath of the Holocaust. Though contested, imperfect and unfulfilled, the declaration remains a milestone in human civilization as one of the earliest times the...

phys.org

Unite

New theory claims to unite Einstein's gravity with quantum mechanics

A radical theory that consistently unifies gravity and quantum mechanics while preserving Einstein's classical concept of spacetime has been announced in two papers published simultaneously by UCL (University College London) physicists.

phys.org

Happy Holidays

Unusual Christmas Ornaments Make the Holidays Weird and Wonderful

From a homemade Harry Potter garden gnome to a vintage scary clown ornament, readers share their favorites.

www.atlasobscura.com

 

[publiusr]

Large tornadoes today

https://twitter.com/x/status/1733623462579544303

View: https://twitter.com/rawsalerts/status/1733623462579544303?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1733623462579544303%7Ctwgr%5E9aeb13be1273efa6a4c5dc76542603c6aaebc845%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.americanwx.com%2Fbb%2Findex.php%3Fapp%3Dcoremodule%3Dsystemcontroller%3Dembedurl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Frawsalerts%2Fstatus%2F1733623462579544303

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=J_wRpTHsnFo&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.trekbbs.com%2F&embeds_referring_origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trekbbs.com&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY&feature=emb_logo

Airport struck

Tn Valley Severe Weather

www.americanwx.com

Science

Slight male navigational advantage likely due to cultural differences, researchers find

A team of psychologists, social scientists, philosophers and evolutionary researchers affiliated with multiple institutions in the U.S. has found evidence suggesting that the slight advantage males have in navigation ability is likely due to differences in the ways male and female children are...

phys.org

Study suggests that physical processes can have hidden neural network-like abilities

We tend to separate the brain and the muscle—the brain does the thinking; the muscle does the doing. The brain takes in complex information about the world and makes decisions, and the muscle merely executes. This has also shaped how we think about a single cell; some molecules within cells are...

phys.org

Study reveals a universal pattern of brain wave frequencies across mammalian species

Throughout the brain's cortex, neurons are arranged in six distinctive layers, which can be readily seen with a microscope. A team of MIT neuroscientists has now found that these layers also show distinct patterns of electrical activity, which are consistent over many brain regions and across...

medicalxpress.com

DNA becomes our 'hands' to construct advanced polyhedral nanoparticles

In a paper published in Science Jan. 18, scientists Chad Mirkin and Sharon Glotzer and their teams at Northwestern University and University of Michigan, respectively, present findings in nanotechnology that could impact the way advanced materials are made.

phys.org

Study provides rare field-based evidence of opportunistic cannibalism in mini marsupial

The mouse-sized marsupial famed for its mighty mating until it dies has now been observed eating its own dead.

phys.org

Theoretical research offers explanation as to why some animals shrink over time

The mystery behind why Alaskan horses, cryptodiran turtles and island lizards shrank over time may have been solved in a new study.

phys.org

Study uncovers mechanics of machete-like 'tail-whipping' in thresher sharks

Like Indiana Jones, thresher sharks (Alopias spp.) have mastered the art of the whip using their tails. With incredible speed, their long, machete-like tails can slap and stun their prey, allowing them to swallow multiple fish in one fell swoop. Their exceptionally elongated tail, which can...

phys.org

Meta-analysis seeks to explain why dogs wag their tails

A team of biologists, life scientists and animal researchers affiliated with several institutions across Europe and one in the U.S., has conducted a meta-analysis of dog tail wagging to find out if the combined efforts of multiple research efforts might explain the behavior. In their paper...

phys.org

Reefs

Not all underwater reefs are made of coral—the US has created artificial reefs from sunken ships, radio towers and more

When people hear about underwater reefs, they usually picture colorful gardens created from coral. But some reefs are anchored to much more unusual foundations.

phys.org

Misc:

Despite intensive scientific analyses, this centaur head remains a mystery

At the National Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark, there is a marble head that was once part of the ancient Greek Parthenon temple on the Acropolis in Athens. The head originally belonged to a centaur figure and was part of a scene depicting the Greek mythological Lapiths' battle against the...

phys.org

Don't look back: The aftermath of a distressing event is more memorable than the lead-up, study suggests

Halfway through a true crime podcast, a morning commuter jerks the wheel to narrowly avoid a collision. When discussing the podcast with a coworker later that day, the driver can easily recall the details of the episode's second half but retains only a blurry recollection of how it began.

medicalxpress.com

Research uncovers mechanism behind stubborn memories

Researchers from the Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit at the University of Oxford and the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences have identified a novel mechanism by which the brain produces powerful, lasting memories that drive ill-advised actions.

medicalxpress.com

What's going on in our brains when we plan? Study uncovers how mental simulations rely on stored memories

In pausing to think before making an important decision, we may imagine the potential outcomes of different choices we could make. While this "mental simulation" is central to how we plan and make decisions in everyday life, how the brain works to accomplish this is not well understood.

medicalxpress.com

biology news

Using AI to decode dog vocalizations

Have you ever wished you could understand what your dog is trying to say to you? University of Michigan researchers are exploring the possibilities of AI, developing tools that can identify whether a dog's bark conveys playfulness or aggression.

techxplore.com

Study shows selective breeding has constrained communication abilities in domestic dogs compared to wolves

A study from researchers at Durham University has found that the process of domestication and selective breeding has limited the ability of domestic dogs to use facial expressions to convey effective states (emotions) as effectively as their wolf ancestors.

phys.org

The first example of cellular origami discovered in protist

Combining a deep curiosity and "recreational biology," Stanford researchers have discovered how a simple cell produces remarkably complex behavior, all without a nervous system. It's origami, they say.

phys.org

Researchers solve 2,000-year-old mystery of the destructive shipworm

They bedeviled ancient Greek navies, helped shipwreck Christopher Columbus, aided in the sinking of the Spanish Armada and caused the wharves in San Francisco Bay to collapse into the sea, but until now, scientists have been unable to pinpoint exactly how shipworms—a family of mollusks—are able...

phys.org

Flapping frequency of birds, insects, bats and whales predicted with just body mass and wing area

A single universal equation can closely approximate the frequency of wingbeats and fin strokes made by birds, insects, bats and whales, despite their different body sizes and wing shapes, Jens Højgaard Jensen and colleagues from Roskilde University in Denmark report in a new study published in...

phys.org

Marsupials key to discovering the origin of heater organs in mammals

Around 100 million years ago, a remarkable evolutionary shift allowed placental mammals to diversify and conquer many cold regions of our planet. New research from Stockholm University shows that the typical mammalian heater organ, brown fat, evolved exclusively in modern placental mammals. The...

phys.org

Food, not sex, drove the evolution of giraffes' long neck, new study finds

Why do giraffes have such long necks? A study led by Penn State biologists explores how this trait might have evolved and lends new insight into this iconic question. The reigning hypothesis is that competition among males influenced neck length, but the research team found that female giraffes...

phys.org

Schooling fish expend less energy in turbulent water compared to solitary swimmers, study finds

Swimming through turbulent water is easier for schooling fish compared to solitary swimmers, according to a study published June 6 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Yangfan Zhang of Harvard University, Massachusetts, US, and colleagues.

phys.org

Tiny roundworms carve out unique parasitic niche inside pseudoscorpion's protective covering

The early worm gets the arachnid, fossil research by an Oregon State University scientist has shown. In a parasitic first, a Baltic amber specimen has revealed that millions of years ago, tiny worms known as nematodes were living inside of and feeding on the outer protective layer of...

phys.org

Giant skull of Australian megafauna bird reveals a prehistoric 'giga-goose'

After 128 years of exploration, fossil excavation and investigation, Flinders University researchers have finally uncovered the skull of Australia's own giant and charismatic megafauna bird—Genyornis newtoni.

phys.org

Gigantic Jurassic pterosaur fossil unearthed in Oxfordshire, UK

A team of paleontologists has discovered a fossil of a gigantic flying reptile from the Jurassic period with an estimated wingspan of more than three meters—making it one of the largest pterosaurs ever found from that era.

phys.org

Mean magpies tend to be less intelligent, research suggests

Magpies that are aggressive towards other members of their group tend to be not so smart, according to researchers at The University of Western Australia.

phys.org

New analysis sheds light on Idaho's state dinosaur

New findings from an Idaho State University paleontologist are answering some questions about Idaho's State Dinosaur and raising a few more.

phys.org

Three boys found a T. rex fossil in North Dakota. Now a Denver museum works to fully reveal it

Two young brothers and their cousin were wandering through a fossil-rich stretch of the North Dakota badlands when they made a discovery that left them "completely speechless": a T. rex bone poking out of the ground.

phys.org

New analytical tool can improve understanding of heritable human traits and diseases

Researchers from the University of Oslo have developed an innovative method to improve our understanding of heritable human traits and diseases. The analytical tool, called GSA-MiXeR, is designed to make sense of genetic data by focusing on the role of individual genes, and how groups of genes...

medicalxpress.com

Scientists identify 'missing piece' required for blood stem cell self-renewal

UCLA scientists have identified a protein that plays a critical role in regulating human blood stem cell self-renewal by helping them sense and interpret signals from their environment.

phys.org

Scientists push single-molecule DNA sequencing to the next level

In recent years, technologies that allow scientists to study a person's DNA at single-molecule resolution have vastly expanded our knowledge of the human genome, the microbiome, and the genetic basis of disease. With such a detailed view of DNA, it's possible to see genetic variants and...

phys.org

Scientists develop new method to match genes to their molecular 'switches'

Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have developed a new computational method for linking molecular marks on our DNA to gene activity. Their work may help researchers connect genes to the molecular "switches" that turn them on or off.

phys.org

Engineering cells to broadcast their behavior can help scientists study their inner workings

Waves are ubiquitous in nature and technology. Whether it's the rise and fall of ocean tides or the swinging of a clock's pendulum, the predictable rhythms of waves create a signal that is easy to track and distinguish from other types of signals.

phys.org

Study indicates people underuse their visual working memory

People tend to underutilize their visual working memory (VWM) rather than maxing out its capabilities, according to a new study by Ben-Gurion University researchers.

medicalxpress.com

Study finds timing of brain waves shapes the words we hear

The timing of our brain waves shapes how we perceive our environment. We are more likely to perceive events when their timing coincides with the timing of relevant brain waves. Lead scientist Sanne ten Oever and her co-authors set out to determine whether neural timing also shapes speech...

medicalxpress.com

New drug shows promise in easing chronic pain, study finds

A team of researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Virginia have made progress toward developing a drug candidate for treating chronic pain more safely.

medicalxpress.com

 

[GTX]

Large tornadoes today

https://twitter.com/x/status/1733623462579544303

View: https://twitter.com/rawsalerts/status/1733623462579544303?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1733623462579544303%7Ctwgr%5E9aeb13be1273efa6a4c5dc76542603c6aaebc845%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.americanwx.com%2Fbb%2Findex.php%3Fapp%3Dcoremodule%3Dsystemcontroller%3Dembedurl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Frawsalerts%2Fstatus%2F1733623462579544303

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=J_wRpTHsnFo&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.trekbbs.com%2F&embeds_referring_origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trekbbs.com&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY&feature=emb_logo

Airport struck

Tn Valley Severe Weather

www.americanwx.com

How does this fit into this topic?

 

[Richard N]

Why Is The Wing Broken On Some Planes - How a 'Dog Tooth' Makes Wings Work Better.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M68L-KNIKvU

 

[southwestforests]

How does this fit into this topic?

Well, the staff member who started this thread said, "26 March 2023 Just a thread for cool science, not necessarily related to military or aerospace projects." & it would seem that the recent poster finds tornado science to be cool science.

Now, granted, my observation may or may not be impartial since the tornado hit about a mile from where my brother lives in Clarksville after retiring from Army at Fort Campbell.

 

[publiusr]

I always found something cosmic about vortices…
—and explosions

https://www.reddit.com/r/oddlysatisfying/comments/18f4v50

View: https://www.reddit.com/r/oddlysatisfying/comments/18f4v50/science_teacher_making_things_go_boom/

On weather

New satellite capable of measuring Earth precipitation from space

Measuring the amount of precipitation that falls in a specific location is simple if that location has a device designed to accurately record and transmit precipitation data. In contrast, measuring the amount and type of precipitation that falls to Earth in every location is logistically quite...

phys.org

Global warming found to have a bigger effect on compact, fast-moving typhoons

A research group from Nagoya University in Japan has found that larger, slower-moving typhoons are more likely to be resilient against global warming. However, compact, faster-moving storms are more likely to be sensitive. These findings suggest an improved method to project the strength of...

phys.org

New tool predicts flood risk from hurricanes in a warming climate

Coastal cities and communities will face more frequent major hurricanes with climate change in the coming years. To help prepare coastal cities against future storms, MIT scientists have developed a method to predict how much flooding a coastal community is likely to experience as hurricanes...

phys.org

When floodwater reaches the sea, it can leave a 50-meter-thick layer of brown water, and cause real problems

Over this wet summer, Melburnians and Sydneysiders have had to think twice about cooling off at their local beach. Heavy rainfall has swollen rivers and pumped pollutants, nutrients and murky fresh water far out to sea. Swimmers at Port Phillip Bay beaches are emerging coated in brown goo, while...

phys.org

Manned submersible finds a fault scarp of the 2011 Tohoku-oki megaquake in the Japan Trench

On September 4, 2022, Hayato Ueda, a geologist at Niigata University, boarded a submarine vehicle with pilot, Chris May, and took a dive into the Japan Trench within the epicenter area of the 2011 Tohoku-oki megaquake, which caused the devastating tsunami disaster.

phys.org

Clusters of atmospheric rivers are costlier than expected

Early in 2023, a series of storms dumped record-breaking amounts of rain and snow across California. Flooding, power outages, and mudslides from the deluge resulted in 21 deaths and more than $3 billion in losses.

phys.org

New animation shows track of giant A23a iceberg

Scientists at British Antarctic Survey are using satellite images to track the colossal iceberg A23a.

phys.org

Mode-S aircraft observations being used again to improve forecasts

The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) has started to use Mode-S aircraft observations again to improve the quality of forecasts after this type of data was found to be used in too large numbers during the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

phys.org

Predicting chaotic weather systems is probability, not certainty

What happened to the scorching El Niño summer we were bracing for? Why has the east coast of Australia been drenched while the north and west gets the heat?

phys.org

Humans after all

Can you build muscle in old age? Yes, and an expert has tips

If you're in your 60s, 70s or even older, you might think your days of productively pumping iron are behind you.

medicalxpress.com

Eating, socializing or exploring: How the brain switches between different behaviors

How does our brain switch between different behaviors? A new study has now provided the first answers to this key question in neuroscience. Using mice, the researchers investigated electrical activity in a certain area within the brain. Results were then analyzed with the help of an adaptive...

medicalxpress.com

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-03-functional-mri-scans-view-brain.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-03-brain-people-surgery-reveal-minds.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-03-ear-languages-rhythms.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-03-bilingual-child-language-knowledge.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-03-atlas-date-human-blood-stem.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-03-opto-osteoclasts-bone.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-03-scientists-coin-sized-device-rapidly.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-03-scientists-publish-individual-cells-viral.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-03-spatial-profiling-approach-discoveries-future.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-03-women-men-decisions-short-term.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-03-unraveling-sixth-explores-brain-body.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-03-scientists-reveal-chemical-analysis-neural.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-03-odor-sensor-male-female-differences.html

Med-watch

Physicists develop modeling software to study biological membranes at the mesoscale

Researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen and University of Southern Denmark have recently published FreeDTS—a shared software package designed to model and study biological membranes at the mesoscale—the scale "in between" the larger macro level and smaller micro level.

phys.org

Researchers explain the dissimilar smells of babies and teenagers

A team of aroma chemists at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, working with psychologist colleagues from the Technical University of Dresden, has uncovered the reasons for the dissimilar smells between babies and teenagers. The study is published in the journal Communications...

phys.org

Scientists uncover new secrets to natural appetite control, offering promise in the battle against obesity

In a study, just published in Nature Metabolism, scientists from Trinity College Dublin and Princeton and Harvard Medical School share newly uncovered secrets to natural appetite control, which offers promise in the battle against obesity and type-2 diabetes.

medicalxpress.com

Snakebites: We thought we'd created a winning new antivenom but then it flopped. Why that turned out to be a good thing

Snakebites kill over 100,000 people each year, and hundreds of thousands of survivors are left with long-term disabilities such as amputations.

phys.org

People who are 'double jointed' may be at heightened risk of long COVID, says study

People who are "double-jointed," a condition formally known as generalized joint hypermobility, may be at heightened risk of long COVID, suggests a case-control study published in the open access journal BMJ Public Health.

medicalxpress.com

Swallowable sensors could pinpoint gut movement problems for patients

Scientists have developed an ingestible capsule dotted with sensors that can detect pressure in a patient's guts and detect points of failure.

medicalxpress.com

New analysis offers policy solutions for intensive care crisis in rural America

A new policy analysis led by the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute describes the intensive care crisis in rural America and provides a comprehensive policy solution to bolster intensive care capacity.

medicalxpress.com

Artificial mucus identifies link to tumor formation

During cold and flu season, excess mucus is a common, unpleasant symptom of illness, but the slippery substance is essential to human health. To better understand its many roles, researchers synthesized the major component of mucus, the sugar-coated proteins called mucins, and discovered that...

phys.org

Weight loss caused by common diabetes drug tied to 'anti-hunger' molecule in study

An "anti-hunger" molecule produced after vigorous exercise is responsible for the moderate weight loss caused by the diabetes medication metformin, according to a new study in mice and humans. The molecule, lac-phe, was discovered by Stanford Medicine researchers in 2022.

medicalxpress.com

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-prototype-lenses-block-epileptic-seizure.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-generation-nature-sunscreens-molecular-scaffold.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-11-discovery-pain-contribute-treatment-chronic.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-11-early-skeleton-reveals-bones-humans.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-previously-unknown-compound.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-3d-snapshots-unveil-intricate-rna.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-11-imaging-method-enables-rna-analysis.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-method-ai-artificial-proteins.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-11-poor-mental-health-linked-browsing.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-11-method-brain-imaging-accessible-psychiatric.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-11-barriers-safely-insights-focused-ultrasound.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-11-large-scale-genetic-genes-linked.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-11-clinically-validated-wearable-ultrasound-patch.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-11-fat-cells-epigenetics-based-memory.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-11-spironolactone-blood-pressure-medication-heart.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-viscosity-materials-key-cell-differentiation.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-exploring-diet-shifts-reveal-hidden.html

Biology

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-animal-movements-scientists-fish-schools.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-marine-worms-regenerate-lost-body.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-fossil-discovery-reveals-giant-worm.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-tiny-worm-complexity-biological.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-tiny-worm-big-evolutionary-discovery.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-quack-underwater-coast-zealand-80s.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-ankylosaurid-dinosaur-unearthed-china-species.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-fossil-reveals-evolution-flying-reptiles.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-heart-cockles-windows-shells-symbiotic.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-superior-photosynthesis-abilities-key-climate.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-bit-bling-insects-dazzle-predators.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-dinosaur-drumsticks-ray-videos-3d.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-reveals-cell-habituation-simple.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-animals-differently-moonlight.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-imaging-approach-scientists-microbial-adhesive.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-gene-reverses-insecticide-resistance-pests.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-11-gel-coatings-easier-fiber-rich.html

drug-scares

Report finds 'false positive' field drug tests lead to wrongful convictions

A new research report providing the first-ever comprehensive analysis of presumptive drug field test usage across law enforcement agencies in the United States has been released by the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

phys.org

Scientists increase the solubility of an effective antidepressant by a factor of 1,600

The anti-anxiety drug diazepam causes side effects: drowsiness, confusion, and nausea. The same applies to the antidepressant amitriptyline. A possible solution to the problem could be a new compound, GML-3. It simultaneously exhibits the anti-anxiety activity of diazepam and the antidepressant...

phys.org

On Education

Passive exposure can speed up learning, new research shows

Learning a new skill takes deliberate practice over time, but passive exposure to the subject matter at hand can help speed up the process, new University of Oregon research in mice suggests.

medicalxpress.com

Writing by hand may increase brain connectivity more than typing on a keyboard

As digital devices progressively replace pen and paper, taking notes by hand is becoming increasingly uncommon in schools and universities. Using a keyboard is recommended because it's often faster than writing by hand. However, the latter has been found to improve spelling accuracy and memory...

medicalxpress.com

The hidden impact of virtual communication for student teams

Higher education classrooms are increasingly becoming more virtual, as even students who attend in-person classes are opting to use virtual communication when working on team assignments. New research that examined the team dynamics of undergraduate students finds that instructors often overlook...

phys.org

Learning to read in another language is tough: How Namibian teachers can help kids

In a classroom in Namibia's northern Oshikoto region, a teacher has written English vocabulary words on the chalkboard. She asks her learners to read them aloud. When they stumble with pronunciation, she corrects them. She also helps the youngsters to sound out words. At another school nearby...

phys.org

Works of poetry, fiction and nonfiction receive $10,000 "Science + Literature" awards

A poetry collection, a coming-of-age novel and a history of deep sea exploration are unlikely to be found in the same section of your favorite bookstore. But they all have enough in common to be this year's winners of Science + Literature awards, $10,000 prizes administered by the National Book...

phys.org

First trillionaire?

The world could soon see its first trillionaire. But how to measure the net worth of the ultra-rich?

A recent Oxfam International report found that the world's ultra-rich are getting vastly richer—so much so that the first trillionaire is due within a decade.

phys.org

 

[GTX]

Well, the staff member who started this thread said, "26 March 2023 Just a thread for cool science, not necessarily related to military or aerospace projects." & it would seem that the recent poster finds tornado science to be cool science.

Now, granted, my observation may or may not be impartial since the tornado hit about a mile from where my brother lives in Clarksville after retiring from Army at Fort Campbell.

Just showing videos/warnings of tornadoes hardly constitutes "Science". An article talking about breakthroughs in predicting or understanding or similar might be, but I don't see anything like that

 

[jsport]

Scientists Preparing to Turn on Computer Intended to Simulate Entire Human Brain

Researchers have teamed up with Intel and Dell to build a massive supercomputer that can simulate networks at the scale of the human brain.

futurism.com

 

[Richard N]

The First Global Satellite Constellations - How Iridium & Globalstar Changed The World

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP0VKd66Jyc

 

[publiusr]

Gigahertz pulses wrangled

Research team develops optical technique for simultaneously producing and shaping gigahertz burst pulses

The generation and manipulation of high-repetition pulses hold great promise across various applications, including high-speed photography, laser processing, and acoustic wave generation. Gigahertz (GHz) burst pulses, with intervals ranging from ~0.01 to ~10 nanoseconds, are particularly valued...

phys.org

'Teleporting' images across a network securely using only light

Nature Communications published research by an international team from Wits and ICFO- The Institute of Photonic Sciences, which demonstrates the teleportation-like transport of "patterns" of light—this is the first approach that can transport images across a network without physically sending...

phys.org

Shock wave

Shock wave photographed passing through a single cell with improved nanosecond imaging technology

A microscopic shock wave has been photographed passing through a single biological cell, thanks to a new photography technique. Nanosecond photography uses ultrafast electronic cameras to take images at the speed of a billionth of a second. However, image quality and exposure time are typically...

phys.org

Music that heals

Three potentially unique acoustic features of healing music that transcend genre identified

There are three potentially unique acoustic features of healing music that transcend musical genres, suggests research published in the open access journal General Psychiatry.

medicalxpress.com

Vision sensors

Computational event-driven vision sensors that convert motion into spiking signals

Neuromorphic vision sensors are unique sensing devices that automatically respond to environmental changes, such as a different brightness in their surrounding environment. These sensors mimic the functioning of the human nervous system, artificially replicating the ability of sensory neurons to...

techxplore.com

Decoding images

Images hidden in noise revealed by a quantum-inspired phase-imaging method

Researchers at the University of Warsaw's Faculty of Physics with colleagues from Stanford University and Oklahoma State University have introduced a quantum-inspired phase-imaging method based on light intensity correlation measurements that is robust to phase noise.

phys.org

Illusions

Power of illusion can help with learning new movements

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University showed that visual aids that create the illusion of movement, like a screen placed in front of one's hand showing the hand move, can improve motor performance and the early stages of motor learning. Compared to observing third-person motions...

medicalxpress.com

Saving solar

Researchers find they can stop degradation of promising solar cell materials

Georgia Tech materials engineers have unraveled the mechanism that causes degradation of a promising new material for solar cells—and they've been able to stop it using a thin layer of molecules that repels water.

techxplore.com

Severe weather followed by snow

Snowflake accelerations mysteriously follow a predictable pattern

A winter wonderland calls to mind piles of fluffy, glistening snow. But to reach the ground, snowflakes are swept into the turbulent atmosphere, swirling through the air instead of plummeting directly to the ground.

phys.org

Global warming intensifies typhoon-induced extreme precipitation over East Asia

Last year, Typhoon Hinnamnor, which caused 36 fatalities, gained notoriety as the first super typhoon that developed at a high latitude as 25°N since Korea Meteorological Administration records began. This year in Osong, Chungcheongbuk-do, an unanticipated intense downpour caused rivers to...

phys.org

Researchers shed new light on how fog forms in mountainous areas

Of the world's various weather phenomena, fog is perhaps the most mysterious, forming and dissipating near the ground with fluctuations in air temperature and humidity interacting with the terrain itself.

phys.org

Giant bacteria

Giant bacterium powers itself with unique processes

Not all bacteria are created equal. Most are single-celled and tiny, a few ten-thousandths of a centimeter long. But bacteria of the Epulopiscium family are large enough to be seen with the naked eye and 1 million times the volume of their better-known cousins, E. coli.

phys.org

Biology news

Can we decode the language of our primate cousins?

A UNIGE team shows that the human brain is capable of identifying the vocalizations of certain primate species, if they are close to us and if the frequencies used are also close to our own.

phys.org

Research shows that sniffing women's tears reduces aggressive behavior in men

New research, published in PLOS Biology, shows that tears from women contain chemicals that block aggression in men. The study led by Shani Agron at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, finds that sniffing tears leads to reduced brain activity related to aggression, which results in less...

medicalxpress.com

Medical news

New way to prompt blood vessel growth shows promise for rescuing limbs at risk

Across the United States, about 2 million people are living with an amputation and another 185,000 amputations occur every year, according to the Amputee Coalition, a Washington DC-based support group. About 54% of these lost limbs were caused by vascular disease, including diabetes and...

medicalxpress.com

Coscientist

Meet 'Coscientist,' your AI lab partner: System succeeds in planning and carrying out real-world chemistry experiments

In less time than it will take you to read this article, an artificial intelligence-driven system was able to autonomously learn about certain Nobel Prize-winning chemical reactions and design a successful laboratory procedure to make them. The AI did all that in just a few minutes—and nailed it...

phys.org

Under pressure!

Researchers demonstrate how magnetism can be actively changed by pressure

Magnetism occurs depending on how electrons behave. For example, the elementary particles can generate an electric current with their charge and thereby induce a magnetic field. However, magnetism can also arise through the collective alignment of the magnetic moments (spins) in a material. What...

phys.org

Hydrothermal mercury: The natural story of a contaminant

An international team of researchers including scientists from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel has produced the first global estimate of mercury emissions from hydrothermal sources at mid-ocean ridges based on measurements.

phys.org

By the pricking of my thumbs

Analysis of ancient Scythian leather samples shows two were made from human skin

A multi-institutional team of anthropologists has discovered that two pieces of ancient Scythian leather excavated at sites in Ukraine were made from human skin. In their project, reported on the open-access site PLOS ONE, the group tested an account by the Greek historian Herodotus regarding...

phys.org

 

[publiusr]

Odd tech

Engineers invent octopus-inspired technology that can deceive and signal

With a split-second muscle contraction, the greater blue-ringed octopus can change the size and color of the namesake patterns on its skin for purposes of deception, camouflage and signaling. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have drawn inspiration from this natural wonder to...

phys.org

Scientists use high-tech brain stimulation to make people more hypnotizable

How deeply someone can be hypnotized—known as hypnotizability—appears to be a stable trait that changes little throughout adulthood, much like personality and IQ. But now, for the first time, Stanford Medicine researchers have demonstrated a way to temporarily heighten hypnotizablity—potentially...

medicalxpress.com

Eye signage in surgical theater areas has potential to decrease incivility

Australian researchers have successfully trialed a novel experiment to address offensive and rude comments in operating theaters by placing "eye" signage in surgical rooms.

medicalxpress.com

New England stone walls deserve a science of their own

The abandoned fieldstone walls of New England are every bit as iconic to the region as lobster pots, town greens, sap buckets and fall foliage. They seem to be everywhere—a latticework of dry, lichen-crusted stone ridges separating a patchwork of otherwise moist soils.

phys.org

Orange you glad...

Calculating the number of oranges that can be plucked from a fruit stand before it collapses

A small team of physicists and mechanical engineers from Universidad de Antofagasta, Universidad Autónoma de Chile and Universidad de O'Higgins, all in Chile, has found a way to find the stability points of granularly arranged monolayers in a single pile with tilted slopes.

phys.org

Atomic clock

Image: Micro-world within an atomic clock

What looks like an aerial shot of an alien landscape is actually a scanning electron microscope view of a test glass surface, acquired as part of a project to improve the lifetime of spaceborne atomic clocks, found at the heart of navigation satellites. Each sharp plasma-etched feature seen here...

phys.org

Human interest stories

The fate of novel ideas: Scholar investigates factors that thwart potential innovations from gaining acceptance

Innovation may be what drives progress in the arts, business, sciences and technology, but the novel ideas that drive innovation often face headwinds that hinder or even prevent their adoption.

phys.org

Neuroscientists identify 'chemical imprint of desire'

Hop in the car to meet your lover for dinner and a flood of dopamine— the same hormone underlying cravings for sugar, nicotine and cocaine—likely infuses your brain's reward center, motivating you to brave the traffic to keep that unique bond alive. But if that dinner is with a mere work...

medicalxpress.com

Moisture-resistant hairstyling agent: Development of a humidity-induced shape memory polymeric material

NIMS and Nihon L'Oréal K.K. have developed a shape memory polymeric material responsive to humidity. This innovative material, when applied to a person's hair and allowed to dry, serves as an exceptionally moisture-resistant hairstyling agent. The research was published in Advanced Materials...

phys.org

A more eco-friendly facial sheet mask that moisturizes, even though it's packaged dry

Starting a new year, many people pledge to enact self-care routines that improve their appearance. And facial sheet masks soaked in skin care ingredients provide an easy way to do this. However, these wet masks and their waterproof packaging often contain plastics and preservatives. A study in...

medicalxpress.com

Producing tears in a dish: Researchers develop first model of human conjunctiva

The Organoid group at the Hubrecht Institute produced the first organoid model of the human conjunctiva. These organoids mimic the function of the actual human conjunctiva, a tissue involved in tear production. Using their new model, the researchers discovered a new cell type in this tissue...

medicalxpress.com

AI discovers that not every fingerprint is unique

From "Law and Order" to "CSI," not to mention real life, investigators have used fingerprints as the gold standard for linking criminals to a crime. But if a perpetrator leaves prints from different fingers in two different crime scenes, these scenes are very difficult to link, and the trace can...

techxplore.com

Panel members for new psychiatric 'bible' received more than $14M from industry, analysis finds

Sixty percent of US physicians serving as panel and task force members for the American Psychiatric Association's official manual of psychiatric disorders received payments from industry totaling $14.24m, finds a study published by The BMJ.

medicalxpress.com

Psychoactive psilocybin's evolution in magic mushrooms

Psilocybe fungi, known colloquially as "magic mushrooms," have held deep significance in Indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica for centuries. They captured the wider world's attention as a psychedelic staple in the 60s and 70s. Now, these infamous organisms are at the forefront of a mental health...

phys.org

Here's why you should (almost) never use a pie chart for your data

Our lives are becoming increasingly data driven. Our phones monitor our time and internet usage and online surveys discern our opinions and likes. These data harvests are used for telling us how well we've slept or what we might like to buy.

phys.org

Church without God: How secular congregations fill a need for some nonreligious Americans

Shared testimonies, collective singing, silent meditation and baptism rituals—these are all activities you might find at a Christian church service on a Sunday morning in the United States. But what would it look like if atheists were gathering to do these rituals instead?

phys.org

Tactile lithophane development makes hard scientific data available to students with blindness

A first-of-its-kind tactile learning device developed by Baylor University chemistry professors to make science accessible to students with blindness or low vision (BLV) has opened the possibility of the transfer of any scientific data or images for sighted students into functional, thorough...

techxplore.com

Researchers demonstrate that quantum entanglement and topology are inextricably linked

For the first time, researchers have demonstrated the remarkable ability to perturb pairs of spatially separated yet interconnected quantum entangled particles without altering their shared properties.

phys.org

First ever scientific study on First World War crater reveals new details on its history

The spectacular explosion of the mine at Hawthorn Ridge—a fortified German front-line position in the First World War—marked the beginning of the Battle of the Somme, and remains one of the best-known pieces of film from the whole conflict.

phys.org

Influencers' vulnerabilities found to be a double-edged sword

The old adage states, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." But what if work in a kitchen pays the bills?

phys.org

Studying engineering is tough: Six insights to help university students succeed

Engineering courses are a popular choice among South African university students. But these courses are also grueling, and the attrition rates are high. The Council on Higher Education reports that half of the engineering students enrolled at South African universities do not complete their...

phys.org

Joking apart: What men and women find funny

Men rate visual jokes more highly than women do, whereas women prefer jokes that involve political commentary or the dynamics of close relationships, a new study of print cartoons dating from 1930-2010 finds.

phys.org

Study urges people to think twice before going on a diet

A new qualitative study highlights the negative interpersonal and psychological consequences associated with "yo-yo dieting," also known as weight cycling. The work underscores how toxic yo-yo dieting can be and how difficult it can be for people to break the cycle.

medicalxpress.com

Researchers use ancient DNA to map migration during the Roman Empire

Throughout the thousand-year reign of the Roman Empire, disparate populations began to connect in new ways—through trade routes, economic and political collaboration, and joint military endeavors. Now, an international team led by Stanford Medicine researchers has used genetic material from...

phys.org

Link found between cold snaps during Roman Empire era and pandemics

A team of geoscientists, Earth scientists and environmental scientists affiliated with several institutions in Germany, the U.S. and the Netherlands has found a link between cold snaps and pandemics during the Roman Empire.

phys.org

Under the skin: Bullying's hidden health effects

Intimidation at school is a widespread and worrying phenomenon being examined through psychology and genomics.

phys.org

Why urine is yellow

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2024/01/13/urine-yellow-enzyme-gut-microbiome/

bio-med

Researchers develop novel 'bone bandage' material for cracked bones

Bone regeneration is a complex process, and existing methods to aid regeneration including transplants and growth factor transmissions face limitations such as the high cost. But recently, a piezoelectric material that can promote the growth of bone tissue has been developed.

phys.org

New 4D imaging may detect poor pumping in deadly heart disease

In a new study published in iScience, Mayo Clinic researchers found that a novel 4D echo imaging method that measures cardiac strain may detect subtle changes in the heart's dysfunction during acute myocarditis, a deadly heart disease.

medicalxpress.com

Promising heart drugs identified by cutting-edge combo of machine learning, human learning

University of Virginia scientists have developed a new approach to machine learning—a form of artificial intelligence—to identify drugs that help minimize harmful scarring after a heart attack or other injuries. The findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of...

medicalxpress.com

New heart treatment could help the body grow a replacement valve

Replacement heart valves that grow inside the body are a step closer to reality following studies led by researchers at Imperial. The results are published in Communications Biology.

medicalxpress.com

Scientists see an ultra-fast movement on surface of HIV virus

As the HIV virus glides up outside a human cell to dock and possibly inject its deadly cargo of genetic code, there's a spectacularly brief moment in which a tiny piece of its surface snaps open to begin the process of infection.

medicalxpress.com

Researchers produce the first 3D-printed functional human brain tissue

A team of University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists has developed the first 3D-printed brain tissue that can grow and function like typical brain tissue.

medicalxpress.com

Jobs and geography may affect hearing: New study maps hearing loss by state and county across the US

The first study to map the prevalence of bilateral hearing loss in the United States by state and county finds that rates of hearing loss are higher among men, non-Hispanic whites, and residents of rural areas. Bilateral hearing loss is hearing loss in both ears.

medicalxpress.com

Mussel-inspired antimicrobial coating protects sanitary fabrics from contamination

Researchers from the UAB and the ICN2 have developed an innovative material to fight against the spread of pathogens, infections and antimicrobial resistance. Inspired by the substances secreted by mussels to adhere to rocks, it can be used as a coating to protect health care fabrics and...

phys.org

Scientists develop antiviral color nanocoating technology

Since the onset of COVID-19, we've become accustomed to seeing antiviral films attached to elevator buttons and public transportation handles. However, conventional antiviral films are made by mixing antiviral metal particles with polymers. Due to the manufacturing process, only a very small...

phys.org

Scientists successfully simulate protein complex that initiates fertilization

Researchers at ETH Zurich recently developed highly realistic simulations of the proteins on sperm and egg cells coupling together before they fuse. These findings enabled the research team to solve several mysteries of fertilization at once, which could help to accelerate development of more...

phys.org

Systemic US reforms needed to prevent mass death in the next pandemic

Ahead of the 2024 US presidential election, The BMJ has launched a forward-looking series that highlights the lessons that can be learned from the US's COVID-19 experience and the actions that are needed to prevent the loss of another million citizens in the next pandemic and improve and protect...

medicalxpress.com

Highly targeted CRISPR delivery system advances gene editing in living animals

Most approved gene therapies today, including those involving CRISPR-Cas9, work their magic on cells removed from the body, after which the edited cells are returned to the patient.

phys.org

3.5 billion-year-old hydrothermal vent sediments offers clues to life's origin

Researchers from The University of Western Australia examined 3.5 billion-year-old hydrothermal vent sediments and discovered clues about the origin and early evolution of life.

phys.org

'Genomic time machine' reveals secrets of our DNA

The human genome, an intricate tapestry of genetic information for life, has proven to be a treasure trove of strange features. Among them are segments of DNA that can "jump around" and move within the genome, known as "transposable elements" (TEs).

phys.org

The roles of genes and 3D genome folds in determining health

Whether we stay healthy or become seriously ill is determined by our genes. But also, the folding of our genome has a significant influence on this, as the 3D genome organization regulates which genes are switched on and off.

medicalxpress.com

New AI model designs proteins to deliver gene therapy

Researchers at the University of Toronto have used an artificial intelligence framework to redesign a crucial protein involved in the delivery of gene therapy.

phys.org

Evolutionary origin of mysterious immune system molecule in humans revealed

Biological systems can behave as siblings in several ways, including by borrowing something and never giving it back. That appears to be what the human immune system did with a protein that now helps bind and regulate the subunits that make up antibodies, according to a multi-institute research...

medicalxpress.com

bio

New technology visualizes embryo metabolism to improve IVF success

A new technology developed by the "Bioengineering in Reproductive Health" team at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) is able to visualize the metabolism of embryos obtained through in vitro fertilization in order to decide which are most likely to implant correctly in the...

medicalxpress.com

Engineers find a way to protect microbes from extreme conditions

Microbes that are used for health, agricultural, or other applications need to be able to withstand extreme conditions, and ideally the manufacturing processes used to make tablets for long-term storage. MIT researchers have now developed a new way to make microbes hardy enough to withstand...

phys.org

Getting bacteria into line: Physicists use magnetic fields to manipulate bacterial behavior

Researchers at Finland's Aalto University have found a way to use magnets to line up bacteria as they swim. The approach offers more than just a way to nudge bacteria into order—it also provides a useful tool for a wide range of research, such as work on complex materials, phase transitions and...

phys.org

Nanoscopic motor proteins in the brain build the physical structures of memory, study finds

The puzzle of memory has intrigued philosophers and intellects for a very long time. Plato and Aristotle believed that memory was found only in the realm of the soul and the mind, but there was nothing corporeal or physical about it. Memory is closely tied to our sense of self and subjective...

medicalxpress.com

Study discovers a 'brain thesaurus' that lets neurons derive meaning from spoken words

Using a novel technology for obtaining recordings from single neurons, a team of investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham health care system, discovered a microscopic "thesaurus" that reflects how word meanings are represented by neurons in...

medicalxpress.com

Small change in Earth's oxygen levels may have sparked huge evolutionary leap

New research provides the clearest evidence yet that the Cambrian explosion—a rapid burst of evolution 540 million years ago, could have been triggered by only a small increase in oxygen levels in Earth's atmosphere and shallow ocean waters.

phys.org

Re-engineering cancerous tumors to self-destruct and kill drug-resistant cells

Treating cancer can sometimes feel like a game of Whac-A-Mole. The disease can become resistant to treatment, and clinicians never know when, where and what resistance might emerge, leaving them one step behind. But a team led by Penn State researchers has found a way to reprogram disease...

medicalxpress.com

Why do you keep your house so cold? Study suggests childhood home temperature can predict adult thermostat settings

Childhood home temperature and community connectedness can help predict how U.S. residents set their thermostats, offering new ways to encourage energy conservation and combat climate change, according to a study published July 3 in the journal PLOS Climate by Dritjon Gruda from the National...

phys.org

New molecules to modulate gene expression

The correct functioning of cells relies heavily on the ability to finely control gene expression, a complex process by which the information contained in DNA is copied into RNA to eventually give rise to all the proteins and most of the regulatory molecules in the cell. If DNA can be imagined as...

phys.org

Energy landscape theory sheds light on evolution of foldable proteins

A new study led by Rice University's Peter Wolynes offers new insights into the evolution of foldable proteins. The research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

phys.org

Researchers capture never-before-seen view of gene transcription

Every living cell transcribes DNA into RNA. This process begins when an enzyme called RNA polymerase (RNAP) clamps onto DNA. Within a few hundred milliseconds, the DNA double helix unwinds to form a node known as the transcription bubble, so that one exposed DNA strand can be copied into a...

phys.org

Study finds brain stores motor memories differently based on decision uncertainty

A study published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour challenges the belief that identical physical actions are governed by the same motor memory, regardless of the decision-making process involved. Researchers from the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) and...

medicalxpress.com

Doctors could soon use facial temperature for early diagnosis of metabolic diseases

A colder nose and warmer cheeks may be a telltale sign of rising blood pressure. Researchers discovered that temperatures in different face regions are associated with various chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. These temperature differences are not easily perceptible by...

medicalxpress.com

Searching for the missing link between growth and longevity

Many scientists believe that in mammals, there's a tradeoff between growth and better health. Pugs, for example, are known to live longer than their larger counterpart in the dog world, the Great Dane. But a new study shows that when more energy is allocated to the creation of better cellular...

phys.org

Scientists turn white fat cells into calorie-burning beige fat

A new study shows that suppressing a protein turns ordinary fat into a calorie burner and may explain why drug trials attempting the feat haven't been successful.

medicalxpress.com

Research reveals self-organized processes govern cell movement

The UPV/EHU researcher Ildefonso Martínez de la Fuente has led an exhaustive analysis of the locomotion trajectories of 700 individual cells using advanced scientific techniques to demonstrate that their movements depend on a joint, self-organized action of practically all the physiological...

phys.org

Implantable microphone could lead to fully internal cochlear implants

Cochlear implants, tiny electronic devices that can provide a sense of sound to people who are deaf or hard of hearing, have helped improve hearing for more than a million people worldwide, according to the National Institutes of Health.

medicalxpress.com

Detachable cardiac pacing lead may improve safety for cardiac patients

In 2012, Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, died of post-surgery complications at the age of 82 following what should have been a routine heart surgery. Armstrong had undergone bypass surgery, the most common open-heart operation in the United States, and a surgery where the...

medicalxpress.com

Rethinking old reaction mechanisms to obtain drug-type molecules

Nitrogen is an important and abundant element on Earth. In fact, nitrogen in the gas state is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere. This element is in our body as part of our DNA and in the center of hemoglobin. But nitrogen is also involved in our health.

phys.org

Overlooked brain organ plays key role in promoting brain repair after stroke, researchers discover

University of Cincinnati researchers have pioneered an animal model that sheds light on the role an understudied organ in the brain has in repairing damage caused by stroke.

medicalxpress.com

Protein may hold key to heart transplant tolerance

Northwestern Medicine investigators have uncovered how a protein contributes to heart transplant tolerance in mice, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

medicalxpress.com

 

[publiusr]

Star Trek medicine--Researchers at Empa and ETH Zurich have now found a way to solder wounds using lasers.

Soldering wounds with light and nano thermometers

Not every wound can be closed with needle and thread. Empa researchers have now developed a soldering process with nanoparticles that gently fuses tissue. The soldering technique is expected to prevent wound healing disorders and life-threatening complications from leaking sutures.

phys.org

pets

Pet technology, meant to provide help and security for pets and owners, has vulnerabilities of its own

Pet owners are increasingly turning to technology for various pet care purposes such as feeding, health monitoring and activity and movement tracking. Much of this technology operates via devices and apps connected to the Internet of Things (IoT), thereby presenting privacy and security risks to...

techxplore.com

Facial recognition app for dogs developed to help in fight against rabies

A new mobile phone-based facial recognition application for dogs has the potential to significantly improve rabies vaccination efforts in endemic areas like Africa and Asia, according to a study on the research published in the journal Scientific Reports.

phys.org

Tiny ant species disrupts lion's hunting behavior

In a study published in the journal Science, a team of scientists report that a tiny and seemingly innocuous invasive ant species is changing tree cover in an East African wildlife area, making it harder for lions, the world's most iconic predator, to hunt its preferred prey, zebra.

phys.org

Dogs in the middle ages: What medieval writing tells us about our ancestors' pets

In the middle ages, most dogs had jobs. In his book De Canibus, the 16th-century English physician and scholar John Caius described a hierarchy of dogs, which he classified first and foremost according to their function in human society.

phys.org

Dinosaurs

'Hell chicken' species suggests dinosaurs weren't sliding toward extinction before the fateful asteroid hit

Were dinosaurs already on their way out when an asteroid hit Earth 66 million years ago, ending the Cretaceous, the geologic period that started about 145 million years ago? It's a question that has vexed paleontologists like us for more than 40 years.

phys.org

Dinosaurs might have used feathers on forelimbs and tails to flush and pursue their prey, say biologists

What are the origins of wings and tails in birds? This is one of the key questions in the evolution of animals. It has long been accepted that their evolution began in feathered dinosaurs.

phys.org

Student discovers 200-million-year-old flying reptile in Somerset

Gliding winged-reptiles were among the ancient crocodile residents of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, researchers at the University of Bristol have revealed.

phys.org

weighing atoms

Team accomplishes precise measurements of the heaviest atoms

An international research team has successfully conducted ultra-precise X-ray spectroscopic measurements of helium-like uranium. The team, which includes researchers from Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the Helmholtz Institute Jena (both in Germany), has achieved results demonstrating...

phys.org

Shoe

New model predicts how shoe properties affect a runner's performance

A good shoe can make a huge difference for runners, from career marathoners to couch-to-5K first-timers. But every runner is unique, and a shoe that works for one might trip up another. Outside of trying on a rack of different designs, there's no quick and easy way to know which shoe best suits...

medicalxpress.com

Fire mummies

Ancestral ties to the Kabayan 'fire' mummies is driving research to save them

Tucked away in rock shelters in the secluded northern mountains of Luzon in the Philippines, the Kabayan "fire" mummies lie at rest.

phys.org

wine

Spicy wine: New study reveals ancient Romans may have had peculiar tastes

It's no secret that the ancient Romans were lovers of wine. So gripped by the grape were they, that they even worshiped a god—Bacchus—devoted to wine and merriment.

phys.org

biology

'The Meg' shark was actually quite thin, scientists say

The prehistoric megalodon is known as one of the most fearsome creatures the world has ever known, a horrifyingly giant shark immortalized in the monster movie "The Meg".

phys.org

The Megalodon was more slender than depicted in movies, study shows

A new study shows the Megalodon, a gigantic shark that went extinct 3.6 million years ago, was more slender than earlier studies suggested. This finding changes scientists' understanding of Megalodon behavior, ancient ocean life, and why the sharks went extinct.

phys.org

Study of gigantism in whales provides clues to genomic mechanism involved in tumor suppression

The functioning of certain regions of a few genes in cetaceans (whales, porpoises and dolphins) may explain why the Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) can reach lengths of up to 30 meters—almost 10 m more than a bus—while the Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is 4 m long at most. It can...

phys.org

'Water bear' genomes reveal the secrets of extreme survival

Tardigrades may be nature's ultimate survivors. While these tiny, nearly translucent animals are easily overlooked, they represent a diverse group that has successfully colonized freshwater, marine, and terrestrial environments on every continent, including Antarctica.

phys.org

Cells' electric fields keep nanoparticles at bay, scientists confirm

The humble membranes that enclose our cells have a surprising superpower: They can push away nano-sized molecules that happen to approach them. A team including scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has figured out why, by using artificial membranes that mimic...

phys.org

Team expands research of water droplet interfaces that offer the secret ingredient for building life

R. Graham Cooks, the Henry B. Hass Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, and his postdoctoral researcher Lingqi Qiu have experimental evidence that the key step in protein formation can occur in droplets of pure water, and have recently published these findings in the Proceedings of the National...

phys.org

A virus that infected animals hundreds of millions of years ago has become essential for the development of the embryo

All animals have evolved thanks to the fact that certain viruses infected primitive organisms hundreds of millions of years ago. Viral genetic material was integrated into the genome of the first multi-cellular beings and is still in our DNA today.

phys.org

When conditions cool down, a bacterial prey species becomes the predator

In a new study, two species of bacteria grown in a lab reversed their predator-prey relationship after one species was grown at a lower temperature. Marie Vasse of MIVEGEC, France, and colleagues have published these findings in PLOS Biology.

phys.org

Chemists use blockchain to simulate more than 4 billion chemical reactions essential to origins of life

Cryptocurrency is usually "mined" through the blockchain by asking a computer to perform a complicated mathematical problem in exchange for tokens of cryptocurrency. But in research appearing in the journal Chem a team of chemists has repurposed this process, asking computers to instead generate...

phys.org

Ancient 'relaxant-inflammatory' mechanism gets sponges moving

Did you know that sponges can move? While not exactly the champions of underwater acrobatics, sponges exhibit coordinated movements—despite not having muscles or neurons.

phys.org

Dark black eggs found on ocean floor represent deepest free-living flatworms ever observed

A pair of marine scientists at Hokkaido University, in Japan, has found evidence of the deepest free-living flatworms ever observed. In their study, published in the journal Biology Letters, Keiichi Kakui and Aoi Tsuyuki, identified flatworm eggs found on the seafloor at a depth of more than...

phys.org

Tiny worm, giant leap: Discovery of highly specific fatty acid attachment to proteins

In a world where the intricacies of molecular biology often seem as vast and mysterious as the cosmos, a new study delves into the microscopic universe of proteins, unveiling a fascinating aspect of their existence. This revelation could hold profound implications for the understanding and...

phys.org

Complex green organisms emerged a billion years ago, says new research

Of all the organisms that photosynthesize, land plants have the most complex bodies. How did this morphology emerge? A team of scientists led by the University of Göttingen has taken a deep dive into the evolutionary history of morphological complexity in streptophytes, which include land plants...

phys.org

New coffee snake species discovered in Ecuador's cloud forests

Researchers of Khamai Foundation and Liberty University have discovered a new species of coffee snake endemic to the cloud forests of northwestern Ecuador.

phys.org

Bottlenose dolphins observed attacking manatee calves

An international team of marine scientists has observed multiple instances of bottlenose dolphins attacking manatee calves over many years. In their paper published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, the group describes the behavior they observed and suggest possible explanations for what they...

phys.org

Brain mechanism teaches mice to avoid bullies: Findings may offer insight into human social disorders

Like humans, mice live in complex social groups, fight over territory and mates, and learn when it is safer to avoid certain opponents. After losing even a brief fight, the defeated animals will flee from the mice that hurt them for weeks afterward, a new study shows.

medicalxpress.com

New research shows mosquitoes can spread the flesh-eating Buruli ulcer from possums to humans

Each year, more and more Victorians become sick with a flesh-eating bacteria known as Buruli ulcer. Last year, 363 people presented with the infection, the highest number since 2004.

medicalxpress.com

Parable here

Researchers observe tiny pseudoscorpion riding on a scorpion

A recent study led by Yoram Zvik, Dr. Sharon Warburg and Dr. Efrat Gavish-Regev from the National Natural History Collections at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem documented the first observation of phoresy involving a myrmecophile pseudoscorpion on a myrmecophile scorpion.

phys.org

weeds

World's largest database of weeds lets scientists peer into the past, and future, of global agriculture

A new database of weeds that can help scientists understand how traditional agricultural systems were managed throughout history, could provide insights into how global trends like the climate crisis could affect the resilience of our modern-day food systems.

phys.org

Medicine

Researchers develop software to predict diseases

IntelliGenes, a first-of-its-kind software created at Rutgers Health, combines artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning approaches to measure the significance of specific genomic biomarkers to help predict diseases in individuals, according to its developers.

medicalxpress.com

Scientists unravel key steps in the road to DNA repair

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have been studying DNA repair by homologous recombination, where the RecA protein repairs breaks in double-stranded DNA by incorporating a dangling single-strand end into intact double strands, and repairing the break based on the undamaged sequence.

phys.org

CRISPR off-switches: A path towards safer genome engineering?

Using CRISPR, an immune system bacteria use to protect themselves from viruses, scientists have harnessed the power to edit genetic information within cells. In fact, the first CRISPR-based therapeutic was recently approved by the FDA to treat sickle cell disease in December 2023. That therapy...

phys.org

The paradox of feeling hurt: Study finds social pain both facilitates and inhibits physical pain

There are generally two types of pain: physical pain, which is associated with actual or potential tissue damage, and social pain, which is associated with negative social experiences. In daily life, people sometimes cannot avoid experiencing both physical and social pain. However, the effect of...

medicalxpress.com

When some adolescent girls internalize rejection, it really is in their head

Everyone ruminates about the bad things that happen to them. Whether it's a nasty breakup, an embarrassing failure or simply when someone is mean, it can be hard to stop thinking about what happened and why. For people who ruminate too much, this negative thought pattern can cause lasting...

medicalxpress.com

Bioengineers on the brink of breaching blood-brain barrier

Imagine the brain as an air traffic control tower, overseeing the crucial and complex operations of the body's "airport." This tower, essential for coordinating the ceaseless flow of neurological signals, is guarded by a formidable layer that functions like the airport's security team...

phys.org

New wearable sensor accurately tracks tiny changes in the breath process

Manchester scientists have developed a new type of wearable sensor that can precisely track your breath, even the slightest changes in the exhaling and inhaling processes. This innovation, described in a study published in Advanced Materials, paves the way for improved monitoring of respiratory...

phys.org

Nasopharyngeal lymphatics found to be crucial for draining cerebrospinal fluid from the brain

In a study published in Nature, South Korean researchers led by Director Koh Gou Young of the Center for Vascular Research within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) have uncovered a distinctive network of lymphatic vessels at the back of the nose that plays a critical role in draining...

medicalxpress.com

How HIV smuggles its genetic material into the cell nucleus

Each year, about 1 million individuals worldwide become infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. To replicate and spread the infection, the virus must smuggle its genetic material into the cell nucleus and integrate it into a chromosome.

phys.org

New method for incorporating structurally unusual amino acids into proteins

A team of biochemists at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology at Cambridge has developed a new method to incorporate structurally unusual amino acids into proteins by using bacteria. The method is described in the journal Nature.

phys.org

A 'radically different' way of looking at Parkinson's disease

An international research team led by Krembil Brain Institute Neurologist and Senior Scientist, Dr. Anthony Lang, has proposed a new model for classifying Parkinson's disease (PD).

medicalxpress.com

Could bizarre visual symptoms be a telltale sign of Alzheimer's?

A team of international researchers, led by UC San Francisco, has completed the first large-scale study of posterior cortical atrophy, a baffling constellation of visuospatial symptoms that present as the first symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. These symptoms occur in up to 10% of cases of...

medicalxpress.com

LipidOz: New software enables identification of lipid double bond locations

Lipids are a class of biomolecules that play an important role in many cellular processes. Analyses that seek to characterize all lipids in a sample—called lipidomics—are crucial to studying complex biological systems.

phys.org

Researchers establish brain pathway linking motivation, addiction and disease

New findings published in the journal Nature Neuroscience have shed light on a mysterious pathway between the reward center of the brain that is key to how we form habits, known as the basal ganglia, and another anatomically distinct region where nearly three-quarters of the brain's neurons...

medicalxpress.com

New anti-blood clotting drug may lower risk of recurrent strokes

An experimental drug designed to block blood-clotting proteins may lower the risk of recurrent strokes, according to a dose-finding trial published in The Lancet Neurology.

medicalxpress.com

Team develops bioengineered material to rapidly stop bleeding in patients on blood thinners

More than 11 million people in the United States take anticoagulation or antiplatelet medications, such as heparin or aspirin, to treat serious conditions like heart attack and stroke. However, these medications also put patients at risk of life-threatening bleeding in the case of injury or...

medicalxpress.com

Mechanism linking anxiety to testosterone discovered by scientists

A study has unveiled a significant link between anxiety disorders and a brain receptor known as TACR3, as well as testosterone.

medicalxpress.com

Scientists develop an agent capable of selectively inhibiting the body's stress response

Stress isn't merely an oppressive feeling we experience when we're overwhelmed; it's the body's natural reaction to acute or persistent strain. This stress response is what enables us to quickly adapt to danger or a shift in conditions. But if this response—which is essential for survival—gets...

medicalxpress.com

New research guides mathematical model-building for gene regulatory networks

Over the last 20 years, researchers in biology and medicine have created Boolean network models to simulate complex systems and find solutions, including new treatments for colorectal cancer.

phys.org

New technology allows researchers to track brain cells' 'off switches'

For decades, scientists have studied the intricate activity patterns in human and animal brains by observing when different groups of brain cells turn on. Equally important to understanding the brain and related diseases, however, is knowing how long those neurons stay active and when they turn...

medicalxpress.com

Kirigami electrodes unfold new horizons for brain organoid research

It all started at Peet's. Ten years ago, neuroscientist Sergiu Pasca was just getting his lab up and running. He had not yet published the research for which he would become renowned: a novel technique for growing 3D clusters of human brain cells, often called brain organoids, in Petri dishes.

medicalxpress.com

New leads for spinal cord injury: Mapping spinal-projecting neurons in the brain

Only a fraction of people who sustain a spinal cord injury fully regain their motor function. While rehabilitation can help, scientists have long looked for ways to regenerate injured nerve fibers—including, at Boston Children's Hospital, Zhigang He, Ph.D., BM.

medicalxpress.com

Powering the brain: How energy is distributed within single cells

Every system in a living organism depends upon a finite supply of energy in order to function. In humans, no organ is more energy-intensive than the brain, which consumes about 20% of the body's metabolic energy.

medicalxpress.com

Experimental drug may slow childhood brain tumors

The drug tovorafenib may halt the growth of or shrink some childhood brain tumors, according to a clinical trial published in Nature Medicine.

medicalxpress.com

Popular diabetes drug may also reduce the risk of severe liver disease

Ozempic and other GLP1 agonists are associated with a reduced risk of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer in people with type 2 diabetes and chronic liver disease, according to a nationwide study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden published in the journal Gut.

medicalxpress.com

Few patients successfully treat their type 2 diabetes through weight loss, study suggests

A new study finds that very few patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are able to achieve normal blood glucose levels through weight loss alone. A team led by Andrea Luk of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, report these findings in the open access journal PLOS Medicine.

medicalxpress.com

Study suggests that unintentional weight loss is a signal to see a doctor

Unintentional weight loss is associated with an increase in the risk of a cancer diagnosis within the coming year, according to a study from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

medicalxpress.com

Researchers uncover news clues about the cause of craniofacial birth defects

Cleft lip and palate are the most common craniofacial birth defects in humans, affecting more than 175,000 newborns around the world each year. Yet despite decades of research, it's still not known what causes most cases or what can be done to prevent them.

medicalxpress.com

A study of how Americans die may improve their end of life

A Rutgers Health analysis of millions of Medicare records has laid the groundwork for improving end-of-life care by demonstrating that nearly all older Americans follow one of nine trajectories in their last three years of life.

medicalxpress.com

fair

Researcher proposes more equitable subway stations for the elderly and mobility handicapped

The number of elderly and mobility handicapped individuals has been increasing in South Korea. Statistics show that the number of elderly will increase over the next decade. Hence, the interest in equity for these people is becoming increasingly prominent.

phys.org

Why surface materials matter in health care settings

Health care facilities serve as havens for patients seeking treatment for disease and injury. However, they can also be home to a hidden world of microbes, lurking in places and devices that lead to life-threatening infections.

phys.org

 

[publiusr]

Animal research of note

French bulldog puppy spontaneously regrows jaw

A puppy's jaw spontaneously regrew after Cornell veterinarians removed a majority of his lower left mandible due to cancer. Although this phenomenon has been documented in children, this is the first reported case of its kind for dogs of any age or breed.

phys.org

Study finds small, long-nosed dogs live the longest

Small, long-nosed (or dolichocephalic) dog breeds such as Whippets have the highest life expectancies in the UK, while male dogs from medium-sized flat-faced (or brachycephalic) breeds such as English Bulldogs have the lowest. The results, published in Scientific Reports, have been calculated...

phys.org

Mathematical model reveals how a pit viper is able to find its dinner in the dead of night

In the animal kingdom, there are many grand examples of species that make sense of their world by expertly deciphering even weak signals from their surroundings.

phys.org

Are insects drawn to light? New research shows it's confusion, not fatal attraction

Like a moth to flame, many scientists and poets have long assumed that flying insects were simply, inexorably drawn to bright lights.

phys.org

How a mouse's brain bends time

Life has a challenging tempo. Sometimes, it moves faster or slower than we'd like. Nevertheless, we adapt. We pick up the rhythm of conversations. We keep pace with the crowd walking a city sidewalk.

medicalxpress.com

Old area in the brain turns out to be more important for vision than expected

Researchers at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience have discovered that a brain area preserved through evolution, called the superior colliculus, is more crucial for vision than we thought.

medicalxpress.com

What we could learn from first reported footage of a newborn great white shark

It has been reported that a newborn great white shark was spotted off the southern coast of California—the first time one has been seen in the wild, experts believe.

phys.org

First-ever sighting of a live newborn great white may help solve longstanding mystery in shark science

Great whites, the largest predatory sharks in the world with the most fatal attacks on humans, are tough to imagine as newborn babies. That is partially because no one has seen one in the wild, it seems, until now.

phys.org

A 365-million-year-old fish with an extreme underbite showcases vertebrate diversity

Vertebrates are defined as all animals that possess a vertebral column, or backbone. Most living vertebrates also possess jaws, teeth and paired fins or limbs.

phys.org

Parrots found to use 'beakiation' to traverse small perches

A trio of osteopathic researchers at the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine has found that one species of parrot uses its beak in a novel way to traverse small perches. In their project, reported in the journal Royal Society Open Science, the group conducted...

phys.org

Poultry scientists develop 3D anatomy technique to learn more about chicken vision

Poultry scientists with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station are unraveling the complexities of bird brains and finding less expensive ways to do it. The scientists mapped the intricate neurological pathways that control vision in chickens with detailed 3D models of the connections...

phys.org

New species of ancient feline discovered in Spain

A small team of paleontologists at Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC has discovered a new species of ancient feline based on study of a jawbone fossil. In their paper published in Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, the group describes a jawbone fossil uncovered near what is now Madrid...

phys.org

Asian fishing cats caught snacking on chicks from tree-top nests

South Asian fishing cats were observed raiding bird nests in tall trees for the first time. This rare and highly unusual behavior was caught on motion cameras set up in tree canopies across northeast Bangladesh to survey bird colonies. Scientists hope this unexpected finding, published in the De...

phys.org

Why monkeys attack people: A primate expert explains

Wildlife tourism thrives on our fascination with animals and primates are particularly attractive animals to tourists. With their human-like faces, complex family dynamics and acrobatic antics, they are a joy to behold.

phys.org

Researchers map genome for cats, dolphins, birds, and dozens of other animals

Researchers mapped genetic blueprints for 51 species including cats, dolphins, kangaroos, penguins, sharks, and turtles, a discovery that deepens our understanding of evolution and the links between humans and animals.

phys.org

Plants

Asparagus and orchids are more similar than you think: Cell wall reference catalog of 287 species created

What does an asparagus have in common with a vanilla orchid? Not much, if you are just looking at the two plants' appearances. However, when you look inside, their leaves are more similar than you would think, as revealed by the composition of their cell walls.

phys.org

An AI-powered app that can detect poison ivy

Poison ivy ranks among the most medically problematic plants. Up to 50 million people worldwide suffer annually from rashes caused by contact with the plant, a climbing, woody vine native to the United States, Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, the Western Bahamas and several areas in Asia.

phys.org

Rare 3D fossils show that some early trees had forms unlike any you've ever seen

In the fossil record, trees typically are preserved with only their trunks. They don't usually include any leaves to show what their canopies and overall forms may have looked like. But now, researchers reporting in the journal Current Biology describe fossilized trees from New Brunswick, Canada...

phys.org

Edge habitats along roads and power lines may be key to conserving rare plants

Managing forest edge habitats to maintain a gradient of canopy cover and plant density could be key to conserving some threatened native plant species such as wild lupine, according to Penn State researchers.

phys.org

High-tech aerial mapping reveals England's hedgerow landscape

Scientists have harnessed cutting-edge technology to produce the most comprehensive map of hedgerows across the length and breadth of England. The researchers at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) hope this innovative mapping will guide planting and restoration of these vulnerable...

phys.org

Researchers discover molecular mechanism that influences the symmetrical shape of the style

Humans are attracted to symmetry: in our buildings, our gardens, in our potential partners. For plants, the symmetrical shapes of organs are a matter of survival because the form directly impacts the function.

phys.org

Team develops a non-allergenic wheat protein for growing better cultivated meat

As the world's population increases, cultivated or lab-grown meat—animal muscle and fat cells grown in laboratory conditions—has emerged as a potential way to satisfy future protein needs. And edible, inexpensive plant proteins could be used to grow these cell cultures. Now, researchers in ACS...

phys.org

Microbial research unravels a global nitrogen mystery

Novel research led by Wei Qin, an assistant professor of microbiology at the University of Oklahoma, that significantly changes the understanding of ammonia oxidation, a critical component of the global nitrogen cycle, has been published in the journal Nature Microbiology.

phys.org

'Tiny tornadoes' around leaves can spread deadly plant pathogens

A new study led by Cornell University is the first to analyze plant spore dispersion at its source, where rain droplets shake flexible leaves to initially disperse pathogens.

phys.org

 

[publiusr]

The TV rock…Ulexite

https://m.facebook.com/lovemoorethanrocks/videos/ulexite-also-known-as-tv-rock-helps-to-create-a-clear-path-for-you-to-see-within/4037618976259442/

World’s smallest radio controlled model airplane?

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lZONNvB7eg0

biology and medical news

Scientists shocked to discover new species of green anaconda, the world's biggest snake

The green anaconda has long been considered one of the Amazon's most formidable and mysterious animals. Our new research, published in Diversity, upends scientific understanding of this magnificent creature, revealing it is actually two genetically different species. The surprising finding opens...

phys.org

Snakes do it faster, better: How a group of scaly, legless lizards hit the evolutionary jackpot

More than 100 million years ago, the ancestors of the first snakes were small lizards that lived alongside other small, nondescript lizards in the shadow of the dinosaurs.

phys.org

Damage to cell membranes causes cell aging, finds new study

Our cells are surrounded by a fragile membrane that's only 5 nanometers thick, 1/20 of a soap bubble. Cells are easily damaged by physiological activities, including muscle contraction and tissue injury. To cope with such damage, cells are equipped with mechanisms that can repair membrane damage...

phys.org

Scientists may have cracked the 'aging process' in species

New research from the University of Kansas might resolve a mystery in the "aging process" in species—or, how a species' risk of going extinct changes after that species appears on the scene.

phys.org

New toolkit helps scientists study natural cell death

New research from the Weeks Lab in the Department of Biochemistry opens the door for scientists to explore cell death, a critical biochemical process, with greater ease.

phys.org

First brain-wide map shows how sex and intimacy rewire the brain

How does sex relate to lasting love? To answer that question, scientists have long studied a small Midwestern rodent called the prairie vole, one of the few mammals known to form long-term, monogamous relationships.

medicalxpress.com

Can a single brain region encode familiarity and recollection?

The human brain has the extraordinary ability to rapidly discern a stranger from someone familiar, even as it can simultaneously remember details about someone across decades of encounters. Now, in mouse studies, scientists at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute have revealed how the brain elegantly...

medicalxpress.com

Larger-than-expected prehistoric mammal species uncovered in Patagonia

A multi-institutional team of archaeologists and paleontologists has unearthed and identified a new species of mammal from the Maastrichtian age. In their paper published in the journal Scientific Reports, the researchers note that the mammal was much larger than any other known examples of its...

phys.org

New class of 'intramolecular bivalent glue' could transform cancer drug discovery

A breakthrough class of molecular glue identified at the University of Dundee could pave the way for a new generation of drugs to target cancers and neurodegenerative diseases.

phys.org

Illuminating the source-sink balancing act of photosynthetic 'tiny green bacteria'

Cyanobacteria are little green microorganisms that photosynthesize, like plants and algae do, but with stark differences in how they function.

phys.org

Dual-energy harvesting device could power future wireless medical implants

Implantable biomedical devices—like pacemakers, insulin pumps and neurostimulators—are becoming smaller and utilizing wireless technology, but hurdles remain for powering the next-generation implants. A new wireless charging device developed by Penn State scientists could dramatically improve...

techxplore.com

Scientists invent ultra-thin, minimally-invasive pacemaker controlled by light

Sometimes our bodies need a boost. Millions of Americans rely on pacemakers—small devices that regulate the electrical impulses of the heart in order to keep it beating smoothly. But to reduce complications, researchers would like to make these devices even smaller and less intrusive.

medicalxpress.com

Diesel exhaust may harm the immune system, trigger inflammation

Exposure to diesel exhaust particles triggers higher levels of inflammation, especially during a respiratory infection, according to researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Researchers found that diesel exhaust exposure impedes a process that boosts immune responses and...

phys.org

Study discovers molecular mechanism that could explain why eating too much protein is bad for your arteries

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers discovered a molecular mechanism by which excessive dietary protein could increase atherosclerosis risk. The findings were published in Nature Metabolism.

medicalxpress.com

Run out of butter or eggs? Here's the science behind substitute ingredients

It's an all too common situation—you're busy cooking or baking to a recipe when you open the cupboard and suddenly realize you are missing an ingredient.

phys.org

Climate and geology

New cloud model could help with climate research

When clouds meet clear skies, cloud droplets evaporate as they mix with dry air. A new study involving researchers from the University of Gothenburg has succeeded in capturing what happens in a model. Ultimately, this could lead to more accurate climate modeling in the future.

phys.org

Study shows cloud clustering causes more extreme rain

Understanding cloud patterns in our changing climate is essential to making accurate predictions about their impact on society and nature. Scientists at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and the Max-Planck-Institute for Meteorology published a study in the journal Science...

phys.org

Scientists improve timing of fog warnings by detecting changes in atmospheric electric field

A foggy day in London town just got even more predictable. Scientists have discovered how to increase early warnings for fog, from around half an hour to up to two hours before it happens, by detecting changes in the atmospheric electric field.

phys.org

Strange seismic wave arrivals lead to discovery of overturned slab in the Mediterranean

Strange seismic wave arrivals from a 2010 earthquake under Spain were the clues that led to an unexpected discovery beneath the western Mediterranean: a subducted oceanic slab that has completely overturned.

phys.org

Plate boundaries may experience higher temperature and stress than previously thought

Temperature and shear stress are two influential variables that affect faulting and seismicity in subduction zones, where tectonic plates converge. Yet because earthquakes originate tens of kilometers below Earth's surface at plate boundaries, the effects of temperature and the magnitude of...

phys.org

New detection method aims to warn of landslide tsunamis

University of Alaska Fairbanks researchers have devised a way to remotely detect large landslides within minutes of occurrence and to quickly determine whether they are close to open water and present a tsunami hazard.

phys.org

More on Earth sciences

Deadly earthquakes trigger hunt for speedier alerts

Researchers in Europe have identified an underground signal that may be a precursor to strong quakes.

phys.org

Can volcanic super eruptions lead to major cooling? Study suggests no

New research suggests that sunlight-blocking particles from an extreme eruption would not cool surface temperatures on Earth as severely as previously estimated.

phys.org

Geologists find that low-relief mountain ranges are the largest carbon sinks

For many hundreds of millions of years, the average temperature at the surface of the Earth has varied by not much more than 20° Celsius, facilitating life on our planet. To maintain such stable temperatures, Earth must have a 'thermostat' that regulates the concentration of atmospheric carbon...

phys.org

Hidden 'star' sand dune mystery solved by ancient find

Scientists have solved the mysterious absence of star-shaped dunes from Earth's geological history for the first time, dating one back thousands of years.

phys.org

Mantle convection linked to seaway closure that transformed Earth's oceanographic circulation patterns

Continental drift is a concept familiar to many, referencing the movement of Earth's continents due to shifting tectonic plates over millions of years, splitting one globe-spanning supercontinent into the configuration we see today. Alongside this there have been smaller land mass movements that...

phys.org

Understanding wind and water at the equator are key to more accurate future climate projections: Study

Getting climate models to mimic real-time observations when it comes to warming is critical—small discrepancies can lead to misunderstandings about the rate of global warming as the climate changes. A new study from North Carolina State University and Duke University finds that when modeling...

phys.org

Researchers provide unprecedented view into aerosol formation in Earth's lower atmosphere

Eighty-five percent of the Earth's air resides in the lowest layer of its atmosphere, or troposphere. Yet, major gaps remain in our understanding of the atmospheric chemistry that drives changes in the troposphere's composition.

phys.org

New 'digital twin' Earth technology could help predict water-based natural disasters before they strike

The water cycle looks simple in theory—but human impacts, climate change, and complicated geography mean that in practice, floods and droughts remain hard to predict. To model water on Earth, you need incredibly high-resolution data across an immense expanse, and you need modeling sophisticated...

phys.org

Ice cores suggest 16th-century pandemics may have caused declines in atmospheric CO₂

Changes in human activity may have led to atmospheric CO2 levels declining in the 16th century, due to large-scale land use changes in the Americas during New World-Old World contact between 1450 and 1700 CE, suggests a Nature Communications paper. The findings are based on data from an...

phys.org

A small earthquake and 'Moodus Noises' are nothing new for one Connecticut town

Donna Lindstrom was lying in bed and looking at her phone Wednesday morning when she heard a loud bang that rattled her 19th-century house in the central Connecticut town of East Hampton.

phys.org

coco

Tracing the spread of cacao domestication

The cacao tree (Theobroma cacao), whose beans (cocoa) are used to make products including chocolate, liquor and cocoa butter, may have spread from the Amazon basin to the other regions of South and Central America at least 5,000 years ago via trade routes, suggests a paper published in...

phys.org

 

[publiusr]

Kindness can be spread

New research shows how empathy can be socially transmitted

Prof. Dr. Grit Hein's latest assessments of empathic abilities once again challenge the old adage, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." It seems that not only children but also adults can adopt empathic responses from close caregivers in addition to their genetic predispositions. Adults...

medicalxpress.com

How having self-control leads to power

Out-of-control behavior by CEOs and other powerful people constantly makes headlines—so much so that some might consider impulsivity a pathway to power. New research from the UC San Diego Rady School of Management and Texas A&M University finds that having self-control is often what leads to power.

phys.org

Study shows differences in how patients with impulse control disorder process consequences

Parkinson's disease is a neurological disorder that affects movement and muscle control. One characteristic of the disease is the deficiency of dopamine, a neurotransmitter or brain chemical that plays a role in movement and can impact how people think and feel.

medicalxpress.com

New model evaluates how reputation and indirect reciprocity affect cooperative behaviors

In the complicated world of human interactions, helping others can come back around, a concept known as indirect reciprocity. It's like a societal credit score, where one's good deeds build up a good reputation, prompting others to return the favor in the future. But what if this credit score...

phys.org

The decimal system

Use of decimal point is 1.5 centuries older than historians thought

A mathematical historian at Trinity Wester University in Canada, has found use of a decimal point by a Venetian merchant 150 years before its first known use by German mathematician Christopher Clavius. In his paper published in the journal Historia Mathematica, Glen Van Brummelen describes how...

phys.org

Old tools in a new light

Scientists try out Stone Age tools to understand how they were used

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University crafted replica Stone Age tools and used them for a range of tasks to see how different activities create traces on the edge. They found that a combination of macroscopic and microscopic traces can tell us how stone edges were used. Their criteria...

phys.org

Medical news

World-first trial of regenerative hearing drug is successfully completed

Researchers at UCL and UCLH have successfully completed the first trial of a therapy designed to restore hearing loss. The REGAIN trial, the results of which were published in Nature Communications, was the first study of a treatment aimed at restoring lost hearing, focusing on a drug with the...

medicalxpress.com

Bacterial genes responsible for breaking down metformin in sewer water discovered

A team of biochemists at the University of Minnesota has discovered which two bacterial genes are responsible for producing proteins capable of breaking down metformin in sewer water. In their study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group isolated genes...

phys.org

Nanomedicine research aims to transform treatment of aortic aneurysms

Aortic aneurysms are bulges in the aorta, the largest blood vessel that carries oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, or injury can all increase the risk of aneurysms, which tend to occur more often in Caucasian male smokers over the...

phys.org

Customized hearing implants: How synchrotron imaging is changing the game

A Western University team has harnessed the bright light of the Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) to obtain highly detailed images of the structures in the inner ear responsible for transmitting sound signals to the brain. With these images, they've helped pioneer...

medicalxpress.com

Possible 'Trojan Horse' found for treating stubborn bacterial infections

Bacteria can be tricked into sending death signals to stop the growth of their slimy, protective homes that lead to deadly infections, a new study demonstrates.

phys.org

Transfer learning paves the way for new disease treatments

Technological advances in gene sequencing and computing have led to an explosion in the availability of bioinformatic data and processing power, respectively, creating a ripe nexus for artificial intelligence (AI) to design strategies for controlling cell behavior.

medicalxpress.com

3D-printed skin closes wounds and contains hair follicle precursors

Fat tissue holds the key to 3D printing layered living skin and potentially hair follicles, according to researchers who recently harnessed fat cells and supporting structures from clinically procured human tissue to precisely correct injuries in rats. The advancement could have implications for...

phys.org

Researchers focus on finding flaws in superbugs' armor

Recent years have seen the rise of bacterial pathogens that have developed resistance to antibiotics. One such superbug, carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), kills hundreds of critically ill patients in the U.S. each year, usually in hospital settings, by causing blood, lung, or...

phys.org

Biologists discover the secrets of how gene traits are passed on

A research team has recently made a significant breakthrough in understanding how the DNA copying machine helps pass on epigenetic information to maintain gene traits at each cell division.

phys.org

First atom-level structure of packaged viral genome reveals new properties and dynamics

A computational model of the more than 26 million atoms in a DNA-packed viral capsid expands our understanding of virus structure and DNA dynamics, insights that could provide new research avenues and drug targets, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers report in the journal Nature.

phys.org

Lifelike lab-grown skin developed from human stem cells

Queensland researchers have become the first in Australia to use human stem cells to generate fully functioning skin tissue in a laboratory, a significant step toward better treatments for severe burns and wounds.

phys.org

Shape-shifting ultrasound stickers detect post-surgical complications

Researchers led by Northwestern University and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a new, first-of-its-kind sticker that enables clinicians to monitor the health of patients' organs and deep tissues with a simple ultrasound device.

medicalxpress.com

New study reveals molecular fingerprint of biological aging

University of Pittsburgh researchers have uncovered blood-based markers linked with healthy and rapid aging, allowing them to predict a person's biological age—how fast a person's cells and organs age regardless of their birthdate.

medicalxpress.com

Mutation solves a century-old mystery in meiosis

A high-throughput genetic screening of meiotic crossover rate mutants in Arabidopsis thaliana has unraveled a century-old mystery in the life sciences.

phys.org

Revealing the evolutionary origin of genomic imprinting

Some of our genes can be expressed or silenced depending on whether we inherited them from our mother or our father. The mechanism behind this phenomenon, known as genomic imprinting, is determined by DNA modifications during egg and sperm production.

phys.org

Newly discovered protein prevents DNA triplication

Every time a cell divides, its DNA is duplicated so that the two daughter cells have the same genetic material as their parent. This means that, millions of times a day, a biochemical wonder takes place in the body: the copying of the DNA molecule. It is a high-precision job carried out by...

phys.org

How water guides the assembly of collagen, the building block of all humans

Water determines life: humans are three-quarters water. An international research team led by the University of Amsterdam (UvA) has now discovered how water also determines the structure of the material that holds us together: collagen.

phys.org

Researchers develop first heat map for individual red blood cells

Entropy is often associated with disorder and chaos, but in biology it is related to energy efficiency and is closely linked to metabolism, the set of chemical reactions that sustain life.

phys.org

Synthetic DNA sheds light on mysterious difference between living cells at different points in evolution

"Random DNA" is naturally active in the one-celled fungi yeast, while such DNA is turned off as its natural state in mammalian cells, despite their having a common ancestor a billion years ago and the same basic molecular machinery, a new study finds.

phys.org

Mutant newts can regenerate previously defective limbs

Many salamanders have the remarkable ability to regrow their own limbs and tails after an injury. How are they able to do this, while more complex mammals, such as humans, cannot?

phys.org

Foot-eye coordination: How our vision changes in rhythm with our walking

For the first time, neuroscientists have established a link between shifts in our visual perception and the cadence of our steps while walking.

medicalxpress.com

Pharmacy researchers shed light on how the brain processes the sense of touch

How does one distinguish the smoothness of silk or the coarse texture of sandpaper? Individuals' sense of touch is complex, requiring circuits in the brain to process incoming information much like a computer. These circuits are made up of electrically excitable cells, called neurons.

medicalxpress.com

New study may broaden the picture of the consequences of childhood adversity

A research team has examined the link between adverse childhood experiences and the risk of mental health problems later in life, according to a study in JAMA Psychiatry. The researchers from Karolinska Institutet and University of Iceland have found that the risk of suffering from mental...

medicalxpress.com

Religion and science beliefs affect attitudes toward mental illness, study finds

Beliefs about the relationship between religion and science may be a key factor in people's views on mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, especially in minority racial communities, according to new research from Rice University.

phys.org

Study in mice reveals how the body copes with airway closure

There is perhaps no bodily function more essential for humans and other mammals than breathing. With each breath, we suffuse our bodies with oxygen-rich air that keeps our organs and tissues healthy and working properly—and without oxygen, we can survive mere minutes.

medicalxpress.com

The brain

Innovative nanosheet method revolutionizes brain imaging for multi-scale and long-term studies

The human brain has billions of neurons. Working together, they enable higher-order brain functions such as cognition and complex behaviors. To study these higher-order brain functions, it is important to understand how neural activity is coordinated across various brain regions.

phys.org

Dancing cells show how the brain awakens from anesthesia

According to a Mayo Clinic study published in Nature Neuroscience, the cells that act as the central nervous system's first line of defense against harm also play a role in helping the brain awaken from anesthesia. This discovery could help pave the way for innovative methods that address...

medicalxpress.com

Your brain in the zone: A new neuroimaging study reveals how the brain achieves a creative flow state

Effortless, enjoyable productivity is a state of consciousness prized and sought after by people in business, the arts, research, education and anyone else who wants to produce a stream of creative ideas and products. That's the flow, or the sense of being "in the zone." A new neuroimaging study...

medicalxpress.com

Brain waves found to travel in one direction when memories are made and the opposite when recalled

In the space of just a few seconds, a person walking down a city block might check their phone, yawn, worry about making rent, and adjust their path to avoid a puddle. The smell from a food cart could suddenly conjure a memory from childhood, or they could notice a rat eating a slice of pizza...

medicalxpress.com

Scientists find brain responses to sentence structure differ for speaking and listening

How does the brain respond to sentence structure as we speak and listen? In a neuroimaging study published in PNAS, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics (MPI) and Radboud University in Nijmegen investigated sentence processing during spontaneous speech for the first time.

medicalxpress.com

Lack of focus doesn't equal lack of intelligence: It's proof of an intricate brain, say scientists

Imagine a busy restaurant: dishes clattering, music playing, people talking loudly over one another. It's a wonder that anyone in that kind of environment can focus enough to have a conversation. A new study by researchers at Brown University's Carney Institute for Brain Science provides some of...

medicalxpress.com

A new model to predict brain development

From the very first weeks of life, countless connections are forged between neurons to ensure the propagation of nerve signals. These connections gradually shape the final architecture of the brain, known as the connectome. Our ability to perform complex cognitive tasks, such as spatial...

medicalxpress.com

Scientists identify genetic anxiety 'switch'

Research from the University of Aberdeen has identified an area of DNA in the human genome that plays a role in controlling anxiety. In the study, published in Molecular Psychiatry, the team, led by Professor Alasdair Mackenzie, found a section of DNA that 'switches' on key genes in parts of the...

medicalxpress.com

Researchers decode neuronal basis of decision-making processes to predict actions

For decades, neuroscientists have been trying to understand how we manage to make the best possible decisions. Due to technical limitations, researchers have so far had to rely on experiments in which monkeys perform tasks on computer screens while the activity of their brain cells is measured.

medicalxpress.com

How the brain coordinates speaking and breathing

MIT researchers have discovered a brain circuit that drives vocalization and ensures that you talk only when you breathe out, and stop talking when you breathe in.

medicalxpress.com

Painting a molecular portrait of the brain with mass spectrometry and deep learning

Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology researchers Jonathan Sweedler, a professor of chemistry, and Fan Lam, a professor of bioengineering, have outlined how spatial omics technologies can reveal the molecular intricacy of the brain at different scales.

medicalxpress.com

Complexity of brain activity found to decrease with fetal maturation and to continue decline after birth

A team of neurologists and biotechnicians at University Hospital and University of Tübingen, working with a colleague from Imperial College London, reports that brain complexity decreases during fetal maturation and continues after birth.

medicalxpress.com

 

[jsport]

MIT Claims Superconducting Breakthrough Means Fusion Power Can Be Practical

The report features six studies that thoroughly examined MIT's superconducting magnets design used in its breakthrough fusion test.

futurism.com

 

[publiusr]

Now scans of many life-forms are available to the public

Scientists CT scanned thousands of natural history specimens, which you can access for free

Natural history museums have entered a new stage of scientific discovery and accessibility with the completion of openVertebrate (oVert), a five-year collaborative project among 18 institutions to create 3D reconstructions of vertebrate specimens and make them freely available online.

phys.org

Dinos and birds

New analysis uncovers major issues with earlier suggestions that Spinosaurus pursued prey underwater

For years, controversy has swirled around how a Cretaceous-era, sail-backed dinosaur—the giant Spinosaurus aegyptiacus—hunted its prey. Spinosaurus was among the largest predators ever to prowl the Earth and one of the most adapted to water, but was it an aquatic denizen of the seas, diving deep...

phys.org

Titanosaurs were the biggest land animals Earth's ever seen, combining reptile and mammal traits

You're probably familiar with classic sauropod dinosaurs—the four-legged herbivores famous for their long necks and tails. Animals such as Brachiosaurus, Apatosaurus and Diplodocus have been standard fixtures in science museums since the 1800s.

phys.org

Fossils of giant sea lizard with dagger-like teeth show how our oceans have fundamentally changed since the dinosaur era

Paleontologists have discovered a strange new species of marine lizard with dagger-like teeth that lived near the end of the age of dinosaurs. Their findings, published in Cretaceous Research, show a dramatically different ocean ecosystem to what we see today, with numerous giant top predators...

phys.org

Fossil named 'Attenborough's strange bird' was the first of its kind without teeth

No birds alive today have teeth. But that wasn't always the case; many early fossil birds had beaks full of sharp, tiny teeth. In a paper in the journal Cretaceous Research, scientists have described a new species of fossil bird that was the first of its kind to evolve toothlessness; its name...

phys.org

What makes birds so smart?

Researchers at Ruhr University Bochum explain how it is possible for the small brains of pigeons, parrots and corvids to perform equally well as those of mammals, despite their significant differences.

phys.org

Study reveals the crow's best friend: Humans

A new study from Tel Aviv University (TAU) has examined what happens to birds that are accustomed to living around humans, when their habitat is suddenly emptied of the presence of humans. Among other birds, the researchers tested crows, ringneck parakeets (also known as rose-ringed parakeets)...

phys.org

On dogs

Understanding what a dog is trying to communicate

Dogs have a remarkable ability to communicate through a variety of sounds, or vocalizations. Because each vocalization conveys a specific message or emotion, understanding the meaning behind different vocalizations can help owners address their pets' needs more effectively, leading to a stronger...

phys.org

Bio-mysteries

Tiny worms tolerate Chornobyl radiation, new research shows

The 1986 disaster at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant transformed the surrounding area into the most radioactive landscape on Earth. Humans were evacuated, but many plants and animals continue to live in the region, despite the high levels of radiation that persist nearly four decades later.

phys.org

Unraveling the mystery of chiton visual systems

You'd probably walk past a chiton without even seeing it. These creatures often look like nothing more than another speck of seaweed on the crusty intertidal rocks. But it sees you. At least, if it's one of the species with eyes dotting its plate mail shell.

phys.org

Scientists uncover evidence for a new form of collective sensing in electric elephantnose fish

It would be a game-changer if all members of a basketball team could see out of each other's eyes in addition to their own. A research duo at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute has found evidence that this kind of collective sensing occurs in close-knit groups of African weakly electric fish, also...

phys.org

New deep-sea worm discovered at methane seep off Costa Rica

Greg Rouse, a marine biologist at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and other researchers have discovered a new species of deep-sea worm living near a methane seep some 50 kilometers (30 miles) off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Rouse, curator of the Scripps Benthic...

phys.org

Study of slowly evolving 'living fossils' reveals key genetic insights

In 1859, Charles Darwin coined the term "living fossils" to describe organisms that show little species diversity or physical differences from their ancestors in the fossil record. In a new study, Yale researchers provide the first evidence of a biological mechanism that explains how living...

phys.org

Fossil unearthed in New Zealand contains the largest fossil crab claw ever found

A pair of researchers, one a paleoecologist with Utrecht University, the other an independent ancient crab enthusiast, have identified the largest known crab fossil claw ever discovered. In their paper published in the journal New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, Barry W. M. van Bakel...

phys.org

New mapping method developed for critical marine habitat

Researchers at The University of Western Australia have led the development of a new technique for accurately mapping shallow and coastal marine habitats.

phys.org

Here's what conservationists say is likely causing the mysterious whale deaths along East Coast

While three whales washing up on Hampton Roads beaches in three days is unusual, it is likely indicative of a long-term trend seen along the East Coast.

phys.org

More

Tissue samples show the deep genetic and cellular impacts of smoking

It's no secret that smoking is extremely detrimental to health. Tobacco smoke contains thousands of chemicals, including carcinogens, increasing the risk of cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

medicalxpress.com

Our bacteria are more personal than we thought, new study shows

The trillions of bacteria that call your body home—collectively known as the microbiome—appear to be unique to you, like a fingerprint. That's one conclusion of a detailed study of the gut, mouth, nose and skin microbiomes of 86 people. Over the course of six years, the bacteria that persisted...

phys.org

Researchers find some protists use beneficial viruses to fend off lytic viruses

Contrary to common belief, not all viruses are harmful to their hosts. Sometimes viruses can even protect their hosts from infection by other viruses. Scientists at the Max-Planck-Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg and their collaborators have now demonstrated that this is the case for...

phys.org

Secrets of cell division revealed by cutting-edge imaging technique

A study by Fena Ochs, new Group Leader and Associate Professor at Biotech Research & Innovation Center (BRIC) University of Copenhagen, delves deep into the intricate world of cell division. The study, published in Science, sheds light on the role of cohesin, which is a crucial protein complex...

phys.org

A simple and robust method to add functional molecules to peptides

Peptides are short strands of amino acids that are increasingly used therapeutically, as biomaterials and as chemical and biological probes. The capacity to isolate, manipulate and label peptides and larger proteins is limited, however, by the ability to reliably attach functional molecules...

phys.org

New biology unveiled for fundamental cellular machinery

Cellular communication relies on receptor molecules on the cell surface. The periodic uptake and sorting of these receptors, critical for their degradation or recycling, are governed by an elaborate machinery prominently featuring the Commander complex.

phys.org

Why eukaryotes, not bacteria, evolved complex multicellularity

Prokaryotic single-celled organisms, the ancestors of modern-day bacteria and archaea, are the most ancient form of life on our planet, first appearing roughly 3.5 billion years ago. The first eukaryotic cells appeared around 1–1.5 billion years later. However, eukaryotic cells have since...

phys.org

'Hybrid' US sheep breeder used endangered genetic material, faces jail

A US man who tried to breed enormous hybrid sheep using genetic material from endangered animals so he could sell them to trophy hunting ranches faces jail time after pleading guilty to wildlife crimes on Tuesday.

phys.org

Study investigates the best way to memorize details

Recent experiments by psychologists at Temple University and the University of Pittsburgh shed new light on how we learn and how we remember our real-world experiences.

medicalxpress.com

Research explains why eating feces may be vital for birds' survival

We all know that the early bird gets the worm, but new research shows they turn to something far more nutritious for their breakfast. Feces—either their own, or from other birds—provides them with essential nutrients and energy and helps them adapt to new environments and seasonal variations...

phys.org

Loathed by scientists, loved by nature: Sulfur and the origin of life

Many artists have tried to depict what Earth might have looked like billions of years ago, before life made its appearance. Many scenes trade snow-covered mountains for lava-gushing volcanoes and blue skies for lightning bolts pummeling what's below from a hazy sky.

phys.org

Researchers uncover protein responsible for cold sensation

University of Michigan researchers have identified the protein that enables mammals to sense cold, filling a long-standing knowledge gap in the field of sensory biology.

medicalxpress.com

Researchers 'film' the activation of an important receptor

An international team of researchers has succeeded in "filming" the activation of an important receptor. They froze the involved molecules at different points in time and photographed them under the electron microscope. They were then able to place these still images in sequence. This sequence...

phys.org

'Junk DNA' no more: Investigators develop method of identifying cancers from repeat elements of genetic code

Repeats of DNA sequences, often referred to as "junk DNA" or "dark matter," that are found in chromosomes and could contribute to cancer or other diseases have been challenging to identify and characterize.

medicalxpress.com

Proof-of-concept study shows how human insulin can be produced in cow's milk

An unassuming brown bovine from the south of Brazil has made history as the first transgenic cow capable of producing human insulin in her milk. The advancement, led by researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Universidade de São Paulo, could herald a new era in...

phys.org

Exploring how the liver immune system eats up 'bad cholesterol'

A new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden reveals that immune cells in the liver react to high cholesterol levels and eat up excess cholesterol that can otherwise cause damage to arteries. The findings, published in Nature Cardiovascular Research, suggest that the response to the onset of...

medicalxpress.com

Health

Study identifies signs of repeated blast-related brain injury in active-duty United States Special Operations Forces

Repeated exposure to explosive blasts has the potential to cause brain injuries, but there is currently no diagnostic test for these injuries. In a study of 30 active-duty United States SOF personnel, researchers found that increased blast exposure was associated with structural, functional, and...

medicalxpress.com

Advancing high-resolution ultrasound imaging with deep learning

Researchers at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology have developed a new technique to make ultrasound localization microscopy, an emerging diagnostic tool used for high-resolution microvascular imaging, more practical for clinical settings. Their method uses deep learning to...

medicalxpress.com

Spanish scientists identify the key cell type for strategies to prevent atherosclerosis in progeria syndrome

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is an extremely rare genetic disease that affects just 1 in every 20 million people; it is estimated that fewer than 400 children in the world have the disease. HGPS is characterized by accelerated aging, severe atherosclerosis, and premature death at...

medicalxpress.com

How buildings influence the microbiome and human health

Over the last 20 years, the life sciences have come to realize that all living beings—from the simplest animal and plant organisms to humans—live in close association with a multitude of microorganisms. Together with the multicellular host organism, these symbiotic bacteria, viruses and fungi...

medicalxpress.com

New toolkit makes molecular dynamics simulations more accessible

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have become a powerful tool in the ever-growing fields of molecular biology and drug development. While many MD simulation techniques exist, parallel cascade selection MD (PaCS-MD) is a particularly useful one when studying the folding (or "conformation") of...

phys.org

Advanced cell atlas opens new doors in biomedical research

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have developed a web-based platform that offers an unprecedented view of the human body at the cellular level. The aim is to create an invaluable resource for researchers worldwide to increase knowledge about human health and disease. The study is published...

phys.org

Study suggests that cells possess a hidden communication system

Cells constantly navigate a dynamic environment, facing ever-changing conditions and challenges. But how do cells swiftly adapt to these environmental fluctuations?

phys.org

Researchers map protein network dynamics during cell division

An international team led by researchers at the University of Toronto has mapped the movement of proteins encoded by the yeast genome throughout its cell cycle. This is the first time that all the proteins of an organism have been tracked across the cell cycle, which required a combination of...

phys.org

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[publiusr]

Dinosaurs and more

Researchers discover a new species of carnivorous dinosaur in La Rioja, Spain

The first dinosaur to be described in La Rioja, Spain, is a spinosaurid about 7–8 meters long with an estimated body mass of 1.5 metric tons. It is bipedal and had mainly piscivorous habits, although, as a good predator, it would also have been capable of chasing and feeding on terrestrial prey.

phys.org

New method finds higher carnivorous dinosaur biodiversity in Kem Kem beds of Morocco

An international team of paleontologists from The Netherlands, the UK, Argentina, Germany and Belgium applied recently developed methods to measure theropod (carnivorous) dinosaur species diversity. The newly applied method uses both traditional phylogenetic analysis, discriminant analysis as...

phys.org

Alaska dinosaur tracks reveal a lush, wet environment

A large find of dinosaur tracks and fossilized plants and tree stumps in far northwestern Alaska provides new information about the climate and movement of animals near the time when they began traveling between the Asian and North American continents roughly 100 million years ago.

phys.org

A brief guide to birdwatching in the age of dinosaurs

Have you ever wondered what it would be like travel back in time to the age of dinosaurs? If you stumble upon a time machine, remember to bring your binoculars. Birdwatching is a popular hobby today, with an around 3 million participants in the UK alone, and in our modern world there are a...

phys.org

Newly discovered fossil of giant turtle is named after Stephen King novel character

An international research team led by Dr. Gabriel S. Ferreira from the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment at the University of Tübingen has described a new species of giant turtle from the late Pleistocene.

phys.org

Researchers present the world's oldest long-necked marine reptile

An international team of scientists led by Dr. Stephan Spiekman, Dr. Eudald Mujal and Prof. Dr. Rainer Schoch, paleontologists at the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, has re-examined the fossil of the reptile Trachelosaurus fischeri, which was first described at the beginning of the...

phys.org

In the deep

Shark-bitten orcas in the Northeastern Pacific could be a new population of killer whale

UBC researchers believe a group of killer whales observed hunting marine mammals including sperm whales, as well as a sea turtle, in the open ocean off California and Oregon could be a new population.

phys.org

Creating soundscapes increases coral larval settlement, study finds

A team of marine biologists and oceanographers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Falmouth, Massachusetts, has found that creating soundscapes for coral larvae encourages them to settle on desired coral reefs.

phys.org

A coral superhighway in the Indian Ocean

New research has revealed that, despite being scattered across more than a million square kilometers, remote coral reefs across the Seychelles are closely related. Using genetic analyses and oceanographic modeling, researchers at Oxford University have demonstrated for the first time that a...

phys.org

Dogs and cats

Study finds interactions with dogs can increase brainwaves associated with stress relief and heightened concentration

Spending quality time with dogs reduces stress and increases the power of brain waves associated with relaxation and concentration, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Onyoo Yoo from Konkuk University, South Korea, and colleagues.

medicalxpress.com

Cheetahs' unrivaled speed explained by their 'sweet spot' size, study finds

A new Imperial College London study has answered a long-held question about why medium-sized land animals like cheetahs tend to be fastest.

phys.org

Plants

Giant sequoias are a rapidly growing feature of the UK landscape

Imported giant sequoia trees are well adapted to the UK, growing at rates close to their native ranges and capturing large amounts of carbon during their long lives, finds a new study led by UCL researchers with colleagues at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

phys.org

Defensive cage architectures in herbivore-driven ecosystems

Dense branching and spines are common features of plant species in ecosystems with high mammalian herbivory pressure. The combination of dense branching and spines is likely to produce the most effective herbivore defenses, as dense branching directly translates into higher spine densities...

phys.org

Spring irrigation can reduce summer heat wave events

Heat waves are becoming more extreme as climate change exacerbates, with susceptible locations experiencing more frequent, prolonged and higher intensity events. As such, they pose a hazard to agricultural practices that rely upon sufficient water to ensure sustainable food supplies.

phys.org

Weather and geology

Meteorology research: Weak polar vortex makes weather more predictable

Events in the stratosphere are making long-range weather in Northern Europe easier to forecast, researchers at LMU have discovered.

phys.org

'The night might not save us': New study shows drought drives overnight burning of wildfires

The welcomed slowing of a wildfire's destruction that comes with the cool and humidity of nightfall shrinks and even disappears during drought conditions, according to a University of Alberta researcher whose new study published in Nature challenges conventional fire management practices.

phys.org

Study highlights effect of aerosols over Asia on Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation

Since the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) was first monitored in 2004, it has been the focus of thousands of scientific papers and even a blockbuster movie that grossed more than $552 million worldwide.

phys.org

Wind and wave observations reveal the seasonal variations in wave-induced stress over global ocean

Recently, a study by Ph.D. student Jing Ren from Ocean University of China and Associate Prof. Sheng Chen and Prof. Fangli Qiao from First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources was published in Science China Earth Sciences.

phys.org

Gravity waves caused by complex terrain over the Tibetan Plateau can enhance the intensity of spring rainfall

The springtime persistent rainfall is the major rainy period before the onset of summer monsoon in East Asia. For example, it accounts for about 35% of the annual precipitation in South China, which brings plentiful water for agricultural and industrial use but can also cause heavy rainfall and...

phys.org

Strange rock formations beneath the Pacific Ocean could change our understanding of early Earth

Our world may seem fragile, but Earth has been around for a very long time. If we ventured far back into the past, would we reach a time when it looked fundamentally different?

phys.org

Seismological study shows ancient lower mantle flow field under Philippine sea plate

Researchers from China and Japan have discovered distinct characteristics of Earth's lower mantle flow field. They investigated seismic anisotropy in the upper part of the lower mantle beneath the Philippine Sea Plate (PSP) and found that the ancient lower mantle flow field is still preserved there.

phys.org

Help for soldiers in the field

Lives could be saved from tropical disease with new rapid test

Globally, more than half of patients die after infection with the neglected tropical disease, melioidosis, often before they are diagnosed. A new rapid test could save lives by diagnosing patients in hours rather than several days taken by current bacterial culture methods, meaning they receive...

medicalxpress.com

Human foibles

The science behind waking up on the wrong side of the bed

It's always darkest before the dawn for many people, and now, a University of Michigan and Dartmouth Health study has looked into the science of waking up on the wrong side of the bed.

medicalxpress.com

How the brain wakes us from daydreams

When we daydream, we must be able to snap back to attention at a moment's notice. Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital uncovered how our brains can do things like react to a question when we're daydreaming: firing activity in part of the brain called the dentate gyrus keeps us focused on...

medicalxpress.com

Researchers explains how streaks motivate us

Friends out for a drink have hatched many a bright idea, but these insights (or what feel like insights at the time) don't usually end up published in academic journals. For researchers Jackie Silverman and Alixandra Barasch, though, a trip to a brewery sparked an idea that has blossomed into...

phys.org

Information overload is a personal and societal danger, researchers say

We are all aware of the dangers of pollution to our air, water, and Earth. In a letter recently published in Nature Human Behavior, scientists are advocating for the recognition and mitigation of another type of environmental pollution that poses equivalent personal and societal dangers...

phys.org

The arts

New framework embraces uncertainty to make sense of history

There are many things we don't know about how history unfolds. The process might be impersonal, even inevitable, as some social scientists have suggested; human societies might be doomed to decline. Or, individual actions and environmental conditions might influence our communities'...

phys.org

Paganini's violin gets X-ray treatment in quest of sound secrets

French experts fired X-rays at a 18th-century violin worth millions this weekend hoping to discover the secret of its magical sound, they said Monday.

phys.org

 

[publiusr]

Math prize awarded

'I had such fun!', says winner of top math prize

For Michel Talagrand, who won the Abel mathematics prize on Wednesday, math provided a fun life free from all constraints—and an escape from the eye problems he suffered as a child.

phys.org

Physics

Team proposes using AI to reconstruct particle paths leading to new physics

Particles colliding in accelerators produce numerous cascades of secondary particles. The electronics processing the signals avalanching in from the detectors then have a fraction of a second in which to assess whether an event is of sufficient interest to save it for later analysis. In the near...

phys.org

Panzercroc

Tanks of the triassic: New crocodile ancestor identified

Dinosaurs get all the glory. But aetosaurs, a heavily armored cousin of modern crocodiles, ruled the world before dinosaurs did. These tanks of the Triassic came in a variety of shapes and sizes before going extinct around 200 million years ago. Today, their fossils are found on every continent...

phys.org

Mark of the demon

Research visualizes 'demonic' face distortions in a case of prosopometamorphopsia

Imagine if every time you saw a face, it appeared distorted. Well, for those who have a very rare condition known as prosopometamorphopsia (PMO), which causes facial features to appear distorted, that is reality.

medicalxpress.com

The unexplained: Giant Swedish archive logs paranormal phenomena

Newspaper clippings, books and first-hand accounts of people who said they visited other planets are catalogued in a giant Swedish archive on paranormal phenomena, attracting the curious and researchers from around the world.

phys.org

Study shows that 'transcendent' thinking may grow teens' brains over time

Scientists at the USC Rossier School of Education's Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning, and Education (CANDLE) have shown for the first time that a type of thinking that has been described for over a century as a developmental milestone of adolescence may grow teenagers'...

medicalxpress.com

The mystery of consciousness shows there may be a limit to what science alone can achieve

The progress of science in the last 400 years is mind blowing. Who would have thought we'd be able to trace the history of our universe to its origins 14 billion years ago? Science has increased the length and the quality of our lives, and the technology that is commonplace in the modern world...

phys.org

Fear and disgust

Feelings of disgust found to be more related to proximal senses than distal senses

A team of psychologists at Macquarie University in Australia, has found, via survey responses that feelings of disgust tend to be related more to proximal senses than distal senses. In their study, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, the group conducted two separate surveys with...

medicalxpress.com

Identification of molecule involved in fear extinction could lead to new therapies for anxiety

Researchers have identified a new mediator responsible for altering fear memories. This discovery could contribute to the creation of new and more effective therapies for the treatment of anxiety disorders, one of the most prevalent health conditions worldwide.

medicalxpress.com

AI recognizes clinically anxious youth based on their brain structure

A unique multicenter study, including about 3,500 youth between 10 and 25 years old from across the globe, shows that artificial intelligence—specifically machine learning—is able to identify individuals with anxiety disorders based on their unique brain structure.

medicalxpress.com

Scientists create novel technique to form human artificial chromosomes

Human artificial chromosomes (HACs) capable of working within human cells could power advanced gene therapies, including those addressing some cancers, along with many laboratory applications, though serious technical obstacles have hindered their development. Now a team led by researchers at...

phys.org

Understanding the wiring of the human genome

Around 98.5% of human DNA is non-coding, meaning it doesn't get copied to make proteins. A new study has connected many of these non-coding regions to the genes they affect and laid out guidelines for how researchers can continue this work going forward.

medicalxpress.com

The Bard's sister

Shakespeare's sister: Digital archives reveal hidden insights into world-famous playwright's unknown sibling

By analyzing digital copies of an incredibly rare and obscure 17th-century Italian religious text, a University of Bristol academic has revealed that a long-lost document previously thought to have been written by William Shakespeare's father belongs, in fact, to his relatively unknown sister Joan.

phys.org

I sing the planet electric

Research suggests natural electrical grid deep inside Earth enables many types of microbes to survive

To "breathe" in an environment without oxygen, bacteria in the ground beneath our feet depend upon a single family of proteins to transfer excess electrons (produced during the "burning" of nutrients) to electric hairs called nanowires projecting from their surface.

phys.org

Weather and geology

Satellite data assimilation improves forecasts of severe weather

In 2020, a line of severe thunderstorms unleashed powerful winds that caused billions in damages across the Midwest United States. A technique developed by Penn State scientists that incorporates satellite data could improve forecasts—including where the most powerful winds will occur—for...

phys.org

Research unveils findings in storm microphysics parameterization

Research led by Professor Ming Xue from the University of Oklahoma's Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms has uncovered new insights into microphysics parameterization (MP) schemes, significantly advancing our understanding of ice hydrometeor representations in weather modeling.

phys.org

Detecting heavy precipitation events directly with GPS data

An exceptionally severe storm swept over Zurich on 13 July 2021 shortly before 2 a.m., with howling squalls, constant lightning and torrential rain that awakened people with a start.

phys.org

Scientists detail research to assess the viability and risks of marine cloud brightening

As the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere continue to increase and climate change impacts become more costly, the scientific community is redoubling efforts to investigate the potential risks and benefits of artificially shading Earth's surface to slow global warming.

phys.org

AI could help predict floods where traditional methods struggle

An artificial intelligence (AI) model could improve the accuracy of flood forecasting, according to a new study published in Nature. The system is shown to be as accurate as, or an improvement on, current leading methods and could provide earlier warnings of large flooding events.

phys.org

Study identifies areas in Mexico City Metro affected by land subsidence

A new assessment study identifies areas in Mexico City's metro system affected by land subsidence, providing a roadmap for mitigating damage, prioritizing repairs, and informing future designs for the metro's infrastructure.

techxplore.com

Toba supereruption may have facilitated dispersal of modern humans out of Africa

Modern humans dispersed from Africa multiple times, but the event that led to global expansion occurred less than 100,000 years ago. Some researchers hypothesize that dispersals were restricted to "green corridors" formed during humid intervals when food was abundant and human populations...

phys.org

Unlocking clearer views of our world's water: A Landsat legacy

Satellite remote sensing is vital for monitoring marine and freshwater ecosystems, leveraging missions like SeaWiFS, MODIS, MERIS, Landsat, and Sentinel to track water parameters such as chlorophyll, sediment, and temperature. The dynamic nature of water bodies demands high-frequency...

phys.org

Biology

https://phys.org/news/2024-03-cells-evolve-soda-lakes.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-03-freshwater-diatoms-stay.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-03-characterizing-salps-predators-marine-microbes.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-03-lexicon-age-microbiome.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-03-ancient-giant-dolphin-amazon.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-03-killer-whales-specialized-techniques-marine.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-03-sequencing-blue-whale-etruscan-shrew.html

Despite all my rage....

Chimpanzees stayed in an 'invisible cage' after zoo enclosure was enlarged—South African study

Captive chimpanzees are one of the most popular species kept in zoos because of their charismatic appeal and similarity to humans. They are the closest living relatives of humans because of the shared genes and behavioral and psychological similarities.

phys.org

 

[publiusr]

Bird evolution chart

Computational tools fuel reconstruction of new and improved bird family tree

An international team of scientists has built the largest and most detailed bird family tree to date—an intricate chart delineating 93 million years of evolutionary relationships between 363 bird species, representing 92% of all bird families.

phys.org

Dinos and other biology news

Dinosaur study challenges Bergmann's rule

When you throw dinosaurs into the mix, sometimes you find that a rule simply isn't.

phys.org

Early dinosaurs grew up fast, but fossil analysis suggests they weren't the only ones

The earliest dinosaurs had rapid growth rates, but so did many of the other animals living alongside them, according to a study published in PLOS ONE by Kristina Curry Rogers of Macalester College, Minnesota and colleagues.

phys.org

Temple bones in the skulls of dinosaurs and humans alike were formed by feeding habits, study suggests

Whether human or reptile, in the skull of most terrestrial vertebrates there is a gaping hole in the temple; in the case of most reptiles, there are two. Scientists have been looking for explanations for this for 150 years.

phys.org

Newly hatched chicks can instantly recognize objects with vision, even if they've only ever experienced them by touch

In a study published in Biology Letters, researchers at Queen Mary University of London have cracked a centuries-old philosophical question about sight and touch. Led by Dr. Elisabetta Versace, the team used chicks to finally answer the question posed by William Molyneux in 1688: Can someone...

phys.org

Scientists discover speed of visual perception ranges widely in humans

Using a blink-and-you'll-miss-it experiment, researchers from Trinity College Dublin have discovered that individuals differ widely in the rate at which they perceive visual signals. Some people perceive a rapidly changing visual cue at frequencies that others cannot, which means some access...

medicalxpress.com

Research shows animals can live alongside humans by being experts at judging risk

New research suggests animals can thrive in human-dominated environments by being expert judges of risk. Alexis Breen from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, and Dominik Deffner from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, examined the behavior...

phys.org

Two Jurassic mammaliaforms from China shed light on mammalian evolution

Mammaliaforms are extinct and extant organisms that are closely related to mammals. Studying mammaliaforms helps scientists understand the evolutionary processes that led to various mammalian features.

phys.org

'Unheard of in structural biology': New enzyme models reveal disease insights

When nucleic acids like DNA or RNA build up in a cell's cytoplasm, it sets off an alarm call for the immune system. Enzymes usually clear these nucleic acids before they cause an issue, but when these enzymes don't work and the immune system gets called in, it can lead to autoimmune and...

phys.org

Researchers map how the brain regulates emotions

Ever want to scream during a particularly bad day, but then manage not to? Thank the human brain and how it regulates emotions, which can be critical for navigating everyday life. As we perceive events unfolding around us, the ability to be flexible and reframe a situation impacts not only how...

medicalxpress.com

'Zombie neurons' shed light on how the brain learns

Nestled at the back of your head, the cerebellum is a brain structure that plays a pivotal role in how we learn, adapting our actions based on past experiences. Yet the precise ways in which this learning happens are still being defined.

medicalxpress.com

Amphibians use scream inaudible to humans for self-defense against predators, study suggests

A study reported in the journal acta ethologica has recorded the use of ultrasound by amphibians for the first time in South America. It also describes the first documented case of the use of ultrasound for defense against predators, in a distress call of ear-piercing intensity to many animals...

phys.org

The life aquatic: Why diurnal frog species kept genes adapted to night vision

Frogs display a remarkable diversity of species as a whole, but does the same hold true for their visual abilities? A new study led by York University's Faculty of Science has sought to answer this question by collaborating with researchers in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Cameroon, Ecuador...

phys.org

Discovery could end global amphibian fungal pandemic

A fungus devastating frogs and toads on nearly every continent may have an Achilles heel. Scientists have discovered a virus that infects the fungus, and that could be engineered to save the amphibians.

phys.org

New data from fossil shows changes in axial skeleton that foreshadow the evolution of walking

Before the evolution of legs from fins, the axial skeleton—including the bones of the head, neck, back and ribs—was already going through changes that would eventually help our ancestors support their bodies to walk on land.

phys.org

How plants heal wounds: Mechanical forces guide direction of cell division

Plants are made up of very rigid cells. Much like bricks in a wall, this feature gives them the structural support to maintain their shape and to stand upright against gravity. However, just like any living organism, plants can be injured, for instance, by wind or animal grazing. While humans...

phys.org

Leaves of three, let it be? Wide variability among poison ivy plants makes identification more challenging

We've all heard the classic saying "leaves of three, let it be," which means don't touch the poison ivy. But just how accurate is that timeless phrase? While this specific mnemonic device exists to deter people from touching poison ivy, it turns out there are also many harmless three-leaf native...

phys.org

Researchers discover protective 'acid wall' formed by cancer cells

Cancer cells release a significantly more concentrated level of acid than previously known, forming an "acid wall" that could deter immune cells from attacking tumors, UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists show in a new study.

medicalxpress.com

Botanists analyze the role of pollinators in the evolution of flowers with various sexual forms

Researchers Violeta Simón, Marcial Escudero and Juan Arroyo, from the Department of Botany at the Faculty of Biology of the University of Seville, in collaboration with researchers from four other countries, led a study in which they demonstrate Darwin's hypothesis of precise pollination across...

phys.org

Hair from tiger thought to be extinct found by conservationist on Java

A team of environmentalists and zoologists affiliated with several institutions in Indonesia has confirmed that a tiger species once thought extinct is still living on the island of Java. In their study, published in the journal Oryx, the group conducted a DNA analysis of a hair found by a...

phys.org

How brown rats crawled off ships and conquered North American cities

Brown rats are the undisputed winners of the real rat race. New research suggests that they crawled off ships arriving in North America earlier than previously thought and out-competed rodent rivals—going on to infuriate and disgust generations of city-dwellers and becoming so ubiquitous that...

phys.org

Inactivating the Tgfbr1 gene in mouse embryos results in extra limbs and no external genitals

A team of bioengineers at Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, in Portugal, has found that inactivating the Tgfbr1 gene in mouse embryos results in altered development in the trunk to tail region.

phys.org

Evolution in action? New study finds possibility of nitrogen-fixing organelles

Nitrogen is a nutrient essential for all life on Earth. Although nitrogen gas (N2) is plentiful, it is largely unavailable to most organisms without a process known as nitrogen fixation, which converts dinitrogen to ammonium—a major inorganic nitrogen source.

phys.org

Deciphering genomic language: New AI system unlocks biology's source code

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems like ChatGPT have taken the world by storm. There isn't much in which they're not involved, from recommending the next binge-worthy TV show to helping navigate through traffic. But can AI systems learn the language of life and help biologists reveal exciting...

phys.org

New method reveals hidden activity of life below ground

A team of scientists led by researchers at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences have developed an innovative method to link the genetics and function of individual microbes living without oxygen deep below Earth's surface. Measuring both of these attributes—and, more importantly, linking them...

phys.org

Researchers explore the hagfish genome, reconstruct the early genomic history of vertebrates

A study by a group of researchers at the University of Kentucky in collaboration with scientists in four other countries has been published in Nature. Their study is titled "The hagfish genome and the evolution of vertebrates."

phys.org

Medical & Human interest

Exploring the effect of the presence of familiar people in interpersonal space

When we communicate with other people face-to-face, we do so by maintaining a certain physical distance from each other. This space surrounding our body while interacting is called the interpersonal space (IPS), and maintaining adequate IPS is crucial for better communication.

medicalxpress.com

Far-UVC light can virtually eliminate airborne virus in an occupied room, study shows

Far-UVC light is a promising new technology for reducing airborne virus levels in occupied indoor spaces, but its effectiveness has not been evaluated in real-life scenarios.

medicalxpress.com

Wound treatment hydrogel infused with amino acid kills bacteria naturally and promotes cell growth

Hydrogels are popular for use in skin ailments and tissue engineering. These polymer-based biocompatible materials are useful for their abilities to retain water, deliver drugs into wounds, and biodegrade. However, they are complicated to manufacture and not very resilient to external forces...

phys.org

Study reveals that the brain's cerebellum can shape cognition

If you reward a monkey with some juice, it will learn which hand to move in response to a specific visual cue—but only if the cerebellum is functioning properly. So say neuroscientists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Columbia University, who recently published findings in...

medicalxpress.com

Using machine learning to track the evolution of COVID-19

Scientists have developed a machine-learning approach to track the evolution of SARS‑CoV‑2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and potentially other viruses, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

medicalxpress.com

Researchers investigate possibility of collecting DNA from air-conditioning units at crime scenes

Scientists may one day be using a new technique to potentially pick up and record key airborne forensic DNA evidence from crime scenes wiped clean of fingerprints and other trace evidence.

phys.org

Running style may be linked to personality type, study suggests

A team of human biomechanics specialists at Volodalen SportLab, has found evidence that suggests running style may be related to personality type. The researchers conducted an experiment with 80 adult volunteers engaging in running and testing trials and published their study in PLOS ONE.

medicalxpress.com

Forensic Scientometrics—an emerging discipline to protect the scholarly record

A new field of forensics is being proposed by research integrity experts to recognize their investigations into unscrupulous research behavior and misuse of scholarship: Forensic Scientometrics.

phys.org

weather

The Southern Ocean has the cleanest air on Earth—scientists have just discovered why

The Southern Ocean is renowned for having the cleanest air on Earth. But the precise reasons why have remained a mystery, until now.

phys.org

Simple equations clarify cloud climate conundrum

A new analysis based on simple equations has reduced uncertainty about how clouds will affect future climate change.

phys.org

Researchers find the link between human activity and shifting weather patterns in western North America

Western North America seems to be experiencing more extreme weather events more frequently. From scorching droughts to torrential floods, the climate is changing rapidly, with no signs of slowing down. From 2011 to 2015, California and neighboring states experienced extended periods of drought...

phys.org

With the planet facing a 'polycrisis,' biodiversity researchers uncover major knowledge gaps

A scientific review has found almost no research studying the interconnections across three major threats to planetary health, despite UN assessments suggesting 1 million species are at risk of extinction, a global pandemic that resulted in over 6 million excess deaths, and a record-breaking...

phys.org

Ancient ocean oxygenation timeline revealed

Dr. Uri Ryb and Dr. Michal Ben-Israel from the Institute of Earth Sciences at the Hebrew University, along with their collaborators, have made an important discovery in Earth sciences. Their study, published in Nature Communications, introduces a new approach to reconstruct the rise of oxygen in...

phys.org

Lab experiments show material flowing through cracks can isolate molecules that may reveal early life on Earth

A team of biophysicists at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, in Germany, has found via lab experiments that heated material seeping through tiny cracks in hardened material can result in isolation of molecules that could have served as the building blocks for life on Earth.

phys.org

Researchers propose new step in tectonic squeeze that turns seafloor into mountains

Scientists use tiny minerals called zircons as geologic timekeepers. Often no bigger than a grain of sand, these crystals record chemical signatures of the geological environment where they formed. In a new study led by scientists at The University of Texas at Austin, researchers used them to...

phys.org

AI improves monsoon rainfall predictions

Every year, the South Asian monsoon season brings heavy rain to over a billion people in the Indian subcontinent between June and September. The rain falls in oscillations: Some weeks see 1 to 4 inches of water, while other weeks are mostly dry. Predicting when these dry and wet periods will...

phys.org

Scientists discover that the natural purification of groundwater is enhanced by nitrate

In recent years, the world has been experiencing floods and droughts as extreme rainfall events have become more frequent due to climate change. For this reason, securing stable water resources throughout the year has become a national responsibility called "water security," and "Aquifer Storage...

phys.org

 

[publiusr]

Earth sciences

Mapping the world's salted soils: A leap forward in combating land degradation

A team of researchers has developed an approach that maps the soil salt content around the world with an exceptional detail of 10 meters. This advance tackles the pressing need for accurate assessments of soil salinity, a formidable challenge that jeopardizes agricultural productivity and soil...

phys.org

Research presents a map of global land cover from 2000–2020

A new study introduces the Hybrid Global Annual 1-km International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) Land Cover Maps for the period 2000–2020.

phys.org

What is a sinkhole? A geotechnical engineer explains

Sinkholes are back in the news after a 13-year-old boy fell down a two meter deep hole in a waterlogged football field in Sydney over the weekend. The boy reportedly sank further into the hole every time he tried to push down with his feet, but was later rescued by a police officer who pulled...

phys.org

Seismologists suspect earthquake on San Andreas Fault is imminent despite odd attenuation parameters

A trio of seismologists affiliated with Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, the Berkeley Seismological Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley reports that a part of the San Andreas Fault, at Parkfield, is not producing signals that would suggest an earthquake is going to...

phys.org

Fault maturity or orientation: Which matters more for quakes?

In the early morning of 22 May 2021, a magnitude 7.4 quake rattled China's remote Maduo County on the Tibetan Plateau. It was the most recent in a series of nine earthquakes with a magnitude of 7 or greater since 1997, and its surface rupture was twice as long as the global average for similarly...

phys.org

Earthquakes may not be primary driver of glacial lake outburst floods

Glacial lakes form when meltwater is trapped behind a dam, usually glacial ice, bedrock or a type of moraine (terminal types being an unconsolidated pile of debris at the maximum extent of the glacier). When a dam fails, the resulting sudden release of a large volume of water is known as an...

phys.org

New open-source generative machine learning model simulates future energy-climate impacts

As countries worldwide transition to more wind and solar generation and electrify energy end uses, societies are becoming more intertwined with weather conditions. Meanwhile, the climate is rapidly changing and making extreme weather events the "new normal."

techxplore.com

Altered oceanic crust may contribute to arc magmas

As an important subduction component, altered oceanic crust (AOC) is widely distributed on the oceanic subducting slab and may contribute significantly to the chemistry of arc magmas. However, identifying this contribution in arc magmas is challenging because AOC is not as enriched in...

phys.org

Rock permeability, microquakes link may be a boon for geothermal energy

Using machine learning, researchers at Penn State have tied low-magnitude microearthquakes to the permeability of subsurface rocks beneath the Earth, a discovery that could have implications for improving geothermal energy transfer.

phys.org

Study shedding new light on Earth's global carbon cycle could help assess liveability of other planets

Research has uncovered important new insights into the evolution of oxygen, carbon, and other vital elements over the entire history of Earth—and it could help assess which other planets can develop life, ranging from plants to animals and humans.

phys.org

Humans shape the journey of mud, study reveals

Mud can be surprisingly clear. A global team of scientists has uncovered a hidden truth: Human actions are shaping the journey of mud. Over the course of decades, our activities have wielded significant influence over the movement and dispersion of mud, affecting carbon storage and cycling...

phys.org

Verifying the mathematics behind ocean modeling

Global climate models, such as the Energy Exascale Earth System Model developed by the U.S. Department of Energy, rely on many underlying equations that simulate Earth's natural processes. These include the water cycle, carbon dioxide uptake by land and water, and rates of ice melt.

phys.org

Cloud engineering could be more effective 'painkiller' for global warming than previously thought

Cloud "engineering" could be more effective for climate cooling than previously thought, because of the increased cloud cover produced, new research shows.

phys.org

Research examines tweets during Hurricane María to analyze social media use during disasters

Social media can be a useful tool for communicating during extreme weather events. Omar Pérez Figueroa, an urban and regional planning professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, examined how Twitter (now X) was used when Hurricane María hit Puerto Rico in 2017.

phys.org

Hurricane risk perception drops after storms hit, study shows

Programs and policies that help households go beyond stocking up on food and medical supplies to invest in longer-term protections could overcome the risk perception gap and support adaptation to rising climate-related threats.

phys.org

Despite what you might hear, weather prediction is getting better, not worse

Australia's weather bureau copped harsh criticism after El Niño failed to deliver a much-vaunted dry summer in eastern Australia. Parts of northern Queensland in the path of Tropical Cyclone Jasper had a record wet December and areas of central Victoria had a record wet January. Overall, the...

phys.org

Long-term forest study shows tornado's effects linger 25 years later

A long-term study at the University of Cincinnati has documented the rise of invasive species in a forest devastated by a tornado 25 years ago.

phys.org

The rage within

Exploring how oxytocin interacts with testosterone while humans play a game modeling intergroup conflict

Over the past decades, numerous studies have investigated the neural and cognitive processes underpinning intergroup conflict, as this could help to explain what fuels belligerent behavior, political clashes, and wars. While these works gathered some interesting findings, much about these...

medicalxpress.com

Team finds evidence of commonly conducted ritualized human sacrifice across Europe in the Stone Age

A team of archaeologists affiliated with several institutions in France and one in Germany has found that ritualized human sacrifice was common across Europe during the Neolithic.

phys.org

Clovis people may have also used Clovis points to butcher animals

A team of archaeologists and anthropologists from multiple institutions in the U.S. has found evidence that the Clovis, an early North American population, may have used so-called Clovis points for more than spearpoints—they may have also used them to cut up the animals they brought down.

phys.org

Bonobos are more aggressive than previously thought, study shows

Chimpanzees and bonobos are often thought to reflect two different sides of human nature—the conflict-ready chimpanzee versus the peaceful bonobo—but a new study published in Current Biology shows that, within their own communities, male bonobos are more frequently aggressive than male...

phys.org

Cannibalism and genome duplication in nematodes

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biology have produced intriguing evidence of how environmental factors and genetic adaptation can lead to the evolution of novel and aggressive traits and behaviors in nematodes.

phys.org

No two worms are alike: New study confirms that even the simplest marine organisms tend to be individualistic

Sport junkie or couch potato? Always on time or often late? The animal kingdom, too, is home to a range of personalities, each with its own lifestyle. In a study just released in the journal PLOS Biology, a team led by Sören Häfker and Kristin Tessmar-Raible from the Alfred Wegener Institute...

phys.org

3D mouth of an ancient jawless fish suggests they were filter-feeders, not scavengers or hunters

Early jawless fish were likely to have used bony projections surrounding their mouths to modify their mouth shape while they collected food.

phys.org

For 600 years the Voynich manuscript has remained a mystery—now, researchers think it's partly about sex

The Voynich manuscript has long puzzled and fascinated historians and the public. This late-medieval document is covered in illustrations of stars and planets, plants, zodiac symbols, naked women, and blue and green fluids. But the text itself—thought to be the work of five different scribes—is...

phys.org

One in four US adolescents identify as non-heterosexual, comparative analysis finds

A recent Northwestern Medicine comparative analysis of national survey results found that 1 in 4 U.S. adolescents in grades 9 through 12 reported their sexual identity as non-heterosexual, according to findings published in JAMA Pediatrics.

medicalxpress.com

Research explores the benefits and risks to pornography

Consuming pornography can lead to improved sexual satisfaction—or it can be detrimental to it, as different content types are associated with different outcomes.

phys.org

Dinos and whales

Fossilized dinosaur eggshells can preserve amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, over millions of years

As a scientist, lab work can sometimes get monotonous. But in 2017, while a Ph.D. student of paleobiology at the University of Bristol in the U.K., I heard a gleeful exclamation from across the room. Kirsty Penkman, head of the North East Amino Acid Racemization lab at the University of York...

phys.org

Mysterious bones may have belonged to gigantic ichthyosaurs

Several similar large, fossilized bone fragments have been discovered in various regions across Western and Central Europe since the 19th century. The animal group to which they belonged is still the subject of much debate to this day. A study carried out at the University of Bonn could now...

phys.org

Mediterranean marine worm has developed eyes 'as big as millstones'

Scientists are amazed at the discovery of a bristle worm with such sharp-seeing eyes that they can measure up to those of mammals and octopuses. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen and Lund University suspect that these marine worms may have a secretive language, which uses UV light...

phys.org

How whales struggle to navigate in a sea of noise pollution

In 1490, Leonardo da Vinci wrote, "If you cause your ship to stop and place the head of a long tube in the water and place the outer extremity to your ear, you will hear ships at a great distance from you."

phys.org

Toothed whale echolocation organs evolved from jaw muscles, new research suggests

Dolphins and whales use sound to communicate, navigate and hunt. New research suggests that the collections of fatty tissue that enable toothed whales to do so may have evolved from their skull muscles and bone marrow.

phys.org

The mound

Researchers discover the secret of how termites build their giant nests

Termites are the architects of the natural world. The nests that they build can reach meters of height, with complex and elaborate structures, galleries that ensure efficient communication and that automatically ventilate the nest interior in a way that would make the envy of human engineers...

phys.org

The evolution...of evolution

The evolving attitudes of Gen X toward evolution

As the centennial of the Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925 approaches, a new study illustrates that the attitudes of Americans in Generation X toward evolution shifted as they aged.

phys.org

History

Pacific cities found to be much older than previously thought

New evidence of one of the first cities in the Pacific shows they were established much earlier than previously thought, according to new research from The Australian National University (ANU).

phys.org

Unraveling the iconography of the Etruscan lamp of Cortona, Italy

A large, highly decorated bronze lamp found in a ditch near the town of Cortona, central Italy, is significantly older than previously estimated and shows the god Dionysus, a new study published in De Gruyter's Etruscan and Italic Studies argues.

phys.org

First languages of North America traced back to two very different language groups from Siberia

Johanna Nichols, a linguist at the University of California, Berkeley, has used her pioneering work in the field of language history to learn more about language development in North America. She has found that it can be traced back to two language groups that originated in Siberia. Her paper is...

phys.org

Carvings in southern Peru may have been inspired by people singing while hallucinating

A pair of archaeologists, one with Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, the other with the University of Warsaw, both in Poland, has found evidence suggesting that rock carvings found in a southern part of Peru may have been inspired by people singing while consuming hallucinogenic plants. In...

phys.org

Early medieval money mystery solved

Byzantine bullion fueled Europe's revolutionary adoption of silver coins in the mid-7th century, only to be overtaken by silver from a mine in Charlemagne's Francia a century later, new tests reveal. The findings could transform our understanding of Europe's economic and political development.

phys.org

Animal science

What do bird dreams sound like?

For more than 20 years, researchers have known that areas of birds' brains dedicated to singing show neural patterns during sleep akin to the ones they use while awake and singing.

phys.org

Researchers map 33 new big game migrations across American West

A new set of maps that document the movements of ungulates was published today in the fourth volume of the Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States. The maps in this collaborative U.S. Geological Survey report series reveal the migration routes and critical ranges used by ungulates, or...

phys.org

Smart vest turns fish into underwater spies, providing a glimpse into aquatic life like never before

Traditional techniques for observing fish behavior, largely dependent on vision-based systems, face substantial limitations, such as a confined range of observation and a limited duration of operation underwater. In response to these challenges, a research team from the National University of...

phys.org

Study finds schools of fish can make less noise than a solitary swimmer

New findings by Johns Hopkins University engineers working with a high-tech simulation of schooling mackerel, offer insight into why fish swim in schools and promise for the design and operation of much quieter submarines and autonomous undersea vehicles.

phys.org

Flora

Precision agriculture research identifies gene that controls production of flowers and fruits in pea plants

The end of the reproductive period, when flowers and fruits are produced, is a crucial moment in plants' life cycles. However, the factors that control this process must be better understood.

phys.org

Scientists discover first nitrogen-fixing organelle

Modern biology textbooks assert that only bacteria can take nitrogen from the atmosphere and convert it into a form that is usable for life. Plants that fix nitrogen, such as legumes, do so by harboring symbiotic bacteria in root nodules. But a recent discovery upends that rule.

phys.org

From negative results to new discoveries in chloroplast biochemistry

Photosynthesis is a complex process, involving many pathways and puzzle pieces working together to keep the organism alive.

phys.org

How plants adjust their photosynthesis to changing light

Photosynthesis is the central process by which plants build up biomass using light, water, and carbon dioxide from the air. Gaining a detailed understanding of this process makes it possible to modify and thus optimize it—for example, with a view to increasing food production or stress tolerance.

phys.org

 

[publiusr]

Vampire bacteria

Deadly bacteria show thirst for human blood: Research outlines the phenomenon of bacterial vampirism

Some of the world's deadliest bacteria seek out and feed on human blood, a newly-discovered phenomenon researchers are calling "bacterial vampirism."

phys.org

Uranium-immobilizing bacteria in clay rock: Exploring how microorganisms can influence the behavior of radioactive waste

When designing repositories for high-level radioactive waste in deep geological layers, various factors must be carefully considered to ensure their long-term safety. Among other things, natural communities of microorganisms can influence the behavior of the waste, especially when it comes into...

phys.org

Scientists discover how soil microbes survive in harsh desert environments

Prolonged droughts followed by sudden bursts of rainfall—how do desert soil bacteria manage to survive such harsh conditions? This long-debated question has now been answered by an ERC project led by microbiologist Dagmar Woebken from the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science...

phys.org

biology in the news

Baby white sharks prefer being closer to shore, scientists find

Remember #BabyShark? And no, this was not the very catchy song for kids that took the internet by storm. Earlier this year, social media was abuzz with stunning footage of a newborn great white shark, captured by a flying drone.

phys.org

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. Experts have identified the bones as belonging to the jaws of a new species of enormous ichthyosaur, a type of prehistoric marine reptile. Estimates suggest the...

phys.org

Instinct for 'fight or flight' may be much older than we thought

Evidence in lampreys for the presence of a rudimentary sympathetic nervous system, previously thought to be unique to jawed vertebrates, has been presented in Nature. The finding may prompt a rethink of the origins of the sympathetic nervous system, which operates without conscious thought and...

phys.org

The secret world of earthworms: Meet the tiger worm and the nightcrawler

Most people are aware of earthworms, but probably give them little thought. Some have a notion they are "good for the soil". Others regard them with distaste and think of slimy animals associated with decay. But these alien-looking animals are remarkable and control the foundations of life from...

phys.org

Scientists share single-cell atlas for the highly regenerative worm, Pristina leidyi

An international team of scientists, including B. Duygu Özpolat at Washington University in St. Louis, has published the first single-cell atlas for Pristina leidyi (Pristina), the water nymph worm, a segmented annelid with extraordinary regenerative abilities that has fascinated biologists for...

phys.org

Lynx found at bottom of Roman era pit, along with four dogs, mystifies archaeologists

A team of archaeologists at the Institute of Archaeology, HUN-REN Research Center for the Humanities, in Hungary, working with a colleague from Stockholm University, has revisited a mystery: a Roman era lynx skeleton buried in a pit with four dog skeletons, all layered above it.

phys.org

Researchers crack mystery of swirling vortexes in egg cells

Egg cells are the largest single cells on the planet. Their size—often several to hundreds of times the size of a typical cell—allows them to grow into entire organisms, but it also makes it difficult to transport nutrients and other molecules around the cell. Scientists have long known that...

phys.org

Spiraling insights: Scientists observe mechanical waves in bacterial communities

A new study by researchers from The Chinese University of Hong Kong has reported the emergence of mechanical spiral waves in bacterial matter.

phys.org

Discovery of new ancient giant snake in India

A new ancient species of snake dubbed Vasuki Indicus, which lived around 47 million years ago in the state of Gujarat in India, may have been one of the largest snakes to have ever lived, suggests new research published in Scientific Reports. The new species, which reached an estimated length of...

phys.org

Describing growing tissues in the language of thermodynamics

A key feature of biological tissues is their inhomogeneity and their ability to grow via cell reproduction. To study this behavior, it is important to describe it using equations, which account for factors including growth rates, chemical signaling, and tissue structure.

phys.org

Evolution

Evolution's recipe book: How 'copy paste' errors led to insect flight, octopus camouflage and human cognition

Seven hundred million years ago, a remarkable creature emerged for the first time. Though it may not have been much to look at by today's standards, the animal had a front and a back, a top and a bottom. This was a groundbreaking adaptation at the time, and one which laid down the basic body...

phys.org

How interspecies competition led to a 'bizarre' pattern in our own evolutionary tree

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 University of Cambridge study that revises the start and end dates for many of our early ancestors.

phys.org

Researchers identify genetic variant that helped shape human skull base evolution

Humans, Homo sapiens, have unique features compared with other closely related hominin species and primates, including the shape of the base of the skull. The evolutionary changes underlying these features were significant in allowing the evolution of our increased brain size.

phys.org

In life cycle diagrams, small changes make a big difference

Life cycle diagrams are ubiquitous in science textbooks, and they may be due for some updates. A new study finds simple design changes in these diagrams can have a dramatic impact on the ability of undergraduate students to understand key biology concepts.

phys.org

Earth science

Giant rogue waves: Southern Ocean expedition reveals wind as key cause

A University of Melbourne expedition to the southernmost waters encircling Antarctica has discovered that wind drives the formation of colossal rogue waves, and that these unpredictable waves occur more frequently than scientists had previously thought—providing critical information to inform...

phys.org

Scientists trigger mini-earthquakes in the lab

Earthquakes and landslides are famously difficult to predict and prepare for. By studying a miniature version of the ground in the lab, scientists at the UvA Institute of Physics have demonstrated how these events can be triggered by a small external shock wave. Bring a flotation device: it...

phys.org

Dense network of seismometers reveals how the underground ruptures

The idea that earthquakes release stress by a single strong quake along a single fault plane may need to be corrected. A recent study by researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) with the participation of the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences and international partner...

phys.org

Mycoheterotrophic plants as a key to the 'Wood Wide Web'

Bayreuth researchers shed light on the natural evidence for the occurrence and function of networks of fungi and plants—so-called mycorrhizal networks. Through this "Wood Wide Web," plants can exchange resources and even information with each other. The researchers have now reported their...

phys.org

Unraveling the mysteries of consecutive atmospheric river events

In California's 2022-2023 winter season, the state faced nine atmospheric rivers (ARs) that led to extreme flooding, landslides, and power outages—the longest duration of continuous AR conditions in the past 70 years. Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) recently...

phys.org

From tape measures to space lasers: Quantifying biomass of the world's tallest forests

In this era of accelerating climate crisis, accounting for all aspects of Earth's carbon cycle is a crucial task. The magnitude of atmospheric carbon burden means trees and forests are limited but important instruments among a suite of mitigation options.

phys.org

New geological map reveals secrets of Greenland's icy interior

A team of international scientists involving the Durham University Geography department has unveiled a new map of the geological provinces hidden beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet.

phys.org

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-expert-mapmakers-world-differently.html

History

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-royal-reveals-maya-regime.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-revives-1800s-photos.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-evidence-human-occupation-lava-tube.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-lineage-north-america-native-blackfoot.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-insights-genetic-bottleneck-characterizing-early.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-large-genomic-tri-ancestral-japanese.html

The Brain

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-brain-efficient.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-scientists-uncover-regions-genome-linked.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-dynamic-dna-formation-memory.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-neuronal-gateway-essential-molecules-memory.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-human-neuron.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-brain-fine-tunes-sensitivity.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-bank-ai-memory-formation-brain.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-brain-region-involved-attention.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-newly-rare-cells-link-perception.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-metric-autism.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-environment-metacognitive-abilities-genetics.html

Addiction

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-common-pathway-brain-enables-addictive.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-dialogue-brain-regions-memories-rewards.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-electronic-health-genetics-tobacco-disorder.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-brain-cells-cannabinol-cbn-neurological.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-team-culprit-canned-wine-rotten.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-human-odorant-receptor-characteristic-petrol.html

Electronic 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.

phys.org

Medical news

Scientists develop nanosilver-impregnated silk suture against surgical site infection

In recent years, the adherence of microorganisms to surfaces or coatings has created major health risks to humans. Among these, microbial attachment and growth on surgical suture lines accounts for more than 20% of health-related infections in patients.

phys.org

Scientists identify airway cells that sense aspirated water and acid reflux

When a mouthful of water goes down the wrong pipe—heading toward a healthy person's lungs instead of their gut—they start coughing uncontrollably. That's because their upper airway senses the water and quickly signals the brain. The same coughing reflex is set off in people with acid reflux...

medicalxpress.com

Retrospective genomic characterization of the 2020 Ebola outbreak

Epidemiology researchers are harnessing tools developed by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, to untangle the origins of the 2020 Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). An article in The Lancet Microbe explores how advanced...

medicalxpress.com

Why zebrafish can regenerate damaged heart tissue, while other fish species cannot

A heart attack will leave a permanent scar on a human heart, yet other animals, including some fish and amphibians, can clear cardiac scar tissue and regrow damaged muscle as adults.

phys.org

Molecular code stimulates pioneer cells to build blood vessels in the body

Cardiovascular diseases, including stroke and myocardial infarction, are the world's leading causes of mortality, accounting for more than 18 million deaths a year. A team of KIT researchers has now identified a new cell type in blood vessels responsible for vascular growth.

phys.org

New heart disease calculator could save lives by identifying high-risk patients missed by current tools

Collaborative research, led from the University of Oxford and published today in Nature Medicine, has developed a new tool called QR4 that more accurately predicts an individual's 10-year risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease and stroke, particularly identifying high-risk...

medicalxpress.com

Study shows heart failure, not stroke is the most common complication of atrial fibrillation

The lifetime risk of atrial fibrillation (a heart condition that causes an irregular and often abnormally fast heart rate) has increased from one in four to one in three over the past two decades, finds a study from Denmark in The BMJ today.

medicalxpress.com

Researchers find glucose levels of nondiabetic people vary more than thought

A medical researcher at Tel Aviv University, working with a group of computer scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science, both in Israel, has found that fasting glucose levels in nondiabetic people vary more than previously thought. In their study, published in the journal Nature Medicine...

medicalxpress.com

Human muscle map reveals how we try to fight effects of aging at cellular and molecular levels

How muscle changes with aging and tries to fight its effects is now better understood at the cellular and molecular level with the first comprehensive atlas of aging muscles in humans.

medicalxpress.com

How trauma gets 'under the skin': Research investigates impaired muscle function caused by childhood trauma

A University of Michigan study has shown that traumatic experiences during childhood may get "under the skin" later in life, impairing the muscle function of people as they age.

medicalxpress.com

New urine-based test detects high-grade prostate cancer, helping men avoid unnecessary biopsies

Researchers at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center have developed a new urine-based test that addresses a major problem in prostate cancer: how to separate the slow-growing form of the disease unlikely to cause harm from more aggressive cancer that needs immediate treatment.

medicalxpress.com

Scientists grow human mini-lungs as animal alternative for nanomaterial safety testing

Human mini-lungs grown by University of Manchester scientists can mimic the response of animals when exposed to certain nanomaterials. The study is published in Nano Today.

phys.org

New vaccine strategy may mean the end of the line for endless boosters

Scientists at UC Riverside have demonstrated a new, RNA-based vaccine strategy that is effective against any strain of a virus and can be used safely even by babies or the immunocompromised.

medicalxpress.com

Medical news

'Trojan Horse' weight loss drug found to be more effective than available therapies

In a study published in Nature, Christoffer Clemmensen and colleagues demonstrate a new use of the weight loss hormone GLP-1. GLP-1 can be used as a "Trojan Horse" to smuggle a specific molecule into the brain of mice, where it successfully affects the plasticity of the brain and results in...

medicalxpress.com

Research identifies mechanism behind drug resistance in malaria parasite

Collaborating researchers have discovered a link between malaria parasites' ability to develop resistance to antimalarial drugs—specifically artemisinin (ART)—through a cellular process called transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) modification. tRNA modification is a mechanism that allows cells to...

phys.org

Study highlights pathoblockers as a future alternative to antibiotics

In most cases, antibiotics are a reliable form of protection against bacterial infections. They have saved billions of human lives since their introduction. This protection, however, is threatened by bacteria's resistance to classical antibiotics and by their aggressive pathogenicity.

phys.org

Modular communicative leadless ICD found to be safe and exceeds performance expectations

Wireless implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) eliminate the lead-related complications that come with a wired ICD, but they are unsuitable for patients with ventricular tachycardia, when the heart beats too quickly, or bradycardia, when the resting heart rate is seen as low.

medicalxpress.com

Researchers discover new family of bacteria with high pharmaceutical potential

Most antibiotics used in human medicine originate from natural products derived from bacteria and other microbes. Novel microorganisms are therefore a promising source of new active compounds, also for the treatment of diseases such as cancer or viral infections.

phys.org

New blood test for stroke detection combines blood-based biomarkers with a clinical score

Stroke is the leading cause of disability worldwide and the second leading cause of death, but the right early intervention can prevent severe consequences. A new study led by investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital and collaborators describes how the team developed a new test by...

medicalxpress.com

Mystery CRISPR unlocked: A new ally against antibiotic resistance?

CRISPR-Cas systems have revolutionized biotechnology by offering ways to edit genes like a pair of programmable scissors. In nature, bacteria use these systems to fight off deadly viruses. A recent international collaboration led by the University of Copenhagen has shed light on the most...

phys.org

Researchers develop method to monitor patients with spinal muscular atrophy using sound waves

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a terrible disease in which a genetic mutation causes certain nerves responsible for sending signals to muscles to degenerate. This leads to muscles wasting away, and many patients have died a painful death due to this rare condition. Genetic treatments have only...

medicalxpress.com

The doctor is in… but what's behind them? Study reveals impacts of telehealth background settings

Americans have gotten used to seeing their doctors and other health care providers using telehealth video visits in the past four years. But a new study reveals that what a doctor has behind them during a telehealth visit can make a difference in how the patient feels about them and their care.

medicalxpress.com

Researchers identify causative gene in mouse model of inherited lethal arrhythmia

A research group led by University of Tsukuba has discovered a mouse pedigree that presents spontaneous sudden cardiac death attributed to inherited ventricular arrhythmia. This was identified through electrocardiographic screening of a large-scale, randomly mutagenized mouse library.

medicalxpress.com

Far from toxic, lactate rivals glucose as body's major fuel after a carbohydrate meal

As a student competing in track and field at his Parlier high school, Robert Leija was obsessed with how to improve his performance, and in particular, prevent the buildup of lactic acid in his muscles during training. Like many athletes, he blamed it for the performance fatigue and muscle...

medicalxpress.com

Body-wide molecular map explains why exercise is so good for you

Exercise—it's associated with increased muscle strength, improved heart health, lower blood sugar and just about every other physical improvement you can name. But how does regularly puffing away on a treadmill, biking up a steep hill or going for a brisk lunchtime walk confer such a dizzying...

medicalxpress.com

Research takes electroretinography to the next level with a soft multi-electrode system

Eye diseases are becoming more prevalent worldwide, partly because of the aging population, but also because of our greatly increased screen time compared to previous generations. Considering the use of displays will most likely keep rising due to technologies such as virtual and augmented...

medicalxpress.com

Study discovers distinct population of 'troublemaker' platelet cells appear with aging

As people age, they become more prone to blood clotting diseases, when blood cells called platelets clump together when they don't need to and can cause major issues such as strokes and cardiovascular disease. For decades, scientists have studied why older people's blood cells behave in this...

phys.org

Scientists discover surprising details about xylazine in combination with fentanyl

Unregulated use of fentanyl and overdose deaths have increased dramatically in recent years, and this trend was made more alarming when authorities found fentanyl laced with the animal tranquilizer xylazine.

medicalxpress.com

New study reveals the key role of mitochondrial proteins in cardiac regeneration

Mitochondria play an essential role in supplying the energy needed for correct cell function. Within mitochondria, energy production is generated by the respiratory chain, which is formed of five complexes called CI through CV. These complexes can assemble to form supercomplexes, but little is...

medicalxpress.com

Protein assembly research shows molecular roll of the dice delivers winning combinations

Australian researchers have shed light on the shape-shifting capabilities of protein assemblies, with results that could revolutionize fields from biomanufacturing to vaccine development.

phys.org

New molecule mimics the anti-clotting action of blood-sucking organisms

Nature gave ticks, mosquitoes and leeches a quick-acting way to keep blood from clotting while they extract their meal from a host. Now the key to that method has been harnessed by a team of Duke researchers as a potential anti-clotting agent that could be used as an alternative to heparin...

medicalxpress.com

Researchers create human aortic aneurysm model to advance disease understanding, treatment testing

Using human cells in laboratory rats, Michigan Medicine researchers have developed a functional model of thoracic aortic aneurysm, creating opportunities for more effective understanding of disease development and treatments for the potentially fatal condition, a study suggests.

medicalxpress.com

Psilocybin may reverse anorexia's cognitive rigidity

Characterized by pathological weight loss driven by restrictive feeding and excessive exercise behaviors, anorexia nervosa (AN) has one of the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric disease.

medicalxpress.com

https://phys.org/news/2024-05-embryonic-decisions-multiple-pathways-simultaneously.html ----

Global life expectancy projected to increase by nearly 5 years by 2050 despite various threats

The latest findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2021, published in The Lancet, forecast that global life expectancy will increase by 4.9 years in males and 4.2 years in females between 2022 and 2050.

medicalxpress.com

COVID

Wearing face masks did not reduce risk of COVID infection after first omicron wave, research suggests

New research from the University of East Anglia has found that wearing face masks did not lower the risk of COVID infection following the initial surge of the omicron variant.

medicalxpress.com

New study identifies mechanism of immune evasion of SARS-CoV-2 and variants

A new study has revealed important insights into how SARS-CoV-2 and its variants escape the immune system. The findings pave the way for new therapeutic approaches against COVID-19.

medicalxpress.com

Study shows virus that causes COVID-19 can penetrate blood-retinal-barrier and could damage vision

The blood-retinal barrier is designed to protect our vision from infections by preventing microbial pathogens from reaching the retina where they could trigger an inflammatory response with potential vision loss. But researchers at the University of Missouri School of Medicine have discovered...

medicalxpress.com

The brain

Dreaming is linked to improved memory consolidation and emotion regulation

A night spent dreaming can help you forget the mundane and better process the extreme, according to a new University of California, Irvine study. Novel work by researchers in the UC Irvine Sleep and Cognition Lab examined how dream recall and mood affected next-day memory consolidation and...

medicalxpress.com

Parasomnia: What happens inside a sleepwalker's brain?

Researchers at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience have taken a first step in exploring a rather complex question: what is happening inside the brain of somebody who may be considered "stuck" between sleep and wakefulness?

medicalxpress.com

Scientists find sleep may not clear brain toxins

The brain's ability to rid itself of toxins may actually be reduced during sleep, contrary to the leading scientific theory.

medicalxpress.com

Researchers develop theory on traveling waves of activity in the human brain

For the first time, researchers led by Professor Dr. Petra Ritter's team have succeeded in explaining the propagation of traveling waves of activity in the human brain using a computer simulation. Previous studies indicate that these waves are important for various cognitive functions such as...

medicalxpress.com

What makes a memory? It may be related to how hard your brain had to work

The human brain filters through a flood of experiences to create specific memories. Why do some of the experiences in this deluge of sensory information become "memorable," while most are discarded by the brain?

medicalxpress.com

Study reveals that the brain modulates visual signals according to internal states

What we see is not simply just a neural representation of the pattern of light in the eye, but an interpretation of this image, to which our needs and expectations contribute. These factors are shaped by earlier experiences and also depend on inner states like our behavioral activity and our...

medicalxpress.com

The neural signature of subjective disgust could apply to both sensory and socio-moral experiences

Disgust is one of the six basic human emotions, along with happiness, sadness, fear, anger, and surprise. Disgust typically arises when a person perceives a sensory stimulus or situation as revolting, off-putting, or unpleasant in other ways.

medicalxpress.com

Discovery of a master neuron that controls movement in worms has implications for human disease

Researchers at Sinai Health and the University of Toronto have uncovered a mechanism in the nervous system of the tiny roundworm C. elegans that could have significant implications for treating human diseases and advancing robotics.

medicalxpress.com

Study suggests high-frequency electrical 'noise' results in congenital night blindness

In what they believe is a solution to a 30-year biological mystery, neuroscientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have used genetically engineered mice to address how one mutation in the gene for the light-sensing protein rhodopsin results in congenital stationary night blindness.

medicalxpress.com

The crystallization of memory: Study reveals how practice forms new memory pathways in the brain

"Practice makes perfect" is no mere cliché, according to a new study from researchers at The Rockefeller University and UCLA. Instead, it's the recipe for mastering a task, because repeating an activity over and over solidifies neural pathways in your brain.

medicalxpress.com

Study finds astrocytic pH regulator can repair blood-brain barrier, reverse brain damage caused by ischemic stroke

Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of death and disability, affecting about 15 million worldwide each year. Among the various factors contributing to the pathogenesis of this condition is the loss of the blood-brain barrier, a highly selective protective cellular barrier that prevents harmful...

medicalxpress.com

Miniaturized optical coherence tomography imaging probe takes pictures inside cerebral arteries

A large international team of micro-engineers, medical technologists, and neurosurgeons, has designed, built and tested a new type of probe that can be used to take pictures from inside arteries in the brain.

medicalxpress.com

 

[publiusr]

Stature found

Archaeologists unearth top half of statue of Ramesses II

A team co-led by a CU Boulder classics researcher has unearthed the upper portion of a huge, ancient pharaonic statue whose lower half was discovered in 1930; Ramesses II was immortalized in Percy Bysshe Shelly's "Ozymandias."

phys.org

old books

The secret to saving old books could be gluten-free glues

"Bookworm" is a cute thing to call a voracious reader, but actual bookworms—as well as microorganisms and time—break down the flour pastes commonly used to keep old publications in one piece.

phys.org

Uncovering a CS Lewis poem

A forgotten poem by Chronicles of Narnia author CS Lewis reveals details of friendships between fantasy writers and medievalists at the University of Leeds.

phys.org

Everest mountaineer's letters digitized for the first time

Letters written by the famous mountaineer George Mallory have been made available to a global audience for the first time, in the centenary year of his fatal attempt to scale Everest.

phys.org

Tornadic storms and eclipse reports

2024-04-26 REPORTS: IA/NE/KS/MO/OK

Surface low arc producing nicely. Just had this top 5 intercept on I-80 east of Lincoln.

stormtrack.org

2024 Total Solar Eclipse Reports

We saw this between the clouds.

stormtrack.org

Lidar

Airborne single-photon lidar system achieves high-resolution 3D imaging

Researchers have developed a compact and lightweight single-photon airborne lidar system that can acquire high-resolution 3D images with a low-power laser. This advance could make single-photon lidar practical for air and space applications such as environmental monitoring, 3D terrain mapping...

phys.org

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-scientists-high-resolution-lidar-birth.html

Using deep learning to image the Earth's planetary boundary layer

Although the troposphere is often thought of as the closest layer of the atmosphere to the Earth's surface, the planetary boundary layer (PBL)—the lowest layer of the troposphere—is actually the part that most significantly influences weather near the surface. In the 2018 planetary science...

phys.org

AI weather forecasts can capture destructive path of major storms, new study shows

Artificial intelligence (AI) can quickly and accurately predict the path and intensity of major storms, a new study demonstrates.

phys.org

Balancing AI and physics: Toward a learnable climate model

Artificial intelligence (AI) is bringing notable changes to atmospheric science, particularly with the introduction of large AI weather models like Pangu-Weather and GraphCast. However, alongside these advancements, questions have arisen about the alignment of these models with fundamental...

phys.org

The Tree of life

International study produces a comprehensive 'tree of life' for flowering plants

With their own botanical collection material and their research knowledge on the evolution of cruciferous plants (plants of the cabbage family), bioscientists at Heidelberg University have contributed to a large-scale international study that has produced a comprehensive "tree of life" for...

phys.org

Vast DNA tree of life for plants revealed by global science team using 1.8 billion letters of genetic code

A new paper published today (April 24) in the journal Nature by an international team of 279 scientists led by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew presents the most up-to-date understanding of the flowering plant tree of life.

phys.org

Researchers uncover 'parallel universe' in tomato genetics

In a paper appearing in Science Advances, Michigan State University researchers have unraveled a surprising genetic mystery centered on sugars found in what gardeners know as "tomato tar."

phys.org

Diversity and productivity go branch-in-branch: Scientists share which forests can adapt to climate change

Climate change can be characterized as the Grim Reaper or some other harbinger of dire times for humanity and natural environment, including forests. Previous studies reporting a decline in forest productivity due to climate warming and long-term drought may suggest that trees' survival hangs in...

phys.org

New model extends theory of pattern formation to the nano-cosmos

A new model developed by scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPI-DS) extends the theory of elastic phase separation towards nanoscopic structures. Such patterns are frequent in biological systems and also used in nano-engineering to create structural...

phys.org

Unveiling the mysteries of cell division in embryos with timelapse photography

The beginning of life is shrouded in mystery. While the intricate dynamics of mitosis are well-studied in the so-called somatic cells—the cells that have a specialized function, like skin and muscle cells—they remain elusive in the first cells of our bodies, the embryonic cells. Embryonic...

phys.org

Researchers create artificial cells that act like living cells

In a new study published in Nature Chemistry, UNC-Chapel Hill researcher Ronit Freeman and her colleagues describe the steps they took to manipulate DNA and proteins—essential building blocks of life—to create cells that look and act like cells from the body. This accomplishment, a first in the...

phys.org

A new method for enzymatic synthesis of potential RNA therapeutics

A team of researchers at IOCB Prague led by Prof. Michal Hocek has developed a novel method for preparing ribonucleic acid (RNA) containing modified bases. Innovative use of engineered DNA polymerases, enzymes commonly used for the synthesis of DNA, led to the development of a general method for...

phys.org

Researchers report on mechanisms of gene regulatory divergence between species

Closely related animal species can look physically different, but you might be surprised to learn that those differences can result not only from DNA sequence changes that alter proteins' structure or function, but also because changes in the DNA affect how those proteins are expressed. To add...

phys.org

A universal framework for spatial biology

Biological processes are framed by the context they take place in. A new tool developed by the Stegle Group from EMBL Heidelberg and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) helps put molecular biology research findings in a better context of cellular surroundings, by integrating different forms...

phys.org

New algorithm solves century-old problem for coral reef scientists

An algorithm developed by a Florida Tech graduate student creates a new ecological survey method that allows scientists to unlock important historical data from a vast trove of coral-reef photographs dating back more than a century.

phys.org

Gigantic Jurassic raptor footprints unearthed in China

Scientists have discovered the tracks of a 5 meter-long raptor dinosaur, challenging what was previously known about the species' size range.

phys.org

Ancient giant tortoise fossils found in Colombian Andes

Paleontologists have discovered giant tortoise fossils in Colombia dating back some 57 million years, the university leading the excavation said, with the findings key to understanding South America's prehistoric eras.

phys.org

Exceptionally well-preserved shark fossils from the time of the dinosaurs identified in Mexico

An international team of archaeologists, paleontologists, evolutionists and geoscientists has analyzed ancient shark fossils from the time of the dinosaurs that were recently unearthed in Mexico. In their paper published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, the...

phys.org

These giant, prehistoric salmon had tusk-like teeth

Oncorhynchus rastrosus, a giant species of salmon that lived in the North American Pacific Northwest a few million years ago, sported a pair of front teeth that projected out from the sides of its mouth like tusks, according to a study published April 24 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by...

phys.org

Same species, different sizes: Rare evolution in action spotted in island bats

A University of Melbourne researcher has spotted a rare evolutionary phenomenon happening rapidly in real time in bats living in the Solomon Islands.

phys.org

This ancient snake in India might have been longer than a school bus and weighed a ton

A ancient giant snake in India might have been longer than a school bus and weighed a ton, researchers reported Thursday.

phys.org

Global study shows a third more insects come out after dark

A groundbreaking study, led by Dr. Mark Wong of The University of Western Australia, has provided the first global picture of insect activity patterns across the fundamental day–night cycle.

phys.org

Fruit fly pest meets its evolutionary match in parasitic wasp

A parasitic wasp that preys on the young of a prolific fruit fly pest demonstrates both molecular evolution and behavioral adaptations in the face of ecological pressures, according to new research.

phys.org

Most bees don't die after stinging—and other surprising bee facts

Most of us have been stung by a bee and we know it's not much fun. But maybe we also felt a tinge of regret, or vindication, knowing the offending bee will die. Right? Well, for 99.96% of bee species, that's not actually the case.

phys.org

Photonics

Unveiling a new quantum frontier: Frequency-domain entanglement

Scientists have introduced a form of quantum entanglement known as frequency-domain photon number-path entanglement. This advance in quantum physics involves an innovative tool called a frequency beam splitter, which has the unique ability to alter the frequency of individual photons with a 50%...

phys.org

New research demonstrates potential of thin-film electronics for flexible chip design

The mass production of conventional silicon chips relies on a successful business model with large "semiconductor fabrication plants" or "foundries." New research by KU Leuven and imec shows that this "foundry" model can also be applied to the field of flexible, thin-film electronics. Adopting...

techxplore.com

Optics

Optical barcodes expand range of high-resolution sensor

The same geometric quirk that lets visitors murmur messages around the circular dome of the whispering gallery at St. Paul's Cathedral in London or across St. Louis Union Station's whispering arch also enables the construction of high-resolution optical sensors. Whispering-gallery-mode (WGM)...

phys.org

Ultrasensitive photonic crystal detects single particles down to 50 nanometers

Using an ultrasensitive photonic crystal, TU/e researchers were able to detect single particles down to 50 nanometers in diameter. The new research has just been published in the journal Optica.

phys.org

Scientists pioneer new X-ray microscopy method for data analysis 'on the fly'

A new streaming technique allows playback of data while it is being generated. When scientists want to look at a tiny structure in a material, even one just a few atoms in size, they frequently turn to X-ray microscopy.

techxplore.com

New super-resolution microscopy approach visualizes internal cell structures and clusters via selective plane activation

To study living organisms at ever smaller length scales, scientists must devise new techniques to overcome the so-called diffraction limit. This is the intrinsic limitation on a microscope's ability to focus on objects smaller than the wavelength of light being used.

phys.org

On food

World's chocolate supply threatened by devastating virus

A rapidly spreading virus threatens the health of the cacao tree and the dried seeds from which chocolate is made, jeopardizing the global supply of the world's most popular treat.

phys.org

Exploring gel formation mechanisms and the role of lactic acid bacteria in fermented sausage

A research team has reviewed the process of gel formation in fermented sausages, emphasizing the crucial role of myofibrillar proteins and the influence of lactic acid bacteria, temperature, and processing methods on gel properties.

phys.org

Unveiling the secrets of Montesinho's honey: A blend of tradition and science

Montesinho Natural Park (MNP) is celebrated for its diverse flora and unique climate, creating an ideal environment for producing honey with distinctive attributes. With the demand for natural products and Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) honey on the rise, understanding the nuances that...

phys.org

Five things our research uncovered when we recreated 16th century beer (and barrels)

It's true that our 16th-century ancestors drank much more than Irish people do today. But why they did so and what their beer was like are questions shrouded in myth. The authors were part of a team who set out to find some answers.

phys.org

Watch what you toke

Some cannabis rolling papers may contain unhealthy levels of heavy metals

A team of chemists at Lake Superior State University, working with colleagues from Wayne State University, both in Michigan, and two representatives from JEOL U.S., a lab equipment maker, has found that some cannabis rolling papers contain high levels of heavy metals, which could be hazardous to...

phys.org

Up in smoke: New study suggests it's time to ditch long-held stereotypes about stoners

Stoners are not as lazy and unmotivated as stereotypes suggest, according to new U of T Scarborough research.

phys.org

Advance in forensic fingerprint research provides new hope for cold cases

Researchers have unveiled a method capable of detecting drug substances from fingerprints lifted from crime scenes, which could provide fresh insights into unsolved cases. The research is published in the journal Drug Testing and Analysis.

phys.org

 

[Richard N]

The First Unintentional Zero-Zero Ejection

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jklGQxAOoo8

 

[publiusr]

Carnivores and other critters

Evidence suggests saber-toothed cats held onto their baby teeth to stabilize their sabers

California's state fossil—are familiar to anyone who has ever visited Los Angeles' La Brea Tar Pits, a sticky trap from which more than 2,000 saber-toothed cat skulls have been excavated over more than a century.

phys.org

Study sheds light on the diversity of carnivore skull shapes and their function

In a study published in Nature Communications, a team of international researchers led by Gabriele Sansalone and Carmelo Fruciano has made a significant discovery about the diversity of skull shapes in carnivores.

phys.org

Aggressive wall lizard provides clues to understanding evolution

Body shape, color and behavior often evolve together as species adapt to their environment. Researchers from Lund University in Sweden have studied this phenomenon in a specific type of large, bright green and aggressive common wall lizard found near the Mediterranean. They discovered that a...

phys.org

T. rex not as smart as previously claimed, scientists find

An international team of scientists including two neurobiologists from the University of Alberta is weighing in on the latest controversy over the brain power of Tyrannosaurus rex.

phys.org

Birds overcome brain damage to sing again

Every year, more than 795,000 people experience a stroke, often resulting in brain damage that impairs their ability to speak, walk, or perform tasks. Fortunately, in many cases, these abilities can be regained through physical therapy. With practice, our brains have remarkable abilities to...

medicalxpress.com

This Texas veterinarian helped crack the mystery of bird flu in cows

The first calls that Dr. Barb Petersen received in early March were from dairy owners worried about crows, pigeons and other birds dying on their Texas farms. Then came word that barn cats—half of them on one farm—had died suddenly.

phys.org

Marine sharks and rays 'use' urea to delay reproduction, finds study

Urea—the main component of human urine—plays an important role in the timing of maturation of sharks, rays and other cartilaginous fish.

phys.org

Researchers determine large numbers of wild mountain goats are killed every year by avalanches

A multi-institutional team of animal behaviorists, snow impact specialists and biologists from Alaska, Montana, Switzerland and Canada has found that large numbers of wild mountain goats die every year in Alaska due to avalanches. For their study, the group tagged hundreds of wild mountain goats...

phys.org

Alpacas found to be the only mammal to directly inseminate the uterus

A pair of biologists from Mount Holyoke College, working with a colleague from North American Camelid Studies Program, the Nunoa Project, has found that the male alpaca thrusts his penis all the way into the uterus of the female during mating, making the camelid the only mammal known to do so.

phys.org

In medieval England, leprosy spread between red squirrels and people, genome evidence shows

Evidence from archaeological sites in the medieval English city of Winchester shows that English red squirrels once served as an important host for Mycobacterium leprae strains that caused leprosy in people, researchers report in the journal Current Biology.

phys.org

Primates

First report of wound treatment by a wild animal using a pain-relieving plant

Even though there is evidence of certain self-medication behaviors in animals, so far it has never been known that animals treat their wounds with healing plants.

phys.org

Study is first to describe and recreate lemurs' one-of-a-kind vocal structure

New research has discovered that lemurs, the small primates native to Madagascar, are capable of exaggerating their size thanks to the unique structure of their larynx.

phys.org

Maybe this time

First effective treatment found for spitting cobra snakebite

Scientists have discovered a new snakebite treatment to prevent the devastating tissue damage caused by African spitting cobra venom.

medicalxpress.com

Taking the bite out of snake venom

More effective treatments for snakebites that afflict millions of people worldwide every year are emerging from EU research.

phys.org

Canines

Long snouts protect foxes when they dive headfirst into snow, study finds

When hunting for mice in winter, red and Arctic fox are known to plunge headfirst at speeds of 2–4 meters per second, but their sharp noses reduce the impact force in snow and protect them from injury, according to a new Cornell University study.

phys.org

Study dispels myth that purebred dogs are more prone to health problems

It's a common belief that purebred dogs are more prone to disease than mixed-breed dogs, but a new study led by researchers at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) has busted this myth.

phys.org

Strange...

First mother-daughter burial from Roman times in Austria discovered

When a grave was discovered in Wels 20 years ago, the find was thought to be an early medieval double burial of a married couple and a horse due to its unusual features. Only now could the biological gender and family relationships of those buried be clarified using the most modern...

phys.org

For the ancient Maya, cracked mirrors were a path to the world beyond

Some people fear that breaking a mirror can lead to seven years of misfortune. The history of this superstition may go back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who ascribed mysterious powers to reflected images.

phys.org

Time for a beer

Why you can taste more ethanol in a cold pint of beer or warm glass of baijiu

We all have our own preferred drinking temperatures for different alcoholic beverages, with people commonly enjoying beer or white wine chilled, red wine near room temperature, or baijiu (Chinese whisky) or sake warmed.

phys.org

Environment

Scientists unlock key to breeding 'carbon gobbling' plants with a major appetite

The discovery of how a critical enzyme "hidden in nature's blueprint" works sheds new light on how cells control key processes in carbon fixation, a process fundamental for life on Earth.

phys.org

Researchers shed new light on carboxysomes in key discovery that could boost photosynthesis

A research team led by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has discovered how carboxysomes—carbon-fixing structures found in some bacteria and algae—work. The breakthrough could help scientists redesign and repurpose the structures to enable plants to convert sunlight into...

phys.org

Why evolution often favors small animals and other organisms

Small really does seem to be beautiful in evolutionary terms. The largest dinosaurs, pterosaurs and mammals may look impressive but these giants are vastly outnumbered by microscopic bacteria and single-celled algae and fungi. Small organisms are also ancient and incredibly resilient.

phys.org

Scientists convert chicken fat into energy storage devices

The global move toward more sustainable, green energy has increased power reserves and the demand for energy storage devices. Unfortunately, some materials for these devices can be expensive and environmentally problematic. Producing alternative energy storage devices from things that are...

techxplore.com

Why parrots sometimes adopt—or kill—each other's babies

Infanticide and adoption in the animal kingdom have long puzzled scientists. While both males and females of many species are known to kill the babies of their rivals to secure sexual or social advantage, other animals have been observed caring for the young of dead or missing comrades.

phys.org

Should we fight climate change by re-engineering life itself?

Life has transformed our world over billions of years, turning a dead rock into the lush, fertile planet we know today. But human activity is currently transforming Earth again, this time by releasing greenhouse gases that are driving dramatic changes in our climate.

phys.org

Elephants use gestures and vocal cues when greeting each other, study reports

A team of animal behaviorists from the University of Vienna, the University of Portsmouth, Elephant CREW, Jafuta Reserve and the University of St Andrews has found that elephants use gestures and vocal cues when they greet one another.

phys.org

Using algorithms to decode the complex phonetic alphabet of sperm whales

The allure of whales has stoked human consciousness for millennia, casting these ocean giants as enigmatic residents of the deep seas. From the biblical Leviathan to Herman Melville's formidable Moby Dick, whales have been central to mythologies and folklore. And while cetology, or whale...

phys.org

Likely ancestor of all modern hoofed animals identified

A team of anthropologists, paleontologists and Earth scientists from Kent State University, the City University of New York and the University of Michigan's Museum of Paleontology has for the first time identified the likely common ancestor of all modern hoofed animals.

phys.org

Variability of everyday life may have influenced evolution at least as much as rare activities like big-game hunting

Think about taking a walk: where you need to go, how fast you need to move to get there, and whether you need to bring something along to carry the results of your errand.

phys.org

The reconstruction of a 75,000-year-old Neanderthal woman makes her look quite friendly—there's a problem with that

From a flaky skull, found "as flat as a pizza" on a cave floor in northern Iraq, the face of a 75,000-year-old Neanderthal woman named "Shanidar Z" has been reconstructed. With her calm and considered expression, Shanidar Z looks like a thoughtful, approachable, even kindly middle-aged woman...

phys.org

Can science explain why couples break up? The mathematical anatomy of a fall

French director Justine Triet's "Anatomy of a Fall," winner of the 2023 Oscar for best original script, reconstructs a fatal fall in order to dissect the collapse of the romantic relationship between the film's leading couple, Sandra Voyter and Samuel Maleski.

phys.org

Scientists win World Food Prize for work on Global Seed Vault

Scientists Geoffrey Hawtin and Cary Fowler, who on Thursday received the prestigious World Food Prize for "their work to preserve the world's heritage of seeds", are on a mission.

phys.org

Every drop counts: New algorithm tracks Texas's daily reservoir evaporation rates

Summer can be an extra challenging time for Texas's 189 major water supply reservoirs. With temperatures consistently reaching 100 degrees or higher, reservoir evaporation rates see high increases.

phys.org

Supercharged thunderstorms: Have we underestimated how climate change drives extreme rain and floods?

In media articles about unprecedented flooding, you'll often come across the statement that for every 1°C of warming, the atmosphere can hold about 7% more moisture.

phys.org

Clues from deep magma reservoirs could improve volcanic eruption forecasts

New research into molten rock 20km below the Earth's surface could help save lives by improving the prediction of volcanic activity.

phys.org

Researchers show that slow-moving earthquakes are controlled by rock permeability

Earthquakes are the most dramatic and noteworthy results of tectonic plate movement. They are often destructive and deadly, or at the very least physically felt—they're literally groundbreaking geological events. However not all tectonic movement results in effects that humans can perceive.

phys.org

Human activity is making it harder for scientists to interpret oceans' past

New research shows human activity is significantly altering the ways in which marine organisms are preserved, with lasting effects that can both improve and impair the fossil record. The findings are published in the journal Biogeosciences.

phys.org

Chemists present roadmap to a carbon-neutral refinery by 2050

Would it be possible to build a refinery that is completely fossil-free, and thereby significantly contributing to a carbon-neutral society by as early as 2050? According to two chemists from Utrecht University it is. In a Nature article, they present a roadmap in which oil refineries could be...

techxplore.com

 

[publiusr]

A rainbow on the Sun

Solar orbiter takes a mind-boggling video of the sun

You've seen the sun, but you've never seen the sun like this. This single frame from a video captured by ESA's Solar Orbiter mission shows the sun looking very fluffy! You can see feathery, hair-like structures made of plasma following magnetic field lines in the sun's lower atmosphere as it...

phys.org

A mystery solved?

Assyriologist claims to have solved archaeological mystery from 700 BC

Ancient symbols on a 2,700-year-old temple, which have baffled experts for more than a century, have been explained by Trinity Assyriologist Dr. Martin Worthington.

phys.org

He argues the Assyrian words for the five symbols (lion, eagle, bull, fig tree and plow) contain, in the right sequence, the sounds that spell out the Assyrian form of the name "Sargon" (šargīnu).

The North Pole

Uncovering the reasons behind the rapid warming of the North Pole

The North Pole region heats up faster than the rest of the world. Though this is a known fact, climate models underestimate the speed with which the region warms up. Sjoert Barten obtained his PhD on this subject at Wageningen University & Research on 26 April and shares his insights.

phys.org

Martial arts

All the right moves in martial arts: Researchers develop system to quickly identify errors and improve form

Research in the International Journal of Biometrics introduces a new method for assessing a practitioner's precision in martial arts training. The method focuses on quickly identifying errors in the athlete's movements and allowing their trainer to more precisely guide them to correct form.

techxplore.com

Treating wounds in the wild

Scientists show how to treat burns with an environmentally friendly plant-based bandage

The Smart Materials research group, coordinated by Athanassia Athanassiou at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian Institute of Technology), has developed a biocompatible bandage made of plant-based materials that, loaded with vitamin C, can accelerate the healing process of burn wounds.

phys.org

For touch screen sterility

Nanostructured copper surface shows potential for transparent, antimicrobial surfaces in touch displays

The interest in antimicrobial solutions for personal and multi-user touch screens, such as tablets and mobile devices, has grown in recent years. Traditional methods like sprayable alcohols or wipes are not ideal for these delicate displays. Antimicrobial coatings applied directly to the glass...

phys.org

Not all fiber is good for you

A common type of fiber may trigger bowel inflammation

Inulin, a type of fiber found in certain plant-based foods and fiber supplements, causes inflammation in the gut and exacerbates inflammatory bowel disease in a preclinical model, according to a new study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The surprising findings could pave the way for...

medicalxpress.com

Brain cancer find and more

Scientists discover new immunosuppressive mechanism in brain cancer

The Wistar Institute assistant professor Filippo Veglia, Ph.D., and team, have discovered a key mechanism of how glioblastoma—a serious and often fatal brain cancer—suppresses the immune system so that the tumor can grow unimpeded by the body's defenses.

medicalxpress.com

Aligned peptide 'noodles' could enable lab-grown biological tissues

A team of chemists and bioengineers at Rice University and the University of Houston have achieved a significant milestone in their work to create a biomaterial that can be used to grow biological tissues outside the human body.

phys.org

Changing behavior

Largest quantitative synthesis to date reveals what predicts human behavior and how to change it

Pandemics, global warming, and rampant gun violence are all clear lessons in the need to move large groups of people to change their behavior. When a crisis hits, researchers, policymakers, health officials, and community leaders have to know how best to encourage people to change en masse and...

medicalxpress.com

New study is first to use statistical physics to corroborate 1940s social balance theory

Most people have heard the famous phrase "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." Now, Northwestern University researchers have used statistical physics to confirm the theory that underlies this famous axiom. The study, "Proper network randomization is key to assessing social balance," is published...

phys.org

How to spot fake online reviews (with a little help from AI)

Before you buy something, or visit a new restaurant, or see a new film, you may be tempted to check out the online reviews. Researching what strangers think of the things we might like has become a familiar part of the modern consumer experience.

phys.org

Aviation matters

Economies take off with new airports: Research shows positive impacts of airport investments

Be it for work or vacation, chances are that many will have passed through an airport. In the largest cities, the airport presents to travelers the first glimpse of a new land and a reflection of the surrounding city. Beyond first impressions, airports stand as an important economic hub for...

phys.org

Navy Growler jet noise over Washington state's Whidbey Island could impact 74,000 people's health

Bob Wilbur thought he'd found a retirement home that would be a place of peace. Nestled against Admiralty Bay on the western edge of Whidbey Island, the three-story house is surrounded by trees and shoreline. It offers the kind of quiet that only an island can provide. Except when the Growlers fly.

medicalxpress.com

Navy Growler jet noise over Washington state's Whidbey Island could impact 74,000 people's health

Bob Wilbur thought he'd found a retirement home that would be a place of peace. Nestled against Admiralty Bay on the western edge of Whidbey Island, the three-story house is surrounded by trees and shoreline. It offers the kind of quiet that only an island can provide. Except when the Growlers fly.

medicalxpress.com

Med

'Mathematical microscope' reveals novel, energy-efficient mechanism of working memory that works even during sleep

UCLA Health researchers have discovered a mechanism that creates memories while reducing metabolic cost, even during sleep. This efficient memory occurs in a part of the brain that is crucial for learning and memory, and where Alzheimer's disease begins.

medicalxpress.com

Researchers reveal new cellular mechanical transducer

A research team has uncovered a novel regulator governing how cells respond to mechanical cues. Their findings appear in Nature Cell Biology.

phys.org

Using MRI, engineers have found a way to detect light deep in the brain

Scientists often label cells with proteins that glow, allowing them to track the growth of a tumor, or measure changes in gene expression that occur as cells differentiate.

medicalxpress.com

Researchers develop a nanoparticle that can penetrate the blood-brain barrier

Researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have developed a nanoparticle that can penetrate the blood-brain barrier. Their goal is to kill primary breast cancer tumors and brain metastases in one treatment, and their research shows...

phys.org

Engineers develop innovative microbiome analysis software tools

Since the first microbial genome was sequenced in 1995, scientists have reconstructed the genomic makeup of hundreds of thousands of microorganisms and have even devised methods to take a census of bacterial communities on the skin, in the gut, or in soil, water and elsewhere based on bulk...

phys.org

'Smart' contact lenses could someday enable wireless glaucoma detection

Most people with early-stage glaucoma don't know they have it, even though early treatment is key to reducing vision loss. While detecting a subtle increase in eye pressure helps doctors to diagnose glaucoma, it's challenging to monitor continuously, especially with the variety of temperatures...

medicalxpress.com

New DNA origami technique promises advances in medicine

A new technique in building DNA structures at a microscopic level has the potential to advance drug delivery and disease diagnosis, a study suggests.

phys.org

Microbiome studies help explore treatments for genetic disorders

A collaboration has led to the identification, in a bacterium of the intestine, of new CRISPR-Cas9 molecules that could have a clinical potential to treat genetic diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa, through sub-retinal injections. Anna Cereseto and Nicola Segata of the Department of Cellular...

phys.org

Using advanced genetic techniques, scientists create mice with traits of Tourette disorder

In research that may be a step forward toward finding personalized treatments for Tourette disorder, scientists at Rutgers University–New Brunswick have bred mice that exhibit some of the same behaviors and brain abnormalities seen in humans with the disorder.

medicalxpress.com

Red light therapy for repairing spinal cord injury passes milestone

Patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) could benefit from a future treatment to repair nerve connections using red and near-infrared light.

medicalxpress.com

How the brain is flexible enough for a complex world, without being thrown into chaos

Every day our brains strive to optimize a tradeoff: With lots of things happening around us even as we also harbor many internal drives and memories, somehow our thoughts must be flexible yet focused enough to guide everything we have to do. In a new paper in Neuron, a team of neuroscientists...

medicalxpress.com

Research holds promise for liver regeneration

A new study titled "Biomimetic hepatic lobules from three-dimensional imprinted cell sheets" has been led by Prof. Yuanjin Zhao of the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Hepatobiliary Institute, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School, of Nanjing University in China.

phys.org

Study shows how night shift work can raise risk of diabetes, obesity

Just a few days on a night shift schedule throws off protein rhythms related to blood glucose regulation, energy metabolism and inflammation, processes that can influence the development of chronic metabolic conditions.

medicalxpress.com

Worker rights are one of the least protected human rights, new research reveals

Worker rights are among the least protected human rights in the world, according to new research from faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York.

phys.org

 

[Rhinocrates]

About lunar settlement but not specifically to Artemis, so I put it here. It's cool to me because it's so simple - the only moving part is the astronaut. If you put it in a spacecraft, you would have to add a counter-rotating flywheel if you don't want the runner transferring momentum to the spacecraft.

https://www.science.org/content/article/daredevil-running-could-help-astronauts-maintain-muscles-low-gravity

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/epdf/10.1098/rsos.231906

Long-lasting exposure to low gravity, such as in lunar settlements planned by the ongoing Artemis Program, elicits muscle hypotrophy, bone demineralization, cardio-respiratory and neuro-control deconditioning, against which optimal countermeasures are still to be designed. Rather than training selected muscle groups only, ‘whole-body’ activities suchas locomotion seem better candidates, but at Moon gravity both ‘pendular’ walking and bouncing gaits like running exhibit abnormal dynamics at faster speeds. We theoretically and experimentally show that much greater self-generated artificial gravities can be experienced on the Moon by running horizontally inside a static 4.7 m radius cylinder(motorcyclists’ ‘Wall of Death’ of amusement parks) at speeds preventing downward skidding. To emulate lunar gravity, 83% of body weight was unloaded by pre-tensed(36 m) bungee jumping bands. Participants unprecedentedly maintained horizontal fast running (5.4–6.5 m s−1) for a few circular laps, with intense metabolism (estimated as 54–74mlO2 kg−1 min−1) and peak forces during foot contact, inferred by motion analysis, of 2–3 Earth body weight (corresponding to terrestrial running at 3–4 m s−1), high enough to prevent bone calcium resorption. A training regime of a few laps a day promises to be a viable countermeasure for astronauts to quickly combat whole-body deconditioning, for further missions and home return.

 

[Shoes31]

About lunar settlement but not specifically to Artemis, so I put it here. It's cool to me because it's so simple - the only moving part is the astronaut. If you put it in a spacecraft, you would have to add a counter-rotating flywheel if you don't want the runner transferring momentum to the spacecraft.

Seems so simple but yet brilliant, one of those things years later people will wonder why it took so long to think of this. Wonder if you could tie in a generator and create a small amount of electricity too.

 

[publiusr]

The Fifth annular Crater Games!.

Will Boss Nash high-mark against Razor Ramone Jr?

For the racing of the robo-horses (brought to you by...Boston Dynamics), the winner was Hoof-Hearted SBD!

Image and glass

3D video conferencing tool lets remote user control the view

Collaborating on a physical object when two people aren't in the same room can be extremely challenging, but a new remote conferencing system allows the remote user to manipulate a view of the scene in 3D, to assist in complex tasks like debugging complicated hardware.

techxplore.com

Team observes two distinct holographic patterns with ultrafast imaging

A team of scientists led by Professor Dong Eon Kim at the Pohang University of Science and Technology and Professor X. Lai at the Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology has achieved a breakthrough in ultrafast imaging by separately and clearly observing two distinct...

phys.org

Researchers discover optimal conditions for mass production of ultraviolet holograms

Researchers have delved into the composition of nanocomposites for ultraviolet metasurface fabrication and determined the ideal printing material for crafting them. Their findings are featured in the journal Microsystems & Nanoengineering on April 22.

phys.org

AI and holography bring 3D augmented reality to regular glasses

Researchers in the emerging field of spatial computing have developed a prototype augmented reality headset that uses holographic imaging to overlay full-color, 3D moving images on the lenses of what would appear to be an ordinary pair of glasses. Unlike the bulky headsets of present-day...

techxplore.com

Materials scientists reveal pathway for designing optical materials with specialized properties

While we usually think of disorder as a bad thing, a team of materials science researchers led by Rohan Mishra, from Washington University in St. Louis, and Jayakanth Ravichandran, from the University of Southern California, have revealed that—when it comes to certain crystals—a little...

phys.org

Development of ultra-high-efficiency pure red light-emitting devices with enhanced color representation

DGIST Professor Jiwoong Yang's team in the Energy Science and Engineering Department has successfully manufactured high-performance, skin-attachable perovskite pure red light-emitting devices to create various forms of wearable displays.

phys.org

Three-dimensional retinal electrodes in a convex Braille shape partially restore sight

A research team led by Professor Sohee Kim of the Department of Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering in the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology has successfully developed three-dimensional retinal electrodes that resemble convex Braille.

medicalxpress.com

Quantum simulators solve physics puzzles with colored dots

By analyzing images made of colored dots created by quantum simulators, ETH researchers have studied a special kind of magnetism. In the future this method could also be used to solve other physics puzzles, for instance in superconductivity.

phys.org

A framework to detect hallucinations in the text generated by LLMs

Large language models (LLMs) are advanced AI-based dialogue systems that can answer user queries and generate convincing texts following human instructions. After the advent of ChatGPT, the highly performing model developed by OpenAI, these models have become increasingly popular, and more...

techxplore.com

Researchers 'unzip' 2D materials with lasers

In a new paper published on May 1 in the journal Science Advances, researchers at Columbia Engineering used commercially available tabletop lasers to create tiny, atomically sharp nanostructures, or nanopatterns, in samples of a layered 2D material called hexagonal boron nitride (hBN).

phys.org

Researchers report exceptionally small implant for future vision correction

A group of researchers from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, University of Freiburg and the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience have created an exceptionally small implant with electrodes the size of a single neuron that can remain intact in the body over time—a unique combination...

medicalxpress.com

Study sheds light on the origin of elasticity in glasses and gels

Glasses and gels are two different types of solid materials that are commonly used in a wide range of settings. Despite their markedly different compositions, these distinct materials share some similar properties, for instance, they exhibit rigidity without a translational order and a slow...

phys.org

bio-boron

Strategy uses boron-nitrogen covalent bonds to enable high-performance narrowband electroluminescence

To meet the demands of next-generation ultrahigh-definition displays, the organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) industry is actively pursuing the development of narrowband organic light-emitting materials. Within this effort, multiple resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR-TADF)...

phys.org

Volcano

Geologists reveal mysterious and diverse volcanism in lunar Apollo Basin, Chang'e-6 landing site

The far side of the moon is a mysterious place that is never visible from the Earth. The most remarkable feature of the moon is its asymmetry between the lunar near side and far side in composition, crust thickness, and mare volcanism. Scientists have not yet reached a consensus on the origin of...

phys.org

Storms

Take cover: Survey shows tornado warnings widely misunderstood

Research by Nebraska's Cory Armstrong is defining the effectiveness of the alerts, warnings and advisories that swirl around extreme weather events.

phys.org

Climate report: US struck with more than 100 tornadoes, heavy snow in April

April continued the year's warm streak, with 2024 ranking as the fifth-warmest year on record for the nation so far.

phys.org

What's with the recent wild tornadoes? Expert weighs in

In the past week, weather authorities across the U.S. reported more than 100 tornadoes across the central and southern parts of the country, destroying dozens of homes and buildings from Oklahoma to Nebraska and Iowa.

phys.org

Where space weather starts: Self-consistent propagation of flux ropes in realistic coronal simulations

The effects of space weather extend out across our entire solar system, but this is a simulation of where everything starts: the sudden, violent, emergence of a "flux rope" out of the sun's magnetic field and into the solar wind. In the process flux ropes may bring along millions of tons of...

phys.org

Oddities

Tauonium: The smallest and heaviest atom with pure electromagnetic interaction

The hydrogen atom was once considered the simplest atom in nature, composed of a structureless electron and a structured proton. However, as research progressed, scientists discovered a simpler type of atom, consisting of structureless electrons, muons, or tauons and their equally structureless...

phys.org

Stable magnetic bundles achieved at room temperature and zero magnetic field

Recently, the research team led by Prof. Du Haifeng from the High Magnetic Field laboratory at Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences achieved stable magnetic bundles at room temperature without the need for any external magnetic field.

phys.org

Possible evidence of glueballs found during Beijing Spectrometer III experiments

A large international team of physicists working on the BES III collaboration has announced possible physical evidence of glueballs. In their study, published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the group analyzed decaying particles in a particle collider and uncovered what they believe to...

phys.org

I am large--I contain multitudes

Contradictory thoughts lead to more moderate attitudes, psychologists find

Researchers from the Leibniz Institute for Psychology (ZPID) and the University of Hohenheim present rhetorical tools that can help to reduce the polarization of discussions.

phys.org

medical finds

Physical frailty may put people at greater risk of depression, study finds

Individuals who meet at least one of the criteria for physical frailty are at higher risk of also developing depression, a new Yale study finds.

medicalxpress.com

Proof-of-concept study pioneers new brain imaging technique through a transparent skull implant

In the first study of its kind, researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) designed and implanted a transparent window in the skull of a patient, then used functional ultrasound imaging (fUSI) to collect high-resolution brain imaging...

medicalxpress.com

New molecule found to suppress bacterial antibiotic resistance evolution

Researchers from the University of Oxford have developed a new small molecule that can suppress the evolution of antibiotic resistance in bacteria and make resistant bacteria more susceptible to antibiotics. The paper, "Development of an inhibitor of the mutagenic SOS response that suppresses...

phys.org

Researchers elucidate the spatial structure and molecular mechanisms of 'prime editor,' a novel gene-editing tool

Joint research led by Yutaro Shuto, Ryoya Nakagawa, and Osamu Nureki of the University of Tokyo determined the spatial structure of various processes of a novel gene-editing tool called "prime editor." Functional analysis based on these structures also revealed how a "prime editor" could achieve...

phys.org

Scientists create 'living bioelectronics' that can sense and heal skin

For years, Prof. Bozhi Tian's lab has been learning how to integrate the world of electronics—rigid, metallic, bulky—with the world of the body—soft, flexible, delicate. In their latest work, they have created a prototype for what they call "living bioelectronics": a combination of living cells...

phys.org

Rewritable, recyclable 'smart skin' monitors biological signals on demand

Skin can send certain health-related signals, such as dry skin feeling tighter to indicate the need for moisture. But what if skin could be smarter, capable of monitoring and sharing specific health information, such as the concentration of glucose in sweat or heart rate? That was the question...

medicalxpress.com

This self-powered sensor could make MRIs more efficient

MRI scans are commonly used to diagnose a variety of conditions, anything from liver disease to brain tumors. But, as anyone who has been through one knows, patients must remain completely still to avoid blurring the images and requiring a new scan. A prototype device described in ACS Sensors...

medicalxpress.com

International study reveals surprising twist in how diabetes drugs help the heart

A randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial led by a collaboration between Duke-NUS Medical School, National Heart Center Singapore (NHCS) and Klinikum Nürnberg, Germany, has revealed surprising new insights into how SGLT2 inhibitor drugs, originally developed for diabetes, benefit patients...

medicalxpress.com

Researchers identify a genetic cause of intellectual disability affecting tens of thousands

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and others have identified a neurodevelopmental disorder, caused by mutations in a single gene, that affects tens of thousands of people worldwide. The work, published in the May 31 online issue of Nature Medicine, was done in...

medicalxpress.com

Stem cell study sheds new light on how the human embryo forms

A new study using stem cell-based models has shed new light on how the human embryo begins to develop, which could one day benefit the development of fertility treatment.

phys.org

Ancient medicine blends with modern-day research in new tissue regeneration method

For centuries, civilizations have used naturally occurring, inorganic materials for their perceived healing properties. Egyptians thought green copper ore helped eye inflammation, the Chinese used cinnabar for heartburn, and Native Americans used clay to reduce soreness and inflammation.

phys.org

New antibiotic kills pathogenic bacteria, spares healthy gut microbes

Researchers have developed a new antibiotic that reduced or eliminated drug-resistant bacterial infections in mouse models of acute pneumonia and sepsis while sparing healthy microbes in the mouse gut. The drug, called lolamicin, also warded off secondary infections with Clostridioides...

phys.org

Amino acid found in chicken feathers could deliver chemotherapy drugs and repair enzymes

A new method of drug delivery using proline, an amino acid found in chicken feathers and skin tissue, could be used to limit the side effects of chemotherapy and repair important enzymes, new research suggests.

phys.org

Chocolate's tasty flavors might pose a health risk in other desserts

What makes chocolate taste and smell so delicious? Chemistry, of course. A variety of molecules work together to create that unmistakable aroma, but those same molecules might carry some unwanted health effects if there are too many around. According to research published in Journal of...

phys.org

Drinking lots of water may seem like a healthy habit—here's when and why it can prove toxic

In late 2023, actor Brooke Shields suffered a seizure after "flooding" her body with water. Shields became dangerously low on sodium while preparing for her show by drinking loads of water. "I flooded my system and I drowned myself," she would later explain. "And if you don't have enough sodium...

medicalxpress.com

 

[publiusr]

The Giza Necropolis

Pyramids built along long-lost river, scientists discover

Scientists have discovered a long-buried branch of the Nile river that once flowed alongside more than 30 pyramids in Egypt, potentially solving the mystery of how ancient Egyptians transported the massive stone blocks to build the famous monuments.

phys.org

Discovery may explain why Egyptian pyramids were built along long-lost Ahramat branch of the Nile

Some 31 pyramids in Egypt, including the Giza pyramid complex, may originally have been built along a 64-km-long branch of the river Nile which has long since been buried beneath farmland and desert. The findings, reported in a paper in Communications Earth & Environment, could explain why these...

phys.org

Underground 'anomaly' found near iconic Giza pyramid complex

A multi-institutional team of archaeological researchers from Japan and Egypt has discovered what they describe as an underground "anomaly" near the iconic Giza pyramid complex. In their study, published in the journal Archaeological Prospection, the group used both ground-penetrating radar...

phys.org

Artificial fault

The secret to mimicking natural faults? Plexiglass and Teflon

When a fault ruptures in nature, some sections of the fault slip suddenly and seismically, weakening as velocity increases. Other regions creep slowly and strengthen with increasing velocity. The relative locations of these sections affect the size and nature of seismic activity along the fault...

phys.org

Weather

How wildfires change soil chemistry

The huge, long-lasting wildfires that have become increasingly common in recent years can cause changes in soil chemistry that affect water contamination, air quality, and plant growth. But these changes are poorly monitored and rarely factor into post-fire recovery efforts or risk assessments...

phys.org

Research team develops an impact-based forecasting system for improved early flood warning

Climate change increases the frequency of extreme events such as flooding. This reinforces the need to develop methods for more precise and faster flood forecasting in order to better protect the population in the future.

phys.org

Floating robots reveal just how much airborne dust fertilizes the Southern Ocean—a key climate 'shock absorber'

The Southern Ocean, a region critical to Earth's climate, hosts vast blooms of microscopic ocean plants known as phytoplankton. They form the very basis of the Antarctic food web.

phys.org

Seafloor life devastated near explosive volcanic eruption in Pacific, research shows

A University of Rhode Island oceanographer leading her first research cruise in the southern Pacific uncovered a surprise when her vessel looked below the waters in the Polynesian nation of Tonga.

phys.org

Horizontal resolution affects model aerosol properties, finds Earth system model research

Earth system models are running at higher resolutions. Yet parameterizations designed to represent aerosol lifecycles and their interactions with clouds and radiation in the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) are developed and evaluated at Earth system model scales, and their performance...

phys.org

The humanities

Study supports theory that humans evolved the ability to run long distances to capture prey

A pair of anthropologists, one with Trent University, in Canada, the other with the University of California, Davis, in the U.S., reports evidence in support of a theory that humans developed the ability to run long distances to capture fast-running animals.

phys.org

Evidence of a travel direction signal that is independent from head direction in humans

We generally assume that when humans are walking or otherwise moving in space, their head faces towards the direction they are traveling in. Nonetheless, travel direction and head direction are distinct factors associated with the processing of different types of spatial information.

medicalxpress.com

Looking for love: How we can fool ourselves when we are into someone

Can we truly assess whether someone finds us attractive? Cognitive psychologist Iliana Samara conducted her Ph.D. project on romantic attraction and discovered that men, in particular, tend to overestimate the interest of their date. She explains why this may be.

phys.org

Have smartphones killed the art of conversation?

Once upon a time, human relationships unfolded without smartphones. The reality may be hard to recall, so profoundly have these devices transformed the way we relate to the world and others in fifteen years or so.

phys.org

Reducing distrust in social media is not straightforward, computer scientists warn

Are anti-misinformation interventions on social media working as intended? It depends, according to a new study led by William & Mary researchers and published in the Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '24).

phys.org

Study finds saying 'please' may not be so polite in everyday requests

By kindergarten age, most children have been taught that "please" is a magic word. "Please" is an expression of politeness that shows courtesy and respect, turning a potential demand into a request that will—poof!—magically be granted.

phys.org

Creativity and humor shown to promote well-being in older adults via similar mechanisms

Many people associate aging with a decline in cognitive function, health issues, and reduced activity. Uncovering mental processes that can boost the well-being of the older adults could be highly beneficial, as it could help to devise more effective activities aimed at improving their quality...

medicalxpress.com

Study uncovers key factors for resilience after trauma

Following traumatic experiences, many individuals demonstrate remarkable resilience, recovering their mental and behavioral well-being without external intervention. An Emory University-led study, in collaboration with the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and other sites, is...

medicalxpress.com

High status leads to increased happiness—sometimes

Is it worth the effort to seek high status in a group or setting for which a person has no real passion? New Cornell research suggests the answer is "no."

phys.org

Neuroplasticity study shows how singing rehabilitates speech production in post-stroke aphasia

Cerebrovascular accidents, or strokes, are the most common cause of aphasia, a speech disorder of cerebral origin. People with aphasia have a reduced ability to understand or produce speech or written language. An estimated 40% of people who have had a stroke have aphasia. As many as half of...

medicalxpress.com

Scientists want to know how the smells of nature benefit our health

Spending time in nature is good for us. Studies have shown that contact with nature can lift our well-being by affecting emotions, influencing thoughts, reducing stress and improving physical health. Even brief exposure to nature can help. One well-known study found that hospital patients...

medicalxpress.com

Temperature, time and blueberry wine: Researchers examine fermentation's effects on health-promoting compounds

Nutrient-rich blueberries—a common breakfast smoothie ingredient—can also create wine. But does the heat and time required to ferment this mighty berry strip out any of those potential health-promoting compounds? Researchers in ACS Food Science & Technology examine fermentation's effects on the...

phys.org

Mechanistic model shows how much gossip is needed to foster social cooperation

Gossip often has a negative connotation, but imagine you are part of a group deciding on a job candidate to hire or a local political candidate to back. Candidates who get a good reputation by helping others may be more likely to receive help in the form of a job offer or endorsement, a feedback...

phys.org

Report looks at 'poverty stigma' through a new lens to stamp it out of society

Stigma is a glue that holds poverty, inequality and economic insecurity in place enabling and exacerbating inequalities of wealth, health and opportunity, says a new report.

phys.org

Biology

Scientists unlock mysteries of orangutan communication

In a study published in PeerJ, scientists have revealed the intricate vocal patterns of Bornean orangutans, shedding new light on the complexities of their communication. Titled "Vocal Complexity in the Long Calls of Bornean Orangutans," the research, led by Dr. Wendy Erb from the K. Lisa Yang...

phys.org

Researchers develop algorithms to understand how humans form body part vocabularies

Human bodies have similar designs. However, languages differ in the way they divide the body into parts and name them. For example, English speakers have two words for foot and leg, whereas other languages express the concepts foot and leg in one word.

phys.org

Researchers breed tomato plants that contain the complete genetic material of both parent plants

In a new study published in Nature Genetics, led by Charles Underwood from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, Germany, scientists established a system to generate clonal sex cells in tomato plants and used them to design the genomes of offspring.

phys.org

Non-photosynthetic vegetation helps improve accuracy of wind erosion impact assessment

The process of soil wind erosion is influenced by vegetation cover. From a functional point of view, vegetation can be divided into photosynthetic vegetation (PV) and non-photosynthetic vegetation (NPV). The NPV represents dormant and dead vegetation, crop residues, and litter, which are the...

phys.org

Researchers shed light on how key ingredient for life may form in space

A team led by University of Maryland chemists discovered a new way to create carbenes, a class of highly reactive yet notoriously short-lived and unstable molecules. Involved in many high-energy chemical reactions such as the creation of carbohydrates, carbenes are crucial precursors to the...

phys.org

Scientists help unravel life's cosmic beginnings

Knowledge about the early forms of life in the universe that may have led to the development of life on Earth remains largely unknown. However, a group of scientists at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa are attempting to change that.

phys.org

Possible new process for the synthesis of rare nuclei in the universe

A new nucleosynthesis process denoted as the νr-process has been suggested by scientists from GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Technische Universität Darmstadt, and the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics. It operates when neutron-rich material is exposed to a high flux of neutrinos.

phys.org

Genetic analyses reveal new viruses on the horizon

Suddenly they appear, and like the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, can trigger major epidemics: Viruses that nobody had on their radar. They are not really new, but they have changed genetically. In particular, the exchange of genetic material between different virus species can lead to the sudden...

phys.org

Dice snakes found to use a variety of techniques to more effectively fake their own deaths

A pair of biologists at the University of Belgrade, in Serbia, has found that dice snakes use a variety of techniques to fool predators into believing they have died. In their paper published in the journal Biology Letters, Vukašin Bjelica and Ana Golubović, describe how they captured hundreds...

phys.org

First 'warm-blooded' dinosaurs may have emerged 180 million years ago

The ability to regulate body temperature, a trait all mammals and birds have today, may have evolved among some dinosaurs early in the Jurassic period about 180 million years ago, suggests a new study led by UCL and University of Vigo researchers.

phys.org

Scientists find Eurasian jays can use 'mental time travel' like humans

Eurasian jays can remember incidental details of past events, which is characteristic of episodic memory in humans, according to a study published May 15, 2024, in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by James Davies of the University of Cambridge, U.K., and colleagues.

phys.org

A penguin with an unconventional call inspires researchers to change how they study penguins

An emperor penguin's sex determines the nature of their courtship call—male vocalizations are composed of long, slow bursts with lower frequency tones than the female version. But calls of SeaWorld San Diego male penguin E-79 caught the attention of researchers by defying this binary. Also...

phys.org

Island birds more adaptable than previously thought

Scientists still don't fully understand the consequences that pollution and climate change can have on the world around us. Now, a study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B examining bird populations living on islands shows we may know even less than previously thought.

phys.org

Ornithologists discover world's largest hummingbird is actually two species

The Giant Hummingbird of western South America is not one species but two, according to an international group of researchers. The northern population stays in the high Andes year-round while the southern population migrates from sea level up to 14,000 feet for the nonbreeding months. The two...

phys.org

Enhancing land surface models to visualize vegetation gradients in hilly terrain

Land surface models are an indispensable tool for environmental scientists to map the natural features of our world, particularly when they monitor the effects of climate change or assess conservation efforts.

phys.org

Unwrapping the origin story of the baobab

The baobab (Adansonia) is a genus of trees with eight currently extant species and a long history of humans marveling at them. For as much admiration as the baobabs get, there is an equal amount of mystery surrounding their origin.

phys.org

Trees on a university campus endure droughts with help from leaky pipes

Even in dry times, Waller Creek on The University of Texas at Austin campus is never without water. That's because a significant portion of the water that flows through it—anywhere from 25% to 50%—can be traced to wastewater from leaky city pipes.

phys.org

Researchers uncover mechanism for short-distance vesicle movements

Researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have thrown new light on the mechanism for how vesicles move short distances within specific parts of the cell, an area not understood by scientists.

phys.org

A new 'rule of biology' may have come to light, expanding insight into evolution and aging

A molecular biologist at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences may have found a new "rule of biology."

phys.org

Study indicates Earth's earliest sea creatures drove evolution by stirring the water

A study involving the University of Cambridge has used virtual recreations of the earliest animal ecosystems, known as marine animal forests, to demonstrate the part they played in the evolution of our planet.

phys.org

Tiger beetles fight off bat attacks with ultrasonic mimicry

Bats, as the main predator of night-flying insects, create a selective pressure that has led many of their prey to evolve an early warning system of sorts: ears uniquely tuned to high-frequency bat echolocation. To date, scientists have found at least six orders of insects—including moths...

phys.org

Germline regulation and sex differences: How they impact lifespan in vertebrates

In a recently published study, Prof. Itamar Harel from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and team of researchers have discovered a novel connection between germline regulation and the intricate balance of longevity and somatic repair in vertebrates.

medicalxpress.com

Study shows regenerating worms have genetic control over their algal partners

Many organisms are far more complex than just a single species. Humans, for example, are full of a variety of microbes. Some creatures have even more special connections, though.

phys.org

Horse remains show Pagan-Christian trade networks supplied horses from overseas for the last horse sacrifices in Europe

Horses crossed the Baltic Sea in ships during the Late Viking Age and were sacrificed for funeral rituals, according to research from Cardiff University.

phys.org

Most dangerous areas for whale shark-shipping vessel collisions revealed

Researchers have found that heavily used shipping lanes pass through crucial whale shark feeding grounds, posing a threat to this endangered species.

phys.org

Killer whales breathe just once between dives, study confirms

A new study has confirmed the long-held assumption that orcas take just one breath between dives.

phys.org

Orcas are attacking ships again: Here's a history of the practice

A pod of killer whales attacked and sank a yacht over the weekend between Spain and Morocco in the Strait of Gibraltar—and it's not the first time.

phys.org

How neighboring whales learn each other's language

Researchers from Project CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative) and collaborating institutions have developed a method to investigate sperm whale communication by determining their vocal style, finding that groups living in close proximity can develop similar styles to each other.

phys.org

Rare deep-sea squid filmed at depth

A rare deep-sea squid has been captured on video at a depth of more than a kilometer underwater, by scientists from The University of Western Australia and Kelpie Geosciences in the UK.

phys.org

biology

In Darwin's footsteps: Scientists recreate historic 1830s expedition

Like Charles Darwin did in 1831, a group of scientists and environmentalists last year set sail from the English port of Plymouth, headed for the Galapagos islands off the coast of Ecuador.

phys.org

Did Earth's multicellular life depend on plate tectonics?

How did complex life emerge and evolve on the Earth and what does this mean for finding life beyond Earth?

phys.org

Actin research shows how butterfly wings get their vibrant colors

The secret of how butterfly wings get their vibrant colors has been revealed in a new study. Using cutting-edge super resolution microscopy, researchers from the University of Sheffield and the Central Laser Facility have been able to investigate the developmental stages of butterfly scales...

phys.org

Phycologists discover what makes some brown algae shimmer and others not

Compartments of consistently sized, tightly packed microspheres are what makes some brown algae shimmer like opal. The Kobe University discovery not only sheds light on the mechanism behind the alga's structural coloration, it is also the first to spot the effect in an order of brown algae other...

phys.org

Building artificial cells to measure energy flow in living systems

Living systems are defined by a continuous flow of energy, which is essential for physical development, wound healing, and our immune response to diseases like cancer. But measuring the energy flow of a specific process, like force generation, is complicated by the more than 10,000 different...

phys.org

Researchers map meerkat chit-chat

Meerkats use two different types of vocal interactions to stay in touch with their group mates. Sometimes the call simply broadcasts information, whereas other times meerkats engage in a call exchange with their neighbors, as researchers from the Center for the Advanced Study of Collective...

phys.org

Cooperative hunting requires less brainpower than previously thought

Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan have found that cooperative hunting, in which two or more predators collaborate to capture prey, does not require sophisticated cognitive processes in the brain. Rather, cooperation can emerge on the basis of a simple set of rules and experience.

phys.org

Study shows exercise spurs neuron growth and rewires the brain, helping mice forget traumatic and addictive memories

Researchers from the University of Toronto, Canada, and Kyushu University, Japan, have found that increased neuron formation and the subsequent rewiring of neural circuits in the hippocampus through exercise or genetic manipulation helps mice forget traumatic or drug-associated memories. The...

medicalxpress.com

Simulations of swimming fish suggest fish may naturally prefer to compete—not cooperate—during swimming

Researchers have shown how different swimming formations may save fish energy and suggest that they only switch positions to save energy for the group when under pressure.

phys.org

New research suggests diverse headgear in hoofed mammals evolved from common ancestor

From the small ossicones on a giraffe to the gigantic antlers of a male moose—which can grow as wide as a car—the headgear of ruminant hooved mammals is extremely diverse, and new research suggests that despite the physical differences, fundamental aspects of these bony adaptations likely...

phys.org

Biologists discover caterpillars are able to sense electrostatic fields generated by predators

Sam England and Daniel Robert, biologists at the University of Bristol, report that at least three types of caterpillars are capable of sensing and responding to an electrostatic field generated by a predator.

phys.org

By listening, scientists learn how a protein folds

By converting their data into sounds, scientists discovered how hydrogen bonds contribute to the lightning-fast gyrations that transform a string of amino acids into a functional, folded protein.

phys.org

Math discovery provides new method to study cell activity, aging

New mathematical tools revealing how quickly cell proteins break down are poised to uncover deeper insights into how we age, according to a recently published paper co-authored by a Mississippi State researcher and his colleagues from Harvard Medical School and the University of Cambridge.

phys.org

Study finds widespread 'cell cannibalism' and related phenomena across tree of life

In a new review paper, Carlo Maley and Arizona State University colleagues describe cell-in-cell phenomena in which one cell engulfs and sometimes consumes another. The study shows that cases of this behavior, including cell cannibalism, are widespread across the tree of life.

phys.org

New 'atlas' provides unprecedented insights on how genes function in early embryo development

Although the Human Genome Project announced the completed sequencing of 20,000 human genes more than 20 years ago, scientists are still working to grasp how fully formed beings emerge from basic genetic instructions.

phys.org

Exploring diversity in cell division: Study investigates the process of evolution that supports diverse life cycles

New research by EMBL scientists shows how different modes of cell division used by animals and fungi might have evolved to support diverse life cycles.

phys.org

Study explains why the brain can robustly recognize images, even without color

Even though the human visual system has sophisticated machinery for processing color, the brain has no problem recognizing objects in black-and-white images. A new study from MIT offers a possible explanation for how the brain comes to be so adept at identifying both color and color-degraded images.

medicalxpress.com

Male and female mice exhibit different empathic behaviors to others' pain

Social interactions are multi-faceted experiences that entail understanding the emotional states of others and responding appropriately. Neuroscientists and psychologists have been studying social interactions for decades, in the hope of understanding their neural and behavioral underpinnings.

medicalxpress.com

A promising approach to develop a birth control pill for men

The world's population has increased by more than 2.6-fold in the last 60 years. The growing trend continues—projections indicate that the number of people living on our planet will grow to 9 billion by 2037 from 8 billion in 2022. These numbers underscore the need for considering family...

medicalxpress.com

Desert locusts' jaws sharpen themselves, materials scientist discovers

Sharks lose teeth all their lives, replacing them in a kind of endless rotating Rolodex, while humans, of course, get only our two sets. Beavers' teeth, notoriously, grow all their lives and have to be worn down to prevent injury.

phys.org

Previously unknown dormouse habitat identified

Bayreuth researchers have shown for the first time that the dormouse, which is strictly protected in Germany, not only uses woody structures as a habitat, but also reed beds. The study is published in the Journal of Vertebrate Biology.

phys.org

Crows can deliberately plan how many calls to make, study shows

In a behavioral experiment, crows were able to learn to produce a set number of calls. This involves them planning in advance. From the sound of the first call in a numerical sequence, it is possible to predict how many calls the crows will make. A research team consisting of Dr. Diana A. Liao...

phys.org

How do birds communicate? Network science models are opening up new possibilities for experts

Nature lovers will know the scene well. A flurry of birdsong, a shake of a tree and out pops a flock of birds flying away in unison together.

phys.org

Researchers discover hidden step in dinosaur feather evolution

Paleontologists at University College Cork (UCC) in Ireland have discovered that some feathered dinosaurs had scaly skin like reptiles today, thus shedding new light on the evolutionary transition from scales to feathers.

phys.org

https://phys.org/news/2024-05-reconstruct-genome-extinct-species-flightless.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-05-abelisauroid-dinosaur-tiny-arms-argentina.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-05-benign-condition-linked-rare-syndrome.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-05-brain-storage-quantifying-synapses.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-05-brain-circuits-depression.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-05-pain-perception-decreases-age.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-05-secrets-electromagnetic-field-interactions-comprehensive.html

Vice

https://phys.org/news/2024-05-tracking-toxic-metals-tobacco.html

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-05-cannabis-edibles-triggering-poisonings-older.html

Melon

https://phys.org/news/2024-05-melon-flavor-decoded-genetic-keys.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-05-melon-molecular-armor-insights-crop.html

https://phys.org/news/2024-05-genetic-blueprint-apples-size-traits.html

 

[publiusr]

Turbulence

https://weather.com/news/video/inside-singapore-airlines-plane-after-turbulence

Are some routes more prone to air turbulence? Will climate change make it worse? Your questions answered

A little bit of turbulence is a common experience for air travelers. Severe incidents are rare—but when they occur they can be deadly.

phys.org

Tornadoes

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFXN3X4e5sE

Tornado leaves five dead in Iowa

A tornado that ripped through the midwestern US state of Iowa killed five people and left dozens injured, officials said, with homes smashed to pieces and cars thrown through the air.

phys.org

https://weather.com/storms/tornado/video/oklahoma-tornado-leaves-damage-during-lengthy-journey

Why it's hard to predict the weather

Will it rain tomorrow or will it be sunny? Better data and more computing power have made weather forecasts more accurate.

phys.org

Yikes!

Deathtrap cable cars spook Turkey's intrepid tea farmers

You need to be part daredevil to live in the spectacularly steep hills overlooking the Black Sea where Turkey grows its tea.

techxplore.com

Massive landslide and other Earth science news

https://weather.com/news/video/hundreds-feared-dead-in-horrific-papua-new-guinea-landslide

Research reveals that prehistoric seafloor pockmarks off the California coast are maintained by powerful sediment flows

New MBARI research on a field of pockmarks—large, circular depressions on the seafloor—offshore of Central California has revealed that powerful sediment flows, not methane gas eruptions, maintain these prehistoric formations.

phys.org

Highly sensitive fiber optic gyroscope senses rotational ground motion around active volcano

Researchers have built a prototype fiber optic gyroscope for high resolution, real-time monitoring of ground rotations caused by earthquakes in the active volcanic area of Campi Flegrei in Naples, Italy. A better understanding of the seismic activity in this highly populated area could improve...

phys.org

Study finds evidence that subduction zone splay faults compound hazards of great earthquakes

Research has provided new insight into the tectonic plate shifts that create some of the Earth's largest earthquakes and tsunamis.

phys.org

On the trail of global climate change—volcanism as a driver of the climate in the 'Carnian Crisis'

New research on the so-called Carnian Crisis by a team led by Alexander Lukeneder, paleontologist at the Natural History Museum Vienna, reveals astonishing developments surrounding global climate change during the Triassic period.

phys.org

New 3D models reveal how warming climate affects underwater ocean tides

Few things in nature are as predictable as ocean tides. Driven by the moon's and sun's gravitational pull, these persistent, short-period, and large-magnitude phenomena are apparent in nearly all types of oceanographic and satellite observations. They also directly impact the rhythm of life for...

phys.org

Research team releases new AI model for weather and climate applications

Working together, NASA and IBM Research have developed a new artificial intelligence model to support a variety of weather and climate applications. The new model—known as the Privthi-weather-climate foundational model—uses artificial intelligence (AI) in ways that could vastly improve the...

phys.org

https://weather.com/news/video/flash-flood-hits-waterfall-killing-a-teen

Human perception

Tricking the brain's inner GPS: Grid cell responses to the illusion of self-location

A research team has successfully induced self-location illusions with multi-sensory virtual reality (VR) in an MRI scanner and observed corresponding changes in the human brain's grid cell activity.

medicalxpress.com

'Space at your fingertips': Research unlocks the potential of touch for 3D spatial perception

A study published in iScience from researchers from the Ivcher Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Technology at Reichman University offers a new perspective towards the plasticity of the brain, and integration of the senses, paving the way for the enhancement of prosthetics and assistive...

medicalxpress.com

Happy or angry: Researchers discover brain network that recognizes emotions

The Genetics of Cognition research group coordinated by Francesco Papaleo at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) has discovered a brain network present in animals and humans that allows them to recognize others' emotions. These findings, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, pave...

medicalxpress.com

On crystals

Deciphering how crystals form in non-classical ways

Soft and organic crystals are a diverse group of materials with connections to biological, environmental, and industrial processes with a wide range of applications, from pharmaceuticals to flexible electronics. Understanding the details of their crystallization pathways is essential to...

phys.org

New crystal production method could enhance quantum computers and electronics

In a study published in Nature Materials, scientists from the University of California, Irvine describe a new method to make very thin crystals of the element bismuth—a process that may aid the manufacturing of cheap flexible electronics an everyday reality.

phys.org

Researchers develop framework for databasing properties of crystal defects

Point defects (e.g. missing, extra or swapped atoms) in crystalline materials often determine the actual electronic and optical response of a given material. For example, controlled substitutions in semiconductors like silicon are the backbone of modern technology. Despite their importance...

phys.org

Why ice is slippery

Atomic-resolution imaging shows why ice is so slippery

A team of physicists affiliated with several institutions in China has uncovered the reason behind the slipperiness of ice. In their study, published in the journal Nature, the group used atomic force microscopy to get a closer look at the surface of ice at different temperatures.

phys.org

Math

The case for 'math-ish' thinking

For everyone whose relationship with mathematics is distant or broken, Jo Boaler, a professor at Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE), has ideas for repairing it. She particularly wants young people to feel comfortable with numbers from the start—to approach the subject with playfulness...

phys.org

Orca

https://weather.com/nature/wild-animals/video/this-is-the-real-reason-orcas-have-been-going-after-boats

Stonehenge

https://weather.com/science/space/video/scientists-studying-whether-stonehenge-aligns-with-the-moon

Language

Study: Newborns whose mother spoke in a mix of languages during pregnancy are more sensitive to a range of sound pitches

It's well established that babies in the womb hear and learn about speech, at least in the third trimester. For example, newborns have been shown to already prefer the voice of their mother, recognize a story that had been repeatedly told to them while in the womb, and tell apart their mother's...

medicalxpress.com

Remember when a sign of a crank was him going on and on about city water?

Conspiracy Watch: Fluoride as Pinko Plot

Since the 1940s, Americans have been swallowing fluoride with their drinking water. Is it time to stop?

www.motherjones.com

oops

Fluoride exposure during pregnancy linked to increased risk of childhood neurobehavioral problems, study finds

Nearly three-quarters of the United States population receives drinking water that contains fluoride, a practice that began in 1945 to help prevent tooth decay. But recent studies suggest that fluoride exposure can cause harm to a fetus if consumed during pregnancy, a critical period for brain...

medicalxpress.com

More

Observing mammalian cells with superfast soft X-rays

Researchers have developed a new technique to view living mammalian cells. The team used a powerful laser, called a soft X-ray free electron laser, to emit ultrafast pulses of illumination at the speed of femtoseconds, or quadrillionths of a second.

phys.org

Understanding a broken heart—study finds link between stress and recurrent heart failure

The stress of heart failure is remembered by the body and appears to lead to recurrent failure, along with other related health issues, according to new research. Researchers have found that heart failure leaves a "stress memory" in the form of changes to the DNA modification of hematopoietic...

medicalxpress.com

Possible association between tattoos and lymphoma revealed

Our knowledge regarding the long-term health effects of tattoos is currently poor, and there is not a lot of research within this area. Now a research group at Lund University has investigated the association between tattoos and lymphoma.

medicalxpress.com

 

[publiusr]

Tsunami and Earth sciences

Researchers unveil the mechanisms for local amplification of 2024 tsunamis in Iida Bay, Japan

In 2024, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula in Japan on New Year's Day, causing strong shaking, landslides, fire, liquefaction, land uplift, and devastating tsunamis. Ishikawa Prefecture, the hardest hit area, saw at least 241 fatalities, and about 75,187 houses damaged...

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Tsunami sands help scientists assess Cascadia earthquake models

To better understand the scale of past earthquakes and tsunamis, scientists often use earthquake modeling or turn to evidence the tsunamis leave behind, such as sand deposits.

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What causes landslides? Can we predict them to save lives?

A devastating landslide struck several remote villages in the mountainous Enga province in Papua New Guinea late last week.

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Historic iceberg surges offer insights on modern climate change

A great armada entered the North Atlantic, launched from the cold shores of North America. But rather than ships off to war, this force was a fleet of icebergs, and the havoc it wrought was on the ocean current itself.

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Microscopic defects in ice influence how massive glaciers flow, study shows

As they seep and calve into the sea, melting glaciers and ice sheets are raising global water levels at unprecedented rates. To predict and prepare for future sea-level rise, scientists need a better understanding of how fast glaciers melt and what influences their flow.

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First use of weather forecasts to show human impact on extreme weather is 'transformational,' scientists say

National forecasting centers like the Met Office could apply the same tools used for weather forecasting to quantify how human behavior is aggravating major events like floods, heat waves and storms, climate scientists at Oxford University Physics show in a study published today in Nature...

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New wind speed sensor uses minimal power for advanced weather tracking

Researchers have unveiled a pioneering breeze wake-up anemometer (B-WA), employing a rolling-bearing triboelectric nanogenerator (RB-TENG) that provides a new strategy for low-energy consumption environmental monitoring. The ability of the B-WA to operate autonomously and efficiently in varying...

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New research shows the Kīlauea volcano erupted like a stomp-rocket in 2018

No two volcanic eruptions are exactly alike, but scientists think a series of explosive eruptions at Kīlauea volcano fit into a whole new category.

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Honest dialogue is needed to help build consensus around solar radiation modification technology

Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) is a suite of possible technologies to counteract global warming by reflecting incoming solar radiation.

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Tonga's volcanic eruption could cause unusual weather for the rest of the decade, new study shows

Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai (Hunga Tonga for short) erupted on January 15 2022 in the Pacific Kingdom of Tonga. It created a tsunami which triggered warnings across the entire Pacific basin, and sent sound waves around the globe multiple times.

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Video: Unraveling the mysteries of clouds

Clouds are one of the biggest mysteries in the climate system. They play a key role in regulating the temperature of our atmosphere. But we don't know how their behavior will change over time as Earth's atmosphere gets warmer. This is where EarthCARE comes in.

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Dragon's domain and biology

Large fossil discovery finally exposes origins of Welsh dragons

A large fossil discovery has helped shed light on the history of dinosaurs in Wales. The find is reported in Proceedings of the Geologists' Association.

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Musankwa sanyatiensis, a new dinosaur from Zimbabwe discovered

Fossils found on the shoreline of Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe represent a completely new dinosaur species. This remarkable find, named Musankwa sanyatiensis, marks only the fourth dinosaur species named from Zimbabwe. The research detailing this significant discovery is published in Acta...

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Partial skeleton of a previously unknown medium-sized theropod dinosaur found in Siberia

Study of a partial skeleton found embedded in a rock has resulted in the discovery of a new species of dinosaur. Using a variety of technology and techniques, researchers affiliated with several institutions in the Russian Federation found that the fossil once belonged to a previously unknown...

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Fossil places extinct saber-toothed cat on Texas coast

Important scientific finds don't always come in the biggest, buzziest packages. Sometimes new discoveries come in little ugly rocks. Such is the case of a 6-centimeter-wide, nondescript mass of bone and teeth that helped a scientist at The University of Texas at Austin expand the geographic...

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Paper proposes a unified account of Darwinism's varieties

A new paper published in The Quarterly Review of Biology examines the question of what Darwinism is and how its nonscientific uses relate to the scientific theory of evolution.

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Sulfur molecules from space may have seeded early life on Earth

Important nutrients for the first living organisms on Earth may have come from space, according to new research from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

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'Living fossils' are unique, not ancient, say researchers

The new measure, termed "evolutionary heritage," highlights the importance of unique species traits—which include physiological adaptations, like beak variations in different birds—when assessing the richness and complexity of life.

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Symbiosis study exposes new 'origin' theories, identifies experimental systems for plant life

A Mississippi State faculty member's work on plant life symbiosis—a mutually beneficial relationship between living organisms—is pushing back against the newer theory of "single-origin"—that all life stems from one point—instead suggesting "multiple-origin" theory which opens a better...

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Scientists uncover a multibillion-year epic written into the chemistry of life

The origin of life on Earth has long been a mystery that has eluded scientists. A key question is how much of the history of life on Earth is lost to time. It is quite common for a single species to "phase out" using a biochemical reaction, and if this happens across enough species, such...

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Acute sense of touch helps hummingbirds hover near a flower without bumping into it, study shows

Hummingbirds seem like a marvel of nature and engineering: a living creature that can hover near a flower with surgical precision. How do they do this?

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Some species may better tolerate climate change than expected

A new model, developed by Ifremer and Lausanne University researchers and published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, reassesses the proportion of terrestrial and marine species threatened with extinction by climate change.

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Scientists pit primates against smaller-brained mammals to find out who is the smartest forager

Primates, including humans, have larger brains than most other mammals, but why? Scientists searching for the answer have long followed a trail pointing to diet—specifically fruit—as the reason for why primates evolved larger brains.

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How killifish embryos use suspended animation to survive over 8 months of drought

The African turquoise killifish lives in ephemeral ponds in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. To survive the annual dry season, the fish's embryos enter a state of extreme suspended animation or "diapause" for approximately 8 months.

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Secrets of sargassum: Scientists advance knowledge of seaweed causing chaos in the Caribbean and West Africa

Researchers have been working to track and study floating sargassum, a prolific seaweed swamping Caribbean and West African shorelines, and causing environmental and economic harm. The study, "Changes in holopelagic Sargassum spp. biomass composition across an unusual year," is published in PNAS.

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Nectarivores: A world of sweet-toothed critters

If you have a sweet tooth, you'll be familiar with the burst of energy known as a sugar rush. But what if your survival depended on it? Would you love it as much? Animals get the nutrients they need from different sources.

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Video: This edible mushroom could kill you

Morels are one of the most commonly eaten wild mushrooms. So how did two people die from eating them at a single restaurant in Bozeman, Montana?

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Human nature

Relieving a fear of public speaking

If you dread public speaking you are not alone. It is a leading social phobia, one that can cause a state of anxiety that reduces otherwise articulate people to nervous incoherence.

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Brain damage study reveals part of the brain necessary for helping others

Our willingness to help others is governed by a specific brain region pinpointed by researchers in a study of patients with brain damage to that region.

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Scientists uncover how our brains try to tell the difference between music- and speech-like noise

Music and speech are among the most frequent types of sounds we hear. But how do we identify what we think are differences between the two?

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Study finds blood clot risk is influenced by angle at which pulmonary veins reach the heart

The shape of the heart cavities and the angle at which the pulmonary veins reach them are not always the same; rather, they vary according to the anatomical characteristics of each subject. Recently, research by UPF and the Inria Epione research institute, linked to Côte d'Azur University, has...

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A surprising result for a group's optimal path to cooperation

What is the best way for a group of individuals to cooperate? This is a longstanding question with roots in game theory, a branch of science which uses mathematical models of how individuals should best strategize for the optimal result.

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Evolutionary biologist suggests human brain grew as energy was freed from ovarian follicles

Mauricio González-Forero, an evolutionary biologist at the University of St Andrews, in the U.K., is proposing a new theory to explain the massive growth of the human brain over its evolutionary history.

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How does the word 'not' affect what we understand? Scientists find negation mitigates our interpretation of phrases

When we're told "This coffee is hot" upon being served a familiar caffeinated beverage at our local diner or cafe, the message is clear. But what about when we're told "This coffee is not hot"? Does that mean we think it's cold? Or room temperature? Or just warm?

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Chemists, biologists, archaeologists: Who will unearth the recipes of our ancestors?

Using a new multidisciplinary approach, a team from UNIGE and CNRS has retraced the food practices of a Senegalese village. This method will be useful for other archaeological research.

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A multimodal approach to better predict recovery in patients with disorders of consciousness

When a patient is admitted to intensive care due to a disorder of consciousness—such as a coma—establishing their neurological prognosis is a crucial yet challenging task.

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Scientists modify the configuration parameters of 'phantom sensations' so that people can perceive them

Can people feel through the sense of touch in the absence of a real tactile stimulation? In other words, can we feel the sensation of being touched when in reality we are not? This is what is known as "phantom sensation," which occurs when the nervous system perceives a tactile illusion that...

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New research approach: Exploring the mouthfeel of food with a microscope

A team led by Melanie Köhler and Veronika Somoza from the Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology has presented a new research approach in the journal Nature Food. The perspectives article focuses on different ways to study the mouthfeel of food using atomic force microscopy to better...

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Simulations suggest ideas that cross international borders may have powerful 'butterfly effect' on elections

New simulations provide mathematical support for the theory that the spread of political ideas across international borders may have a big impact on election outcomes, and that small actions boosting a minority idea can gradually lead to global-scale political change. Jose Segovia-Martin and...

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Study suggests vocal exploration in babies is important for speech development

In the first large-scale observation with human coding of infant vocalizations using all-day home recordings, babies of all ages from birth up to a year old squealed and growled in significant cluster patterns, suggesting the babies may have been actively engaged in noise-making play and sound...

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Earth sciences

Scientists develop new method to estimate electrical parameters of regular pulse bursts in lightning

The phenomenon of regular pulse bursts in lightning research is characterized by continuous pulses occurring at regular intervals, resulting in intermittent rapid changes in the electric field at ground level. The individual pulses last for microseconds, while the entire sequence can last for...

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Microsoft unveils Aurora, an AI-based weather forecasting system that can also predict air pollution levels

A team of computer scientists at Microsoft Research AI for Science, working with a colleague from JKU Linz, another from Poly Corporation, and another from the University of Amsterdam, has built what Microsoft describes in its press release, as a "cutting-edge foundation model"—a system called...

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Increasing tropical cyclone frequency may have deadly consequences for seabird populations

The increase in tropical cyclone frequency and intensity due to climate change could lead to dramatic declines in seabird populations, suggests a paper published in Communications Earth & Environment. The authors' conclusion is based on the impact of Cyclone Ilsa on Bedout Island, after the...

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Real-time flood risk visualization via server-based mixed reality enhances accessibility and public safety

Climate change is increasing flood risks in urban areas, with heavy rainfall disasters now becoming a global problem. Numerical simulations predict flooding from heavy rain and river overflows, usually displaying results on flat maps. However, map scale can limit detailed risk assessment, making...

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New findings challenge traditional beliefs about the cause of earthquakes

By taking a close look at the geometrical makeup of rocks where earthquakes originate, researchers at Brown University are adding a new wrinkle to a long-held belief about what causes seismic quakes in the first place.

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Researchers examine rocks in the Eifel region to investigate volcanic activity

A team of geoscientists have analyzed the composition of rocks in the Eifel, a volcanic region encompassing parts of western Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg. They discovered that it differs depending on the region.

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Crucial shift in River Nile's evolution during ancient Egypt discovered

Researchers have explored how the River Nile evolved over the past 11,500 years and how changes in its geography could have helped shape the fortunes of ancient Egyptian civilization.

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Shape and depth of ocean floor profoundly influence how carbon is stored there, study shows

The movement of carbon between the atmosphere, oceans and continents—the carbon cycle—is a fundamental process that regulates Earth's climate. Some factors, like volcanic eruptions or human activity, emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Others, such as forests and oceans, absorb that CO2. In...

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Honest dialogue is needed to help build consensus around solar radiation modification technology

Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) is a suite of possible technologies to counteract global warming by reflecting incoming solar radiation.

phys.org

Math

Cutting-edge mathematics provides new tool for particle collision puzzle

Scientists have used computational algebraic geometry to study predictions for particle physics experiments, such as those at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which first detected the Higgs particle in 2012.

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A framework to construct quantum spherical codes

To reliably perform complex, large-scale calculations, computing systems rely on so-called error correction schemes, techniques designed to protect information against errors. These techniques are perhaps even more essential when it comes to quantum computers, devices that perform computations...

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Noise

Mapping noise to improve quantum measurements

One of the biggest challenges in quantum technology and quantum sensing is "noise"–seemingly random environmental disturbances that can disrupt the delicate quantum states of qubits, the fundamental units of quantum information.

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safety

New tech could give individuals increased control over their own exposure to harmful gases

In an increasingly health-conscious society, data is a hot commodity. Tracking step counts with an old-school pedometer has turned into monitoring heart rates, sleep cycles and blood oxygen levels with wearable fitness trackers, a market that has exploded in recent years. But one critical aspect...

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New study confirms presence of benzene in natural gas and potential for undetectable indoor leaks

New research finds that even people with an average sense of smell could be living with a natural gas leak and not know it. The study, published in Environmental Research Letters, finds that small gas leaks can impact indoor air quality by introducing a number of hazardous air pollutants...

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Analysis: Weapons potential of high-assay low-enriched uranium fuel poses greater threat than publicly acknowledged

An analysis published in the journal Science found that, contrary to a widely held assumption, the high assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) now being produced with federal subsidies to fuel the next generation of small nuclear power reactors can be used directly to make nuclear weapons, and thus...

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