ScienceDaily: All - April 16, 2025
Today's top research news
Most goals in football (soccer) result from first touch shots
A researcher has analyzed the most frequent situations faced by football goalkeepers. The aim is to compile data to facilitate the design of more effective training. The work stresses the importance of practicing the deflections and first touch shots that are produced.
Growing wildflowers on disused urban land can damage bee health
Wildflowers growing on land previously used for buildings and factories can accumulate lead, arsenic and other metal contaminants from the soil, which are consumed by pollinators as they feed, a new study has found.
Gut microbes release cancer-fighting bile acids that block hormone signals
Bacteria naturally present in the human intestine (known as the gut microbiota) can transform cholesterol-derived bile acids into powerful metabolites that strengthen anti-cancer immunity by blocking androgen signaling, according to a preclinical study.
On Jupiter, it's mushballs all the way down
Observations of Jupiter show that ammonia is unevenly distributed in the upper atmosphere, against expectations of uniform mixing. Scientists found evidence for a complicated but apparently real process associated with fierce lightning storms: strong updrafts generate slushy, ice-coated hailstones of ammonia and water that eventually plunge into the planet and deplete areas of ammonia. This is part of the first 3D picture of the planet's atmosphere, which shows storms are primarily shallow.
Can citizen science be trusted? New study of birds shows it can
Platforms such as iNaturalist and eBird encourage people to observe and document nature, but how accurate is the ecological data that they collect? A new study shows that citizen science data from iNaturalist and eBird can reliably capture known seasonal patterns of bird migration in Northern California and Nevada -- from year-round residents such as California Scrub-Jays, to transient migrants such as the Western Tanager and the Pectoral Sandpiper.
Inactive components in agricultural runoff may be hidden contributors to drinking water hazards
A new study reveals the impact of what might may be precursors to harmful contaminants in drinking water, formed during water disinfection.
Colombia's peatlands could be a crucial tool to fight climate change: But first we have to find them
Researchers conducted three years of extensive fieldwork to develop the first data-driven map of both newly documented and predicted peatlands across Colombia's eastern lowlands.
New explanation for muscle memory found in muscle proteins
Researchers investigated the quantities of thousands of muscle proteins and found a possible new explanation for muscle memory. A study showed for the first time that muscles 'remember' training at the protein level. The memory trace of previous resistance training persists in muscle proteins for over two months.
No butterfingers in baseball: Understanding slip between fingertips and the ball
In 2021, Major League Baseball banned the usage of resin, and since batting averages have gone up. A group of researchers set out to reveal the science behind this.
A visual pathway in the brain may do more than recognize objects
A new study questions the longstanding view that the visual system is divided into two pathways, one for object-recognition and the other for spatial tasks. Using computational vision models, researchers found the ventral visual stream, may not be exclusively optimized for object recognition.
Seismologists share early analyses of Myanmar earthquake
The 28 March magnitude 7.7 Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar) earthquake caused widespread and severe damage in Myanmar and neighboring countries such as Thailand, with more than 5,000 casualties now confirmed. At the Seismological Society of America's Annual Meeting, researchers from around the globe shared early insights into the earthquake's fault properties, ground shaking and infrastructure damage.
Explainable AI for ship navigation raises trust, decreases human error
A team has developed an explainable AI model for automatic collision avoidance between ships.
New type of handheld detector for all types of ionizing radiation improves radiation safety
Scientists have developed a new type of handheld multi-purpose radiation detector that comprehensively detects all types of ionizing radiation. The device can be used by industrial and medical radiation users, regulatory authorities, the nuclear energy industry, first responders and military users. The technology has been patented and is currently being explored for commercialization.
Heart valve abnormality is associated with malignant arrhythmias
People with a certain heart valve abnormality are at increased risk of severe heart rhythm disorders, even after successful valve surgery. The condition is more common in women and younger patients with valve disorder and can, in the worst case, lead to sudden cardiac arrest.
Key to the high aggressiveness of pancreatic cancer identified
A study demonstrates the role of the Galectin-1 protein in the nucleus of the cells surrounding the tumor -- fibroblasts -- contributing to their activation. Activated fibroblasts promote tumor growth and spread, while also conferring resistance to treatments. This may be one of the reasons behind the high aggressiveness of pancreatic cancer, which has a five-year survival rate of only 10%. The study's findings open the door to new therapeutic strategies against this type of cancer, focusing on the possibility of inhibiting this protein within the cells that surround and protect the tumor.
AI finds new ways to observe the most extreme events in the universe
Extreme cosmic events such as colliding black holes or the explosions of stars can cause ripples in spacetime, so-called gravitational waves. Their discovery opened a new window into the universe. To observe them, ultra-precise detectors are required. Designing them remains a major scientific challenge for humans. Researchers have been working on how an artificial intelligence system could explore an unimaginably vast space of possible designs to find entirely new solutions.
An elegant method for the detection of single spins using photovoltage
Diamonds with certain optically active defects can be used as highly sensitive sensors or qubits for quantum computers, where the quantum information is stored in the electron spin state of these colour centeres. However, the spin states have to be read out optically, which is often experimentally complex. Now, a team has developed an elegant method using a photo voltage to detect the individual and local spin states of these defects. This could lead to a much more compact design of quantum sensors.
Are high support bras bad for the back?
Researchers uncover how over-reducing breast motion in bras could increase back pain during exercise.
Artificial skin from hydrogels
Growing cells in the laboratory is an art that humans have mastered decades ago. Recreating entire three-dimensional tissues is much more challenging. Researchers are developing a new hydrogel-based material that makes it possible to engineer artificial skin tissues, which can serve as living three-dimensional models of human skin for better understanding and treating skin diseases.
Machine learning unlocks superior performance in light-driven organic crystals
Researchers have developed a machine learning workflow to optimize the output force of photo-actuated organic crystals. Using LASSO regression to identify key molecular substructures and Bayesian optimization for efficient sampling, they achieved a maximum blocking force of 37.0 mN -- 73 times more efficient than conventional methods. These findings could help develop remote-controlled actuators for medical devices and robotics, supporting applications such as minimally invasive surgery and precision drug delivery.
Researchers have mapped the hidden control system of vision
The smallest control system of vision in mammals has been mapped -- a discovery that opens entirely new insights into how our vision works and how it can be affected by disease.
Corn leads to improved performance in lithium-sulfur batteries
Researchers have demonstrated a way to use corn protein to improve the performance of lithium-sulfur batteries, a finding that holds promise for expanding the use of the high-energy, lighter-weight batteries in electric vehicles, renewable energy storage and other applications.
Molten Martian core could explain red planet's magnetic quirks
First ever supercomputer simulations of Mars with a fully molten core could explain the Red Planet's unusual magnetic field. Billions of years ago, Mars had an active magnetic field. Mysteriously, its imprint is strongest in the southern hemisphere. Researchers found that Mars could have produced a one-sided magnetic field with a fully molten core, rather than the traditional, Earth-like solid inner core setup.
The brain learns to filter out distracting stimuli over time
The human brain can learn through experience to filter out disturbing and distracting stimuli -- such as a glaring roadside billboard or a flashing banner on the internet. Scientists have used electroencephalography (EEG) to show that early visual processing in humans changes with repeated exposure.
Uncovering the molecular drivers of liver cancer
Researchers discover that inflammation and aging contribute to non-viral liver cancer development: Green tea's role in reversing some of the pathway dysregulation that may contribute to the cancer development and other therapies are explored.
Studying how seals adapt to extreme environments could lead to benefits in human reproductive health
Wild animals that have acquired adaptions to maximize their reproductive output in some of the world's most extreme conditions may provide answers to some of the most pressing problems in the field of human reproductive health. A new journal article examines how the study of seals in particular can benefit human health, and synthesizes various research on the topic. Several aspects in the life history of seals that could provide significant insight into their reproductive physiology -- as well as that of humans -- include female seals' ability to undergo lengthy fasting and lose about 30% of their body weight while nursing a pup. Seals also have an exceptional ability to hold their breath for up to two hours in some species for long dives. Additionally, seals have the ability to 'pause' pregnancy, through a process known as embryonic diapause, so they can give birth during benign environmental conditions. In seeking ways to improve human health, we should be looking to the extraordinary feats of wild animals. They have often found the most innovative solutions.
Mysterious atmosphere of 'Rosetta Stone' exoplanet
A new study modeled the chemistry of TOI-270 d, an exoplanet between Earth and Neptune in size, finding evidence that it could be a giant rocky planet shrouded in a thick, hot atmosphere. TOI-270 d is only 73 light years from Earth and could serve as a 'Rosetta Stone' for understanding an entire class of new planets.
How circadian clocks maintain robustness in changing environments
New research has uncovered how a simple circadian clock network demonstrates advanced noise-filtering capabilities, enhancing our understanding of how biological circuits maintain accuracy in dynamic natural environments.
Making desalination more eco-friendly: New membranes could help eliminate brine waste
Desalination plants, a major and growing source of freshwater in dry regions, could produce less harmful waste using electricity and new membranes.
A bowling revolution: Modeling the perfect conditions for a strike
Researchers share a model that identifies the optimal location for bowling ball placement. Employing a system of six differential equations derived from Euler's equations for a rotating rigid body, their model creates a plot that shows the best conditions for a strike. The model accounts for a variety factors, including the thin layer of oil applied to bowling lanes, the motion of the subtly asymmetric bowling ball, and a 'miss-room' to allow for human inaccuracies.
Simulate sound in 3D at a finer scale than humans can perceive
Ambisonic rendering is a way to simulate the precise locations of sounds in 3D, and an ambisonics algorithm has allowed researchers to create rich virtual 'soundscapes.'Researchers decided to test the limits of ambisonic sound reproduction through their 'AudioDome' loudspeaker array. Humans' spatial acuity is high in front of our faces but decreases around the sides of our head, and the researchers' experiments obtained very similar results from listeners in the AudioDome, proving that the loudspeaker array can reproduce sound locations at a spatial scale beyond the human limits of perception.
Preventing onset and development of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction
An international team of researchers has discovered a natural mechanism that protects the heart from heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), a serious condition in need of effective treatment. The team reports that when the cardioprotective mechanism fails, it promotes the development of HFpEF. Importantly, restoring the mechanism prevents the progression of the condition. The findings provide a promising therapeutic target to prevent and treat this life-threatening disease.
Researchers recently reported that American palates are likely to accept pearl millet -- a hardy, gluten-free grain that has been cultivated for centuries in rugged, drought conditions in Africa and India -- as an acceptable substitute in recipes that use wheat flour.
Southern shrews shrink in winter
Newly published research shows that the masked shrew, a small, mole-like mammal found in the Appalachian Mountains, shrinks its body and braincase to conserve energy during winter months.
Emotions and levels of threat affect communities' resilience during extreme events
Researchers use mathematical modeling to probe whether cohesive communities are more resilient to extreme events, finding that emotional intensity and levels of stress play a big role.
Experts stress importance of vaccination amidst measles outbreaks
Pediatric infectious diseases experts stress the importance of vaccination against measles, one of the most contagious viruses, which is once more spreading in the United States.