ScienceDaily: All - August 03, 2024
Today's top research news
What researchers know about the genetic complexity of schizophrenia, to date
A new review article outlines the genetic, neurobiological, and environmental foundations for schizophrenia.
New study highlights scale and impact of long COVID
Researchers analyzed dozens of previous studies into long COVID to examine the number and range of people affected, the underlying mechanisms of disease, the many symptoms that patients develop, and current and future treatments.
Image: Andrii Vodolazhskyi/Shutterstock.com
How the rising earth in Antarctica will impact future sea level rise
The rising earth beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet will likely become a major factor in future sea level rise, a new study suggests.
Link between global warming and rising sea levels
A new study suggests that Earth's natural forces could substantially reduce Antarctica's impact on rising sea levels, but only if carbon emissions are swiftly reduced in the coming decades. By the same token, if emissions continue on the current trajectory, Antarctic ice loss could lead to more future sea level rise than previously thought.
Scientists pin down the origins of the moon's tenuous atmosphere
Known for their role in allergic reactions, mast cells have long been recognised as key players in our immune system. When they encounter allergens, they release chemicals that trigger typical allergy symptoms such as tissue swelling and inflammation. Now, researchers have discovered a hidden talent of mast cells: they can capture and use another type of immune cell called neutrophils. This surprising discovery sheds new light on how our immune system works, particularly during allergic reactions.
White matter may aid recovery from spinal cord injuries
Scientists are focusing on a previously understudied part of the brain and spinal cord -- white matter. Their discoveries could lead to treatments that restore nerve activity through the targeted delivery of electromagnetic stimuli or drugs.
Reduction in folate intake linked to healthier aging in animal models
Scientists found that decreasing folate intake can support healthier metabolisms in aging animal models, challenging the conventional belief that high folate consumption universally benefits health.
Coinfecting viruses impede each other's ability to enter cells
The process by which phages -- viruses that infect and replicate within bacteria -- enter cells has been studied for over 50 years. In a new study, researchers have used cutting-edge techniques to look at this process at the level of a single cell.
Feeling judged by your doctor? You might be right
New research shows that many people believe they may be judged if they share mistaken beliefs with their care team -- and that doctors really do take strongly negative views of patients who disclose incorrect or unreasonable beliefs.
Cold antimatter for quantum state-resolved precision measurements
Why does the universe contain matter and (virtually) no antimatter? Scientists have achieved an experimental breakthrough in this context. It can contribute to measuring the mass and magnetic moment of antiprotons more precisely than ever before -- and thus identify possible matter-antimatter asymmetries. They have developed a trap, which can cool individual antiprotons much more rapidly than in the past.
New research sheds light on relationships between plants and insects in forest ecosystems
Researchers have published new findings on how leaf-eating insects affect forest ecosystems worldwide. Researchers are aware of how large herbivores cycle nutrients in forests. They know much less, however, about how leaf-eating insects impact forest carbon and nutrient cycling.
Custom implants on demand? Bandages for the heart? 3D printing method makes it possible
A team has developed a new way to 3D print material that is at once elastic enough to withstand a heart's persistent beating, tough enough to endure the crushing load placed on joints, and easily shapable to fit a patient's unique defects.
Ancient Antarctic microorganisms are aggressive predators
Antarctic dwelling single-celled microorganisms called archaea can behave like parasites, new research shows.
Born to modulate: Researchers reveal origins of climate-controlling particles
Aerosol particles imbue climate models with uncertainty. New work reveals where in the world and under what conditions new particles are born.
Native Hawaiians face higher rates of accelerated biological aging, study finds
A new study has found that Native Hawaiians experience higher accelerated biological aging in comparison to White and Japanese American residents.
Fossil shows how penguins' wings evolved
A tiny fossil penguin plays a huge role in the evolutionary history of the bird, an international study shows.
Circular RNAs: The new frontier in cancer research
Unravelling the complexities of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in cancer biology has positioned scientists on the cusp of revolutionary breakthroughs in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. A new study predicts remarkable potential for circular RNAs to improve cancer treatment and patient outcomes within the next 5-10 years.
Sea level changes shaped early life on Earth, fossil study reveals
Shifts in the Earth's continental plates that drove long-term changes in sea level set the stage for the evolution of the earliest animals on Earth, a study suggests.
Combined effects of plastic pollution and seawater flooding amplify threats to coastal plant species
A new study highlights how a combination of environmental stressors -- namely plastic pollution and seawater flooding -- can increase the threats faced by plants in some of the planet's critical ecosystems. It showed that both stressors had some effects on the species tested, but being exposed to both microplastics and flooding together -- a threat likely to increase as a result of climate change and plastic use -- had a more pronounced impact on their resource allocation.
Novel sequencing approaches highlight role of brain gene activity in Alzheimer's disease
Innovative new research has revealed that the activity of different versions of genes expressed in the brain is associated with the accumulation of the protein tau, which is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.
Breakthrough in bid to develop vaccines and drugs for neglected tropical disease
A breakthrough lays the foundations for vaccine development and for testing new preventative measures against the neglected tropical disease leishmaniasis.
Flamingos don't preen more than other waterbirds
Despite their famously fancy feathers, flamingos don't spent more time preening than other waterbirds, new research shows.
Scientists find a human 'fingerprint' in the upper troposphere's increasing ozone
Scientists confirmed that much of ozone's increase in the upper troposphere is likely due to humans. A team detected a clear signal of human influence on upper tropospheric ozone trends in a 17-year satellite record starting in 2005.
What gave the first molecules their stability?
The origins of life remain a major mystery. How were complex molecules able to form and remain intact for prolonged periods without disintegrating? A team has demonstrated a mechanism that could have enabled the first RNA molecules to stabilize in the primordial soup. When two RNA strands combine, their stability and lifespan increase significantly.
Genetic signatures of domestication identified in pigs, chickens
Wild boars and red junglefowl gave rise to common pigs and chickens. These animals' genes evolved to express themselves differently, leading to signatures of domestication -- such as weaker bones and better viral resistance -- in pigs and chickens, according to a research team.
Eye-tracking study provides valuable insights into learning mathematics
Eye-tracking allows studying aspects that cannot be seen, for example, the thinking processes of a student solving a mathematical problem. Researchers have integrated eye-tracking into education and are using the technology to radically improve the teaching of mathematics.
When two people interact, their brain activity becomes synchronized, but it was unclear until now to what extent this 'brain-to-brain coupling' is due to linguistic information or other factors, such as body language or tone of voice. Researchers report that brain-to-brain coupling during conversation can be modeled by considering the words used during that conversation, and the context in which they are used.
Healthy AI: Sustainable artificial intelligence for healthcare
Researchers investigated the environmental costs of AI, including energy consumption of AI systems in the medical field, carbon emissions of data centers, and electronic waste issues. Specific solutions to mitigate these environmental impacts were discussed, including the development of energy-efficient AI models, the implementation of green computing, and the use of renewable energy.
Dopamine physiology in the brain unveiled through cutting-edge brain engineering
Researchers have discovered a new correlation between neural signaling in the brain and dopamine signaling in the striatum. The human brain requires fast neural signal processing in a short period of less than a second. Dopamine is known to have the strongest effect on brain neural signals, but the research team's newly developed 'optical neural chip-based multiple brain signal monitoring technology' shows that changes in dopamine signals within the physiological range do not affect brain neural signal processing.
Precise package delivery in cells?
Researchers have developed new real-time microscopy technology and successfully observed the behavior of 'motor proteins', which may hold the key to unraveling the efficient material transport strategy of cells.