ScienceDaily: All - August 10, 2024
Today's top research news
Potential new approach to enhancing stem-cell transplants
A discovery may boost the effectiveness of stem-cell transplants, commonly used for patients with cancer, blood disorders, or autoimmune diseases caused by defective stem cells, which produce all the body's different blood cells.
Largest protein yet discovered builds algal toxins
While seeking to unravel how marine algae create their chemically complex toxins, scientists have discovered the largest protein yet identified in biology. Uncovering the biological machinery the algae evolved to make its intricate toxin also revealed previously unknown strategies for assembling chemicals, which could unlock the development of new medicines and materials.
Study reveals ways in which 40Hz sensory stimulation may preserve brain's 'white matter'
Scientists report that gamma frequency light and sound stimulation preserves myelination in mouse models and reveal molecular mechanisms that may underlie the benefit.
Bacteria encode hidden genes outside their genome--do we?
A 'loopy' discovery in bacteria is raising fundamental questions about the makeup of our own genome -- and revealing a potential wellspring of material for new genetic therapies.
Greenland mega-tsunami led to week-long oscillating fjord wave
In September 2023, a megatsunami in remote eastern Greenland sent seismic waves around the world, piquing the interest of the global research community. The event created a week-long oscillating wave in Dickson Fjord, according to a new report in The Seismic Record.
Glossy black-cockatoos prefer the fruits of ancient rocks
New research has shown that glossy black-cockatoos prefer to feed from trees growing in acidic soils.
Image: Shirley Jayne Photography/Shutterstock.com
Nature at risk in the hunt for the perfect selfie
The need for a dramatic selfie or the perfect landscape photo is proving detrimental to nature, a new research collaboration has found.
Classical music lifts our mood by synchronizing our 'extended amygdala'
Whether Bach, Beethovan, or Mozart, it's widely recognized that classical music can affect a person's mood. Scientists use brainwave measurements and neural imaging techniques to show how Western classical music elicits its positive effects on the brain. Their goal is to find more effective ways to use music to activate the brain in those who otherwise don't respond, such as people with treatment-resistant depression.
New technology uses light to engrave erasable 3D images
Researchers invented a technique that uses a specialized light projector and a photosensitive chemical additive to imprint two- and three-dimensional images inside any polymer. The light-based engraving remains in the polymer until heat or light are applied, which erases the image and makes it ready to use again. The technology is intended for any situation where having detailed, precise visual data in a compact and easily customizable format could be critical, such as planning surgeries and developing architectural designs.
Scientists have recovered the first long section of rocks that originated in the Earth's mantle, the layer below the crust and the planet's largest component. The rocks will help unravel the mantle's role in the origins of life on Earth, the volcanic activity generated when it melts, and how it drives the global cycles of important elements such as carbon and hydrogen. .
What distinguishes the growth and development patterns of early mammals of the Jurassic period? Paleontologists have been able to gauge the lifespan and growth rates of these ancient animals, and even when they reached maturity, by studying growth rings in fossilized tooth roots.