ScienceDaily: All - August 14, 2024
Today's top research news
Swipe up! Health apps deliver real results en masse
They're the little digital tools you can download in a few seconds, but despite their literal size, health and fitness apps pack a real punch when it comes to getting results, say researchers.
Image: Nan_Got/Shutterstock.com
Australia offers lessons for increasing American life expectancy
A new study comparing expected lifespans among six high-income English-speaking countries found that Australians live the longest while American lifespans faltered over the last three decades.
Common equine painkiller disrupts assisted reproduction technique efficiency in mares
Researchers have discovered that phenylbutazone, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) commonly prescribed in horses, can affect the ability of a mare's egg cells -- called 'oocytes' -- to become viable embryos, which is a crucial step in assisted reproduction in horses.
Exciting advance in stem cell therapy
A new technique for mechanically manipulating stem cells could lead to new stem cell treatments, which have yet to fulfill their therapeutic potential.
New research explores the urea cycle's strong connection to fatty liver disease
A physician scientist is making strides in understanding the molecular origins of fatty liver disease, a leading cause of liver failure in the United States.
Less sleep and later bedtime in childhood linked to future substance use
Adolescents were more likely to have consumed alcohol or tried marijuana by age 15 if they had later bedtimes and slept fewer hours during the night during childhood and adolescence, according to a new study.
SwRI-led team finds evidence of hydration on Asteroid Psyche
Using data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have confirmed hydroxyl molecules on the surface of the metallic asteroid Psyche. The presence of hydrated minerals suggests a complex history for Psyche, important context for the NASA spacecraft en route to this interesting asteroid orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter.
Children born prematurely fall into three groups
A new study finds that preterm-born children fit into three profiles, with markedly different results on tests that measure cognition and behavior.
Scientists achieve more than 98% efficiency removing nanoplastics from water
Linked to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in people, nanoplastics continue to build up, largely unnoticed, in the world's bodies of water. The challenge remains to develop a cost-effective solution to get rid of nanoplastics while leaving clean water behind. That's where Mizzou comes in. Recently, researchers created a new liquid-based solution that eliminates more than 98% of these microscopic plastic particles from water.
An unprecedented study reveals strategy to decrease the burden of alopecia areata, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and other autoimmune conditions.
Chemists synthesize plant-derived molecules that hold potential as pharmaceuticals
Chemists developed a way to synthesize complex molecules called oligocyclotryptamines, originally found in plants, which could hold potential as antibiotics, analgesics, or anticancer drugs.
A team has reported the first demonstration of selective electrochemical separation driven by halogen bonding. This was achieved by engineering a polymer that modulates the charge density on a halogen atom when electricity is applied. The polymer then attracts only certain targets -- such as halides, oxyanions, and even organic molecules -- from organic solutions, a feature that has important implications for pharmaceuticals and chemical synthesis processes.
Study reveals urban trees suffer more from heat waves and drought than their rural counterparts
A recent study details how trees in New York City and Boston are more negatively impacted by heat waves and drought than trees of the same species in nearby rural forests. The finding highlights the challenges urban trees face in the context of climate change and underscores the importance of tailored urban forestry management as a tool for protecting tree species and reducing urban heat islands.
The atmosphere in the room can affect strategic decision-making, study finds
The atmosphere within a group can influence the outcome of strategic decision-making, according to a new study. Researchers found that different atmospheres led to people speaking and interacting in different ways that changed how they made sense of the strategy.
Measuring Martian winds with sound
Martian landers have been able capture measurements of wind speeds -- some gauging the cooling rate of heated materials when winds blow over them, others using cameras to image 'tell-tales' that blow in the wind -- but there's still room for improvement. Researchers now demonstrate a novel sonic anemometric system featuring a pair of narrow-band piezoelectric transducers to measure the travel time of sound pulses through Martian air. The study accounted for variables including transducer diffraction effects and wind direction.
Say 'aah' and get a diagnosis on the spot: is this the future of health?
A computer algorithm has achieved a 98% accuracy in predicting different diseases by analyzing the color of the human tongue. The proposed imaging system can diagnose diabetes, stroke, anemia, asthma, liver and gallbladder conditions, COVID-19, and a range of vascular and gastrointestinal issues, according to new research.
A new type of degenerative brain disease underlying dementia is very common among the oldest old
A new type of degenerative brain disease, limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE), was recognized just a decade or so ago, and remains relatively unknown. In the disease, the TDP-43 protein accumulates particularly in the limbic brain regions, which are also affected in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Accordingly, symptoms of LATE are similar to those of early Alzheimer's, but typically progress more slowly and are milder.
Higher intake of heme iron, the type found in red meat and other animal products -- as opposed to non-heme iron, found mostly in plant-based foods -- was associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) in a new study. While the link between heme iron and T2D has been reported previously, the study's findings more clearly establish and explain the link.
Delivery robots' green credentials make them more attractive to consumers
The smaller carbon footprint, or wheel print, of automatic delivery robots can encourage consumers to use them when ordering food, according to a new study. The suitcase-sized, self-driving electric vehicles are much greener than many traditional food delivery methods because they have low, or even zero, carbon emissions. In this study, participants who had more environmental awareness and knowledge about carbon emissions were more likely to choose the robots as a delivery method. The green influence went away though when people perceived the robots as a high-risk choice -- meaning they worried that their food would be late, cold or otherwise spoiled before it arrived.
House call: A new study rethinks early Christian landmark
Since its discovery by modern researchers a century ago, an ancient structure known as the 'Christian building' has become widely considered the cornerstone of early Christian architecture. Constructed around 232 C.E. in the ancient city of Dura-Europos, a Roman garrison town in what is now eastern Syria, the building is the only example of a 'house church,' or domus ecclesiae, a domestic space that was renovated for worship by Christians at a time when the open practice of their faith is thought to have made them subject to persecution.
Rewriting the evolutionary history of critical components of the nervous system
A new study has rewritten the conventionally understood evolutionary history of certain ion channels -- proteins critical for electrical signaling in the nervous system. The study shows that the Shaker family of ion channels were present in microscopic single cell organisms well before the common ancestor of all animals and thus before the origin of the nervous system.
Black soldier flies are now commercially used to consume organic waste -- but genetic modifications proposed by bioscientists could see the insects digesting a wider variety of refuse, while also creating raw ingredients for industry.
Could targeting metabolism treat blood clots in antiphospholipid syndrome?
Targeting glycolysis can help lower neutrophil extracellular trap formation in antiphospholipid syndrome.
Breakthrough in nanotechnology: Viewing the invisible with advanced microscopy
Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of nanotechnology. They have developed a novel microscopy method that allows for the unprecedented visualization of nanostructures and their optical properties.
The mother of all motion sensors
Researchers have used silicon photonic microchip components to perform a quantum sensing technique called atom interferometry, an ultra-precise way of measuring acceleration. It is the latest milestone toward developing a kind of quantum compass for navigation when GPS signals are unavailable.
Cricket physics: Science behind the modern bowler technique tricking batters
Researchers have started to unravel the mysteries of how near-horizontal bowling in cricket leads to such tough-to-hit balls. The team employed a wake survey rake device made of multiple tubes designed to capture the pressure downstream of the ball and examined the flow dynamics of cricket balls rotating up to 2,500 rpm in a wind tunnel. The group found that low-pressure zones expanded and intensified near the ball when spinning, while these zones shifted and diminished downstream. At higher spin rates, the low-pressure zone begins to change to a persistent bilobed shape. The results lend support to the theory that these newer bowling techniques tap into the Magnus effect.
MIT researchers use large language models to flag problems in complex systems
Researchers used large language models to efficiently detect anomalies in time-series data, without the need for costly and cumbersome training steps. This method could someday help alert technicians to potential problems in equipment like wind turbines or satellites.