ScienceDaily: All - August 16, 2024
Today's top research news
Blind cavefish have extraordinary taste buds
A biologist studies blind cavefish, a species of fish that dwell in cave ponds in Mexico. He looked at the timeline for when the cavefish develop additional taste buds on the head and chin, finding the taste bud expansion starts at five months and continues into adulthood.
Image: Kazakov Maksim/Shutterstock.com
Researchers observe 'locked' electron pairs in a superconductor cuprate
The finding could help future efforts to design superconductors that work at higher temperatures.
Brain wiring is guided by activity even in very early development
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, a tail, etc. -- a young child will eventually be able to identify dogs going forward. But brain wiring begins before humans are born, before they have experiences or senses like sight to guide this cellular circuitry. How does that happen?
Why do researchers often prefer safe over risky projects? Explaining risk aversion in science
A mathematical framework that builds on the economic theory of hidden-action models provides insight into how the unobservable nature of effort and risk shapes investigators' research strategies and the incentive structures within which they work, according to a new study.
Sleep resets neurons for new memories the next day
While everyone knows that a good night's sleep restores energy, a new study finds it resets another vital function: memory.
The brain creates three copies for a single memory
A new study reveals that the memory for a specific experience is stored in multiple parallel 'copies'. These are preserved for varying durations, modified to certain degrees, and sometimes deleted over time.
Sick days: Assessing the economic costs of long COVID
A new study finds that the effects of long COVID have caused many Americans to miss extensive work time, and that 14% of study participants reported not returning to work in the months after their infection. The findings suggest that long COVID may have affected millions of Americans and generated steep economic costs, highlighting the need for policies to support those with the condition, researchers said.
Exploring emerging diagnostic tools for early diagnosis of endometriosis
Endometriosis affects more than 11% of women of reproductive age in the U.S. and 190 million women worldwide. The average time to diagnose endometriosis is seven years after the onset of symptoms, which include abdominal pain and cramping before, during and after menstruation, among others. These circumstances may cause life-altering consequences such as chronic pain, infertility and quality of life. Researchers identify promising approaches for early diagnosis of endometriosis to address a major clinical and public health challenge.
Nasal spray flu vaccine candidate shows promise when administered alongside high dose annual shot
A unique influenza vaccine candidate that's inhaled appears safe and could bolster protection against seasonal and pandemic influenza for people vulnerable to severe disease when they receive it in addition to the annual flu shot.
U.S. capable of achieving seafood independence
Researchers help to control cancer-causing poison in corn
Researchers have demonstrated a promising sterilization technique that uses X-ray irradiation to reduce Aspergillus flavus viability in contaminated corn. This method achieves sterilization without degrading the harmful aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) produced by the fungus.
New insight Into behavior of electrons
Physicists have uncovered new states of matter by exploring the behavior of flatland electrons in extreme conditions, revealing insights that could impact quantum computing and advanced materials.
Identifying 'stealth' sources of saturated fat, added sugar in the diet
A newly compiled list of foods and drinks commonly consumed in the United States hints at why many adults unknowingly overdo it on saturated fat and added sugar in their daily diet, a new study suggests. Beyond the biggest sources of each dietary category -- cheese for saturated fat and soft drinks for added sugar -- the study identifies a longer list of popular sources that helps explain why it's so hard to limit fat and sugar to the recommended 10% of daily calories.
As human activities expand in Antarctica, scientists identify crucial conservation sites
Establishing Key Biodiversity Areas in the Southern Ocean will be vital for safeguarding the ecosystem from the impact of human activities, researchers say.
Over half of iron deficiency cases in large health system still unresolved at three years
Over half of people with iron deficiency were found to still have low iron levels three years after diagnosis, and among patients whose condition was effectively treated within that timeframe, they faced longer-than-expected delays, pointing to substantial gaps in appropriate recognition and efficient treatment of the condition, according to a new study.
New microscope offers faster, high-resolution brain imaging
Researchers have developed a new two-photon fluorescence microscope that captures high-speed images of neural activity at cellular resolution. By imaging much faster and with less harm to brain tissue than traditional two-photon microscopy, the new approach could provide a clearer view of how neurons communicate in real time, leading to new insights into brain function and neurological diseases.
Nearly 25% of European landscape could be rewilded, researchers say
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.
Blood pressure levels impacted by chronic occupational noise exposure
A new study found in adult power loom weavers, chronic noise exposure not only increased their blood pressure overall, but also each year of exposure increased their odds of having high blood pressure by 10%.
Work-related stress a clear risk factor for sick leave, study finds
Middle-aged women who experience work-related stress have a significantly increased risk of future sick leave, a new study shows. Lack of influence and conflicts at work are clear stress factors.
Quantum pumping in molecular junctions
Researchers have developed a new theoretical modelling technique that could potentially be used in the development of switches or amplifiers in molecular electronics.
Genetic link between Alzheimer's and heart disease confirmed
Researchers have uncovered a significant genetic connection between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and several coronary artery disease (CAD) related disorders and lipid classes, offering opportunities to improve health outcomes across two of the more common causes of death in Australia.
Cleaning up the aging brain: Scientists restore brain's trash disposal system
Scientists have restored the brain's waste-clearing process in aging mice, offering potential new treatment for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's using existing drugs.
Zebrafish use surprising strategy to regrow spinal cord
A new study maps out a detailed atlas of all the cells involved in regenerating the zebrafish spinal cord. In an unexpected finding, the researchers showed that survival and adaptability of the severed neurons themselves is required for full spinal cord regeneration. Surprisingly, the study showed that stem cells capable of forming new neurons play a complementary role but don t lead the process.
Robot planning tool accounts for human carelessness
A new algorithm may make robots safer by making them more aware of human inattentiveness. In computerized simulations of packaging and assembly lines where humans and robots work together, the algorithm developed to account for human carelessness improved safety by about a maximum of 80% and efficiency by about a maximum of 38% compared to existing methods.
Surprise finding in study of environmental bacteria could advance search for better antibiotics
Researchers studying bacteria from freshwater lakes and soil say they have determined a protein's essential role in maintaining the germ's shape. Because the integrity of a bacterial cell's 'envelope' or enclosure is key to its survival, the finding could advance the search for new and better antibiotics.
Scientists map DNA of Lyme disease bacteria
Researchers have produced a genetic analysis of Lyme disease bacteria that may pave the way for improved diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of the tick-borne ailment.
Intelligent soft robotic clothing for automatic thermal adaptation in extreme heat
As global warming intensifies, people increasingly suffer from extreme heat. For those working in a high-temperature environment indoors or outdoors, keeping thermally comfortable becomes particularly crucial. A team has now developed thermally-insulated and breathable soft robotic clothing that can automatically adapt to changing ambient temperatures, thereby helping to ensure worker safety in hot environments.
Why do plants wiggle? New study provides answers
Decades after his voyage on the HMS Beagle, Charles Darwin became fascinated by why plants move as they grow -- spinning and twisting into corkscrews. Now, more than 150 years later, a new study may have solved the riddle.
Warming waters and nutrient overload: A dangerous combination threatening our rivers and lakes
New international research found that food webs are becoming less complex in warmer, nutrient-rich waters.
Advancing modular quantum information processing
A team of physicists envisions a modular system for scaling quantum processors with a flexible way of linking qubits over long distances to enable them to work in concert to perform quantum operations. The ability to carry out such correlated or 'entangling' operations between linked qubits is the basis of the enhanced power quantum computing holds compared with current computers.
Pioneering study identifies six genetic regions associated with normal pressure hydrocephalus
A new study has identified new genetic variants associated with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). The results provide new insights into the genetic background of NPH and provide a basis for further research into the specific biological mechanisms underlying the condition.
Scientists make breakthrough in studying deadly ventilator pneumonia
Scientists have made a breakthrough which could help find new treatments for a deadly infection that can affect up to 40% of hospital patients using mechanical ventilators.
Solutions to Nigeria's newborn mortality rate might lie in existing innovations, finds review
Newborn deaths in sub-Saharan Africa could be reduced by nationally scaling up in-country technologies, a review of 32 years' research has found.
Climate reporting standards insufficient, must be expanded, say experts
A new article concludes that current climate standards are not sufficiently incentivizing the big picture innovations necessary to deliver net zero, and must be expanded to include a company's broader influence on climate action.
Singing from memory unlocks a surprisingly common musical superpower
Psychologists studied 'earworms,' the types of songs that get stuck in your head and play automatically on a loop, to show that highly accurate pitch memory is much more common than might be expected.
Candidate malaria vaccine provides lasting protection in NIH-sponsored trials
Recent trials of an experimental malaria vaccine in healthy Malian adults found that all three tested regimens were safe. One of the trials enrolled 300 healthy women ages 18 to 38 years who anticipated becoming pregnant soon after immunization. That trial began with drug treatment to remove malaria parasites, followed by three injections spaced over a month of either saline placebo or the investigational vaccine at one of two dosages.