ScienceDaily: All - August 26, 2024
Today's top research news
A switch for immune memory and anti-tumor immunity
A study has identified a metabolic switch in the immune system's T cells that is essential to the generation of memory T cells -- which confer lasting immunity to previously encountered pathogens -- and a T cell subtype found in tumors that drives anti-tumor responses during immunotherapy.
Study finds nearly half of U.S. counties have at least one 'pharmacy desert'
Nearly half of counties in the United States have at least one 'pharmacy desert' where there is no retail pharmacy within 10 miles, according to a new study.
Image: Creative_Captian/Shutterstock.com
Placebos reduce stress, anxiety, depression -- even when people know they are placebos
A study found that nondeceptive placebos, or placebos given with people fully knowing they are placebos, effectively manage stress -- even when the placebos are administered remotely.
CRISPR-based genome editing in Nile grass rats
A team of researchers has discovered a set of methods that enabled the first successful CRISPR-based genome editing in Nile grass rats.
Researcher finds sound progress in babies' speech development
The sounds babies make in their first year of life may be less random and more self-driven than previously believed, according to new research.
Two epicenters led to Japan's violent Noto earthquake on New Year's Day
The 7.5- magnitude earthquake beneath Japan's Noto Peninsula on Jan. 1, 2024, occurred when a 'dual-initiation mechanism' applied enough energy from two different locations to break through a fault barrier -- an area that locks two sides of a fault in place and absorbs the energy of fault movement, slowing it down or stopping it altogether.
A leaky sink: Carbon emissions from forest soil will likely grow with rising temperatures
The soils of northern forests are key reservoirs that help keep the carbon dioxide that trees inhale and use for photosynthesis from making it back into the atmosphere.
Bioengineers develop lotus leaf-inspired system to advance study of cancer cell clusters
Bioengineers have harnessed the lotus effect to develop a system for culturing cancer cell clusters that can shed light on hard-to-study tumor properties. The new zinc oxide-based culturing surface mimics the lotus leaf surface structure, providing a highly tunable platform for the high-throughput generation of three-dimensional nanoscale tumor models.
Good sleep habits important for overweight adults
New research reveals harmful consequences for people who are overweight and ignore their body's signals to sleep at night, with specific differences between men and women.
Unconventional interface superconductor could benefit quantum computing
Strength training activates cellular waste disposal
The elimination of damaged cell components is essential for the maintenance of the body's tissues and organs. An international research team has made significant findings on mechanisms for the clearing of cellular wastes, showing that strength training activates such mechanisms. The findings could form the basis for new therapies for heart failure and nerve diseases, and even afford benefits for manned space missions.
NASA's DART impact permanently changed the shape and orbit of asteroid moon
A new study provides insights on the geophysics behind asteroid formation and evolution.
Multiple sclerosis appears to protect against Alzheimer's disease
A collaborative investigation among experts in Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis (MS) finds evidence that MS patients are less likely to have amyloid plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, than adults without MS.
Scientists propose guidelines for solar geoengineering research
To guide future research into solar geoengineering, an international group of scientists is making specific recommendations for evaluating proposals in order to identify the most feasible and legitimate scenarios for stratospheric aerosol intervention.
Innovative field experiments shed light on biological clocks in nature
A new study has used a series of innovative field experiments to show how plants combine circadian clock signals with environmental cues under naturally fluctuating conditions.
Strength training activates cellular waste disposal
The elimination of damaged cell components is essential for the maintenance of the body's tissues and organs. Researchers have made significant findings on mechanisms for the clearing of cellular wastes, showing that strength training activates such mechanisms. The findings could form the basis for new therapies for heart failure and nerve diseases, and even afford benefits for manned space missions.
Langbeinites show talents as 3D quantum spin liquids
A 3D quantum spin liquid has been discovered in the vicinity of a member of the langbeinite family. The material's specific crystalline structure and the resulting magnetic interactions induce an unusual behavior that can be traced back to an island of liquidity. An international team has made this discovery with experiments at the ISIS neutron source and theoretical modelling on a nickel-langbeinite sample.
New images reveal global air quality trends
The global concentrations of one of the main air pollutants known to affect human health have been graphically illustrated for the first time by a team of scientists.
Scientists call for an update in environmental decision making that takes human rights into account
Researchers argue that to protect human wellbeing global decisions with the potential to impact the environment must be guided by our understanding of the inseparable connection between humans and nature. The article's authors are aiming to support fair and inclusive decision-making for a healthy ocean for people and planet.
Chlamydia can settle in the intestine
Chlamydiae are sexually transmitted pathogens that can apparently survive in the human gut for a long time.
Kagome superconductor makes waves
Superconductivity theory proposed by physics team validated in international experiment: Cooper pairs display wave-like distribution in Kagome metals, enabling new technological applications like superconducting diodes.
Artificial intelligence improves lung cancer diagnosis
A team of researchers has created a digital pathology platform based on artificial intelligence. The platform uses new algorithms developed by the team and enables fully automated analysis of tissue sections from lung cancer patients. The platform makes it possible to analyze digitized tissue samples on the computer for lung tumors more quickly and accurately than before.
Spike mutations help SARS-CoV-2 infect the brain
New research has uncovered a series of mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that enhanced the virus' ability to infect the brains of mice. The findings may help scientists understand its neurological symptoms and the mystery of 'long COVID,' and they could one day even lead to specific treatments to protect and clear the virus from the brain.
Socioeconomics shape children's connection to nature more than where they live
The income and education levels of a child's environment determine their relationship to nature, not whether they live in a city or the countryside. The results run counter to the assumption that growing up in the countryside automatically increases our connection to nature, and yet the study also shows that nature close to home increases children's well-being.
People seen as wise share these characteristics
What makes someone seem wise? People view wisdom through the lens of applying knowledge and thinking logically as well as considering others' feelings and perceptions, according to researchers who looked at perceptions of wisdom across 12 countries and five continents.
When is the best time of day for cancer treatment?
How effective medications are depends on various factors, including the time of day when they are administered. Why? Because our bodies don't always function exactly the same. Instead, they follow the cycle set by their internal clock, otherwise known as circadian rhythm. But since each person's circadian rhythm is different and depends on a number of different factors, it is difficult to tailor medication schedules to an individual patient's body clock. Researchers have now developed a method for determining the optimum time of cancer treatment based on certain breast cancer cell lines.
Alzheimer's drug may slow down cognitive decline in dementia with Lewy bodies
Dementia with Lewy bodies is a type of dementia that is similar to both Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease but studies on long-term treatments are lacking. A new study highlights the potential cognitive benefits of cholinesterase inhibitor treatment.
Toward a code-breaking quantum computer
Building on a landmark algorithm, researchers propose a way to make a smaller and more noise-tolerant quantum factoring circuit for cryptography.
Rates of obesity-related cancer are rising sharply in young Chinese people
Obesity-related cancer rates in China were rising at an alarming 3.6% every year between 2007 and 2021 while non-obesity-related cancers remained stable, according to the first comprehensive study. The increase is particularly pronounced among young people, highlighting the urgent need for better public health policies to address China's growing overweight and obesity rates.
Mouse study: Proteins do the damage in fetal abdominal inflammation
Inflammation of the abdominal cavity in human fetuses resulting from a perforation of their intestine is likely to be caused by proteins contained in the fetal stool. This is the result of a study that establishes a new mouse model allowing research and drug development for a condition that is otherwise difficult to approach.
Colorful traits in primates ease tensions between groups
Primate ornamentation plays a crucial role in communication not only within social groups but also between them, according to a new study. The research reveals that the males of species with overlapping home ranges often display vibrant colors or elaborate features, traits that may help reduce intergroup aggression by enabling quick assessments of potential rivals.
Weight loss drug's heart benefits extend to people with heart failure
The researchers looked at data from 4,286 people -- out of a total of 17,605 from the landmark Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes (SELECT) trial who were randomly assigned either semaglutide or a placebo -- who were followed up over an average of more than three years.
Declining senses can impact mental health and loneliness in aging adults
Researchers found that people who develop sensory disabilities with age tend to have worse mental health, and that different types of sensory disability are associated with different aspects of mental health.