ScienceDaily: All - December 03, 2024
Today's top research news
Even low levels of arsenic in drinking water raise kidney cancer risk
New research findings indicate that exposure to even low levels of arsenic poses significant health risks, including an increased risk of kidney cancer.
Image: Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock.com
Accelerating climate modeling with generative AI
The algorithms behind generative AI tools like DallE, when combined with physics-based data, can be used to develop better ways to model the Earth's climate. Computer scientists have now used this combination to create a model that is capable of predicting climate patterns over 100 years 25 times faster than the state of the art.
How a middle schooler found a new compound in a piece of goose poop
A group of young students became bonafide biomedical scientists before they even started high school. Through a partnership with a nearby university, the middle schoolers collected and analyzed environmental samples to find new antibiotic candidates. One unique sample, goose poop collected at a local park, had a bacterium that showed antibiotic activity and contained a novel compound that slowed the growth of human melanoma and ovarian cancer cells in lab tests.
Feeding grazing cattle seaweed cuts methane emissions by almost 40%
Scientists find making a seaweed additive more accessible to grazing cattle reduces methane emissions 40% and could make cattle farming more sustainable.
Cosmetic dermatology in the digital age
Driven by rapid advances in technology and the ever-growing influence of the digital landscape, the art of caring for the physical body and the digital world are becoming increasingly intertwined. The field of cosmetic dermatology is no exception.
New 3D printing approach means better biomedical, energy, robotics devices
A researcher has helped create a new 3D printing approach for shape-changing materials that are likened to muscles, opening the door for improved applications in robotics as well as biomedical and energy devices.
A research team has developed liquid-processed thin-film transistors that can maintain high performance at low temperatures -- They are expected to be used in the next generation of high-performance flexible electronics and wearable devices as they can operate on plastic substrates and maintain stable performance under repeated mechanical bending.
Scientists developed next-generation energy technology to produce eco-friendly hydrogen from ingredients in coffee.
Warming temperatures may shrink wetland carbon sinks
A major global study using teabags as a measuring device shows warming temperatures may reduce the amount of carbon stored in wetlands. The international team of scientists buried 19,000 bags of green tea and rooibos in 180 wetlands across 28 countries to measure the ability for wetlands to hold carbon in their soil, known as wetland carbon sequestration.
Deadly diets driving digestive diseases
Against the backdrop of an alarming increase in the number of people under 50 being diagnosed with bowel cancer, researchers are urging people to bump up their fiber intake and improve their eating habits if they want to reduce their risk of deadly digestive cancers. Two recent studies expand on existing evidence that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, legumes and dairy may protect against the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers -- including bowel -- and improve the outcomes of these diseases.
Higher ratio of plant protein to animal protein may improve heart health
Eating a diet with a higher ratio of plant-based protein to animal-based protein may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease (CHD), according to a new study. According to the researchers, these risk reductions are likely driven by the replacement of red and processed meats with plant proteins. The researchers also observed that a combination of consuming more plant protein and higher protein intake overall provided the most heart health benefits.
In 'world's bonobo stronghold' rangers and pristine forest sustain a stable population
Scientists now know how many bonobos live in one of the largest pristine tropical forests, a place believed to be the world's stronghold for the endangered species. The research estimates that between 8,000 to 18,000 adult bonobos inhabit Salonga National Park in the DRC. Although the population has remained stable since 2000, there are signs of potential decline.
The term 'Digital Twin of the Earth' creates the idea of the availability of a highly accurate virtual copy of our planet, enabling researchers to predict the most complex future climate developments and extreme natural events. In fact, such a replica -- or model representation of the Earth systems -- is the goal of the Destination Earth project.
Cooperative motion by atoms protects glass from fracturing
You reach for a glass of water only to knock it to the floor, shattering the glass and shooting shards all over the place. If only the glass was unbreakable. Now, researchers have brought this possibility closer to reality after they uncovered crucial insights into how glass becomes more resistant to fractures.
A study has unveiled new insights into the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 using nickel-based catalysts. The research marks a significant advancement in the quest for sustainable and efficient CO2 conversion technologies aimed to close the artificial carbon cycle.
Clay minerals: Researchers observe for the first time how sediment particles align during deposition
Clay minerals are a major constituent of the earth's surface and are mainly found in the sediments of lakes, rivers and oceans. The properties of clay and claystone crucially depend on how the tiny sediment particles are orientated. A research team has now succeeded for the first time in observing in detail how some of the processes work.
Study may reverse century-old understanding of the shape of 'arms' on mammals' brain cells
Biology textbooks may need a revision, say scientists, who present new evidence that an arm-like structure of mammalian brain cells may be a different shape than scientists have assumed for more than a century.
To build better fiber optic cables, ask a clam
Since the first fiber optic cables rolled out in the 1970s, they've become a major part of everything from medical devices to high-speed internet and cable TV. But as it turns out, one group of marine mollusks was way ahead of us. A new study reveals that clams called heart cockles have unique structures in their shells that act like fiber optic cables to convey specific wavelengths of light into the bivalves' tissues.
How artificial intelligence could automate genomics research
New research suggests that large language models like GPT-4 could streamline the process of gene set enrichment, an approach what genes do and how they interact. Results bring science one step closer to automating one of the most widely used methods in genomics research.
Researchers demonstrate self-assembling electronics
Researchers have demonstrated a new technique for self-assembling electronic devices. The proof-of-concept work was used to create diodes and transistors, and paves the way for self-assembling more complex electronic devices without relying on existing computer chip manufacturing techniques.
Evidence of primordial black holes may be hiding in planets, or even everyday objects here on Earth
A theoretical study suggests that small black holes born in the early universe may have left behind hollow planetoids and microscopic tunnels, and that we should start looking within rocks and old buildings for them. The research proposes thinking both big and small to confirm the existence of primordial black holes, suggesting that their signatures could range from very large -- hollow planetoids in space -- to minute -- microscopic tunnels in everyday materials found on Earth, like rocks, metal and glass.
Newfound mechanism may explain why some cancer treatments boost risk of heart disease
A cancer therapy that prompts the body's immune defenses against viruses and bacteria to attack tumors can make patients more vulnerable to heart attack and stroke. A possible explanation for this side effect is that the treatment interferes with immune regulation in the heart's largest blood vessels, a new study suggests.
'Spooky action' at a very short distance: Scientists map out quantum entanglement in protons
Scientists have a new way to use data from high-energy particle smashups to peer inside protons. Their approach uses quantum information science to map out how particle tracks streaming from electron-proton collisions are influenced by quantum entanglement inside the proton. The results reveal that quarks and gluons, the fundamental building blocks that make up a proton's structure, are subject to so-called quantum entanglement.
All people are unique -- also in the gut
A new study increases our knowledge about the gut and the life of gut bacteria. The study shows, among other things, that changes in the gut environment have an impact on the composition and activity of gut bacteria. Ultimately, this may help explain why we all have different gut bacteria and probably also why we react differently to the same food.
Critical relationship between stem cells and mechanical signals unveiled
Researchers uncover how two mechano-sensing ion channels are essential to maintain healthy stem cells.
Ultrafast dissociation of molecules studied at BESSY II
An international team has tracked at BESSY II how heavy molecules -- in this case bromochloromethane -- disintegrate into smaller fragments when they absorb X-ray light. Using a newly developed analytical method, they were able to visualize the ultrafast dynamics of this process. In this process, the X-ray photons trigger a 'molecular catapult effect': light atomic groups are ejected first, similar to projectiles fired from a catapult, while the heavier atoms -- bromine and chlorine -- separate more slowly.
Revisiting vitamin D guidelines
In June of 2024, the Endocrine Society, influenced by a substantial body of research conducted in recent years, published new clinical practice guidelines for the testing and supplementation of Vitamin D for the prevention of disease. These new recommendations included limiting vitamin D supplementation beyond the daily recommended intake to specific risk groups and advised against routine 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] testing in healthy individuals.
Scientists have invented a liquid ink that doctors can print onto a patient's scalp to measure brain activity. The technology offers a promising alternative to the cumbersome process currently used for monitoring brainwaves and diagnosing neurological conditions. It also has the potential to enhance non-invasive brain-computer interface applications.
Ketone bodies are not just about energy. These metabolites are powerful signaling molecules that have profound effects on the proteome and protein quality control in the brain. Scientists, working in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease and aging, and in the nematode C. elegans, reveal the ketone body -hydroxybutyrate interacts directly with misfolded proteins, altering their solubility and structure so they can be cleared from the brain through the process of autophagy. The work hints at a tantalizing possibility -- ketone bodies as a global treatment to restore the integrity of the proteome, addressing one of the key hallmarks of aging.
Researchers deal a blow to theory that Venus once had liquid water on its surface
A team of astronomers has found that Venus has never been habitable, despite decades of speculation that our closest planetary neighbor was once much more like Earth than it is today.
Mouse study captures aging process at the cellular level
As muscles age, their cells lose the ability to regenerate and heal after injury. Now, researchers have created the most comprehensive portrait to date of how that change, in mice, unfolds over time.
Enterococcus helps E. coli 'armor up' in dog, poultry co-infections
A new study finds that two subtypes of pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) produce five to 16 times more protective capsular 'slime' when Enterococcus faecalis (EF) is present. The finding could lead to targeted therapies for E. coli infections specific to dogs and poultry.
Physics experiment proves patterns in chaos in peculiar quantum realm
Where do you see patterns in chaos? It has now been demonstrated in the incredibly tiny quantum realm. Researchers detail an experiment that confirms a theory first put forth 40 years ago stating that electrons confined in quantum space would move along common paths rather than producing a chaotic jumble of trajectories.
Photonic processor could enable ultrafast AI computations with extreme energy efficiency
Researchers developed a fully integrated photonic processor that can perform all the key computations of a deep neural network on a photonic chip, using light. This advance could improve the speed and energy-efficiency of running intensive deep learning models for demanding applications like lidar, astronomical research, and navigation.
Smallest walking robot makes microscale measurements
Researchers have created the smallest walking robot yet. Its mission: to be tiny enough to interact with waves of visible light and still move independently, so that it can maneuver to specific locations -- in a tissue sample, for instance -- to take images and measure forces at the scale of some of the body's smallest structures.
Warming temperatures impact immune performance of wild monkeys
When wild capuchin monkeys experience experience higher temperatures, the performance of their generalized immune system declines. This study illustrates how climate change many impact animals.
Fine particulate air pollution may play a role in adverse birth outcomes
For pregnant women, exposure to fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) was associated with altered immune responses that can lead to adverse birth outcomes, according to a new study. The study is among the first to examine the relationship between PM2.5 and maternal and fetal health on a single-cell level and highlights the health risk of PM2.5 exposure for pregnant women.