ScienceDaily: All - December 07, 2023
Today's top research news
Molecular fossils shed light on ancient life
Paleontologists are getting a glimpse at life over a billion years in the past based on chemical traces in ancient rocks and the genetics of living animals. New research combines geology and genetics, showing how changes in the early Earth prompted a shift in how animals eat.
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Hydrogen sulfide regulates neural circuit for respiration
Hydrogen sulfide, recognized by its characteristic rotten egg smell, is synthesized in the respiratory center -- an integral brain region governing respiration. Researchers have identified that hydrogen sulfide within the respiratory center plays a crucial role in maintaining the rhythm and depth of respiration by modulating neurotransmissions.
Why do some older adults show declines in their spatial memory?
A study has investigated the possible scenarios that could lead to waning memory in some older people.
Study reshapes understanding of mass extinction in Late Devonian era
A recently published study puts forth a new theory that volcanic eruptions combined with widespread ocean detoxification pushed Earth's biology to a tipping point in the Late Devonian era, triggering a mass extinction.
Riding sound waves in the brain
A technology developed over the past few years for controlling microvehicles using ultrasound also works in the brain, as researchers have now been able to show. These microvehicles are gas bubbles, which are harmless and dissolve once their job is done. In the future, these microvehicles could be equipped with medications and deliver them to specific points in the brain. This may increase the efficacy of the drugs and reduce their side effects.
Training algorithm breaks barriers to deep physical neural networks
Researchers have developed an algorithm to train an analog neural network just as accurately as a digital one, enabling the development of more efficient alternatives to power-hungry deep learning hardware.
Specific genetic variant may help prevent obesity
A preclinical study shows that a specific human genetic variant of a receptor that stimulates insulin release may help individuals be more resistant to obesity. The researchers discovered that this variant behaves differently in the cell which may contribute to more efficient metabolism.
Despite the Roman Empire's extensive military and cultural influence on the nearby Balkan peninsula, a DNA analysis of individuals who lived in the region between 1 and 1000 CE found no genetic evidence of Iron Age Italian ancestry. Instead, a new study has revealed successive waves of migrations from Western Anatolia, central and northern Europe, and the Pontic-Kazakh Steppe during the Empire's reign.
Wasps that recognize faces cooperate more, may be smarter
A new study of paper wasps suggests social interactions may make animals smarter. The research offers behavioral evidence of an evolutionary link between the ability to recognize individuals and social cooperation.
It turns out, this fossil 'plant' is really a fossil baby turtle
Researchers re-examined a plant fossil found decades ago in Colombia and realized that it wasn't a plant at all: it's a fossilized baby turtle. It's a rare find, because juvenile turtles' shells are soft and often don't fossilize well.
Geoscientists map changes in atmospheric CO2 over past 66 million years
An international consortium of geoscientists has reconstructed atmosphereric levels of CO2 going back 66 million years using proxies in the geoloogical record. Today's concenteration, 420 parts per million, is higher than it's ever been in 14 million years.
Ancient stars made extraordinarily heavy elements
How heavy can an element be? An international team of researchers has found that ancient stars were capable of producing elements with atomic masses greater than 260, heavier than any element on the periodic table found naturally on Earth. The finding deepens our understanding of element formation in stars.
Soundwaves harden 3D-printed treatments in deep tissues
Engineers have developed a bio-compatible ink that solidifies into different 3D shapes and structures by absorbing ultrasound waves. Because the material responds to sound waves rather than light, the ink can be used in deep tissues for biomedical purposes ranging from bone healing to heart valve repair.
Wild birds lead people to honey -- and learn from them
A study finds the greater honeyguide can learn distinct vocal signals to help people in Africa locate bee colonies. In parts of Africa, people communicate with a wild bird -- the greater honeyguide -- in order to locate bee colonies and harvest their stores of honey and beeswax. It's a rare example of cooperation between humans and wild animals, and a potential instance of cultural coevolution.
Catalyst for electronically controlled C--H functionalization
Scientists chipping away at one of the great challenges of metal-catalyzed C--H functionalization with a new method that uses a cobalt catalyst to differentiate between bonds in fluoroarenes, functionalizing them based on their intrinsic electronic properties. And their method is fast -- comparable in speed to those that rely on iridium.
Researchers develop grassroots framework for managing environmental commons
A team of sustainability scientists recently announced that they have developed a community-based framework, founded on extensive local and traditional knowledge, to help assess and respond to the kinds of ecological threats that are widely dispersed across a varied landscape and whose solutions are not immediately obvious. The framework, which was developed to address watershed issues in Honduras's Lake Yojoa, is widely applicable to a broad range of threats facing ecological commons wherever they may occur around the world.
Fungus-fighting protein could help overcome severe autoimmune disease and cancer
A protein in the immune system programmed to protect the body from fungal infections is also responsible for exacerbating the severity of certain autoimmune diseases such as irritable bowel disease (IBS), type 1 diabetes, eczema and other chronic disorders, new research has found. The discovery could pave the way for new and more effective drugs, without the nasty side effects of existing treatments. In addition to helping to manage severe autoimmune conditions, the breakthrough could also help treat all types of cancer. Â
Feathered friends can become unlikely helpers for tropical coral reefs facing climate change threat
Tropical coral reefs are among our most spectacular ecosystems, yet a rapidly warming planet threatens the future survival of many reefs. However, there may be hope for some tropical reefs in the form of feathered friends. A new study has found that the presence of seabirds on islands adjacent to tropical coral reefs can boost coral growth rates on those reefs by more than double.