ScienceDaily: All - December 08, 2024
Today's top research news
Less is more: Why an economical Iridium catalyst works so well
Iridium-based catalysts are needed to produce hydrogen using water electrolysis. Now, a team has shown that the newly developed P2X catalyst, which requires only a quarter of the Iridium, is as efficient and stable over time as the best commercial catalyst. Measurements at BESSY II have now revealed how the special chemical environment in the P2X catalyst during electrolysis promotes the oxygen evolution reaction during water splitting.
Image: Natalya Bardushka/Shutterstock.com
Why people remember certain things and not others
Exactly why do people remember what they remember? A recently published review paper sheds light on this fundamental question and the relationship between factors that influence human memory.
A researcher has uncovered evidence of intestinal parasites in a 500-year-old latrine from Bruges, Belgium, and while the finding may induce queasiness in some, it is expected to provide important scientific evidence on how infectious diseases once spread through travel and trade.
CAST mouse model: A crucial tool for future COVID-19 outbreaks
Researchers have identified the first mouse strain that is susceptible to severe COVID-19 without the need for genetic modification. This development marks a pivotal step forward in infectious disease research, providing an essential tool to develop vaccines and therapeutics for future coronavirus variants and potential pandemics.
Single mutation in H5N1 influenza surface protein could enable easier human infection
A single modification in the protein found on the surface of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 influenza virus currently circulating in U.S. dairy cows could allow for easier transmission among humans, according to new research. The study results reinforce the need for continued, vigilant surveillance and monitoring of HPAI H5N1 for potential genetic changes that could make the virus more transmissible in humans.
Neem seed extract improves effectiveness of pesticide
A research group has developed an innovative pesticide delivery system called nanopesticides. These tiny technologies could change how we use pesticides.
New model for replication of BKPyV virus, a major cause of kidney transplant failure
BK polyomavirus, or BKPyV, is a major cause of kidney transplant failure. There are no effective drugs to treat BKPyV. Research reveals new aspects of BKPyV replication, offering possible drug targets to protect transplanted kidneys.
Scientists urged to pull the plug on 'bathtub modeling' of flood risk
Recent decades have seen a rapid surge in damages and disruptions caused by flooding. Experts call on scientists to more accurately model these risks and caution against overly dramatized reporting of future risks in the news media.
Network-based analyses uncover how neuroinflammation-causing microglia in Alzheimer's disease form
Researchers have unraveled how immune cells called microglia can transform and drive harmful processes like neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease. The study also integrates drug databases with real-world patient data to identify FDA-approved drugs that may be repurposed to target disease-associated microglia in Alzheimer's disease without affecting the healthy type.
Record-low Antarctic sea ice can be explained and forecast months out by patterns in winds
Researchers show that the all-time record low in winter sea ice extent in 2023 can be explained by warm Southern Ocean conditions and patterns in the winds that circled Antarctica months earlier, allowing forecasts for sea ice coverage around the South Pole to be generated six or more months in advance. This could support regional and global weather and climate models.
New shape-changing polymer developed
A team of scientists has created a new shape-changing polymer that could transform how future soft materials are constructed.
Magnetically controlled kirigami surfaces move objects: No grasping needed
Researchers have developed a novel device that couples magnetic fields and kirigami design principles to remotely control the movement of a flexible dimpled surface, allowing it to manipulate objects without actually grasping them -- making it useful for lifting and moving items such as fragile objects, gels or liquids. The technology has potential for use in confined spaces, where robotic arms or similar tools aren't an option.
Close encounters between distant DNA regions cause bursts of gene activity
Researchers have revealed a new mechanism underlying how spatial distance between specific regions of DNA is linked to bursts of gene activity. Using advanced cell imaging techniques and computer modeling, the researchers showed that the folding and movement of DNA, as well as the accumulation of certain proteins, changes depending on whether a gene is active or inactive.
High heat is preferentially killing the young, not the old, new research finds
Many recent studies assume that elderly people are at particular risk of dying from extreme heat as the planet warms. A new study of mortality in Mexico turns this assumption on its head: it shows that 75% of heat-related deaths are occurring among people under 35 -- a large percentage of them ages 18 to 35, or the very group that one might expect to be most resistant to heat.
How do marine food webs respond to increasing alkalinity?
To mitigate climate change, human-made carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions must be reduced as quickly and drastically as possible. Additionally, some of the CO2 already emitted needs to be safely removed from the atmosphere. One solution is to accelerate and enhance the ocean's natural uptake of CO2 by increasing its alkalinity. Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) mimics the natural process of rock weathering by adding ground rock, or its dissolution products, directly to the seawater. So far, little is known about the effects of this method on marine life. Now, a study has assessed the impacts of a moderate OAE application, showing that the effects on zooplankton are likely minimal and that the food web could remain stable.
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