ScienceDaily: All - December 13, 2023
Today's top research news
Scientists unveil complete cell map of a whole mammalian brain
Researchers have created a complete cell atlas of a whole mammalian brain. This atlas serves as a map for the mouse brain, describing the type, location, and molecular information of more than 32 million cells and providing information on connectivity between these cells.
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Newly discovered autoimmune disorder disrupts tooth enamel development
A study may shed light on tooth enamel development disruption by revealing a new children's autoimmune disorder that hinders proper tooth enamel development. The disorder is common in people with a rare genetic syndrome and in children with celiac disease. These findings could help develop strategies for early detection and prevention of the disorder.
Cholesterol-lowering therapy may hinder aggressive type of colorectal tumor
Hard-to-detect colorectal pre-cancerous lesions known as serrated polyps, and the aggressive tumors that develop from them, depend heavily on the ramped-up production of cholesterol, according to a preclinical study. The finding points to the possibility of using cholesterol-lowering drugs to prevent or treat such tumors.
Saving endangered species: New AI method counts manatee clusters in real time
Accurately counting manatee aggregations within a region is crucial yet challenging. Harnessing the power of AI, researchers are using a deep learning-based crowd counting approach to automatically count the number of manatees in a designated region, using images captured from CCTV cameras, which are readily available, as input. The pioneering study not only addresses the technical challenges of counting in complex outdoor environments but also offers potential ways to aid endangered species.
Study overturns conventional wisdom about wild turkey nesting survival
A new study finds that precipitation levels during nesting season are not related to reproductive success for wild turkeys, which runs counter to the conventional wisdom regarding the role that rainfall plays in wild turkey nesting success. The findings shed new light on how climate change may affect wild turkey populations.
Traces of trauma in the young brain -- and how to erase them
In research conducted on mice a team discovered brain mechanisms that go awry as a result of exposure to trauma in infancy and showed that these changes may be reversible if treated early.
Workplace gossip can benefit employees and employers
New research shows how some workplace gossip could reduce the likelihood of employee turnover and, as a result, potentially boost an organization's effectiveness.
Aquatic insects in restored streams need more rocks to lay their eggs
Likening it to providing more runways at busy airports, researchers at North Carolina State University found in a new study that adding protruding rocks to restored streams can help attract female aquatic insects that lay their eggs on the rock bottoms or sides.
How genes in retina get regulated during development
Researchers have mapped the 3D organization of genetic material of key developmental stages of human retinal formation, using intricate models of a retina grown in the lab. The findings lay a foundation for understanding clinical traits in many eye diseases, and reveal a highly dynamic process by which the architecture of chromatin, the DNA and proteins that form chromosomes, regulates gene expression.
Infection with stomach bacteria may increase risk of Alzheimer's disease
Infection with the stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori could increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease: In people over the age of 50, the risk following a symptomatic infection can be an average of 11 percent higher, and even more about ten years after the infection, at 24 percent greater risk.
Ultra-hard material to rival diamond discovered
Scientists have solved a decades-long puzzle and unveiled a near unbreakable substance that could rival diamond, as the hardest material on earth, a study says. Researchers found that when carbon and nitrogen precursors were subjected to extreme heat and pressure, the resulting materials -- known as carbon nitrides -- were tougher than cubic boron nitride, the second hardest material after diamond.
Cause of pregnancy sickness -- and potential treatment
A new study has shown why many women experience nausea and vomiting during pregnancy -- and why some women, including the Duchess of Cambridge, become so sick they need to be admitted to hospital. The culprit is a hormone produced by the fetus -- a protein known as GDF15. But how sick the mother feels depends on a combination of how much of the hormone is produced by the fetus and how much exposure the mother had to this hormone before becoming pregnant.
Mice possess natural gene therapy system
A previously mysterious small RNA molecule in mice is found to play a crucial role in gene expression, and may be the first identified member of a new class of regulatory RNAs.
Large study presents evidence for behavioral sciences in policymaking
A new global study underscores the crucial role of behavioral sciences in formulating policy decisions, while also asserting the need for clear standards for what evidence gets used in policy decisions.
Cell types in the eye have ancient evolutionary origins
In a comparative analysis across vertebrates of the many cell types in the retina -- mice alone have 130 types -- researchers concluded that most cell types have an ancient evolutionary history. Their remarkable conservation across species suggests that the retina of the last common ancestor of all mammals, which roamed the earth some 200 million year ago, must have had a complexity rivaling the retina of modern mammals.
The superior colliculus in the mammalian brain takes on many important tasks by making sense of our environment. Any mistakes during the development of this brain region can lead to severe neurological disorders. Scientists have now delineated the pedigree and origin of nerve cells that make up the superior colliculus.
How stress activates neurons that disrupt sleep
New research reveals that neurons in the preoptic hypothalamus -- the region of the brain that regulates sleep and body temperature -- are rhythmically activated during non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM). Stress activates these brain cells out of turn, causing 'microarousals,' that interrupt sleep cycles and decrease the duration of sleep episodes, according to new research.
Using next-gen CRISPR tool, scientists create unprecedented molecular map of human immune response
In a study of historic scale, scientists have created an intricate map of how the immune system functions, examining the detailed molecular structures governing human T cells using the next-generation CRISPR tool known as base editing. Their findings uncover detailed information that could help overcome the limitations of today's immunotherapies and identify new drug targets for a wide range of diseases, including autoimmune diseases and cancer.
Discovery of magnetic liquid crystal
A team of researchers succeeded at directly observing spin quadrupoles. This work was made possible through remarkable achievements over the last decades in synchrotron facility development.
A rare enzyme role change with bacterial defense system assembly
Scientists have revealed a never-before-seen phenomenon in a protein: Alone, the enzyme processes DNA and RNA but, when bound to another protein as part of a defense system, interacts with a completely different type of compound to help bacteria commit suicide.
New chemical method advances toward targeted RNA medicine
A new scientific method holds importance in the creation of customized medicine aimed at precisely targeting diseased cells, representing a pivotal stride towards more efficient and gentle treatments to optimize patients' quality of life. The novel method has been developed to enhance the synthesis of therapeutic oligonucleotides for targeted drugs.
Some icy exoplanets may have habitable oceans and geysers
A new study expands the search for life beyond our solar system by indicating that 17 exoplanets (worlds outside our solar system) could have oceans of liquid water, an essential ingredient for life, beneath icy shells. Water from these oceans could occasionally erupt through the ice crust as geysers. The science team calculated the amount of geyser activity on these exoplanets, the first time these estimates have been made. They identified two exoplanets sufficiently close where signs of these eruptions could be observed with telescopes.
A sugar analysis could reveal different types of cancer
In the future, a little saliva may be enough to detect an incipient cancer. Researchers have developed an effective way to interpret the changes in sugar molecules that occur in cancer cells.
People who see climate change as a health threat show more interest in cancer screening
Researchers' findings support developing public health interventions that incorporate components of environmental health literacy alongside cancer screening efforts.
National policy aimed at reducing U.S. greenhouse gases also would improve water quality
A climate policy that raises the price of carbon-intensive products across the entire U.S. economy would yield a side benefit of reducing nitrate groundwater contamination throughout the Mississippi River Basin. The Gulf of Mexico, an important U.S. fishery, also would see modest benefits from the nitrate reductions.
Twenty-year study confirms California forests are healthier when burned -- or thinned
A 20-year experiment in the Sierra Nevada confirms that different forest management techniques -- prescribed burning, restoration thinning or a combination of both -- are effective at reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire in California. These treatments also improve forest health, making trees more resilient to stressors like drought and bark beetles, and they do not negatively impact plant or wildlife biodiversity within individual tree stands, the research found.
Much of the discussion around implementing artificial intelligence systems focuses on whether an AI application is 'trustworthy': Does it produce useful, reliable results, free of bias, while ensuring data privacy? But a new article poses a different question: What if an AI is just too good?
Free electric vehicle charging at work? It's possible with optimum solar
The global surge in electric vehicle sales has prompted an Australian university to explore how it could offer free or nominal EV charging facilities to staff and students by optimizing its solar PV system and minimizing workplace electricity costs.
Best areas for rewilding European bison
Simulations integrate historical records, fossils, and ancient DNA to reveal why the European bison nearly went extinct, and pinpoint optimal areas for conservation. Since the near-extinction of the European bison, enormous conservation efforts have helped to restore wild populations, and its numbers are on the rise. However, the study authors argue that ensuring the species's long-term protection and recovery requires understanding why they nearly went extinct in the first place. 'Our study also suggests areas where rewilding attempts are most likely to be successful,' said lead author July Pilowsky, currently a disease ecologist at Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. Pilowsky completed the research while working on their PhD at University of Adelaide and University of Copenhagen.
