ScienceDaily: All - December 13, 2024
Today's top research news
Why deep sleep is helpful for memory
It has been known for nearly 20 years that slow, synchronous electrical waves in the brain during deep sleep support the formation of memories. Why that is was previously unknown. Now, a team of researchers posits an explanation. According to the study, the slow waves make the neocortex, the location of long-term memory, especially receptive to information. The findings could help to optimize the treatment approaches that are intended to support memory formation from outside.
Image: GreenSkyStudio/Shutterstock.com
Scientists collect 'microbial fingerprints' found in household plumbing
Household plumbing is alive with microbes; environmental engineers are working to study those ecosystems to ensure clean water flows in homes.
Researchers have discovered a protein variant that serves as a knob for regulating the body's innate immune response. The findings could lead to new therapies for Long COVID, autoimmune disorders, and more.
Stars similar to the Sun produce a gigantic outburst of radiation on average about once every hundred years per star. Such superflares release more energy than a trillion hydrogen bombs and make all previously recorded solar flares pale in comparison. This estimate is based on an inventory of 56450 sun-like stars. It shows that previous studies have significantly underestimated the eruptive potential of these stars. In data from NASA's space telescope Kepler, superflaring, sun-like stars can be found ten to a hundred times more frequently than previously assumed. The Sun, too, is likely capable of similarly violent eruptions.
A new timeline for Neanderthal interbreeding with modern humans
Neanderthal genes make up 1-2% of the genomes of non-Africans. Scientists analyzed the lengths of regions of Neanderthal DNA in 58 ancient Eurasian genomes of early modern humans and determined that the introgressed genes result from interbreeding between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals about 47,000 years ago, over a single, extended period of about 7,000 years. The findings help pin down dates for out-of-Africa migration and the dispersal of Homo sapiens.
Oldest modern human genomes sequenced
Few genomes have been sequenced from early modern humans, who first arrived in Europe when the region was already inhabited by Neanderthals. An international team has now sequenced the oldest modern human genomes to date. The genomes were recovered from seven individuals who lived between 42,000 and 49,000 years ago in Ranis, Germany and Zlaty kun, Czechia. These genomes belonged to individuals who were part of a small, closely related human group that first split off from the population that left Africa around 50,000 years ago and later settled the rest of the world. Although they separated early, the Neanderthal DNA in their genomes traces back to an admixture event common to all people outside Africa, that the researchers date to around 45,000-49,000 years ago, much later than previously thought.
Do animals get jealous like people? Researchers say it's complicated
Using data from 23 studies of what psychologists call 'inequity aversion,' researchers combed through results of more than 60,000 observations involving 18 animal species. In what they said was the 'largest empirical investigation of non-human inequity aversion to date,' the team reconstructed data analyses and used a new metric that adds depth to the concept of fairness.
More dense, populated neighborhoods inspire people to walk more
Adding strong evidence in support of 'walkable' neighborhoods, a large national study found that the built environment can indeed increase how much people walk. The study showed a strong connection between place and activity by studying about 11,000 twins, which helps control for family influences and genetic factors. The researchers found that each 1% increase in an area's 'walkability' resulted in 0.42% increase in neighborhood walking. When scaled up, that means a 55% increase in the walkability of the surrounding neighborhood would result in about 23% more walking -- or about 19 minutes a week for every resident living in that area. In terms of public health, that can add up to a big difference for the highly sedentary U.S. populace.
Study likely to change standard of care for deadly strokes
Endovascular therapy, a minimally invasive surgery performed inside the blood vessels, is preferred to alternative approaches for vessel obstructions in life-sustaining areas of the brain, analysis suggests.
How helicopter parenting protects baby reef fish
Researchers have discovered a rare example of 'great fish parenting' with a common coral reef species found to actively protect their young by eating parasites.
Ugh, my stomach: Identifying amino acids that prevent sporulation in food poisoning
A team analyzed the amino acids that affect the formation of spores in a bacterium that causes food poisoning, Clostridium perfringens, and identified serine as an amino acid that inhibits spore formation.
Deep-sea hydrothermal vent bacteria hold key to understanding nitrous oxide reduction
Scientists unearth a clue to the molecular mechanisms involved in N2O reduction by deep-sea hydrothermal vent bacteria.
Diversity and inclusion accelerate the pace of innovation in robotics
Diverse and inclusive teams are not merely a moral imperative but also a catalyst for scientific excellence in robotics, scientists point out in a study. The team has outlined how a scientific community can benefit if its leadership fosters an environment of diversity and inclusion, and propose a leadership guide for roboticists to help reap these benefits.
Common brain network links brain atrophy patterns seen in schizophrenia
A new study has identified a unique brain network that links varied patterns of brain atrophy, or shrinkage, associated with schizophrenia.
Copper-oxide (CuO2) superconductors, such as Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+ (Bi2212), have unusually high critical temperatures. Optical reflectivity measurements of Bi2212 have shown that it exhibits strong optical anisotropy. However, this has not been studied through optical transmittance measurements, which can offer more direct insights into bulk properties. Now, researchers have elucidated the origin of this optical anisotropy through ultraviolet and visible light transmittance measurements of lead-doped Bi2212 single crystals, enabling a more precise investigation into its superconductivity mechanisms.
Smallest molecular machine: Reversible sliding motion in ammonium-linked ferrocene
Ferrocene is a key molecule for developing molecular machines. However, it readily decomposes on the surface of flat noble metal substrates, marking a significant challenge. Now researchers have stabilized ferrocene by linking it with ammonium salts and trapping them in a molecular film made up of cyclic crown ether molecules. The ammonium-linked molecule performs reversible lateral sliding motion upon the application of electrical voltage, representing the smallest molecular machine.
Technique to forecast where the next big quake will start
Scientists have a new method for studying faults that could improve earthquake forecasts, shedding light on where quakes start, how they spread, and where the biggest impacts might be.
Researchers reveal key factors behind Japan's plastic waste removal rates in rivers
Plastic pollution is a growing problem in Japan, prompting cleanup efforts to recover plastic litter from water bodies. However, research on recovery rates from different river basins remains limited. In a recent study, researchers from Japan conducted a nationwide analysis of plastic litter recovery in over 100 river basins, shedding light on the impact of climate change, population density, and natural disasters. Their findings will help inform future cleanup strategies and improve plastic management.
Diagnosing and managing blast injuries
The prevalence of armed conflicts, terrorist attacks and industrial accidents necessitates clinician understanding of blast injuries in both civilian and military settings. Blast injuries are a complex form of trauma, resulting from the explosive release of energy. The severity and types of injury depend on the proximity to the blast, blast pressure and the presence of other elements like fragments and heat.
Researcher discovers new technique for infrared 'color' detection and imaging
A researcher has developed a new technique to detect long wave infrared (LWIR) photons of different wavelengths or 'colors.' The new detection and imaging technique will have applications in analyzing materials by their spectral properties, or spectroscopic imaging, as well as thermal imaging applications.
AI-based tool for pancreatic cancer diagnostics
Researchers have successfully developed a deep learning model that classifies pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common form of pancreatic cancer, into molecular subtypes using histopathology images. This approach achieves high accuracy and offers a rapid, cost-effective alternative to current methods that rely on expensive molecular assays. The new study holds promise to advance personalized treatment strategies and improve patient outcomes.
Study reveals short term safety of active monitoring for ductal carcinoma in situ
The first study comparing surgery to active monitoring as treatment for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) finds women who carefully monitor the precancerous cells are no more likely to develop breast cancer after two years than women who undergo surgery to remove them.
Researchers develop new methods to generate and improve magnetism of 2D materials
Researchers have unlocked a new method for producing one class of 2D material and for supercharging its magnetic properties.
Artificial intelligence improves mammography-based risk prediction
The future of breast cancer screening and risk-reducing strategies is being shaped by artificial intelligence (AI), according to a recent review article.
Brain tumors hijack circadian clock to grow
New research shows that glioblastoma has an internal clock and syncs its daily rhythms to match -- and take advantage of -- the rhythms of its host. In this way, brain tumors grow in response to the host's daily release of steroid hormones like cortisol.
Researchers uncover strong light-matter interactions in quantum spin liquids
Theoretical physicists along with an experimental team have found evidence of a quantum spin liquid in a material known as pyrochlore cerium stannate. They achieved this by combining state-of-the-art experimental techniques, including neutron scattering at extremely low temperatures, with theoretical analysis. By measuring the way in which neutrons interact magnetically with the electron spin in pyrochlore, the researchers observed the collective excitations of spins interacting strongly with light-like waves.