ScienceDaily: All - February 13, 2025
Today's top research news
First detection of an ultra-high-energy neutrino
Scientists have just detected a neutrino that is thirty times more energetic than any previously detected anywhere in the world. This exceptional discovery opens up new perspectives for understanding extreme energy phenomena in the Universe and the origin of cosmic rays.
Global warming and mass extinctions: What we can learn from plants from the last ice age
Global warming is producing a rapid loss of plant species -- according to estimates, roughly 600 plant species have died out since 1750 -- twice the number of animal species lost. But which species are hit hardest? And how does altered biodiversity actually affect interactions between plants? Experts have tackled these questions and, in two recent studies, presented the answers they found buried in the past: using fragments of plant genetic material (DNA) deposited in lake sediments, they were able to gain new insights into how the composition of flora changed 15,000 to 11,000 years ago during the warming at the end of the last ice age, which is considered to be the last major mass extinction event before today. This comparison can offer an inkling of what might await us in the future.
Climate scientists present a realistic supercomputer simulation that resolves the complex interactions between fire, vegetation, smoke and the atmosphere. The authors find that increasing greenhouse gas emissions will likely increase the global lightning frequency by about 1.6% per degree Celsius global warming, with regional hotspots in the eastern United States, Kenya, Uganda and Argentina. Locally this could intensify wildfire occurrences. However, the dominant drivers for the growing area burned by fires each year remain shifts in global humidity and a more rapid growth of vegetation, which can serve as wildfire fuel.
Stronger, safer, smarter: Pioneering Zinc-based dissolvable implants for bone repair
New research could transform how broken bones are treated, with the development of a special zinc-based dissolvable material that could replace the metal plates and screws typically used to hold fractured bones together.
Long-term yogurt consumption tied to decreased incidence of certain types of colorectal cancer
Researchers looked at the role of long-term diet and the gut bacteria in colorectal cancer using data on participants who had been followed for three decades. They found that people who consumed two or more servings of yogurt per week tended to have lower rates of colorectal cancer positive for Bifidobacterium. The findings suggest that yogurt consumption may change the microbiome, leading to a protective effect for some types of colorectal cancer.
New blood test accurately predicts preeclampsia
A new blood test has an 80% accuracy in predicting preterm preeclampsia, according to a new study. The condition, which results in over 70,000 maternal deaths and 500,000 fetal deaths each year worldwide, has long been hard to predict.
AI unlocks genetic clues to personalize cancer treatment
A groundbreaking study has uncovered how specific genetic mutations influence cancer treatment outcomes -- insights that could help doctors tailor treatments more effectively. The largest study of its kind, the research analyzed data for more than 78,000 cancer patients across 20 cancer types. Patients received immunotherapies, chemotherapies and targeted therapies.
Inability of cells to recycle fats can spell disease
Accumulation of fat molecules is detrimental to the cell. Researchers have made a breakthrough in understanding how our cells manage to stay healthy by recycling important fat molecules. Their study reveals how a protein called Spinster homolog 1 (Spns1) helps transport fats out of cell compartments known as lysosomes.
Study finds consumer openness to smoke-impacted wines, offering new market opportunities
Certain groups of consumers appear to be open to drinking smoke-impacted wines, a finding in a new study that could provide market opportunities for winemakers increasingly dealing with the effects of wildfire smoke on grapes.
Why we need to expand the search for climate-friendly microalgae
As global efforts to combat climate change intensify, microalgae stand out as an underutilized yet promising resource.
Short-course radiation therapy effective for endometrial cancer patients
Researchers have found that fewer sessions of higher dose vaginal cuff brachytherapy work just as well as more frequent, lower-dose treatments for endometrial cancer patients.
Breast cancer treatment advances with light-activated 'smart bomb'
Scientists have developed new light-sensitive chemicals that can radically improve the treatment of aggressive cancers with minimal side effects. In mouse tests, the new therapy completely eradicated metastatic breast cancer tumors.
Micro-nano plastics make other pollutants more dangerous to plants and intestinal cells
Researchers find that tiny plastic particles increase the absorption of environmental arsenic and pesticides in lettuce and human intestinal cells, raising new safety concerns about plastic pollution.
Colorado forests are releasing more carbon than they capture each year
Colorado's forests store a massive amount of carbon, but dying trees -- mostly due to insects and disease -- have caused the state's forests to emit more carbon than they absorbed in recent years, according to a new report.
Turning car and helicopter exhaust into thermoelectric energy
Combustion engines, the engines in gas-powered cars, only use a quarter of the fuel's potential energy while the rest is lost as heat through exhaust. Now, a study demonstrates how to convert exhaust heat into electricity. The researchers present a prototype thermoelectric generator system that could reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions -- an opportunity for improving sustainable energy initiatives in a rapidly changing world.
Having a job -- whether it's working for someone else or being their own boss -- gives older Americans more than just a way to earn money or get health insurance, a new poll finds. More than two-thirds of those who work after age 50 say that working boosts their physical health, mental health, and/or their overall wellbeing.
International Shark Attack File Report: Unprovoked shark bites plummeted in 2024
2024 was an exceptionally calm year for shark bites. Worldwide, there were only 47 unprovoked attacks, down 22 from the previous year and well below the 10-year average of 70.
Validation technique could help scientists make more accurate forecasts
A new evaluation method assesses the accuracy of spatial prediction techniques, outperforming traditional methods. This could help scientists make better predictions in areas like weather forecasting, climate research, public health, and ecological management.
'Smaller and better': Research uncovers performance sweet spot for relaxor nanomaterial
A new study sheds light on how the extreme miniaturization of thin films affects the behavior of relaxor ferroelectrics -- materials with noteworthy energy-conversion properties used in sensors, actuators and nanoelectronics.
Outokumpu's bedrock reveals a smelly surprise
Volatile organic compounds (VOC), usually associated with poor indoor air, were discovered in Finland in a borehole more than two kilometres deep. Previously, groundwater dating back tens of millions of years was found in the hole.
For Valentine's Day: Measure your relationship with a scientific self-test
Answer seven questions and get an indication of how your relationship is right now. Just in time for Valentine's Day, researchers are publishing a new study that introduces a scientifically validated scale, the 'Valentine's Scale'. The scale measures how satisfied you are in your love relationship.
Is the Metaverse a new frontier for human-centric manufacturing?
The future of manufacturing is not just about machines and AI; it's about re-empowering humans, according to a new study.
When qubits learn the language of fiberoptics
Qubits -- the fundamental units of quantum information -- drive entire tech sectors. Among them, superconducting qubits could be instrumental in building a large-scale quantum computer, but they rely on electrical signals and are difficult to scale. In a breakthrough, a team of physicists has achieved a fully optical readout of superconducting qubits, pushing the technology beyond its current limitations.
Causes of fevers of unknown origin in sub-Saharan Africa
A new retrospective, laboratory-based observational study provides detailed insights into the causes of fevers of unknown origin in sub-Saharan Africa. Scientists examined 550 patients from Guinea who developed a persistent fever at the time of the major Ebola outbreak in 2014, but tested negative for the Ebola virus on site. The goal was to use modern diagnostic methods to better understand the underlying infectious diseases.
Researchers create genetic map tied to kidney disease
Over 1,000 genes may serve as possible treatment targets for individuals with kidney disease, according to a new study. By creating the most complete and detailed genetic 'map' of kidney function to date, the researchers have paved the way for more precise diagnosing of kidney disease, strategies to prevent it, and ways to treat it.
Second-hand smoke exposure during childhood leaves its mark on children's DNA
Children exposed to second-hand smoke at home are more likely to show certain changes in the epigenome, which can alter the way genes are expressed. These epigenetic changes could influence the development of diseases in the future.
Breakthrough in click chemistry: Innovative method revolutionizes drug development
Triple click chemistry has revolutionized chemical synthesis with its simplicity and efficiency, allowing for the quick and selective assembly of complex molecules. Now, in a recent study, researchers developed novel trivalent platforms capable of producing highly functional triazoles in straightforward one-pot reactions. These platforms have significant potential in drug development, materials science, and bioengineering, promising advancements in sustainable chemistry and biomedical innovations.
Putting least calorific meals first on menu makes teenagers more likely to order them
New research has found that putting lower-calorie meal choices at the top of a restaurant menu, and reducing the availability of high-calorie options, makes teenagers more likely to order the healthier options.
How cancer cells trick the immune system by altering mitochondria
Immunotherapy, which uses programmed immune cells to selectively destroy cancer cells, has transformed cancer treatment. However, cancer cells have developed immune evasion strategies, leading to poor treatment responses. Now, researchers have identified the transfer of mitochondria with mutated DNA from cancer cells to immune cells as a key mechanism of immune evasion and resistance to immunotherapy. Targeting this transfer could enhance the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy.
Birds-of-paradise are biofluorescent
New research reports, for the first time, the widespread occurrence of biofluorescence in birds-of-paradise. The study, based on specimens collected since the 1800s, finds biofluorescence in 37 of the 45 known birds-of-paradise species and suggests that this special 'glow' is important among males for hierarchy and mating displays.
Model of Antarctica's water enhances sea level forecasts
Researchers have generated the first dataset of water flow beneath the entire Antarctic Ice Sheet, which will lead to more accurate projections of sea level rise. The team modeled Antarctica's subglacial environment. The dataset represents the researchers' best approximation of what the water flow underneath the ice sheet might currently look like. The results include numerous subglacial lakes developing below ice streams in both East and West Antarctica, and an extensive network of subglacial water channels that discharge large fluxes of water under many major glaciers.