ScienceDaily: All - February 19, 2025
Today's top research news
Air inside your home may be more polluted than outside due to everyday chemical products
Bringing aromas indoors with the help of chemical products -- yes, air fresheners, wax melts, floor cleaners, deodorants and others -- rapidly fills the air with nanoscale particles that are small enough to get deep into your lungs, engineers have found over a series of studies.
'Healthy' vitamin B12 levels not enough to ward off neuro decline
Meeting the minimum requirement for vitamin B12, needed to make DNA, red blood cells and nerve tissue, may not actually be enough -- particularly if you are older. It may even put you at risk for cognitive impairment.
Wild fish can recognize individual divers
For years, scientific divers at a research station in the Mediterranean Sea had a problem: at some point in every field season, local fish would follow them and steal food intended as experimental rewards. Intriguingly these wild fish appeared to recognize the specific diver who had previously carried food, choosing to follow only them while ignoring other divers. To find out if that was true, a team conducted a series of experiments while wearing a range of diving gear, finding that fish in the wild can discriminate among humans based on external visual cues.
Using a data-driven approach to synthesize single-atom catalysts that can purify water
Researchers tested a strategy for developing single-atom catalysts that may help us develop more efficient methods for water purification.
Repeated invasions shape NZ's bird life
New esearch shows Aotearoa has been increasingly accepting new bird species from around the world since the start of the Ice Age, offering clues into future migration patterns.
Researchers record ultrafast chorus dance of electrons on super-small particle
New study uncovers how genes influence retinal aging and brain health
Researchers used mice with nine different genetic backgrounds to identify factors influencing eye aging, paving the way for eye-based diagnostics for neurodegenerative diseases.
Multiple sclerosis: Cell-catching implant helps identify successful treatment in mice
A sponge-like implant in mice helped guide a treatment that slowed or stopped a degenerative condition similar to multiple sclerosis in humans. It also gave researchers a look at how primary progressive multiple sclerosis, the fastest-progressing version of the disease, attacks the central nervous system early on.
New nanoscale technique unlocks quantum material secrets
Using a novel surface-sensitive spectroscopy method, scientists explored atomic vibrations in crystalline material surfaces near interfaces. The findings illuminate quantum behaviors that play important roles computing and sensing technologies.
No increase in grain dust explosion incidents last year, decrease in injuries
Nine U.S. grain dust explosions in 2024 caused two injuries and no fatalities, according to a nationwide annual summary. These numbers are similar to last year's (nine explosions, 12 injuries and no fatalities) and on-par with the 10-year national average of 8.6 explosions. The explosions occurred in four feed mills, three grain elevators, one ethanol plant and one corn processing plant.
Are we trusting AI too much? New study demands accountability in Artificial Intelligence
Are we putting our faith in technology that we don't fully understand? A new study comes at a time when AI systems are making decisions impacting our daily lives -- from banking and healthcare to crime detection. The study calls for an immediate shift in how AI models are designed and evaluated, emphasizing the need for transparency and trustworthiness in these powerful algorithms.
Light-powered breakthrough enables precision tuning of quantum dots
Researchers have demonstrated a new technique that uses light to tune the optical properties of quantum dots -- making the process faster, more energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable -- without compromising material quality.
Avoiding the workplace mediocrity trap
Confidence. Persistence. Ingenuity. Conventional wisdom tells us these are some of the traits needed for success at the office. But within teams, less laudable characteristics -- maintaining the status quo, for instance -- might be just as desirable, according to new research. An expert on organizational thinking reports that teams with high rates of envy often ostracize their best performers, in turn leading those standout employees to sabotage productivity.
Ecologist finds eastern monarch butterflies delaying fall migration
The study was one of several that assessed the effects of climate change on three species of butterflies whose populations are declining.
From plants to people: How amino acid, vitamin balance links plant immunity to epilepsy
A groundbreaking study has revealed a surprising biochemical connection between plant immune responses and human neurological health. Researchers have discovered that the metabolic pathways regulating vitamin B6 homeostasis -- critical in certain forms of epilepsy and immune function -- are shared by plants and humans.
Researchers developed a new system for turning used coffee grounds into a paste, which they use to 3D print objects, such as packing materials and a vase. They inoculate the paste with Reishi mushroom spores, which turn the coffee grounds into a resilient, fully compostable alternative to plastics.
Harnessing failure as an asset: How researchers are innovating smarter wearable tech
In the world of soft robotics and wearable technology, sheet-based fluidic devices are revolutionizing how lightweight, flexible and multifunctional systems are designed. But with innovation comes challenges, particularly in understanding and controlling failure in these devices. A new study by mechanical engineers explores how programmed failure in heat-sealable, sheet-based systems can be used to protect devices, enable complex sequencing of actions and even streamline control mechanisms.
Patients with localized muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who received radiation plus the immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) durvalumab (Imfinzi) and tremelimumab (Imjudo) had durable responses that allowed for bladder preservation, according to new results.
A treatment-resistant, severe type of asthma successfully modeled in mice
Researchers are tackling neutrophilic asthma, successfully developing one of the first mouse models of the condition.
Sweet molasses feed key to understanding grazing behavior in cattle
Researchers tempted grazing cattle with sweet molasses feed to discover whether cows would roam far to graze or stick close to the herd, water supplies and feed stations.
Biomedicine shows the way to future food crops
Researchers have introduced genetic material into plants via their roots, opening a potential pathway for rapid crop improvement.
Designing antivirals for shape-shifting viruses
Viruses, like those that cause COVID-19 or HIV, are formidable opponents once they invade our bodies. Antiviral treatments strive to block a virus or halt its replication. However, viruses are dynamic -- constantly evolving and changing shape, which can make designing antiviral treatments a challenge.
New microactuator driving system could give microdrones a jump-start
An innovative circuit design could enable miniature devices, such as microdrones and other microrobotics, to be powered for longer periods of time while staying lightweight and compact. Using miniaturized solid-state batteries, the circuit combines high energy density with an ultra lightweight design.
Study reveals extent of ecological damage from Niger Delta oil spills
An international research team has used earth observation radar data to map oil pipeline networks covering a 9000 km2 region in the Niger Delta and pinpoint where crude oil spills have caused the most acute damage to the delicate mangrove ecosystem.
Older patients can inadvertently be put at risk when they are taken off blood-thinning drugs
A new study suggests that the benefits of prescribing anticoagulation drugs to certain older people outweigh the potential risks.
Newfound circuit better explains how the brain recognizes what is familiar and important
Scientists decode diet from stool DNA -- no questions asked
Scientists have developed a breakthrough method to track diet using stool metagenomic data. This non-invasive, data-driven approach offers an objective alternative to traditional food diaries and questionnaires, which are still the gold standard in dietary assessment but can suffer from misreporting and compliance issues.
New tool reveals disruption of immune cells in blood is linked to cancer outcomes
The immune systems of cancer patients are highly disrupted, with those who have a higher number of immune cells in their blood having a better survival rate, finds a new study that uses a pioneering technique.
A single protein may have helped shape the emergence of spoken language
How much does the evolution of human speech owe to one amino acid?
Researchers have discovered a new method by which a catalyst can be used to selectively burn one molecule in a mixture of hydrocarbons -- compounds made of hydrogen and carbon atoms.
Researchers develop AI model to automatically segment MRI images
Research scientists in Switzerland have developed and tested a robust AI model that automatically segments major anatomic structures in MRI images, independent of sequence. In the study, the model outperformed other publicly available tools.
Toward improved early detection of pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the worst prognosis cancer globally, with just 13% of patients who are diagnosed with PC surviving for 5 years or more after initial diagnosis. Early detection of PC is the primary concern of most PC research, as it has the potential to make a substantial difference to the treatment and survival of patients. Survival rates, however, remain poor due to the vague nature of the symptoms associated with early-stage PC, and subsequently the late-stage of the disease at diagnosis. Now researchers are focusing on pancreatic cystic lesions to tackle the crucial issue of identifying patients who are at high-risk of developing pancreatic cancer, to improve survival rates.
New research adds evidence that learning a successful strategy for approaching a task doesn't prevent further exploration, even if it reduces performance.
Flickers and flares: Milky Way's central black hole constantly bubbles with light
Astrophysicists have observed our central supermassive black hole. They found the accretion disk is constantly emitting flares without periods of rest. Shorter, faint flares and longer, bright flares appear to be generated by separate processes.
Rapid environmental change can threaten even a peaceful Daisyworld
Using mathematical modeling, researchers have discovered that rate-induced tipping, which can happen if an environment changes too fast, can happen even in Daisyworld, a simple daisy-filled ecological model. If the planet heats up or cools down too quickly, all the daisies will go extinct, even if they would otherwise have been able to survive just fine under those conditions. This discovery mirrors similar observations found in other models and observed in real-life ecosystems.
Einstein Probe catches X-ray odd couple
Lobster-eye satellite Einstein Probe captured the X-ray flash from a very elusive celestial pair. The discovery opens a new way to explore how massive stars interact and evolve, confirming the unique power of the mission to uncover fleeting X-ray sources in the sky.
'Out of science fiction': First 3D observations of an exoplanet's atmosphere reveal a unique climate
Astronomers have peered through the atmosphere of a planet beyond the Solar System, mapping its 3D structure for the first time. By combining all four telescope units of the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO's VLT), they found powerful winds carrying chemical elements like iron and titanium, creating intricate weather patterns across the planet's atmosphere. The discovery opens the door for detailed studies of the chemical makeup and weather of other alien worlds.