ScienceDaily: All - January 04, 2024
Today's top research news
Animals reproduce in one of two distinct ways: egg-laying or live birth. By studying an evolutionarily recent transition from egg-laying to live-bearing in a marine snail, collaborative research has shed new light on the genetic changes that allow organisms to make the switch.
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The (wrong) reason we keep secrets
People often keep adverse information about themselves secret because they worry that others will judge them harshly. But those fears are overblown, according to new research.
Researchers rely on Earth's magnetic field to verify an event mentioned in the Old Testament
A new study scientifically corroborates an event described in the Second Book of Kings -- the conquest of the Philistine city of Gath by Hazael King of Aram. The method is based on measuring the magnetic field recorded in burnt bricks. The researchers say that the findings are important for determining the intensity of the fire and the scope of destruction in Gath, and also for understanding construction practices in the region.
Scientists use high-tech brain stimulation to make people more hypnotizable
Scientists used transcranial magnetic stimulation to temporarily enhance hypnotizability in patients with chronic pain, making them better candidates for hypnotherapy.
Scientists solve mystery of how predatory bacteria recognizes prey
A decades-old mystery of how natural antimicrobial predatory bacteria are able to recognize and kill other bacteria may have been solved, according to new research.
New theoretical framework unlocks mysteries of synchronization in turbulent dynamics
Data Assimilation (DA) is an important mathematical method for predicting turbulent flows for weather forecasting. However, the origins of the critical length scale, a crucial parameter in this method, and its dependence on the Reynolds number are not well understood. Now, researchers have developed a novel theoretical framework that treats DA as a stability problem to explain this parameter. This framework can contribute significantly to turbulence research and inspire novel data-driven methods to predict turbulence.
Conflict in full swing: Forest bats avoid large areas around fast-moving wind turbines
Not only do many bats die at wind turbines, the turbines also displace some species from their habitats over large areas. When the turbines are in operation at relatively high wind speeds, the activity of bat species that hunt in structurally dense habitats such as forests drops by almost 80 per cent within a radius of 80 to 450 meters around the turbine.
A blood test can identify genetic diseases in fetuses
A research team has developed an innovative screening test. With a blood sample from the expectant mother, they can scrutinize all the genes in the fetus. The findings indicate that the new test, named desNIPT, has demonstrated effectiveness in identifying alterations in fetal genes -- a leading factor in severe congenital diseases.
Hunting for the elusive tetraneutrons with thermal fission
The possible emission rate of particle-stable tetraneutron, a four-neutron system whose existence has been long debated within the scientific community, has now been investigated. Researchers looked into tetraneutron emission from thermal fission of 235U by irradiating a sample of 88SrCO3 in a nuclear research reactor and analyzing it via -ray spectroscopy.
Scientists identify ALS-linked protein VAP as a key stabilizer of mitochondria near dendritic spines to support memory formation. This finding opens new directions for research into cognitive and motor learning impairments in ALS.
Supercharging CAR-T cells for cancer treatment
Transformative research introduces CAR-T cells that flourish in tumor environments, paving the way for unparalleled advancements in cancer immunotherapy.
Better mental, physical health in older people tied to living near nature
Even small differences in the availability of urban green and blue spaces may be associated with better mental and physical health in older adults, according to a new study. The study's findings showed that having just 10% more forest space in a person's residential ZIP code was associated with reduced serious psychological distress, which covers mental health problems that require treatment and interfere with people's social lives, work or school.
Why are bees making less honey? Study reveals clues in five decades of data
Honey yields in the U.S. have been declining since the 1990s, with honey producers and scientists unsure why, but a new study has uncovered clues in the mystery of the missing honey.
Researchers 3D print components for a portable mass spectrometer
Researchers 3D printed a mini quadrupole mass filter, a key component of a mass spectrometer, that performs as well as some commercial-grade devices. It can be fabricated in hours for a few dollars and is one step toward producing a portable mass spectrometer that could enable effective medical diagnoses or chemical analyses in remote areas.
Paxlovid treatment does not reduce risk of long COVID, study finds
A team of researchers has found that Paxlovid (Nirmatrelvir-ritonavir) did not reduce the risk of developing long COVID for vaccinated, non-hospitalized individuals during their first COVID-19 infection. They also found a higher proportion of individuals than previously reported with rebound symptoms and test-positivity after taking Paxlovid.
Scientists develop a game-changing organoid model to study human cerebellar development and disease
Scientists have developed a novel human brain organoid model that generates all the major cell types of the cerebellum, a hindbrain region predominantly made up of two cell types necessary for movement, cognition, and emotion: granule cells and Purkinje neurons. This marks the first time that scientists have succeeded in growing Purkinje cells that possess the molecular and electrophysiological features of functional neurons in an all-human system.
Springs aboard -- gently feeling the way to grasp the microcosmos
The integration of mechanical memory in the form of springs has for hundreds of years proven to be a key enabling technology for mechanical devices (like clocks), achieving advanced functionality through complex autonomous movements. In our times, the integration of springs in silicon-based microtechnology has opened the world of planar mass-producible mechatronic devices from which we all benefit, via air-bag sensors for example.
Nematode proteins shed light on infertility
Biologists developed a method for illuminating the intricate interactions of the synaptonemal complex in the nematode C. elegans. The authors identified a trio of protein segments that guide chromosomal interactions, and pinpointed the location where they interact with each other. Their novel method uses a technique known as genetic suppressor screening, which can serve as a blueprint for research on large cellular assemblies that resist traditional structural analysis.
The choreography connecting kelp forests to the beach
A new study uncovers a symphony of synchrony between the kelp forest and beach, with broader implications for the beach food web as the climate changes.
Even in midlife, disrupted sleep tied to memory, thinking problems later on
People who have more disrupted sleep in their 30s and 40s may be more likely to have memory and thinking problems a decade later, according to new research published in the January 3, 2024, online issue of Neurology , the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study does not prove that sleep quality causes cognitive decline. It only shows an association.
Vitamin discovered in rivers may offer hope for salmon suffering from thiamine deficiency disease
Researchers have discovered vitamin B1 produced by microbes in rivers, findings that may offer hope for vitamin-deficient salmon populations.
An enhanced brain delivery of antibodies heightens the potential to treat brain diseases
The blood-brain barrier blocks the entry of antibodies into the brain. This limits the potential use of antibody therapeutics to treat brain diseases, such as brain tumors. Elsewhere in the body, more than 100 United States Food and Drug Administration-approved therapeutic antibodies are used by medical teams to treat cancers and autoimmune, infectious and metabolic diseases. Now researchers report that the site-directed addition of an FDA-approved, biodegradable polymer at the hinge and near hinge regions of the therapeutic antibody trastuzumab effectively facilitated the brain delivery of this human monoclonal IgG1 antibody.
Research reveals promising approach to enhance treatment for sleep apnea-related issues
Researchers explored innovative therapeutic strategies that could greatly advance the understanding and management of OSA-related morbidities. A groundbreaking study provides new insights into the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and its associated health impacts.
Seismic and infrasonic signals used to characterize Nord Stream pipeline events
A new study provides further evidence that the Nord Stream seismic signals came from a complex source. The signals lasted longer than would be expected from a single explosive source, the researchers say, and were more like the signals detected from an underwater volcano or a pipeline venting gas.
Surprise! -- How the brain learns to deal with the unexpected
For children, the world is full of surprises. Adults, on the other hand, are much more difficult to surprise. And there are complex processes behind this apparently straightforward state of affairs. Researchers have been using mice to decode how reactions to the unexpected develop in the growing brain.
Genetic variants underlying male bisexual behavior, risk-taking linked to more children, study shows
Because same-sex sexual behavior does not result in offspring, evolutionary biologists have long wondered how the genes associated with this behavior have persisted in the human genome, and whether they will remain in the future. A new study suggests that part of the explanation -- specifically for male bisexuals -- has to do with risk-taking behavior.
Shining a light on the hidden damage of mild brain injuries
We all know someone who's had a head injury that was 'only' a concussion, but even mild traumatic brain injuries can cause lasting damage, and the vast majority are never diagnosed. A team created a way to diagnose mild TBIs (mTBIs) even when MRI scans showed nothing, using the body's own immune cells called macrophages. They attached microparticle 'backpacks' containing a common MRI contrast agent to the cells, which migrated to the brain and allowed them to see evidence of inflammation in pigs with a mock mTBI.
'Giant' predator worms more than half a billion years old discovered in North Greenland
Fossils of a new group of animal predators have been located in the Early Cambrian Sirius Passet fossil locality in North Greenland. These large worms may be some of the earliest carnivorous animals to have colonized the water column more than 518 million years ago, revealing a past dynasty of predators that scientists didn't know existed.
Using the body's own cells to treat traumatic brain injury
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can cause lasting damage, but stopping the rampant brain inflammation they cause is difficult. A team at the Wyss, @SEAS and @MGH led by Samir Mitragotri has made a new treatment using macrophages -- immune cells that migrate to the brain. By attaching microparticle 'backpacks' that kept the macrophages in a healing state, they reduced the size of brain lesions by 56% in pigs with a mock TBI.Study reveals clues to how Eastern equine encephalitis virus invades brain cells
Researchers have determined how Eastern equine encephalitis virus attaches to a receptor it uses to enter and infect cells. The findings laid the groundwork for a receptor decoy molecule that protects mice from encephalitis caused by the virus.
Functional semiconductor made from graphene
Researchers have created the first functional semiconductor made from graphene, a single sheet of carbon atoms held together by the strongest bonds known. The breakthrough throws open the door to a new way of doing electronics.
Researchers improve seed nitrogen content by reducing plant chlorophyll levels
Chlorophyll plays a pivotal role in photosynthesis, which is why plants have evolved to have high chlorophyll levels in their leaves. However, making this pigment is expensive because plants invest a significant portion of the available nitrogen in both chlorophyll and the special proteins that bind it. As a result, nitrogen is unavailable for other processes. In a new study, researchers reduced the chlorophyll levels in leaves to see if the plant would invest the nitrogen saved into other process that might improve nutritional quality.
How does corrosion happen? New research examines process on atomic level
New research reveals how corrosion happens on the atomic level.
A new study finds that older adult drivers who are recently diagnosed with migraines are three times as likely to experience a motor vehicle crash. Older adult drivers who reported having ever had migraines in the past were no more likely to have a motor vehicle crash than those without migraines.
Scientists reveal the inner workings of an essential protein trafficking complex
Using state-of-the-art cell imaging and genome editing technology, scientists have begun to unravel how this collection of proteins performs its essential service. The discovery could eventually help researchers better understand and develop new treatments for diseases like cancer, diabetes and those that cause immune dysfunction.
Path-following performance of autonomous ships
With recent requirements for reducing greenhouse gas emissions of autonomous ships, an emerging body of research is focused on assessing the path-following performance of maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS) at low speeds under adverse weather conditions. To combat the poor accuracy of traditional methods, in a new study, researchers investigated the path-following performance of MASS using a free-running computational fluid dynamics model. Their findings can help ensure safer autonomous navigation with reduced propulsion power.
Complex, unfamiliar sentences make the brain's language network work harder
Sentences with greater linguistic complexity are most likely to fire up a key brain language processing center, according to a study that employed an artificial language network.
Microbial awakening restructures high-latitude food webs as permafrost thaws
Wildlife biologists used a novel technique to trace the movement of carbon through Arctic and boreal forest food webs and found that climate warming resulted in a shift from plant-based food webs to fungal-based food webs for several high-latitude species, with potential indirect effects on nutrient cycling and ecosystem function.