ScienceDaily: All - March 05, 2024
Today's top research news
Shortcut to Success: Toward fast and robust quantum control through accelerating adiabatic passage
Researchers achieved the acceleration of adiabatic evolution of a single spin qubit in gate-defined quantum dots. After the pulse optimization to suppress quasistatic noises, the spin flip fidelity can be as high as 97.5% in GaAs quantum dots. This work may be useful to achieve fast and high-fidelity quantum computing.
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Sweetened drinks linked to atrial fibrillation risk
An analysis of health data in the UK Biobank found a 20% higher risk of irregular heart rhythm, known as atrial fibrillation, among people who said they drank two liters or more per week (about 67 ounces) of artificially sweetened drinks. The risk was 10% higher among people who said they drank similar amounts of sugar-sweetened beverages.
Fossils of a strange new species of marine lizard with dagger-like teeth that lived 66 million years ago, show a dramatically more biodiverse ocean ecosystem to what we see today.
Waist-to-height ratio detects fat obesity in children and adolescents significantly better than BMI
An inexpensive measure of obesity in children and adolescents that could replace body mass index (BMI) has been identified in a new study as waist circumference-to-height ratio. This measure detected excess fat mass and distinguished fat mass from muscle mass in children and adolescents more accurately than BMI.
Groundbreaking survey reveals secrets of planet birth around dozens of stars
A team of astronomers has shed new light on the fascinating and complex process of planet formation. The research brings together observations of more than 80 young stars that might have planets forming around them, providing astronomers with a wealth of data and unique insights into how planets arise in different regions of our galaxy.
One way to improve a fusion reaction: Use weaknesses as strengths
Scientists are embracing imperfection, using less-than-ideal magnetic fields to make the plasma more manageable.
Possible 'Trojan Horse' found for treating stubborn bacterial infections
Bacteria can be tricked into sending death signals to stop the growth of their slimy, protective homes that lead to deadly infections, a new study demonstrates. The discovery could someday be harnessed as an alternative to antibiotics for treating difficult infections. The researchers used the messengers, which they named death extracellular vesicles (D-EVs), to reduce growth of the bacterial communities by up to 99.99% in laboratory experiments.
What makes black holes grow and new stars form? Machine learning helps solve the mystery
It takes more than a galaxy merger to make a black hole grow and new stars form: machine learning shows cold gas is needed too to initiate rapid growth -- new research finds.
Juno spacecraft measures oxygen production on Jupiter's moon, Europa
NASA's Juno spacecraft has directly measured charged oxygen and hydrogen molecules from the atmosphere of one of Jupiter's largest moons, Europa. These observations provide key constraints on the potential oxygenation of its subsurface ocean.
Will ice floating in the Arctic Ocean move faster or slower over the coming decades? The answer to this question will tell us whether marine transportation can be expected to get more or less hazardous. It might also have important implications for the rate of ice cover loss, which is hugely consequential for Northern Indigenous communities, ecosystems, and the global climate system. While observational data suggest the trend has been towards faster sea ice speeds, climate models project that those speeds will slow down during the summer season. This contrast has led to some questions around the plausibility of the model projections.
New cardiovascular imaging approach provides a better view of dangerous plaques
Researchers have developed a new catheter-based device that combines two powerful optical techniques to image the dangerous plaques that can build up inside the arteries that supply blood to the heart. By providing new details about plaque, the device could help clinicians and researchers improve treatments for preventing heart attacks and strokes.
We know the Arctic is warming -- What will changing river flows do to its environment?
Scientists recently combined satellite data, field observations and sophisticated numerical modeling to paint a picture of how 22.45 million square kilometers of the Arctic will change over the next 80 years. As expected, the overall region will be warmer and wetter, but the details -- up to 25% more runoff, 30% more subsurface runoff and a progressively drier southern Arctic, provides one of the clearest views yet of how the landscape will respond to climate change.
Fossil named 'Attenborough's strange bird' was the first in its kind without teeth
A new fossil, named 'Attenborough's strange bird' after naturalist and documentarian Sir David Attenborough, is the first of its kind to evolve a toothless beak. It's from a branch of the bird family tree that went extinct in the mass extinction 66 million years ago, and this strange bird is another puzzle piece that helps explain why some birds -- and their fellow dinosaurs -- went extinct, and others survived to today.
Arctic could become 'ice-free' within a decade
While summer sea ice loss in the Arctic is inevitable, it can be reversed if the planet cools down, researchers say.
8 in 10 lizards could be at risk due to deforestation
These reptiles move around tree trunks to seek warmth or shade. With trees disappearing, they would have trouble controlling their body temperature, a new study shows.
Plant Lavender, Marjoram and Ivy on your green wall to clean up the air
Green walls can strip pollution from the air -- and some plants do it better than others, according to new research. Researchers planted 10 species on a custom-built 1.4m green wall.
Coronary artery calcium score predictive of heart attacks, strokes
Coronary artery calcium scoring with CT can identify symptomatic patients with a very low risk of heart attacks or strokes. Researchers said the findings may one day help some patients with stable chest pain avoid invasive coronary angiography.
Researchers invent new triple-junction tandem solar cells with world-record efficiency
Scientists have developed a novel triple-junction perovskite/Si tandem solar cell that can achieve a certified world-record power conversion efficiency of 27.1 per cent across a solar energy absorption area of 1 sq cm, representing the best-performing triple-junction perovskite/Si tandem solar cell thus far. To achieve this, the team engineered a new cyanate-integrated perovskite solar cell that is stable and energy efficient.
Protecting joints from bacteria with mussels
A collaborative team of researchers developed an implant coating triggering antibiotic release in response to bacterial infection.
Sleep apnea symptoms linked to memory and thinking problems
People who experience sleep apnea may be more likely to also have memory or thinking problems, according to a preliminary study. The study shows a positive association but did not determine whether sleep apnea causes cognitive decline.
JWST captures the end of planet formation
The James Webb Space Telescope is helping scientists uncover how planets form by advancing understanding of their birthplaces and the circumstellar disks surrounding young stars. Scientists have imaged winds from an old planet-forming disk (still very young relative to the Sun) which is actively dispersing its gas content. Knowing when the gas disperses is important as it constrains the time left for nascent planets to consume the gas from their surroundings.
Scientists revolutionize wireless communication with three-dimensional processors
Scientists have pioneered a method for using semiconductor technology to manufacture processors that significantly enhance the efficiency of transmitting vast amounts of data across the globe.
Less ice in the Arctic Ocean has complex effects on marine ecosystems and ocean productivity
Most of the sunlight reaching the Arctic Ocean is reflected to space by sea ice, effectively shielding ocean ecosystems from sunlight. As the Arctic sea ice continues its downward trend, larger areas of the ocean become exposed to sunlight for longer periods, potentially allowing more primary production on the seafloor. However, according to a new study, this anticipated increase in primary production does not seem to be occurring uniformly across the Arctic Ocean.
New research shows migrating animals learn by experience
Individual white storks incrementally straightened their migration routes to find more direct ways to move between destinations during the spring migration to summer breeding and nesting grounds, suggesting that experiential learning is an important part of successful migration.
Although trust in science remains high, public questions scientists' adherence to science's norms
In a new article, members of the Strategic Council of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine examine what has happened to public confidence in science, why it has happened, and what can be done to elevate it. They say that while there is public agreement about the values that should underpin science, the public questions whether scientists actually live up to these values and whether they can overcome their individual biases.
An inside look at Beech tree disease
A new study found differences at the cellular level of leaves from infected Beech trees -- variations that may account for tree mortality.
New AI model draws treasure maps to diagnose disease
Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence model that can accurately identify tumors and diseases in medical images. The tool draws a map to explain each diagnosis, helping doctors follow its line of reasoning, check for accuracy, and explain the results to patients.
Breastfeeding after COVID-19 booster can give babies antibodies
A recently published study that shows lactating mothers who get the COVID-19 booster pass along the antibodies to their children via their breast milk -- and potentially protect babies too young to receive the vaccine.
Scientists put forth a smarter way to protect a smarter grid
Scientists have put forth a new approach to protect the electric grid, creating a tool that sorts and prioritizes cyber threats on the fly.
Modeling the origins of life: New evidence for an 'RNA World'
Scientists provide fresh insights on the origins of life, presenting compelling evidence supporting the 'RNA World' hypothesis. The study unveils an RNA enzyme that can make accurate copies of other functional RNA strands, while also allowing new variants of the molecule to emerge over time. These remarkable capabilities suggest the earliest forms of evolution may have occurred on a molecular scale in RNA, and also bring scientists one step closer to re-creating autonomous RNA-based life in the laboratory.