ScienceDaily: All - March 20, 2025
Today's top research news
Coffee-making robot breaks new ground for AI machines
An AI-powered robot that can prepare cups of coffee in a busy kitchen could usher in the next generation of intelligent machines, a study suggests.
Science behind 'Polly want a cracker' could guide future treatment design for speech disorders
A new study explains how a parakeet's brain helps it to mimic human words.
Squirrel-inspired leaping robot can stick a landing on a branch
A leaping robot could have application in search and rescue, construction, even forest monitoring. But how do you design a robot to stick a landing on a branch or pipe? Biologists worked with robot designers to discover how squirrels do it, and used what they learned to design a one-legged robot with the balancing ability and leg biomechanics to correct for over- and undershooting and land successfully on a narrow perch.
Stroke rehabilitation drug repairs brain damage
A new study has discovered what researchers say is the first drug to fully reproduce the effects of physical stroke rehabilitation in model mice, following from human studies.
Gender gap in teenage depression is twice as large in London than in Tokyo, new study finds
Research has tracked depressive symptoms in 7100 young people from Tokyo and London and shown girls have more depressive symptoms than boys in both cities. The study found that this gap is around twice as large in London and the year-on-year rise in depressive symptoms is around four times steeper for teenage girls in London than for teenage girls in Tokyo.
Protecting crops: Researchers open up new avenue to combat a widespread plant virus
New RNA-based active agents reliably protect plants against the Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), the most common virus in agriculture and horticulture. They were developed by researchers at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU). The active ingredients have a broad spectrum effect; a series of RNA molecules support the plant's immune system in combating the virus. In laboratory experiments, 80 to 100 per cent of the treated plants survived an infection with a high viral load, as the team reports in 'Nucleic Acids Research'. Their paper has been selected as a 'breakthrough article' by the journal. The researchers are now working on transferring the idea from the laboratory into practice.
New platform lets anyone rapidly prototype large, sturdy interactive structures
A rapid prototyping platform called VIK (Voxel Invention Kit) enables makers without engineering expertise to create large-scale interactive devices using a series of reconfigurable electromechanical building blocks. These user-friendly components can be assembled using only a soldering iron and a pair of pliers.
Blood pressure patterns during pregnancy predict later hypertension risk, study finds
Women with blood pressure levels in a range considered clinically normal during pregnancy but no mid-pregnancy drop in blood pressure face an increased risk of developing hypertension in the five years after giving birth. These women -- about 12% of the population studied -- would not be flagged as high-risk by current medical guidelines, but the new findings could help identify them as candidates for early intervention.
Latest Alzheimer's drug shown less effective in females than males
A research team has found that lecanemab was probably less effective in females than males in its Phase 3 trial. However, there was insufficient evidence to say the drug was totally ineffective in females.
Vaccine may improve breast cancer treatment outcomes
Researchers have discovered a promising new vaccine strategy for treating a specific type of breast cancer. The innovative approach targets human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive, estrogen receptor-negative (HER2-positive, ER-negative) breast cancer and has shown encouraging results in a recent pilot study. The study combined the HER2-targeting dendritic cell vaccines with standard chemotherapy, demonstrating both safety and positive response rates.
Whose air quality are we monitoring?
The EPA's network consistently failed to capture air quality in communities of color across six major pollutants. The monitors are the key data source driving decisions about pollution reduction, urban planning and public health initiatives. The data may misrepresent pollution concentrations, leaving marginalized groups at risk.
Researchers find missing link in autoimmune disorder
Scientists have identified a protein in cells that spurs the release of infection-fighting molecules. The protein, whose role in the immune system had not previously been suspected, provides a potential target for therapies that could prevent over-reactive immune responses that are at the root of several debilitating illnesses.
Chemists have created a machine learning tool that can identify the chemical composition of dried salt solutions from an image with 99% accuracy. By using robotics to prepare thousands of samples and artificial intelligence to analyze their data, they created a simple, inexpensive tool that could expand possibilities for performing chemical analysis.
Cannabis users face substantially higher risk of heart attack
Marijuana is now legal in many places, but is it safe? Two new studies add to mounting evidence that people who use cannabis are more likely to suffer a heart attack than people who do not use the drug, even among younger and otherwise healthy adults. The findings are from a retrospective study of over 4.6 million people and a meta-analysis of 12 previously published studies.
Lifestyle risks weigh heavier on women's hearts
Lifestyle and health factors that are linked with heart disease appear to have a greater impact on cardiovascular risk in women than men.
AI food scanner turns phone photos into nutritional analysis
An AI system can tell the calorie count, fat content, and nutritional value of a meal just from a photo.
AI ring tracks spelled words in American Sign Language
A research team has developed an artificial intelligence-powered ring equipped with micro-sonar technology that can continuously and in real time track finger-spelling in American Sign Language (ASL).
Deep learning revolutionizes cytoskeleton research
A research team has developed a groundbreaking deep learning-based method for analyzing the cytoskeleton -- the structural framework inside cells -- more accurately and efficiently than ever before. This advancement could transform how scientists study cell functions in plants and other organisms.
Eco-friendly method to efficiently convert methane to ethanol
In advancing sustainable energy solutions, an international collaborative team of scientists has achieved a significant milestone in low-carbon chemical conversion. In their recent publication in Nature, the team, led by Professors Zhengxiao GUO of Department of Chemistry at The University of Hong Kong (HKU), Weixin HUANG of University of Science and Technology of China, Richard CATLOW of University College London and Junwang TANG of Tsinghua University, have discovered a photocatalytic approach to converting methane to ethanol with high selectivity of around 80% and a methane conversion rate of 2.3% in a single run using a packed-bed flow reactor. The system achieves an impressive apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) of 9.4%, which measures how effectively it converts incident photons into electrons that participate in the reaction under specific wavelength conditions.
Low doses of antibiotic work just as well as higher ones to treat rare type of chronic hair loss
Small amounts of a common antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drug can curb symptoms where a misplaced immune reaction (e.g., autoimmunity) can cause permanent hair loss, a new study shows. This regimen may also come with fewer side effects than higher doses of the medication.
Helicobacter pylori treatment practices in the Asia-Pacific region
Researchers conducted a large-scale online survey of clinicians in the Asia-Pacific region to investigate treatment policies for the gastric cancer-causing bacteria Helicobacter pylori.
New 'shy' fungus found in old-growth forest
Although fungi of the genus Piloderma are common, scientists have now discovered five previously unknown species. One of these is one of the most widely distributed species in Northern Europe, while another is found only in old-growth forests. The discoveries show that diversity in this genus is much greater than previously thought and that some of its species are at risk of disappearing as old-growth forest is logged.
Web search formulas offer a first step for protecting critical infrastructure
Scientists are exploring how web search engine technology might also keep the lights on, the water running and the trains moving.
Embryo development holds key to healthy lifestyles
Researchers have discovered that the earliest days of embryo development have a measurable impact on a person's future health and aging.
Lords of the molecular rings: An innovative shortcut to high-performance organic materials
Scientists have unveiled an innovative approach for synthesizing azaparacyclophanes (APCs), a class of highly advanced ring-shaped molecular structures with immense potential in material science. Their innovative Catalyst-Transfer Macrocyclization (CTM) method streamlines the production of these complex macrocycles, paving the way for more efficient and scalable applications in organic electronics, optoelectronics, and supramolecular chemistry -- such as displays, flexible solar cells and transistors.
The smart MAIJU jumpsuit offers a novel approach to at-home monitoring of infants' early motor development. The wearable device combines expertise in medicine, measuring technology and AI, enabling objective and accurate assessment of children's motor skills without the presence of researchers.
Wingless shapes the fly intestine
A study reveals how the Wingless signalling pathway shapes the embryonic intestine of the Drosophila fly, activating a mechanism involved in calcium transport. The finding redefines the role of calcium in organ formation in developing organisms.
Scientists discover protein key to bacteria's survival in extreme environments
The discovery sheds light on how certain bacteria -- including strains that cause food poisoning and anthrax -- form spores for survival.
How to stop being surprised by extreme weather
A team of scientists have brought together methods to see beyond the limitations of conventional weather records, which typically only cover the past century.
Efficient development of drugs with fewer mice
New active ingredients such as antibodies are usually tested individually in laboratory animals. Researchers have now developed a technology that can be used to test around 25 antibodies simultaneously in a single mouse. This should not only speed up the research and development pipeline for new drugs, but also hugely reduce the number of laboratory animals required.
Genetic study reveals hidden chapter in human evolution
Modern humans descended from not one, but at least two ancestral populations that drifted apart and later reconnected, long before modern humans spread across the globe.
New AI tool visualizes a cell's 'social network' to help treat cancer
An openly available generative AI tool can interpret millions of cells in human tissues in hours, revealing new insights and allowing researchers and clinicians to ask questions about conditions such as cancer.
Popular cooking cheese made with peas yields same taste and texture
A significant amount of the milk used in a popular cooking cheese can be substituted with plants, all while maintaining its taste and texture. Researchers have demonstrated this by creating a hybrid version of paneer, a popular South Asian cheese, with twenty-five percent pea protein. The result is a solid step towards more sustainable dairy products with nutritional benefits.
Climate change fuelling mental health crisis in areas most affected by climate crisis
Climate change is not just an environmental issue -- it's a mental health crisis impacting on adolescent wellbeing right now in areas most affected by climate change, according to new research.
Lymph node transfer reduces arm swelling after breast cancer surgery
A study has shown that lymph node transfer is a viable treatment for the swelling in the affected limb, a condition known as lymphedema, after breast cancer surgery. However, an effective drug to improve the outcomes of the transfer treatment continues to be sought.
Physicists have measured a nuclear reaction that can occur in neutron star collisions, providing direct experimental data for a process that had previously only been theorised. The study provides new insight into how the universe's heaviest elements are forged -- and could even drive advancements in nuclear reactor physics.
Scientists map neural wiring of vocal circuits in songbirds
Researchers have mapped the long-range synaptic connections involved in vocal learning in zebra finches, uncovering new details about how the brain organises learned vocalisations such as birdsong.