ScienceDaily: All - March 21, 2024
Today's top research news
AI can now detect COVID-19 in lung ultrasound images
Artificial intelligence can spot COVID-19 in lung ultrasound images much like facial recognition software can spot a face in a crowd, new research shows. The findings boost AI-driven medical diagnostics and bring health care professionals closer to being able to quickly diagnose patients with COVID-19 and other pulmonary diseases with algorithms that comb through ultrasound images to identify signs of disease.
Image: COVID-19 under the microscope, Andrii Vodolazhskyi/shutterstock.com
Severe lung infection during COVID-19 can cause damage to the heart
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can damage the heart even without directly infecting the heart tissue, a new study has found. The research specifically looked at damage to the hearts of people with SARS-CoV2-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a serious lung condition that can be fatal. But researchers said the findings could have relevance to organs beyond the heart and also to viruses other than SARS-CoV-2.
Metformin during pregnancy affects the brain development in offspring mice, study finds
With the rise in gestational diabetes and metabolic disorders during pregnancy, metformin is also being prescribed more frequently. Although it is known that the oral antidiabetic agent can cross the placental barrier, the impacts on the brain development of the child are largely unknown. Researchers have now been able to demonstrate in a mouse model that although metformin has positive effects in pregnant animals, it does not in the offspring.
High school students contribute to exoplanet discovery
A group of high school students from Oakland, California, made contributions to the field of exoplanet research. Researchers worked with the students to use backpack-sized digital smart telescopes. These young citizen scientists played a role in observing and confirming the nature of a warm and dense sub-Saturn planet, known as TIC 139270665 b, orbiting a metal-rich G2 star.
Perceived gender discrimination linked to decline in wellbeing for older women
A study of more than 3,000 middle-aged and older women living in England showed that those who believed they had encountered gender discrimination were more likely to report declines in wellbeing over time.
Fear may lead women and men to make different decisions when choosing short-VS-long-term rewards
Fear may affect women's decisions in choosing immediate rewards versus larger delayed ones, while men's decisions appear unaffected by emotion, according to a new study.
Killer whales use specialized hunting techniques to catch marine mammals in the open ocean
Killer whales foraging in deep submarine canyons off the coast of California represent a distinct subpopulation that uses specialized hunting techniques to catch marine mammals, researchers report.
The first Neolithic boats in the Mediterranean
More than 7,000 years ago, people navigated the Mediterranean Sea using technologically sophisticated boats, according to a new study.
New study reveals that Europa's ice shell is at least 20 kilometers thick.
Ancient giant dolphin discovered in the Amazon
Measuring between 3 to 3.5 meters, 16 million years old: Paleontologists have announced the discovery of a new species of freshwater dolphin in the Peruvian Amazon region. Surprisingly, its closest living relatives can be found in the river dolphins of South Asia.
Study suggests an 'odor sensor' may explain male and female differences in blood pressure
Using data from both mice and humans, a research team has found that a cell surface protein that senses odors and chemicals may be responsible for -- and help explain -- male/female differences in mammalian blood pressure.
Scientists find one of the most ancient stars that formed in another galaxy
The first generation of stars transformed the universe. Inside their cores, simple hydrogen and helium fused into a rainbow of elements. When these stars died, they exploded and sent these new elements across the universe. The iron running in your veins and the calcium in your teeth and the sodium powering your thoughts were all born in the heart of a long-dead star.
Toba supereruption unveils new insights into early human migration
Working in the Horn of Africa, researchers have uncovered evidence showing how early modern humans survived in the wake of the eruption of Toba, one of the largest supervolcanoes in history, some 74,000 years ago. Modern humans dispersed from Africa multiple times, but the event that led to global expansion occurred less than 100,000 years ago. Some researchers hypothesize that dispersals were restricted to 'green corridors' formed during humid intervals when food was abundant and human populations expanded in lockstep with their environments. But a new study suggests that humans also may have dispersed during arid intervals along 'blue highways' created by seasonal rivers. Researchers also found evidence of cooking and stone tools that represent the oldest evidence of archery.
Robotic metamaterial: An endless domino effect
If it walks like a particle, and talks like a particle... it may still not be a particle. A topological soliton is a special type of wave or dislocation which behaves like a particle: it can move around but cannot spread out and disappear like you would expect from, say, a ripple on the surface of a pond. Researchers now demonstrate the atypical behavior of topological solitons in a robotic metamaterial, something which in the future may be used to control how robots move, sense their surroundings and communicate.
Quantum tornado provides gateway to understanding black holes
Scientists have created a giant quantum vortex to mimic a black hole in superfluid helium that has allowed them to see in greater detail how analogue black holes behave and interact with their surroundings.
The heat index -- how hot it really feels -- is rising faster than temperature
Researchers showed in 2022 that heat index calculations by NOAA based on analyses from the 1970s don't adequately reflect the heat stress humans feel during the extremes of heat and humidity accompanying climate change. Using their revised heat index, the researchers looked at Texas's summer 2023 heat wave and found that the 3 degree F rise in global temperatures has increased the state's heat index as much as 11 degrees F on the hottest days.
Social bonding gets people on the same wavelength
When small hierarchical groups bond, neural activity between leaders and followers aligns, promoting quicker and more frequent communication, according to a new study.
Low social status increases risk of health problems from alcohol problems
Men and women with lower income or education levels are more likely to develop medical conditions related to alcohol abuse compared to similar individuals with a higher socioeconomic status, according to a new study.
Sea surface temperature research provides clear evidence of human-caused climate change
Claims that climate change is natural are inconsistent with new oceanic temperature trends.
Craving snacks after a meal? It might be food-seeking neurons, not an overactive appetite
Psychologists have discovered a circuit in the brain of mice that makes them crave food and seek it out, even when they are not hungry. When stimulated, this cluster of cells propels mice to forage vigorously and to prefer fatty and pleasurable foods like chocolate over healthier foods like carrots.
Powerful new AI can predict people's attitudes to vaccines
A powerful new tool in artificial intelligence is able to predict whether someone is willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
While social media changes over decades, conversation dynamics stay the same, new study suggests
A new study has identified recurring, 'toxic' human conversation patterns on social media, which are common to users irrespective of the platform used, the topic of discussion, and the decade in which the conversation took place.
8-hour time-restricted eating linked to a 91% higher risk of cardiovascular death
A study of over 20,000 adults found that those who followed an 8-hour time-restricted eating schedule, a type of intermittent fasting, had a 91% higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
Toxic metal particles can be present in cannabis vapes even before the first use, study finds
Though vapes have been heralded as a 'safer' way to consume either nicotine or cannabis, they present their own suite of risks that are being revealed through increasing regulation. Now, scientists have discovered that nano-sized toxic metal particles can be present in cannabis vaping liquids even before any heating occurs, and the effect is worse in illicit products.
There are large accumulations of plastics in the ocean, even outside so-called garbage patch
When plastic ends up in the ocean, it gradually weathers and disintegrates into small particles. If marine animals ingest these particles, their health can be severely affected. Large accumulations of plastic can therefore disrupt the biological balance of marine ecosystems. But which areas are particularly affected?
Fairy circles: Plant water stress causes Namibia's gaps in grass
Namibia's legendary fairy circles are mysterious, circular, bald patches in the dry grasslands on the edge of the Namib Desert. Their formation has been researched for decades and has recently been the subject of much debate. With extensive fieldwork, researchers investigated how freshly germinated grass dies inside the fairy circle. Their results show that the grass withers due to a lack of water inside the fairy circle. The topsoil, comprised of the top 10 to 12 centimeters of the soil, acts as a kind of 'death zone' in which fresh grass cannot survive for long.
Biomarkers of the middle-aged brain predict cognitive health in old age
The middle-aged brain could provide a window into future cognitive health. A team reviewed evidence from human and animal studies suggesting that middle age -- commonly considered as the period between 40 and 60 or 65 years of age -- marks a shift in brain aging. They argue that more research should be dedicated to middle age, a period of life that is historically understudied.