ScienceDaily: All - October 08, 2024
Today's top research news
Scientists discover a secret to regulating our body clock, offering new approach to end jet lag
Scientists have discovered the secret to regulating our internal clock. They identified that this regulator sits right at the tail end of Casein Kinase 1 delta, a protein which acts as a pace setter for our internal biological clock or the natural 24-hour cycles that control sleep-wake patterns and other daily functions, known as circadian rhythm.
Image: Bychykhin Olexandr/Shutterstock.com
Antarctic 'greening' at dramatic rate
Vegetation cover across the Antarctic Peninsula has increased more than tenfold over the last four decades, new research shows.
Common consumer product chemicals now tied to cardiac electrical changes
Some environmental phenols are known to have cardiac toxicities. Now, a new study is revealing their adverse impact on the heart's electrical properties.
Winds of change: James Webb Space Telescope reveals elusive details in young star systems
Planet-forming disks, maelstroms of gas and dust swirling around young stars, are nurseries that give rise to planetary systems, including our solar system. Astronomers have discovered new details of gas flows that sculpt those disks and shape them over time.
A novel method to split water to create hydrogen -- a clean source of fuel
Researchers have developed a novel method using facet-selective, ultrafine cocatalysts to efficiently split water to create hydrogen -- a clean source of fuel.
Fear of childbirth is associated with shorter duration of breastfeeding
The duration of breastfeeding is shorter than average among mothers with a fear of childbirth -- regardless of the mode of delivery, a new study from Finland shows.
Autobiographical memory in the digital age: Our lives in the mirror of our data
Never before have people recorded more information about their lives than today. But what does this mean for the way we remember our lives and how we talk about them? Researchers are trying to find answers to these questions.
How cells maintain their central processing unit for cell division
A centromere is a specialized location in the DNA that functions as the control center of cell division and is maintained, unchanged, across generations of cells. It is characterized by a special protein, called centromeric protein A (CENP-A), which marks the centromere and mobilizes other players necessary for cell division.
Low stream diatom biodiversity potentially decreasing stream oxygen production in remote islands
Benthic diatoms are the most important and biodiverse primary producers in streams and comprise the basis for the food webs, fueling animals such as insects and stream fishes including trout.
What turns bacteria into spirals?
A protein determines the shape of bacteria.
Gut hormones could hold the key to fighting fatty liver disease
Fatty liver disease is a growing global health concern. Proglucagon-derived peptides (PGDPs), including glucagon, GLP-1, and GLP-2, are known to regulate lipid metabolism in the liver. However, the mechanism underlying this remains unelucidated. Now, researchers have investigated the role of PGDPs, including glucagon, GLP-1, and GLP-2, in fat accumulation in the liver using GCGKO mice deficient in these peptides.
A compost in the sea that produces oxygen
Researchers studied the fate of the material produced by Posidonia seagrass meadows. This study, carried out in the Mediterranean Sea at STARESO, shows that the dead leaves of what is commonly known as Neptune grass accumulate in shallow areas, where they break down like a compost, remineralizing the organic matter. This has a previously underestimated effect on carbon fluxes in the Mediterranean coastal environments. Surprisingly, alongside this CO2 emission, oxygen production was also measured. This is linked to the presence of photosynthetic organisms living in this compost in the sea, which fundamentally differentiates it from compost on land.
Space oddity: Most distant rotating disc galaxy found
Researchers have discovered the most distant Milky-Way-like galaxy yet observed. Dubbed REBELS-25, this disc galaxy seems as orderly as present-day galaxies, but we see it as it was when the Universe was only 700 million years old. This is surprising since, according to our current understanding of galaxy formation, such early galaxies are expected to appear more chaotic.
After injury, these comb jellies can fuse to become one
Researchers have made the surprising discovery that one species of comb jelly (Mnemiopsis leidyi) can fuse, such that two individuals readily turn into one following an injury. Afterwards, they rapidly synchronize their muscle contractions and merge digestive tracts to share food.
Whale shark shipping collisions may increase as oceans warm
Global warming could increase the threat posed to whale sharks from large ships, according to a new study.
Despite medical advances, life expectancy gains are slowing
After nearly doubling over the 20th century, the rate of increase in life expectancy has slowed considerably in the last three decades, according to a new study.
Commonly used arm positions can substantially overestimate blood pressure readings
Researchers conclude that commonly used ways of positioning the patient's arm during blood pressure (BP) screenings can substantially overestimate test results and may lead to a misdiagnosis of hypertension.
Cancer biologists discover a new mechanism for an old drug
Doctors have long believed the cancer drug 5-fluorouracil works by damaging the building blocks of DNA, but researchers have now found that in certain cancers, it kills cells by interfering with RNA synthesis. The findings could help researchers design better drug combinations for colon and gastrointestinal cancers.
Protecting confidentiality in adolescent patient portals
Researchers found that the possibility of parental disclosure through online patient portals led older adolescents to hesitate in sharing complete health information with doctors, putting them at risk of missed diagnoses and treatments. The paper noted that confidentiality concerns were increased among females and those who are sexual and gender minorities.