ScienceDaily: All - October 18, 2023
Today's top research news
Ancient diamonds shine light on the evolution of Earth
Formed millions to billions of years ago, diamonds can shine light into the darkest and oldest parts of the Earth's mantle. The analysis of ancient, superdeep diamonds dug up from mines in Brazil and Western Africa, has exposed new processes of how continents evolved and moved during the early evolution of complex life on Earth. These diamonds that were formed between 650 and 450 million years ago on the base of the supercontinent Gondwana, were analysed by an international team of experts, and have shown how supercontinents such as Gondwana were formed, stabilised, and how they move around the planet.
Avigator Fortuner/shutterstock.com
The encounter between Neanderthals and Sapiens as told by their genomes
About 40,000 years ago, Neanderthals, who had lived for hundreds of thousands of years in the western part of the Eurasian continent, gave way to Homo sapiens, who had arrived from Africa. This replacement was not sudden, and the two species coexisted for a few millennia, resulting in the integration of Neanderthal DNA into the genome of Sapiens. Researchers have analyzed the distribution of the portion of DNA inherited from Neanderthals in the genomes of humans (Homo sapiens) over the last 40,000 years. These statistical analyses revealed subtle variations in time and geographical space.
From a five-layer graphene sandwich, a rare electronic state emerges
When stacked in five layers in a rhombohedral pattern, graphene takes on a rare 'multiferroic' state, exhibiting both unconventional magnetism and an exotic electronic behavior known as ferro-valleytricity.
Unlocking the secrets of cell behavior on soft substrates: A paradigm shift in mechanobiology
A research group has developed a new method for studying how cancer cells function in softer and stiffer tissue environments. This insight challenges the existing paradigm, opening up new possibilities for research in cancer biology and tissue engineering.
Grasping the three-dimensional morphology of kilonovae
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The changing information technology industry, latest artificial intelligence applications, high demand for IT professionals, and evolving need for learning are leading to the search for innovations in education that will allow current and future employees to acquire knowledge in a contemporary and accessible way. This is particularly relevant in the field of programming, where the complexity of the process often creates learning difficulties. Researchers are now proposing to gamify this process.
Females less likely to heal from ACL injuries than males
Injuries of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), located in the knee, are typically thought to be caused by acute traumatic events, such as sudden twists. New work analyzing an animal model of ACLs suggests that such injuries can also occur as a result of chronic overuse, specifically due to a reduced ability to repair microtraumas associated with overuse. Importantly, the team said, females also are less able to heal from these microtraumas than males, which may explain why females are two to eight times more likely to tear their ACL ligaments than males.
Genetic risk scores not useful in predicting disease
A new study looked at 926 polygenic risk scores for 310 diseases. It found that, on average, only 11% of individuals who develop disease are identified, while at the same time 5% of people who do not develop the disease test positive. Unaffected people usually outnumber those affected which results in far more false than true positive predictions.
Team finds a stem-cell derived mechanism that could lead to regenerative therapies for heart damage
A team has identified an essential internal control mechanism that can promote the maturation of human stem cell-derived heart muscle cells, possibly leading to new therapies for heart disease and cardiac damage.
Founder personality could predict start-up success
Research shows start-up founders have distinct personality traits, and they're more important to the success of their companies than previously thought.
Scientists discover links between Alzheimer's disease and gut microbiota
Research identifies links between gut bacteria, inflammation and brain changes associated with Alzheimer's disease. The findings suggest that Alzheimer's symptoms can be transferred via the gut microbiota.
Mimicking a bird's sticky spit to create cellulose gels
Using a small bird's nest-making process as a model, researchers have developed a nontoxic process for making cellulose gels.
Familiarity breeds contempt for moral failings
People judge members of their own circles more harshly than they judge individuals from other groups for the same transgressions, new research has found.
Whaling wiped out far more fin whales than previously thought
Whaling in the 20th century destroyed 99% of the Eastern North Pacific fin whale breeding population. Because there is enough genetic diversity, current conservation measures should help the population rebound without becoming inbred. The future of fin whales in the Gulf of California depends on the recovery of the Eastern North Pacific population.
Human Lung Chip leveraged to faithfully model radiation-induced lung injury
Researchers have developed a human in vitro model that closely mimics the complexities of radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) and radiation dose sensitivity of the human lung. Using a previously developed microfluidic human Lung Alveolus Chip lined by human lung alveolar epithelial cells interfaced with lung capillary cells to recreate the alveolar-capillary interface in vitro, the researchers recapitulated many of the hallmarks of RILI, including radiation-induced DNA damage in lung tissue, cell-specific changes in gene expression, inflammation, and injury to both the lung epithelial cells and blood vessel-lining endothelial cells. By also evaluating the potential of two drugs to suppress the effects of acute RILI, the researchers demonstrated their model's capabilities as an advanced, human-relevant, preclinical, drug discovery platform.
Researchers test seafloor fiber optic cable as an earthquake early warning system
One of the biggest challenges for earthquake early warning systems (EEW) is the lack of seismic stations located offshore of heavily populated coastlines, where some of the world's most seismically active regions are located. In a new study, researchers show how unused telecommunications fiber optic cable can be transformed for offshore EEW.
Mitochondrial protein plays key role in glioblastoma and therapeutic resistance
Glioblastoma is the most common type of brain tumor that affects adults and, unfortunately, still remains incurable. In a new study, researchers have demonstrated that a specific mitochondrial protein plays an important role in glioblastoma, and can therefore be used as a potential target to reduce tumors.
Orchid without bumblebee on island finds wasp, loses self
Because the bumblebee that an orchid relies on for pollination does not exist on a remote island, the plant gets pollinated by an island wasp. Researchers found that this came at the cost of being hybridized with another orchid species adapted to being pollinated by the wasp. The finding showcases how plants in ecological relationships adapt to changing circumstances.
Adults with ADHD are at increased risk for developing dementia
Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are nearly three times more likely to develop dementia than adults without ADHD, according to a new study. The study followed more than 100,000 older adults in Israel over 17 years to examine if adults with ADHD are at increased risk for dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.
