ScienceDaily: All - October 23, 2024
Today's top research news
People with type 2 diabetes who eat low-carb may be able to discontinue medication
Adults with type 2 diabetes on a low-carbohydrate diet may see benefits to their beta-cell function allowing them to better manage their disease and possibly discontinue medication, according to new research.
Image: VectorMine/Shutterstock.com
Starving cancer cells of fat may improve cancer treatment
Cutting off cancer cells' access to fat may help a specific type of cancer treatment work more effectively, reports a new study. The findings lay the groundwork for developing tailored dietary strategies to help anti-cancer medications better kill malignant cells.
New fingerprint mass spectrometry method paves the way to solving the proteome
A new data-driven technique, called fingerprint mass spectrometry, provides a method for measuring the mass of individual proteins using nanoscale devices.
New study finds partner's happiness linked to lower stress hormone levels in older couples
Having happy intimate partners might not only lift our moods, but it also helps us manage stress, especially as we age, according to new research. When comparing individuals' self-reported emotional states and relationship satisfaction with their levels of cortisol, researchers observed that older couples have lower levels of the stress hormone when their partners feel positive emotions. This effect was even stronger for people who reported higher satisfaction in their relationships.
Can cell phone signals help land a plane?
Researchers are taking experimental navigation technology to the skies, pioneering a backup system to keep an airplane on course when it cannot rely on global positioning system satellites.
Breakthrough toward solving electronics overheating problem
Researchers have successfully enhanced spin wave transfer efficiency for heatless information transmission.
Soft microelectronics technologies enabling wearable AI for digital health
Developing edge-computing and AI capabilities from wearable sensors enhances their intelligence, critical for the AI of Things, and reduces power consumption by minimizing data exchange between sensory terminals and computing units. This enables wearable devices to process data locally, offering real-time processing, faster feedback, and decreased reliance on network connectivity and external devices, thereby enhancing efficiency, privacy, and responsiveness in applications like health monitoring, activity tracking, and smart wearable technology.
Going chiral: Breakthrough in synthesizing carbon nanotubes with precise chirality
Researcher works to preserve the white shark in the Mediterranean Sea
Biologists are working to save one of the most endangered white shark populations on the planet. The research team located signs of the remaining white sharks in the Sicilian Channel.
Technology for precise diagnosis of electric vehicle batteries using small currents
Researchers have developed a new technology that can diagnose and monitor the state of batteries with high precision using only small amounts of current, which is expected to maximize the batteries' long-term stability and efficiency.
Stirred, not shaken: Scientists uncover how transcription drives motion within the genome
A team of scientists has discovered surprising connections among gene activity, genome packing, and genome-wide motions, revealing aspects of the genome's organization that directly affect gene regulation and expression. The findings bolster our understanding of the mechanics behind transcription-dependent motions of single genes -- the dysfunction of which may lead to neurological and cardiovascular disorders as well as to cancer.
Engineering creates molecules that target cancer-causing proteins
A new study describes the development of a biologic, a drug derived from natural biological systems, that targets a mutant cancer protein called HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) without attacking its nearly identical normal counterpart on healthy cells.
Wearable cameras allow AI to detect medication errors
A team of researchers says it has developed the first wearable camera system that, with the help of artificial intelligence, detects potential errors in medication delivery. In a test, the video system recognized and identified, with high proficiency, which medications were being drawn in busy clinical settings. The AI achieved 99.6% sensitivity and 98.8% specificity at detecting vial-swap errors. The system could become a critical safeguard, especially in operating rooms, intensive-care units and emergency-medicine settings.
New simultaneous lithium and magnesium extraction technology
In the race for solutions to unlock untapped sources, engineers have developed new technology enabling direct lithium extraction from extreme environments like the desert.
Novel 2D electro-polaritonic platform for future miniaturized spectrometers
Researchers present the integration of a detector system and a polaritonic platform in the same 2D material, enabling for the first time the detection of 2D polaritonic nanoresonators with spectral resolution. The device is suitable for miniaturization and shows record levels of lateral confinement and high-quality factors simultaneously.
How the coronavirus defeats the innate immune response
SARS-CoV-2 has an enzyme that can counteract a cell's innate defense mechanism against viruses, explaining why it is more infectious than the previous SARS and MERS-causing viruses. The discovery may point the way to the development of more effective drugs against this and possibly similar, future diseases.
Microplastics and PFAS: Combined risk and greater environmental harm
The combined impact of so-called 'forever chemicals' is more harmful to the environment than single chemicals in isolation, a new study shows.
AI eye to eye with ophthalmologists in diagnosing corneal infections, study finds
Eye care specialists could see artificial intelligence help in diagnosing infectious keratitis (IK), a leading cause of corneal blindness worldwide, as a new study finds that deep learning models showed similar levels of accuracy in identifying infection.
Full-bodied cheese flavor quickly and efficiently
Peptides formed during cheese ripening are crucial for the full-bodied flavor of aged cheeses, known as kokumi. A research team led by the Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich has now developed a new method to analyze these flavor-relevant peptides precisely, quickly, and efficiently. Based on more than 120 cheese samples, the team has also created a database that can be used in the future to predict flavor development during cheese ripening.
Crucial role of cerebellum in social and cognitive functioning
Scientists shed light on the often-overlooked role of the cerebellum in both motor and social-cognitive processes. His research contributes to a growing shift in the field of neuroscience, which has traditionally focused on the cerebrum. For decades, the cerebellum was primarily associated with motor coordination.
Scientists discover how fungi interact with soil actinomycetes
In a recent study, researchers investigated the interactions between Pyricularia oryzae, the rice blast fungus, and the beneficial soil bacterium Streptomyces griseus. They found that P. oryzae significantly increased the pH of the growth medium, promoting the growth of S. griseus even without direct contact. These findings highlight the importance of soil microbial interactions, paving the way for development of environmentally sustainable biocontrol strategies for plant diseases.
Study highlights complexity of menopausal hormone therapy's impact on brain health
A study suggests that menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) might have moderate effects on brain health, but this depends on past surgical history, the duration of treatment, and a woman's age at last use.
Dangers of the metaverse and VR for US youth revealed in new research
Research of online victimization in the metaverse is sorely lacking. A new study explored harm in the metaverse and VR devices among a sample of 5,005 U.S. teens aged 13 to 17. Findings show a significant percentage of youth reported harm in these spaces, including hate speech, bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, grooming behaviors (predators building trust with minors), and unwanted exposure to violent or sexual content. The study also revealed notable gender differences in experiences, emphasizing the need for protective strategies in virtual environments.
MRI can save rectal cancer patients from surgery, study suggests
MRI can predict the risk of rectal cancer reccurring or spreading for patients who have undergone chemotherapy and radiation, new research indicates.
Showing AI users diversity in training data boosts perceived fairness and trust
While artificial intelligence (AI) systems, such as home assistants, search engines or large language models like ChatGPT, may seem nearly omniscient, their outputs are only as good as the data on which they are trained. However, ease of use often leads users to adopt AI systems without understanding what training data was used or who prepared the data, including potential biases in the data or held by trainers. A new study suggests that making this information available could shape appropriate expectations of AI systems and further help users make more informed decisions about whether and how to use these systems.
New ice core data provides insight into climate 'tipping points' during the last Ice Age
New research from multiple ice cores collected across Greenland with data spanning up to 120,000 years provides new understanding of abrupt Dansgaard-Oeschger events, how they unfold and what that might mean for the future.