ScienceDaily: All - October 30, 2024
Today's top research news
The couples who cope together, stay together
A new study has lifted the lid on how couples living with rheumatoid arthritis cope with the debilitating disease finding that those who cope with problems together had less psychological distress and better relationships.
Image: Antonio Guillem/Shutterstock.com
Reactor could make direct air capture more energy efficient
Researchers have developed an electrochemical reactor that has the potential to drastically reduce energy consumption and cost for direct air capture.
Discoveries that impact lifespan and healthspan in fruit flies are usually tested in mice before being considered potentially relevant in humans, a process that is expensive and time intensive. A pioneering approach leapfrogs over that standard methodology and identifies a metabolite that may hold promise as a target for aging.
Smell loss linked to 100-plus diseases
Researchers reveal a link between olfactory loss and inflammation in 139 medical conditions. The researchers say loss of smell is an early sign of numerous neurological and bodily diseases.
12 new Oriental weevil species discovered using advanced imaging tools
Two of these new species are present in Japan: Aphanerostethus magnus (Oo-daruma-kuchikakushi-zoumushi) and Aphanerostethus japonicus (Nippon-daruma-kuchikakushi-zoumushi). One of these, Aphanerostethus japonicus, is also found in Yanbaru National Park, Okinawa. This is the first time x-ray microtomography has been used to remove obscuring scales to examine underlying differences in morphology for taxonomic purposes.
A navigation system for microswimmers
By applying an electric field, the movement of microswimmers can be manipulated. Scientists describe the underlying physical principles by comparing experiments and theoretical modeling predictions. They are able to tune the direction and mode of motion through a microchannel between oscillation, wall adherence and centerline orientation, enabling different interactions with the environment.
A study reveals patients and providers have more positive overall care experiences when the entire healthcare team is a part of bedside interdisciplinary rounds (BIDR).
Using computational tools, researchers have developed a method to assess which patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer could benefit from immunotherapy.
Coastal flooding during hurricanes Helene and Milton tracked
A web-based application that gathers crowdsourced data to identify flooding and inform policy in coastal communities provided scientists with essential data from hurricanes Helene and Milton. The app can help inform decisions about policy and resource allocation.
Face-conforming LED mask showing 340% improved efficacy in deep skin elasticity
A research team has developed a deep skin-stimulating LED mask which has been verified in clinical trials to improve dermis elasticity by 340%.
New imaging analysis technique revolutionizes diagnostics of head and neck cancers
A study developed a new technique to accurately analyse the properties of cancer cells and the surrounding tissue at the level of individual cells. This innovation enables a more comprehensive assessment of prognoses and treatment responses in the head and neck cancers, and paves the way for more accurate diagnostics.
Subtle eye movements optimize vision
Our ability to see starts with the light-sensitive photoreceptor cells in our eyes. A specific region of the retina, termed fovea, is responsible for sharp vision. Here, the color-sensitive cone photoreceptors allow us to detect even the smallest details. The density of these cells varies from person to person. Additionally, when we fixate on an object, our eyes make subtle, continuous movements, which also differ between individuals. Researchers have now investigated how sharp vision is linked to these tiny eye movements and the mosaic of cones. Using high-resolution imaging and micro-psychophysics, they demonstrated that eye movements are finely tuned to provide optimal sampling by the cones.
Have we found all the major Maya cities? Not even close, new research suggests
Researchers used laser-guided imaging to uncover vast unexplored Maya settlements in Campeche, Mexico, revealing more than 6,500 pre-Hispanic structures, including a previously unknown large city with stone pyramids. Their study enhances our understanding of the ancient civilization's extent and complexity in an area largely overlooked by archaeologists.
Materials research: Surprise at the grain boundary
Using state-of-the-art microscopy and simulation techniques, an international research team systematically observed how iron atoms alter the structure of grain boundaries in titanium. They were in for a surprise.
More than half of European heat-related deaths in summer 2022 attributed to anthropogenic warming
A new study has now found that more than half -- 56% -- of the heat-related deaths in the summer of 2022 were related to human-induced climate change. According to the research, 38,154 of the 68,593 heat-related deaths in the summer of 2022 would likely not have occurred without anthropogenic warming.
Oceanographers record the largest predation event ever observed in the ocean
In the largest predation event ever recorded, researchers observed capelin shoaling off the coast of Norway, where a swarm of cod overtook them, consuming over 10 million fish in a few hours. The team hopes to deploy their technique to monitor the large-scale dynamics among other species of fish and track vulnerable keystone species.
Scientist on personal mission to improve global water safety makes groundbreaking discovery
A study shedding new light on how arsenic can be made less dangerous to humans has the potential to dramatically improve water and food safety, especially in the Global South.
Strategy to reduce the amount of propofol waste in the operating room
Propofol is used in the operating room to induce anesthesia. To maintain anesthesia, a continuous infusion of the agent via a separate syringe pump is the standard procedure for total intravenous anesthesia. However, this is not entirely sustainable: propofol produces about 45 percent of the drug waste in the operating room, and a quarter of the agent remains unused. Researchers have now shown that an alternative method reduces the amount of waste.
Newly discovered cyanobacteria could help sequester carbon from oceans and factories
What if a microbe could help curb the climate crisis? Meet UTEX-3222, aka 'Chonkus,' a cyanobacterium discovered living in the volcanic CO2 seeps off the coast of Vulcano, Sicily. Chonkus is like other photosynthetic cyanobacteria in that it consumes CO2 and incorporates it into its cells. However, what sets UTEX-3222 apart is its rapid, high-density growth, which allows it to consume CO? more efficiently than most other similar currently known cyanobacteria. It is also 5 to 10 times larger than the average microbial cell, allowing it to sink quickly after consuming CO2 so the carbon can be sequestered or captured for use in biomanufacturing.
Making 'scents' of aromas that differentiate beer and wine
Today, people increasingly seek non-alcoholic versions of beer or wine. Despite boasting different flavors, these two drinks share many aromas, which makes it difficult to produce alcohol-free versions that mimic the real thing. Researchers report on a literature analysis and experiment to characterize the chemical compounds that give beer and wine their unique fragrances. They say their findings could aid the development of flavorful, non-alcoholic substitutes.
Weddell seals in the Antarctic strategically time their most extreme dives to maximize foraging
Weddell seals in Erebus Bay, Antarctica, may look like couch potatoes when they are resting on ice. However, these seals, which are the southernmost population of the southernmost living mammals, are exceptional divers that can reach depths of more than 900 meters and recorded dives lasting 96 minutes, which is well beyond their aerobic threshold. Scientists have identified an optimal and novel dive foraging strategy the seals employ to capture prey in the highly seasonal Antarctic environment with its rapidly changing light regimes. In this optimal foraging strategy, the seals typically strategically conduct their deepest, longest, most extreme dives earlier than solar noon, rather than during peak foraging times at midday. Extreme dives require seals to have longer recuperation times once they return to the surface, and so cuts into their foraging time. By conducting these dives early in the day, the seals can better take advantage of peak midday foraging times, according to the researchers.
Using AI to measure prostate cancer lesions could aid diagnosis and treatment
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men, and almost 300,000 individuals are diagnosed with it each year in the U.S. To develop a consistent method of estimating prostate cancer size, which can help clinicians more accurately make informed treatment decisions, researchers trained and validated an AI model based on MRI scans from more than 700 prostate cancer patients. The model was able to identify and demarcate the edges of 85% of the most radiologically aggressive prostate lesions. Tumors with a larger volume, as estimated by the AI model, were associated with a higher risk of treatment failure and metastasis, independent of other factors that are normally used to estimate this risk.
Optimal standing positions and ventilation in airport smoking lounges
New research shows that not all standing positions in airport smoking lounges are created equal. Scientists found that the thermal environment and positioning of smokers influences how particles settle in the room. Additionally, smokers seated farther from ventilation inlets experience the lowest levels of pollution in the room. The researchers created a smoking room using computational models and placed heated and unheated manikins in the room to simulate smokers. They also modeled the ventilation system with three exhaust air diffusers.
Ancient gene influences immunity of First Nations Peoples of Oceania
An ancient gene mutation among First Nations inhabitants of Oceania may make them more susceptible to infectious diseases like influenza, according to a new study.
Fossil hunters strike gold with new species
Paleontologists have identified fossils of an ancient species of bug that spent the past 450 million years covered in fool's gold in central New York. The new species, Lomankus edgecombei, is a distant relative of modern-day horseshoe crabs, scorpions, and spiders. It had no eyes, and its small front appendages were best suited for rooting around in dark ocean sediment, back when what is now New York state was covered by water.