ScienceDaily: All - October 31, 2024
Today's top research news
It's not to be. Universe too short for Shakespeare typing monkeys
It would take far longer than the lifespan of our universe for a typing monkey to randomly produce Shakespeare, a new study reveals.
Image: Robert Adrian Hillman/Shutterstock.com
Alcohol consumption among non-human animals may not be as rare as previously thought, say ecologists
Anecdotes abound of wildlife behaving 'drunk' after eating fermented fruits, but despite this, nonhuman consumption of ethanol has been assumed to be rare and accidental. Ecologists now challenge this assumption. They argue that since ethanol is naturally present in nearly every ecosystem, it is likely consumed on a regular basis by most fruit- and nectar-eating animals.
Nanoplastics can reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics
An international research team has investigated how nanoplastic particles deposited in the body affect the effectiveness of antibiotics. The study showed that the plastic particles not only impair the effect of the drugs, but could also promote the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Researchers identify 'sweet spot' for safe surgery after heart attack
New research suggests older adults wait 3-6 months after a heart attack before elective noncardiac surgery to reduce the risk of serious complications like stroke or another heart attack.
Energy-making chloroplasts from algae have been inserted into hamster cells, enabling the cells to photosynthesize light, according to new research in Japan. It was previously thought that combining chloroplasts (chlorophyll containing structures in the cells of plants and algae) with animal cells was not possible, and that the chloroplasts would not survive or function. However, results showed that photosynthetic action continued for at least two days. This technique could be useful for artificial tissue engineering. Tissues can struggle to grow due to a lack of oxygen, but adding chloroplast-infused cells could enable oxygen and energy to be supplied through light exposure and photosynthesis.
The roots of fear: Understanding the amygdala
Treating anxiety, depression and other disorders may depend on the amygdala, a part of the brain that controls strong emotional reactions, especially fear. But a deep understanding of this structure has been lacking. Now scientists have identified new clusters of cells with differing patterns of gene expression in the amygdala of humans and non-human primates. The work could lead to more targeted treatments for disorders such as anxiety that affect tens of millions of people.
A new study finds that up to 215 million hectares of land (an area larger than Mexico) in humid tropical regions around the world has the potential to naturally regrow. That much forest could store 23.4 gigatons of carbon over 30 years and also have a significant impact on concerns like biodiversity loss and water quality. The study showed that more than half of the area with strong potential for regrowth was in five countries: Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, China, and Colombia. A new global map the authors produced of potential regrowth areas is a boon to environmentalists worldwide hoping to advocate locally for their efforts.
Complexity of tumors revealed in 3D
A new analysis has revealed detailed 3D maps of the internal structures of multiple tumor types. These cancer atlases reveal how different tumor cells -- and the cells of a tumor's surrounding environment -- are organized, in 3D, and how that organization changes when a tumor spreads to other organs. The detailed findings offer scientists valuable blueprints of tumors that could lead to new approaches to therapy and spark a new era in the field of cancer biology, according to the researchers.
Healthy brains suppress inappropriate immune responses
Researchers have found a process by which the brain guards against attack by the immune system. In mice with multiple sclerosis, such 'guardian' proteins that train the immune system were drastically depleted, and replenishing them improved symptoms, according to a new study.
Geneticists have deciphered the prehistory of aurochs -- the animals that were the focus of some of the most iconic early human art -- by analyzing 38 genomes harvested from bones dating across 50 millennia and stretching from Siberia to Britain. The aurochs roamed in Europe, Asia and Africa for hundreds of thousands of years. Adorned as paintings on many a cave wall, their domestication to create cattle gave us a harnessed source of muscle, meat and milk. Such was the influence of this domestication that today their descendants make up a third of the world's mammalian biomass.
'Black box' of stem cell transplants opened in blood study
New research into the long-term dynamics of transplanted stem cells in a patient's body explains how age affects stem cell survival and immune diversity, offering insights that could make transplants safer and more successful.
Discovery illuminates how sleeping sickness parasite outsmarts immune response
A new study sheds light on how the blood-borne parasite that causes African sleeping sickness in humans and related diseases in cattle and other animals establishes long-term infections in hosts. Using a mouse model, the researchers showed that Trypanosoma brucei essentially plays a game of hide-and-seek by setting up shop in its hosts' tissues, allowing it to constantly change its protective surface coat and evade antibodies.
Breakthrough in magnetism could transform quantum computing and superconductors
A discovery by physicists is unlocking a new understanding of magnetism and electronic interactions in cutting-edge materials, potentially revolutionizing technology fields such as quantum computing and high-temperature superconductors.
Farewell frost! New surface prevents frost without heat
In a new study, researchers discovered that tweaking the texture of any surface and adding a thin layer of graphene oxide prevents 100% of frost from forming on surfaces for one week or potentially even longer. This is 1,000 times longer than current, state-of-the-art anti-frosting surfaces.
Similarities in brain development between marmosets and humans
In common marmosets, the brain regions that process social interactions develop very slowly, extending until early adulthood, like in humans. During this time, all group members are involved in raising the infants, which contributes to the species' strong socio-cognitive skills.
Spirited off: Key protein aids transport within plant cells
A team has clarified how in plants the boric acid channels, the conduits for the necessary element boron, are transported to the plasma membrane.
Britain's brass bands older than we thought and invented by soldiers from the Napoleonic Wars
Military musicians returning from the Napoleonic wars established Britain's first brass bands earlier than previously thought, new research reveals. The study undermines the idea that brass bands were a civilian and exclusively northern creation.
Sinuses prevented prehistoric croc relatives from deep diving
Paleobiologists have found that the sinuses of ocean dwelling relatives of modern-day crocodiles prevented them from evolving into deep divers like whales and dolphins.