ScienceDaily: All - September 19, 2024
Today's top research news
Clinical trial successfully repurposes cancer drug for hereditary bleeding disorder
A drug approved for treating the blood cancer multiple myeloma may offer a safe and effective way to reduce the risk of severe nosebleeds from a rare but devastating bleeding disorder. Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), the world's second-most-common inherited bleeding disorder, affects approximately 1-in-5,000 people and can have life-threatening complications, but there are currently no U.S. FDA-approved drugs to treat HHT.
Operating room design linked to length of surgery
A new study has directly linked operating room design to the length of surgeries, with implications both for patient health and hospitals' bottom lines.
Image: Naumova Marina/Shutterstock.com
Can the MIND diet lower the risk of memory problems later in life?
People whose diet more closely resembles the MIND diet may have a lower risk of cognitive impairment, according to a new study. Results were similar for Black and white participants. These results do not prove that the MIND diet prevents cognitive impairment, they only show an association.
Some diabetes drugs tied to lower risk of dementia, Parkinson's disease
A class of drugs for diabetes may be associated with a lower risk of dementia and Parkinson's disease, according to a new study.
Explaining dramatic planet-wide changes after world's last 'Snowball Earth' event
Some of the most dramatic climatic events in our planet's history are 'Snowball Earth' events that happened hundreds of millions of years ago, when almost the entire planet was encased in ice up to 0.6 miles thick. New research provides a more complete picture for how the last Snowball Earth event ended, and suggests why it preceded a dramatic expansion of life on Earth, including the emergence of the first animals.
Higher levels of leptin indicate brain protection against late-life dementia
A study more closely links obesity to dementia, finding that leptin, a hormone that helps maintain normal body weight, is associated with better signal-transmitting brain white matter in middle-aged adults.
South African rock art possibly inspired by long-extinct species
A mysterious tusked animal depicted in South African rock art might portray an ancient species preserved as fossils in the same region, according to a new study.
Even marine animals in untouched habitats are at risk from human impacts
Climate change and a range of other human impacts are putting marine animals at risk of extinction -- even those living in almost pristine marine habitats and diverse coastal regions -- reports a new study.
Hexagonal electrohydraulic modules shape-shift into versatile robots
Scientists at MPI-IS have developed electrically driven robotic components, called HEXEL modules, which can snap together into high-speed reconfigurable robots. Magnets embedded along the outside of the modules allow them to electrically and mechanically connect to other modules, forming robots with diverse shapes and capabilities. HEXEL modules are a promising technology for use in resource-limited environments, such as on space or rescue missions, and can be used to construct versatile robots from redundant parts, altogether promoting a sustainable robot design.
Flexible circuits made with silk and graphene on the horizon
Ultra-thin layers of silk deposited on graphene in perfect alignment represent a key advance for the control needed in microelectronics and advanced neural network development.
Versatile knee exo for safer lifting
A set of knee exoskeletons, built with commercially available knee braces and drone motors, has been shown to help counteract fatigue in lifting and carrying tasks. They helped users maintain better lifting posture even when tired, a key factor in defending against on-the-job injuries, the researchers say.
The sea surface temperature in the Fijian archipelago in the southwestern Pacific is now at its maximum for more than 600 years. This finding is the result of an international research team's evaluation of a new coral record providing further evidence for unprecedented warming in the western Pacific Ocean. According to this, the year 2022 was the warmest year in the region since 1370.
Breast and ovarian cancer newly linked to thousands of gene variants
New research identifies specific genetic changes that can increase a person's risk of breast and ovarian cancers, to help guide clinical decision-making.
Homemade 'play-putty' can read the body's electric signals
Magnifying deep space through the 'carousel lens'
A newly discovered cluster-scale strong gravitational lens, with a rare alignment of seven background lensed galaxies, provides a unique opportunity to study cosmology.
Artificial intelligence grunt work can be outsourced using a new blockchain-based framework
Researchers have developed a new framework to make complex AI tasks more accessible and transparent to users. The framework specializes in providing solutions to deep reinforcement learning (DRL) requests. The framework pairs developers, companies and individuals that have specific but out-of-reach AI needs with service providers who have the resources, expertise and models they require. The service is crowdsourced, built on a blockchain and uses a smart contract -- a contract with a pre-defined set of conditions built into the code -- to match the users with the appropriate service provider.
Why petting your cat leads to static electricity
Static electricity was first observed in 600 B.C., but researchers have struggled to explain how rubbing causes it. In 2019, researchers discovered nanosized surface deformations at play. The same researchers now say different electrical charges build up on the front and back parts of a sliding object, creating a current.
Metal exposure can increase cardiovascular disease risk
Metal exposure from environmental pollution is associated with increased calcium buildup in the coronary arteries at a level comparable to traditional risk factors, according to a new study. The findings support that metals in the body are associated with the progression of plaque buildup in the arteries and potentially provide a new strategy for managing and preventing atherosclerosis.
Like humans, artificial minds can 'learn by thinking'
Discarding the placenta after birth leads to loss of valuable information, pathologists say
Physician-scientists argue that with most placentas discarded after birth, placental pathology is underutilized clinically, should be a routine part of obstetric and neonatal care, and also deserves more research attention.
Gargantuan black hole jets are biggest seen yet
Astronomers have spotted the biggest pair of black hole jets ever seen, spanning 23 million light-years in total length. That's equivalent to lining up 140 Milky Way galaxies back to back.
Researchers use machine learning to improve cardiovascular risk assessment
Researchers used advanced machine learning to increase the accuracy of a national cardiovascular risk calculator while preserving its interpretability and original risk associations.
NASA's Webb provides another look into galactic collisions
Astronomers examined galaxy Arp 107 which has revealed a wealth of information about star-formation and how two galaxies collided hundreds of million years ago. Arp 107 is located 465 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Leo Minor.
Breakthrough in fertility treatment: Prostaglandin receptors found to promote embryo implantation
A team fhas uncovered a new mechanism that could revolutionize infertility care by promoting embryo implantation. The discovery focuses on prostaglandin (PG) receptors in the uterus that enhance the critical process of decidualization, which is necessary for a successful pregnancy. This finding opens the door to developing new fertility treatments that target these receptors.
What numbers do you see? A new bistable perceptual phenomenon on symbolic numbers
This research described a new perceptual phenomenon of bistability induced by partial occlusion of digital numerals. Results of experiments using visual adaptation indicate that this perceptual bistability mainly originates from mid-level visual processing stages which take part in processing global complex shapes and number forms.
Measuring how much wood a wood shuck shucks with all-new wood shuck food
Researchers want to transform the natural and abundant resource wood into useful materials, and central to that is a molecular machine found in fungi that decomposes the complex raw material into its basic components. Researchers have come up with a test feed for the fungal molecular machine that allows them to observe its close-to-natural action, opening the door to improving it and to putting it to industrial application.
Silencing in action: How cells 'repress' genomic remnants of ancient viruses
It is crucial for organisms to be able to control which genes are expressed in which cells and when. Naturally occurring chemical modifications of DNA-binding histone proteins are believed to play an important role in this process; however, it had been unclear whether they play a causal role in instructing gene expression. Researchers have experimentally shown that certain histone sites act as critical control sites that help prevent the spurious activation of parts of the genome, including sequences derived from ancient remnants of viruses.
Constriction junction, do you function?
Scientists have shown that a type of qubit whose architecture is more amenable to mass production can perform comparably to qubits currently dominating the field. With a series of mathematical analyses, the scientists have provided a roadmap for simpler qubit fabrication that enables robust and reliable manufacturing of these quantum computer building blocks.
Creating full-taste, reduced alcohol wine and spirits: New trial opens realm of possibilities
A new study has successfully used porous liquids to achieve liquid-liquid separation for the first time, creating exciting potential for advancing both environmental sustainability and public health.
Two new papers by a team of researchers demonstrate that evaluating microRNAs in blood can be used not only to diagnose mild cognitive impairment (MCI) but also, critically, to predict the conversion from MCI to dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, the researchers uncovered microRNA candidate molecular biomarkers that associate with current Amyloid, Tau, and Neurodegeneration (A/T/N) Alzheimer's biomarkers.
Nanotechnology: DNA origami with cargo function
Chemists present two studies that open up new possibilities for biotechnological applications.
Scientists find new epigenetic switch
Researchers have discovered that a DNA modification called 5-formylcytosine (5fC) functions as an activating epigenetic switch that kick-starts genes in early embryonic development. This finding proves for the first time that vertebrates have more than one type of epigenetic DNA mark and sheds new light on how genes are regulated in the earliest stages of development.
Triplet regimen yields promising response in advanced-phase chronic myeloid leukemia
According to new research, 80% of patients with previously untreated or relapsed/refractory advanced-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) -- including both accelerated or myeloid blast phases of the disease -- or Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute myeloid leukemia (AML) achieved a bone marrow remission when treated with a novel combination of decitabine, venetoclax and ponatinib.
'Scuba-diving' lizards use bubble to breathe underwater and avoid predators
A species of semi-aquatic lizard produces a special bubble over its nostrils to breathe underwater and avoid predators.
Highly-sensitive beaks could help albatrosses and penguins find their food
Researchers have discovered that seabirds, including penguins and albatrosses, have highly-sensitive regions in their beaks that could be used to help them find food. This is the first time this ability has been identified in seabirds.