ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

---

• Using robotic assistance to make colonoscopy kinder and easier
• Chemists create new crystal form of insecticide, boosting its ability to fight mosquitoes and malaria
• As genome-editing trials become more common, informed consent is changing
• A circular economy could save the world's economy post-COVID-19
• Revealing the reason behind jet formation at the tip of laser optical fiber
• Liquid metals come to the rescue of semiconductors
• More young adults are abstaining from alcohol
• New virtual reality software allows scientists to 'walk' inside cells
• Scientists find neurochemicals have unexpectedly profound roles in the human brain
• To protect nature's benefits, focus on people
• Very low risk to newborns from moms with COVID-19, finds study
• Mosquitoes' taste for blood traced to four types of neurons
• ESO telescopes record last moments of star devoured by a black hole
• Novel map reveals how immune cells fight and remember infections
• Total deaths recorded during the pandemic far exceed those attributed to COVID-19, new data show
• Stacking and twisting graphene unlocks a rare form of magnetism
• Studying the sun as a star to understand stellar flares and exoplanets
• Surface waves can help nanostructured devices keep their cool
• Multi-state data storage leaving binary behind
• Osteoarthritis biomarker could help 300 million people worldwide
• Ancient tiny teeth reveal first mammals lived more like reptiles
• Central Asian horse riders played ball games 3,000 years ago
• Engineers print wearable sensors directly on skin without heat
• Astronomers find x-rays lingering years after landmark neutron star collision
• Pandemic-related stress leads to less employee engagement
• New research on SARS-CoV-2 virus 'survivability'
• 'Universal law of touch' will enable new advances in virtual reality
• Stay-at-home orders cut noise exposure nearly in half
• Identification of a viral factor that impairs immune responses in COVID-19 patients
• Risk of dying from COVID-19 greater for men, unmarried and born in low and middle income countries, Swedish study finds
• Black and Asian patients have increased risk of severe COVID-19 at different stages of the disease, UK study finds
• Immune evasion strategy used by Malaria-causing parasite
• Most nations failing to protect nature in COVID-19 pandemic recovery plans

Using robotic assistance to make colonoscopy kinder and easier Posted: 12 Oct 2020 12:20 PM PDT Scientists have made a breakthrough in their work to develop semi-autonomous colonoscopy, using a robot to guide a medical device into the body. The milestone brings closer the prospect of an intelligent robotic system being able to guide instruments to precise locations in the body to take biopsies or allow internal tissues to be examined.

Chemists create new crystal form of insecticide, boosting its ability to fight mosquitoes and malaria Posted: 12 Oct 2020 12:20 PM PDT Through a simple process of heating and cooling, researchers have created a new crystal form of deltamethrin -- a common insecticide used to control malaria -- resulting in an insecticide that is up to 12 times more effective against mosquitoes than the existing form.

As genome-editing trials become more common, informed consent is changing Posted: 12 Oct 2020 10:20 AM PDT As public interest and expanded research in human genome editing grows, many questions remain about ethical, legal and social implications of the technology. People who are seriously ill may overestimate the benefits of early clinical trials while underestimating the risks. This makes properly understanding informed consent, the full knowledge of risks and benefits of treatments, especially important.

A circular economy could save the world's economy post-COVID-19 Posted: 12 Oct 2020 09:43 AM PDT The world's economy is feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic with many industries under threat. Researchers have concluded that adopting circular economy strategies would be the best way for the world's economy to recover, whilst enabling the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Revealing the reason behind jet formation at the tip of laser optical fiber Posted: 12 Oct 2020 09:00 AM PDT When an optical fiber is immersed in liquid, a high temperature, high speed jet is discharged. Researchers expect this to be applied to medical treatment in the future. Now, a research team has explored this phenomenon further and revealed the reasons behind the jet formation.

Liquid metals come to the rescue of semiconductors Posted: 12 Oct 2020 09:00 AM PDT Two-dimensional semiconductors offer a possible solution to the limited potential for further shrinking of traditional silicon-based electronics: the long-predicted end of 'Moore's Law'. 2D-based electronics, which could eliminate wasted dissipation of heat and allow for very fast, ultra-low energy operation, could be enabled by a new liquid-metal deposition technique.

More young adults are abstaining from alcohol Posted: 12 Oct 2020 09:00 AM PDT Fewer college-age Americans drink alcohol, compared to nearly 20 years ago, according to a new study.

New virtual reality software allows scientists to 'walk' inside cells Posted: 12 Oct 2020 09:00 AM PDT Virtual reality software which allows researchers to 'walk' inside and analyze individual cells could be used to understand fundamental problems in biology and develop new treatments for disease.

Scientists find neurochemicals have unexpectedly profound roles in the human brain Posted: 12 Oct 2020 09:00 AM PDT In first-of-their-kind observations in the human brain, an international team of researchers has revealed two well-known neurochemicals -- dopamine and serotonin -- are at work at sub-second speeds to shape how people perceive the world and take action based on their perception.

To protect nature's benefits, focus on people Posted: 12 Oct 2020 09:00 AM PDT New paper calls for the consideration of people's diverse needs in order to develop effective nature-based policies and investments in ecosystems.

Very low risk to newborns from moms with COVID-19, finds study Posted: 12 Oct 2020 09:00 AM PDT Moms with COVID-19 who take basic precautions rarely pass the virus to their newborns, even if breastfeeding and rooming together, a new study finds.

Mosquitoes' taste for blood traced to four types of neurons Posted: 12 Oct 2020 08:59 AM PDT The female mosquito has an amazing ability to detect blood using her syringe-like 'tongue.' Now scientists have identified the neurons that give her blood-seeking powers.

ESO telescopes record last moments of star devoured by a black hole Posted: 12 Oct 2020 08:59 AM PDT Astronomers have spotted a rare blast of light from a star being ripped apart by a supermassive black hole. The phenomenon, known as a tidal disruption event, is the closest such flare recorded to date at just over 215 million light-years from Earth, and has been studied in unprecedented detail.

Novel map reveals how immune cells fight and remember infections Posted: 12 Oct 2020 08:59 AM PDT Researchers have created the first full dynamic map of how cells learn to fight microbes and then preserve a memory of this for future infections, by mapping the activity of tens of thousands of genes in mouse immune cells over the course of an infection. Published in Nature Immunology, this could guide research into T cells that are essential for generating immunity, to help scientists develop new vaccines and therapeutics for a range of diseases.

Total deaths recorded during the pandemic far exceed those attributed to COVID-19, new data show Posted: 12 Oct 2020 08:59 AM PDT For every two deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the U.S., a third American dies as a result of the pandemic, according to new data. The study shows that deaths between March 1 and Aug. 1 increased 20 percent compared to previous years -- maybe not surprising in a pandemic. But deaths attributed to COVID-19 only accounted for 67 percent of those deaths.

Stacking and twisting graphene unlocks a rare form of magnetism Posted: 12 Oct 2020 08:59 AM PDT A team of researchers has discovered that a variety of exotic electronic states, including a rare form of magnetism, can arise in a three-layer graphene structure.

Studying the sun as a star to understand stellar flares and exoplanets Posted: 12 Oct 2020 08:59 AM PDT New research shows that sunspots and other active regions can change the overall solar emissions. The sunspots cause some emissions to dim and others to brighten; the timing of the changes also varies between different types of emissions. This knowledge will help astronomers characterize the conditions of stars, which has important implications for finding exoplanets around those stars.

Surface waves can help nanostructured devices keep their cool Posted: 12 Oct 2020 08:59 AM PDT A research team has demonstrated that hybrid surface waves called surface phonon-polaritons provide enhanced thermal conductivity in nanoscale membranes. These surface waves can aid in the thermal management of nanostructured devices as conventional cooling methods reach their material-related limits. Surface phonon-polaritons will be particularly useful for heat conduction in silicon-based microelectronics and photonics applications.

Multi-state data storage leaving binary behind Posted: 12 Oct 2020 08:59 AM PDT Electronic data is being produced at a breath-taking rate. Around ten zettabytes (ten trillion gigabytes) of data is stored in global server farms, and that's doubling every two years. With computing already consuming 8% of global electricity, low-energy data-storage is a key priority. Next-generation 'multi-state' memory offers a highly energy efficient, low-cost, fast-access solution: stepping 'beyond binary' to store more data than just zeros and ones.

Osteoarthritis biomarker could help 300 million people worldwide Posted: 12 Oct 2020 07:31 AM PDT Researchers are a step closer to finding a new biomarker for osteoarthritis, a painful condition which affects more than 300 million people worldwide.

Ancient tiny teeth reveal first mammals lived more like reptiles Posted: 12 Oct 2020 07:31 AM PDT Pioneering analysis of 200 million-year-old teeth belonging to the earliest mammals suggests they functioned like their cold-blooded counterparts - reptiles, leading less active but much longer lives.

Central Asian horse riders played ball games 3,000 years ago Posted: 12 Oct 2020 07:31 AM PDT Researchers have investigated ancient leather balls discovered in the graves of horse riders in northwest China. According to the international research team, they are around 3,000 years old, making them the oldest balls in Eurasia. The find suggests amongst others that the mounted warriors of Central Asia played ball games to keep themselves fit.

Engineers print wearable sensors directly on skin without heat Posted: 12 Oct 2020 07:31 AM PDT Wearable sensors are evolving from watches and electrodes to bendable devices that provide far more precise biometric measurements and comfort for users. Now, an international team of researchers has taken the evolution one step further by printing sensors directly on human skin without the use of heat.

Astronomers find x-rays lingering years after landmark neutron star collision Posted: 12 Oct 2020 07:31 AM PDT It's been three years since the landmark detection of a neutron star merger from gravitational waves. Since that day, an international team of astronomers has been continuously monitoring the subsequent radiation emissions to provide the most complete picture of such an event. Their analysis provides possible explanations for X-rays that continued to radiate from the collision long after models predicted they would stop.

Pandemic-related stress leads to less employee engagement Posted: 12 Oct 2020 07:31 AM PDT As COVID-19 cases surged this spring, the pandemic led some people more than others to ponder their own mortality. A new study in China and the United States suggests that these people were the ones who showed the highest levels of stress and the least engagement at work. But the research also uncovered a bright spot: The right kind of boss helped reduce stress and increase engagement in their workers who were anxious about COVID-19.

New research on SARS-CoV-2 virus 'survivability' Posted: 11 Oct 2020 07:07 PM PDT COVID-19 causing virus lasts for 10 days longer than Influenza on some surfaces Lower temps, glass, stainless steel and paper banknotes give virus longer life.

'Universal law of touch' will enable new advances in virtual reality Posted: 09 Oct 2020 01:24 PM PDT Seismic waves, commonly associated with earthquakes, have been used by scientists to develop a universal scaling law for the sense of touch. A team used Rayleigh waves to create the first scaling law for touch sensitivity.

Stay-at-home orders cut noise exposure nearly in half Posted: 09 Oct 2020 10:14 AM PDT People's exposure to environmental noise dropped nearly in half during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, according to researchers who analyzed data from the Apple Hearing Study.

Identification of a viral factor that impairs immune responses in COVID-19 patients Posted: 09 Oct 2020 07:27 AM PDT Researchers aimed to characterize the viral factor(s) determining immune activation upon SARS-CoV-2 infection and found that ORF3b, a gene encoded by SARS-CoV-2, is a potent IFN antagonist.

Risk of dying from COVID-19 greater for men, unmarried and born in low and middle income countries, Swedish study finds Posted: 09 Oct 2020 07:27 AM PDT Being a man, having a lower income, having a lower level of education, not being married, and being born abroad in low- or middle-income countries -- these are factors that, independent of one another, are related to an elevated risk of dying from COVID-19 in Sweden.

Black and Asian patients have increased risk of severe COVID-19 at different stages of the disease, UK study finds Posted: 09 Oct 2020 05:49 AM PDT Patients of Black ethnicity have an increased risk of requiring hospital admission for COVID-19, while patients of Asian ethnicity have an increased risk of dying in hospital from COVID-19, compared to White patients, a study in the UK has found.

Immune evasion strategy used by Malaria-causing parasite Posted: 09 Oct 2020 05:49 AM PDT A team of researchers has found that the Plasmodium parasite, which transmits malaria to humans through infected mosquitos, triggers changes in human genes that alter the body's adaptive immune response to malarial infections.

Most nations failing to protect nature in COVID-19 pandemic recovery plans Posted: 09 Oct 2020 05:49 AM PDT The COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to reset the global economy and reverse decades of ecosystem and species losses, but most countries are failing to invest in nature-related economic reforms or investments, according to a new paper.

You are subscribed to email updates from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States