ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• All-terrain microrobot flips through a live colon
• Most effective drugs for common type of neuropathic pain
• Ingestible capsule that could help demystify the gut-brain axis
• Treating ringing in the ears with Sound and electrical stimulation of the tongue
• Bark beetle outbreaks benefit wild bee populations, habitat
• Framework for gauging health impacts of self-driving vehicles
• Supergene discovery leads to new knowledge of fire ants
• Researchers find diverse communities comprise bacterial mats threatening coral reefs
• Marriage or not? Rituals help dating couples decide relationship future
• Monkey study suggests that they, like humans, may have 'self-domesticated'
• Deep learning artificial intelligence keeps an eye on volcano movements
• Trigger that leads to faster nerve healing
• Phosphate polymer forms a cornerstone of metabolic control
• Understanding how toxic PFAS chemicals spread from release sites
• A new approach boosts lithium-ion battery efficiency and puts out fires, too
• Inexpensive and rapid testing of drugs for resistant infections possible
• Machine learning uncovers potential new TB drugs
• Climate change likely drove early human species to extinction, modeling study suggests
• Ultrasound technique offers more precise, quantified assessments of lung health
• Sprinkled with power: How impurities enhance a thermoelectric material at the atomic level
• Bats save energy by reducing energetically costly immune functions during annual migration
• Athletes fear being judged as weak when they experience pain or injury
• Plant-based thermotherapy patch
• Making new materials using AI
• Repurposing drugs for a pan-coronavirus treatment
• Will the COVID-19 virus become endemic?
• Anemic star cluster breaks metal-poor record
• Scientists develop 'mini-brains' to help robots recognize pain and to self-repair
• Automatic decision-making prevents us harming others
• Was Hong Kong once a coral reef paradise?
• Novel antiviral strategy for treatment of COVID-19
• Predicting influenza epidemics
• Artificial cyanobacterial biofilm can sustain green ethylene production for over a month
• Small RNA as a central player in infections
• Star clusters are only the tip of the iceberg
• Laser technology measures biomass in world's largest trees
• Australian carp virus plan 'dead in the water'
• NASA's James Webb telescopes will reveal hidden galaxies
• Does science have a plastic problem? Microbiologists take steps to reducing plastic waste
• Mapping out rest stops for migrating birds
• A new toolkit for capturing how COVID-19 impacts crime

All-terrain microrobot flips through a live colon Posted: 15 Oct 2020 02:31 PM PDT A rectangular robot as tiny as a few human hairs can travel throughout a colon by doing back flips, engineers have demonstrated in live animal models.

Most effective drugs for common type of neuropathic pain Posted: 15 Oct 2020 02:31 PM PDT More than 20 million people in the U.S. suffer neuropathic pain. At least 25% of those cases are classified as unexplained and considered cryptogenic sensory polyneuropathy (CSPN). There is no information to guide a physician's drug choices to treat CSPN, but a researcher recently led a first-of-its-kind prospective comparative effectiveness study.

Ingestible capsule that could help demystify the gut-brain axis Posted: 15 Oct 2020 02:31 PM PDT A team of experts from engineering, neuroscience, applied microbiology, and physics has been making headway on building a platform that can monitor and model the real-time processing of gut microbiome serotonin activity.

Treating ringing in the ears with Sound and electrical stimulation of the tongue Posted: 15 Oct 2020 02:31 PM PDT In the largest clinical trial of its kind, researchers show that combining sound and electrical stimulation of the tongue can significantly reduce tinnitus, commonly described as 'ringing in the ears.' They also found that therapeutic effects can be sustained for up to 12 months post-treatment.

Bark beetle outbreaks benefit wild bee populations, habitat Posted: 15 Oct 2020 02:31 PM PDT Researchers found significant increases in floral abundance and wild bee diversity in outbreak-affected forests, compared to similar, undisturbed forest.

Framework for gauging health impacts of self-driving vehicles Posted: 15 Oct 2020 02:31 PM PDT Autonomous vehicles (AV) are the wave of the future in the automobile industry, and there's extensive discussion about the impacts on transportation, society, the economy and the environment. However, less attention has been focused on the potential health impacts of self-driving vehicles.

Supergene discovery leads to new knowledge of fire ants Posted: 15 Oct 2020 02:31 PM PDT A unique study conducted by entomologists led to the discovery of a distinctive supergene in fire ant colonies that determines whether young queen ants will leave their birth colony to start their own new colony or if they will join one with multiple queens.

Researchers find diverse communities comprise bacterial mats threatening coral reefs Posted: 15 Oct 2020 02:31 PM PDT A research team found that cyanobacterial mats threatening the health of coral reefs are more diverse and complex than scientists previously knew.

Marriage or not? Rituals help dating couples decide relationship future Posted: 15 Oct 2020 10:42 AM PDT Rituals such as those centered around holidays and other celebrations play an important part in human relationships. When dating couples engage in rituals together, they learn more about each other. And those experiences can serve as diagnostic tools of where the relationship is going, a new study shows.

Monkey study suggests that they, like humans, may have 'self-domesticated' Posted: 15 Oct 2020 10:42 AM PDT Scientists determined that changing an infant monkey's verbal development also changed a physical marker of domesticity: a patch of white fur on its forehead. This is the first study linking the degree of a social trait with the size of a physical sign of domestication, in any species.

Deep learning artificial intelligence keeps an eye on volcano movements Posted: 15 Oct 2020 10:42 AM PDT Radar satellites can collect massive amounts of remote sensing data that can detect ground movements -- surface deformations -- at volcanoes in near real time. These ground movements could signal impending volcanic activity and unrest; however, clouds and other atmospheric and instrumental disturbances can introduce significant errors in those ground movement measurements. Now, researchers have used artificial intelligence (AI) to clear up that noise, drastically facilitating and improving near real-time observation of volcanic movements and the detection of volcanic activity and unrest.

Trigger that leads to faster nerve healing Posted: 15 Oct 2020 10:42 AM PDT Damaged nerves regenerate faster when protein clusters are broken apart, releasing mRNAs that can be used to rebuild the nerve. Scientists have found the trigger that could be used to accelerate regrowth more.

Phosphate polymer forms a cornerstone of metabolic control Posted: 15 Oct 2020 10:42 AM PDT In a changing climate, understanding how organisms respond to stress conditions is increasingly important. New work could enable scientists to engineer the metabolism of organisms to be more resilient and productive in a range of environments. Their research focuses on polyphosphate, an energy-rich polymer of tens to hundreds phosphate groups which is conserved in all kingdoms of life and is integral to many cellular activities, including an organism's ability to respond to changing environmental conditions.

Understanding how toxic PFAS chemicals spread from release sites Posted: 15 Oct 2020 08:17 AM PDT New lab studies are helping researchers to better understand how so called 'forever chemicals' behave in soil and water, which can help in understanding how these contaminants spread.

A new approach boosts lithium-ion battery efficiency and puts out fires, too Posted: 15 Oct 2020 08:17 AM PDT Building new functionality into an overlooked lithium-ion battery component addresses two major goals of battery research: extending the driving range of electric vehicles and reducing the danger that laptops, cell phones and other devices will burst into flames.

Inexpensive and rapid testing of drugs for resistant infections possible Posted: 15 Oct 2020 08:17 AM PDT A rapid and simple method for testing the efficacy of antibacterial drugs on infectious microbes has been developed and validated.

Machine learning uncovers potential new TB drugs Posted: 15 Oct 2020 08:17 AM PDT Using a machine-learning approach that incorporates uncertainty, researchers identified several promising compounds that target a protein required for the survival of the bacteria that cause tuberculosis.

Climate change likely drove early human species to extinction, modeling study suggests Posted: 15 Oct 2020 08:17 AM PDT Of the six or more different species of early humans, all belonging to the genus Homo, only we Homo sapiens have managed to survive. Now, a study combining climate modeling and the fossil record in search of clues to what led to all those earlier extinctions suggests that climate change -- the inability to adapt to either warming or cooling temperatures -- likely played a major role in sealing their fate.

Ultrasound technique offers more precise, quantified assessments of lung health Posted: 15 Oct 2020 08:17 AM PDT Researchers have developed a technique that uses ultrasound to provide non-invasive assessments of pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary edema. The technique has been shown to both quantify lung scarring and detect lung fluid in rats. A study on pulmonary edema in humans is under way.

Sprinkled with power: How impurities enhance a thermoelectric material at the atomic level Posted: 15 Oct 2020 08:17 AM PDT Magnesium silicide (Mg2Si) is a thermoelectric material that can convert heat into electricity. Though it is known that adding antimony impurities enhances the performance of Mg2Si, the mechanisms underlying this effect are unclear. Now, scientists shed light on the effects of these impurities at the atomic level, taking us closer to arriving at a practical way of efficiently harvesting waste heat from cars and thermal power plants to produce clean energy.

Bats save energy by reducing energetically costly immune functions during annual migration Posted: 15 Oct 2020 08:17 AM PDT A team of scientists led by the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) investigated whether and how the immune response changes between pre-migration and migration seasons in the Nathusius pipistrelle bat. They confirmed that migratory bats favour the energetically ''cheaper'' non-cellular (humoral) immunity during an immune challenge and selectively suppress cellular immune responses. Thereby, bats save energy much needed for their annual migration.

Athletes fear being judged as weak when they experience pain or injury Posted: 15 Oct 2020 07:18 AM PDT Researchers have carried out the first multi-centered, international, qualitative study exploring the athlete experience (in their own words) of sporting low back pain (LBP). The study found a culture of concealment of pain and injury in rowers, leading to poor outcomes for these athletes.

Plant-based thermotherapy patch Posted: 15 Oct 2020 07:18 AM PDT Researchers have developed a biodegradable, transparent, flexible and fast-acting thermotherapy patch from plant leaves. The patch is compatible with flexible electronic applications. Plant material was used to reduce the amount of electronic waste.

Making new materials using AI Posted: 15 Oct 2020 07:18 AM PDT Researchers demonstrate a novel physical phenomenon by controlling variations of the atomic structure.

Repurposing drugs for a pan-coronavirus treatment Posted: 15 Oct 2020 07:18 AM PDT A new study identifies drug targets common to all three coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-1, and MERS-CoV) and potential drugs that could be repurposed as COVID-19 treatments. Researchers suggest that repurposed pan-coronavirus therapeutics may offer a rapid treatment response against future emerging coronavirus strains.

Will the COVID-19 virus become endemic? Posted: 15 Oct 2020 07:18 AM PDT A new article explores the potential for the COVID-19 virus to become endemic, a regular feature producing recurring outbreaks in humans.

Anemic star cluster breaks metal-poor record Posted: 15 Oct 2020 07:18 AM PDT In a surprising discovery, astronomers have found a star cluster in the Andromeda Galaxy that contains a record-breaking low amount of metals, calling into question the so-called 'metallicity-floor' for massive globular star clusters.

Scientists develop 'mini-brains' to help robots recognize pain and to self-repair Posted: 15 Oct 2020 07:18 AM PDT Using a brain-inspired approach, scientists have developed a way for robots to have the artificial intelligence (AI) to recognize pain and to self-repair when damaged.

Automatic decision-making prevents us harming others Posted: 15 Oct 2020 07:18 AM PDT The processes our brains use to avoid harming other people are automatic and reflexive - and quite different from those used when avoiding harm to ourselves, according to new research.

Was Hong Kong once a coral reef paradise? Posted: 15 Oct 2020 07:18 AM PDT Researchers have for the first time investigated the historical presence of coral communities in the Greater Bay Area, revealing a catastrophic range collapse and loss of diversity that occurred in the last several decades.

Novel antiviral strategy for treatment of COVID-19 Posted: 15 Oct 2020 07:18 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a novel antiviral strategy for treatment of COVID-19 using existing metallodrugs.

Predicting influenza epidemics Posted: 15 Oct 2020 07:18 AM PDT Researchers have developed a unique method to predict influenza epidemics by combining several sources of data. The forecasts can be used, for example, when planning healthcare provision, such that resources can be redistributed in the best possible manner and give everyone the best possible care during an epidemic.

Artificial cyanobacterial biofilm can sustain green ethylene production for over a month Posted: 15 Oct 2020 07:18 AM PDT Ethylene is one of the most important and widely used organic chemicals. A research group has designed a thin-layer artificial biofilm with embedded cyanobacterial cell factories which were specifically engineered for photosynthetic production of 'green' ethylene. The fabricated biofilms have sustained ethylene production for up to 40 days.

Small RNA as a central player in infections Posted: 15 Oct 2020 06:24 AM PDT The most important pathogenicity factors of the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori are centrally regulated by a small RNA molecule, NikS. And this was not the only surprise that NikS provided.

Star clusters are only the tip of the iceberg Posted: 15 Oct 2020 06:24 AM PDT Star clusters have been part of the Imaginarium of human civilization for millennia. The brightest star clusters to Earth, like the Pleiades, are readily visible to the naked eye. A team around astronomer has now revealed the existence of massive stellar halos, termed coronae, surrounding local star clusters.

Laser technology measures biomass in world's largest trees Posted: 15 Oct 2020 05:45 AM PDT Laser technology has been used to measure the volume and biomass of giant Californian redwood trees for the first time, records a new study.

Australian carp virus plan 'dead in the water' Posted: 14 Oct 2020 09:34 PM PDT Plans to release a virus to reduce numbers of invasive Common Carp in Australia are unlikely to work and should be dropped, researchers say.

NASA's James Webb telescopes will reveal hidden galaxies Posted: 14 Oct 2020 09:34 PM PDT Simulations show it's possible to distinguish host galaxy from quasars, although still challenging due to the galaxy's small size on the sky.

Does science have a plastic problem? Microbiologists take steps to reducing plastic waste Posted: 14 Oct 2020 09:34 PM PDT A research group developed an approach to reduce plastic waste produced by their lab. They have shared their approach with the hope that other labs will follow suit.

Mapping out rest stops for migrating birds Posted: 14 Oct 2020 02:13 PM PDT A team of researchers have developed a new metric called the stopover-to-passage ratio that can help determine if a majority of birds are flying over a particular site or stopping at the site to refuel or rest. The answer to this question can have important implications for what action is ultimately taken on the ground to help migratory birds.

A new toolkit for capturing how COVID-19 impacts crime Posted: 14 Oct 2020 11:11 AM PDT A new set of assessment tools shows promise in capturing how the COVID-19 pandemic affects patterns of criminal activity.

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