ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Diet and lifestyle during pregnancy linked to modifications in infants' DNA
• New insight into a placental gene pathway and its association with vitamin D
• Why do bats fly into walls?
• Researchers identify new Rickettsia bacteria species in dogs
• Study finds surprising diversity in early child care
• Researchers use 'big data' approach to identify melatonin as possible COVID-19 treatment
• New black hole merger simulations could help power next-gen gravitational wave detectors
• Global analysis of forest management shows local communities often lose out
• Fossil feces hows fishy lunches from 200 million years ago
• 3D model shows bacterial motor in action
• Menstrual cycle length and body temperature change with age and seasons
• Genetic disposition protects immune system from aging
• First brown dwarf discovered by radio observations confirmed
• Clinicians who prescribe unnecessary antibiotics fuel future antibiotic use
• Key to piercing harmful bacteria's armor
• Remote learning adds pressure for teachers who work second shift as mothers
• Trees set sixth-graders up for success
• The ecology of crop pests
• Researchers examine if online physician reviews indicate clinical outcomes
• New 'genomic' method reveals atomic arrangements of battery material
• Researchers discover bacterial DNA's recipe for success
• Newly discovered fossil shows small-scale evolutionary changes in an extinct human species
• Electrified magnets: Researchers uncover a new way to handle data
• Half-a-billion year old microfossils may yield new knowledge of animal origins
• Bringing drugs to the brain with nanoparticles to treat neurodegenerative diseases
• Significant psychological toll from New Zealand COVID-19 lockdown
• New 'robotic snake' device grips, picks up objects
• The natural artistry of disease: A wintry landscape in the eye
• Hollow porphyrinic nanospheres
• Coating plastics by porous nanofilm
• 90% accuracy in detecting melanoma: New non-invasive method
• Social distancing is increasing loneliness in older adults
• Water may be naturally occurring on all rocky planets
• COVID-19 can worsen OCD in children and young people, study finds
• Water predictions: Telling when a nanolithography mold will break through droplets
• Trauma hospitalizations fall in Philly during COVID-19 lockdown, but gun violence rises
• Do spoilers harm movie box-office revenue?
• Optimizing the design of new materials
• High blood pressure complications in US pregnancies have nearly doubled
• Calories by the clock? Squeezing most of your calories in early doesn't impact weight loss
• People who eat chili pepper may live longer?
• More green spaces can help boost air quality, reduce heart disease deaths
• Scientists unravel how and why Amazon trees die
• Cell aging can be slowed by oxidants
• More economic worries mean less caution about COVID-19
• Scientists create hybrid tissue construct for cartilage regeneration

Diet and lifestyle during pregnancy linked to modifications in infants' DNA Posted: 09 Nov 2020 03:49 PM PST A new study has shown pregnant women with obesity could reduce the health risks for their infants through improved diet and more physical activity.

New insight into a placental gene pathway and its association with vitamin D Posted: 09 Nov 2020 03:49 PM PST Vitamin D status during pregnancy has multifaceted effects on maternal health. Researchers found that vitamin D sufficiency lowered the expression of placental genes related to preeclampsia - a severe, and sometimes fatal, condition. Their findings shed new light on the development of preeclampsia during pregnancy and how it may correlate with maternal vitamin D status.

Why do bats fly into walls? Posted: 09 Nov 2020 03:49 PM PST Bats sometimes collide with large walls even though they detect these walls with their sonar system. Researchers from Tel Aviv University have concluded that these collisions do not result from a sensory limitation but rather from an error in acoustic perception.

Researchers identify new Rickettsia bacteria species in dogs Posted: 09 Nov 2020 03:49 PM PST Researchers have identified a new species of Rickettsia bacteria that may cause significant disease in dogs and humans. This new yet unnamed species, initially identified in three dogs, is part of the spotted-fever group Rickettsia which includes Rickettsia rickettsii, the bacteria that cause Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF).

Study finds surprising diversity in early child care Posted: 09 Nov 2020 12:22 PM PST A new study of kindergarteners in one Midwestern state identified seven different pathways the children took in their early education and care before arriving at school. The researchers were surprised by the diverse experiences that kids brought with them to kindergarten: While some received care only in their home or mainly in a child care center, others switched back and forth between different types of care, or had other arrangements.

Researchers use 'big data' approach to identify melatonin as possible COVID-19 treatment Posted: 09 Nov 2020 12:22 PM PST A new study suggests that melatonin, a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and is commonly used as an over-the-counter sleep aid, may be a viable treatment option for COVID-19.

New black hole merger simulations could help power next-gen gravitational wave detectors Posted: 09 Nov 2020 11:34 AM PST Scientists have developed new simulations of black holes with widely varying masses merging that could help power the next generation of gravitational wave detectors.

Global analysis of forest management shows local communities often lose out Posted: 09 Nov 2020 10:24 AM PST Maintaining forest cover is an important natural climate solution, but new research shows that too often, communities lose out when local forest management is formalized.

Fossil feces hows fishy lunches from 200 million years ago Posted: 09 Nov 2020 10:24 AM PST A new study of coprolites, fossil feces, shows the detail of food webs in the ancient shallow seas around Bristol in south-west England. One hungry fish ate part of the head of another fish before snipping off the tail of a passing reptile.

3D model shows bacterial motor in action Posted: 09 Nov 2020 10:24 AM PST Scientists have constructed a high-resolution 3D model that shows what happens when a bacterial motor switches directions.

Menstrual cycle length and body temperature change with age and seasons Posted: 09 Nov 2020 10:24 AM PST Researchers using Big Data have shown that the average length of the menstrual cycle in Japanese women peaks at 23 years with a trough at 45. Body temperature was consistent for the follicular phase of the cycle, but the average during the luteal phase peaks and stabilizes in the thirties, declining after 42. These findings replace outdated statistics and are relevant for research into female reproductive health in Japan.

Genetic disposition protects immune system from aging Posted: 09 Nov 2020 10:24 AM PST A genetic disposition that plays a role in the development of the heart in the embryo also appears to play a key role in the human immune system.

First brown dwarf discovered by radio observations confirmed Posted: 09 Nov 2020 10:24 AM PST New research has led to the first direct discovery of a cold brown dwarf from its radio wavelength emission. Along with paving the way for future brown dwarf discoveries, this result is an important step towards applying radio astronomy to the exciting field of exoplanets.

Clinicians who prescribe unnecessary antibiotics fuel future antibiotic use Posted: 09 Nov 2020 09:47 AM PST Receipt of antibiotics for acute respiratory infections makes it more likely that patients and their families will seek care and receive antibiotics for future respiratory viral infections. In the year after their visit, patients randomly assigned to clinicians who prescribed more antibiotics got 15 percent more antibiotics for viral respiratory infections compared with patients seen by clinicians who prescribed the fewest antibiotics. Antibiotics work against bacteria but not against viruses, and improper use can make bacteria resistant to these drugs.

Key to piercing harmful bacteria's armor Posted: 09 Nov 2020 09:47 AM PST Researchers have identified a new bacterial protein that assists in delivering components to the outer membrane of the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli.

Remote learning adds pressure for teachers who work second shift as mothers Posted: 09 Nov 2020 09:47 AM PST The transition to remote learning coupled with an unequal distribution of second-shift responsibilities has placed teachers who are also mothers under immense stress, according to new research.

Trees set sixth-graders up for success Posted: 09 Nov 2020 09:47 AM PST The transition to middle school is undeniably tough for many sixth-graders, even in the best of times. Mounting academic demands, along with changes in peer dynamics and the onset of puberty, result in a predictable and sometimes irreversible slump in academic performance. A new study suggests an unexpected but potentially potent remedy: trees.

The ecology of crop pests Posted: 09 Nov 2020 09:47 AM PST Ecological theory provides insights on pesticide use in agriculture

Researchers examine if online physician reviews indicate clinical outcomes Posted: 09 Nov 2020 09:12 AM PST Dr. Atanu Lahiri and Dr. Zhiqiang Zheng studied the relationship between online reviews of physicians and their patients' actual clinical outcomes. They wanted to know how much consumers can rely on the reviews, specifically in regard to chronic-disease care.

New 'genomic' method reveals atomic arrangements of battery material Posted: 09 Nov 2020 09:06 AM PST Scientists have developed a new way to decipher the atomic-level structure of materials based on data gleaned from ground-up powder samples. They describe their approach and demonstrate its ability to solve the structure of a material that shows promise for shuttling ions through sodium-ion batteries.

Researchers discover bacterial DNA's recipe for success Posted: 09 Nov 2020 09:06 AM PST Biomedical engineers have developed a way of modeling how potentially beneficial packages of DNA called plasmids circulate and accumulate through a complex environment that includes many bacterial species. The researchers hope that their new model will lay the groundwork for others to better model and predict how important traits such as antibiotic resistance in pathogens or metabolic abilities in bacteria bred to clean environmental pollution will spread and grow in a given environment.

Newly discovered fossil shows small-scale evolutionary changes in an extinct human species Posted: 09 Nov 2020 09:06 AM PST Males of the extinct human species Paranthropus robustus were thought to be substantially larger than females -- much like the size differences seen in modern-day primates such as gorillas, orangutans and baboons. But a new fossil discovery in South Africa instead suggests that P. robustus evolved rapidly during a turbulent period of local climate change about 2 million years ago, resulting in anatomical changes that previously were attributed to sex.

Electrified magnets: Researchers uncover a new way to handle data Posted: 09 Nov 2020 09:03 AM PST The properties of synthesized magnets can be changed and controlled by charge currents as suggested by a study and simulations conducted by physicists. The team reports on how magnets and magnetic signals can be coupled more effectively and steered by electric fields. This could result in new, environmentally friendly concepts for efficient communication and data processing.

Half-a-billion year old microfossils may yield new knowledge of animal origins Posted: 09 Nov 2020 09:03 AM PST When and how did the first animals appear? Science has long sought an answer. Researchers have now jointly found, in Greenland, embryo-like microfossils up to 570 million years old, revealing that organisms of this type were dispersed throughout the world.

Bringing drugs to the brain with nanoparticles to treat neurodegenerative diseases Posted: 09 Nov 2020 08:02 AM PST Researchers have shown that nanoparticles could be used to deliver drugs to the brain to treat neurodegenerative diseases.

Significant psychological toll from New Zealand COVID-19 lockdown Posted: 09 Nov 2020 08:02 AM PST Research has confirmed the nationwide Alert Level 4 COVID-19 lockdown had a significant toll on New Zealanders' well-being, especially for younger people -- but the results were not all negative.

New 'robotic snake' device grips, picks up objects Posted: 09 Nov 2020 08:02 AM PST An invention similar to an elephant's trunk has potential benefits for many industries where handling delicate objects is essential, say the researchers who developed it.

The natural artistry of disease: A wintry landscape in the eye Posted: 09 Nov 2020 08:02 AM PST Researchers report a case of frosted branch angiitis in a woman presenting years after being treated for leukemia-lymphoma with allogeneic human stem cell transplant. The relevance of this ocular finding is discussed and its value as an early warning sign of immune activation following therapeutic immunological interventions is highlighted.

Hollow porphyrinic nanospheres Posted: 09 Nov 2020 08:02 AM PST A research team developed a template-free, one-pot synthesis of a porphyrin-based gigantic organic cages composed of multi-porphyrin units.

Coating plastics by porous nanofilm Posted: 09 Nov 2020 08:02 AM PST A research team has developed a new method for creating metal-organic framework (MOF) thin films that can be applied to sensors and electric devices.

90% accuracy in detecting melanoma: New non-invasive method Posted: 09 Nov 2020 08:02 AM PST A team of researchers proposed a non-invasive method for detection of melanoma. A patented computer-aided diagnostic system developed by scientists proved to be more than 90% accurate in detecting malignancy in diagnostic images of skin lesions acquired from 100 patients.

Social distancing is increasing loneliness in older adults Posted: 09 Nov 2020 08:02 AM PST Social distancing introduced in response to COVID-19 is increasing feelings of loneliness in Scotland's older population and impacting their wellbeing, according to a new study.

Water may be naturally occurring on all rocky planets Posted: 09 Nov 2020 08:02 AM PST Life is deeply dependent on water, but where does water come from? Based on new research, researchers believe it may emerge in connection with the formation of planets.

COVID-19 can worsen OCD in children and young people, study finds Posted: 09 Nov 2020 08:02 AM PST Many children and young people with obsessive thoughts and compulsions experience that their OCD, anxiety and depressive symptoms worsen during a crisis such as COVID-19, according to new research.

Water predictions: Telling when a nanolithography mold will break through droplets Posted: 09 Nov 2020 08:02 AM PST Ultraviolet nanoimprint lithography is powerful method of producing polymer nanostructures by pressing a curable resin onto a mold. However, there are no convenient methods to determine the lifetime of molds. Now, in a recent study, scientists develop a simple strategy to reliably predict the durability of mold materials by observing how water droplets make contact with the mold's surface as it wears out and distorts with use.

Trauma hospitalizations fall in Philly during COVID-19 lockdown, but gun violence rises Posted: 09 Nov 2020 07:59 AM PST Non-intentional trauma fell compared to the period before COVID this year, but ratios of gun violence patients increased after stay-at-home orders were implemented, and were high compared to the same timeframe in previous years, according to new research.

Do spoilers harm movie box-office revenue? Posted: 09 Nov 2020 04:41 AM PST Spoiler reviews have a positive and statistically significant relationship with box office revenue.

Optimizing the design of new materials Posted: 09 Nov 2020 04:41 AM PST A new approach combines statistical inference, optimization theory, and computational materials physics to design new materials without large amounts of existing data.

High blood pressure complications in US pregnancies have nearly doubled Posted: 09 Nov 2020 04:41 AM PST Researchers found high blood pressure complicated about 80,000 pregnancies in 2018, nearly twice as many as in 2007. Women living in rural areas continue to be approximately 20% more likely to have high blood pressure before pregnancy than women living in urban communities.

Calories by the clock? Squeezing most of your calories in early doesn't impact weight loss Posted: 09 Nov 2020 04:41 AM PST Time-restricted eating, which restricts eating to specific hours of the day, did not impact weight among overweight adults with prediabetes or diabetes. Adults in the 12-week study ate the same healthy, pre-prepared foods, however, one group ate the bulk of their calories before 1 p.m. each day, versus the other group that ate 50% of their calories after 5 p.m.

People who eat chili pepper may live longer? Posted: 09 Nov 2020 04:41 AM PST Consumption of chili pepper may reduce the relative risk of cardiovascular disease mortality by 26%, according to an analysis of diet and mortality data from four large, international studies. Chili pepper consumption was associated with a 25% reduction in death from any cause and 23% fewer cancer deaths, compared to people who never or only rarely consumed chili pepper.

More green spaces can help boost air quality, reduce heart disease deaths Posted: 09 Nov 2020 04:41 AM PST The number of trees, shrubs and grasses in an area - known as green space or greenness - can improve air quality, counteract air pollution and may reduce heart disease deaths. Policies that improve environmental factors also can improve cardiovascular health among a diverse population.

Scientists unravel how and why Amazon trees die Posted: 09 Nov 2020 04:41 AM PST The capacity of the Amazon forest to store carbon in a changing climate will ultimately be determined by how fast trees die - and what kills them. Now, a huge new study has unravelled what factors control tree mortality rates in Amazon forests and helps to explain why tree mortality is increasing across the Amazon basin.

Cell aging can be slowed by oxidants Posted: 09 Nov 2020 04:41 AM PST At high concentrations, reactive oxygen species - known as oxidants - are harmful to cells in all organisms and have been linked to aging. But a new study, has now shown that low levels of the oxidant hydrogen peroxide can stimulate an enzyme that helps slow down the ageing of yeast cells.

More economic worries mean less caution about COVID-19 Posted: 09 Nov 2020 04:41 AM PST Workers experiencing job and financial insecurity are less likely to follow the CDC's guidelines for COVID-19, such as physical distancing, limiting trips from home and washing hands, according to a new study. The researchers, who surveyed 745 workers in 43 states, also found that state unemployment benefits and COVID-19 policies affected the connection between economic concerns and compliance with COVID-19 precautions.

Scientists create hybrid tissue construct for cartilage regeneration Posted: 09 Nov 2020 04:40 AM PST Scientists have developed a method to bioprint a type of cartilage that could someday help restore knee function damaged by arthritis or injury.

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