ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• COVID-delayed Arctic research cruise yields late-season data
• Sensor for smart textiles survives washing machine, cars and hammers
• Novel population of neurons identified that control binocular eye movements in 3D space
• Framework to study brain connectivity in living organisms
• Viral vaccines preserved without refrigeration
• Life after COVID hospitalization: Study shows major lasting effects on health, work and more
• Virtual reality forests could help understanding of climate change
• Wrinkle-faced male bats lower face masks to copulate
• Smell and taste changes provide early indication of COVID-19 community spread
• Researchers trap electrons to create elusive crystal
• Atmospheric rivers help create massive holes in Antarctic sea ice
• Robotic AI learns to be spontaneous
• Study finds lasting fatigue common after COVID-19 infection
• Cloth face masks that can be disinfected by the sun
• How organ functions were shaped over the course of evolution
• Tree rings may hold clues to impacts of distant supernovas on Earth
• Late-season Arctic research cruise reveals warm ocean temperatures, active ecosystem
• Job interest not a big predictor of job satisfaction
• Folding proteins feel the heat, and cold
• Thermodynamics of off-equilibrium systems
• Making a case for organic Rankine cycles in waste heat recovery
• Scientists identify protein that protects against Lyme
• Mental health strained by disaster
• Silicone surface mimics topology, wettability of a real human tongue
• Climate-adapted plant breeding
• Detecting Alzheimer's disease before symptoms arise
• Dark matter from the depths of the universe
• Review of plants' role in antibacterial activity clears new paths for drug discovery
• Connecting two classes of unconventional superconductors
• Modelling microswimmers for drug delivery
• Turning heat into electric power with efficient organic thermoelectric material
• Researchers light-up mouse brain, revealing previously hidden areas susceptible to opioids
• New genome alignment tool empowers large-scale studies of vertebrate evolution
• Climate change causes landfalling hurricanes to stay stronger for longer
• Noise and light can 'profoundly' alter bird reproduction
• Dissecting colloidal glasses using laser as a lancet
• Power-free system harnesses evaporation to keep items cool
• How molecular chaperones dissolve protein aggregates linked to Parkinson's disease
• Former NFL players may not suffer more severe cognitive impairment than others, study indicates
• Largest set of mammalian genomes reveals species at risk of extinction
• DNA repair supports brain cognitive development
• A molecule from gut bacteria reduces effect of diabetes medication
• Chemical clues in leaves can reveal ash tree resistance to deadly disease
• Prenatal thyroid hormones influence 'biological age' at birth
• Golden ticket: Researchers examine what consumers desire in chocolate products
• Link between sleep apnea and increased risk of dementia
• AI speeds up development of new high-entropy alloys
• 3D-printed weather stations could enable more science for less money
• Ultrafast laser experiments pave way to better industrial catalysts
• Rice has many fathers but only two mothers
• Tips for making nanographene
• Sleep loss hijacks brain's activity during learning
• Breakthrough discovery on brain cortex functionality

COVID-delayed Arctic research cruise yields late-season data Posted: 11 Nov 2020 03:06 PM PST Researchers studying the Bering and Chukchi seas for three weeks in October found no ice and a surprisingly active ecosystem as they added another year's data to a key climate change record.

Sensor for smart textiles survives washing machine, cars and hammers Posted: 11 Nov 2020 03:06 PM PST If the smart textiles of the future are going to survive all that we throw at them, their components are going to need to be resilient. Now, researchers have developed an ultra-sensitive, seriously resilient strain sensor that can be embedded in textiles and soft robotic systems. It could be used in everything from virtual reality simulations and sportswear to clinical diagnostics for neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's Disease.

Novel population of neurons identified that control binocular eye movements in 3D space Posted: 11 Nov 2020 03:06 PM PST Researchers have discovered a previously undescribed population of neurons called saccade-vergence burst neurons that help control our eyes as they view in three-dimensional space. Models had predicted the existence of such neurons. The neurons are in a region of the mid-brain called the central mesencephalic reticular formation.

Framework to study brain connectivity in living organisms Posted: 11 Nov 2020 03:06 PM PST A new study lays out a large medical analytics framework that can be used in neuroscience and neurology to study brain connectivity in living organisms.

Viral vaccines preserved without refrigeration Posted: 11 Nov 2020 03:06 PM PST Half of vaccines are wasted annually because they aren't kept cold. Chemical engineers have now discovered a way to stabilize viruses in vaccines with proteins instead of temperature.

Life after COVID hospitalization: Study shows major lasting effects on health, work and more Posted: 11 Nov 2020 03:06 PM PST Outcomes for COVID-19 patients two months after a stay in one of 38 Michigan hospitals include high rates of death, rehospitalization, lingering health issues and problems with work and finances.

Virtual reality forests could help understanding of climate change Posted: 11 Nov 2020 03:06 PM PST The effects of climate change are sometimes difficult to grasp, but now a virtual reality forest, created by geographers, can let people walk through a simulated forest of today and see what various futures may hold for the trees.

Wrinkle-faced male bats lower face masks to copulate Posted: 11 Nov 2020 12:31 PM PST The first behavioral observations of wrinkle-faced bats in their natural habitat reveal that this elusive species uses the rarest form of bat courtship behavior, according to a new study.

Smell and taste changes provide early indication of COVID-19 community spread Posted: 11 Nov 2020 12:31 PM PST Self-reports of smell and taste changes provide earlier markers of the spread of infection of SARS-CoV-2 than current governmental indicators, according to an international team of researchers. The researchers also observed a decline in self-reports of smell and taste changes as early as five days after lockdown enforcement, with faster declines reported in countries that adopted the most stringent lockdown measures.

Researchers trap electrons to create elusive crystal Posted: 11 Nov 2020 12:31 PM PST Now, researchers have developed a way to stack two-dimensional semiconductors and trap electrons in a repeating pattern that forms a specific and long-hypothesized crystal.

Atmospheric rivers help create massive holes in Antarctic sea ice Posted: 11 Nov 2020 11:44 AM PST Warm, moist rivers of air in Antarctica play a key role in creating massive holes in sea ice in the Weddell Sea and may influence ocean conditions around the vast continent as well as climate change, according to new research.

Robotic AI learns to be spontaneous Posted: 11 Nov 2020 11:44 AM PST Autonomous functions for robots, such as spontaneity, are highly sought after. Many control mechanisms for autonomous robots are inspired by the functions of animals, including humans. Roboticists often design robot behaviors using predefined modules and control methodologies, which makes them task-specific, limiting their flexibility. Researchers offer an alternative machine learning-based method for designing spontaneous behaviors by capitalizing on complex temporal patterns, like neural activities of animal brains. They hope to see their design implemented in robotic platforms to improve their autonomous capabilities.

Study finds lasting fatigue common after COVID-19 infection Posted: 11 Nov 2020 11:44 AM PST More than half of people with acute COVID-19 infection continue to have persistent fatigue 10 weeks after their initial illness, according to a new study.

Cloth face masks that can be disinfected by the sun Posted: 11 Nov 2020 11:44 AM PST Researchers have developed a special type of cotton face mask that kills up to 99.9999 percent of bacteria and viruses within 60 minutes of daylight exposure.

How organ functions were shaped over the course of evolution Posted: 11 Nov 2020 11:44 AM PST A large-scale study conducted by molecular biologists has yielded groundbreaking new insights into the evolution and regulation of gene expression in mammalian organs. The scientists investigated RNA synthesis and subsequent protein synthesis in the organs of humans and other representative mammals. They were able to demonstrate that the interplay of the two synthesis processes during evolution was crucial for shaping organ functions.

Tree rings may hold clues to impacts of distant supernovas on Earth Posted: 11 Nov 2020 11:44 AM PST Massive explosions of energy happening thousands of light-years from Earth may have left traces in our planet's biology and geology, according to new research.

Late-season Arctic research cruise reveals warm ocean temperatures, active ecosystem Posted: 11 Nov 2020 11:43 AM PST Arctic researchers have been visiting the Bering and Chukchi seas off Alaska for nearly 30 years, collecting information about the biological diversity of the watery world under the sea ice. This year, a late-season research cruise revealed a surprise. At a time of year when an ice-breaking ship is usually required to get to some of the data-gathering outposts, scientists found nothing but open water and an unusually active ecosystem.

Job interest not a big predictor of job satisfaction Posted: 11 Nov 2020 11:43 AM PST Interest in an occupation matters, but not as much as you might think when it comes to job satisfaction. While it's not a strong predictor of satisfaction, a researcher found that it may help in your performance on the job.

Folding proteins feel the heat, and cold Posted: 11 Nov 2020 11:43 AM PST A new study shows proteins that presumably evolved to avoid water as they fold may actually behave in ways scientists did not anticipate.

Thermodynamics of off-equilibrium systems Posted: 11 Nov 2020 11:43 AM PST Arguably, almost all truly intriguing systems are ones that are far away from equilibrium -- such as stars, planetary atmospheres, and even digital circuits. But, until now, systems far from thermal equilibrium couldn't be analyzed with conventional thermodynamics and statistical physics.

Making a case for organic Rankine cycles in waste heat recovery Posted: 11 Nov 2020 11:43 AM PST Researchers say that cascaded organic Rankine cycle systems could improve the way in which environmentally-friendly power is generated from waste heat.

Scientists identify protein that protects against Lyme Posted: 11 Nov 2020 11:43 AM PST Researchers have discovered a protein that helps protect hosts from infection with the tick-borne spirochete that causes Lyme Disease, a finding that may help diagnose and treat this infection.

Mental health strained by disaster Posted: 11 Nov 2020 11:43 AM PST A new study found that suicide rates increase during all types of disasters -- including severe storms, floods, hurricanes and ice storms -- with the largest overall increase occurring two years after a disaster. A team of researchers examined the impact of 281 natural disasters on suicide rates during a 12-year span and found overall suicide rates increased by 23% when compared to rates before and after the disaster.

Silicone surface mimics topology, wettability of a real human tongue Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:39 AM PST The tongue helps people taste food, but structures on its surface also help them sense textures -- something that's also very important when savoring a meal. Now, researchers have made a 3D silicone surface that, for the first time, closely mimics the surface features of the human tongue. The material could help food scientists study mechanical interactions of foods, liquids and medicines with the organ.

Climate-adapted plant breeding Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:39 AM PST Securing plant production is a global task. Using a combination of new molecular and statistical methods, a research team was able to show that material from gene banks can be used to improve traits in the maize plant. Old varieties can thus help to breed new varieties adapted to current and future climates.

Detecting Alzheimer's disease before symptoms arise Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:39 AM PST Both of Andrew Kiselica's grandfathers developed dementia when he was in graduate school.

Dark matter from the depths of the universe Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:39 AM PST Cataclysmic astrophysical events such as black hole mergers could release energy in unexpected forms. Exotic low-mass fields (ELFs), for example, could propagate through space and cause feeble signals detectable with quantum sensor networks such as the atomic clocks of the GPS network or the magnetometers of the GNOME network. These results are particularly interesting in the context of the search for dark matter, as low-mass fields are regarded as promising candidates for this exotic form of matter.

Review of plants' role in antibacterial activity clears new paths for drug discovery Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:28 AM PST New research examines 459 plant natural products that met rigorous criteria for demonstrating antibacterial activity.

Connecting two classes of unconventional superconductors Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:28 AM PST The understanding of unconventional superconductivity is one of the most challenging and fascinating tasks of solid-state physics. Different classes of unconventional superconductors share that superconductivity emerges near a magnetic phase despite the underlying physics is different.

Modelling microswimmers for drug delivery Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:28 AM PST Theoretical physicists have modeled the motion of microscopic, motile bodies - either powered micro-machines or living cells - in viscous liquid drops, using the Navier-Stokes equations. This work has applications in materials science and medicine.

Turning heat into electric power with efficient organic thermoelectric material Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:28 AM PST Thermoelectric materials can turn a temperature difference into electricity. Organic thermoelectric materials could be used to power wearable electronics or sensors; however, the power output is still very low. An international team has now produced an n-type organic semiconductor with superior properties that brings these applications a big step closer.

Researchers light-up mouse brain, revealing previously hidden areas susceptible to opioids Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:28 AM PST New work shows that kappa opioid receptors actually are distributed widely throughout the brain. The researchers made this discovery after lighting up the brains of mice using a technique called CLARITY followed by three-dimensional (3D) fluorescent imaging. The study is the first to apply the imaging technique to better understand opioid receptor localization across the whole brain in 3D images.

New genome alignment tool empowers large-scale studies of vertebrate evolution Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:28 AM PST Three new articles present major advances in understanding the evolution of birds and mammals, made possible by new methods for comparing the genomes of hundreds of species. Researchers developed a powerful new genome alignment method that has made the new studies possible, including the largest genome alignment ever achieved of more than 600 vertebrate genomes.

Climate change causes landfalling hurricanes to stay stronger for longer Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:28 AM PST Climate change is causing hurricanes that make landfall to take more time to weaken, reports a new study. Researchers showed that hurricanes that develop over warmer oceans carry more moisture and therefore stay stronger for longer after hitting land. This means that in the future, as the world continues to warm, hurricanes are more likely to reach communities farther inland and be more destructive.

Noise and light can 'profoundly' alter bird reproduction Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:28 AM PST By analyzing nesting data from across the contiguous US, the authors found widespread impacts of noise and light pollution on bird nesting habits and success. Birds that live in forests were most sensitive to noise pollution, as were those with low frequency songs. Sensitivity to light pollution was strongly linked to variation in low light vision. The results reveal traits and contexts indicative of sensitivities to these stimuli that can be used for conservation planning.

Dissecting colloidal glasses using laser as a lancet Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:28 AM PST Researchers have probed the cage formation of the glass at surgical precision and elucidate the onset of glass transition.

Power-free system harnesses evaporation to keep items cool Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:28 AM PST Researchers have developed a two-layer passive cooling system, made of hydrogel and aerogel, that can keep foods and pharmaceuticals cool for days without the need for electricity.

How molecular chaperones dissolve protein aggregates linked to Parkinson's disease Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:28 AM PST In many neurodegenerative diseases, proteins clump in the brain, forming so-called amyloid fibrils. Yet there exists a cellular defence mechanism that counteracts this process and even dissolves fibrils already formed. The mechanism is based on the activity of molecular helpers, so-called chaperones of the heat shock protein 70 family.

Former NFL players may not suffer more severe cognitive impairment than others, study indicates Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:28 AM PST Even though repeated hits to the head are common in professional sports, the long-term effects of concussions are still poorly understood. While many believe that professional athletes who experience multiple concussions will end up with severe cognitive impairment later in life, a new study suggests that may not necessarily be the case.

Largest set of mammalian genomes reveals species at risk of extinction Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:28 AM PST Researchers have released the whole genomes of more than 80 percent of all mammalian families, spanning almost 110 million years of evolution. The dataset includes genomes from more than 120 species that were not previously sequenced, capturing mammalian diversity at an unprecedented scale.

DNA repair supports brain cognitive development Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:28 AM PST Researchers showed that na enzyme functions in genome maintenance by preventing double-stranded breaks in DNA during brain development in mice. In mice lacking this enzyme, these breaks occurred during epigenetic regulation of gene expression in the developing hippocampus, peaking two weeks after birth. The increased breaks were associated with abnormal neuronal dendrites and poor memory ability.

A molecule from gut bacteria reduces effect of diabetes medication Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:28 AM PST The action of metformin, the classic drug used to treat diabetes by stabilizing blood sugar, can be blocked by a molecule from the bacteria in our intestines, a new study shows.

Chemical clues in leaves can reveal ash tree resistance to deadly disease Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:28 AM PST Naturally occurring compounds in ash leaves could be linked to susceptibility of individual trees to the fungal disease ash dieback (ADB). But selecting trees with lower levels of these compounds and breeding for resistance could leave the UK ash tree population open to attack from invading insect pests in the future, according to scientists.

Prenatal thyroid hormones influence 'biological age' at birth Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:27 AM PST The environment we experience in early-life is known to have major consequences on later-life health and lifespan. A new study using an avian model suggests that increased prenatal exposure to maternal thyroid hormones could have beneficial effects on the 'biological age' at birth.

Golden ticket: Researchers examine what consumers desire in chocolate products Posted: 11 Nov 2020 09:27 AM PST Gold foil, ornate labels and an intriguing backstory are product characteristics highly desired by premium chocolate consumers, according to new research. The study is one of the first to thoroughly research what American premium chocolate consumers find to be desirable attributes in their chocolate bars.

Link between sleep apnea and increased risk of dementia Posted: 11 Nov 2020 07:49 AM PST A new study by Monash University has found that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been linked to an increased risk of dementia.

AI speeds up development of new high-entropy alloys Posted: 11 Nov 2020 07:26 AM PST Research team identifies a deep learning method for phase prediction of high-entropy alloys.

3D-printed weather stations could enable more science for less money Posted: 11 Nov 2020 06:56 AM PST 3D printing and low-cost sensors have made it possible to build a weather station for a few hundred dollars. Could these inexpensive, homegrown versions perform as well as their pricier counterparts?

Ultrafast laser experiments pave way to better industrial catalysts Posted: 11 Nov 2020 06:56 AM PST Scientists have recently published an ultrafast laser study on uncharged iron oxide clusters, which could ultimately lead to the development of new and less-expensive industrial catalysts. It might also contribute to a better understanding of the universe since iron oxides are observed in the emission spectra of stars.

Rice has many fathers but only two mothers Posted: 11 Nov 2020 06:56 AM PST Scientists studied more than 3000 rice genotypes and found diversity was inherited through two maternal genomes identified in all rice varieties.

Tips for making nanographene Posted: 11 Nov 2020 06:29 AM PST Nanographene is a material that is anticipated to radically improve solar cells, fuel cells, LEDs and more. Typically the synthesis of this material has been imprecise and difficult to control. For the first time, researchers have discovered a simple way to gain precise control over the fabrication of nanographene. In doing so, they have shed light on the previously unclear chemical processes involved in nanographene production.

Sleep loss hijacks brain's activity during learning Posted: 11 Nov 2020 06:29 AM PST Sleep is crucial for consolidating our memories, and sleep deprivation has long been known to interfere with learning and memory. Now a new study shows that getting only half a night's sleep - as many medical workers and military personnel often do - hijacks the brain's ability to unlearn fear-related memories. That might put people at greater risk of conditions such as anxiety or posttraumatic stress disorder.

Breakthrough discovery on brain cortex functionality Posted: 11 Nov 2020 06:29 AM PST A team of researchers from UTSA's Neurosciences Institute is challenging the historical belief that the organization of the cortical circuit of GABAergic neurons is exclusively local.

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