ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Researchers identify three drugs as possible therapeutics for COVID-19
• Surprises in 'active' aging
• Small finlets on owl feathers point the way to less aircraft noise
• Cichlid fishes from African Lake Tanganyika shed light on how organismal diversity arises
• Vertebrate biodiversity: A glimmer of hope
• Lurking in genomic shadows: How giant viruses fuel the evolution of algae
• Gut microbiome manipulation could result from virus discovery
• Prehistoric shark hid its largest teeth
• Studies focus on SARS-CoV-2 transmission in domestic cats, pigs
• Technology lets clinicians objectively detect tinnitus for first time
• Pandemic has surprising impacts on public transit demand
• Which particulate air pollution poses the greatest health risk?
• Blue Ring Nebula: 16-year-old cosmic mystery solved, revealing stellar missing link
• System can sterilize medical tools using solar heat
• The bull Y chromosome has evolved to bully its way into gametes
• 3D bioprinted heart provides new tool for surgeons
• Killing cancer naturally: New process to produce compounds with anti-cancer properties
• Faster detection of photocatalyst-generated oxygen has big implications for clean energy
• Certain CBD oils no better than pure CBD at inhibiting certain cancer cell lines
• Study improves ability to predict how whales travel through their ocean habitat
• Community helps scientists evaluate smoke forecasts
• Antibiotic resistance surveillance tools in Puerto Rican watersheds after Hurricane Maria
• A more sensitive way to detect circulating tumor cells
• Are high-protein total diet replacements the key to maintaining healthy weight?
• Tackling food allergies at the source
• New electronic chip delivers smarter, light-powered AI
• Diabetes, hypertension may increase risk of COVID-19 brain complications
• Starved, stuffed and squandered: Consequences of decades of global nutrition transition
• Predicting urban water needs
• Does air pollution affect mental health later in life?
• Review examines sexual aggression in mammals
• Geoscientists discover Ancestral Puebloans survived from ice melt in New Mexico lava tubes
• Machine learning innovation to develop chemical library
• A regular dose of nature may improve mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Could your vacuum be listening to you?
• Moving wind turbine blades toward recyclability
• New analysis refutes claim that dinosaurs were in decline before asteroid hit
• Teaching and complex tools 'evolved together'
• Farms, tables and vast impacts between and beyond
• Aggressive COVID testing and surveillance minimized infections
• Oil droplet 'predators' chase oil droplet prey
• Upgraded radar can enable self-driving cars to see clearly no matter the weather
• A Hox paradigm for studying protein evolution
• Just hours of training triples doctor confidence in use of handheld ultrasound devices
• Piecing together the Alaska coastline's fractured volcanic activity
• Kids mount a COVID-19 immune response without detection of the SARSCoV-2 virus, case study finds
• Large predatory fish thrive on WWII shipwrecks off North Carolina coast
• Study reveals how smoking worsens COVID-19 infection in the airways
• New SARS-CoV-2 test is a simple, cost-effective, and efficient alternative for SARS-CoV-2 testing

Researchers identify three drugs as possible therapeutics for COVID-19 Posted: 18 Nov 2020 01:11 PM PST Researchers have identified three drugs, already approved for other uses in humans, as possible therapeutics for COVID-19, the illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Surprises in 'active' aging Posted: 18 Nov 2020 01:11 PM PST Aging is a process that affects not only living beings. Many materials, like plastics and glasses, also age -- ie they change slowly as their particles try to pack better. Biological materials, such as living tissue, show similar behavior to glasses except that the particles are actual cells with their own propulsion. Researchers used computer simulations to explore the aging behavior of these 'living' glassy systems.

Small finlets on owl feathers point the way to less aircraft noise Posted: 18 Nov 2020 11:19 AM PST Researchers reveals how the microstructure of small finlets on owl feathers enable silent flight.

Cichlid fishes from African Lake Tanganyika shed light on how organismal diversity arises Posted: 18 Nov 2020 11:18 AM PST Lake Tanganyika in Africa is a true hotspot of organismal diversity. Approximately 240 species of cichlid fishes have evolved in this lake in less than 10 million years. A research team has investigated this phenomenon of 'explosive speciation' and provides new insights into the origins of biological diversity.

Vertebrate biodiversity: A glimmer of hope Posted: 18 Nov 2020 11:18 AM PST A team of biologists found that the picture of dramatically declining vertebrate populations of all kinds is driven by a small number of outlier populations whose numbers are dropping at extreme rates. Once these outliers are separated from the mix, a very different and far more hopeful picture of global biodiversity emerges.

Lurking in genomic shadows: How giant viruses fuel the evolution of algae Posted: 18 Nov 2020 11:18 AM PST Biologists have recently discovered that endogenous viral elements that originate from giant viruses are much more common in chlorophyte green algae than previously thought.

Gut microbiome manipulation could result from virus discovery Posted: 18 Nov 2020 11:18 AM PST Scientists have discovered how a common virus in the human gut infects and takes over bacterial cells - a finding that could be used to control the composition of the gut microbiome, which is important for human health. The research could aid efforts to engineer beneficial bacteria that produce medicines and fuels and clean up pollutants.

Prehistoric shark hid its largest teeth Posted: 18 Nov 2020 11:17 AM PST Some, if not all, early sharks that lived 300 to 400 million years ago not only dropped their lower jaws downward but rotated them outwards when opening their mouths. This enabled them to make the best of their largest, sharpest and inward-facing teeth when catching prey, paleontologists have now shown using CT scanning and 3D printing.

Studies focus on SARS-CoV-2 transmission in domestic cats, pigs Posted: 18 Nov 2020 11:17 AM PST Two recently published studies include important findings related to SARS-CoV-2 transmission and the COVID-19 pandemic: Domestic cats can be asymptomatic carriers of SARS-CoV-2, but pigs are unlikely to be significant carriers of the virus.

Technology lets clinicians objectively detect tinnitus for first time Posted: 18 Nov 2020 11:16 AM PST A technology called functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) can be used to objectively measure tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, according to a new study.

Pandemic has surprising impacts on public transit demand Posted: 18 Nov 2020 11:16 AM PST The COVID-19 pandemic had surprising effects on demand for public transit in American cities, new research suggests. While demand for public transit dropped about 73 percent across the country after the pandemic hit, the reduction didn't impact all cities equally, according to the study, which analyzed activity data from a widely used public transit navigation app.

Which particulate air pollution poses the greatest health risk? Posted: 18 Nov 2020 11:16 AM PST Researchers have investigated whether particulate matter from certain sources can be especially harmful to human health. They found evidence that the amount of particulate matter alone is not the greatest health risk. Rather, it could be the so-called oxidative potential that makes particulate pollution so harmful.

Blue Ring Nebula: 16-year-old cosmic mystery solved, revealing stellar missing link Posted: 18 Nov 2020 11:16 AM PST Astronomers have solved the 16-year-old mystery surrounding the Blue Ring Nebula - an unusual, large, faint blob of gas with a star at its center. This object is unlike any they'd ever seen before in our Milky Way galaxy. The team has discovered the nebula appears to be the first known example of a merged star system at this stage.

System can sterilize medical tools using solar heat Posted: 18 Nov 2020 11:16 AM PST Autoclaves, which are used to sterilize medical tools, require a steady supply of hot, pressurized steam. Researchers have come up with a way to generate that steam passively, using just the power of sunlight, to help maintain safe, sterile equipment at low cost in remote locations.

The bull Y chromosome has evolved to bully its way into gametes Posted: 18 Nov 2020 11:16 AM PST Scientists present the first ever full, high-resolution sequence of the Y chromosome of a Hereford bull. The research, more than a decade in the making, suggests that bulls' Y chromosomes have evolved dozens of copies of the same genes in a selfish attempt to make more males -- a move that is countered in the female-determining X chromosome.

3D bioprinted heart provides new tool for surgeons Posted: 18 Nov 2020 11:16 AM PST Surgeons will soon have a powerful new tool for planning and practice with the creation of the first full-sized 3D bioprinted model of the human heart.

Killing cancer naturally: New process to produce compounds with anti-cancer properties Posted: 18 Nov 2020 11:16 AM PST Scientists have made a breakthrough in the development of potential drugs that can kill cancer cells. They have discovered a method of synthesizing organic compounds that are four times more fatal to cancer cells and leave non-cancerous cells unharmed. Their research can assist in the creation of new anticancer drugs with minimal side effects.

Faster detection of photocatalyst-generated oxygen has big implications for clean energy Posted: 18 Nov 2020 06:29 AM PST In the future, hydrogen produced from sunlight and water using photocatalysts could provide a source of clean energy. Researchers have developed a method to detect the oxygen produced from this water-splitting reaction 1000 times faster. This new method can be utilized to improve our understanding of artificial photosynthesis' reaction mechanisms and could contribute towards the development and large-scale implementation of photocatalyst technology for producing hydrogen fuel.

Certain CBD oils no better than pure CBD at inhibiting certain cancer cell lines Posted: 18 Nov 2020 06:08 AM PST Cannabidiol (CBD) oils are equally or less effective at inhibiting the growth of certain cancer cells compared to pure CBD, according to researchers. The results of their recent study indicate that future research into the clinical applications of cannabinoids should include an analysis of whether the pure cannabinoid compound or intact plant material is more effective at achieving the therapeutic effect.

Study improves ability to predict how whales travel through their ocean habitat Posted: 18 Nov 2020 06:07 AM PST Scientists recently published a study that could help researchers learn where protections are needed the most for bowhead whales.

Community helps scientists evaluate smoke forecasts Posted: 18 Nov 2020 06:07 AM PST Across the Wasatch Front, both researchers and community members maintain enough air quality sensors to provide a high-resolution picture of how the smoke moved through the valley -- perfect for testing and refining smoke forecast models.

Antibiotic resistance surveillance tools in Puerto Rican watersheds after Hurricane Maria Posted: 18 Nov 2020 06:07 AM PST Researchers have further developed an innovative antibiotic resistance surveillance approach by applying DNA sequencing techniques to detect the spread of disease in watersheds impacted by large-scale storms.

A more sensitive way to detect circulating tumor cells Posted: 18 Nov 2020 05:08 AM PST Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women, and metastasis from the breast to other areas of the body is the leading cause of death in these patients. Detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the bloodstream could help doctors find and treat metastases at an earlier stage, increasing chances of survival. Now, researchers have developed a method that could more sensitively detect CTCs within the complex environment of blood.

Are high-protein total diet replacements the key to maintaining healthy weight? Posted: 18 Nov 2020 05:08 AM PST The results of a new study suggest that high-protein total diet replacements are a promising nutritional strategy to combat rising rates of obesity. In particular, the study provides further evidence that diets with a higher proportion of protein might offer a metabolic advantage compared to a diet consisting of the same number of calories, but with a lower proportion of protein.

Tackling food allergies at the source Posted: 18 Nov 2020 05:08 AM PST Food allergies cost billions of dollars and cause enormous suffering for people. Researchers are trying to remove the source of food allergies altogether -- troublesome proteins made by our favorite crops.

New electronic chip delivers smarter, light-powered AI Posted: 18 Nov 2020 05:07 AM PST New tech combines the core software needed to drive AI with image-capturing hardware - in one electronic chip. The light-driven prototype device imitates the way the human brain processes visual information. It's a significant advance towards the ultimate in electronics: a brain-on-a-chip that can learn from its environment just like humans do.

Diabetes, hypertension may increase risk of COVID-19 brain complications Posted: 18 Nov 2020 05:07 AM PST Some patients with COVID-19 are at higher risk of neurological complications like bleeding in the brain and stroke, according to a new study. The researchers said these potentially life-threatening findings were more common in patients with hypertension and diabetes.

Starved, stuffed and squandered: Consequences of decades of global nutrition transition Posted: 18 Nov 2020 05:07 AM PST Just a handful of rice and beans - a part of our world is starved. Hawaiian Pizza and ice-cream - another part of our world is stuffed, throwing away food every day. This gap is likely to worsen, while food waste will increase and pressure on the environment will go up, a new study shows.

Predicting urban water needs Posted: 18 Nov 2020 05:07 AM PST New Stanford research uses Zillow and census data combined with machine learning to identify residential water consumption based on housing characteristics. The approach could help cities better understand water use and design water-efficient communities.

Does air pollution affect mental health later in life? Posted: 18 Nov 2020 05:07 AM PST In a study of women aged 80 years and older, living in locations with higher exposures to air pollution was associated with increased depressive symptoms.

Review examines sexual aggression in mammals Posted: 18 Nov 2020 05:07 AM PST A recent review of published studies in non-human mammals examines 'sexual disturbance,' or male behavior towards a female around mating that can be costly for the female -- for example, that might inflict physical harm or cause mother-offspring separation.

Geoscientists discover Ancestral Puebloans survived from ice melt in New Mexico lava tubes Posted: 18 Nov 2020 05:07 AM PST New study explains how Ancestral Puebloans survived devastating droughts by traveling deep into the caves of New Mexico to melt ancient ice as a water resource.

Machine learning innovation to develop chemical library Posted: 18 Nov 2020 05:07 AM PST Innovators are using machine learning models to create new options for drug discovery pipelines. Innovators have introduced chemical reactivity flowcharts to help chemists interpret reaction outcomes using statistically robust machine learning models trained on a small number of reactions.

A regular dose of nature may improve mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic Posted: 18 Nov 2020 05:07 AM PST A new study suggests that nature around one's home may help mitigate some of the negative mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Could your vacuum be listening to you? Posted: 17 Nov 2020 06:01 PM PST A team of researchers demonstrated that popular robotic household vacuum cleaners can be remotely hacked to act as microphones.

Moving wind turbine blades toward recyclability Posted: 17 Nov 2020 04:26 PM PST A new material for wind blades that can be recycled could transform the wind industry, rendering renewable energy more sustainable than ever before while lowering costs in the process. Researchers demonstrated the feasibility of thermoplastic resin by manufacturing a 9-meter-long wind turbine blade using this novel resin.

New analysis refutes claim that dinosaurs were in decline before asteroid hit Posted: 17 Nov 2020 04:26 PM PST New research suggests that dinosaurs were not in decline before the asteroid hit. The study contradicts previous theories and concludes that had the impact not occurred dinosaurs might have continued to be the dominant group of land animals.

Teaching and complex tools 'evolved together' Posted: 17 Nov 2020 04:26 PM PST The human ability to teach and our use of complex tools may have evolved together, according to new research.

Farms, tables and vast impacts between and beyond Posted: 17 Nov 2020 04:26 PM PST New sustainability science tools show places that have no major stake in the plant-water-eat game end up paying an environmental price.

Aggressive COVID testing and surveillance minimized infections Posted: 17 Nov 2020 04:26 PM PST An aggressive COVID-19 surveillance and testing effort at Duke University was highly effective in minimizing the spread of the disease among students on campus, according to a case study.

Oil droplet 'predators' chase oil droplet prey Posted: 17 Nov 2020 04:26 PM PST Oil droplets can be made to act like predators, chasing down other droplets that flee like prey mimicking behavior seen among living organisms.

Upgraded radar can enable self-driving cars to see clearly no matter the weather Posted: 17 Nov 2020 04:26 PM PST A new kind of radar could make it possible for self-driving cars to navigate safely in bad weather. Electrical engineers developed a clever way to improve the imaging capability of existing radar sensors so that they accurately predict the shape and size of objects in the scene. The system worked well when tested at night and in foggy conditions.

A Hox paradigm for studying protein evolution Posted: 17 Nov 2020 04:26 PM PST In a new study, researchers have identified a handful of variations in an amino acid sequence critical for retaining the ancestral function of a gene over the course of 600 million years of evolution.

Just hours of training triples doctor confidence in use of handheld ultrasound devices Posted: 17 Nov 2020 04:25 PM PST Filling a training gap, a doctor created a geriatric medicine-centered course for point-of-care-ultrasound (POCUS) devices that doubled doctor confidence.

Piecing together the Alaska coastline's fractured volcanic activity Posted: 17 Nov 2020 04:25 PM PST Among seismologists, the geology of Alaska's earthquake- and volcano-rich coast from the Aleutian Islands to the southeast is fascinating, but not well understood. Now, with more sophisticated tools than before, a team reports unexpected new details about the area's tectonic plates and their relationships to volcanoes.

Kids mount a COVID-19 immune response without detection of the SARSCoV-2 virus, case study finds Posted: 17 Nov 2020 04:25 PM PST Children in an Australian family developed a COVID-19 immune response after chronic exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus from their parents, a new case report has found.

Large predatory fish thrive on WWII shipwrecks off North Carolina coast Posted: 17 Nov 2020 04:25 PM PST Results of an expedition to a sunken U-boat and Nicaraguan freighter offer a detailed glimpse into unexpected 'islands of habitat.'

Study reveals how smoking worsens COVID-19 infection in the airways Posted: 17 Nov 2020 11:45 AM PST Researchers using a model of airway tissue created from human stem cells have pinpointed how smoking cigarettes causes more severe infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in the airways of the lungs.

New SARS-CoV-2 test is a simple, cost-effective, and efficient alternative for SARS-CoV-2 testing Posted: 17 Nov 2020 09:28 AM PST A new multiplex real-time RT-PCR assay performs as well as the modified Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) assay, yet can test three times more patients per run, scientists report.

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