ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Biotech cotton key to eliminating devastating pest from US and Mexico
• Light signal emitted during photosynthesis used to quickly screen crops
• When light and atoms share a common vibe
• Ancient wolf pup mummy in Yukon permafrost from 57,000 years ago
• Melody of an Alpine summit falling apart
• New 3D maps reveal inner workings of immune cell gene expression
• Climate change: Threshold for dangerous warming will likely be crossed between 2027-2042
• Community-based COVID-19 testing: The importance of understanding the virus’ unique impact on children
• Volcanic eruptions directly triggered ocean acidification during Early Cretaceous
• New population of blue whales discovered in the western Indian ocean
• Learning from three centuries of smallpox epidemics in London, UK
• Traditional model for disease spread may not work in COVID-19
• Prostate cancer regulator plays role in COVID-19, providing a promising treatment lead
• Scientists complete yearlong pulsar timing study after reviving dormant radio telescopes
• California lockdown suppressed excess pandemic deaths
• Ecosystem dynamics: Topological phases in biological systems
• CRISPR helps researchers uncover how corals adjust to warming oceans
• Citizens versus the internet: Confronting digital challenges with cognitive tools
• New phase for synthetic aperture microscopy
• Gene pathway linked to schizophrenia identified through stem cell engineering
• Current food production systems could mean far-reaching habitat loss
• Meteoric evidence for a previously unknown asteroid
• New model reveals previously unrecognized complexity of oceanic earthquake zones
• Fungal RNA viruses: Unexpected complexity affecting more than your breakfast omelet
• Looking for dark matter near neutron stars with radio telescopes
• Antigen tests -- are self-collected nasal swabs a reliable option?
• New energy conversion layer for biosolar cells
• How one pain suppresses the other
• Brain stem cells divide over months
• Big step with small whirls
• The mechanics of the immune system
• How Colorado potato beetles beat pesticides
• Study resolves the position of fleas on the tree of life
• How cancers hurt themselves to hurt immune cells more
• Goldilocks and the three quantum dots: Just right for peak solar panel performance
• Climate warming linked to tree leaf unfolding and flowering growing apart
• Difference in blood pressure between arms linked to greater early death risk
• Exposure to metals can impact pregnancy
• Water and genes flow between the two largest Baltic salmon rivers
• Targeting the deadly coils of Ebola
• Drinking milk while breastfeeding may reduce the child's food allergy risk
• Crikey! Massive prehistoric croc emerges from South East Queensland
• Medical oddity reveals unheard-of 'immunity gene' mutations and new way to screen them
• New topological properties found in 'old' material of Cobalt disulfide

Biotech cotton key to eliminating devastating pest from US and Mexico Posted: 21 Dec 2020 02:31 PM PST A collaboration between the University of Arizona, cotton growers, and government and industry partners eradicated the pink bollworm -- one of the world's most damaging crop pests -- from the United States and Mexico.

Light signal emitted during photosynthesis used to quickly screen crops Posted: 21 Dec 2020 02:31 PM PST Researchers have revealed a new approach to estimate the photosynthetic capacity of crops to pinpoint their top-performing traits and speed up the plant screening process, according to a new study.

When light and atoms share a common vibe Posted: 21 Dec 2020 01:05 PM PST Scientists demonstrate a state of vibration that exists simultaneously at two different times. They evidence this quantum superposition by measuring the strongest class of quantum correlations between light beams that interact with the vibration.

Ancient wolf pup mummy in Yukon permafrost from 57,000 years ago Posted: 21 Dec 2020 01:05 PM PST While water blasting at a wall of frozen mud in Yukon, Canada, a gold miner made an extraordinary discovery: a perfectly preserved wolf pup that had been locked in permafrost for 57,000 years. The remarkable condition of the pup, named Zhùr by the local Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in people, gave researchers a wealth of insights about her age, lifestyle, and relationship to modern wolves.

Melody of an Alpine summit falling apart Posted: 21 Dec 2020 01:04 PM PST The summit of the 2592 meters high Hochvogel is sliced by dangerous fracture which continues to open. It is difficult to judge when the summit might crack. Researchers are developing a new monitoring method. Seismic sensors measure the summit's natural vibration. The pitch of the mountain changes depending on the tension in the rock allowing unique conclusions about the development of a landslide.

New 3D maps reveal inner workings of immune cell gene expression Posted: 21 Dec 2020 01:04 PM PST The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how our small genetic differences can have a tremendous effect on how our bodies respond to disease. Researchers have created 3D maps of how enhancer sequences and genes interact in several types of immune cells. Their new study opens the door to understanding individual risk for diseases from asthma to cancer.

Climate change: Threshold for dangerous warming will likely be crossed between 2027-2042 Posted: 21 Dec 2020 01:04 PM PST The threshold for dangerous global warming will likely be crossed between 2027 and 2042 - a much narrower window than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's estimate of between now and 2052. Researchers introduce a new and more precise way to project the Earth's temperature. Based on historical data, it considerably reduces uncertainties compared to previous approaches.

Community-based COVID-19 testing: The importance of understanding the virus’ unique impact on children Posted: 21 Dec 2020 01:04 PM PST Results from community-based COVID-19 testing site found that one in four kids tested positive, with minorities impacted at a higher rate.

Volcanic eruptions directly triggered ocean acidification during Early Cretaceous Posted: 21 Dec 2020 01:04 PM PST New study supports hypothesis that Ontong Java Plateau large igneous province eruptions led to oceanic anoxic event 1a, 127 to 100 million years ago.

New population of blue whales discovered in the western Indian ocean Posted: 21 Dec 2020 12:59 PM PST An international team of researchers has discovered what it believes to be a new population of blue whales in the western Indian Ocean.

Learning from three centuries of smallpox epidemics in London, UK Posted: 21 Dec 2020 11:05 AM PST The current COVID-19 pandemic has caused a surge of interest in the study of infectious disease transmission, and how control measures could change the course of the pandemic. New research examines the history of recorded smallpox epidemics in London.

Traditional model for disease spread may not work in COVID-19 Posted: 21 Dec 2020 10:42 AM PST A mathematical model that can help project the contagiousness and spread of infectious diseases like the seasonal flu may not be the best way to predict the continuing spread of the novel coronavirus, especially during lockdowns that alter the normal mix of the population.

Prostate cancer regulator plays role in COVID-19, providing a promising treatment lead Posted: 21 Dec 2020 10:42 AM PST Clinical trials underway are testing whether drugs that target the androgen receptor -- successful in controlling prostate cancer -- could also work against the coronavirus.

Scientists complete yearlong pulsar timing study after reviving dormant radio telescopes Posted: 21 Dec 2020 10:41 AM PST While the scientific community grapples with the loss of the Arecibo radio telescope, astronomers who revived a long-dormant radio telescope array in Argentina hope it can help compensate for the work Arecibo did in pulsar timing. Last year, scientists began a pulsar timing study using two upgraded radio telescopes in Argentina.

California lockdown suppressed excess pandemic deaths Posted: 21 Dec 2020 10:41 AM PST Nearly 20,000 more Californians died in the first six months of the pandemic than would have been expected to die in a normal year, with a disproportionate number of those deaths occurring among older adults, black or Latino residents, or those who had not completed high school, according to a new analysis.

Ecosystem dynamics: Topological phases in biological systems Posted: 21 Dec 2020 10:41 AM PST Physicists have shown that topological phases could exist in biology, and in so doing they have identified a link between solid-state physics and biophysics.

CRISPR helps researchers uncover how corals adjust to warming oceans Posted: 21 Dec 2020 10:41 AM PST The CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing system can help scientists understand, and possibly improve, how corals respond to the environmental stresses of climate change. New work details how the revolutionary, Nobel Prize-winning technology can be deployed to guide conservation efforts for fragile reef ecosystems.

Citizens versus the internet: Confronting digital challenges with cognitive tools Posted: 21 Dec 2020 10:41 AM PST Researchers recommend ways that psychological and behavioral sciences can help decrease the negative consequences of Internet use. These recommendations emphasize helping people gain greater control over their digital environments.

New phase for synthetic aperture microscopy Posted: 21 Dec 2020 10:41 AM PST Although SAM is undoubtedly a promising approach, current implementations lack in both spatial resolution and frame rate to be useful for emerging applications.

Gene pathway linked to schizophrenia identified through stem cell engineering Posted: 21 Dec 2020 10:41 AM PST Using human-induced pluripotent stem cells engineered from a single family's blood samples, a gene signaling pathway linked to a higher risk for developing schizophrenia was discovered.

Current food production systems could mean far-reaching habitat loss Posted: 21 Dec 2020 09:18 AM PST The global food system could drive rapid and widespread biodiversity loss if not changed, new research has found.

Meteoric evidence for a previously unknown asteroid Posted: 21 Dec 2020 09:18 AM PST A team of scientists has identified a potentially new meteorite parent asteroid by studying a small shard of a meteorite that arrived on Earth a dozen years ago. The composition of a piece of the meteorite Almahata Sitta (AhS) indicates that its parent body was an asteroid roughly the size of Ceres, the largest object in the main asteroid belt, and formed in the presence of water under intermediate temperatures and pressures.

New model reveals previously unrecognized complexity of oceanic earthquake zones Posted: 21 Dec 2020 09:17 AM PST Researchers constructed a state-of-the-art model based on seismic data from the January 2020 Caribbean earthquake. The model revealed considerable complexity in rupture speed and direction, related to a bend in the fault that triggered several rupture episodes. The analysis revealed previously unrecognized complexity of rupture processes and fault geometry in ocean faults that had been assumed to be simple and linear, with implications for future earthquake modeling and a possible interaction with seafloor evolution.

Fungal RNA viruses: Unexpected complexity affecting more than your breakfast omelet Posted: 21 Dec 2020 09:17 AM PST Traditional approaches for studying fungal RNA viruses have relied upon sequence similarity, resulting in an underestimation of RNA viral genome diversity. Researchers have now used an advanced technological approach called Fragmented and Primer Ligated Double Stranded RNA sequencing, or FLDS, to identify viral sequences that were previously overlooked. They identified novel viruses and viral genome structures and show that FLDS is a powerful tool for understanding RNA viral genome diversity.

Looking for dark matter near neutron stars with radio telescopes Posted: 21 Dec 2020 09:17 AM PST In 1983, theoretical physicist Pierre Sikivie found that axions have another remarkable property: In the presence of an electromagnetic field, they should sometimes spontaneously convert to easily detectable photons. What was once thought to be completely undetectable, turned out to be potentially detectable as long as there is high enough concentration of axions and strong magnetic fields.

Antigen tests -- are self-collected nasal swabs a reliable option? Posted: 21 Dec 2020 09:17 AM PST Under certain conditions, antigen testing using self-collected swabs from the anterior nose may constitute a reliable alternative to antigen testing using nasopharyngeal swabs collected by health professionals.

New energy conversion layer for biosolar cells Posted: 21 Dec 2020 09:17 AM PST A research team has produced a semi-artificial electrode that could convert light energy into other forms of energy in biosolar cells. The technique is based on the photosynthesis protein Photosystem I from cyanobacteria. The group showed that they could couple their system with an enzyme that used the converted light energy to produce hydrogen.

How one pain suppresses the other Posted: 21 Dec 2020 09:17 AM PST When two painful stimuli act on us at the same time, we perceive one of them as less painful. This phenomenon is part of the body's own pain control system. A dysfunction of this inhibition is associated with chronic pain disorders.

Brain stem cells divide over months Posted: 21 Dec 2020 09:17 AM PST Scientists have been able to observe the way stem cells in the adult brains of mice divide over the course of months to create new nerve cells. Their study shows that brain stem cells are active over a long period, and thus provides new insights that will feed into stem cell research.

Big step with small whirls Posted: 21 Dec 2020 09:17 AM PST Skyrmions are small magnetic objects that could revolutionize the data storage industry and also enable new computer architectures. However, there are a number of challenges that need to be overcome. A team of researchers has succeeded for the first time in producing a tunable multilayer system in which two different types of skyrmions - the future bits for '0' and '1' - can exist at room temperature.

The mechanics of the immune system Posted: 21 Dec 2020 09:17 AM PST Not only chemistry plays a role in the docking of antigens to the T-cell; micromechanical effects are important too. Submicrometer structures on the cell surface act like microscopic tension springs. Tiny forces that occur as a result are likely to be of great importance for the recognition of antigens. It has now become possible to observe these forces directly using highly developed microscopy methods.

How Colorado potato beetles beat pesticides Posted: 21 Dec 2020 09:17 AM PST New research shows that pesticides alter how Colorado potato beetles manage their DNA. These epigenetic changes were passed down two generations suggesting that rapid resistance to pesticides may not require beetles to evolve their genetic code. Instead they may simply use existing genes to tolerate toxins already found in potatoes. The scientists were surprised that these epigenetic changes, triggered by tiny doses of pesticide, were maintained through multiple rounds of sexual reproduction.

Study resolves the position of fleas on the tree of life Posted: 21 Dec 2020 07:12 AM PST A study of more than 1,400 protein-coding genes of fleas has resolved one of the longest standing mysteries in the evolution of insects, reordering their placement in the tree of life and pinpointing who their closest relatives are.

How cancers hurt themselves to hurt immune cells more Posted: 21 Dec 2020 07:12 AM PST A study of melanoma cells explains a puzzling response they exhibit to ward off T cell attacks.

Goldilocks and the three quantum dots: Just right for peak solar panel performance Posted: 21 Dec 2020 07:12 AM PST Maximizing the efficiency of renewable energy technology is dependent on creating nanoparticles with ideal dimensions and density, new simulations have shown.

Climate warming linked to tree leaf unfolding and flowering growing apart Posted: 21 Dec 2020 07:12 AM PST Climate warming is linked to a widening interval between leaf unfolding and flowering in European trees, with implications for tree fitness and the wider environment, according to new research.

Difference in blood pressure between arms linked to greater early death risk Posted: 21 Dec 2020 07:12 AM PST Robust evidence from a large international study confirms that a difference in blood pressure readings between arms is linked to greater risk of heart attack, stroke and death.

Exposure to metals can impact pregnancy Posted: 21 Dec 2020 07:12 AM PST Exposure to metals such as nickel, arsenic, cobalt and lead may disrupt a woman's hormones during pregnancy, according to a new study.

Water and genes flow between the two largest Baltic salmon rivers Posted: 21 Dec 2020 07:11 AM PST Salmon from upstream reaches of the two northernmost Baltic rivers are different from downstream salmon. A recent study found that upstream salmon from the large Tornio and Kalix Rivers in Finland and Sweden are genetically distinct and migrate at different times and ages than their downstream counterparts. However, there seems to be no such distinction between salmon from these two neighboring rivers.

Targeting the deadly coils of Ebola Posted: 21 Dec 2020 07:11 AM PST Computer simulations of the Ebola virus structure are helping to crack its defenses. Ebola virus nucleocapsid stability conferred by RNA electrostatic interactions.

Drinking milk while breastfeeding may reduce the child's food allergy risk Posted: 21 Dec 2020 07:11 AM PST Children of mothers who drink relatively more cow's milk during breastfeeding are at reduced risk of developing food allergies.

Crikey! Massive prehistoric croc emerges from South East Queensland Posted: 21 Dec 2020 07:11 AM PST A prehistoric croc measuring more than five meters long -- dubbed the 'swamp king' -- ruled south eastern Queensland waterways only a few million years ago. Researchers identified the new species of prehistoric croc -- which they named Paludirex vincenti -- from fossils first unearthed in the 1980s.

Medical oddity reveals unheard-of 'immunity gene' mutations and new way to screen them Posted: 21 Dec 2020 07:09 AM PST Researchers baffled by an infant's rare encephalitis case unusual in children found unheard-of mutations and a new way to examine the 'immunity gene.'

New topological properties found in 'old' material of Cobalt disulfide Posted: 18 Dec 2020 12:27 PM PST Researchers have discovered the presence of Weyl nodes in bulk CoS2 that allow them to make predictions about its surface properties. The material hosts Weyl-fermions and Fermi-arc surface states within its band structure, which may enable it to serve as a platform for exotic phenomena.

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