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• Model predicts where ticks, Lyme disease will appear next in Midwest states
• Birds: Competition for mates leads to a deeper voice than expected based on size
• Mouse-controlled mouse helps researchers understand intentional control
• Chemists synthesize 'flat' silicon compounds
• In shaky times, focus on past successes, if overly anxious, depressed
• Fluvial mapping of Mars
• A powerful computational tool for efficient analysis of cell division 4D image data
• Surgery may offer survival advantage in certain metastatic breast cancers
• Extracting energy from manure to meet peak heating demands
• Pregnant women in third trimester unlikely to pass SARS-CoV-2 infection to newborns
• Hand-held device measures aerosols for coronavirus risk assessment
• Community spread of COVID-19 tied to patient survival rates at area hospitals
• Masks not enough to stop COVID-19's spread without distancing, study finds
• Ancient DNA sheds light on the peopling of the Mariana Islands
• Pandemic and forthcoming stimulus funds could bring climate targets in sight -- or not
• How a large protein complex assembles in a cell
• A new species of mammal may have been found in Africa's montane forests
• Scientists invent glue activated by magnetic field
• Droughts, viruses and road networks: Trends that will impact our forests
• Brain gene expression patterns predict behavior of individual honey bees
• Japanese art technique inspires new engineering technique
• A blazar in the early universe
• Bio-inspired endoscope provides 3D visible and near-infrared images simultaneously
• 'Soft' nanoparticles give plasmons new potential
• New drug combination could improve glucose and weight control in diabetes
• Bumblebees lacking high-quality habitat have higher pathogen loads
• Key clues to understanding the death of stars
• Anti-diarrhea drug drives cancer cells to cell death
• A groggy climate giant: Subsea permafrost is still waking up after 12,000 years
• Frozen: Cutting-edge technology reveals structures within cells
• Neuroscientists isolate promising mini antibodies against COVID-19 from a llama
• Antibiotics for C-sections effective after umbilical cord clamped
• Deep, slow-slip action may direct largest earthquakes and their tsunamis
• Hormone metabolites found in feces give researchers new insight into whale stress
• New engine capability accelerates advanced vehicle research
• Muddying the waters: Weathering might remove less atmospheric carbon dioxide than thought
• The aroma of distant worlds
• Brain tissue yields clues to causes of PTSD
• What if clean air benefits during COVID-19 shutdown continued post-pandemic?
• High-five or thumbs-up? New device detects which hand gesture you want to make
• How to be happier in 2021
• Invasive in the U.S., lifesaver Down Under
• Modeling study suggests mitigation efforts can prevent most college campus COVID-19 cases
• New method for imaging exhaled breath could provide insights into COVID-19 transmission
• Potential new drug target to treat cutaneous T cell lymphoma
• Variety: Spice of life for bumble bees
• How nearby galaxies form their stars

Model predicts where ticks, Lyme disease will appear next in Midwest states Posted: 22 Dec 2020 04:29 PM PST By drawing from decades of studies, scientists created a timeline marking the arrival of black-legged ticks, also known as deer ticks, in hundreds of counties across 10 Midwestern states. They used these data - along with an analysis of county-level landscape features associated with the spread of ticks - to build a model that can predict where ticks are likely to appear in future years.

Birds: Competition for mates leads to a deeper voice than expected based on size Posted: 22 Dec 2020 04:29 PM PST Competition for mates leads to a deeper voice than expected based on size.

Mouse-controlled mouse helps researchers understand intentional control Posted: 22 Dec 2020 11:15 AM PST Researchers have devised a brain machine interface (BMI) that allows mice to learn to guide a cursor using only their brain activity. By monitoring this mouse-controlled mouse moving to a target location to receive a reward, the researchers were able to study how the brain represents intentional control.

Chemists synthesize 'flat' silicon compounds Posted: 22 Dec 2020 11:15 AM PST Chemists have synthesized extremely unusual compounds. Their central building block is a silicon atom. Different from usual, however, is the arrangement of the four bonding partners of the atom, which are not in the form of a tetrahedron around it, but flat like a trapezoid. This arrangement is usually energetically extremely unfavorable, yet the molecules are very stable.

In shaky times, focus on past successes, if overly anxious, depressed Posted: 22 Dec 2020 11:15 AM PST The more chaotic things get, the harder it is for people with clinical anxiety and/or depression to make sound decisions and to learn from their mistakes. On a positive note, overly anxious and depressed people's judgment can improve if they focus on what they get right, instead of what they get wrong, suggests a new study.

Fluvial mapping of Mars Posted: 22 Dec 2020 11:15 AM PST It took fifteen years of imaging and nearly three years of stitching the pieces together to create the largest image ever made, the 8-trillion-pixel mosaic of Mars' surface. Now, the first study to utilize the image in its entirety provides unprecedented insight into the ancient river systems that once covered the expansive plains in the planet's southern hemisphere.

A powerful computational tool for efficient analysis of cell division 4D image data Posted: 22 Dec 2020 10:21 AM PST A research team has developed a novel computational tool that can reconstruct and visualize three-dimensional (3D) shapes and temporal changes of cells, speeding up the analyzing process from hundreds of hours by hand to a few hours by the computer. Revolutionizing the way biologists analyze image data, this tool can advance further studies in developmental and cell biology, such as the growth of cancer cells.

Surgery may offer survival advantage in certain metastatic breast cancers Posted: 22 Dec 2020 10:21 AM PST Surgery, in addition to treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy, may increase the length of survival for metastatic breast cancer patients, according to researchers.

Extracting energy from manure to meet peak heating demands Posted: 22 Dec 2020 10:21 AM PST Cornell University is developing a system to extract energy from cattle manure to meet the campus's peak demands for heat in the winter months. Scientists involved with the project give a detailed analysis of the issues required to make this work, including scientific, economic, and energy policy considerations.

Pregnant women in third trimester unlikely to pass SARS-CoV-2 infection to newborns Posted: 22 Dec 2020 10:21 AM PST Pregnant women who are infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, during the third trimester are unlikely to pass the infection to their newborns, new research suggests. The study followed 127 pregnant women who were admitted to Boston hospitals during the spring of 2020. Among the 64 pregnant women who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, no newborns tested positive for the virus.

Hand-held device measures aerosols for coronavirus risk assessment Posted: 22 Dec 2020 10:21 AM PST Understanding aerosol concentrations and persistence in public spaces can help determine infection risks. However, measuring these concentrations is difficult, requiring specialized personnel and equipment. Now, researchers demonstrate that a commercial hand-held particle counter can be used for this purpose and help determine the impacts of risk-reducing measures, like ventilation improvements.

Community spread of COVID-19 tied to patient survival rates at area hospitals Posted: 22 Dec 2020 10:21 AM PST Discovering wide variation in hospitals' COVID-19 survival rates, researchers found that the levels of novel coronavirus in the surrounding community was likely the driving factor.

Masks not enough to stop COVID-19's spread without distancing, study finds Posted: 22 Dec 2020 10:20 AM PST Wearing a mask may not be enough to prevent the spread of COVID-19 without social distancing. Researchers tested how different types of mask impacted the spread of droplets that carry the coronavirus when we cough or sneeze. Every material tested dramatically reduced the number of droplets that were spread. But at distances of less than 6 feet, enough droplets to potentially cause illness still made it through several of the materials.

Ancient DNA sheds light on the peopling of the Mariana Islands Posted: 22 Dec 2020 10:20 AM PST Compared to the first peopling of Polynesia, the settlement of the Mariana Islands in the Western Pacific, which happened around 3,500 years ago, has received little attention. Researchers have now obtained answers to long debated questions regarding the origin of the first colonizers of the Marianas and their relationship to the people who initially settled in Polynesia.

Pandemic and forthcoming stimulus funds could bring climate targets in sight -- or not Posted: 22 Dec 2020 10:20 AM PST The lockdowns that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic have reduced greenhouse gas emissions. However, in the recovery phase, emissions could rise to levels above those projected before the pandemic. It all depends on how the stimulus money that governments inject into their economies is spent. A team of scientists has quantified how different recovery scenarios may affect global emissions and climate change.

How a large protein complex assembles in a cell Posted: 22 Dec 2020 10:20 AM PST A team of researchers has developed a method that allows them to study the assembly process for large protein complexes in detail for the first time. As their case study, the biologists chose one of the largest cellular complexes: the nuclear pore complex in yeast cells.

A new species of mammal may have been found in Africa's montane forests Posted: 22 Dec 2020 10:20 AM PST A research team has discovered a tree hyrax in the Taita Hills, Kenya, which may belong to a species previously unknown to science.

Scientists invent glue activated by magnetic field Posted: 22 Dec 2020 10:20 AM PST Scientists have developed a new way to cure adhesives using a magnetic field.

Droughts, viruses and road networks: Trends that will impact our forests Posted: 22 Dec 2020 10:20 AM PST A new study assembled an array of experts to highlight major trends that will impact the world's forests, and the people living around them, in the decade ahead. These trends include drought, viral outbreaks and vast infrastructure expansions across the globe. According to the researchers, a global strategy for human-nature interaction must be developed if we intend on ensuring the survival of both.

Brain gene expression patterns predict behavior of individual honey bees Posted: 22 Dec 2020 10:20 AM PST An unusual study that involved bar coding and tracking the behavior of thousands of individual honey bees in six queenless bee hives and analyzing gene expression in their brains offers new insights into how gene regulation contributes to social behavior.

Japanese art technique inspires new engineering technique Posted: 22 Dec 2020 10:20 AM PST A team of engineers is using ideas taken from paper-folding practices to create a sophisticated alternative to 3D printing.

A blazar in the early universe Posted: 22 Dec 2020 10:20 AM PST Observations with the continent-wide Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) reveal previously unseen details in a jet of material ejected from the core of a galaxy seen as it was when the universe was only about 7% of its current age.

Bio-inspired endoscope provides 3D visible and near-infrared images simultaneously Posted: 22 Dec 2020 10:20 AM PST Researchers have developed a new bio-inspired medical endoscope that can acquire 3D visible light and near-infrared fluorescence images at the same time. It features an optical design that combines the high-resolution 3D imaging of human vision with the mantis shrimp's capability to simultaneously detect multiple wavelengths of light.

'Soft' nanoparticles give plasmons new potential Posted: 22 Dec 2020 10:20 AM PST Scientists couple gold nanoparticles with soft polymers that pull energy from the gold's plasmonic response to light. That energy can then be used to catalyze chemical reactions.

New drug combination could improve glucose and weight control in diabetes Posted: 22 Dec 2020 10:14 AM PST Scientists have shown that adding an experimental cancer drug to a widely used diabetes treatment improves blood glucose control and weight loss in mice, according to a new study.

Bumblebees lacking high-quality habitat have higher pathogen loads Posted: 22 Dec 2020 07:15 AM PST Bumblebees found in low-quality landscapes -- characterized by a relative lack of spring flowers and quality nesting habitat -- had higher levels of disease pathogens, as did bumblebees in areas with higher numbers of managed honey bee hives, according to scientists.

Key clues to understanding the death of stars Posted: 22 Dec 2020 07:14 AM PST New research has found that by studying all three 'flavors' involved in a supernova, they've unlocked more clues as to how and why stars die.

Anti-diarrhea drug drives cancer cells to cell death Posted: 22 Dec 2020 07:14 AM PST In cell culture, loperamide, a drug commonly used against diarrhea, proves effective against glioblastoma cells. A research team has now unraveled the drug's mechanisms of action of cell death induction and - in doing so - has shown how this compound could help attack brain tumors that otherwise are difficult to treat.

A groggy climate giant: Subsea permafrost is still waking up after 12,000 years Posted: 22 Dec 2020 05:13 AM PST After the Last Glacial Maximum some 14,000 years ago, rising temperature melted glaciers and ice caps worldwide. Over thousands of years, sea levels rose by more than 400 feet (130 meters).

Frozen: Cutting-edge technology reveals structures within cells Posted: 22 Dec 2020 05:13 AM PST Temperatures of minus 196 degrees Celsius enable high-resolution imaging of the cell's interior. Researchers are thus able to show for the first time how the active form of a protein complex plays critical roles in cell motility and other important biological functions look like.

Neuroscientists isolate promising mini antibodies against COVID-19 from a llama Posted: 22 Dec 2020 05:12 AM PST Researchers have isolated a set of promising, tiny antibodies, or 'nanobodies,' against SARS-CoV-2 that were produced by a llama named Cormac. Preliminary results suggest that at least one of these nanobodies, called NIH-CoVnb-112, could prevent infections and detect virus particles by grabbing hold of SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins. In addition, the nanobody appeared to work equally well in either liquid or aerosol form, suggesting it could remain effective after inhalation.

Antibiotics for C-sections effective after umbilical cord clamped Posted: 21 Dec 2020 05:40 PM PST Antibiotics for cesarean section births are just as effective when they're given after the umbilical cord is clamped as before clamping - the current practice - and could benefit newborns' developing microbiomes, according to new research. The study, by far the largest of its kind, challenges current recommendations for antibiotic use. Administering antibiotics after clamping does not increase the risk of infection at the site of C-section incisions, the study concludes.

Deep, slow-slip action may direct largest earthquakes and their tsunamis Posted: 21 Dec 2020 02:31 PM PST Megathrust earthquakes and subsequent tsunamis that originate in subduction zones like Cascadia -- Vancouver Island, Canada, to northern California -- are some of the most severe natural disasters in the world. Now a team of geoscientists thinks the key to understanding some of these destructive events may lie in the deep, gradual slow-slip behaviors beneath the subduction zones. This information might help in planning for future earthquakes in the area.

Hormone metabolites found in feces give researchers new insight into whale stress Posted: 21 Dec 2020 02:31 PM PST Fecal samples are an effective, non-invasive tool for monitoring gray whale reproduction, stress and other physiological responses.

New engine capability accelerates advanced vehicle research Posted: 21 Dec 2020 01:05 PM PST In the quest for advanced vehicles with higher energy efficiency and ultra-low emissions, researchers are accelerating a research engine that gives scientists and engineers an unprecedented view inside the atomic-level workings of combustion engines in real time.

Muddying the waters: Weathering might remove less atmospheric carbon dioxide than thought Posted: 21 Dec 2020 01:04 PM PST The decay of rocks at the Earth's surface may play a lesser role in regulating our climate than previously thought, says new research.

The aroma of distant worlds Posted: 21 Dec 2020 01:04 PM PST Asian spices such as turmeric and fruits like the banana had already reached the Mediterranean more than 3000 years ago, much earlier than previously thought. A team of researchers has shown that even in the Bronze Age, long-distance trade in food was already connecting distant societies.

Brain tissue yields clues to causes of PTSD Posted: 21 Dec 2020 01:04 PM PST A post-mortem analysis of brain tissue from people who had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may help explain enduring mysteries about the disorder, such as why women are more susceptible to it and whether a dampened immune system response plays a role in dealing with stress, a team has found.

What if clean air benefits during COVID-19 shutdown continued post-pandemic? Posted: 21 Dec 2020 01:04 PM PST A new study poses a hypothetical question: What if air quality improvements in New York City during the spring COVID-19 shutdown were sustained for five years without the economic and health costs of the pandemic? Cumulative benefits during this period would amount to thousands of avoided cases of illness and death in children and adults, as well as associated economic benefits between $32 to $77 billion.

High-five or thumbs-up? New device detects which hand gesture you want to make Posted: 21 Dec 2020 01:04 PM PST A new device developed by engineers can recognize hand gestures based on electrical signals detected in the forearm. The system, which couples wearable biosensors with artificial intelligence (AI), could one day be used to control prosthetics or to interact with almost any type of electronic device.

How to be happier in 2021 Posted: 21 Dec 2020 01:04 PM PST 'If you want to make a New Year's resolution that really makes you happy, think about the ways in which you can contribute to the world, because the research shows it's not just good for the world but also really good for you,' says an international expert on motivational research.

Invasive in the U.S., lifesaver Down Under Posted: 21 Dec 2020 01:04 PM PST New research reveals monitor lizards should be regarded as 'ecosystem engineers' as they provide food and shelter to other reptiles, insects and mammals, helping prevent extinction.

Modeling study suggests mitigation efforts can prevent most college campus COVID-19 cases Posted: 21 Dec 2020 01:04 PM PST As colleges and universities consider strategies for the spring semester to keep COVID-19 cases down, a study in epidemic modeling may help shed light on what mitigation strategies may be most effective, both in terms of infections prevented and cost.

New method for imaging exhaled breath could provide insights into COVID-19 transmission Posted: 21 Dec 2020 12:59 PM PST A new method for visualizing breath that is exhaled while someone is speaking or singing could provide important new insights into how diseases such as COVID-19 spread and the effectiveness of face masks.

Potential new drug target to treat cutaneous T cell lymphoma Posted: 21 Dec 2020 10:42 AM PST In order to improve their understanding of how CTCL develops in hopes of developing new therapies, a team of scientists conducted a series of studies. They demonstrate that decreased expression of the protein SATB1 contributes to CTCL development and that drugs that cause SATB1 to become re-expressed may be potential treatment options for this disease.

Variety: Spice of life for bumble bees Posted: 21 Dec 2020 10:42 AM PST The yield and quality of many crops benefit from pollination, but it isn't just honey bees that do this work: bumble bees also have a role. A team has used innovative molecular biological methods and traditional microscopy to investigate the pollen collecting behavior of honey bees and bumble bees in agricultural landscapes. It turns out bumble bees take much more pollen from different plant species than honey bees to satisfy their need for protein.

How nearby galaxies form their stars Posted: 21 Dec 2020 10:42 AM PST How stars form in galaxies remains a major open question in astrophysics. A new study sheds new light on this topic with the help of a data-driven re-analysis of observational measurements. The star-formation activity of typical, nearby galaxies is found to scale proportionally with the amount of gas present in these galaxies. This points to the net gas supply from cosmic distances as the main driver of galactic star formation.

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