ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Climate change has caused billions of dollars in flood damages
• New catalyst can make natural gas burn cleaner
• Zombie movies and psychological resilience
• Levels of stress hormone in saliva of newborn deer fawns may predict mortality
• Researchers find nonnative species in Oahu play greater role in seed dispersal
• Why COVID-19 pneumonia lasts longer, causes more damage than typical pneumonia
• Mindfulness can improve mental health and wellbeing -- but unlikely to work for everyone
• Can a mother's stress impact children's disease development?
• Researchers report quantum-limit-approaching chemical sensing chip
• Increased first-trimester exercise may reduce gestational diabetes risk
• 2D compound shows unique versatility
• New one-step process for creating self-assembled metamaterials
• Cracking the code of a shapeshifting protein
• Tweaking one layer of atoms on a catalyst's surface can make it work better
• Post-surgical patch releases non-opioid painkiller directly to the wound
• Carbon monoxide reduced to valuable liquid fuels
• Scientists make sustainable polymer from sugars in wood
• Using light to revolutionize artificial intelligence
• 'Flashing' new 2D materials
• Computational model offers help for new hips
• 'Galaxy-sized' observatory sees potential hints of gravitational waves
• Early warning system fills in gaps in infectious disease surveillance
• Measurements of pulsar acceleration reveal Milky Way's dark side
• A safer, less expensive and fast charging aqueous battery
• To understand periodontal disease, researchers examine the surprising behavior of T cells
• Researchers acquire 3D images with LED room lighting and a smartphone
• Bacterium produces pharmaceutical all-purpose weapon
• New process more efficiently recycles excess CO2 into fuel
• An augmented immune response explains the adverse course of COVID-19 in patients with hypertension
• Study links severe COVID-19 disease to short telomeres
• One in five brain cancers fueled by overactive mitochondria
• How different plants can share their genetic material with each other
• Laypeople have difficulty estimating severity of blood loss
• Bacterium protects rice plants from diseases
• Computer scientists: We wouldn't be able to control super intelligent machines
• Electrically switchable qubit can tune between storage and fast calculation modes
• Breakthrough on diarrhea virus
• Research shapes safe dentistry during COVID-19
• SARS-CoV-2 infection demonstrated in a human lung bronchioalveolar tissue model
• Discovery pinpoints new therapeutic target for atopic dermatitis
• This tree snake climbs with a lasso-like motion
• Engineers create hybrid chips with processors and memory to run AI on battery-powered devices
• More management measures lead to healthier fish populations
• ALMA captures distant colliding galaxy dying out as it loses the ability to form stars
• More than just a sun tan: Ultraviolet light helps marine animals to tell the time of year
• COVID-19 drug prospects boosted by discovery of short form of coronavirus's 'entry point'
• Inspired by kombucha tea, engineers create 'living materials'
• Robot displays a glimmer of empathy to a partner robot
• Biomarkers in fathers' sperm linked to offspring autism
• Study shows meaningful lockdown activity is more satisfying than busyness
• Probiotic coffee and tea drinks
• A charge-density-wave topological semimetal
• New nanostructured alloy for anode is a big step toward revolutionizing energy storage
• Expanding the boundaries of CO2 fixation
• Scientists identify workflow algorithm to predict psychosis
• Same difference: Predicting divergent paths of genetically identical cells
• Impacts of climate change on our water and energy systems: it's complicated
• Marijuana use typically drops at the beginning of the year, then climbs in summer and fall
• First human culture lasted 20,000 years longer than thought
• New evidence of health threat from chemicals in marijuana and tobacco smoke

Climate change has caused billions of dollars in flood damages Posted: 11 Jan 2021 04:01 PM PST Flooding has caused hundreds of billions of dollars in damage in the U.S. over the past three decades. Researchers found that 36 percent of the costs of flooding in the U.S. from 1988 to 2017 were a result of intensifying precipitation, consistent with predictions of global warming.

New catalyst can make natural gas burn cleaner Posted: 11 Jan 2021 04:01 PM PST Researchers have developed a cutting edge catalyst made up of 10 different elements -- each of which on its own has the ability to reduce the combustion temperature of methane -- plus oxygen. This unique catalyst can bring the combustion temperature of methane down by about half -- from above 1400 degrees Kelvin down to 600 to 700 degrees Kelvin.

Zombie movies and psychological resilience Posted: 11 Jan 2021 04:01 PM PST Tales of post-apocalyptic landscapes in which few survivors emerge into a new and much different world have long been popular tales woven by screenwriters and authors. While many enjoy these stories, thinking of them as nothing but a guilty pleasure, they may not realize that immersing themselves in fiction has prepared them for the reality of 2020, according to a team of researchers.

Levels of stress hormone in saliva of newborn deer fawns may predict mortality Posted: 11 Jan 2021 04:01 PM PST The first-ever study of the levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the saliva of newborn white-tailed deer fawns yielded thought-provoking results that have researchers suggesting predation is not the only thing in the wild killing fawns.

Researchers find nonnative species in Oahu play greater role in seed dispersal Posted: 11 Jan 2021 04:01 PM PST Oahu's ecosystems have been so affected by species extinctions and invasions that most of the seeds dispersed on the island belong to nonnative plants, and most of them are dispersed by nonnative birds.

Why COVID-19 pneumonia lasts longer, causes more damage than typical pneumonia Posted: 11 Jan 2021 04:00 PM PST COVID pneumonia is significantly different from pneumonia caused by other causes, reports a new study. It shows how hijacks the lungs' own immune cells and uses them to spread across the lung over weeks. The infection leaves damage in its wake and fuels the fever, low blood pressure and damage to the kidneys, brain, heart and other organs in patients with COVID-19. Scientists discovered a target for treating COVID pneumonia.

Mindfulness can improve mental health and wellbeing -- but unlikely to work for everyone Posted: 11 Jan 2021 11:34 AM PST Mindfulness courses can reduce anxiety, depression and stress and increase mental wellbeing within most but not all non-clinical settings, say a team of researchers. They also found that mindfulness may be no better than other practices aimed at improving mental health and wellbeing.

Can a mother's stress impact children's disease development? Posted: 11 Jan 2021 11:34 AM PST A researcher finds that stress on an expectant mother could affect her baby's chance of developing disease -- perhaps even over the course of the child's life.

Researchers report quantum-limit-approaching chemical sensing chip Posted: 11 Jan 2021 11:34 AM PST Researchers are reporting an advancement of a chemical sensing chip that could lead to handheld devices that detect trace chemicals -- everything from illicit drugs to pollution -- as quickly as a breathalyzer identifies alcohol.

Increased first-trimester exercise may reduce gestational diabetes risk Posted: 11 Jan 2021 11:34 AM PST Pregnant women who exercise more during the first trimester of pregnancy may have a lower risk of developing gestational diabetes, according to a new study. The analysis found that lower risk was associated with at least 38 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each day -- more than current recommendations of at least 30 minutes a day five days a week.

2D compound shows unique versatility Posted: 11 Jan 2021 11:34 AM PST A unique two-dimensional material shows distinct properties on each side, depending on polarization by an external electric field. The pairing of antimony and indium selenide could have applications in solar energy and quantum computing.

New one-step process for creating self-assembled metamaterials Posted: 11 Jan 2021 10:59 AM PST A team has discovered a groundbreaking one-step process for creating materials with unique properties, called metamaterials.

Cracking the code of a shapeshifting protein Posted: 11 Jan 2021 10:59 AM PST A shapeshifting immune system protein called XCL1 evolved from a single-shape ancestor hundreds of millions of years ago. Now, researchers have discovered the molecular basis for how this happened. In the process they uncovered principles that scientists can use to design purpose-built nanoscale transformers for use as biosensors, components of molecular machines, and even therapeutics.

Tweaking one layer of atoms on a catalyst's surface can make it work better Posted: 11 Jan 2021 10:58 AM PST When an LNO catalyst with a nickel-rich surface carries out a water-splitting reaction, its surface atoms rearrange from a cubic to a hexagonal pattern and its efficiency doubles. Deliberately engineering the surface to take advantage of this phenomenon offers a way to design better catalysts.

Post-surgical patch releases non-opioid painkiller directly to the wound Posted: 11 Jan 2021 10:58 AM PST A team of scientists has developed a bio-compatible surgical patch that releases non-opioid painkillers directly to the site of a wound for days and then dissolves away. The polymer patch provides a controlled release of a drug that blocks the enzyme COX-2 (cyclooxygenase-2,) which drives pain and inflammation.

Carbon monoxide reduced to valuable liquid fuels Posted: 11 Jan 2021 10:58 AM PST A sweet new process is making sour more practical. Engineers are turning carbon monoxide directly into acetic acid -- the widely used chemical agent that gives vinegar its tang -- with a continuous catalytic reactor that can use renewable electricity efficiently to turn out a highly purified product.

Scientists make sustainable polymer from sugars in wood Posted: 11 Jan 2021 10:58 AM PST Scientists have made a sustainable polymer using the second most abundant sugar in nature, xylose.

Using light to revolutionize artificial intelligence Posted: 11 Jan 2021 10:58 AM PST An international team of researchers, including Professor Roberto Morandotti of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), just introduced a new photonic processor that could revolutionize artificial intelligence, as reported by the prestigious journal Nature.

'Flashing' new 2D materials Posted: 11 Jan 2021 10:58 AM PST Scientists extend their technique to produce graphene in a flash to tailor the properties of 2D dichalcogenides, quickly turning them into metastable metallics for electronic and optical applications.

Computational model offers help for new hips Posted: 11 Jan 2021 10:06 AM PST Engineers design a computational model that will ultimately serve as the engine to predict how long a hip implant could last for a specific patient. The unique model incorporates fluid dynamics and the physics of implant wear and aims to streamline trial-and-error in the design of future implants.

'Galaxy-sized' observatory sees potential hints of gravitational waves Posted: 11 Jan 2021 09:56 AM PST Scientists believe that planets like Earth bob in a sea of gravitational waves that spread throughout the universe. Now, an international team has gotten closer than ever before to detecting those cosmic ripples.

Early warning system fills in gaps in infectious disease surveillance Posted: 11 Jan 2021 09:56 AM PST Researchers have developed an infectious disease early warning system that includes areas lacking health clinics participating in infectious disease surveillance. The approach compensates for existing gaps to support better observation and prediction of the spread of an outbreak, including to areas remaining without surveillance.

Measurements of pulsar acceleration reveal Milky Way's dark side Posted: 11 Jan 2021 09:55 AM PST It is well known that the expansion of the universe is accelerating due to a mysterious dark energy. Within galaxies, stars also experience an acceleration, though this is due to some combination of dark matter and the stellar density. In a new study, researchers have now obtained the first direct measurement of the average acceleration taking place within our home galaxy, the Milky Way.

A safer, less expensive and fast charging aqueous battery Posted: 11 Jan 2021 09:55 AM PST Researchers have developed a new battery anode that overcomes the limitations of lithium-ion batteries and offers a stable, high-performance battery using seawater as the electrolyte.

To understand periodontal disease, researchers examine the surprising behavior of T cells Posted: 11 Jan 2021 09:55 AM PST In diseases characterized by bone loss -such as periodontitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoporosis -- there is a lot that scientists still don't understand. What is the role of the immune response in the process? What happens to the regulatory mechanisms that protect bone? Researchers now describe a mechanism that unlocks a piece of the puzzle.

Researchers acquire 3D images with LED room lighting and a smartphone Posted: 11 Jan 2021 09:55 AM PST Researchers demonstrate that 3D optical imaging can be performed with a cell phone and LEDs without requiring any complex manual processes to synchronize the camera with the lighting.

Bacterium produces pharmaceutical all-purpose weapon Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:57 AM PST For some years, an active substance from the leaves of an ornamental plant has been regarded as a possible forerunner of a new group of potent drugs. So far, however, it has been very laborious to manufacture it in large quantities. That could now change: Researchers have identified a bacterium that produces the substance and can also be easily cultivated in the laboratory.

New process more efficiently recycles excess CO2 into fuel Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:57 AM PST For years, researchers have worked to repurpose excess atmospheric carbon dioxide into new chemicals, fuels and other products traditionally made from hydrocarbons harvested from fossil fuels. The recent push to mitigate the climactic effects of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has chemists on their toes to find the most efficient means possible. A new study introduces an electrochemical reaction, enhanced by polymers, to improve CO2-to-ethylene conversion efficiency over previous attempts.

An augmented immune response explains the adverse course of COVID-19 in patients with hypertension Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:57 AM PST COVID-19 patients who also suffer from high blood pressure are more likely to fall severely ill with the disease, which also leaves them at greater risk of death. Scientists have now found that the immune cells of patients with hypertension are already pre-activated, and that this pre-activation is greatly enhanced under COVID-19.

Study links severe COVID-19 disease to short telomeres Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:57 AM PST Patients with severe COVID-19 disease have significantly shorter telomeres, according to a new study. Researchers postulate that telomere shortening as a consequence of the viral infection impedes tissue regeneration and that this is why a significant number of patients suffer prolonged sequelae.

One in five brain cancers fueled by overactive mitochondria Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:57 AM PST A new study has found that up to 20% of aggressive brain cancers are fueled by overactive mitochondria and new drugs in development may be able to starve the cancers.

How different plants can share their genetic material with each other Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:22 AM PST The genetic material of plants, animals and humans is well protected in the nucleus of each cell and stores all the information that forms an organism. For example, information about the size or color of flowers, hair or fur is predefined here. In addition, cells contain small organelles that contain their own genetic material. These include chloroplasts in plants, which play a key role in photosynthesis, and mitochondria, which are found in all living organisms and represent the power plants of every cell. But is the genetic material actually permanently stored within one cell? No! As so far known, the genetic material can migrate from cell to cell and thus even be exchanged between different organisms. Researchers have now been able to use new experimental approaches to show for the first time how the genetic material travels.

Laypeople have difficulty estimating severity of blood loss Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:22 AM PST When an accident occurs, the reactions of bystanders are important. Researchers have studied whether laypeople realize the severity of the situation when someone in their proximity begins to bleed, and whether they can estimate how much the person is bleeding. The results show a discrepancy related to the victim's gender: for a woman losing blood, both blood loss and life-threatening injuries were underestimated.

Bacterium protects rice plants from diseases Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:22 AM PST Researchers were able to demonstrate how a specific bacterium inside the seeds of rice plants effectively and in an eco-friendly way inhibits destructive plant pathogens.

Computer scientists: We wouldn't be able to control super intelligent machines Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:22 AM PST We are fascinated by machines that can control cars, compose symphonies, or defeat people at chess, Go, or Jeopardy! While more progress is being made all the time in Artificial Intelligence (AI), some scientists and philosophers warn of the dangers of an uncontrollable superintelligent AI. Using theoretical calculations, an international team of researchers shows that it would likely not be possible to control a superintelligent AI.

Electrically switchable qubit can tune between storage and fast calculation modes Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:22 AM PST To perform calculations, quantum computers need qubits to act as elementary building blocks that process and store information. Now, physicists have produced a new type of qubit that can be switched from a stable idle mode to a fast calculation mode. The concept would also allow a large number of qubits to be combined into a powerful quantum computer.

Breakthrough on diarrhea virus Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:22 AM PST Researchers have at the atomic level succeeded in mapping what a virus looks like that causes diarrhea and annually kills about 50,000 children in the world. The discovery may in the long run provide the opportunity for completely new types of treatments for other viral diseases such as COVID-19.

Research shapes safe dentistry during COVID-19 Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:22 AM PST Research has been used to shape how dentistry can be carried out safely during the COVID-19 pandemic by mitigating the risks of dental aerosols.

SARS-CoV-2 infection demonstrated in a human lung bronchioalveolar tissue model Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:22 AM PST Researchers have demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 replicates efficiently in their model resembling the human bronchioalveolar system that is thought to play a critical role in progression of infection towards pneumonia and ARDS.

Discovery pinpoints new therapeutic target for atopic dermatitis Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:21 AM PST Researchers have discovered a key mechanism underlying bacterial skin colonization in atopic dermatitis, which affects millions around the globe. By identifying a major mechanism through which Staphylococcus aureus binds to the skin of patients with AD the team has opened the possibility of targeting this pathway as a therapeutic option in AD.

This tree snake climbs with a lasso-like motion Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:21 AM PST Researchers have discovered that invasive brown tree snakes living on Guam can get around in a way that had never been seen before. The discovery of the snake's lasso-like locomotion for climbing their way up smooth vertical cylinders has important implications, both for understanding the snakes and for conservation practices aimed at protecting birds from them.

Engineers create hybrid chips with processors and memory to run AI on battery-powered devices Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:21 AM PST Transactions between processors and memory can consume 95 percent of the energy needed to do machine learning and AI, which severely limits battery life. A team of engineers has designed a system that can run AI tasks faster, and with less energy, by harnessing eight hybrid chips, each with its own data processor built right next to its own memory storage.

More management measures lead to healthier fish populations Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:21 AM PST Fish populations tend to do better in places where rigorous fisheries management practices are used, and the more measures employed, the better for fish populations and food production, according to a new article.

ALMA captures distant colliding galaxy dying out as it loses the ability to form stars Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:21 AM PST Galaxies begin to 'die' when they stop forming stars, but until now astronomers had never clearly glimpsed the start of this process in a far-away galaxy. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), astronomers have seen a galaxy ejecting nearly half of its star-forming gas. This ejection is happening at a startling rate, equivalent to 10,000 Suns-worth of gas a year. The team believes that this event was triggered by a collision with another galaxy.

More than just a sun tan: Ultraviolet light helps marine animals to tell the time of year Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:21 AM PST Changes in daylength are a well-established annual timing cue for animal behavior and physiology. An international collaboration of scientists now shows that, in addition to day-length, marine bristle worms sense seasonal intensity changes of UVA/deep violet light to adjust the levels of important neurohormones and their behavior.

COVID-19 drug prospects boosted by discovery of short form of coronavirus's 'entry point' Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:21 AM PST A shadow over the promising inhaled interferon beta COVID-19 therapy has been cleared with the discovery that although it appears to increase levels of ACE2 protein -- coronavirus' key entry point into nose and lung cells -- it predominantly increases levels of a short version of that protein, which the virus cannot bind to.

Inspired by kombucha tea, engineers create 'living materials' Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:21 AM PST Engineers have developed a new way to generate tough, functional materials using a mix of bacteria and yeast similar to the 'kombucha mother' used to ferment tea. Using this mix, called a Syn-SCOBY (synthetic symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast), they produced cellulose embedded with enzymes that can perform a variety of functions, such as sensing environmental pollutants.

Robot displays a glimmer of empathy to a partner robot Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:21 AM PST Like a longtime couple who can predict each other's every move, a new robot has learned to predict its partner robot's future actions and goals based on just a few initial video frames. The study is part of a broader effort to endow robots with the ability to understand and anticipate the goals of other robots, purely from visual observations.

Biomarkers in fathers' sperm linked to offspring autism Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:21 AM PST Epigenetic biomarkers in human sperm have been identified that can indicate a propensity to father children with autism spectrum disorder. In the study, researchers identified a set of genomic features, called DNA methylation regions, in sperm samples from men who were known to have autistic children. Then in a set of blind tests, they were able to use the presence of these features to determine whether other men had fathered autistic children with 90 percent accuracy.

Study shows meaningful lockdown activity is more satisfying than busyness Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:21 AM PST With much of the world practicing varying degrees of social distancing and lockdown, researchers have been investigating the key to happiness in isolation.

Probiotic coffee and tea drinks Posted: 11 Jan 2021 06:43 AM PST Good news for those who need a cuppa to start the day. Food scientists have created new probiotic coffee and tea drinks that are packed with over 1 billion units of gut-friendly live probiotics. These non-dairy and plant-based beverages are can be stored chilled or at room temperature for more than 14 weeks.

A charge-density-wave topological semimetal Posted: 11 Jan 2021 06:43 AM PST A novel material has been discovered that is characterised by the coupling of a charge density wave with the topology of the electronic structure.

New nanostructured alloy for anode is a big step toward revolutionizing energy storage Posted: 11 Jan 2021 06:43 AM PST Researchers have developed a battery anode based on a new nanostructured alloy that could revolutionize the way energy storage devices are designed and manufactured.

Expanding the boundaries of CO2 fixation Posted: 11 Jan 2021 06:43 AM PST Design and realization of synthetic enzymes open up an alternative to natural photorespiration.

Scientists identify workflow algorithm to predict psychosis Posted: 11 Jan 2021 06:43 AM PST Cleverly combining artificial and human intelligence leads to improved prevention of psychosis in young patients.

Same difference: Predicting divergent paths of genetically identical cells Posted: 11 Jan 2021 06:42 AM PST A set of biomarkers not traditionally associated with cell fate can accurately predict how genetically identical cells behave differently under stress, according to a new study. The findings could eventually lead to more predictable responses to pharmaceutical treatments.

Impacts of climate change on our water and energy systems: it's complicated Posted: 11 Jan 2021 06:42 AM PST Researchers have developed a science-based analytic framework to evaluate the complex connections between water and energy, and options for adaptations in response to an evolving climate.

Marijuana use typically drops at the beginning of the year, then climbs in summer and fall Posted: 11 Jan 2021 05:42 AM PST Marijuana use increases throughout the calendar year, with use up 13 percent on average at the end of each year compared to the beginning.

First human culture lasted 20,000 years longer than thought Posted: 11 Jan 2021 05:42 AM PST Homo sapiens emerged in Africa around 300 thousand years ago, where their fossils are found with the earliest cultural and technological expressions of our species. This repertoire, commonly referred to as the 'Middle Stone Age', remained widely in use across much of Africa until around 60-30 thousand years ago. New research in Senegal shows this 'first human culture' persisted until 11 thousand years ago - 20 thousand years longer than previously thought.

New evidence of health threat from chemicals in marijuana and tobacco smoke Posted: 11 Jan 2021 05:42 AM PST Scientists have uncovered new evidence of the potential health risks of chemicals in tobacco and marijuana smoke.

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