ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

---

• Combination treatment for methamphetamine use disorder shows promise
• Pulsed ultraviolet light technology to improve egg safety, help poultry industry
• Memory may be preserved in condition with brain changes similar to Alzheimer's disease
• Shedding light on the secret reproductive lives of honey bees
• Inferring human genomes at a fraction of the cost promises to boost biomedical research
• MIND and Mediterranean diets associated with later onset of Parkinson's disease
• Tiny molecules in blood with a big impact
• Resilience to climate change? octopuses adapting to higher ocean acid levels
• Taking the lab into the ocean: A fleet of robots tracks and monitors microbial communities
• Early COVID-19 lockdown in Delhi had less impact on urban air quality than first believed
• Earth to reach temperature tipping point in next 20 to 30 years, new study finds
• COVID-19 vaccine creates incentive to improve our health
• New insights into the control of inflammation
• Robotic swarm swims like a school of fish
• Studying chaos with one of the world's fastest cameras
• Physical weathering of rock breakdown more important than previously recognized
• Compound protects myelin, nerve fibers
• Pivotal discovery in quantum and classical information processing
• Scientists discover new 'spectacular' bat from West Africa
• Compound from medicinal herb kills brain-eating amoebae in lab studies
• Mothers of children with autism found to have significantly different metabolite levels
• A niche for the eye
• Rare quadruple-helix DNA found in living human cells with glowing probes
• Burst of light April 15, 2020 likely magnetar eruption in nearby galaxy
• Evolution: Speciation in the presence of gene flow
• How to keep drones flying when a motor fails
• Scientists study salmonella swimming behavior as clues to infection
• Flashing plastic ash completes recycling
• Wetland methane cycling increased during ancient global warming event
• The cancer microbiome reveals which bacteria live in tumors
• Northern lakes at risk of losing ice cover permanently, impacting drinking water
• Scientists find antibody that blocks dengue virus
• A fly's eye view of evolution
• Pollinators not getting the 'buzz' they need in news coverage
• Spilling the beans on coffee's true identity
• Superheroes, foods and apps bring a modern twist to the periodic table
• Melting icebergs key to sequence of an ice age
• Scientists reverse deadly impacts of asthma in mice
• Could we harness energy from black holes?
• Copper-indium oxide: A faster and cooler way to reduce our carbon footprint
• Bacteria carried by mosquitoes may protect them against pesticides
• Limits of atomic nuclei predicted
• Evolution in a test tube: These bacteria survive on deadly copper surfaces
• How will we achieve carbon-neutral flight in future?
• Lipid biomarkers in urine can determine the type of asthma
• Catalysts: Why do metal oxide surfaces behave differently?
• Scientists measure local vibrational modes at individual crystalline faults
• Researchers use deep learning to identify gene regulation at single-cell level
• Framework sheds light on nitrogen loss of producing common food items
• How teeth functioned and evolved in giant mega-sharks
• College campuses are COVID-19 superspreaders, new study suggests
• Expert prognosis for the planet - we're on track for a ghastly future
• Do as the Romans: Power plant concrete strengthens with time
• Need to reduce work-related stress? It's a walk in the park
• Colleges can prevent 96 percent of COVID-19 infections with common measures, study finds
• Grey camouflage 'better than zebra stripes'
• Higher vaccine rates associated with indicative language by provider, more efficient

Combination treatment for methamphetamine use disorder shows promise Posted: 13 Jan 2021 03:06 PM PST A combination of two medications, injectable naltrexone and oral bupropion, was safe and effective in treating adults with moderate or severe methamphetamine use disorder in a double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III clinical trial. The findings suggest this combination therapy may be a promising addition to current approaches to treatment, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and contingency management interventions, for a very serious condition that remains difficult to treat and overcome.

Pulsed ultraviolet light technology to improve egg safety, help poultry industry Posted: 13 Jan 2021 03:06 PM PST Pulsed ultraviolet light can be an effective alternative to some of the antimicrobial technologies now used by the poultry industry to kill pathogens on eggshells, according to researchers, who simulated production conditions to test the technology.

Memory may be preserved in condition with brain changes similar to Alzheimer's disease Posted: 13 Jan 2021 01:12 PM PST Primary progressive aphasia is a rare neurodegenerative condition characterized by prominent language problems that worsen over time. About 40% of people with the condition have underlying Alzheimer's disease. But a new study has found that people with the condition may not develop the memory problems associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Shedding light on the secret reproductive lives of honey bees Posted: 13 Jan 2021 01:12 PM PST Research shows that there are trade-offs between sperm viability and the expression of a protein involved in the insect's immune response.

Inferring human genomes at a fraction of the cost promises to boost biomedical research Posted: 13 Jan 2021 12:46 PM PST A new method, developed offers game-changing possibilities for genetic association studies and biomedical research. For less than $1 in computational cost, GLIMPSE is able to statistically infer a complete human genome from a very small amount of data. It offers a first realistic alternative to current approaches, and so allows a wider inclusion of underrepresented populations.

MIND and Mediterranean diets associated with later onset of Parkinson's disease Posted: 13 Jan 2021 11:45 AM PST A new study suggests a strong correlation between following the MIND and Mediterranean diets and later onset of Parkinson's disease (PD). While researchers have long known of neuroprotective effects of the MIND diet for diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia, this study is the first to suggest a link between this diet and brain health for Parkinson's disease (PD).

Tiny molecules in blood with a big impact Posted: 13 Jan 2021 11:45 AM PST Scientists have discovered hundreds of previously unknown variations in genes that have a sometimes drastic impact on the concentration of small molecules in the blood.

Resilience to climate change? octopuses adapting to higher ocean acid levels Posted: 13 Jan 2021 11:45 AM PST A recent study examined the effects of acidic water on octopuses, potentially bringing new insight into both how our activities impact the world around us, and the way that world is adapting in response.

Taking the lab into the ocean: A fleet of robots tracks and monitors microbial communities Posted: 13 Jan 2021 11:45 AM PST Researchers enabled a trio of self-driving robots to locate, follow, and sample a layer of oceanic microbes as they drifted in an open-ocean eddy north of the Hawaiian islands.

Early COVID-19 lockdown in Delhi had less impact on urban air quality than first believed Posted: 13 Jan 2021 11:44 AM PST The first COVID-19 lockdowns led to significant changes in urban air pollution levels around the world, but the changes were smaller than expected, a new study reveals.

Earth to reach temperature tipping point in next 20 to 30 years, new study finds Posted: 13 Jan 2021 11:44 AM PST An international team looked at 20 years of data from throughout the world and found that record-breaking temperatures are contributing to a significant decrease in plants' ability to absorb human-caused carbon emissions.

COVID-19 vaccine creates incentive to improve our health Posted: 13 Jan 2021 11:44 AM PST While we wait for our turn to get vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, we could -- and probably should -- use the time to make sure we bring our healthiest emotional and physical selves to the treatment, a new review of previous research suggests.

New insights into the control of inflammation Posted: 13 Jan 2021 11:44 AM PST Scientists discovered that EGR1inhibits expression of pro-inflammatory genes in macrophages. The discovery expands the understanding of how macrophages are set off and deactivated in the inflammatory process, which is critical in many normal and pathological conditions.

Robotic swarm swims like a school of fish Posted: 13 Jan 2021 11:44 AM PST Researchers have developed fish-inspired robots that can synchronize their movements like a real school of fish, without any external control. It is the first time researchers have demonstrated complex 3D collective behaviors with implicit coordination in underwater robots.

Studying chaos with one of the world's fastest cameras Posted: 13 Jan 2021 11:44 AM PST Ultrafast camera technology might aid in the study of unpredictable systems.

Physical weathering of rock breakdown more important than previously recognized Posted: 13 Jan 2021 11:44 AM PST Anisovolumetric weathering is much more common than previously thought, and variations in this process can be explained by climate and erosion.

Compound protects myelin, nerve fibers Posted: 13 Jan 2021 11:44 AM PST A compound appears to protect nerve fibers and the fatty sheath, called myelin, that covers nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The new research in a mouse model advances earlier work to develop the compound - known as sobetirome - that has already showed promise in stimulating the repair of myelin.

Pivotal discovery in quantum and classical information processing Posted: 13 Jan 2021 11:44 AM PST Researchers have achieved, for the first time, electronically adjustable interactions between microwaves and a phenomenon in certain magnetic materials called spin waves. This could have application in quantum and classical information processing.

Scientists discover new 'spectacular' bat from West Africa Posted: 13 Jan 2021 11:44 AM PST Scientists have discovered a new species of a striking orange and black bat in a mountain range in West Africa. The species, which the researchers expect is likely critically endangered, underscores the importance of sub-Saharan 'sky islands' to bat diversity.

Compound from medicinal herb kills brain-eating amoebae in lab studies Posted: 13 Jan 2021 10:24 AM PST Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a deadly disease caused by the 'brain-eating amoeba' Naegleria fowleri, is becoming more common in some areas of the world, and it has no effective treatment. Now, researchers have found that a compound isolated from the leaves of a traditional medicinal plant, Inula viscosa or 'false yellowhead,' kills the amoebae by causing them to commit cell suicide in lab studies, which could lead to new treatments.

Mothers of children with autism found to have significantly different metabolite levels Posted: 13 Jan 2021 10:24 AM PST Blood sample analysis showed that, two to five years after they gave birth, mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) had several significantly different metabolite levels compared to mothers of typically developing children.

A niche for the eye Posted: 13 Jan 2021 10:24 AM PST What if the degenerative eye conditions that lead to glaucoma, corneal dystrophy, and cataracts could be detected and treated before vision is impaired? Recent findings point to the ciliary body as a key to unlocking this possibility.

Rare quadruple-helix DNA found in living human cells with glowing probes Posted: 13 Jan 2021 10:24 AM PST New probes allow scientists to see four-stranded DNA interacting with molecules inside living human cells, unravelling its role in cellular processes.

Burst of light April 15, 2020 likely magnetar eruption in nearby galaxy Posted: 13 Jan 2021 10:24 AM PST On April 15, 2020, a brief burst of high-energy light swept through the solar system, triggering instruments on many NASA spacecraft. Scientists think the blast came from a supermagnetized stellar remnant located in a neighboring galaxy.

Evolution: Speciation in the presence of gene flow Posted: 13 Jan 2021 09:07 AM PST Spatial isolation is known to promote speciation -- but researchers have now shown that, at least in yeast, the opposite is also true. New ecological variants can also evolve within thoroughly mixed populations.

How to keep drones flying when a motor fails Posted: 13 Jan 2021 09:07 AM PST Robotics researchers show how onboard cameras can be used to keep damaged quadcopters in the air and flying stably -- even without GPS.

Scientists study salmonella swimming behavior as clues to infection Posted: 13 Jan 2021 09:07 AM PST Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium bacteria (S. Typhimurium) commonly cause human gastroenteritis, inflammation of the lining of the intestines. The bacteria live inside the gut and can infect the epithelial cells that line its surface. Many studies have shown that Salmonella use a 'run-and-tumble' method of short swimming periods (runs) punctuated by tumbles when they randomly change direction, but how they move within the gut is not well understood.

Flashing plastic ash completes recycling Posted: 13 Jan 2021 09:07 AM PST A new flash graphene process, adapted to convert worthless pyrolyzed plastic ash, could be used to strengthen concrete and toughen plastics used in medicine, energy and packaging applications.

Wetland methane cycling increased during ancient global warming event Posted: 13 Jan 2021 09:07 AM PST Wetland methane cycling increased during a rapid global warming event 56 million years ago and could foreshadow changes the methane cycle will experience in the future, according to new research.

The cancer microbiome reveals which bacteria live in tumors Posted: 13 Jan 2021 09:07 AM PST Biomedical engineers have devised an algorithm to remove contaminated microbial genetic information from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). With a clearer picture of the microbiota living in various organs in both healthy and cancerous states, researchers will now be able to find new biomarkers of disease and better understand how numerous cancers affect the human body.

Northern lakes at risk of losing ice cover permanently, impacting drinking water Posted: 13 Jan 2021 09:07 AM PST Close to 5,700 lakes in the Northern Hemisphere may permanently lose ice cover this century, 179 of them in the next decade, at current greenhouse gas emissions, despite a possible polar vortex this year, researchers have found. Those lakes include large bays in some of the deepest of the Great Lakes, such as Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, which could permanently become ice free by 2055.

Scientists find antibody that blocks dengue virus Posted: 13 Jan 2021 09:07 AM PST A research team confirm an effective antibody that prevents the dengue virus from infecting cells in mice, and may lead to treatments for this and similar diseases.

A fly's eye view of evolution Posted: 13 Jan 2021 09:07 AM PST The fascinating compound eyes of insects consist of hundreds of individual eyes known as 'facets'. In the course of evolution, an enormous variety of sizes and shapes has emerged, often adaptations to different environmental conditions. Scientists have now shown that these differences can be caused by very different changes in the genome of fruit flies.

Pollinators not getting the 'buzz' they need in news coverage Posted: 13 Jan 2021 09:07 AM PST A dramatic decline in pollinating insects threatens the global food supply, yet it's getting 'vanishingly low levels of attention' in mainstream news, even compared to coverage of climate change. Researchers analyzed nearly 25 million news items from six prominent U.S. and global news sources using the university's massive Global News Index.

Spilling the beans on coffee's true identity Posted: 13 Jan 2021 09:07 AM PST People worldwide want their coffee to be both satisfying and reasonably priced. To meet these standards, roasters typically use a blend of two types of beans, arabica and robusta. But, some use more of the cheaper robusta than they acknowledge, as the bean composition is difficult to determine after roasting. Now, researchers have developed a new way to assess exactly what's in that cup of joe.

Superheroes, foods and apps bring a modern twist to the periodic table Posted: 13 Jan 2021 09:07 AM PST Many students, especially non-science majors, dread chemistry. The first lesson in an introductory chemistry course typically deals with how to interpret the periodic table of elements, but its complexity can be overwhelming to students with little or no previous exposure. Now, researchers introduce an innovative way to make learning about the elements much more approachable -- by using 'pseudo' periodic tables filled with superheroes, foods and apps.

Melting icebergs key to sequence of an ice age Posted: 13 Jan 2021 09:06 AM PST Scientists claim to have found the 'missing link' in the process that leads to an ice age on Earth.

Scientists reverse deadly impacts of asthma in mice Posted: 13 Jan 2021 07:08 AM PST Excess mucus in the lungs can be fatal for asthma patients, but scientists have broken up those secretions at the molecular level and reversed their often deadly impacts.

Could we harness energy from black holes? Posted: 13 Jan 2021 07:08 AM PST Physicists have found a new way to extract energy from black holes by breaking and rejoining magnetic field lines near the event horizon.

Copper-indium oxide: A faster and cooler way to reduce our carbon footprint Posted: 13 Jan 2021 07:08 AM PST Emergent e-fuel technologies often employ the reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reaction to convert atmospheric CO2 to CO. While efficient, this reaction requires high temperatures and complex gas separation for high performance. However scientists have now demonstrated record-high CO2 conversion rates at relatively low temperatures in a modified chemical-looping version of RWGS using a novel copper-indium oxide.

Bacteria carried by mosquitoes may protect them against pesticides Posted: 13 Jan 2021 07:08 AM PST Mosquitoes are transmitters of several diseases and pesticides are used to control their numbers in many countries. New study finds Wolbachia - a bacteria commonly found in insects - appears to protect them against these pesticides.

Limits of atomic nuclei predicted Posted: 13 Jan 2021 07:08 AM PST Novel calculations have enabled the study of nearly 700 isotopes between helium and iron, showing which nuclei can exist and which cannot. Scientists report how they simulated for the first time using innovative theoretical methods a large region of the chart of nuclides based on the theory of the strong interaction.

Evolution in a test tube: These bacteria survive on deadly copper surfaces Posted: 13 Jan 2021 07:08 AM PST The descendants of regular wild-type bacteria can evolve to survive for a long time on metallic copper surfaces that would usually kill them within a few minutes. An international research team was able to produce these tiny survivalists in the lab and has been able to study them more closely.

How will we achieve carbon-neutral flight in future? Posted: 13 Jan 2021 07:08 AM PST Carbon-neutral aviation is possible, but in future, aircraft are likely to continue to be powered by fossil fuels. The CO2 they emit must be systematically stored underground. This is the most economical of various approaches researchers have compared in detail.

Lipid biomarkers in urine can determine the type of asthma Posted: 13 Jan 2021 07:08 AM PST In a new study, researchers have used a urine test to identify and verify a patient's type of asthma. The study lays the foundation for a more personalized diagnosis and may result in improved treatment of severe asthma in the future.

Catalysts: Why do metal oxide surfaces behave differently? Posted: 13 Jan 2021 07:08 AM PST Metal surfaces play a role as catalysts for many important applications - from fuel cells to the purification of car exhaust gases. However, their behavior is decisively affected by oxygen atoms incorporated into the surface. This phenomenon has been known for a long time, but until now it has been impossible to precisely investigate the role of oxygen in complex surfaces point by point in order to understand the chemical background at the atomic level.

Scientists measure local vibrational modes at individual crystalline faults Posted: 13 Jan 2021 06:09 AM PST Employing newly developed electron microscopy techniques, researchers have, for the first time, measured the spectra of phonons - quantum mechanical vibrations in a lattice - at individual crystalline faults, and they discovered the propagation of phonons near the flaws.

Researchers use deep learning to identify gene regulation at single-cell level Posted: 13 Jan 2021 06:09 AM PST Researchers describe how they developed a deep-learning framework to observe gene regulation at the cellular level.

Framework sheds light on nitrogen loss of producing common food items Posted: 13 Jan 2021 06:09 AM PST Differences in nitrogen loss intensity between livestock and crops confirm the need for change.

How teeth functioned and evolved in giant mega-sharks Posted: 13 Jan 2021 06:09 AM PST Researchers find that the evolution of teeth in the giant prehistoric shark Megalodon and its relatives was a by-product of becoming huge, rather than an adaptation to new feeding habits.

College campuses are COVID-19 superspreaders, new study suggests Posted: 13 Jan 2021 06:09 AM PST College campuses are at risk of becoming COVID-19 superspreaders for their entire county, according to a new vast study which shows the striking danger of the first two weeks of school in particular.

Expert prognosis for the planet - we're on track for a ghastly future Posted: 13 Jan 2021 06:09 AM PST An international group of 17 leading scientists have produced a comprehensive yet concise assessment of the state of civilization, warning that the outlook is more dire and dangerous than is generally understood.

Do as the Romans: Power plant concrete strengthens with time Posted: 13 Jan 2021 06:09 AM PST Scientists find a rare mineral in nuclear power plant walls, significantly improving their strength following years of full operation.

Need to reduce work-related stress? It's a walk in the park Posted: 13 Jan 2021 06:09 AM PST Research examined the relationship between 'sense of coherence' (a quality indicative of stress-coping ability) and frequency of walking in forests or greenspaces. The aim was to find easy coping devices for workplace stress. Forest/greenspace walking at least once a week was found to correlate with those with a stronger sense of coherence. The findings suggest the benefits of walking in urban greenspaces or in forests to help with stress management.

Colleges can prevent 96 percent of COVID-19 infections with common measures, study finds Posted: 13 Jan 2021 06:09 AM PST The combined effectiveness of three COVID-prevention strategies on college campuses -- mask-wearing, social distancing, and routine testing -- are as effective in preventing coronavirus infections as the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines approved by US FDA, according to a new study from Case Western Reserve University.

Grey camouflage 'better than zebra stripes' Posted: 12 Jan 2021 04:45 PM PST Dull, featureless camouflage provides better protection from predators than zebra stripes, according to a new study.

Higher vaccine rates associated with indicative language by provider, more efficient Posted: 12 Jan 2021 01:36 PM PST New research finds that using clear, unambiguous language when recommending HPV vaccination both increases vaccine acceptance and increases conversation efficiency while preserving patient satisfaction.

You are subscribed to email updates from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States