ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Scientists offer road map to improve environmental observations in the Indian Ocean
• Glass frogs living near roaring waterfalls wave hello to attract mates
• Conductive nature in crystal structures revealed at magnification of 10 million times
• Tool to distribute limited vaccines equitably
• Scientists identify nutrient that helps prevent bacterial infection
• Controlling chemical catalysts with sculpted light
• RNA's mysterious folding process
• Target discovered that halts osteoarthritis-type knee cartilage degeneration
• Researchers trace geologic origins of Gulf of Mexico 'super basin' success
• Breathing easier with a better tracheal stent
• New delivery method promises relief from antipsychotic medication's adverse side effects
• X-Rays surrounding 'Magnificent 7' may be traces of sought-after particle
• Scientists identify contents of ancient Maya drug containers
• Helium nuclei at the surface of heavy nuclei discovered
• Stuck in a rut: Ocean acidification locks algal communities in a simplified state
• Spreading the sound
• Divergences between scientific and Indigenous and Local Knowledge can be helpful
• Filling a crucial gap in aquafarming: Ion beam breeding to the rescue
• Could altering mealtimes prevent development of Type 2 diabetes?
• Genital shape key to male flies' sexual success
• Basis for the essential cellular powerhouses
• Increased risk of Parkinson's disease in patients with schizophrenia
• Researchers rewind the clock to calculate age and site of supernova blast
• Designer cytokine makes paralyzed mice walk again
• Intertropical Convergence Zone limits climate predictions in the tropical Atlantic
• Researchers Find NTRK fusions more common than expected in pediatric tumors
• 2020 tied for warmest year on record, NASA analysis shows
• Snakes evolve a magnetic way to be resistant to venom
• ADA lowers target HbA1C levels for children with type-1 diabetes
• An unexpected, and novel, target for prostate cancer: Our biological clock
• Changing resilience of oceans to climate change
• Managing large-scale construction projects to avoid cost overruns
• Guppies have varying levels of self-control
• New fossil provides clarity to the history of Alligatoridae
• DNA test can quickly identify pneumonia in patients with severe COVID-19, aiding faster treatment
• Newly developed GaN based MEMS resonator operates stably even at high temperature
• Are partially protected areas the 'red herrings' of marine conservation?
• Acute itching in eczema patients linked to environmental allergens
• Astronomers document the rise and fall of a rarely observed stellar dance
• Scientists uncover new path toward treating a rare but deadly neurologic condition
• Climate change doesn't spare the insects
• Scholars link diet, dentition, and linguistics
• Extreme fire weather
• Rare lichen unique to Florida discovered in museum collections, may be extinct
• The role of T cells in fighting cancer
• Research breaks new ground in understanding how a molecular motor generates force
• Eating omega-3 fat helps hibernating Arctic ground squirrels warm up during deep cold
• Researchers discover new inhibitor drug combination for rare form of cancer
• SARS-CoV-2 antibody test helps select donor blood samples for therapeutic use
• Even skin shielded from the sun accumulates genomic DNA changes from UV light
• Hard to crack research reveals how crop roots penetrate hard soils
• Model analyzes how viruses escape the immune system
• Not as simple as thought: How bacteria form membrane vesicles
• Overactive food quality control system triggers food allergies, scientists say

Scientists offer road map to improve environmental observations in the Indian Ocean Posted: 15 Jan 2021 01:33 PM PST A group of more than 60 scientists have provided recommendations to improve the Indian Ocean Observing System (IndOOS), a basin-wide monitoring system to better understand the impacts of human-caused climate change in a region that has been warming faster than any other ocean.

Glass frogs living near roaring waterfalls wave hello to attract mates Posted: 15 Jan 2021 12:53 PM PST A conservationist has discovered that the glass frog Sachatamia orejuela can be added to the list of species that make use of visual cues in response to their acoustic environments. This is the first time a member of the glass frog family (Centrolenidae) has been observed using visual communication in this manner.

Conductive nature in crystal structures revealed at magnification of 10 million times Posted: 15 Jan 2021 12:53 PM PST In groundbreaking materials research, a team has made a discovery that blends the best of two sought-after qualities for touchscreens and smart windows -- transparency and conductivity.

Tool to distribute limited vaccines equitably Posted: 15 Jan 2021 10:53 AM PST Researchers have developed a tool that incorporates a person's age and socioeconomic status to prioritize vaccine distribution among people who otherwise share similar risks due to their jobs.

Scientists identify nutrient that helps prevent bacterial infection Posted: 15 Jan 2021 10:53 AM PST Scientists studying the body's natural defenses against bacterial infection have identified a nutrient -- taurine -- that helps the gut recall prior infections and kill invading bacteria, such as Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kpn). The finding could aid efforts seeking alternatives to antibiotics.

Controlling chemical catalysts with sculpted light Posted: 15 Jan 2021 10:52 AM PST Using state-of-the-art fabrication and imaging, researchers watched the consequences of adding sculpted light to a catalyst during a chemical transformation. This work could inform more efficient -- and potentially new -- forms of catalysis.

RNA's mysterious folding process Posted: 15 Jan 2021 08:52 AM PST Using data from RNA-folding experiments, the researchers generated the first-ever data-driven movies of how RNA folds as it is made by cellular machinery. By watching their videos of this folding occur, the researchers discovered that RNA often folds in surprising, perhaps unintuitive ways, such as tying itself into knots.

Target discovered that halts osteoarthritis-type knee cartilage degeneration Posted: 15 Jan 2021 08:52 AM PST In a mouse study, researchers used nanotechnology and previous knowledge of a protein pathway to significantly reduce knee cartilage degeneration and pain.

Researchers trace geologic origins of Gulf of Mexico 'super basin' success Posted: 15 Jan 2021 08:52 AM PST The Gulf of Mexico holds huge untapped offshore oil deposits that could help power the U.S. for decades. According to researchers, the basin's vast oil and gas reserves are the result of a remarkable geologic past. Only a fraction of the oil has been extracted and much remains buried beneath ancient salt layers, just recently illuminated by modern seismic imaging.

Breathing easier with a better tracheal stent Posted: 15 Jan 2021 08:52 AM PST New research is poised to drastically improve the use of tracheal stents for children with airway obstruction. Researchers demonstrate for the first time the successful use of a completely biodegradable magnesium-alloy tracheal stent that safely degrades and does not require removal.

New delivery method promises relief from antipsychotic medication's adverse side effects Posted: 15 Jan 2021 08:52 AM PST A team of neuroscientists and engineers has created a nasal spray to deliver antipsychotic medication directly to the brain instead of having it pass through the body.

X-Rays surrounding 'Magnificent 7' may be traces of sought-after particle Posted: 15 Jan 2021 08:03 AM PST Theoretical physicists suggest that never-before-observed particles called axions may be the source of unexplained, high-energy X-ray emissions surrounding a group of neutron stars.

Scientists identify contents of ancient Maya drug containers Posted: 15 Jan 2021 08:03 AM PST Scientists have identified the presence of a non-tobacco plant in ancient Maya drug containers for the first time. The researchers detected Mexican marigold (Tagetes lucida) in residues taken from 14 miniature Maya ceramic vessels. The vessels also contain chemical traces present in two types of dried and cured tobacco.

Helium nuclei at the surface of heavy nuclei discovered Posted: 15 Jan 2021 08:03 AM PST Scientists are able to selectively knockout nucleons and preformed nuclear clusters from atomic nuclei using high-energy proton beams. In an experiment the existence of preformed helium nuclei at the surface of several tin isotopes could be identified in a reaction. The results confirm a theory, which predicts the formation of helium clusters in low-density nuclear matter and at the surface of heavy nuclei.

Stuck in a rut: Ocean acidification locks algal communities in a simplified state Posted: 15 Jan 2021 08:03 AM PST Researchers have found that ocean acidification limits algal communities to a state of low diversity and complexity. Communities grown in waters rich in carbon dioxide (CO2) were dominated by turf algae, and had low biodiversity, ecological complexity and biomass. Communities grown under acidic conditions and then transferred to waters that weren't CO2-enriched increased their biodiversity and complexity, showing that they can recover if CO2 emissions are significantly reduced.

Spreading the sound Posted: 15 Jan 2021 08:03 AM PST Scientists are studying the motion of sound waves in glassy materials using a new theoretical model and find that they can diffuse like fluids, which may lead to the design of more resilient touchscreens.

Divergences between scientific and Indigenous and Local Knowledge can be helpful Posted: 15 Jan 2021 08:03 AM PST Divergences between scientific and Indigenous and Local Knowledge can provide a better understanding of why local pastoralists may be willing, or not, to participate in conservation initiatives for carnivores, a study suggests.

Filling a crucial gap in aquafarming: Ion beam breeding to the rescue Posted: 15 Jan 2021 08:03 AM PST Researchers successfully created a larger strain of zooplankton by creating mutations with a heavy ion beam, which contributes to improving the survival rate and growth of juvenile fish in aquaculture.

Could altering mealtimes prevent development of Type 2 diabetes? Posted: 15 Jan 2021 08:03 AM PST An innovative new study is set to examine if changing our mealtimes to earlier or later in the day could reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Genital shape key to male flies' sexual success Posted: 15 Jan 2021 08:03 AM PST Having genitals of a certain shape and size gives male flies a major reproductive advantage, new research shows.

Basis for the essential cellular powerhouses Posted: 15 Jan 2021 08:03 AM PST Researchers have solved the operating mode of the barrel pore protein assembly in the mitochondrial outer membrane.

Increased risk of Parkinson's disease in patients with schizophrenia Posted: 15 Jan 2021 08:03 AM PST A new study shows that patients with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder have an increased risk of Parkinson's disease later in life. The increased risk may be due to alterations in the brain's dopamine system caused by dopamine receptor antagonists or neurobiological effects of schizophrenia.

Researchers rewind the clock to calculate age and site of supernova blast Posted: 15 Jan 2021 08:03 AM PST Astronomers are winding back the clock on the expanding remains of a nearby, exploded star. By using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, they retraced the speedy shrapnel from the blast to calculate a more accurate estimate of the location and time of the stellar detonation.

Designer cytokine makes paralyzed mice walk again Posted: 15 Jan 2021 08:03 AM PST Using gene therapy, a research team has succeeded in getting mice to walk again after a complete cross-sectional injury. The nerve cells produced the curative protein themselves.

Intertropical Convergence Zone limits climate predictions in the tropical Atlantic Posted: 15 Jan 2021 08:03 AM PST The strongest climate fluctuation on time scales of a few years is the so-called El Niño phenomenon, which originates in the Pacific. A similar circulation pattern exists in the Atlantic, which scientists have now studied in more detail. Their results contribute to a better understanding of this climate fluctuation and pose a challenge for prediction models.

Researchers Find NTRK fusions more common than expected in pediatric tumors Posted: 15 Jan 2021 08:02 AM PST Researchers have found that NTRK fusions are more common in pediatric tumors and also involve a wider range of tumors than adult cancers, information that could help prioritize screening for NTRK fusions in pediatric cancer patients who might benefit from treatment with TRK inhibitors.

2020 tied for warmest year on record, NASA analysis shows Posted: 15 Jan 2021 07:30 AM PST Earth's global average surface temperature in 2020 tied with 2016 as the warmest year on record, according to an analysis by NASA.

Snakes evolve a magnetic way to be resistant to venom Posted: 15 Jan 2021 06:13 AM PST Certain snakes have evolved a unique genetic trick to avoid being eaten by venomous snakes, according to new research. The technique works in a manner similar to the way two sides of a magnet repel each other.

ADA lowers target HbA1C levels for children with type-1 diabetes Posted: 15 Jan 2021 06:13 AM PST In early 2020, upon recommendation by leading endocrinologists, American Diabetes Association lowered the target hemoglobin A1C guidelines for children with type 1 diabetes. Their goal in recommending stricter glucose control was to ensure children with type 1 diabetes have better immediate and long-term health outcomes with fewer health complications and reduced mortality rates. Researchers now discuss the evidence and rationale behind this new recommendation.

An unexpected, and novel, target for prostate cancer: Our biological clock Posted: 15 Jan 2021 06:13 AM PST Researchers find that CRY-1, a regulator of circadian rhythms, promotes tumor progression by altering DNA repair.

Changing resilience of oceans to climate change Posted: 15 Jan 2021 06:13 AM PST Oxygen levels in the ancient oceans were surprisingly resilient to climate change, new research suggests.

Managing large-scale construction projects to avoid cost overruns Posted: 15 Jan 2021 06:13 AM PST Supplier selection and pricing format decisions that reflect key characteristics of the project, such as the size of the project, duration, and type of customer, are best at reducing a significant part of cost overruns.

Guppies have varying levels of self-control Posted: 15 Jan 2021 06:13 AM PST Just like humans trying to stick to New Year's resolutions, guppies have varying levels of self-control, a new study shows.

New fossil provides clarity to the history of Alligatoridae Posted: 15 Jan 2021 06:13 AM PST Families are complicated. For members of the Alligatoridae family, which includes living caimans and alligators - this is especially true. They are closely related, but because of their similarity, their identification can even stump paleontologists.

DNA test can quickly identify pneumonia in patients with severe COVID-19, aiding faster treatment Posted: 15 Jan 2021 06:13 AM PST Researchers have developed a DNA test to quickly identify secondary infections in COVID-19 patients, who have double the risk of developing pneumonia while on ventilation than non-COVID-19 patients.

Newly developed GaN based MEMS resonator operates stably even at high temperature Posted: 15 Jan 2021 06:13 AM PST JST PRESTO researcher developed a MEMS resonator that stably operates even under high temperatures by regulating the strain caused by the heat from gallium nitride (GaN). This device is small, highly sensitive and can be integrated with CMOS technology promising for the application to 5G communication, IoT timing device, on-vehicle applications, and advanced driver assistance system.

Are partially protected areas the 'red herrings' of marine conservation? Posted: 15 Jan 2021 06:13 AM PST Partially protected marine areas create confusion and don't meet their broad conservation objectives, researchers have found.

Acute itching in eczema patients linked to environmental allergens Posted: 14 Jan 2021 03:06 PM PST New research indicates that allergens in the environment often are to blame for episodes of acute itch in eczema patients, and that the itching often doesn't respond to antihistamines because the itch signals are being carried to the brain along a previously unrecognized pathway that current drugs don't target.

Astronomers document the rise and fall of a rarely observed stellar dance Posted: 14 Jan 2021 03:06 PM PST Astronomers have catalogued 126 years of changes to HS Hydra, a rare evolving eclipsing binary star system. Analyzing observations from astro-photographic plates in the late 1800s to TESS observations in 2019, they show that the two stars in HS Hydra began to eclipse each other around a century ago, peaking in the 1960s. The degree of eclipsing then plummeted over the course of just a half century, and will cease around February 2021.

Scientists uncover new path toward treating a rare but deadly neurologic condition Posted: 14 Jan 2021 03:06 PM PST Molybdenum cofactor (Moco) is a compound that is little known but is essential for life. Children born without the ability to synthesize Moco die young. It has not been possible to create Moco supplements because the compound is so unstable. Studies in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans suggest that by combining, Moco with certain proteins, it becomes stable and can repair deficiency.

Climate change doesn't spare the insects Posted: 14 Jan 2021 03:06 PM PST Entomologists have seen a striking contraction of insect numbers and diversity. They are sharing new data suggesting that climate change is the culprit and they are coming up with a way to protect the survivors: a bioliteracy program that aims to educate Costa Rican residents about the diversity around them and empower them to conserve it. It's a model they hope catches on and spreads around the globe.

Scholars link diet, dentition, and linguistics Posted: 14 Jan 2021 03:06 PM PST Anthropologists used a novel data analysis of thousands of languages, in addition to studying a unique subset of celebrities, to reveal how a soft food diet -- contrasted with the diet of hunter-gatherers -- is restructuring dentition and changing how people speak.

Extreme fire weather Posted: 14 Jan 2021 03:06 PM PST When the Thomas Fire raged through Ventura and Santa Barbara counties in December 2017, an earth science researcher was stunned by its severity. Burning for more than a month and scorching 440 square miles, the fire was then considered the worst in California's history.

Rare lichen unique to Florida discovered in museum collections, may be extinct Posted: 14 Jan 2021 01:40 PM PST Scientists have found a new species of fleshy verdigris lichen, thanks to DNA analysis of museum specimens. Misidentified by its original collectors, the lichen is only known from 32 specimens collected in North and Central Florida scrubland between 1885 and 1985. Now the hunt is on to find it in the wild -- if it still exists.

The role of T cells in fighting cancer Posted: 14 Jan 2021 01:40 PM PST Why do some hosts' immune systems reject tumors easily, while others have a harder time doing so? It depends on the types of the immune cells known as CD8 T cells and how a host's specific T cells match up with the neoantigens present in the tumor.

Research breaks new ground in understanding how a molecular motor generates force Posted: 14 Jan 2021 01:40 PM PST A team of biophysicists set out to tackle the long-standing question about the nature of force generation by myosin, the molecular motor responsible for muscle contraction. The key question they addressed - one of the most controversial topics in the field - was: how does myosin convert chemical energy, in the form of ATP, into mechanical work? The answer revealed new details into how myosin, the engine of muscle and related motor proteins, transduces energy.

Eating omega-3 fat helps hibernating Arctic ground squirrels warm up during deep cold Posted: 14 Jan 2021 01:39 PM PST By feeding Arctic ground squirrels special diets, researchers have found that omega-3 fatty acids, common in flax seed and fish oil, help keep the animals warmer in deep hibernation.

Researchers discover new inhibitor drug combination for rare form of cancer Posted: 14 Jan 2021 01:39 PM PST Researchers took the novel approach of targeting specific cell proteins that control DNA information using inhibitors, or drugs, that were effective in reducing the growth of the Waldenström macroglobulinemia cancer cells and when combined with a third drug were even more successful in killing the WM cancer cells which could lead to more treatment options.

SARS-CoV-2 antibody test helps select donor blood samples for therapeutic use Posted: 14 Jan 2021 01:39 PM PST Researchers have developed and applied a robust, versatile antibody test to assist health authorities in managing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, according to a new study.

Even skin shielded from the sun accumulates genomic DNA changes from UV light Posted: 14 Jan 2021 01:39 PM PST For the first time, scientists have measured the different types of genomic DNA changes that occur in skin cells, finding that mutations from ultraviolet (UV) light is especially common, but Black individuals have lower levels of UV damage compared to white people.

Hard to crack research reveals how crop roots penetrate hard soils Posted: 14 Jan 2021 01:39 PM PST Scientists have discovered a signal that causes roots to stop growing in hard soils which can be 'switched off' to allow them to punch through compacted soil -- a discovery that could help plants to grow in even the most damaged soils.

Model analyzes how viruses escape the immune system Posted: 14 Jan 2021 01:39 PM PST MIT researchers have devised a way to computationally model viral escape, using models that were originally developed to model language. The model can predict which sections of viral surface proteins, including those of influenza, HIV, and SARS-CoV-2, are more likely to mutate in a way that allows the virus to evade the human immune system. It can also identify sections that are less likely to mutate, making them good targets for new vaccines.

Not as simple as thought: How bacteria form membrane vesicles Posted: 14 Jan 2021 01:39 PM PST Researchers have identified a novel mechanism by which bacteria form membrane vesicles, which bacteria employ to communicate with each other or to defend themselves against antibiotics. By studying mycolic acid-containing bacteria (MCB), which also includes tuberculosis-causing bacteria, the researchers demonstrated that environmental stimuli dictate the route by which the MCB form membrane vesicles. Further, their observations were consistent among various MCB. This study has implications for vaccine development as well as novel therapies.

Overactive food quality control system triggers food allergies, scientists say Posted: 14 Jan 2021 01:39 PM PST In a new paper, immunobiologists propose an expanded explanation for the rise of food allergies -- the exaggerated activation of our food quality control system, a complex and highly evolved program designed to protect us against eating harmful foods.

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