ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Scientists capture the moments of nascent crystal formation and growth
• Loggerhead sea turtles lay eggs in multiple locations to improve reproductive success
• Marine heatwaves becoming more intense, more frequent
• New catalyst moves seawater desalination, hydrogen production closer to commercialization
• New study unravels Darwin's 'abominable mystery' surrounding origin of flowering plants
• Malaria threw human evolution into overdrive on this African archipelago
• Scientists find key function of molecule in cells crucial for regulating immunity
• Lasing mechanism found in water droplets
• Breakthrough for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy
• Thick lithosphere casts doubt on plate tectonics in Venus's geologically recent past
• Crunch! Underwater acoustics expose 'shell-crushing' sounds in a large marine predator
• Eyes reveal life history of fish
• 635 million-year-old fungi-like microfossil that bailed us out of an ice age discovered
• Putting bugs on the menu, safely
• A mild way to upcycle plastics used in bottles into fuel and other high-value products
• Unlocking PTSD: New study reveals why trauma-focused psychotherapy treatment works
• Healthy lifespan analysis using nematodes
• Chloroplast-fortified 3D-printer ink may strengthen products
• Detecting trace amounts of multiple classes of antibiotics in foods
• Making wheat and peanuts less allergenic
• To find the right network model, compare all possible histories
• Researchers develop technique to replicate bone-remodeling processes
• Hypertension symptoms in women often mistaken for menopause
• Two anti-viral enzymes transform pre-leukemia stem cells into leukemia

Scientists capture the moments of nascent crystal formation and growth Posted: 28 Jan 2021 12:56 PM PST Scientists used high-performance TEM to image the process of gold atoms assembling into nanocrystals. It was discovered that the atoms undergo a spontaneous transition between disordered and crystalline states.

Loggerhead sea turtles lay eggs in multiple locations to improve reproductive success Posted: 28 Jan 2021 12:56 PM PST Although loggerhead sea turtles return to the same beach where they hatched to lay their eggs, a new study finds individual females lay numerous clutches of eggs in locations miles apart from each other which increases the odds that some of their offspring will survive.

Marine heatwaves becoming more intense, more frequent Posted: 28 Jan 2021 12:56 PM PST When thick, the surface layer of the ocean acts as a buffer to extreme marine heating -- but a new study shows this 'mixed layer' is becoming shallower each year. The thinner it becomes, the easier it is to warm. The new work could explain recent extreme marine heatwaves, and point at a future of more frequent and destructive ocean warming events as global temperatures continue to climb.

New catalyst moves seawater desalination, hydrogen production closer to commercialization Posted: 28 Jan 2021 10:47 AM PST Seawater is abundant and cheap, making it a tempting resource to meet the world's growing need for clean drinking water and carbon-free energy. Now researchers have reported a new catalyst that can be made quickly and inexpensively, bringing the technology closer to commercial reality.

New study unravels Darwin's 'abominable mystery' surrounding origin of flowering plants Posted: 28 Jan 2021 10:47 AM PST The origin of flowering plants famously puzzled Charles Darwin, who described their sudden appearance in the fossil record from relatively recent geological times as an 'abominable mystery'.

Malaria threw human evolution into overdrive on this African archipelago Posted: 28 Jan 2021 10:47 AM PST Malaria is an ancient scourge, but it's still leaving its mark on the human genome. And now, researchers have uncovered recent traces of adaptation to malaria in the islanders of Cabo Verde -- thanks to a genetic mutation, inherited from their African ancestors, that prevents a type of malaria parasite from invading red blood cells. The findings represent one of the speediest, most dramatic changes measured in the human genome.

Scientists find key function of molecule in cells crucial for regulating immunity Posted: 28 Jan 2021 10:47 AM PST Scientists discovered that AIM2 is important for the proper function of regulatory T cells, or Treg cells, and plays a key role in mitigating autoimmune disease. Treg cells are a seminal population of adaptive immune cells that prevents an overzealous immune response, such as those that occurs in autoimmune diseases.

Lasing mechanism found in water droplets Posted: 28 Jan 2021 10:47 AM PST When a water droplet interacts with a surface to form a contact angle, the interfacial molecular forces determine the geometry of a droplet resonator. Dramatic mechanical changes at the interface play a significant role in the optical oscillation of droplet resonators.

Breakthrough for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy Posted: 28 Jan 2021 10:47 AM PST Researchers recently demonstrated a novel technique: plasma-grating-induced breakdown spectroscopy (GIBS).

Thick lithosphere casts doubt on plate tectonics in Venus's geologically recent past Posted: 28 Jan 2021 10:46 AM PST A study of a giant impact crater on Venus suggests that its lithosphere was too thick to have had Earth-like plate tectonics, at least for much of the past billion years.

Crunch! Underwater acoustics expose 'shell-crushing' sounds in a large marine predator Posted: 28 Jan 2021 06:12 AM PST 'Shell-crushing,' an explosive sound, occurs when marine animals crack open hard shells like clams to eat the edible tissue. There hasn't been any data to support this feeding noise, until now. A study is first to quantify these sounds using underwater acoustics in a marine animal in a controlled setting. Scientists know what type of shell a ray is eating based on the sound it makes and show it's audible above ambient noise in lagoons out to 100 meters.

Eyes reveal life history of fish Posted: 28 Jan 2021 06:12 AM PST If you look deep into the eyes of a fish, it will tell you its life story. Scientists demonstrate that they can use stable isotopic analysis of the eye lenses of freshwater fish -- including threatened and endangered salmon -- to reveal a fish's life history and what it ate along the way.

635 million-year-old fungi-like microfossil that bailed us out of an ice age discovered Posted: 28 Jan 2021 06:11 AM PST A team of scientists has discovered the remains of a fungi-like microfossil that emerged at the end of an ice age some 635 million years ago.

Putting bugs on the menu, safely Posted: 27 Jan 2021 02:18 PM PST The thought of eating insects is stomach turning for many, but new research is shedding light on allergy causing proteins which could pose serious health risks for those suffering from shellfish allergy. The research identified 20 proteins found in cricket food products which could cause serious allergic reactions.

A mild way to upcycle plastics used in bottles into fuel and other high-value products Posted: 27 Jan 2021 11:00 AM PST Plastic is ubiquitous in people's lives. Yet, when plastic-containing items have fulfilled their missions, only a small amount is recycled into new products, which are often of lower quality compared to the original material. And, transforming this waste into high-value chemicals requires substantial energy. Now, researchers have combined a ruthenium-carbon catalyst and mild, lower-energy reaction conditions to convert plastics used in bottles and other packaging into fuels and chemical feedstock.

Unlocking PTSD: New study reveals why trauma-focused psychotherapy treatment works Posted: 27 Jan 2021 06:32 AM PST Trauma-focused psychotherapy is the best-known treatment for PTSD. But how does it work? A researcher may have found the answer by exploring how different parts of the brain talk to one another.

Healthy lifespan analysis using nematodes Posted: 27 Jan 2021 06:32 AM PST Researchers have developed an automated measurement system to assess healthy lifespan using nematodes. This system performs a mini-population analysis to classify specific populations of nematodes based on qualitative differences in lifespan. Since there are many similarities between the mechanisms that determine the lifespan of nematodes and humans, this system could make it easier to develop drugs and find foods that extend the healthy lifespan of humans.

Chloroplast-fortified 3D-printer ink may strengthen products Posted: 27 Jan 2021 06:32 AM PST Image that products could be strengthened with the same living materials that provide nutrients to strengthen trees. Professor Qiming Wang's research lab is one of the first to infuse 3-D printer ink with living material. The material has potential for greater strength, to be flexible and self-heal.

Detecting trace amounts of multiple classes of antibiotics in foods Posted: 27 Jan 2021 05:52 AM PST Widespread use of antibiotics in human healthcare and livestock husbandry has led to trace amounts of the drugs ending up in food products. Long-term consumption could cause health problems, but it's been difficult to analyze more than a few antibiotics at a time because they have different chemical properties. Now, researchers have developed a method to simultaneously measure 77 antibiotics in a variety of foods.

Making wheat and peanuts less allergenic Posted: 27 Jan 2021 05:52 AM PST Researchers are using plant breeding and biotechnology to remove proteins associated with food allergies.

To find the right network model, compare all possible histories Posted: 27 Jan 2021 05:52 AM PST Scientists rarely have the historical data they need to see exactly how nodes in a network became connected. But a new article offers hope for reconstructing the missing information, using a new method to evaluate the rules that generate network models.

Researchers develop technique to replicate bone-remodeling processes Posted: 27 Jan 2021 05:52 AM PST A multidisciplinary research team has developed a technique to replicate bone tissue complexity and bone-remodeling processes. This breakthrough could help researchers further their study of bone biology and assist in improving development of drugs for osteoporosis.

Hypertension symptoms in women often mistaken for menopause Posted: 26 Jan 2021 04:22 PM PST Pregnancy complications and early menopause increase women's future risk of heart disease. Cardiologists, gynaecologists and endocrinologists recommend how to help middle-aged women prevent later heart problems.

Two anti-viral enzymes transform pre-leukemia stem cells into leukemia Posted: 26 Jan 2021 02:16 PM PST Viral infections and space travel similarly trigger inflammation and the enzymes APOBEC3C and ADAR1; researchers are developing ways to inhibit them as a means to potentially lower cancer risk for both astronauts and people on Earth.

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