ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Chip simplifies COVID-19 testing, delivers results on a phone
• Comet makes a pit stop near Jupiter's asteroids
• Drive-thru type test to detect viral infections in bacteria
• Understanding the evolution of SARS and COVID-19 type viruses
• Abnormal sodium levels in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 predict death or respiratory failure
• Openly available toolkit to help lab-based coronavirus research
• Vitamin D deficiency does not increase risk of type 1 diabetes, study finds
• Two new genes linked to Alzheimer's disease discovered
• Study estimates two-thirds of COVID-19 hospitalizations due to four conditions
• Gulf Stream System at its weakest in over a millennium
• Novel pooled testing strategies can significantly better identify COVID-19 infections
• Extreme melt on Antarctica's George VI ice shelf
• Rapidly rising levels of sight loss are 'tip of the iceberg'
• How could rising sea level impact the National Flood Insurance Program?
• Molecular bridges power up printed electronics
• A-maze-ing pheasants have two ways of navigating
• On the line: Watching nanoparticles get in shape
• Chimpanzees and humans share overlapping territories
• Scientists link star-shredding event to origins of universe's highest-energy particles
• Paleontologists discover new insect group after solving 150-year-old mystery
• 'Miracle poison' for novel therapeutics
• Researchers use machine learning to identify autism blood biomarkers
• Apollo rock samples capture key moments in the Moon's early history
• COVID-19 isolation linked to increased domestic violence, researchers suggest
• Parker Solar Probe offers stunning view of Venus
• Ancient skeletal hand could reveal evolutionary secrets
• After spread, travel bans are of limited value in thwarting the spread of COVID-19, researchers find
• Scientists achieve breakthrough in culturing corals and sea anemones cells
• Human-caused North Atlantic right whale deaths are being undercounted
• New shape-changing 4D materials hold promise for morphodynamic tissue engineering
• Scientists uncover new details of SARS-CoV-2 interactions with human cells
• Antibodies recognize and attack different SARS-CoV-2 spike shapes
• How SARS-CoV-2's sugar-coated shield helps activate the virus
• Why some coronavirus strains are more infectious than others
• Pushing computing to the edge by rethinking microchips' design
• Record-high Arctic freshwater will flow to Labrador Sea, affecting local and global oceans
• Southern California COVID-19 strain rapidly expands global reach
• Sulfur metabolism may have paved the way for evolution of multicellularity
• Scientists capture the choreography of a developing brain
• Mechanism by which exercise strengthens bones and immunity
• How to neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 virus
• Asteroid dust found in crater closes case of dinosaur extinction
• Nature's funhouse mirror: Understanding asymmetry in the proton
• Politicized pandemic shaped compliance with social distancing
• Twin atoms: A source for entangled particles
• Atheists and believers both have moral compasses, but with key differences
• Cold gas pipelines feeding early, massive galaxies
• Most important global supply chain linkages

Chip simplifies COVID-19 testing, delivers results on a phone Posted: 25 Feb 2021 11:38 AM PST Programmed magnetic nanobeads paired with an off-the-shelf cellphone and plug-in diagnostic tool can diagnose COVID-19 in 55 minutes or less.

Comet makes a pit stop near Jupiter's asteroids Posted: 25 Feb 2021 11:37 AM PST After traveling several billion miles toward the Sun, a wayward young comet-like object orbiting among the giant planets has found a temporary parking place along the way. The object has settled near a family of captured ancient asteroids, called Trojans, that are orbiting the Sun alongside Jupiter. This is the first time a comet-like object has been spotted near the Trojan population.

Drive-thru type test to detect viral infections in bacteria Posted: 25 Feb 2021 11:37 AM PST The pandemic has made clear the threat that some viruses pose to people. But viruses can also infect life-sustaining bacteria. A research team has developed a test to determine if bacteria are sick, similar to the one used to test humans for COVID-19.

Understanding the evolution of SARS and COVID-19 type viruses Posted: 25 Feb 2021 11:37 AM PST As COVID-19 sweeps the world, related viruses quietly circulate among wild animals. A new study shows how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and SARS-CoV-1, which caused the 2003 SARS outbreak, are related to each other. The work helps scientists better understand the evolution of these viruses, how they acquired the ability to infect humans and which other viruses may be poised for human spillover.

Abnormal sodium levels in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 predict death or respiratory failure Posted: 25 Feb 2021 11:37 AM PST Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and abnormal sodium levels in the blood have an increased risk of experiencing respiratory failure or dying, according to a new study.

Openly available toolkit to help lab-based coronavirus research Posted: 25 Feb 2021 11:36 AM PST During the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, laboratories worldwide have pivoted from their usual research to working to identify new COVID-19 drug and vaccine candidates. This experimental work requires access to clinical isolates and systems that allow genetic manipulation of SARS-CoV-2. A new paper reports an openly available SARS-CoV-2 laboratory research toolkit aimed at increasing availability of these materials.

Vitamin D deficiency does not increase risk of type 1 diabetes, study finds Posted: 25 Feb 2021 11:36 AM PST Genetically determined vitamin D levels do not have a large effect on risk of type 1 diabetes in Europeans, according to a new study.

Two new genes linked to Alzheimer's disease discovered Posted: 25 Feb 2021 11:36 AM PST A research team has discovered two new genes potentially involved in Alzheimer's disease. They identified them by exploring which genes were turned on and off in the hippocampus of people who suffered from the disease.

Study estimates two-thirds of COVID-19 hospitalizations due to four conditions Posted: 25 Feb 2021 11:36 AM PST A new study estimates 64 percent of adult COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S. may have been prevented if there were less obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and heart failure. The model suggests notable differences by age and race/ethnicity in COVID-19 hospitalizations related to these conditions.

Gulf Stream System at its weakest in over a millennium Posted: 25 Feb 2021 08:33 AM PST Never before in over 1000 years the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), also known as Gulf Stream System, has been as weak as in the last decades. Researchers compiled proxy data, reaching back hundreds of years to reconstruct the AMOC flow history. They found consistent evidence that its slowdown in the 20th century is unprecedented in the past millennium.

Novel pooled testing strategies can significantly better identify COVID-19 infections Posted: 25 Feb 2021 08:33 AM PST A novel approach to pooled testing could help identify up to 20 times more COVID-19 infections per day than individual testing. Simple pooled designs could be implemented with minimal changes to current testing infrastructures in clinical and public health laboratories.

Extreme melt on Antarctica's George VI ice shelf Posted: 25 Feb 2021 08:33 AM PST Antarctica's northern George VI Ice Shelf experienced record melting during the 2019-2020 summer season compared to 31 previous summers of dramatically lower melt, a new study found. Using satellite observations that detect meltwater on top of the ice and within near-surface snow, the researchers found the most widespread melt of any season. Surface meltwater ponding is potentially dangerous to ice shelves because when these lakes drain, the ice fractures and may trigger ice-shelf break-up.

Rapidly rising levels of sight loss are 'tip of the iceberg' Posted: 25 Feb 2021 08:33 AM PST Eye conditions that do not cause vision impairment but have economic and social consequences represent a serious and growing challenge for public health services worldwide.

How could rising sea level impact the National Flood Insurance Program? Posted: 25 Feb 2021 08:32 AM PST Insurance policy premiums from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) allow policyholders to maintain a lower, grandfathered rate even when the risk escalates. But as coastal flooding increases due to rising sea level and more intense storms, new research suggests this grandfathered policy could lead to big losses for the NFIP.

Molecular bridges power up printed electronics Posted: 25 Feb 2021 08:31 AM PST Researchers have boosted the efficiency of conductive inks and devices connecting layered materials flakes with small molecules.

A-maze-ing pheasants have two ways of navigating Posted: 25 Feb 2021 05:25 AM PST Pheasants fall into two groups in terms of how they find their way around - and the different types prefer slightly different habitats, new research shows.

On the line: Watching nanoparticles get in shape Posted: 25 Feb 2021 05:25 AM PST Scientists have captured real-time, high-resolution videos of liquid structures taking shape as nanoparticles form a solid-like layer at the interface between oil and water. Their findings could help advance all-liquid robotics for targeted cancer drug delivery and other applications.

Chimpanzees and humans share overlapping territories Posted: 25 Feb 2021 05:25 AM PST Chimpanzees and humans 'overlap' in their use of forests and even villages, new research shows.

Scientists link star-shredding event to origins of universe's highest-energy particles Posted: 25 Feb 2021 05:25 AM PST A team of scientists has detected the presence of a high-energy neutrino in the wake of a star's destruction as it is consumed by a black hole. This discovery sheds new light on the origins of Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays -- the highest energy particles in the Universe.

Paleontologists discover new insect group after solving 150-year-old mystery Posted: 25 Feb 2021 05:25 AM PST A research team has solved a 150-year-old-mystery after uncovering how fossil dragonfly relatives have been misclassified due to their striking similarity. The researchers have named a new suborder and 16 new species related to damselflies and dragonflies.

'Miracle poison' for novel therapeutics Posted: 25 Feb 2021 05:25 AM PST Researchers demonstrate they can engineer botulinum toxin proteins (called proteases) to find new targets with high selectivity, a critical advance toward potential new treatments for everything from neuroregeneration to cytokine storm.

Researchers use machine learning to identify autism blood biomarkers Posted: 25 Feb 2021 05:25 AM PST Using machine learning tools to analyze hundreds of proteins, researchers have identified a group of biomarkers in blood that could lead to an earlier diagnosis of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and, in turn, more effective therapies sooner.

Apollo rock samples capture key moments in the Moon's early history Posted: 25 Feb 2021 05:25 AM PST Volcanic rock samples collected during NASA's Apollo missions bear the isotopic signature of key events in the early evolution of the Moon, a new analysis found. Those events include the formation of the Moon's iron core, as well as the crystallization of the lunar magma ocean -- the sea of molten rock thought to have covered the Moon for around 100 million years after the it formed.

COVID-19 isolation linked to increased domestic violence, researchers suggest Posted: 25 Feb 2021 05:25 AM PST Extra stress in the COVID-19 pandemic caused by income loss, and lack of ability to pay for housing and food has exacerbated the often silent epidemic of intimate partner violence, a new study suggests.

Parker Solar Probe offers stunning view of Venus Posted: 25 Feb 2021 05:25 AM PST NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured stunning views of Venus during its close flyby of the planet in July 2020. For more insight, the WISPR team planned a set of similar observations of the Venusian nightside during Parker Solar Probe's latest Venus flyby on Feb. 20, 2021. Mission team scientists expect to receive and process that data for analysis by the end of April.

Ancient skeletal hand could reveal evolutionary secrets Posted: 25 Feb 2021 05:25 AM PST Evolutionary expert Charles Darwin and others recognized a close evolutionary relationship between humans, chimps and gorillas based on their shared anatomies, raising some big questions: how are humans related to other primates, and exactly how did early humans move around?

After spread, travel bans are of limited value in thwarting the spread of COVID-19, researchers find Posted: 25 Feb 2021 05:24 AM PST New research aimed at providing a decision support system to Italian policy makers suggests that reducing individual activity (i.e., social distancing, closure of non-essential business, etc.) is far superior in controlling the dissemination of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Scientists achieve breakthrough in culturing corals and sea anemones cells Posted: 25 Feb 2021 05:24 AM PST Researchers have perfected the recipe for keeping sea anemone and coral cells alive in a petri dish for up to 12 days. The new study has important applications to study everything from evolutionary biology to human health.

Human-caused North Atlantic right whale deaths are being undercounted Posted: 25 Feb 2021 05:24 AM PST Scientists have found that known deaths of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales represent a fraction of the true death toll. This comes as the death of a calf and recent sightings of entangled right whales off the southeastern United States raise alarm.

New shape-changing 4D materials hold promise for morphodynamic tissue engineering Posted: 25 Feb 2021 05:24 AM PST New hydrogel-based materials that can change shape in response to psychological stimuli, such as water, could be the next generation of materials used to bioengineer tissues and organs, according to a team of researchers.

Scientists uncover new details of SARS-CoV-2 interactions with human cells Posted: 25 Feb 2021 05:24 AM PST In order to infect cells, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, needs to insert itself into the membrane of human cells. New molecular models show what parts of SARS-CoV-2 are critical for that interaction, revealing new potential drug targets.

Antibodies recognize and attack different SARS-CoV-2 spike shapes Posted: 25 Feb 2021 05:24 AM PST The spikes on the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, change shapes. New research reveals ways that antibodies can recognize these different shapes and block the virus and informs the design of vaccines and antiviral therapies.

How SARS-CoV-2's sugar-coated shield helps activate the virus Posted: 25 Feb 2021 05:24 AM PST SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is coated with sugars called glycans, which help it evade the immune system. New research shows precisely how those sugars help the virus become activated and infectious and could help with vaccine and drug discovery.

Why some coronavirus strains are more infectious than others Posted: 25 Feb 2021 05:24 AM PST The coronaviruses that cause SARS and COVID-19 have spike proteins that move into 'active' and 'inactive' positions. New research indicates how those molecular movements may make the COVID-19 virus more infectious compared to the SARS virus.

Pushing computing to the edge by rethinking microchips' design Posted: 24 Feb 2021 11:36 AM PST Responding to artificial intelligence's exploding demands on computer networks, researchers in recent years have radically increased the speed and slashed the energy use of specialized AI systems. Now, the researchers have moved their innovation closer to widespread use by creating co-designed hardware and software that will allow designers to blend these new types of systems into their applications.

Record-high Arctic freshwater will flow to Labrador Sea, affecting local and global oceans Posted: 24 Feb 2021 11:35 AM PST The Arctic Ocean's Beaufort Sea has increased its freshwater content by 40% over the past two decades. When conditions change this freshwater will travel to the Labrador Sea off Canada, rather than through the wider marine passageways that connect to seas in Northern Europe. This has implications for local marine environments and global ocean circulation.

Southern California COVID-19 strain rapidly expands global reach Posted: 24 Feb 2021 11:35 AM PST A new strain of the coronavirus in Southern California is rapidly spreading across the country and around the world as travelers apparently carry the virus with them to a growing list of global destinations, according to new research. The strain now accounts for nearly half of current COVID-19 cases in Southern California.

Sulfur metabolism may have paved the way for evolution of multicellularity Posted: 24 Feb 2021 11:35 AM PST When the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum runs out of food, sulfur limitation drives its development from a unicellular to a multicellular organism. Researchers now present the nutrient signaling pathways in this early eukaryote in great detail. Their results show how metabolism may have played a crucial role in the origins of multicellularity. Moreover, the findings also have therapeutic implications for more complex organisms such as humans. Targeting sulfur metabolism in cancer cells may enhance anti-tumor immunity.

Scientists capture the choreography of a developing brain Posted: 24 Feb 2021 11:35 AM PST The formation of a brain is one of nature's most staggeringly complex accomplishments. The intricate intermingling of neurons and a labyrinth of connections also make it a particularly difficult feat for scientists to study. Now researchers have devised a strategy that allows them to see this previously impenetrable process unfold in a living animal -- the worm Caenorhabditis elegans.

Mechanism by which exercise strengthens bones and immunity Posted: 24 Feb 2021 11:35 AM PST Scientists have identified the specialized environment, known as a niche, in the bone marrow where new bone and immune cells are produced. The study also shows that movement-induced stimulation is required for the maintenance of this niche, as well as the bone and immune-forming cells that it contains. Together, these findings identify a new way that exercise strengthens bones and immune function.

How to neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 virus Posted: 24 Feb 2021 11:35 AM PST In the absence of effective treatments for COVID-19, many countries have approved the therapeutic use of blood plasma from recovering patients because it contains antibodies against the coronavirus. But not every type of antibody can neutralize the virus and render it noninfectious. New research explores variation in virus neutralization capabilities, which can vary widely by type of antibody.

Asteroid dust found in crater closes case of dinosaur extinction Posted: 24 Feb 2021 11:35 AM PST Researchers believe they have closed the case of what killed the dinosaurs, definitively linking their extinction with an asteroid that slammed into Earth 66 million years ago by finding a key piece of evidence: asteroid dust inside the impact crater.

Nature's funhouse mirror: Understanding asymmetry in the proton Posted: 24 Feb 2021 11:34 AM PST The results of a new experiment could shift research of the proton by reviving previously discarded theories of its inner workings.

Politicized pandemic shaped compliance with social distancing Posted: 24 Feb 2021 11:34 AM PST Politicization of the COVID-19 pandemic had a powerful influence over adherence to social distancing guidelines in the United States and why people did, or did not, comply during the lockdown days, a new study has found.

Twin atoms: A source for entangled particles Posted: 24 Feb 2021 11:34 AM PST One of the most important phenomena in quantum physics is entanglement - used for quantum krypography, quantum computers and many other applications. While it is easy to create pairs of entangled photons, it is much harder to create entangled atoms in a well-defined way. This has now been made possible using an experimental setup.

Atheists and believers both have moral compasses, but with key differences Posted: 24 Feb 2021 11:33 AM PST A new study suggests that, while atheists and theists share moral values related to protecting vulnerable individuals, atheists are less likely to endorse values that promote group cohesion and more inclined to judge the morality of actions based on their consequences.

Cold gas pipelines feeding early, massive galaxies Posted: 24 Feb 2021 06:07 AM PST Researchers have detected cosmic pipelines supplying the cold gases necessary for the formation of massive galaxies and the creation of stars. It is the first direct observational evidence of the phenomenon in the early universe.

Most important global supply chain linkages Posted: 24 Feb 2021 06:07 AM PST In today's global economy, production of goods depends on inputs from many trade partners around the world. Companies and governments need a deeper understanding of the global value chain to reduce costs, maintain a profitable production system, and anticipate ripple effects of disruptions in the supply chain.

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