ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Kangaroo overgrazing could be jeopardizing land conservation, study finds
• New piezoelectric material remains effective to high temperatures
• State-funded pre-K may enhance math achievement
• The business of bees
• Nanotech plastic packaging could leach silver into some types of foods and beverages
• Popular breast cancer drugs don't work the way we thought they did
• New ink jet approach offers simple way to print microdisk lasers for biosensing
• How SARS-CoV-2 mutates to escape antibody binding
• Mechanism that regulates anti-tumor activity of immune cells
• The quick choice might be a choice-overload avoidance strategy
• Biodiversity is its own catalyst -- to a point
• Pioneering technique paves way for fast and cheap fabrication of rapid medical diagnostic tools
• Research findings can help to increase population size of endangered species
• Intranasal influenza vaccine spurs strong immune response in Phase 1 study
• Extreme UV laser shows generation of atmospheric pollutant
• The Arctic Ocean was covered by a shelf ice and filled with freshwater
• Life changes influence physical activity
• Flower diversity may mitigate insecticide effects on wild bees
• A deadly fungus is killing frogs, but the bacteria on their skin could protect them
• European hibernating bats cope with white-nose syndrome which kills North American bats
• From waste heat to electrical power: A new generation of thermomagnetic generators
• Signal transfer in proteins across multiple time scales
• Fish in warming Scottish seas grow faster but reach a smaller size
• True identity of mysterious gamma-ray source revealed
• Ostriches challenged by temperature fluctuations
• How Zika virus is transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy
• Unraveling the mystery of Gao, a protein implicated in movement disorders
• Quality of muon beams
• Digital health divide runs deep in older racial and ethnic minorities
• Load-reducing backpack powers electronics by harvesting energy from walking
• New stem cell therapy in dogs -- a breakthrough in veterinary medicine
• On the dot: Novel quantum sensor provides new approach to early diagnosis via imaging
• Brain-related visual problems may affect one in 30 primary school children
• Childhood diet has lifelong impact
• Teaching pupils empathy measurably improves their creative abilities
• Speaking and listening seem more difficult in a masked world, but people are adapting
• Youth with autism see sharp decline in physical activity between ages 9-13, study finds

Kangaroo overgrazing could be jeopardizing land conservation, study finds Posted: 03 Feb 2021 01:22 PM PST The native species has reached numbers that are contributing to drier soil and less vegetation - and may be more damaging to conservation areas than rabbits.

New piezoelectric material remains effective to high temperatures Posted: 03 Feb 2021 01:22 PM PST Piezoelectric materials hold great promise as sensors and as energy harvesters but are normally much less effective at high temperatures, limiting their use in environments such as engines or space exploration. However, a new piezoelectric device remains highly effective at elevated temperatures.

State-funded pre-K may enhance math achievement Posted: 03 Feb 2021 11:46 AM PST Students who attend the Georgia Prekindergarten Program are more likely to achieve in mathematics than those who do not attend pre-K, according to a new study.

The business of bees Posted: 03 Feb 2021 11:45 AM PST The economic value of insect pollinators was $34 billion in the U.S. in 2012, much higher than previously thought. The team also found that areas that are economically most reliant on insect pollinators are the same areas where pollinator habitat and forage quality are poor.

Nanotech plastic packaging could leach silver into some types of foods and beverages Posted: 03 Feb 2021 11:45 AM PST Antimicrobial packaging is being developed to extend the shelf life and safety of foods and beverages. However, there is concern about the transfer of potentially harmful materials, such as silver nanoparticles, from these types of containers to consumables. Now, researchers illustrate that silver embedded in an antimicrobial plastic can leave the material and form nanoparticles in foods and beverages, particularly in sweet and sugary ones.

Popular breast cancer drugs don't work the way we thought they did Posted: 03 Feb 2021 11:45 AM PST New research suggests that a class of drugs called PARP inhibitors, designed to treat hereditary forms of ovarian and breast cancer, don't work the way we thought they did. It also paints a fuller picture of how they work, opening the door to improvements in next-generation drugs.

New ink jet approach offers simple way to print microdisk lasers for biosensing Posted: 03 Feb 2021 11:45 AM PST Researchers have developed a unique inkjet printing method for fabricating tiny biocompatible polymer microdisk lasers for biosensing applications. The approach enables production of both the laser and sensor in a room temperature, open-air environment, potentially enabling new uses of biosensing technologies for health monitoring and disease diagnostics.

How SARS-CoV-2 mutates to escape antibody binding Posted: 03 Feb 2021 11:45 AM PST A scientific detective story starting with a single patient in Pittsburgh unearths how the SARS-CoV-2 virus mutates to create new variants, including the UK strain B.1.1.7, and escapes neutralizing antibodies.

Mechanism that regulates anti-tumor activity of immune cells Posted: 03 Feb 2021 11:45 AM PST Researchers demonstrate why some ovarian cancer patients evolve better than others and suggest possible approaches to improve patient outcomes.

The quick choice might be a choice-overload avoidance strategy Posted: 03 Feb 2021 11:45 AM PST Making a choice quickly might appear effortless, but research that measured cardiovascular responses in the moment of making a choice, rather than after-the-fact, suggests that the apparent swift certainty might instead be a defense from having to think too deeply about the choices being presented to them.

Biodiversity is its own catalyst -- to a point Posted: 03 Feb 2021 11:45 AM PST For decades, scientists have wrestled with rival theories to explain how interactions between species, like competition, influence biodiversity. Tracking microbial life across the planet, researchers show that biodiversity does in fact foster further diversity in microbiomes that are initially less diverse. However, diversity rates plateau with increased competition for survival and space in more diverse microbiomes.

Pioneering technique paves way for fast and cheap fabrication of rapid medical diagnostic tools Posted: 03 Feb 2021 11:44 AM PST New technology has the potential to accelerate uptake and development of on-chip diagnostic techniques in parts of the world where rapid diagnoses are desperately needed to improve public health, mortality and morbidity.

Research findings can help to increase population size of endangered species Posted: 03 Feb 2021 09:35 AM PST The findings of a new study examining the behaviors of alligator and caiman hatchlings have enhanced our understanding of how we can conserve, and increase, the population of endangered crocodilian species.

Intranasal influenza vaccine spurs strong immune response in Phase 1 study Posted: 03 Feb 2021 09:35 AM PST An experimental single-dose, intranasal influenza vaccine was safe and produced a durable immune response when tested in a Phase 1 study. The investigational vaccine, called Ad4-H5-VTN, is a recombinant, replicating adenovirus vaccine designed to spur antibodies to hemagglutinin, a protein found on the surface of influenza viruses that attaches to human cells.

Extreme UV laser shows generation of atmospheric pollutant Posted: 03 Feb 2021 09:34 AM PST Scientists show that under laboratory conditions, ultraviolet light reacts with nitrophenol to produce smog-generating nitrous acid.

The Arctic Ocean was covered by a shelf ice and filled with freshwater Posted: 03 Feb 2021 09:34 AM PST The Arctic Ocean was covered by up to 900 m thick shelf ice and was filled entirely with freshwater at least twice in the last 150,000 years. This surprising finding is the result of long-term research. With a detailed analysis of the composition of marine deposits, the scientists could demonstrate that the Arctic Ocean as well as the Nordic Seas did not contain sea-salt in at least two glacial periods. Instead, these oceans were filled with large amounts of freshwater under a thick ice shield. This water could then be released into the North Atlantic in very short periods of time. Such sudden freshwater inputs could explain rapid climate oscillations for which no satisfying explanation had been previously found.

Life changes influence physical activity Posted: 03 Feb 2021 09:34 AM PST Life changes influence the amount of physical activity in a person, according to a recent study. The birth of children and a change of residence, marital status and place of work all influence the number of steps of men and women in different ways.

Flower diversity may mitigate insecticide effects on wild bees Posted: 03 Feb 2021 09:34 AM PST A higher diversity of flowering plants increases the breeding success of wild bees and may help compensate for the negative effects of insecticides. This is what researchers have found in a large-scale experimental study.

A deadly fungus is killing frogs, but the bacteria on their skin could protect them Posted: 03 Feb 2021 09:34 AM PST Researchers have found that some bacteria on the skin of amphibians prevent growth of the fungus responsible for what has been dubbed 'the amphibian apocalypse'.

European hibernating bats cope with white-nose syndrome which kills North American bats Posted: 03 Feb 2021 09:34 AM PST Fungal diseases are a major threat to wildlife, sometimes resulting in significant population declines or even causing the extirpation of populations or species. White-nose syndrome, caused by the cold-loving fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, has become a major cause of death for millions of hibernating bats in North America. European bats survive when infected by the same fungus during hibernation.

From waste heat to electrical power: A new generation of thermomagnetic generators Posted: 03 Feb 2021 09:34 AM PST Use of waste heat contributes largely to sustainable energy supply. Scientists have now come much closer to their goal of converting waste heat into electrical power at small temperature differences. Electrical power per footprint of thermomagnetic generators based on Heusler alloy films has been increased by a factor of 3.4.

Signal transfer in proteins across multiple time scales Posted: 03 Feb 2021 09:33 AM PST Consider for a moment a tree swaying in the wind. How long does it take for the movement of a twig to reach the trunk of the tree? How is this motion actually transmitted through the tree? Researchers are transferring this kind of question to the analysis of proteins -- which are the molecular machinery of cells.

Fish in warming Scottish seas grow faster but reach a smaller size Posted: 03 Feb 2021 09:33 AM PST Researchers have found new evidence that global warming is affecting the size of commercial fish species, documenting for the first time that juvenile fish are getting bigger, as well as confirming that adult fish are getting smaller as sea temperatures rise.

True identity of mysterious gamma-ray source revealed Posted: 03 Feb 2021 09:33 AM PST An international research team has shown that a rapidly rotating neutron star is at the core of a celestial object now known as PSR J2039?5617.

Ostriches challenged by temperature fluctuations Posted: 03 Feb 2021 09:33 AM PST The world's largest bird, the ostrich, has problems reproducing when the temperature deviates by 5 degrees or more from the ideal temperature of 20 °C.

How Zika virus is transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy Posted: 03 Feb 2021 07:13 AM PST A preclinical study has discovered a new mechanism for how Zika virus can pass from mothers to their children during pregnancy - a process known as vertical transmission. The researchers showed, for the first time, that specialized maternal cells lining the uterus (decidual cells) act as reservoirs for trimester-dependent transmission of the virus through the placenta.

Unraveling the mystery of Gao, a protein implicated in movement disorders Posted: 03 Feb 2021 06:47 AM PST Scientists have clarified the workings of a mysterious protein called Gao, which is one of the most abundant proteins in the brain and, when mutated, causes severe movement disorders.

Quality of muon beams Posted: 03 Feb 2021 06:47 AM PST A new technique has taken the first images of muon particle beams. Scientists plan to use it to assess the quality of these beams, which are being used more and more in advanced imaging applications.

Digital health divide runs deep in older racial and ethnic minorities Posted: 03 Feb 2021 06:05 AM PST Results of a study qualitatively exploring reasons for digital health information disparity reveal a deep digital health divide that has important implications for helping older adults with COVID-19 vaccinations. Participants who were older, less educated, economically disadvantaged and from ethnic groups (African American, Afro-Caribbean or Hispanic American) were up to five times less likely to have access to digital health information than were those who were younger, more highly educated, had a higher income, or were European Americans.

Load-reducing backpack powers electronics by harvesting energy from walking Posted: 03 Feb 2021 06:05 AM PST Hikers, soldiers and school children all know the burden of a heavy backpack. But now, researchers have developed a prototype that not only makes loads feel about 20% lighter, but also harvests energy from human movements to power small electronics. The new backpack could be especially useful for athletes, explorers and disaster rescuers who work in remote areas without electricity, the researchers say.

New stem cell therapy in dogs -- a breakthrough in veterinary medicine Posted: 03 Feb 2021 06:05 AM PST Scientists have developed a novel method to induce stem cell generation from the blood samples of dogs. Through this technique, the scientists hope to advance regenerative therapies in veterinary medicine. This would mean that, in the near future, veterinarians might be able to reverse conditions in dogs that were previously thought incurable.

On the dot: Novel quantum sensor provides new approach to early diagnosis via imaging Posted: 03 Feb 2021 06:05 AM PST A phenomenon called 'oxidative stress' is seen in affected organs during the early stages of certain difficult-to-treat diseases like cancer and kidney dysfunction. Detecting oxidative stress could thus enable early diagnosis and preventive treatments. But, the in vivo measurement of oxidative stress caused by both oxidation and reduction has historically been difficult. Now, scientists have developed an advanced quantum sensor technology that can detect 'oxidative stress' non-invasively throughout the body using fluorescent imaging and MRI.

Brain-related visual problems may affect one in 30 primary school children Posted: 03 Feb 2021 06:05 AM PST A brain-related visual impairment, which until recently was thought to be rare, may affect one in every 30 children according to new research investigating the prevalence of Cerebral Visual Impairment [CVI]. The findings aim to raise awareness of CVI among parents and teachers to help them identify signs of the condition earlier.

Childhood diet has lifelong impact Posted: 03 Feb 2021 06:04 AM PST Eating too much fat and sugar as a child can alter your microbiome for life, even if you later learn to eat healthier, a new study in mice suggests.

Teaching pupils empathy measurably improves their creative abilities Posted: 02 Feb 2021 04:27 PM PST Teaching children in a way that encourages them to empathize with others measurably improves their creativity, and could potentially lead to several other beneficial learning outcomes, new research suggests.

Speaking and listening seem more difficult in a masked world, but people are adapting Posted: 02 Feb 2021 01:45 PM PST People are adapting to speaking from behind, and understanding others who are wearing, a cloth face mask, researchers suggest in a new study.

Youth with autism see sharp decline in physical activity between ages 9-13, study finds Posted: 02 Feb 2021 08:38 AM PST A recent study has found that to best help kids with autism maintain healthy rates of physical activity, interventions should be targeted during the ages of 9 to 13, as that's when kids show the biggest drop in active time.

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