ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

---

• Rugby study identifies new method to diagnose concussion using saliva
• Researchers hunt for drugs that keep HIV latent
• Scientists observe complex tunable magnetism in a topological material
• Changes in Antarctic marine ecosystems
• With drop in LA's vehicular aerosol pollution, vegetation emerges as major source
• Union-friendly states enjoy higher economic growth, individual earnings
• New technology allows researchers to image wetland soil activity in real time
• BMI1, a promising gene to protect against Alzheimer's disease
• More than words: Using AI to map how the brain understands sentences
• Domestication and industrialization lead to similar changes in gut microbiota
• Engineering of Mississippi River has kept carbon out of atmosphere, study says
• New test traces DNA origins to monitor transplant rejection and reveal hidden cancers
• Rare fossilized algae, discovered unexpectedly, fill in evolutionary gaps
• Corals may need their predators' excrement
• The lambs break their silence
• How human cells coordinate the start of DNA replication
• Rare genetic variant puts some younger men at risk of severe COVID-19
• The same sea level for everyone
• Last Ice Age: Precipitation caused maximum advance of Alpine Glaciers
• Identifying banknote fingerprints can stop counterfeits on streets
• Moiré effect: How to twist material properties
• Cephalopods: Older than was thought?
• 'Zombie' genes? Research shows some genes come to life in the brain after death
• Researchers show where and how plants detect the nutrient potassium
• Physical activity helps curb low-grade inflammation in children
• Sea-level rise in 20th century was fastest in 2,000 years along much of East Coast
• Exercise boosts blood flow to the brain, study finds
• A divided visual field
• Mussel sensors pave the way for new environmental monitoring tools
• How UK, South Africa coronavirus variants escape immunity
• New strategy for fighting brain cancer
• Highlands of diversity: Another new chameleon from the Bale region, Ethiopia
• New result from the LHCb experiment challenges leading theory in physics
• Babies prefer baby talk, whether they're learning one language or two
• Penguin hemoglobin evolved to meet oxygen demands of diving
• Prolonged immune response may contribute to post-COVID-19 blood clots
• Variances in critical protein may guide fate of those infected with SARS CoV-2
• Demonstration of unconventional transverse thermoelectric generation
• Discovery of non-toxic semiconductors with a direct band gap in the near-infrared
• Short-lived plant species are more climate-sensitive
• Deaths from COVID-19 have progressively declined at nursing homes, researchers find
• Total knee replacement a cost-effective treatment for patients with knee osteoarthritis
• These baby great white sharks love to hang out near New York
• Parkinson's gene may impair how new neurons are made throughout our lifetime
• New evidence in search for the mysterious Denisovans
• Algorithms inspired by social networks reveal lifecycle of substorms, a key element of space weather
• Novel thermometer can accelerate quantum computer development
• Planting the seed for DNA nanoconstructs that grow to the micron scale

Rugby study identifies new method to diagnose concussion using saliva Posted: 23 Mar 2021 03:38 PM PDT A study of top-flight UK rugby players has identified a method of accurately diagnosing concussion using saliva, paving the way for the first non-invasive clinical test for concussion.

Researchers hunt for drugs that keep HIV latent Posted: 23 Mar 2021 02:58 PM PDT When the human immunodeficiency virus infects cells, it can either exploit the cells to start making more copies of itself or remain dormant -- a phenomenon called latency. Keeping these reservoirs latent is a challenge. A new paper has found a way to look for chemicals that can keep the virus suppressed into its dormant state.

Scientists observe complex tunable magnetism in a topological material Posted: 23 Mar 2021 02:58 PM PDT Scientists have observed novel helical magnetic ordering in the topological compound EuIn2As2 which supports exotic electrical conduction tunable by a magnetic field.

Changes in Antarctic marine ecosystems Posted: 23 Mar 2021 12:08 PM PDT Understanding the evolution of the polar sea ice is not enough to study the effects of the climate change on marine ecosystems in Antarctic seafloors. It is also necessary to determine the intensity of phytoplankton local production during the Antarctic summer.

With drop in LA's vehicular aerosol pollution, vegetation emerges as major source Posted: 23 Mar 2021 12:08 PM PDT Organic aerosol pollutants have decreased in the Los Angeles area due to strict vehicle emissions controls, but aerosol levels still rise in hot weather to unhealthful levels. While some attribute these aerosols to household cleaning products, researchers have identified a more probable cause: chemicals emitted by vegetation. Given the number of trees in LA, like the isoprene-emiting Mexican fan palm, it's likely that 25% of organic aerosols are from plants.

Union-friendly states enjoy higher economic growth, individual earnings Posted: 23 Mar 2021 12:08 PM PDT New research shows that state laws designed to hinder union activity and indulge corporate entities do not enhance economic productivity.

New technology allows researchers to image wetland soil activity in real time Posted: 23 Mar 2021 12:08 PM PDT Researchers to create a new camera allowing for the imaging of wetland soil activity in real time. This camera gives the classic IRIS (indicator of reduction in soils) technology a big upgrade, allowing researchers to visualize the soil reduction process. This technology opens up new research avenues, and gives a compelling peak at how biochemically active wetland soils really are.

BMI1, a promising gene to protect against Alzheimer's disease Posted: 23 Mar 2021 12:07 PM PDT A molecular biologist discovers a new function for BMI1, which is known to counteract brain aging.

More than words: Using AI to map how the brain understands sentences Posted: 23 Mar 2021 12:07 PM PDT New research involving neuroimaging and A.I., describes the complex network within the brain that comprehends the meaning of a spoken sentence.

Domestication and industrialization lead to similar changes in gut microbiota Posted: 23 Mar 2021 12:07 PM PDT Domestication has a consistent effect on the gut microbiota of animals and is similar to the effects of industrialisation in human populations, with ecological differences such as diet having a strong influence.

Engineering of Mississippi River has kept carbon out of atmosphere, study says Posted: 23 Mar 2021 12:07 PM PDT Geoscientists show that human efforts to tame the Mississippi River may have had an unintended positive effect: more rapid transport of carbon to the ocean.

New test traces DNA origins to monitor transplant rejection and reveal hidden cancers Posted: 23 Mar 2021 12:07 PM PDT A new technique that can trace which tissues and organs the DNA in our blood comes from has just been reported.

Rare fossilized algae, discovered unexpectedly, fill in evolutionary gaps Posted: 23 Mar 2021 12:07 PM PDT When a geobiology graduate student trekked into the mountains of Canada's remote Yukon territory, she was hoping to find microscopic fossils of early life. Even with detailed field plans, the odds of finding just the right rocks were low. Far from leaving empty-handed, though, she hiked back out with some of the most significant fossils for the time period.

Corals may need their predators' excrement Posted: 23 Mar 2021 10:13 AM PDT Fish that dine on corals may pay it forward with feces. Marine biologists found high concentrations of living symbiotic algae in the feces of coral predators on reefs in Mo'orea, French Polynesia.

The lambs break their silence Posted: 23 Mar 2021 10:13 AM PDT A study of ancient bones shows that Early Neolithic sheep-breeders were faced with high levels of mortality among young animals in their herds. A statistical model allowed the age distribution of the bones to be precisely determined.

How human cells coordinate the start of DNA replication Posted: 23 Mar 2021 10:13 AM PDT The first step in DNA replication requires the assembly of a group of proteins called the Origin Recognition Complex (ORC). Researchers have determined how the ORC assembles during the cell division cycle. One part of the complex is sequestered into small bubbles when the cell commits to duplicating its genome. The ORC complex binds to DNA sites throughout the genome and recruits proteins to start replication.

Rare genetic variant puts some younger men at risk of severe COVID-19 Posted: 23 Mar 2021 10:12 AM PDT A subset of young men carry a genetic variant that dampens innate immunity to COVID-19 and may benefit from genetic testing and interferon treatment, according to a new study.

The same sea level for everyone Posted: 23 Mar 2021 10:12 AM PDT Maps generally indicate elevation in meters above sea level. But sea level is not the same everywhere. A group of experts has developed an International Height Reference System (IHRS) that will unify geodetic measurements worldwide.

Last Ice Age: Precipitation caused maximum advance of Alpine Glaciers Posted: 23 Mar 2021 10:12 AM PDT Geologists unexpectedly found mineral deposits in former ice caves in the Austrian Alps dating back to the peak of the last ice age. These special calcite crystals demonstrate that intensive snowfall during the second half of the year triggered a massive glacier advance leading to the climax of the last ice age.

Identifying banknote fingerprints can stop counterfeits on streets Posted: 23 Mar 2021 10:12 AM PDT Since the introduction of plastic (polymer) banknotes in 2016, the number of counterfeit notes on the streets has increased, however, researchers have developed a novel technique called Polymer Substrate Fingerprinting, which identifies every banknote's fingerprint which is unique and unclonable.

Moiré effect: How to twist material properties Posted: 23 Mar 2021 10:12 AM PDT 2D materials like graphene have revolutionized materials science. Now a new interesting option has been added to this field of research: Two thin material layers can be stacked and twisted by a certain angle. This leads to a Moiré-effect and changes the properties of the material.

Cephalopods: Older than was thought? Posted: 23 Mar 2021 10:12 AM PDT Earth scientists have discovered possibly the oldest cephalopods in Earth's history. The 522 million-year-old fossils from Newfoundland (Canada) could turn out to be the first known form of these highly evolved invertebrate organisms. In that case, the find would indicate that the cephalopods evolved about 30 million years earlier than has been assumed.

'Zombie' genes? Research shows some genes come to life in the brain after death Posted: 23 Mar 2021 10:12 AM PDT Researchers analyzed gene expression in fresh brain tissue and found that gene expression in some cells actually increased after death.

Researchers show where and how plants detect the nutrient potassium Posted: 23 Mar 2021 10:12 AM PDT A research team has now shown for the first time where and how potassium is sensed in the root and which signalling pathways coordinate the adaptation of root growth and potassium uptake to maintain the plant's potassium supply.

Physical activity helps curb low-grade inflammation in children Posted: 23 Mar 2021 10:12 AM PDT According to a recent study, accumulating more brisk and vigorous physical activity can curb adiposity-induced low-grade inflammation. The study also reported that diet quality had no independent association with low-grade inflammation.

Sea-level rise in 20th century was fastest in 2,000 years along much of East Coast Posted: 23 Mar 2021 10:12 AM PDT The rate of sea-level rise in the 20th century along much of the U.S. Atlantic coast was the fastest in 2,000 years, and southern New Jersey had the fastest rates, according to a new study.

Exercise boosts blood flow to the brain, study finds Posted: 23 Mar 2021 10:12 AM PDT It's not just your legs and heart that get a workout when you walk briskly; exercise affects your brain as well. A new study shows that when older adults with mild memory loss followed an exercise program for a year, the blood flow to their brains increased.

A divided visual field Posted: 23 Mar 2021 10:12 AM PDT How do hawkmoths use visual patterns in different parts of their visual field? While researching this question, a research team experienced a surprise.

Mussel sensors pave the way for new environmental monitoring tools Posted: 23 Mar 2021 10:12 AM PDT Researchers have designed and demonstrated a new system that allows them to remotely monitor the behavior of freshwater mussels. The system could be used to alert researchers to the presence of toxic substances in aquatic ecosystems.

How UK, South Africa coronavirus variants escape immunity Posted: 23 Mar 2021 10:12 AM PDT TACC's Frontera supercomputer aids in building infection models of COVID-19 variants.

New strategy for fighting brain cancer Posted: 23 Mar 2021 10:11 AM PDT Most people relate cholesterol to heart health, but it is also a critical component in the growth and spread of brain cancer. Researchers recently discovered how cholesterol becomes dysregulated in brain cancer cells and showed that the gene responsible for it could be a target for future drugs.

Highlands of diversity: Another new chameleon from the Bale region, Ethiopia Posted: 23 Mar 2021 10:08 AM PDT Once again, the importance of the Bale Mountains in Ethiopia as a unique hotspot of species diversity is stressed: a new chameleon species from the northern slopes of this remarkable Afromontane plateau was just discovered.

New result from the LHCb experiment challenges leading theory in physics Posted: 23 Mar 2021 07:39 AM PDT Physicists are part of a team that has announced 'intriguing' results that potentially cannot be explained by our current laws of nature.

Babies prefer baby talk, whether they're learning one language or two Posted: 23 Mar 2021 07:38 AM PDT A study finds babies prefer baby talk, whether they're learning one language or two. Scientists knew infants learning one language preferred the sing-song tones of parents' baby talk, and now scientists have found babies learning two languages are developmentally right on track. Bilingual babies showed the same interest in baby talk, at the same age, as monolingual babies.

Penguin hemoglobin evolved to meet oxygen demands of diving Posted: 23 Mar 2021 07:38 AM PDT Webbed feet, flipper-like wings and unique feathers all helped penguins adapt to life underwater. But by resurrecting two ancient versions of hemoglobin, a research team has shown that the evolution of diving is also in their blood, which optimized its capture and release of oxygen to ensure that penguins wouldn't waste their breath while holding it.

Prolonged immune response may contribute to post-COVID-19 blood clots Posted: 23 Mar 2021 07:38 AM PDT COVID-19 survivors, particularly those with heart disease or diabetes, may have an increased risk of blood clots or strokes due to prolonged immune response, according to new research.

Variances in critical protein may guide fate of those infected with SARS CoV-2 Posted: 23 Mar 2021 07:38 AM PDT Why does COVID-19 seem to strike in such a haphazard way, sometimes sparing the 100-year-old grandmother, while killing healthy young men and women in the prime of life? A new study may offer some tentative clues. The research explores MHC-I, a critical protein component of the human adaptive immune system.

Demonstration of unconventional transverse thermoelectric generation Posted: 23 Mar 2021 07:38 AM PDT A research team devised a new thermoelectric generation mechanism with a hybrid structure composed of thermoelectric and magnetic materials. The team then actually fabricated this structure and observed the record-high thermopower appearing in the direction perpendicular to a temperature gradient (i.e., transverse thermoelectric generation). These results may offer insights into new mechanisms and structural designs applicable to the development of versatile energy harvesting technologies and highly sensitive heat flux sensors.

Discovery of non-toxic semiconductors with a direct band gap in the near-infrared Posted: 23 Mar 2021 07:38 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a potentially promising infrared LED and infrared detector component. This compound -- composed of calcium, silicon and oxygen -- is cheap to produce and non-toxic. Many of the existing infrared semiconductors contain toxic chemical elements, such as cadmium and tellurium. The new material may be used to develop less expensive and safer near-infrared semiconductors.

Short-lived plant species are more climate-sensitive Posted: 23 Mar 2021 07:38 AM PDT Short-lived plant species are more sensitive to climate change than long-lived ones, researchers found out. The international team compiled comprehensive worldwide available data on how plant populations react to climate change and could show that plant characteristics such as generation time can predict how sensitive species are to changing climates.

Deaths from COVID-19 have progressively declined at nursing homes, researchers find Posted: 23 Mar 2021 06:06 AM PDT New data collected and analyzed by researchers at Brown University shows that mortality rates among nursing home residents with COVID-19 declined from March to November 2020, and that the deadliest period of time for nursing home residents followed the pandemic's arrival, when the virus spiked in spring 2020.

Total knee replacement a cost-effective treatment for patients with knee osteoarthritis Posted: 23 Mar 2021 06:05 AM PDT Taking into consideration costs of forgoing versus pursuing total knee replacement, researchers found that across older and younger age groups, TKR is a cost-effective treatment for these patients.

These baby great white sharks love to hang out near New York Posted: 23 Mar 2021 06:05 AM PDT A study offers the first fine-scale analysis of vertical movement of baby white sharks in the New York Bight. Their 3D movements along with oceanographic features like sea surface temperature show they traverse variable oceanographic features across the continental shelf in the New York Bight, but certainly have their habitat preferences. More than 90 percent were positioned within 20 kilometers of Long Island's southern shoreline, which further confirms the importance of this region to baby white sharks.

Parkinson's gene may impair how new neurons are made throughout our lifetime Posted: 23 Mar 2021 05:47 AM PDT The Parkinon's gene PINK1 is important for the generation of dopamine-producing neurons throughout life, and is not just responsible for the premature death of these neurons.

New evidence in search for the mysterious Denisovans Posted: 23 Mar 2021 05:47 AM PDT Researchers have conducted a comprehensive genetic analysis and found no evidence of interbreeding between modern humans and the ancient humans known from fossil records in Island Southeast Asia. They did find further DNA evidence of our mysterious ancient cousins, the Denisovans, which could mean there are major discoveries to come in the region.

Algorithms inspired by social networks reveal lifecycle of substorms, a key element of space weather Posted: 23 Mar 2021 05:47 AM PDT Space weather often manifests as substorms, where a beautiful auroral display such as the Northern Lights is accompanied by an electrical current in space which has effects at earth that can interfere with and damage power distribution and electrical systems. Now, the lifecycle of these auroral substorms has been revealed using social media-inspired mathematical tools to analyze space weather observations across the Earth's surface.

Novel thermometer can accelerate quantum computer development Posted: 23 Mar 2021 05:47 AM PDT Researchers have developed a novel type of thermometer that can simply and quickly measure temperatures during quantum calculations with extremely high accuracy. The breakthrough provides a benchmarking tool for quantum computing of great value - and opens up for experiments in the exciting field of quantum thermodynamics.

Planting the seed for DNA nanoconstructs that grow to the micron scale Posted: 22 Mar 2021 02:50 PM PDT Nanobiotechnologists have devised a programmable DNA self-assembly strategy that solves the key challenge of robust nucleation control and paves the way for applications such as ultrasensitive diagnostic biomarker detection and scalable fabrication of micrometer-sized structures with nanometer-sized features.

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