ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Food for thought: New maps reveal how brains are kept nourished
• Environmental impact of computation and the future of green computing
• Cooperative eco-driving automation improves energy efficiency and safety
• Indoors, outdoors, 6 feet apart? Transmission risk of airborne viruses can be quantified
• Novel drug prevents amyloid plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease
• A quantum internet is closer to reality, thanks to this switch
• Scientists use forest color to gauge permafrost depth
• New research highlights impact of the digital divide
• Unveiling the weaving fractal network of connecting neurons
• Gulf Oil Spill's long-lasting legacy for dolphins
• Rating tornado warnings charts a path to improve forecasts
• Ultrasonic cleaning of salad could reduce instances of food poisoning
• Intriguing particles emerge when two photons couple
• Unusual earthquakes highlight central Utah volcanoes
• Placebo effect may explain reported benefits of psychedelic microdoses
• A fluid solution to dendrite growth in lithium metal batteries
• Heart disease is in the eye of the beholder
• Disruption of lung biological clock in premature babies may raise later flu risk
• Study highlights pitfalls associated with 'cybervetting' job candidates
• COVID-19 can kill heart muscle cells, interfere with contraction
• How some animals sense the gritty texture of their food
• Nanoparticle-delivered COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows promise in preclinical studies
• COVID-19 spread tracked via a rapid, large-scale early wastewater surveillance alert system
• Astrophysicist's 2004 theory confirmed: Why the Sun's composition varies
• Human instinct can be as useful as algorithms in detecting online 'deception'
• 'Space hurricane' in Earth's upper atmosphere discovered
• Energy switching decisions could widen social inequalities
• Rice variety resists arsenic
• A new blindness gene uncovered in a canine study
• Bitter receptor involved in anti-inflammatory effect of resveratrol?
• Groundbreaking research into white-rot fungi proves its value in carbon sequestration
• Fuel efficiency of one car may be cancelled by your next car purchase
• Division of labor within regenerating liver maintains metabolism, mouse study finds
• 'Canary in the mine' warning follows new discovery of effects of pollutants on fertility
• Wolf social group dynamics matter for infectious disease spread, models suggest
• Covering metal catalyst surfaces with thin two-dimensional oxide materials can enhance chemical reactions
• Indoor air quality study shows aircraft in flight may have lowest particulate levels
• Atmospheric rivers increase snow mass in West Antarctica
• Detection dogs help generate important data for research and conservation
• Ultra-fast electron measurement provides important findings for the solar industry
• A mechanism by which cells build 'mini-muscles' underneath their nucleus identified
• A robot able to 'hear' through the ear of a locust
• New strategy for efficient OLED active matrix displays
• Detective work inside plant cells finds a key piece of the C4 photosynthesis puzzle
• Origin of life: The chicken-and-egg problem
• Even just a bit of advertising changes the game in word-of-mouth marketing
• Vaccine development software shows promise in influenza effort, could help defeat coronavirus
• Largest carbon stores found in Australian World Heritage Sites
• Coronavirus-like particles could ensure reliability of simpler, faster COVID-19 tests
• Designing soft materials that mimic biological functions
• New study gives the most detailed look yet at the neuroscience of placebo effects
• Coffee for the birds: Connecting bird-watchers with shade-grown coffee
• Common bacteria modified to make designer sugar-based drug
• Meeting the meat needs of the future
• Secrets of sealed 17th century letters revealed by dental X-ray scanners
• High fat diets may over-activate destructive heart disease protein
• New technology allows scientists first glimpse of intricate details of Little Foot's life
• Lead up to volcanic eruption in Galapagos captured in rare detail
• WHO expert panel strongly advises against use of hydroxychloroquine to prevent COVID-19

Food for thought: New maps reveal how brains are kept nourished Posted: 02 Mar 2021 03:54 PM PST Scientists have created new brain maps featuring unprecedented detail. The insights provided by the new maps are helping answer questions about blood supply and how more active parts of the brain are kept nourished versus less demanding areas.

Environmental impact of computation and the future of green computing Posted: 02 Mar 2021 03:54 PM PST Every aspect of modern computing, from the smallest chip to the largest data center comes with a carbon price tag. The tech industry and the field of computation as a whole have focused on building smaller, faster, more powerful devices -- but few have considered their overall environmental impact. Researchers are trying to change that by challenging the field to add carbon footprint to the list of metrics when designing new processes, new computing systems, new hardware, and new ways to use devices.

Cooperative eco-driving automation improves energy efficiency and safety Posted: 02 Mar 2021 03:54 PM PST Connected, automated vehicles promise to save energy and improve safety. Engineers propose a modeling framework for cooperative driving. Simulation results show that the cooperative automated eco-driving algorithm saves energy -- 7% under light traffic and 23% under heavy traffic.

Indoors, outdoors, 6 feet apart? Transmission risk of airborne viruses can be quantified Posted: 02 Mar 2021 12:42 PM PST The rush for scientific understanding of the novel coronavirus has focused on biological mechanisms: how people get infected, the response of the human body, and the fastest path to a vaccine. As an aerosol scientist, Tami Bond went a different route, convening a research team that would treat the virus like any other aerosol. This team set out to quantify the dynamics of how aerosols like viruses travel from one person to another, under different circumstances.

Novel drug prevents amyloid plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease Posted: 02 Mar 2021 12:42 PM PST Researchers have identified a new drug that could prevent AD by modulating, rather than inhibiting, a key enzyme involved in forming amyloid plaques.

A quantum internet is closer to reality, thanks to this switch Posted: 02 Mar 2021 12:42 PM PST When quantum computers become more powerful and widespread, they will need a robust quantum internet to communicate. Engineers have addressed an issue barring the development of quantum networks that are big enough to reliably support more than a handful of users.

Scientists use forest color to gauge permafrost depth Posted: 02 Mar 2021 12:42 PM PST Researchers have developed a remote sensing method of measuring the depth of permafrost by analyzing vegetation cover in boreal ecosystems.

New research highlights impact of the digital divide Posted: 02 Mar 2021 12:01 PM PST The coronavirus pandemic has drawn new attention to the digital divide, as the need for online schooling and working from home has disproportionately hurt those without computer equipment and skills. New research finds that people with basic Information Technology (IT) skills are more likely to be employed, even in jobs that aren't explicitly tied to those skills.

Unveiling the weaving fractal network of connecting neurons Posted: 02 Mar 2021 12:01 PM PST High-resolution imaging and 3D computer modeling show that the dendrites of neurons weave through space in a way that balances their need to connect to other neurons with the costs of doing so. The discovery emerged as researchers sought to understand the fractal nature of neurons as part of a project to design fractal-shaped electrodes to connect with retinal neurons to address vision loss due to retinal diseases.

Gulf Oil Spill's long-lasting legacy for dolphins Posted: 02 Mar 2021 12:01 PM PST Health impacts from a 2010 spill are found even in dolphins born years later.

Rating tornado warnings charts a path to improve forecasts Posted: 02 Mar 2021 12:01 PM PST A new method to rate tornado warnings shows that nighttime tornadoes in the U.S. have a lower probability of detection and a higher false-alarm rate than other events. Summertime tornadoes, occurring in June, July or August, also are more likely to evade warning.

Ultrasonic cleaning of salad could reduce instances of food poisoning Posted: 02 Mar 2021 12:00 PM PST A new study has shown that gentle streams of water carrying sound and microscopic air bubbles can clean bacteria from salad leaves more effectively than current washing methods used by suppliers and consumers. As well as reducing food poisoning, the findings could reduce food waste and have implications for the growing threat of anti-microbial resistance.

Intriguing particles emerge when two photons couple Posted: 02 Mar 2021 12:00 PM PST Researchers exploring the interactions between light particles, photons and matter find that optical microresonators host quasiparticles made by two photons.

Unusual earthquakes highlight central Utah volcanoes Posted: 02 Mar 2021 12:00 PM PST Earthquakes in the Black Rock Desert are rare and capturing the seismic recordings from these earthquakes provides a glimpse into the volcanic system of the Black Rock Desert that, while not showing any signs of erupting, is still active.

Placebo effect may explain reported benefits of psychedelic microdoses Posted: 02 Mar 2021 12:00 PM PST Positive psychological effects associated with taking small doses of psychedelic drugs are likely the result of users' expectations, suggests a new study.

A fluid solution to dendrite growth in lithium metal batteries Posted: 02 Mar 2021 12:00 PM PST Lithium metal batteries have higher charge density than conventional lithium ion batteries but are prone to problems of tree-like metal dendrites, which can cause short circuits or explosions. A new article shows that flowing ions near the cathode can prevent this problem.

Heart disease is in the eye of the beholder Posted: 02 Mar 2021 12:00 PM PST Researchers have identified a potential new marker that shows cardiovascular disease may be present in a patient using an optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan -- a non-invasive diagnostic tool commonly used in ophthalmology and optometry clinics to create images of the retina. The finding suggests it may be possible to detect heart disease during an eye examination.

Disruption of lung biological clock in premature babies may raise later flu risk Posted: 02 Mar 2021 12:00 PM PST Disruptions in the circadian rhythms in lung cells may explain why adults who survived premature birth are often more at risk of severe influenza infections, suggests a new study.

Study highlights pitfalls associated with 'cybervetting' job candidates Posted: 02 Mar 2021 12:00 PM PST A recent study of how human resources professionals review online information and social media profiles of job candidates highlights the ways in which so-called 'cybervetting' can introduce bias and moral judgment into the hiring process.

COVID-19 can kill heart muscle cells, interfere with contraction Posted: 02 Mar 2021 12:00 PM PST A new study provides evidence that COVID-19 patients' heart damage is caused by the virus invading and replicating inside heart muscle cells, leading to cell death and interfering with heart muscle contraction. The researchers used stem cells to engineer heart tissue that models the human infection and could help in studying the disease and developing possible therapies.

How some animals sense the gritty texture of their food Posted: 02 Mar 2021 10:07 AM PST There's more to taste than flavor. Let ice cream melt, and the next time you take it out of the freezer you'll find its texture icy instead of the smooth, creamy confection you're used to. Though its flavor hasn't changed, most people would agree the dessert is less appetizing.

Nanoparticle-delivered COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows promise in preclinical studies Posted: 02 Mar 2021 10:07 AM PST Researchers have developed a promising new COVID-19 vaccine candidate that utilizes nanotechnology and has shown strong efficacy in preclinical disease models. According to a new study, the vaccine produced potent neutralizing antibodies among preclinical models and also prevented infection and disease symptoms in the face of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19).

COVID-19 spread tracked via a rapid, large-scale early wastewater surveillance alert system Posted: 02 Mar 2021 10:07 AM PST Detecting COVID-19 outbreaks before they spread could help contain the virus and curb new cases within a community. In a new study, researchers describe a mostly automated early alert system that uses high-throughput analysis of wastewater samples to identify buildings where new COVID-19 cases have emerged -- even before infected people develop symptoms.

Astrophysicist's 2004 theory confirmed: Why the Sun's composition varies Posted: 02 Mar 2021 10:07 AM PST An astrophysicist theorized why the chemical composition of the Sun's tenuous outermost layer differs from that lower down. His theory has recently been validated by combined observations of the Sun's magnetic waves from the Earth and from space.

Human instinct can be as useful as algorithms in detecting online 'deception' Posted: 02 Mar 2021 10:07 AM PST Travellers looking to book a hotel should trust their gut instinct when it comes to online reviews rather than relying on computer algorithms to weed out the fake ones, a new study suggests.

'Space hurricane' in Earth's upper atmosphere discovered Posted: 02 Mar 2021 10:07 AM PST Analysis of observations made by satellites in 2014 has revealed a long-lasting 'space hurricane' -- a swirling mass of plasma several hundred kilometers above the North Pole, raining electrons instead of water.

Energy switching decisions could widen social inequalities Posted: 02 Mar 2021 10:07 AM PST New energy tariffs designed for a low carbon future could leave people on bad deals even worse off. The tariffs could benefit all kinds of customers, but many people are unlikely to choose them. Those likely to adopt them first are younger, with higher incomes and higher education.

Rice variety resists arsenic Posted: 02 Mar 2021 10:06 AM PST The agricultural cultivation of the staple food of rice harbors the risk of possible contamination with arsenic that can reach the grains following uptake by the roots. A research team studied over 4,000 rice variants and discovered a plant that resists the toxin as well as contains a large amount of the trace element selenium.

A new blindness gene uncovered in a canine study Posted: 02 Mar 2021 10:06 AM PST A study has uncovered a mutation in the IFT122 gene in blind dogs. The gene defect now discovered results in the progressive destruction of photoreceptor cells and retinal dystrophy. IFT122 is a new candidate also for retinal dystrophy in humans. A gene test in support of breeding and diagnostics has been developed based on the finding.

Bitter receptor involved in anti-inflammatory effect of resveratrol? Posted: 02 Mar 2021 10:06 AM PST At least in cell-based test systems, the plant compound resveratrol has anti-inflammatory properties. A recent collaborative study has now shown that the bitter receptor TAS2R50 is involved in this effect.

Groundbreaking research into white-rot fungi proves its value in carbon sequestration Posted: 02 Mar 2021 10:06 AM PST A foundational study shows for the first time that white-rot fungi are able to use carbon captured from lignin as a carbon source. Until now, scientists were unsure whether white-rot fungi -- the most efficient lignin-degrading organisms in nature -- actually consume the products generated from breaking down lignin.

Fuel efficiency of one car may be cancelled by your next car purchase Posted: 02 Mar 2021 10:06 AM PST Researchers find that consumers tend to buy something less fuel efficient for their second car after springing for an eco-friendly vehicle. The study reports a 57% reduction in the benefits of your fuel efficient car based on the purchase of your second vehicle. Findings have major implications for the design of carbon mitigation programs that aren't taking into account consumers with multiple vehicles.

Division of labor within regenerating liver maintains metabolism, mouse study finds Posted: 02 Mar 2021 10:06 AM PST The liver has a rare superpower among body organs - the ability to regenerate. It also keeps up its metabolic and toxin-removing work while regenerating, thanks to a subset of cells that expand their workload while the rest focus on multiplication, a new study in mice found. Furthermore, the cells of the liver communicate with each other to coordinate regeneration activity, which progresses from the center to the periphery of the missing liver lobes.

'Canary in the mine' warning follows new discovery of effects of pollutants on fertility Posted: 02 Mar 2021 10:06 AM PST New research has found that shrimp like creatures on the South Coast of England have 70 per cent less sperm than less polluted locations elsewhere in the world. The research also discovered that individuals living in the survey area are six times less numerous per square meter than those living in cleaner waters.

Wolf social group dynamics matter for infectious disease spread, models suggest Posted: 02 Mar 2021 10:06 AM PST By modeling wolves in Yellowstone National Park, researchers have discovered that how a population is organized into social groups affects the spread of infectious diseases within the population. The findings may be applicable to any social species and could be useful in the protection of endangered species that suffer from disease invasion.

Covering metal catalyst surfaces with thin two-dimensional oxide materials can enhance chemical reactions Posted: 02 Mar 2021 10:06 AM PST Scientists have discovered that physically confined spaces can make for more efficient chemical reactions.

Indoor air quality study shows aircraft in flight may have lowest particulate levels Posted: 02 Mar 2021 10:06 AM PST If you're looking for an indoor space with a low level of particulate air pollution, a commercial airliner flying at cruising altitude may be your best option. A newly reported study of air quality in indoor spaces such as stores, restaurants, offices, public transportation -- and commercial jets -- shows aircraft cabins with the lowest levels of tiny aerosol particles.

Atmospheric rivers increase snow mass in West Antarctica Posted: 02 Mar 2021 10:06 AM PST A new study used NASA's ice-measuring laser satellite to identify atmospheric river storms as a key driver of increased snowfall in West Antarctica during the 2019 austral winter.

Detection dogs help generate important data for research and conservation Posted: 02 Mar 2021 07:48 AM PST It is often difficult to find out exactly where the individual species can be found and how their populations are developing. According to a new overview, specially trained detection dogs can be indispensable in such cases. With the help of these dogs, the species sought can usually be found faster and more effectively than with other methods.

Ultra-fast electron measurement provides important findings for the solar industry Posted: 02 Mar 2021 07:48 AM PST Using a new method, physicists are analyzing at the femtosecond scale the processes in a model system for organic solar cells in detail. The results can be used to develop high-performance and efficient solar cells.

A mechanism by which cells build 'mini-muscles' underneath their nucleus identified Posted: 02 Mar 2021 07:48 AM PST Research has uncovered how motor protein myosin, which is responsible for contraction of skeletal muscles, functions also in non-muscle cells to build contractile structures at the inner face of the cell membrane. This is the first time when such 'mini-muscles', also known as stress fibers, have been seen to emerge spontaneously through myosin-driven reorganization of the pre-existing actin filament network in cells.

A robot able to 'hear' through the ear of a locust Posted: 02 Mar 2021 07:48 AM PST Scientists report connecting the ear of a dead locust to a robot that receives the ear's electrical signals and responds accordingly.

New strategy for efficient OLED active matrix displays Posted: 02 Mar 2021 07:48 AM PST Researchers introduce a novel device concept towards high-efficient and low-voltage vertical organic lighting-emitting transistors. With the new device architecture and fabrication technology, the team paves the way for a broad application of efficient OLED active matrix displays.

Detective work inside plant cells finds a key piece of the C4 photosynthesis puzzle Posted: 02 Mar 2021 06:41 AM PST An impressive body of evidence published this week reveals the answer to a mystery that has puzzled plant scientists for more than 30 years: the role of the molecule suberin in the leaves of some of our most productive crops. This discovery could be the key to engineering better crops and ensuring future food security.

Origin of life: The chicken-and-egg problem Posted: 02 Mar 2021 06:41 AM PST New research shows that slight alterations in transfer-RNA molecules (tRNAs) allow them to self-assemble into a functional unit that can replicate information exponentially. tRNAs are key elements in the evolution of early life-forms.

Even just a bit of advertising changes the game in word-of-mouth marketing Posted: 02 Mar 2021 06:40 AM PST A professor of sociology uses computer simulations of networks to reveal how the presence of even just a bit of advertising or other mass communication -- 'top-down' information that comes from outside a given network -- effectively equalizes the influence of everyone across that network. When advertising exists... 'it's not that word-of-mouth doesn't matter -- it's that nobody is particularly important for the process,' he said.

Vaccine development software shows promise in influenza effort, could help defeat coronavirus Posted: 02 Mar 2021 06:40 AM PST A novel computer algorithm that could create a broadly reactive influenza vaccine for swine flu also offers a path toward a pan-influenza vaccine and possibly a pan-coronavirus vaccine as well, according to a new paper.

Largest carbon stores found in Australian World Heritage Sites Posted: 02 Mar 2021 06:40 AM PST Australia's marine World Heritage Sites are among the world's largest stores of carbon dioxide according to a new report from the United Nations.

Coronavirus-like particles could ensure reliability of simpler, faster COVID-19 tests Posted: 02 Mar 2021 06:40 AM PST Rapid COVID-19 tests are on the rise to deliver results faster to more people, and scientists need an easy, foolproof way to know that these tests work correctly and the results can be trusted. Nanoparticles that pass detection as the novel coronavirus could be just the ticket. Such coronavirus-like nanoparticles would serve as something called a positive control for COVID-19 tests.

Designing soft materials that mimic biological functions Posted: 02 Mar 2021 05:52 AM PST A team of researchers has developed a theoretical model to design a soft material that demonstrates autonomous oscillating properties that mimic biological functions, like heartbeat.

New study gives the most detailed look yet at the neuroscience of placebo effects Posted: 02 Mar 2021 04:54 AM PST A large proportion of the benefit that a person gets from taking a real drug or receiving a treatment to alleviate pain is due to an individual's mindset, not to the drug itself. Understanding the neural mechanisms driving this placebo effect has been a longstanding question. A meta-analysis finds that placebo treatments to reduce pain, known as placebo analgesia, reduce pain-related activity in multiple areas of the brain.

Coffee for the birds: Connecting bird-watchers with shade-grown coffee Posted: 02 Mar 2021 04:54 AM PST Bird-friendly coffee is shade-grown, meaning that it is grown and harvested under the canopy of mature trees, a process that parallels how coffee was historically grown. But with most farms in Central and South America and the Caribbean converting to full-sun operations, crucial bird habitats for migrating and resident bird species are being lost.

Common bacteria modified to make designer sugar-based drug Posted: 02 Mar 2021 04:54 AM PST Envisioning an animal-free drug supply, scientists have reprogrammed a common bacterium to make a designer polysaccharide molecule used in pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals.

Meeting the meat needs of the future Posted: 02 Mar 2021 04:54 AM PST Researchers have succeeded in culturing meat in the laboratory in the form of millimeter-scale slabs of contractile bovine muscle. This innovative tissue culture process, arrayed in stackable hydrogel modules, uses electrical pulses to align myotubules thus mimicking the texture, grain and bulk of real steak meat. Further advances may help meet the increasing worldwide demand for dietary meat while addressing economic, environmental and ethical concerns that beset animal slaughter today.

Secrets of sealed 17th century letters revealed by dental X-ray scanners Posted: 02 Mar 2021 04:54 AM PST An international team of researchers has read an unopened letter from Renaissance Europe - without breaking its seal or damaging it in any way.

High fat diets may over-activate destructive heart disease protein Posted: 02 Mar 2021 04:53 AM PST Consumption of a high fat diet may be activating a response in the heart that is causing destructive growth and lead to greater risk of heart attacks, according to new research.

New technology allows scientists first glimpse of intricate details of Little Foot's life Posted: 02 Mar 2021 04:53 AM PST In June 2019, an international team brought the complete skull of the 3.67-million-year-old Little Foot Australopithecus skeleton, from South Africa to the UK and achieved unprecedented imaging resolution of its bony structures and dentition in an X-ray synchrotron-based investigation at the UK's national synchrotron, Diamond Light Source. The X-ray work is highlighted in a new article, focusing on the inner craniodental features of Little Foot.

Lead up to volcanic eruption in Galapagos captured in rare detail Posted: 02 Mar 2021 04:53 AM PST Hours before the 2018 eruption of Sierra Negra, the Galápagos Islands' largest volcano, an earthquake rumbled and raised the ground more than 6 feet in an instant. The event, which triggered the eruption, was captured in rare detail by an international team of scientists, who said it offers new insights into one of the world's most active volcanoes.

WHO expert panel strongly advises against use of hydroxychloroquine to prevent COVID-19 Posted: 01 Mar 2021 06:16 PM PST The anti-inflammatory drug hydroxychloroquine should not be used to prevent infection in people who do not have covid-19, say a WHO Guideline Development Group (GDG) panel of international experts.

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