ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• The 'one who causes fear' - new meat-eating predator discovered
• Urban squirrels, how much are we disturbing you?
• Endangered songbird challenging assumptions about evolution
• An organic material for the next generation of HVAC technologies
• Early Earth's hot mantle may have led to Archean 'water world'
• Kumon or Montessori? It may depend on your politics, according to new study of 8,500 parents
• Architecture of Eolian successions under icehouse and greenhouse conditions
• Status of greater sage-grouse populations
• Synthetic mucus can mimic the real thing
• Mysterious living monuments
• Herpesvirus triggers cervical cancer affecting nearly 1 in 4 adult sea lions
• Researchers observe new isotope of fluorine
• Social media addiction linked to cyberbullying
• Researchers discover new type of ancient crater lake on Mars
• First interstellar comet may be the most pristine ever found
• Friends and enemies 'make sense' for long-lived animals
• Infants' language skills more advanced than first words suggest
• New early warning system for self-driving cars
• Remote monitoring could boost the use of nature-based solutions to safeguard against natural hazards
• The egg in the X-ray beam
• Scientists develop ultra-thin terahertz source
• Degrees of happiness? Formal education does not lead to greater job satisfaction
• Selenium supplementation protects against obesity and may extend lifespan
• Open-label placebo works as well as double-blind placebo in irritable bowel syndrome
• In the deep sea, the last ice age is not yet over
• Stopping the sickness: Protein may be key to blocking a nauseating bacterium
• Screams of 'joy' sound like 'fear' when heard out of context
• Kids' metabolic health can be improved with exercise during pregnancy: here's why
• Mystery of photosynthetic algae evolution finally solved
• Chronic inflammatory liver disease: Cell stress mechanisms identified
• Researchers reveal SARS-CoV-2 distribution and relation to tissue damage in patients
• Cardiorespiratory fitness improves grades at school
• 64% of global agricultural land at risk of pesticide pollution?
• Beetle outbreak impacts vary across Colorado forests
• Factors that may predict next pandemic
• Discovery of a mechanism for making superconductors more resistant to magnetic fields
• Scientists identify molecular pathway that helps moving cells avoid aimless wandering
• New statistical method eases data reproducibility crisis
• Topological protection of entangled two-photon light in photonic topological insulators
• Fasting can be an effective way to start a diet
• Prime editing enables precise gene editing without collateral damage
• Unique AI method for generating proteins will speed up drug development
• Experimental hearing implant succeeds in registering brain waves
• Type of glaucoma linked to increased risk of cognitive impairment
• Although not venemous, a mouse's bite holds venomous potential
• Remote-friendly student project presentations enable creativity and risk-taking

The 'one who causes fear' - new meat-eating predator discovered Posted: 30 Mar 2021 06:09 PM PDT Superbly preserved braincase of this new species is an important find - it suggests there was a greater diversity and abundance of abelisaurids late in dinosaurs' era than previously thought.

Urban squirrels, how much are we disturbing you? Posted: 30 Mar 2021 06:09 PM PDT Human disturbance in urban environments makes some squirrels fail, but others perform better in novel problem-solving.

Endangered songbird challenging assumptions about evolution Posted: 30 Mar 2021 02:10 PM PDT New research looked at a newly discovered, endangered songbird located only in South America -- the Iberá Seedeater -- and found that this bird followed a very rare evolutionary path to come into existence at a much faster pace than the grand majority of species.

An organic material for the next generation of HVAC technologies Posted: 30 Mar 2021 02:10 PM PDT On sultry summer afternoons, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems provide much-needed relief from the harsh heat and humidity. These systems, which often come with dehumidifiers, are currently not energy efficient, guzzling around 76% of the electricity in commercial and residential buildings.

Early Earth's hot mantle may have led to Archean 'water world' Posted: 30 Mar 2021 02:10 PM PDT Earth's sea level has remained fairly constant during the last 541 million years, but a new study suggests the planet may have been covered by a vast global ocean 4 to 3.2 billion years ago.

Kumon or Montessori? It may depend on your politics, according to new study of 8,500 parents Posted: 30 Mar 2021 02:10 PM PDT Whether parents prefer a conformance-oriented or independence-oriented supplemental education program for their children depends on political ideology, according to a study of more than 8,500 American parents.

Architecture of Eolian successions under icehouse and greenhouse conditions Posted: 30 Mar 2021 02:10 PM PDT Anthropogenic climate change is one of the foremost scientific and societal challenges. In part, our response to this global challenge requires an enhanced understanding of how the Earth's surface responds to episodes of climatic heating and cooling.

Status of greater sage-grouse populations Posted: 30 Mar 2021 11:31 AM PDT A new report highlights the decline of greater sage-grouse across the American West while providing a roadmap to aid the conservation of the species.

Synthetic mucus can mimic the real thing Posted: 30 Mar 2021 11:31 AM PDT Researchers have generated synthetic mucins with a polymer backbone that more accurately mimics the structure and function of naturally occurring mucins. They also showed that these synthetic mucins could effectively neutralize the bacterial toxin that causes cholera.

Mysterious living monuments Posted: 30 Mar 2021 11:30 AM PDT Scientists think that climate change may have greater impact the largest trees in tropical forests, and the death of these giants has a major impact on the forest, but because these monumental trees are few and far between, almost nothing is known about what causes them to die.

Herpesvirus triggers cervical cancer affecting nearly 1 in 4 adult sea lions Posted: 30 Mar 2021 11:30 AM PDT Research finds that a specific strain of herpesvirus triggers cervical cancer affecting nearly 1 in 4 necropsied California sea lions. The findings show that sea lions are a critical model for understanding how cancer develops with important parallels to human cancer research.

Researchers observe new isotope of fluorine Posted: 30 Mar 2021 11:30 AM PDT Fluorine is the most chemically reactive element on the periodic table. Only one isotope of fluorine occurs naturally. Researchers discovered a new isotope with four neutrons removed from the proton drip line.

Social media addiction linked to cyberbullying Posted: 30 Mar 2021 09:13 AM PDT New research suggests that these increased hours spent online may be associated with cyberbullying behaviors. According to a study, higher social media addiction scores, more hours spent online, and identifying as male significantly predicted cyberbullying perpetration in adolescents.

Researchers discover new type of ancient crater lake on Mars Posted: 30 Mar 2021 09:13 AM PDT An ancient crater lake in the southern highlands of Mars appears to have been fed by glacial runoff, bolstering the idea that the Red Planet had a cold and icy past.

First interstellar comet may be the most pristine ever found Posted: 30 Mar 2021 09:12 AM PDT New observations indicate that the rogue comet 2I/Borisov, which is only the second and most recently detected interstellar visitor to our Solar System, is one of the most pristine ever observed. Astronomers suspect that the comet most likely never passed close to a star, making it an undisturbed relic of the cloud of gas and dust it formed from.

Friends and enemies 'make sense' for long-lived animals Posted: 30 Mar 2021 09:12 AM PDT It makes evolutionary sense for long-lived animals to have complex social relationships - such as friends and enemies - researchers say.

Infants' language skills more advanced than first words suggest Posted: 30 Mar 2021 09:12 AM PDT Babies can recognise combinations of words even before they have uttered their first word, a study suggests, challenging ideas of how children learn language. Assessments in 11-12 month-olds show that infants at the cusp of talking are already processing multiword phrases such as 'clap your hands'.

New early warning system for self-driving cars Posted: 30 Mar 2021 09:12 AM PDT A team of researchers has developed a new early warning system for vehicles that uses artificial intelligence to learn from thousands of real traffic situations. The results show that, if used in today's self-driving vehicles, it can warn seven seconds in advance against potentially critical situations that the cars cannot handle alone - with over 85% accuracy.

Remote monitoring could boost the use of nature-based solutions to safeguard against natural hazards Posted: 30 Mar 2021 09:12 AM PDT Remote monitoring using airborne devices such as drones or satellites could revolutionize the effectiveness of nature-based solutions (NBS) that protect communities from devastating natural hazards such as floods, storms and landslides, say climate change experts.

The egg in the X-ray beam Posted: 30 Mar 2021 09:12 AM PDT Scientists have been using DESY's X-ray source PETRA III to analyse the structural changes that take place in an egg when you cook it. The work reveals how the proteins in the white of a chicken egg unfold and cross-link with each other. The method can be of interest to the food industry as well as to the broad field of protein research.

Scientists develop ultra-thin terahertz source Posted: 30 Mar 2021 09:12 AM PDT Physicists have developed an extremely thin, large-area semiconductor surface source of terahertz, composed of just a few atomic layers and compatible with existing electronic platforms.

Degrees of happiness? Formal education does not lead to greater job satisfaction Posted: 30 Mar 2021 09:12 AM PDT There is almost no relationship between formal educational attainment and job satisfaction, according to new research.

Selenium supplementation protects against obesity and may extend lifespan Posted: 30 Mar 2021 09:12 AM PDT Adding the nutrient selenium to diets protects against obesity and provides metabolic benefits to mice, according to a new study.

Open-label placebo works as well as double-blind placebo in irritable bowel syndrome Posted: 30 Mar 2021 09:12 AM PDT In a randomized clinical trial, researchers found participants with moderate to severe irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) who were knowingly treated with a pharmacologically inactive pill -- referred to as an honest or open-label placebo -- reported clinically meaningful improvements in their IBS symptoms.

In the deep sea, the last ice age is not yet over Posted: 30 Mar 2021 09:12 AM PDT While investigating gas hydrate deposits in the western Black Sea, a team of scientists made surprising discoveries. Contrary to previous findings and theories, the scientists found free methane gas in layers where it should actually not appear. The authors conclude that the gas hydrate system in the deep-sea fan of the Danube continues to adapt due to climate changes since the last glacial maximum.

Stopping the sickness: Protein may be key to blocking a nauseating bacterium Posted: 30 Mar 2021 09:11 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a protein that could be key to blocking the most common bacterial cause of human food poisoning in the United States.

Screams of 'joy' sound like 'fear' when heard out of context Posted: 30 Mar 2021 09:11 AM PDT People are adept at discerning most of the different emotions that underlie screams, such as anger, frustration, pain, surprise or fear, finds a new study. Screams of happiness, however, are more often interpreted as fear when heard without any additional context, the results show.

Kids' metabolic health can be improved with exercise during pregnancy: here's why Posted: 30 Mar 2021 09:11 AM PDT Many previous studies have linked increased maternal body weight and unhealthy diets to poorer metabolic outcomes in offspring, often many years later. Understanding the mechanisms of how maternal exercise can reverse these effects might lead to interventions that prevent these diseases transmitting across generations.

Mystery of photosynthetic algae evolution finally solved Posted: 30 Mar 2021 07:03 AM PDT Scientists have identified the protein that was the missing evolutionary link between two ancient algae species - red algae and cryptophytes.

Chronic inflammatory liver disease: Cell stress mechanisms identified Posted: 30 Mar 2021 07:03 AM PDT Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a rare, chronic, inflammatory disease of the bile ducts and is difficult to treat, since its causes have not yet been adequately researched. An international research consortium has now succeeded in identifying a new prognostic factor for PSC from liver biopsies. This is so-called cellular ER stress.

Researchers reveal SARS-CoV-2 distribution and relation to tissue damage in patients Posted: 30 Mar 2021 07:03 AM PDT A new study to measure SARS-CoV-2 viral load in a variety of organs and tissues may aid our understanding of how COVID-19 develops following infection.

Cardiorespiratory fitness improves grades at school Posted: 30 Mar 2021 07:03 AM PDT Studies indicate a link between children's cardiorespiratory fitness and their school performance: the more athletic they are, the better their marks in the main subjects. Similarly, cardiorespiratory fitness is known to benefit cognitive abilities. But what is the real influence of such fitness on school results? Researchers tested pupils from eight Geneva schools. Their results show that there is an indirect link with cardiorespiratory fitness influencing cognitive abilities, which in turn, influence school results.

64% of global agricultural land at risk of pesticide pollution? Posted: 30 Mar 2021 06:25 AM PDT A global map of agricultural land across 168 countries has revealed that 64 percent of land used for agriculture and food crops is at risk of pesticide pollution. Almost a third of these areas are considered to be at high-risk.

Beetle outbreak impacts vary across Colorado forests Posted: 30 Mar 2021 06:25 AM PDT Beetle outbreaks impacted around 40 percent of the areas studied in Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico. But the effects of these outbreak varied due to differences in forest structures and species composition across the region.

Factors that may predict next pandemic Posted: 30 Mar 2021 06:25 AM PDT New modeling identifies country-specific human and human-influenced environmental factors associated with disease outbreaks. A country's land area, human population density, and area of forest are associated with zoonotic diseases, like COVID-19. Human development index, average annual temperature, and health expenditure predict other kinds of disease.

Discovery of a mechanism for making superconductors more resistant to magnetic fields Posted: 30 Mar 2021 06:24 AM PDT Superconductivity is known to be easily destroyed by strong magnetic fields. Researchers have discovered that a superconductor with atomic-scale thickness can retain its superconductivity even when a strong magnetic field is applied to it. The team has also identified a new mechanism behind this phenomenon. These results may facilitate the development of superconducting materials resistant to magnetic fields and topological superconductors composed of superconducting and magnetic materials.

Scientists identify molecular pathway that helps moving cells avoid aimless wandering Posted: 30 Mar 2021 05:13 AM PDT Working with fruit flies, scientists say they have identified a new molecular pathway that helps steer moving cells in specific directions. The set of interconnected proteins and enzymes in the pathway act as steering and rudder components that drive cells toward an 'intended' rather than random destination, they say.

New statistical method eases data reproducibility crisis Posted: 30 Mar 2021 05:12 AM PDT A reproducibility crisis is ongoing in scientific research, where many studies may be difficult or impossible to replicate and thereby validate, especially when the study involves a very large sample size. Now researchers have developed a statistical tool that can accurately estimate the replicability of a study, thus eliminating the need to duplicate the work and effectively mitigating the reproducibility crisis.

Topological protection of entangled two-photon light in photonic topological insulators Posted: 30 Mar 2021 05:12 AM PDT Researchers have revealed the necessary conditions for the robust transport of entangled states of two-photon light in photonic topological insulators, paving the way the towards noise-resistant transport of quantum information.

Fasting can be an effective way to start a diet Posted: 30 Mar 2021 05:12 AM PDT Those who need to change their eating habits to normalize their blood pressure should start with a fast. Scientists explain why patients can use it as a tool to improve their health in the long term.

Prime editing enables precise gene editing without collateral damage Posted: 30 Mar 2021 05:12 AM PDT The latest gene editing technology, prime editing, expands the 'genetic toolbox' for more precisely creating disease models and correcting genetic problems, scientists say.

Unique AI method for generating proteins will speed up drug development Posted: 30 Mar 2021 05:12 AM PDT Artificial Intelligence is now capable of generating novel, functionally active proteins. The new results represent a breakthrough in the field of synthetic proteins.

Experimental hearing implant succeeds in registering brain waves Posted: 30 Mar 2021 05:12 AM PDT Researchers have succeeded for the first time in measuring brain waves directly via a cochlear implant. These brainwaves indicate in an objective way how good or bad a person's hearing is. The research results are important for the further development of smart hearing aids.

Type of glaucoma linked to increased risk of cognitive impairment Posted: 29 Mar 2021 05:03 PM PDT A type of glaucoma called normal-tension glaucoma is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment and possibly dementia, finds new research.

Although not venemous, a mouse's bite holds venomous potential Posted: 29 Mar 2021 12:33 PM PDT We are not venomous, and neither are mice - but within our genomes lurks that potential, suggest scientists The researchers found that the genetic foundation required for oral venom to evolve is present in both reptiles and mammals. The study also provides the first concrete evidence of an underlying molecular link between venom glands in snakes and salivary glands in mammals.

Remote-friendly student project presentations enable creativity and risk-taking Posted: 29 Mar 2021 11:07 AM PDT In a two-year study that could help guide educators developing the post-pandemic new normal, student groups at the assigned to make video presentations showed more creativity and risk-taking than groups making conventional in-person presentations.

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