ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• PNA-based technique an essential part of the gene editing toolkit
• One of Africa's rarest primates protected by... speedbumps
• One in ten have long-term effects 8 months following mild COVID-19
• Surgical sutures inspired by human tendons
• Reflecting sunlight could cool the Earth's ecosystem
• Clinical trial completion rates decline during COVID-19 pandemic
• A drug that can stop tumors from growing
• How can remote workers best manage work-home conflict?
• For girls, learning science outside linked to better grades, knowledge
• Chain length determines molecular color
• Carbon dioxide levels reflect COVID-19 risk
• Scientists bolster evidence of new physics in Muon g-2 experiment
• U. S. socio-economic effects of harmful algal blooms
• Mounting hope for new physics
• Framework could support more reliable electric power distribution systems
• Why our brains miss opportunities to improve through subtraction
• Late night snacks may hurt your workplace performance, study finds
• Novel hydrogel carriers for anti-cancer drugs offer new hope for cancer treatment
• New biosensor makes control hormone auxin visible in cells
• Ant responses to social isolation resemble those of humans
• Adoption of green infrastructure tracked
• Genome sequencing reveals a new species of bumblebee
• Scientists discover two new species of ancient, burrowing mammal ancestors
• Junctions between three cells serve as gateways for the transport of substances
• Coral predators exert a much larger influence on young coral than expected
• Red deer have personality and it is related to their dominance behavior
• Robots can be more aware of human co-workers, with system that provides context
• 800-year-old medieval pottery fragments reveal Jewish dietary practices
• Genomes of the earliest Europeans
• Losing weight through exercise
• Fetus in bishop's coffin was probably his grandson
• First transiting exoplanet's 'chemical fingerprint' reveals its distant birthplace
• Neanderthal ancestry identifies oldest modern human genome
• The muon's magnetic moment fits just fine
• First images of cells exposed to COVID-19 vaccine reveal native-like coronavirus spikes
• Grass rings: How the spinifex got its hole
• Early indicators of magma viscosity could help forecast a volcano's eruption style
• New proposal for the management of low back pain with a proprioceptive approach
• Scientists develop eco-friendly pollen sponge to tackle water contaminants
• Nanoparticles reveal their location via mirror SELFI
• Aquatic ecosystems source of half of global methane emissions
• Eucalyptus trees can be genetically modified not to invade native ecosystems
• An amyloid link between Parkinson's disease and melanoma
• We don't know how most mammals will respond to climate change, warn scientists
• Do school-based interventions help improve reading and math in at-risk children?
• Scientists harness chaos to protect devices from hackers
• Gut microbiome plays role in autism, study finds

PNA-based technique an essential part of the gene editing toolkit Posted: 07 Apr 2021 05:28 PM PDT A peptide nucleic acid-based gene editing technique is an essential part of the gene editing toolkit in addition to CRISPR-Cas systems.

One of Africa's rarest primates protected by... speedbumps Posted: 07 Apr 2021 02:43 PM PDT A new study revealed that a drastic reduction of deaths of one of Africa's rarest primates, the Zanzibar red colobus (Piliocolobus kirkii), followed the installation of four speedbumps along a stretch of road where the species frequently crossed.

One in ten have long-term effects 8 months following mild COVID-19 Posted: 07 Apr 2021 02:43 PM PDT Eight months after mild COVID-19, one in ten people still has at least one moderate to severe symptom that is perceived as having a negative impact on their work, social or home life, according to a new study. The most common long-term symptoms are a loss of smell and taste and fatigue.

Surgical sutures inspired by human tendons Posted: 07 Apr 2021 02:43 PM PDT Sutures are used to close wounds and speed up the natural healing process, but they can also complicate matters by causing damage to soft tissues with their stiff fibers. To remedy the problem, researchers have developed innovative tough gel sheathed (TGS) sutures inspired by the human tendon.

Reflecting sunlight could cool the Earth's ecosystem Posted: 07 Apr 2021 02:43 PM PDT Researchers explored the effect of solar climate interventions on ecology. The team emphasizes that greenhouse gas emissions reduction and conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem functions must be the priority.

Clinical trial completion rates decline during COVID-19 pandemic Posted: 07 Apr 2021 02:43 PM PDT Social distancing and lockdowns may have affected clinical researchers' ability to finish trials, researchers report. Study completion rates dropped worldwide between 13 percent and 23 percent, depending on the type of research sponsor and geographic location, between April and October 2020.

A drug that can stop tumors from growing Posted: 07 Apr 2021 02:43 PM PDT Scientists detail new work on NLRP3, an intracellular complex that has been found to participate in melanoma-mediated inflammation, leading to tumor growth and progression. By inhibiting NLRP3, the researchers found, they can reduce inflammation and the resultant tumor expansion.

How can remote workers best manage work-home conflict? Posted: 07 Apr 2021 11:38 AM PDT More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of remote workers are still struggling to find an efficient work-life balance. Timothy D. Golden, a professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, offers research-based solutions and best practices for addressing and managing common issues that impede success while working from home.

For girls, learning science outside linked to better grades, knowledge Posted: 07 Apr 2021 11:38 AM PDT A study suggests outdoor education could be a promising tool to help close gender gaps in science.

Chain length determines molecular color Posted: 07 Apr 2021 11:38 AM PDT Researchers have developed fluorescent polymers whose color can be easily tuned. Depending on their length, the polymers emit a different color. Potential applications include biomedicine, security printing and solar energy.

Carbon dioxide levels reflect COVID-19 risk Posted: 07 Apr 2021 11:38 AM PDT Tracking carbon dioxide levels indoors is an inexpensive and powerful way to monitor the risk of people getting COVID-19, according to new research. In any given indoor environment, when excess carbon dioxide levels double, the risk of transmission also roughly doubles, scientists report.

Scientists bolster evidence of new physics in Muon g-2 experiment Posted: 07 Apr 2021 11:38 AM PDT The first result from the Muon g-2 experiment points to the existence of undiscovered particles or forces. These findings could have major implications for future particle physics experiments and could lead to greater understanding of how the universe works.

U. S. socio-economic effects of harmful algal blooms Posted: 07 Apr 2021 11:37 AM PDT Harmful algal blooms (HABs) occur in all 50 U.S. states and many produce toxins that cause illness or death in humans and commercially important species. However, attempts to place a more exact dollar value on the full range of these impacts often vary widely in their methods and level of detail, which hinders understanding of the scale of their socio-economic effects.

Mounting hope for new physics Posted: 07 Apr 2021 10:58 AM PDT Today, the Muon g-2 Collaboration finally published the highly anticipated first result from its measurement of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, a precision quantity that offers physicists one of the most promising means to test predictions of the actual Standard Model of particle physics. The measured value, which is more precise than all values before, strengthens evidence for the emergence of new physics beyond the Standard Model.

Framework could support more reliable electric power distribution systems Posted: 07 Apr 2021 10:58 AM PDT Imagine that the process of distributing electricity to homes from the power grid is like travelers boarding a train. There are multiple steps to take before they can reach their final destination.

Why our brains miss opportunities to improve through subtraction Posted: 07 Apr 2021 10:58 AM PDT A multi-disciplinary team of researchers explain the human tendency to make change through addition.

Late night snacks may hurt your workplace performance, study finds Posted: 07 Apr 2021 10:57 AM PDT A recent study finds that unhealthy eating behaviors at night can make people less helpful and more withdrawn the next day at work.

Novel hydrogel carriers for anti-cancer drugs offer new hope for cancer treatment Posted: 07 Apr 2021 10:57 AM PDT Hydrogels are often used as drug delivery systems, but to be effective carriers for anti-cancer drugs, they need to be responsive to varied stimuli in the tumor microenvironment. Now, scientists have developed novel hydrogels to effectively deliver drugs to tumor sites in response to temperature and pH changes in the tumor microenvironment. These multi-stimuli-responsive hydrogels can eliminate remnant cancer cells following tumor excision through controlled drug release, offering hope for effective cancer treatment.

New biosensor makes control hormone auxin visible in cells Posted: 07 Apr 2021 10:57 AM PDT The hormone auxin is of central importance for the development of plants. Scientists have now developed a novel sensor that makes the spatial distribution of auxin in the cells of living plants visible in real time. The sensor opens up completely new insights into the inner workings of plants for researchers.

Ant responses to social isolation resemble those of humans Posted: 07 Apr 2021 10:57 AM PDT Ants react to social isolation in a similar way as do humans and other social mammals. A study has revealed alterations to the social and hygienic behavior of ants that had been isolated from their group. The research team was particularly surprised by the fact that immune and stress genes were downregulated in the brains of the isolated ants.

Adoption of green infrastructure tracked Posted: 07 Apr 2021 10:57 AM PDT Researchers examined green infrastructure (GI) adoption in Tucson, Arizona, an interesting case study where grassroots efforts have driven policy change in a growing urban area surrounded by water-constrained desert. GI is slowly transitioning from a fringe activity to an important part of how municipalities deal with water and climate change. Tucson provides a peek into the future of GI in the Southwest and the country.

Genome sequencing reveals a new species of bumblebee Posted: 07 Apr 2021 10:57 AM PDT While studying genetic diversity in bumblebees in the Rocky Mountains, USA, researchers discovered a new species. They named it Bombus incognitus.

Scientists discover two new species of ancient, burrowing mammal ancestors Posted: 07 Apr 2021 10:57 AM PDT Paleontologists have discovered two new species of mammal-like, burrowing animals that lived about 120 million years ago in what is now northeastern China. The new species are distantly related but independently evolved traits to support their digging lifestyle. They represent the first 'scratch-diggers' discovered in this ecosystem.

Junctions between three cells serve as gateways for the transport of substances Posted: 07 Apr 2021 10:57 AM PDT Developmental biologists have discovered that during egg development in fruit flies, intercellular gaps open between epithelial cells in a controlled way at the points where three cells meet. This process allows yolk proteins to be transported into the egg cell.

Coral predators exert a much larger influence on young coral than expected Posted: 07 Apr 2021 10:57 AM PDT You might not think an animal made out of stone would have much to worry about in the way of predators, and that's largely what scientists had thought about coral. Although corallivores like parrotfish and pufferfish are well known to biologists, their impact on coral growth and survival was believed to be small compared to factors like heatwaves, ocean acidification and competition from algae.

Red deer have personality and it is related to their dominance behavior Posted: 07 Apr 2021 09:40 AM PDT An international team of researchers has studied individual differences in the behavior of red deer. They found that several observed behaviors form a personality component, which they labelled 'Confidence/Aggressiveness'.

Robots can be more aware of human co-workers, with system that provides context Posted: 07 Apr 2021 09:40 AM PDT A new context-aware system for robots is ready for implementation on the factory floor. A recent study shows the system is more efficient because it can recognize co-workers and their body shapes, and even predict their movements.

800-year-old medieval pottery fragments reveal Jewish dietary practices Posted: 07 Apr 2021 09:22 AM PDT Archaeologists have found the first evidence of a religious diet locked inside pottery fragments excavated from the early medieval Jewish community.

Genomes of the earliest Europeans Posted: 07 Apr 2021 09:22 AM PDT Ancient genomes shed new light on the earliest Europeans and their relationships with Neanderthals.

Losing weight through exercise Posted: 07 Apr 2021 09:22 AM PDT Worldwide 39 percent of the adults were overweight in 2016, according to statistics of the World Health Organization. Concurrently millions of people want to lose weight. One way to do this is exercising. But what influence does sport have on (direct) eating habits?

Fetus in bishop's coffin was probably his grandson Posted: 07 Apr 2021 08:58 AM PDT Bishop Peder Winstrup died in 1679, and is one of the most well-preserved human bodies from the 1600s. Researchers may now have solved the mystery of why a fetus was hidden in his coffin in Lund Cathedral. DNA from the bishop and the fetus, along with kinship analyses, has shown that the child was probably the bishop's own grandson.

First transiting exoplanet's 'chemical fingerprint' reveals its distant birthplace Posted: 07 Apr 2021 08:42 AM PDT Astronomers have found evidence that the first exoplanet that was identified transiting its star could have migrated to a close orbit with its star from its original birthplace further away.

Neanderthal ancestry identifies oldest modern human genome Posted: 07 Apr 2021 08:42 AM PDT Researchers analyzed the genome of an almost complete skull first discovered in Czechia in the early 1950s and now stored in the National Museum in Prague. The segments of Neanderthal DNA in its genome were longer than those of the Ust'-Ishim individual from Siberia, the previous oldest modern human sequenced, suggesting modern humans lived in the heart of Europe more than 45,000 years ago.

The muon's magnetic moment fits just fine Posted: 07 Apr 2021 08:41 AM PDT A new estimation of the strength of the magnetic field around the muon -- a sub-atomic particle similar to, but heavier than, an electron -- closes the gap between theory and experimental measurements, bringing it in line with the standard model that has guided particle physics for decades.

First images of cells exposed to COVID-19 vaccine reveal native-like coronavirus spikes Posted: 07 Apr 2021 08:41 AM PDT New research has for the first time compared images of the protein spikes that develop on the surface of cells exposed to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to the protein spike of the SARS-CoV-19 coronavirus. The images show that the spikes are highly similar to those of the virus and support the modified adenovirus used in the vaccine as a leading platform to combat COVID-19.

Grass rings: How the spinifex got its hole Posted: 07 Apr 2021 08:04 AM PDT Researchers have long been curious about the striking growth form of spinifex and now scientists say soil microbes are the answer.

Early indicators of magma viscosity could help forecast a volcano's eruption style Posted: 07 Apr 2021 08:04 AM PDT The properties of the magma inside a volcano affect how an eruption will play out. In particular, the viscosity of this molten rock is a major factor in influencing how hazardous an eruption could be for nearby communities. But it usually only quantified well after an eruption. New work identifies an indicator of magma viscosity that can be measured before an eruption. This could help scientists and emergency managers understand possible patterns of future eruptions.

New proposal for the management of low back pain with a proprioceptive approach Posted: 07 Apr 2021 08:04 AM PDT Low back pain in the elderly is the result of poor 'proprioception,' or the body's ability to perceive its own position in space, caused by a deterioration of sensory receptors in their muscles called proprioceptors. In a new study, researchers demonstrate a protocol for the management of low back pain by diagnosing and activating impaired proprioceptors with localized vibratory stimulations, crowning an approach that can enable elderly people to lead better lives.

Scientists develop eco-friendly pollen sponge to tackle water contaminants Posted: 07 Apr 2021 08:04 AM PDT Scientists have created a reusable, biodegradable sponge that can readily soak up oil and other organic solvents from contaminated water sources, making it a promising alternative for tackling marine oil spills. Made of sunflower pollen, the sponge is hydrophobic thanks to its coat of natural fatty acid. In lab experiments, the scientists showed the sponge's ability to absorb oil contaminants of various densities, such as gasoline and motor oil, at a rate comparable to that of commercial oil absorbents.

Nanoparticles reveal their location via mirror SELFI Posted: 07 Apr 2021 06:44 AM PDT A team of researchers has shown that fluorescent nanoparticles placed near a mirror generate unique patterns that can be used to pinpoint their location.

Aquatic ecosystems source of half of global methane emissions Posted: 07 Apr 2021 06:32 AM PDT Methane emissions from aquatic ecosystems are potentially a larger source of methane than direct anthropogenic methane sources, such as agriculture or fossil fuel combustion. Aquatic ecosystems and wetlands contribute at least as much as half of the total methane emissions budget.

Eucalyptus trees can be genetically modified not to invade native ecosystems Posted: 07 Apr 2021 06:32 AM PDT Eucalyptus, a pest-resistant evergreen valued for its hardy lumber and wellness-promoting oil, can be genetically modified not to reproduce sexually, a key step toward preventing the global tree plantation staple from invading native ecosystems.

An amyloid link between Parkinson's disease and melanoma Posted: 07 Apr 2021 05:36 AM PDT On the surface, Parkinson's disease and melanoma do not appear to have much in common. However, for nearly 50 years, doctors have recognized that Parkinson's disease patients are more likely to develop melanoma than the general population. Now, scientists report a molecular link between the two diseases in the form of protein aggregates known as amyloids.

We don't know how most mammals will respond to climate change, warn scientists Posted: 07 Apr 2021 05:36 AM PDT A new scientific review has found there are significant gaps in our knowledge of how mammal populations are responding to climate change, particularly in regions most sensitive to climate change.

Do school-based interventions help improve reading and math in at-risk children? Posted: 07 Apr 2021 05:36 AM PDT School-based interventions that target students with, or at risk of, academic difficulties in kindergarten to grade 6 have positive effects on reading and mathematics, according to a new article.

Scientists harness chaos to protect devices from hackers Posted: 07 Apr 2021 05:36 AM PDT Researchers have found a way to use chaos to help develop digital fingerprints for electronic devices that may be unique enough to foil even the most sophisticated hackers. Just how unique are these fingerprints? The researchers believe it would take longer than the lifetime of the universe to test for every possible combination available.

Gut microbiome plays role in autism, study finds Posted: 06 Apr 2021 10:20 AM PDT A new study has demonstrated that autism spectrum disorder is related to changes in the gut microbiome.

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