ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Highest-resolution measurements of asteroid surface temperatures ever obtained from Earth
• A more complete molecular picture of lung squamous cell carcinoma comes into view
• This touchy-feely glove senses and maps tactile stimuli
• Scientists discover inherited neurodegenerative disease in monkeys
• Decades of research brings quantum dots to brink of widespread use
• Ovarian cancer: Potential therapeutic target identified
• All in your head: Exploring human-body communications with binaural hearing aids
• Researchers discover new factor in preventing phenylketonuria, offering new treatment strategy
• Corn’s genetic diversity on display in new genome study
• Wearable technology can help in at-home assessment of myoclonic jerks
• Brain-inspired highly scalable neuromorphic hardware
• Astonishing diversity: Semiconductor nanoparticles form numerous structures
• New findings about cancer cell growth may hold promise for future cancer treatments
• Lab-grown beating heart cells identify potential drug to prevent COVID-19-related heart damage
• Lunar samples solve mystery of the moon's supposed magnetic shield
• Vitamin D reduces the need for opioids in palliative cancer
• NASA's TESS tunes into an all-sky 'symphony' of red giant stars
• Retinoblastoma resource: Researchers create more accurate research model
• Quantum crystal could be a new dark matter sensor
• Leaping squirrels! Parkour is one of their many feats of agility
• Cytokine increases production of 'beige fat' to burn more cellular energy
• Fasting may help ward off infections, study in mice suggests
• Bacteria navigate on surfaces using a 'sense of touch'
• Using two CRISPR enzymes, a COVID diagnostic in only 20 minutes
• Researchers develop a new AI-powered tool to identify and recommend jobs
• Women, early-career academics more likely to feel like 'impostors' in disciplines that prize brilliance, study finds
• Solving solar puzzle could help save Earth from planet-wide blackouts
• Up to 85 per cent of historical salmon habitat lost in Lower Fraser region
• Food or sex? Fruit flies give insight into decision-making
• New mothers’ sleep loss linked to accelerated aging
• Neural network model shows why people with autism read facial expressions differently
• Trial tests new technique to manage mood swings within bipolar disorder
• Bee competitive: Research reveals the impact of natural selection on nectar supply and demand
• Mixing a cocktail of topology and magnetism for future electronics
• Scientists mail freeze-dried mouse sperm on a postcard
• Scientists ID enzyme for making key industrial chemical in plants
• Crop farmers face new disease pressures as climate changes
• New method opens the door to efficient genome writing in bacteria
• Achieving equitable access to energy in a changing climate
• Major Atlantic ocean current system might be approaching critical threshold
• Sticky toes unlock life in the trees
• No signs of brain injury post-acute COVID-19, study finds
• Ocean world: Rocky exoplanet has just half the mass of Venus
• Researchers track how microbiome bacteria adapt to humans via transmission
• Reducing antibiotic use in primary care may be insufficient alone to curtail antimicrobial resistance
• Microplastics in Arctic ecosystem discovered
• Driving lessons: Study finds road safety campaigns tied to fewer traffic-deaths
• Muscle protein that makes vertebrates more fit linked to limited lifespan
• Research shows many with mild COVID-19 infections still experience long-term symptoms
• Full-dose blood thinners reduce the need for organ support in moderately ill COVID-19 patients, but not in critically ill patients

Highest-resolution measurements of asteroid surface temperatures ever obtained from Earth Posted: 05 Aug 2021 03:07 PM PDT A close examination of the millimeter-wavelength emissions from the asteroid Psyche, which NASA intends to visit in 2026, has produced the first temperature map of the object, providing new insight into its surface properties. The findings are a step toward resolving the mystery of the origin of this unusual object, which has been thought by some to be a chunk of the core of an ill-fated protoplanet.

A more complete molecular picture of lung squamous cell carcinoma comes into view Posted: 05 Aug 2021 03:06 PM PDT Researchers have developed the largest and most comprehensive molecular map to date of the lung cancer subtype lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). Their effort brings proteomic, transcriptomic, and genomic data together into a detailed 'proteogenomic' view of LSCC. Analysis of that data has revealed potential new drug targets, immune regulation pathways that might help the cancer evade immunotherapies, and even a new molecular subtype of LSCC.

This touchy-feely glove senses and maps tactile stimuli Posted: 05 Aug 2021 03:06 PM PDT A new tactile glove could help regain motor function after stroke and enhance virtual gaming experiences.

Scientists discover inherited neurodegenerative disease in monkeys Posted: 05 Aug 2021 03:06 PM PDT Scientists have identified a naturally occurring mutation in nonhuman primates that closely resembles a rare neurodegenerative disease in people. The discovery could lead to the development of new therapies to treat Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease and is the latest in a trove of discoveries made possible by a massive genomic database.

Decades of research brings quantum dots to brink of widespread use Posted: 05 Aug 2021 12:47 PM PDT A new article gives an overview of almost three decades of research into colloidal quantum dots, assesses the technological progress for these nanometer-sized specs of semiconductor matter, and weighs the remaining challenges on the path to widespread commercialization for this promising technology with applications in everything from TVs to highly efficient sunlight collectors.

Ovarian cancer: Potential therapeutic target identified Posted: 05 Aug 2021 12:47 PM PDT A gene called DOT1L appears to play a role in progression and severity of ovarian cancer, and inhibitors of the DOT1L enzyme may offer a new therapeutic approach for the disease, researchers say in a new study. The need is clear -- despite decades of work to develop new treatment modalities, the five-year survival of patients with advanced ovarian cancer is between 10 and 30 percent.

All in your head: Exploring human-body communications with binaural hearing aids Posted: 05 Aug 2021 12:06 PM PDT Wearable technology seems all poised to take over next-generation electronics, yet most wireless communication techniques are not up to the task. To tackle this issue, scientists have delved deep into human-body communications, in which human tissue is used as the transmission medium for electromagnetic signals. Their findings pave the way to more efficient and safer head-worn devices, such as binaural hearing aids and earphones.

Researchers discover new factor in preventing phenylketonuria, offering new treatment strategy Posted: 05 Aug 2021 11:12 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a critical new factor in regulating metabolism of the amino acid phenylalanine and, therefore, in preventing the inherited metabolic disorder phenylketonuria. The research suggests a possible avenue for new treatments.

Corn’s genetic diversity on display in new genome study Posted: 05 Aug 2021 11:12 AM PDT A new study details the genomes of 26 lines of corn from across the globe. The genomes can help scientists piece together the puzzle of corn genetics. Using these new genomes as references, plant scientists can better select for genes likely to lead to better crop yields or stress tolerance.

Wearable technology can help in at-home assessment of myoclonic jerks Posted: 05 Aug 2021 11:11 AM PDT A new study shows that wearable sensor technology can be used to reliably assess the occurrence of myoclonic jerks in patients with epilepsy also in the home environment.

Brain-inspired highly scalable neuromorphic hardware Posted: 05 Aug 2021 11:11 AM PDT Researchers fabricated a brain-inspired highly scalable neuromorphic hardware by co-integrating single transistor neurons and synapses. Using standard silicon complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology, the neuromorphic hardware is expected to reduce chip cost and simplify fabrication procedures.

Astonishing diversity: Semiconductor nanoparticles form numerous structures Posted: 05 Aug 2021 11:11 AM PDT The structure adopted by lead sulphide nanoparticles changes surprisingly often as they assemble to form ordered superlattices. This is revealed by an experimental study that has been conducted at DESY's X-ray source PETRA III.

New findings about cancer cell growth may hold promise for future cancer treatments Posted: 05 Aug 2021 11:11 AM PDT For a cell to grow and divide, it needs to produce new proteins. This also applies to cancer cells. Researchers have now investigated the protein eIF4A3 and its role in the growth of cancer cells. The study shows that by blocking or reducing the production of this protein, other processes arise that cause the growth and cell division of cancer cells to cease and eventually die.

Lab-grown beating heart cells identify potential drug to prevent COVID-19-related heart damage Posted: 05 Aug 2021 11:11 AM PDT Scientists have grown beating heart cells in the lab and shown how they are vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection. In a new study, they used this system to show that an experimental peptide drug called DX600 can prevent the virus entering the heart cells.

Lunar samples solve mystery of the moon's supposed magnetic shield Posted: 05 Aug 2021 11:11 AM PDT Tests of glass samples gathered on Apollo missions show magnetization may result from impacts of objects like meteors, not as a result of magnetization from the presence of a magnetic shield.

Vitamin D reduces the need for opioids in palliative cancer Posted: 05 Aug 2021 11:11 AM PDT Patients with vitamin D deficiency who received vitamin D supplements had a reduced need for pain relief and lower levels of fatigue in palliative cancer treatment, a randomized and placebo-controlled study shows.

NASA's TESS tunes into an all-sky 'symphony' of red giant stars Posted: 05 Aug 2021 11:11 AM PDT Using observations from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), astronomers have identified an unprecedented collection of pulsating red giant stars all across the sky. These stars, whose rhythms arise from internal sound waves, provide the opening chords of a symphonic exploration of our galactic neighborhood.

Retinoblastoma resource: Researchers create more accurate research model Posted: 05 Aug 2021 11:11 AM PDT Scientists have created a model of the rare pediatric eye cancer that more closely mimics the biology of patient tumors.

Quantum crystal could be a new dark matter sensor Posted: 05 Aug 2021 11:11 AM PDT Physicists have linked together, or 'entangled,' the mechanical motion and electronic properties of a tiny blue crystal, giving it a quantum edge in measuring electric fields with record sensitivity that may enhance understanding of the universe.

Leaping squirrels! Parkour is one of their many feats of agility Posted: 05 Aug 2021 11:11 AM PDT Biologists tested free-ranging squirrels to determine how quickly they adapt to the bendiness of their launching branch in order to successfully land. The squirrels learned within a few trials to leap no matter how bendy, but have a failsafe to stick the landing: claws. They also innovated, bounding off vertical surfaces to extend their range, just as parkouring humans. Incorporating such control could improve robot agility.

Cytokine increases production of 'beige fat' to burn more cellular energy Posted: 05 Aug 2021 11:11 AM PDT An immune signal promotes the production of energy-burning 'beige fat,' according to a new study. The finding may lead to new ways to reduce obesity and treat metabolic disorders.

Fasting may help ward off infections, study in mice suggests Posted: 05 Aug 2021 11:06 AM PDT Fasting before and during exposure to Salmonella enterica bacteria protects mice from developing a full-blown infection, in part due to changes in the animals' gut microbiomes, according to new research.

Bacteria navigate on surfaces using a 'sense of touch' Posted: 05 Aug 2021 11:00 AM PDT Researchers have characterized a mechanism that allows bacteria to direct their movement in response to the mechanical properties of the surfaces the microbes move on -- a finding that could help fight certain pathogens.

Using two CRISPR enzymes, a COVID diagnostic in only 20 minutes Posted: 05 Aug 2021 10:38 AM PDT Today's gold standard for COVID diagnostics is qRT-PCR, but turnaround is typically more than a day. Newer assays using CRISPR enzymes require initial amplification of RNA, requiring special equipment not available in doctors' offices, workplaces, etc. By combining two different CRISPR-Cas enzymes -- Cas13 and Csm6 -- researchers have created a point of care diagnostic that provides results in under an hour, often in 20 minutes.

Researchers develop a new AI-powered tool to identify and recommend jobs Posted: 05 Aug 2021 09:46 AM PDT Researchers have developed a machine learning-based method that can identify and recommend jobs to workers looking for a new role.

Women, early-career academics more likely to feel like 'impostors' in disciplines that prize brilliance, study finds Posted: 05 Aug 2021 09:46 AM PDT The more an academic discipline is perceived to require raw talent or 'brilliance' for success, the more both women and early-career academics feel professionally inadequate -- like 'impostors' -- finds a new study of U.S. academics by a team of psychology researchers.

Solving solar puzzle could help save Earth from planet-wide blackouts Posted: 05 Aug 2021 08:55 AM PDT Understanding the Sun's magnetic dynamo could help predict solar weather, such as potentially dangerous geothermal storms, solar flares and sunspots. Mathematicians have proposed a new model of the Sun that matches observed data.

Up to 85 per cent of historical salmon habitat lost in Lower Fraser region Posted: 05 Aug 2021 08:55 AM PDT For perhaps the first time ever, researchers have mapped out the true extent of habitat loss for salmon in the Lower Fraser River, one of the most important spawning and rearing grounds for Pacific salmon in B.C. Salmon have lost access to as much as 85 per cent of their historical floodplain habitat -- the biologically rich wetlands next to a river or stream that typically harbor wildlife -- due to dikes and similar infrastructure, say researchers.

Food or sex? Fruit flies give insight into decision-making Posted: 05 Aug 2021 08:55 AM PDT Individuals are likely to prioritize food over sex after being deprived of both, according to researchers who studied this behavioral conflict in fruit flies.  A new study pinpointed the precise neuronal impulses triggered in flies' brains when faced with the critical choices of feeding or mating.

New mothers’ sleep loss linked to accelerated aging Posted: 05 Aug 2021 08:55 AM PDT When new mothers complain that all those sleepless nights caring for their newborns are taking years off their life, they just might be right. A year after giving birth, the 'biological age' of mothers who slept less than seven hours a night at the six-month mark was three to seven years older than those who logged seven hours or more, the scientists report.

Neural network model shows why people with autism read facial expressions differently Posted: 05 Aug 2021 08:54 AM PDT People with autism spectrum disorder interpret facial expressions differently. Researchers have revealed more about how this comes to be. They induced abnormalities into a neural network model to explore the effects on the brain's learning development.

Trial tests new technique to manage mood swings within bipolar disorder Posted: 05 Aug 2021 08:54 AM PDT Researchers have conducted a new trial to identify how an existing psychological therapy can be adapted to help people cope with and manage frequent bipolar mood swings.

Bee competitive: Research reveals the impact of natural selection on nectar supply and demand Posted: 05 Aug 2021 08:54 AM PDT Theoretical research indicates that natural selection will increase existing seasonal imbalances between the supply of nectar from flowers and the demand from bees and other insects.

Mixing a cocktail of topology and magnetism for future electronics Posted: 05 Aug 2021 08:54 AM PDT A new review throws the spotlight on heterostructures of topological insulators and magnetic materials, where the interplay of magnetism and topology can give rise to exotic quantum phenomena that are promising building blocks for future low-power electronics. Provided suitable candidate materials are found, a 'cocktail' of topological physics and magnetism could produce these key states at room temperature and without any magnetic field, making them a viable ultra-low energy alternative to current, CMOS electronics.

Scientists mail freeze-dried mouse sperm on a postcard Posted: 05 Aug 2021 08:54 AM PDT Scientists no longer have to worry about their bottles of mouse sperm breaking in transit. Researchers have developed a way to freeze dry sperm on a plastic sheet in weighing paper so that samples can withstand being mailed via postcard. This method allows for mouse sperm to be transported easily, inexpensively, and without the risk of glass cases breaking.

Scientists ID enzyme for making key industrial chemical in plants Posted: 05 Aug 2021 08:54 AM PDT Scientists studying the biochemistry of plant cell walls have identified an enzyme that could turn woody poplar trees into a source for producing a major industrial chemical. The research could lead to a new sustainable pathway for making "p-hydroxybenzoic acid," a chemical building block currently derived from fossil fuels, in plant biomass.

Crop farmers face new disease pressures as climate changes Posted: 05 Aug 2021 08:54 AM PDT Climate change will increase the burden of crop diseases in some parts of the world and reduce it in others, new research suggests.

New method opens the door to efficient genome writing in bacteria Posted: 05 Aug 2021 08:54 AM PDT Biological engineers have devised a way to program memories into bacterial cells by rewriting their DNA. The new DNA writing technique, which the researchers call HiSCRIBE, is much more efficient than previously developed systems for editing DNA in bacteria.

Achieving equitable access to energy in a changing climate Posted: 05 Aug 2021 08:54 AM PDT Access to modern, reliable, and affordable energy services is a must for development and ensuring a decent quality of life. Researchers used a novel bottom-up approach to analyze how access to energy services may evolve over time under different scenarios of socioeconomic growth and policy scenarios that meet climate mitigation goals.

Major Atlantic ocean current system might be approaching critical threshold Posted: 05 Aug 2021 08:54 AM PDT A major Atlantic ocean current -- the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC -- may have been losing stability in the course of the last century, according to new research. A potential collapse of this ocean current system could have severe consequences.

Sticky toes unlock life in the trees Posted: 05 Aug 2021 07:45 AM PDT Biologists analyzed data from 2,600 lizard species worldwide and discovered that, while hundreds of different types of lizards have independently evolved arboreal lifestyles, species that possessed sticky toepads prevailed.

No signs of brain injury post-acute COVID-19, study finds Posted: 05 Aug 2021 07:45 AM PDT A recent study has shown that all participants achieve normalization of CNS injury biomarkers, regardless of previous disease severity or persistent neurological symptoms, indicating that post-COVID-19 neurological sequalae are not due to active brain injury.

Ocean world: Rocky exoplanet has just half the mass of Venus Posted: 05 Aug 2021 06:08 AM PDT A team of astronomers have shed new light on planets around a nearby star, L 98-59, that resemble those in the inner Solar System. Amongst the findings are a planet with half the mass of Venus -- the lightest exoplanet ever to be measured using the radial velocity technique -- an ocean world, and a possible planet in the habitable zone.

Researchers track how microbiome bacteria adapt to humans via transmission Posted: 04 Aug 2021 06:01 PM PDT New research has shed light on how transmission of gut bacteria influences its evolution and functions.

Reducing antibiotic use in primary care may be insufficient alone to curtail antimicrobial resistance Posted: 04 Aug 2021 06:01 PM PDT Strategies to reduce antibiotic prescribing in primary care are insufficient alone to halt the rise in drug resistant E. coli infections in England, a new report concludes.

Microplastics in Arctic ecosystem discovered Posted: 04 Aug 2021 06:01 PM PDT Around the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, rhodoliths made up of coralline red algae provide ecological niches for a wide variety of organisms. A team of researchers has recently discovered a large quantity of microplastics in this ecosystem.

Driving lessons: Study finds road safety campaigns tied to fewer traffic-deaths Posted: 04 Aug 2021 06:01 PM PDT Amid poor worldwide road safety despite the United Nations' ambitious goals, a team o researchers sought to quantify the effects of Japan's annual road safety campaigns. These 10-day campaigns have been held twice yearly since 1952. The researchers acquired monthly road death data for 1949--2019 and modeled these 71 years of numbers. They found a 2.5% reduction in daily road deaths in 1952--2019 in the campaign months.

Muscle protein that makes vertebrates more fit linked to limited lifespan Posted: 04 Aug 2021 06:01 PM PDT Researchers say they have added to evidence that a protein called CaMKII improves strength, endurance, muscle health and fitness in young animals. Their experiments working with mice and fruit flies, however, found that the gene for CaMKII also contributes to an evolutionary tradeoff: increased susceptibility to age-associated diseases, frailty and mortality.

Research shows many with mild COVID-19 infections still experience long-term symptoms Posted: 04 Aug 2021 06:01 PM PDT Data from a University of Arizona Health Sciences longitudinal study on COVID-19 shows that 67 percent of people with mild or moderate COVID-19 infection develop long COVID, with symptoms that last more than 30 days after a positive test.

Full-dose blood thinners reduce the need for organ support in moderately ill COVID-19 patients, but not in critically ill patients Posted: 04 Aug 2021 06:01 PM PDT A large clinical trial conducted worldwide shows that treating moderately ill hospitalized COVID-19 patients with a full-dose blood thinner reduced their need for organ support, such as mechanical ventilation, and improved their chances of leaving the hospital. However, the use of this treatment strategy for critically ill COVID-19 patients requiring intensive care did not result in the same outcomes.

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