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ScienceDaily -- the Internet's premier science news web site -- brings you the latest discoveries in science, health & medicine, the environment, space, technology, and computers, from the world's leading universities and research institutions. Updated several times a day, Science Daily also offers free search of its archive of more than 80,000 stories, as well as related articles, images, videos, books, and journal references in hundreds of different topics, including astronomy, biology, chemistry, engineering, geology, mathematics, physics, and more.
The new air-powered hand provides a lightweight, low-maintenance and easy-to-use body-powered prosthetic option particularly well suited for children and those in low and middle-income countries.
Genetic mutations which cause a debilitating hereditary kidney disease affecting children and young adults have been fixed in patient-derived kidney cells using a potentially game-changing DNA repair-kit.
Warmer oceans can lead to large amounts of methane being released from the seabeds, which may amplify climate warming. A new study develops a method to understand the role of microorganisms in increasing emissions of methane from seabeds.
A research team has succeeded in automating an established method for the gentle, artifact-avoiding isolation of volatile food ingredients. As the team's current comparative study now shows, automated solvent-assisted flavor evaporation (aSAFE) offers significant advantages over the manual process. It achieves higher yields on average and reduces the risk of contamination by nonvolatile substances.
An archaeological study has determined that cowrie-shell artifacts found throughout the Mariana Islands were lures used for hunting octopuses and that the devices, similar versions of which have been found on islands across the Pacific, are the oldest known artifacts of their kind in the world.
In a new study, researchers have combined their efforts to develop an instrument that can be clipped on to a smartphone to rapidly test for Zika virus in a single droplet of blood.
Researchers find that stem cells in the developing brain of modern humans take longer to divide and make fewer errors when distributing their chromosomes to their daughter cells, compared to those of Neanderthals.
Being exposed to work requirements in order to receive food stamps from the U.S. government significantly increased use of mental health care resources for depression and anxiety, a new study has found. The policy's negative effects occurred much sooner for women than men.
The crucial role of insects in the pollination of flowering plants is well known, but algal fertilization assisted by marine animals was hitherto deemed non-existent. A team has now discovered that small crustaceans known as idoteas contribute to the reproductive cycle of the red alga Gracilaria gracilis. The scientists' findings suggest that animal-mediated fertilization is much older than once thought.
Over the past 21 years of opioid overdose deaths, geography has played a role in where they have occurred, reports a new study. But the coming wave will not discriminate between rural and urban areas, the study findings suggest. Every type of county -- from the most rural to the most urban -- is predicted to see dramatic increases in deaths from opioid-involved overdoses.
By taking into account the demographics and preferences of US racial groups, clarified through a nationally representative survey of 3,000 US residents, researchers have created a 'desirable' electricity generation mix for 2050 that includes 50% more energy from renewables than current projections. Combining such bottom-up input with top-down energy system goals set by policymakers could help meet both the needs and preferences of the population along with emission and climate goals.
New research shows that a decline in a person's sense of smell over time predicts their loss of cognitive function and can foretell structural changes in regions of the brain that are important in Alzheimer's disease and dementia. The findings could lead to the development of smell-test screening to detect cognitive impairment earlier in patients.
New research finds that specific parts of the brain recognize complex cues in human vocal sounds that do not involve speech, such as crying, coughing or gasping. Insights into the organization of the brain voice-recognition system will enable researchers to better understand neurological disorders where voice perception is altered or missing and even help create better voice assistant devices.
Botanists suggest that the frilly lip of the white egret orchid evolved as a stabilizer for the hawkmoth while it pollinates the plant, resulting in better seed production.
People who live in socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods are about 20 percent less likely to conceive in any given menstrual cycle compared with people living in neighborhoods with more resources, a recent study found.
Researchers have found the development of the frontal sinus was affected more by sexual dimorphism than the ancestry of the individual and that it was the interplay between those two factors that produced the most significant variation.
Similar to humans, chimpanzees use communication to coordinate their cooperative behavior -- such as during hunting. When chimpanzees produce a specific vocalization, known as the 'hunting bark', they recruit more group members to the hunt and capture their prey more effectively, researchers have now shown.
A new study indicates that decarbonization pathways should incorporate more efficient electric heating technologies and more renewable energy sources to minimize strain on the U.S. electric grid during peaks in electricity usage from heating in the winter.
A novel bioremediation technology for cleaning up per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, chemical pollutants that threaten human health and ecosystem sustainability, has been developed. The material has potential for commercial application for disposing of PFAS, also known as 'forever chemicals.'
Researchers have combined data simulation and experimental observation to bridge a gap between two major properties of large-scale organization of the human brain -- stationary and traveling waves of activity.
The benefit of dietary fiber isn't just the easier pooping that advertisers tout. Fermentable fiber is an essential source of nutrients that your gut microbes and cells of the intestines need to stay healthy. Study participants who had been eating the least amount of fiber before being fed three different kinds of fiber supplement showed the greatest benefit from supplements, regardless of which ones they consumed.
Using organoids to model early development, researchers used an emerging microscopy technology to see that new neurons struggled to reach their developmental destination.
Researchers have identified highly ionized species of the famous soccer ball-shaped 'Buckminsterfullerene' C60 molecule as plausible carriers of at least some of the most prominent and enigmatic Unidentified Infrared Emission (UIE) bands that have challenged astronomers since they were first discovered and studied over 30 years ago.
A University of Washington team created a new tool that can design a 3D-printable passive gripper and calculate the best path to pick up an object. The team tested this system on a suite of 22 objects -- including a 3D-printed bunny, a doorstop-shaped wedge, a tennis ball and a drill.
New research warns that climate impacts will significantly affect twelve economically and culturally important species that make their home in the California Current marine ecosystem (CCME) over the next 80 years.
A team of researchers has developed a water-activated disposable paper battery. The researchers suggest that it could be used to power a wide range of low-power, single-use disposable electronics -- such as smart labels for tracking objects, environmental sensors and medical diagnostic devices -- and minimize their environmental impact.
Health care facilities in Black metropolitan counties, Hispanic rural counties and hardest-hit counties were less likely to administer COVID-19 vaccines during initial rollout, a new study finds.
Researchers estimate the probability of getting COVID-19 on an airplane in the first year of the pandemic surpassed 1 in 1,000 on a totally full flight lasting two hours.
Bacteria and other unicellular organisms developed sophisticated ways to actively navigate their way, despite being comparably simple structures. To reveal these mechanisms, researchers used oil droplets as a model for biological microswimmers. Biologists investigated the navigation strategies of microswimmers in several studies: how they navigate against the current in narrow channels, how they mutually affect their movement, and how they collectively start rotating in order to move.
In severe COVID-19 patients, the metabolism produces insufficient amounts of certain energy-rich compounds called ketone bodies. However, these energy carriers are needed by two important cell types in the immune system in order to fight the virus effectively. Perhaps this finding explains why some people fall ill so much more severely than others. A new study at least points in this direction. The results also give hope for new therapies.
Advancing the potential applications of photoplethysmography, an optical technique used to measure heart rate, in cardiovascular and mental health monitoring requires the analysis of complex nonlinear data from photoplethysmograms (PPGs). Circumventing traditional analytical methods of resolving the complex and dynamic PPG signals, researchers have used nonlinear analysis to determine the accuracy of dynamical features estimated using short PPG signals.
Engineers designed an adhesive patch that produces ultrasound images of the body. The stamp-sized device sticks to skin and can provide continuous ultrasound imaging of internal organs for 48 hours.
Researchers have developed an AI algorithm that accurately and quickly diagnoses idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease. The algorithm makes its diagnosis based only on information from non-invasive examinations, including lung images and medical information collected during daily medical care.
Researchers took a closer look at the current debate over the origin of enzymatic catalytic power and proposes a mechanism that unites the opposing theories.
In the first year of the pandemic, San Francisco and other communities in California offered private hotel rooms, three meals a day and on-site medical services to homeless people who were at risk of getting severe COVID-19.
Previously, it has been impossible to capture the high-resolution images of nitrogenase, the only enzyme capable of reducing nitrogen into ammonia, during catalytic action. Now researchers report near-atomic-resolution snapshots of nitrogenase during catalysis using cryogenic electron microscopy.
An advanced form of cardiac MRI has for the first-time enabled clinicians to measure the effectiveness of chemotherapy in patients with the life-limiting condition 'stiff heart syndrome'.
Researchers have created protonic programmable resistors -- the building blocks of analog deep learning systems -- that can process data 1 million times faster than the synapses in the human brain. These ultrafast, low-energy resistors could enable analog deep learning systems that can train new and more powerful neural networks rapidly, which could then be used for novel applications in areas like self-driving cars, fraud detection, and health care.
The movement of elephants through wildlife corridors is directly impacted by differing forms of human pressures and development, new research shows. The study takes an in-depth look at how varying land-use affects elephants and their use of wildlife corridors.
Restoring coastal vegetation -- so called 'blue carbon' habitats -- may not be the nature-based climate solution it is claimed to be, according to a new study. In their analysis researchers challenge the widely held view that restoring areas such as mangroves, saltmarsh and seagrass can remove large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.
New evidence from Antarctica shows that toxic 'fluorinated forever chemicals' have increased markedly in the remote environment in recent decades and scientists believe CFC-replacements could be among likely sources.
It may feel like an anvil hanging over your head, but that looming deadline stressing you out at work may actually be beneficial for your brain, according to new research. The study found that low to moderate levels of stress can help individuals develop resilience and reduce the risk of developing mental health disorders, like depression and antisocial behaviors. Low to moderate stress can also help individuals to cope with future stressful encounters.
To ensure a quick halt, brain circuit architecture avoids a slow process of integration in favor of quicker differentiation, a new neuroscience study finds.
Research has isolated the changes in pain-related brain activity that follow mindfulness training -- pointing a way toward more targeted and precise pain treatment.
The catastrophic debris flow that affected Montecito, Calif., in early January, 2018 was the result of a rare confluence of severe events. The Thomas Fire had been raging for weeks in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and an unusually strong winter storm dumped half an inch of rain in five minutes on the newly-charred hills above the suburban enclave. With the tough vegetation that holds the hillsides in place burned off by the fire, tons of water, silt, burnt plant matter and rocks roared dow
People consistently underestimate how much they would enjoy spending time alone with their own thoughts, without anything to distract them, according to new research.
Scientists have made a major breakthrough in understanding how malaria parasites divide and transmit the disease, which could be a major step forwards in helping to prevent one of the biggest killer infections in the world.
People who reported experiencing discrimination more than once a week early in the pandemic had seventeen-fold increased odds of moderate to severe depressive symptoms and ten-fold increased odds of suicidal ideation, according to a new study.
A gene that researchers discovered is responsible for the deadliest type of brain tumor is also responsible for two forms of childhood cancer, the scientists have found. The discovery may open the door to the first targeted treatments for two types of rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer of the soft tissue that primarily strikes young children.
Using a new imaging technique, researchers have determined that retinal lesions from vitelliform macular dystrophy (VMD) vary by gene mutation. Addressing these differences may be key in designing effective treatments for this and other rare diseases.
The North Pacific Blob, a marine heatwave that began in late 2013 and continued through 2015, was the largest and longest-lasting marine heatwave on record. A new study using data collected by elephant seals reveals that in addition to the well documented surface warming, deeper warm-water anomalies associated with the Blob were much more extensive than previously reported.
New research shows that face shields didn't give high levels of protection against COVID. They were a popular choice of PPE during the pandemic, but until now there hasn't been a great deal of evidence about how protective they really are. Researchers tested 13 styles of face shield in controlled laboratory settings using a 'coughing machine' that ejected fluorescent drops onto manikin heads. They also surveyed more than 600 people, including health care staff, to learn more
Scientists have used neutron scattering to determine whether a specific material's atomic structure could host a novel state of matter called a spiral spin liquid. By tracking tiny magnetic moments known as 'spins' on the honeycomb lattice of a layered iron trichloride magnet, the team found the first 2D system to host a spiral spin liquid.
A team of researchers believe they have identified a cell signaling pathway responsible for the development of esophageal adenocarcinomas, an aggressive form of esophageal cancer that has gradually become more common, even in younger people.
The culprit is what has now been named Klebsiella aerogenes, the McMaster-Queen (MQ) strain, identified in up to 25 per cent of gut microbiota samples from patients with IBS. Researchers examined stool microbiota samples from both Canadian and American patient cohorts.
Inactivity, diets high in sugar and salt, and excess weight account for nine in ten cases of high blood pressure in children and adolescents, according to a consensus paper by heart health. The document, which focuses on hypertension in 6 to 16 year-olds, recommends that families get healthy together.
Constructing a tiny robot from DNA and using it to study cell processes invisible to the naked eye... You would be forgiven for thinking it is science fiction, but it is in fact the subject of serious research. This highly innovative 'nano-robot' should enable closer study of the mechanical forces applied at microscopic levels, which are crucial for many biological and pathological processes.
New research has demonstrated that a novel targeted therapy could be an effective treatment option for a deadly pediatric cancer known as neuroblastoma.
Infants from minoritized racial and ethnic backgrounds who have positive newborn screening tests for cystic fibrosis received their diagnostic follow-up for the disease later than recommended and later than white, non-Hispanic infants, according to a new study.
Researchers have shown a direct link between vagus nerve stimulation and its connection to the learning centers of the brain. The discovery may lead to treatments that will improve cognitive retention in both healthy and injured nervous systems.
A needle-free vaccine patch could better fight COVID-19 variants, such as Omicron and Delta, than a traditional needle vaccine, according to a study in mice.
Despite a federal mandate requiring access to early intervention programs (EIP) for children with disabilities, fewer than half of autistic children in four New Jersey counties received services before 36 months of age, according to a new study.
Coral reefs are home to a spectacular variety of fish. A new study shows that much of this diversity is driven by a relatively recent innovation among bony fish -- feeding by biting prey from surfaces.
Researchers demonstrated a 3D-printed plasma sensor for satellites that works just as well as the expensive semiconductor sensors that take weeks of intricate fabrication in a cleanroom. These durable, precise sensors could be used on CubeSats, which are commonly utilized for environmental monitoring or weather prediction.
Graphene scientists have created a novel 'nano-petri dish' using two-dimensional (2D) materials to create a new method of observing how atoms move in liquid.
Feral horses have roamed freely across the island of Assateague off the coast of Maryland and Virginia for hundreds of years, but exactly how they got there has remained a mystery. In a new study, ancient DNA extracted from a 16th century cow tooth from one of Spain's first Caribbean colonies turns out to be from a horse. Analysis of the DNA suggest that old folk tales claiming that horses were marooned on Assateague following the shipwreck of a Spanish galleon are likely more fact than fic
An international team has successfully implemented an advanced form of quantum cryptography for the first time. Moreover, encryption is independent of the quantum device used and therefore even more secure against hacking attempts.
Although most decisions in life are made by individuals themselves, many are influenced by others such as principals, managers, parents or colleagues. New research finds that women take part in competitive environments more when they are making decisions for other people rather than themselves.
Physical and mental activities, such as household chores, exercise, and visiting with family and friends, may help lower the risk of dementia, according to a new study. The study looked at the effects of these activities, as well as mental activities and use of electronic devices in people both with and without higher genetic risk for dementia.
A new analysis dives into the use of service dogs by U.S. veterans who have posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), illuminating factors and mechanisms that may underlie the mental health effects of these relationships.
Scientists described how their use of cutting-edge technology revealed new insights into cellular reservoirs of HIV and what those observations could mean for the next steps in HIV cure research.
A newly identified 16th century horse specimen is among the oldest domestic horses from the Americas known to date, and its DNA helps clarify the history of horses in the Western Hemisphere, according to a new study.
A method known as quantum key distribution has long held the promise of communication security unattainable in conventional cryptography. An international team of scientists has now demonstrated experimentally, for the first time, an approach to quantum key distribution that is based on high-quality quantum entanglement -- offering much broader security guarantees than previous schemes.
Here's another good reason for kids to participate in organized sports: They can develop the 'grit' that helps them overcome challenges as adults, a new study suggests.
A new study suggests that the link between bats and coronaviruses is likely due to a long-shared history, and that their genetic information can help us prevent and manage future pandemics.
A diet high in sugar and fat such as burgers, fries and fizzy drinks can negatively affect a new mother's breast milk and baby's health even before the child is conceived, a new study has found.
Fossils of small plesiosaurs, long-necked marine reptiles from the age of dinosaurs, have been found in a 100-million year old river system that is now Morocco's Sahara Desert. This discovery suggests some species of plesiosaur, traditionally thought to be sea creatures, may have lived in freshwater.
A new analysis explores relationships between domestic cats' hormone levels, gut microbiomes, and social behaviors, shedding light on how these solitary animals live in high densities.
People who eat the highest amounts of ultra-processed foods like soft drinks, chips and cookies may have a higher risk of developing dementia than those who eat the lowest amounts, according to a new study. Researchers also found that replacing ultra-processed foods in a person's diet with unprocessed or minimally processed foods was associated with a lower risk. The study does not prove that ultra-processed foods cause dementia. It only shows an association.
Whether by the spear or the plow, humans have been homogenizing the mammal communities of North America for 10,000-plus years, says a new analysis of 8,831 fossils representing 365 species.
People with peripheral artery disease, or PAD, who walked for exercise at a pace that induced pain or discomfort increased their walking speed and leg function more than those who walked at a comfortable pace. The findings come from a study examining the effects of home-based walking for exercise among 264 people with PAD.
Researchers report that common genetic variations in one serotonin receptor could be a reason why people with psychiatric conditions, such as depression, respond differently to psychedelic treatments.
Researchers have augmented a physics-based numerical model to investigate and predict areas susceptible to debris flows. This augmented model eventually could be used in an early warning system for people living in high-risk areas, enabling them to evacuate before it's too late. Information from model simulations also could be used to design new infrastructure -- such as diversion bars that deflect fast-moving water away from homes and roads -- for high hazard zones.
The damaging effects of daily, lifelong exposure to the blue light emanating from phones, computers and household fixtures worsen as a person ages, new research suggests. The study involved Drosophila melanogaster, the common fruit fly, an important model organism because of the cellular and developmental mechanisms it shares with other animals and humans.
A dramatic decline in the bee population at fruit farms in New Jersey and Pennsylvania has scientists wondering whether it is a natural phenomenon or a warning about a future threat to the world's food supply.
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