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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.
Researchers have performed a thorough evaluation of four different name recognition tools on popular 40 novels, including A Game of Thrones. Their analyses highlight types of names and texts that are particularly challenging for these tools to identify as well as solutions for mitigating this.
Paleontologists have discovered a new species of meat-eating mammal larger than any big cat stalking the world today. Larger than a polar bear, with a skull as large as that of a rhinoceros and enormous piercing canine teeth, this massive carnivore would have been an intimidating part of the eastern African ecosystems occupied by early apes and monkeys.
A team of researchers has developed a neural network, a form of artificial intelligence, that can read scientific papers and render a plain-English summary in a sentence or two.
Regular infusions of an antibody that blocks the HIV binding site on human immune cells may have suppressed levels of HIV for up to four months in people undergoing a short-term pause in their antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens. Results of the Phase 2, open-label study indicate the antibody, known as UB-421, was safe and did not induce the production of antibody-resistant HIV.
Understanding the ecology and distributions of species in Amazonia is hampered by lack of information about environmental conditions, such as soils. Plant occurrence data are typically more abundant than soil samples in poorly known areas, and researchers have now developed a method that uses both plant and soil data to produce a map of soil properties.
One in five Ontario children and youth suffer from a mental disorder, but less than one-third have had contact with a mental health care provider. A new study included 10,802 children and youth aged four to 17 in 6,537 families. It replicated and expanded on the landmark 1983 Ontario Child Health Study of 3,290 children in 1,869 families.
Biomedical engineers have developed a system that can study 10s to 100s of programmed bacteria within mini-tissues in a dish, condensing study time from months to days. The speed and high throughput of their technology allows for stable growth of bacteria within tumor spheroids and can also be used for other bacteria species and cell types. The team says this study is the first to rapidly screen and characterize bacteria therapies in vitro.
A genetic and computational analysis of birds suggests that the Andean and Atlantic tropical forests, which are now almost a thousand kilometers apart, were connected via the Cerrado in the distant past.
Advanced pancreatic cancer is often symptomless, leading to late diagnosis only after metastases have spread throughout the body. Now, researchers have uncovered the role of a signaling protein, called LIF, that may be the Achilles' heel of pancreatic cancer.
A new study begins to resolve the scale and pace of change during the first phases of animal domestication beyond the Fertile Crescent. To reconstruct this history, the authors turned to an unusual source: urine salts left behind by humans and animals.
Scientists have uncovered fresh insights into how vitamin D affects the immune system and might influence susceptibility to diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
A new learning system improves robots' abilities to mold materials into target shapes and make predictions about interacting with solid objects and liquids. The system, known as a learning-based particle simulator, could give industrial robots a more refined touch -- and it may have fun applications in personal robotics, such as modelling clay shapes or rolling sticky rice for sushi.
Scientists have used the LOFAR radio telescope to study the development of lightning flashes in unprecedented detail. Their work reveals that the negative charges inside a thundercloud are not discharged all in a single flash, but are in part stored alongside the leader channel at Interruptions, inside structures which the researchers have called needles. This may cause a repeated discharge to the ground.
Every heart beat sends blood flowing throughout the human body. While an electrocardiogram uses a contact approach to measure the electrical activity of the heart, a ballistocardiogram is a non-contact way of measuring the mechanical effect of the blood flow through the cardiovascular system.
In the first study to evaluate inhaler technique in children hospitalized for asthma -- the group at highest risk for complications and death from asthma -- researchers found that nearly half of participants demonstrated improper inhaler use, which means they routinely were not taking in the full dose of medication. Adolescents most commonly displayed critical errors in inhaler technique.
Circulation and cellular activity were restored in a pig's brain four hours after its death, a finding that challenges long-held assumptions about the timing and irreversible nature of the cessation of some brain functions after death.
Farmers rely on phosphorus fertilizers to enrich the soil and ensure bountiful harvests, but the world's recoverable reserves of phosphate rocks, from which such fertilizers are produced, are finite and unevenly distributed.
For millions of Australians, each day begins with a hot cup of coffee in order to activate our brains for the working day. The morning coffee run also acts a social lubricant, a creature comfort and, for some, a non-negotiable ritual.
A new study has identified a potential strategy for treating multiple forms of cancerous tumors: targeting a protein that maliciously rewires immune cells and impedes cancer therapies. The researchers showed that inhibiting the protein with an existing compound helped slow or even reject tumors stemming from four cancers.
A traumatic brain injury happens in an instant: a battlefield blast, a car crash, a bad fall. But the effects can last a lifetime -- and can leave the survivor dependent on daily care from their loved ones for decades. Now, a new tool seeks to give a voice to those caregivers, who spend countless hours tending to the daily needs of family members whose moods, thinking and abilities seemed to change overnight.
A scientist has used a form of artificial intelligence known as deep learning to predict the 3D structure of effectively any protein based on its amino acid sequence. This new approach for computationally determining protein structure achieves accuracy comparable to current state-of-the-art methods but at speeds upward of a million times faster.
Adjusting the frequency and dosage of Parkinson's patients' medication is complex. In their 'ON' state they respond positively to medication and in their 'OFF' state symptoms return. Addressing these fluctuations requires a clinical exam, history-taking or a patient's self-report, which are not always practical or reliable. A new technology that combines an algorithm with a senor-based system using wearable motion sensors, automatically, continuously and reliably detects a patient's medication O
To confirm the presence of a planet, it is necessary to wait until it has made one or more revolutions around its star. This can take from a few days for the closest to the star to decades for the furthest away. Only a telescope dedicated to the search for exoplanets can carry out such measurements over such long periods of time, which is the case of the EULER telescope of UNIGE.
New data suggests that oral immunotherapy offered as routine treatment in a hospital or clinic is safe for preschool-aged children with peanut allergies.
An international team of researchers presents the first observations of the development of the skull and brain in the living coelacanth Latimeria chalumnae. Their study provides new insights into the biology of this iconic animal and the evolution of the vertebrate skull.
A team that studies how biological structures such as cactus spines and mantis shrimp appendages puncture living tissue has turned its attention to viper fangs. Specifically, the scientists wanted to know, what physical characteristics contribute to fangs' sharpness and ability to puncture?
An international collaboration has found for the first time that two new epigenetic regulators, TAF5L and TAF6L, maintain self-renewal of embryonic stem cells. The scientists also found that these proteins activate c-Myc (a well-known cancer gene), and its regulatory network. This is the first time scientists have been able to show what these regulators do and how they control gene expression.
Research by a team of the world's leading oceanographers has proposed a new explanation for how the ocean absorbs and stores carbon, solving a riddle that has long puzzled scientists. It's well established that carbon in the atmosphere is absorbed by phytoplankton and transported to the ocean floor as the microscopic organisms die and sink by gravity through the water.
To improve the treatment of children with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), investigators have developed a sophisticated way to analyze the microbial and metabolic contents of the gut. A report describes how a new battery of tests enables researchers to distinguish patients with IBS from healthy children and identifies correlations between certain microbes and metabolites with abdominal pain. With this information, doctors envision tailoring nutritional and targeted therapies that address a child'
Milk is a staple of the human diet, full of key nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins. Cow's milk in particular is one of the most-used dairy products globally, with over 800 million tons produced annually. Today, scientists report a comprehensive, centralized database of all known bovine milk compounds.
Scientists have uncovered a molecular signaling pathway involving Stat3 and Fam3a proteins that regulates how muscle stem cells decide whether to self-renew or differentiate -- an insight that could lead to muscle-boosting therapeutics for muscular dystrophies or age-related muscle decline.
Even thousands of years ago people wore clothing with colorful patterns made from plant and animal-based dyes. Chemists have created new analytical methods to examine textiles from China and Peru that are several thousand years old. They describe their new method that is able to reconstruct the spatial distribution of dyes, and hence the patterns, in textile samples.
Scientists have long known that Earth and Mercury have metallic cores. Like Earth, Mercury's outer core is composed of liquid metal, but there have only been hints that Mercury's innermost core is solid. Now, in a new study, scientists report evidence that Mercury's inner core is indeed solid and that it is very nearly the same size as Earth's solid inner core.
Only about one in four people diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) survive five years after the initial diagnosis. To improve that survival rate, researchers have created an online atlas to identify and classify protein signatures present at AML diagnosis.
Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive compound in cannabis, is being touted as beneficial for many health conditions, ranging from anxiety to epilepsy. Although much more research is needed to verify these claims, scientists have now shown that CBD could have a different use as a 'Trojan horse': helping slip medications across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and into mouse brains.
Based on the analysis of the genomes of more than a dozen flightless birds, including an extinct moa, researchers found that while different species show wide variety in the protein-coding portions of their genome, they appear to turn to the same regulatory pathways when evolving flight loss.
Like other biofluids, sweat contains a wealth of information about what's going on inside the body. However, collecting the fluid for analysis, usually by dripping or absorbing it from the skin's surface, can be time-consuming and messy. Now, researchers have developed a bandage-like biosensor that both collects and -- in conjunction with a smart phone -- analyzes sweat. The device could someday help diagnose diseases.
Geologic time scales are critical to understanding the timing, duration, and connection of geologic events. They are not static, and can be improved with research, integration, and refinements realized from biostratigraphic repetitive analysis. Over the past century they have proven important tools in petroleum exploration and studies of climatic and geologic events. Still, many geologists may not know the importance of microfossils to the construction of time scales and biostratigraphy.
The Chelyabinsk meteor caused extensive ground damage and numerous injuries when it exploded on impact with Earth's atmosphere in 2013; to prevent another such impact, scientists plan to use a simple yet ingenious way to spot tiny near-Earth objects.
Researchers report that the distribution of forest types worldwide is based on the relationships plant species forged with soil microbes to enhance their uptake of nutrients. These symbioses could help scientists understand how ecosystems may shift as climate change alters the interplay between plants, microbes and soil.
In 2015, a fluorosurfactant known by the trade name 'GenX' made headlines when researchers discovered it and related compounds in the Cape Fear River of North Carolina, a source of drinking water for many residents of the area. Now, researchers report that they have detected the same per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the river, as well as some new ones, but their overall levels are decreasing.
In as few as 25 years, climate change could shrink and dry 60-80% of Western Hemisphere cloud forests, finds a study published today. If greenhouse gas emissions continue increasing as they have been, 90% of Western Hemisphere cloud forests would be affected as early as 2060. The current cloud and frost environment of the highly diverse alpine ecosystems above these equatorial cloud forests, known as paramo, will nearly disappear.
A small clinical trial has shown that gene therapy can safely correct the immune systems of infants newly diagnosed with a rare, life-threatening inherited disorder in which infection-fighting immune cells don't develop or function normally. Eight infants with the disorder, called X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (X-SCID), received experimental gene therapy. They experienced substantial improvements in immune system function and normal growth up to two years after treatment.
Researchers have developed a conductive ink made from a special type of material they discovered, called MXene, that was used by the researchers to print components for electronic devices. The ink is additive-free, which means it can print the finished devices in one step without any special finishing treatments.
Rising demand for solar panels is having a major effect on the worldwide price of silver, which could lead to solar panel production costs becoming far higher in the future, new research has demonstrated.
How exactly does the ocean -- the Earth's largest carbon sink -- capture and store carbon? The answer to this question will become increasingly important as the planet warms and as we try to get ahead of a runaway climate scenario.
A new study describes how bacteria adapted to the modern hospital environment and repeatedly cause antibiotic-resistant bloodstream infections. This study examined one of the first sustained hospital outbreaks of a multidrug-resistant bacterium, Enterococcus faecalis, which occurred from the early through the mid-1980s, causing over 60 outbreak strains.
A new study has verified the accuracy of recent global warming figures. The team used measurements of the 'skin' temperature of the Earth taken by a satellite-based infrared measurement system called AIRS (Atmospheric Infra-Red Sounder) from 2003 to 2017. They compared these with station-based analyses of surface air temperature anomalies.
The Boeing 777 of Malaysia Airlines (MH370) has been missing for over five years. The extensive, costly, but unsuccessful search operations have stopped. Scientists have helped by providing insights on the most probable crash site based on debris from the aircraft. In a new study, scientists synthesize what they have learnt and propose strategies for optimizing future interdisciplinary work of this kind.
What if doctors had a remote control that they could use to steer a patient's own cells to a wound to speed up the healing process? Although such a device is still far from reality, researchers have taken an important first step: They used near-infrared light and an injected DNA nanodevice to guide stem cells to an injury, which helped muscle tissue regrow in mice.
A one-step method enables scalable and more environmentally friendly production of plant-derived plastic monomers, paving the way towards the mass production of a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based materials.
Guided by computer simulations, an international team of researchers has developed an adhesive patch that can provide support for damaged heart tissue, potentially reducing the stretching of heart muscle that's common after a heart attack.
Contamination of rice with arsenic is a major problem in some regions of the world with high rice consumption. Now, researchers have found a way to reduce inorganic arsenic in rice by modifying processing methods at traditional, small-scale parboiling plants in Bangladesh. The new method has the added benefit of increasing the calcium content of rice, the researchers say.
Two proteins that bind to stress hormones work together to maintain a healthy heart in mice, according to scientists. These proteins, stress hormone receptors known as the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), act in concert to help support heart health. When the signaling between the two receptors is out of balance, the mice have heart disease.
Palaeobiologists have uncovered new evidence that suggests that horses' legs have adapted over time to be optimized for endurance travel, rather than speed.
Physical traits and behaviors that make a lizard sexy -- features used to attract potential mates and fend off competitors -- may be important enough that they do not change in the face of stress, according to researchers.
A research group has developed spintronics devices which are promising for future energy-efficient and adoptive computing systems, as they behave like neurons and synapses in the human brain.
An international team of researchers reveals an ion transport mechanism of sodium/proton antiporter by simulating its motion. Based on the simulations, they now design a faster transporter by making mutation on ''gate'' of the transporter.
Bacterial cells that normally colonize our guts can distinguish themselves from other bacterial species using what's traditionally considered their enemy -- a virus. Researchers report that some bacteria use viruses that have infected them (i.e., phages) for self-recognition and thereby show greater fitness, repelling competitors that lack this adaptation.
Only a few years ago, the astronomy and heliophysics communities were skeptical about whether CubeSats could reliably obtain scientific data. But these breadloaf-size satellites have proven their ability to return useful data.
A novel type of body awareness training helps women recover from drug addiction, according to new research. People in the study made marked improvement, and many improvements lasted for a year.
Astronomers have discovered a third planet in the Kepler-47 system, securing the system's title as the most interesting of the binary-star worlds. Using data from NASA's Kepler space telescope, a team of researchers detected the new Neptune-to-Saturn-size planet orbiting between two previously known planets.
Oral cancer is known for its high mortality rate in developing countries, but an international team of scientists hope its latest discovery will change that. Researchers have discovered epigenetic markers that are distinctly different in oral cancer tissues compared to the adjacent healthy tissues in patients.
On its final flyby of Saturn's largest moon in 2017, NASA's Cassini spacecraft gathered radar data revealing that the small liquid lakes in Titan's northern hemisphere are surprisingly deep, perched atop hills and filled with methane.
A group of scientists have discovered a new way to regenerate flowering plant tissues, opening possibilities of mitigating global food shortage problem.
The optical laser has grown to a $10 billion global technology market since it was invented in 1960, and has led to Nobel prizes for Art Ashkin for developing optical tweezing and Gerard Mourou and Donna Strickland for work with pulsed lasers. Now scientists have created a different kind of laser -- a laser for sound, using the optical tweezer technique invented by Ashkin.
Hurricane Maria dropped more rain on Puerto Rico than any storm to hit the island since 1956, a feat due mostly to the effects of human-caused climate warming, new research finds.
Doubles badminton players may be at greatest risk of potentially serious eye injury during matches compared with singles players, suggests a small study.
A new study reveals important insights into the factors that influence the release of greenhouse gases from rivers and streams, including a key relationship between storm events, ecology, and topography in moderating this release.
The timing of food intake is a major factor driving the rhythmic expression of most genes in the mouse liver, researchers report. The findings demonstrate that body-wide signals driven by rhythmic food intake significantly contribute to driving rhythms in liver metabolic functions and gene expression independently of the liver and clock.
Offering universal late pregnancy ultrasounds at 36 weeks' gestation eliminates undiagnosed breech presentation of babies, lowers the rate of emergency caesarean sections, and improves the health of mothers and babies.
Biologists have found that the nutrient composition of the interstitial fluid that normally surrounds pancreatic tumors is different from that of the culture medium normally used to grow cancer cells.
Glioblastoma is one of the most devastating forms of cancer, with few existing treatment options. It is also a leading cause of cancer-related death in children and young adults. Scientists have 'reverse engineered' brain cancer stem cells gene by gene, uncovering multiple potential targets for this hard-to-treat cancer.
Before undergoing surgery, patients must be fully informed about what the procedure entails. The complex nature of the information involved means that patients often feel overwhelmed rather than well informed. Researchers have been able to show that patients scheduled to undergo cardiac catheterization may find comic-style information helpful. The researchers' comic-style booklet was shown to help patient comprehension and reduce anxiety.
In the quest to separate the good traits from the bad, bioinformatics (computational biology) research, using a data driven strategy in wheat, find the first ever gene associated with gene conversion in plants -- marking an important step in global initiative Designing Future Wheat.
Does the potential to win or lose money influence the confidence one has in one's own decisions? Researchers investigated confidence bias in a learning context through a system of monetary punishment and reward. They demonstrated that we become more confident in our choices when learning to seek rewards. However, this confidence evolves into over-confidence. Moreover, the monetary gains makes us less flexible, while the fear of losing money preserves our ability to adapt.
Researchers measured a novel treatment for sleep apnea and found positive results. By measuring patients lying down flat, the researchers stimulated sleep conditions and measured the patient's airways using 3D imaging. The study confirmed that the treatment is effective at opening the airways and warrants further collaboration between dentists and doctors in treatment of sleep apnea.
A small percentage of humans can suffer allergy-like reactions to certain varieties of ripened cheese due to histamine, a byproduct of the prolonged fermentation process. A researcher is studying bacterial strains that could reduce histamine, allowing susceptible diners to enjoy the cheese without unpleasant side effects.
Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest public health threats of our time. There is a pressing need for new and novel antibiotics to combat the rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Researchers have now discovered a new broad-spectrum antibiotic that contains arsenic. Arsinothricin is a natural product made by soil bacteria.
People often say they can get by on five or fewer hours of sleep, that snoring is harmless, and that having a drink helps you to fall asleep. These are, in fact, among the most widely held myths about sleeping that not only shape poor habits, but may also pose a significant public health threat.
Oxidants found within living organisms are byproducts of metabolism and are essential to wound-healing and immunity. However, when their concentrations become too high, inflammation and tissue damage can occur. Engineers have now developed and tested a new drug-delivery system that senses high oxidant levels and responds by administering just the right amount of antioxidant to restore this delicate balance.
Researchers have demonstrated a successful prototype of one critical component for affordable small-scale desalination: an inexpensive solar evaporator, made of wood.
A novel technique rethinks hardware data compression to free up more memory used by computers and mobile devices, allowing them to run faster and perform more tasks simultaneously.
'Magic mouthwash,' an oral rinse containing diphenhydramine, lidocaine and antacids, significantly reduced pain from oral mucositis, mouth sores, in patients receiving radiation therapy for cancers of the head and neck when compared to plaecbo.
Creating a lithium-ion battery that can charge in a matter of minutes but still operate at a high capacity is possible. This development has the potential to improve battery performance for consumer electronics, solar grid storage, and electric vehicles.
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