242 articles from WEDNESDAY 4.12.2019

Atmospheric river storms create $1 billion-a-year flood damage

Researchers found that flooding has caused nearly $51 billion in damages to western states in the last 40 years. More than 84 percent of these damages were caused by atmospheric rivers (ARs), long narrow corridors of water vapor in the atmosphere capable of carrying more than twice the volume of the Amazon river through the sky.

How plants harness 'bad' molecules for good ends

Researchers show how plants harness toxic molecules called reactive oxygen species for the signaling pathway that gives rise to roots. Identifying the complex molecular interactions that regulate root growth could lead to more productive crops with roots optimized for different soil types.

A week in the dark rewires brain cell networks and changes hearing in adult mice

New research reveals how a week in the dark rewires brain cell networks and changes hearing sensitivity in adult mice long after the optimal window for auditory learning has passed. With further study, cross-modal learning -- the manipulation of one sense to induce change in another sense -- could be used to help people with disabilities. For example, temporary sight deprivation might be used to...

Probiotic may help treat colic in infants

Probiotics -- or 'good bacteria' -- have been used to treat infant colic with varying success. In a new trial, investigators have shown that drops containing a particular probiotic strain (Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12) reduced the duration of daily crying by more than 50% in 80% of the 40 infants who received the probiotic once daily for 28 days, with beneficial effects on sleep...

Molecular bodyguards against Parkinson's disease

Chaperone proteins in human cells dynamically interact with the protein alpha-Synuclein, which is strongly associated with Parkinson's disease. A disturbed relationship to these 'bodyguards' leads to cell damage and the formation of Lewy bodies typical for Parkinson's disease.

New 'hyper glue' formula

With many of the products we use every day held together by adhesives, researchers hope to make everything from protective clothing to medical implants and residential plumbing stronger and more corrosion resistant thanks to a newly-developed 'hyper glue' formula.

Brewing beer that tastes fresh longer

Unlike wine, which generally improves with time, beer does not age well. Usually within a year of bottling, the beverage starts to develop an unpleasant papery or cardboard-like flavor that drinkers describe as 'stale.' Now, researchers have engineered lager yeast to make more molecules that protect beer against staling, resulting in improved flavor stability.

Controlling attention with brain waves

Having trouble paying attention? Neuroscientists may have a solution for you: Turn down your alpha brain waves. In a new study, the researchers found that people can enhance their attention by controlling their own alpha brain waves based on neurofeedback they receive as they perform a particular task.

Silverswords may be gone with the wind

Silversword plants of Hawai'i - known by their Hawai'ian name 'ahinahina which translates to very grey - are unique to the Maui's Haleakala volcano summit area and to the Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa volcanoes on the Big Island. Each volcanic mountain has its own unique type of silversword.

NASA's Parker Solar Probe sheds new light on the sun

Since its 2018 launch, NASA's Parker Solar Probe (record-holder for closest-ever spacecraft to the Sun) has finished three of 24 planned passes through never-before-explored parts of the Sun's atmosphere. Four new articles describe what scientists have learned from its unprecedented exploration, and what they look forward to learning next.

Scientists push bioprinting capability forward

Scientists are reporting using bioprinting to print a tracheal tissue construct comprising of multiple different functional materials. They printed different designs of smooth muscle and cartilage regions in artificial tracheal substitutes showing similar mechanical properties to human tracheal tissue.

Studying water quality with satellites and public data

Access to abundant, clean, water for drinking, recreation and the environment is one of the 21st century's most pressing issues. Directly monitoring threats to the quality of fresh water is critically important, but because current methods are costly and not standardized, comprehensive water quality datasets are rare. In the United States, one of the most data-rich countries in the world, fewer...

Living at the edges

Resembling an overgrown house cat with black-tipped ears and a stubby tail, the Canada lynx, a native of North America, teeters on the brink of extinction in the U.S. The few lynx that now roam parts of Washington and the mountainous Northwest survive largely because of a network of protected landscapes that crosses the U.S.-Canada border.