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28 articles from ScienceDaily
A clue as to why it's so hard to wake up on a cold winter's morning
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/22 21:45
Do you remember the challenge of waking up on winter's cold, dark days? Neurobiologists have uncovered a clue to what's behind this behavior. In a study of the fruit fly, the researchers have identified a 'thermometer' circuit that relays information about external cold temperature from the fly antenna to the higher brain. They show how, through this circuit, seasonally cold and dark conditions...
Scientists solve half-century-old magnesium dimer mystery
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/22 21:45
Magnesium dimer (Mg2) is a fragile molecule consisting of two weakly interacting atoms held together by the laws of quantum mechanics. It has recently emerged as a potential probe for understanding fundamental phenomena at the intersection of chemistry and ultracold physics, but its use has been thwarted by a half-century-old enigma -- five high-lying vibrational states that hold the key to...
Mississippi Delta marshes in a state of irreversible collapse
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/22 21:45
A key finding of the study is that coastal marshes experience tipping points, where a small increase in the rate of sea-level rise leads to widespread submergence.
A stitch in time: How a quantum physicist invented new code from old tricks
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/22 20:51
Building large-scale quantum computers will require suppression of errors. Scientists have used a neat trick to apply powerful 3D error-suppression codes in a 2D architecture, something one industry insider said many thought was impossible.
New urine testing method holds promise for kidney stone sufferers
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/22 20:51
An improved urine-testing system for people suffering from kidney stones inspired by nature may enable patients to receive results within 30 minutes instead of the current turnaround time of a week or more.
Past is prologue: Genetic 'memory' of ancestral environments helps organisms readapt
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/22 20:51
Organisms carry long-term 'memories' of their ancestral homelands that help them adapt to environmental change, according to a new study that involved raising chickens on the Tibetan Plateau and an adjacent lowland site.
Blood flow recovers faster than brain in micro strokes
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/22 20:51
Neurobiologists show that increased blood flow to the brain is not an accurate indicator of neuronal recovery after a microscopic stroke.
Cell reproduction dogma challenged
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/22 20:51
Meiosis is essential to sexual reproduction. For almost 15 years, it has been commonly held that retinoic acid, a molecule derived from vitamin A, triggers meiosis in mammalian germ cells. Yet new research demonstrates that meiosis in mice begins and proceeds normally even in the absence of retinoic acid. These findings set the stage for new research in the field of reproductive biology.
Migration patterns reveal an Eden for ancient humans and animals
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/22 20:02
Researchers have discovered a new migration pattern (or lack of) at Pinnacle Point, a now-submerged region in South Africa. While it was first believed large omnivores would travel to follow the growth of vegetation to survive, our researcher came to a completely new conclusion through studying antelope teeth! They discovered that this region was an Eden to all living species that called it home,...
Higher fiber saves lives, but food processing may remove benefits
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/22 17:38
Eating more fiber can improve life expectancy for those with diabetes, researchers say. Type 2 diabetes has reached epidemic proportions worldwide, is associated with serious medical complications, and increases the risk of dying from COVID-19.
Parasitic wasp discovery offers chemical-free pest control for growers
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/22 17:38
A species of parasitic wasp discovered by chance could provide growers with a chemical-free way of controlling a major pest.
Placentas from COVID-19-positive pregnant women show injury
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/22 17:37
In the largest study to examine health of placentas in women who tested positive for COVID-19, findings show placentas from 16 women who tested positive for COVID-19 while pregnant showed evidence of injury, according to pathological exams completed directly following birth.
No evidence of benefit for chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 patients, study finds
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/22 17:37
A new study finds that the use of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine is linked to increased rates of mortality and heart arrhythmias among hospital patients with COVID-19. The authors suggest that these drug regimens should not be used to treat COVID-19 outside of clinical trials and urgent confirmation from randomised clinical trials is needed.
Why toothpaste and cement harden over time
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/22 17:37
Cements, clays, soils, inks, paints, and even toothpaste. Many paste materials, also known as dense colloidal suspensions, stiffen as they age. Structural dynamics, or changes in the loads the materials undergo over time, are partly responsible for this change, but for decades, experts have suspected that there's more going on inside these materials. Now researchers have discovered a process...
First human trial of COVID-19 vaccine finds it is safe and induces rapid immune response
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/22 17:37
A study of 108 adults finds that the vaccine produced neutralizing antibodies and T-cell response against SARS-CoV-2, but further research is needed to confirm whether the vaccine protects against SARS-COV-2 infection.
No evidence blanket 'do-not-resuscitate' orders for COVID-19 patients are necessary; investigators urge caution
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/22 16:57
It's inappropriate to consider blanket do-not-resuscitate orders for COVID-19 patients because adequate data is not yet available on US survival rates for in-hospital resuscitation of COVID-19 patients and data from China may not relate to US patients, according to a new article.
Glucose levels linked to maternal mortality even in non-diabetic women
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/22 16:57
An elevated pre-pregnancy hemoglobin A1c -- which measures average blood glucose concentration -- is associated with a higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes even in women without known diabetes, according to a new study.
Algal genome provides insights into first land plants
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/22 16:57
Cornell researchers have sequenced and analyzed the genome of a single-celled alga that belongs to the closest lineage to terrestrial plants and provides many clues to how aquatic plants first colonized land.
First fossil nursery of the great white shark discovered
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/22 16:40
An international research team discovered the first fossil nursery area of the great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias in Chile. This discovery provides a better understanding of the evolutionary success of the largest top predator in today's oceans in the past and could contribute to the protection of these endangered animals.
How the darter got stripes: Expanding a sexual selection theory explains animal patterns
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/22 16:23
Scientists have shown for the first time that there is a strong correlation between the complex patterns on male darters and their highly-variable environments. The findings support and expand upon sensory drive theory, which states that the environment influences which sexual signals, like visual patterns, are selected for. Previous sensory drive research looked at simple signals (e.g. colors),...
ALMA spots twinkling heart of the Milky Way
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/22 16:23
Astronomers have found quasi-periodic flickers in millimeter-waves from the center of the Milky Way, Sagittarius (Sgr) A*. The team interpreted these blinks to be due to the rotation of radio spots circling the supermassive black hole with an orbit radius smaller than that of Mercury. This is an interesting clue to investigate space-time with extreme gravity.
ATLAS telescope discovers first-of-its-kind asteroid
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/22 15:55
An extraordinary asteroid with comet-like features has researchers puzzled.
New technology can detect anti-virus antibody in 20 minutes
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/22 15:55
Researchers have succeeded in detecting anti-avian influenza virus antibody in blood serum within 20 minutes, using a portable analyzer they have developed to conduct rapid on-site bio tests. If a suitable reagent is developed, this technology could be used to detect antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the causative virus of COVID-19.
World's fastest internet speed from a single optical chip
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/22 15:55
A research team has recorded the world's fastest internet speed from a single optical chip of 44.2 Terabits per second.
New to science newts from Vietnam
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/22 15:55
In time for the International Day for Biological Diversity 2020, the date set by the United Nations to recognize biodiversity as 'the pillars upon which we build civilizations', a new study describes two new to science species and one subspecies of crocodile newts from Vietnam. This manifestation of the incredible diversity of life hosted on our planet comes, however, as an essential reminder of...