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58 articles from ScienceDaily

Stone Age raves to the beat of elk tooth rattles?

In the Stone Age, some 8,000 years ago, people danced often and in a psychedelic way. This is a conclusion drawn from elk teeth discovered in the Yuzhniy Oleniy Ostrov burial site in the Republic of Karelia, Russia, whose wear marks and location in the graves indicate that the objects were used as rattlers.

Protect the sea, neglect the people? Social impact of marine conservation schemes revealed

Governments and international organizations are expanding targets to conserve marine spaces to stem the depletion of biodiversity and fish stocks around the globe. A new study demonstrates the wide range of unintended impacts that such conservation efforts have on affected communities. Published today in World Development, the research presents a ground-breaking case study of the Cambodian Koh...

Is elevated level of lung protein an early predictor for COPD?

Researcher had previously discovered that the total mucin concentrations in the lungs are associated with COPD disease progression and could be used as diagnostic markers of chronic bronchitis, a hallmark condition for patients with COPD. They now report that one of these mucins, MUC5AC, is more closely and reliably associated with the development of COPD than is its brother, MUC5B.

New study further advances the treatment of chronic pain

Scientists have demonstrated that conolidine, a natural painkiller derived from the pinwheel flower and traditionally used in Chinese medicine, interacts with the newly identified opioid receptor ACKR3/CXCR7 that regulates opioid peptides naturally produced in the brain. The researchers also developed a synthetic analogue of conolidine, RTI-5152-12, which displays an even greater activity on the...

Let's talk about the elephant in the data

Many data scientists try to create models that can 'fit an elephant,' referring to a complex set of data points. While the role of strong prior knowledge can work well in some situations, the complete absence of prior assumptions will work adequately in others. One expert discusses a middle ground that incorporates a little bit of both points of view.

Which way does the solar wind blow?

High performance computers are central to the quest to understand the sun's behavior and its role in space weather events. Scientists are using the Frontera supercomputer to improve the state-of-the-art in space weather forecasting. Researchers described the role of backstreaming pickup ions in the acceleration of charged particles in the universe, which play an important role in space weather.

Black bears may play important role in protecting gray fox

Bears are known for being devoted and protective of their baby cubs, but research shows that they may also play a significant role in shielding gray fox from predators like coyotes, who compete with the fox for food and space. The research is one of the first studies to show how black bears provide a buffer to allow other, smaller carnivores to safely co-exist.

The biodegradable battery

The number of data-transmitting microdevices, for instance in packaging and transport logistics, will increase sharply in the coming years. All these devices need energy, but the amount of batteries would have a major impact on the environment. Empa researchers have developed a biodegradable mini-capacitor that can solve the problem. It consists of carbon, cellulose, glycerin and table salt. And...

Are wind farms slowing each other down?

Many countries promote the expansion of wind farms. However, if these offshore wind farms are set up close to each other, wind energy and hence electricity yield is reduced. A study shows that the losses with increasing offshore wind energy production will be considerable and detectable as large scale pattern of reduced wind speed around wind farms.

Researchers reveal the inner workings of a viral DNA-packaging motor

Researchers have discovered the detailed inner workings of the molecular motor that packages genetic material into double-stranded DNA viruses. The advance provides insight into a critical step in the reproduction cycle of viruses such as pox-, herpes- and adeno-viruses. It could also give inspiration to researchers creating microscopic machines based on naturally occurring biomotors.

New method accurately reflects hotspots in epidemic

A new method to monitor epidemics like COVID-19 gives an accurate real-time estimate of the growth rate of an epidemic by carefully evaluating the relationship between the amount of viruses in infected people's bodies, called the viral load, and how fast the number of cases is increasing or decreasing.

A better way to introduce digital tech in the workplace

After a detailed study of digital technology in a hospital, researchers find that experimenting with the technology, and then working to implement the best practices through coordinated governance, can help organizations better integrate technology in the workplace.

Life stage differences shield ecological communities from collapse

A new study by ecologists shows that differences between juveniles and adults of the same species are crucial for the stability of complex ecological communities. The research represents a major advance in ecological modeling at a time when biodiversity is declining and species around the world are rapidly going extinct.

Shoot better drone videos with a single word

Researchers developed a model that enables a drone to shoot a video based on a desired emotion or viewer reaction. The drone uses camera angles, speeds and flight paths to generate a video that could be exciting, calm, enjoyable or nerve-wracking -- depending on what the filmmaker tells it.