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45 articles from ScienceDaily

Climate change could lead to a dramatic temperature-linked decrease in essential omega-3 fatty acids, according to new study

The effects of global climate change already are resulting in the loss of sea ice, accelerated sea level rise, and longer and more intense heat waves, among other threats. Now, a survey of planktonic lipids in the global ocean predicts a temperature-linked decrease in the production of essential omega-3 fatty acids, an important subset of lipid molecules. A significant implication of the survey is...

Coastal marsh migration may further fuel climate change

As rising sea levels cause marshes to move inland in six mid-Atlantic states, coastal habitats will not serve as a carbon sink but instead will release more carbon into the atmosphere, a new modeling study finds. The research raises questions about the persistence of coastal habitats' carbon benefits in the face of sea level rise.

Microplastic pollution in Montana's flathead lake

Scientists have a greater understanding of the amount of microplastics polluting Flathead Lake, the likely sources of these microplastics and what can be done to prevent more from finding their way into the lake's world-renowned pristine water.

COVID's Catch-22: The paradox of masking and disease

Standard infection models for COVID-19 tend to focus only on disease states, overlooking the dynamics of a complex paradox: While masking reduces transmission rates and consequently disease prevalence, the reduction of disease inhibits mask-wearing -- thereby promoting epidemic revival.

A potentially more effective treatment for HER2 mutant metastatic breast cancer

Researchers have identified a HER2 mutation that confers therapeutic resistance and promotes metastatic behavior in lobular breast cancer. Importantly, they also showed that the drug poziotinib, which is already approved for other cancer types, reduced tumor growth and multi-organ metastasis in laboratory tests and animal models. A phase II clinical trial is on the works to determine the value of...

Modeling historical biomass could be key to buffering climate change

A new study paints a vivid image of how forests developed over centuries and contribute to Earth's carbon balance -- a crucial component to maintaining a steady global climate. The study reconstructed the natural pace and pattern of carbon storage in forests of the Midwestern United States over 10,000 years. The findings have the potential to shift ongoing debates about how landscapes can be...

Secrets of aging revealed in largest study on longevity, aging in reptiles and amphibians

An international team of 114 scientists reports the most comprehensive study of aging and longevity to date of reptiles and amphibians worldwide. Among their many findings, they document for the first time that turtles, crocodilians and salamanders have particularly low aging rates and extended lifespans for their sizes. The team also finds that protective phenotypes, such as the hard shells of...

Self-assembled, interlocked threads: Spinning yarn with no machine needed

Researchers unexpectedly discovered that the ability for spirals to form in nature also happens in some non-biological systems that convert chemical energy into mechanical action -- allowing two-dimensional polymer sheets to rise and rotate in spiral helices without the application of external power. This self-assembly into coherent three-dimensional structures represents the group's latest...

Ultra-thin film creates vivid 3D images with large field of view

Researchers have developed a new ultra-thin film that can create detailed 3D images viewable under normal illumination without any special reading devices. The images appear to float on top of the film and can be clearly viewed from all angles. The new imaging film uses a technology known as light-field imaging, which captures the direction and intensity of all rays of light within a scene to...

Artificial photosynthesis can produce food without sunshine

Scientists have found a way to bypass the need for biological photosynthesis altogether and create food independent of sunlight by using artificial photosynthesis. The technology uses a two-step electrocatalytic process to convert carbon dioxide, electricity, and water into acetate. Food-producing organisms then consume acetate in the dark to grow. The hybrid organic-inorganic system could...

Lipid nanoparticles carry gene-editing cancer drugs past tumor defenses

As they grow, solid tumors surround themselves with a thick, hard-to-penetrate wall of molecular defenses. Getting drugs past that barricade is notoriously difficult. Now, scientists have developed nanoparticles that can break down the physical barriers around tumors to reach cancer cells. Once inside, the nanoparticles release their payload: a gene editing system that alters DNA inside the tumor,...