Science and Technology

It's the spin that makes the difference

Science Daily - 21/02/2024
Biomolecules such as amino acids and sugars occur in two mirror-image forms -- in all living organisms, however, only one is ever found. Why this is the case is still unclear. Researchers have now found evidence that the interplay between electric and magnetic fields could be at the origin of this phenomenon.

Junk DNA in birds may hold key to safe, efficient gene therapy

Science Daily - 21/02/2024
For many genetic diseases, disabling or editing a gene using CRISPR is insufficient to overcome the effects of the underlying genetic mutation. A corrective gene needs to be added to the genome to fix the problem. Researchers have discovered a way to use a bird retrotransposon -- a type of junk DNA -- to insert whole transgenes into the human genome in a targeted way that does not risk damaging other genes.

Fasting-like diet lowers risk factors for disease, reduces biological age in humans

Science Daily - 21/02/2024
Cycles of a diet that mimics fasting can reduce signs of immune system aging, as well as insulin resistance and liver fat in humans, resulting in a lower biological age, according to a new study.

New model identifies drugs that shouldn't be taken together

Science Daily - 21/02/2024
Researchers have developed a multipronged strategy to identify the transporters used by different drugs. Their approach, which makes use of both tissue models and machine-learning algorithms, has already revealed that a commonly prescribed antibiotic and a blood-thinner can interfere with each other.

Physicists develop more efficient solar cell

Science Daily - 21/02/2024
Physicists have used complex computer simulations to develop a new design for significantly more efficient solar cells than previously available. A thin layer of organic material, known as tetracene, is responsible for the increase in efficiency.

The immune system's moonlighters

Science Daily - 21/02/2024
Scientists have discovered that the immune system stalwart I B has a moonlighting gig. A tiny protein sequence within I B activates another family of key immune proteins called POUs. The discovery may point to a new drug target for various autoimmune disorders.

Unlocking the energetic secrets of collective animal movement: How group behavior reduces energy costs in fish

Science Daily - 21/02/2024
Researchers questioned if coordinated group movements by animals moving through a fluid could reduce the energy cost of locomotion. By combining biomechanics and bioenergetics the researchers found not only a significant amount of energy conservation, but also identified the reduced energy use per tail beat.

Even very low levels of pesticide exposure can affect fish for generations

Science Daily - 21/02/2024
Fish exposed to some pesticides at extremely low concentrations for a brief period of time can demonstrate lasting behavioral changes, with the impact extending to offspring that were never exposed firsthand, a recent study found.

Generating 'buzz' about new products can influence their success

Science Daily - 21/02/2024
The way companies announce new products or build up hype can often influence their success once those new products hit the market, according to new research. Whether it's an upcoming blockbuster movie or a new rollout from major companies like Coca-Cola or Apple, the new research shows how companies might use this type of pre-announcement marketing to their advantage.

Panama Canal expansion rewrites history of world's most ecologically diverse bats

Science Daily - 21/02/2024
In a new study, paleontologists describe the oldest-known leaf-nosed bat fossils, which were found along the banks of the Panama Canal. They're also the oldest bat fossils from Central America, preserved 20-million years ago when Panama and the rest of North America were separated from southern landmass by a seaway at least 120 miles wide.

New non-toxic method for producing high-quality graphene oxide

Science Daily - 21/02/2024
Researchers have found a new way to synthesize graphene oxide which has significantly fewer defects compared to materials produced by most common method. Similarly good graphene oxide could be synthesized previously only using rather dangerous method involving extremely toxic fuming nitric acid.

Artificial reefs help preserve coral reefs by shifting divers away from the natural ones, according to new long-term study of one in Eilat

Science Daily - 21/02/2024
Divers are essentially tourists who love coral reefs and invest a lot of time and effort to watch them. Unfortunately, divers also cause damage to corals, often unintentionally, through disturbing and resuspending sand, touching them, hitting them with their equipment, and scaring fish away. Artificial reefs have been proposed as a means of diverting diving pressure from the natural reef to alternative sites, thus preserving both dive tourism and the coral reef.

Study reveals molecular mechanisms behind hibernation in mammals

Science Daily - 21/02/2024
Researchers have characterized changes in the structure of motor proteins, called myosins, and energy consumption that occur during hibernation, highlighting key differences in large and small hibernators.

Could ultra-processed foods be the new 'silent' killer?

Science Daily - 21/02/2024
Hundreds of novel ingredients never encountered by human physiology are now found in nearly 60 percent of the average adult's diet and nearly 70 percent of children's diets in the U.S. An emerging health hazard is the unprecedented consumption of these ultra-processed foods in the standard American diet. This may be the new 'silent' killer, as was unrecognized high blood pressure in previous decades. Physicians provide important insights in a battle where the entertainment industry, the food industry and public policy do not align with their patients' needs.

Nature's checkup: Surveying biodiversity with environmental DNA sequencing

Science Daily - 21/02/2024
A thousand kilometers south of Tokyo, far into the largest ocean on Earth, lies a chain of small, volcanic islands -- the Ogasawara Islands. Nature has been able to develop on its own terms here, far from both humans and the warm Kuroshio current, which acts like a shuttle, moving marine species from Taiwan, over the Ryukyu Islands, and up the Pacific coast of mainland Japan. With upwards of 70 % of trees and many animal species being endemic to the archipelago, the islands have been dubbed 'the Galapagos of the East', as they are valuable as both a biodiversity hotspot and a cradle of scientific discovery.

Spy-satellite images offer insights into historical ecosystem changes

Science Daily - 21/02/2024
New study advocates the use of more than one million declassified images for ecology and conservation. The images can offer better insights into the historical changes of ecosystems, species populations or changes in human influences on the environment dating back to the 1960s. Collaboration between ecologists, conservationists, and remote sensing experts is necessary to explore the full potential of the data.

Scientists develop novel radiotracer for earlier detection of disease

Science Daily - 21/02/2024
Scientists have developed a new radiotracer (called [18F]4-FDF) that can map how cells use fructose for energy.

Tapping into the 300 GHz band with an innovative CMOS transmitter

Science Daily - 21/02/2024
New phased-array transmitter design overcomes common problems of CMOS technology in the 300 GHz band. Thanks to its remarkable area efficiency, low power consumption, and high data rate, the proposed transmitter could pave the way to many technological applications in the 300 GHz band, including body and cell monitoring, radar, 6G wireless communications, and terahertz sensors.

Wildfires linked to surge in mental health-related emergency department visits

Science Daily - 21/02/2024
An Emory University study published Feb. 15 in Nature Mental Health shows wildfires lead to an increase of anxiety-related emergency department visits in the western United States, amplifying the concerning parallel trajectory of two escalating public health crises -- mental health and climate change.

Annual breast cancer screening beginning at 40 saves lives

Science Daily - 21/02/2024
Annual breast cancer screening beginning at age 40 and continuing to at least age 79 results in the highest reduction in mortality with minimal risks.

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