Low-level lead poisoning is still pervasive in the US and globally

Chronic, low-level lead poisoning is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease in adults and cognitive deficits in children, even at levels previously thought to be safe, Low-level lead poisoning is a risk factor for preterm. Annually 5.5 million deaths from cardiovascular disease attributed to low-level lead poisoning; accounts for a loss of 765 million IQ points in children.

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Why elephants never forget but fleas have, well, the attention span of a flea

Researchers have developed a model to calculate how quickly or slowly an organism should ideally learn in its surroundings. An organism's ideal learning rate depends on the pace of environmental change and its life cycle, they say.

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Large meltwater accumulation revealed inside Greenland Ice Sheet

A new study unveils a surprising discovery: a substantial amount of meltwater is temporarily stored within the Greenland Ice Sheet during summer months. For the first time, an international group of researchers was able to quantify meltwater with positioning data. The finding challenges current models of how ice sheets contribute to global sea level rise.

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Evidence mounts for dark energy from black holes

Researchers have strengthened the case that matter becomes dark energy when massive stars collapse and become black holes.

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Oceanographers record the largest predation event ever observed in the ocean

In the largest predation event ever recorded, researchers observed capelin shoaling off the coast of Norway, where a swarm of cod overtook them, consuming over 10 million fish in a few hours. The team hopes to deploy their technique to monitor the large-scale dynamics among other species of fish and track vulnerable keystone species.

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Dinosaurs thrived after ice, not fire, says a new study of ancient volcanism

The Triassic-Jurassic Extinction, 201.6 million years ago, has been considered by some to have been a fairly slow-burn event, driven by rising temperatures and ocean acidification. A new study says it was kicked off for the most part by volcanic winter.

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Why langurs drink salt water

A new study shows the remarkable adaptability of the critically endangered Cat Ba langurs. Despite low genetic diversity, the langurs have retained key genetic traits that help them survive in their isolated environment on Cat Ba Island in Vietnam. One of these remarkable adaptations is the ability to drink salt water.

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Pythons can swallow even bigger prey than scientists realized

Burmese pythons can consume prey even larger than scientists realized, according to a new study. That means more animals are on the menu across southern Florida, where the nonnative, invasive snakes have decimated populations of foxes, bobcats, raccoons and other animals.

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Melting Arctic sea-ice could affect global ocean circulation

The warming climate in polar regions may significantly disrupt ocean circulation patterns, a new study indicates. Scientists discovered that in the distant past, growing inflows of freshwater from melting Arctic sea-ice into the Nordic Seas likely significantly affected ocean circulation, sending temperatures plummeting across northern Europe.

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How mammals got their stride

Researchers reveal new insights into the complex evolutionary history behind the distinctive upright posture of modern placental and marsupial mammals, showing the transition was surprisingly complex and nonlinear, and occurred much later than previously believed.

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New parasite discovered amid decline of California's unique Channel Island fox

In the 1990s, the San Miguel Island fox nearly went extinct, with numbers dropping to just 15. A recovery program increased their population by 2010, but from 2014 to 2018, it fell to 30% of its peak due to a new acanthocephalan parasite, exacerbated by a prolonged drought. A research effort employed morphological and molecular methods, alongside necropsy records, to identify the parasite and assess its health impacts on the foxes.

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Saturn's moon Titan has insulating methane-rich crust up to six miles thick

A new study has revealed that methane gas may be trapped within the icy surface of Saturn's moon Titan, forming a distinct crust up to six miles thick, which warms the underlying ice shell and may also explain Titan's methane-rich atmosphere.

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Millions in the U.S. may rely on groundwater contaminated with PFAS for drinking water supplies

Approximately 71 to 95 million people in the Lower 48 states -- more than 20% of the country's population -- may rely on groundwater that contains detectable concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, for their drinking water supplies.

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A new hydrogel semiconductor represents a breakthrough for tissue-interfaced bioelectronics

The ideal material for interfacing electronics with living tissue is soft, stretchable, and just as water-loving as the tissue itself--in short, a hydrogel. Semiconductors, the key materials for bioelectronics such as pacemakers, biosensors, and drug delivery devices, on the other hand, are rigid, brittle, and water-hating, impossible to dissolve in the way hydrogels have traditionally been built. Scientists have now solved this challenge that has long stymied researchers, reimagining the process of creating hydrogels to build a powerful semiconductor in hydrogel form. The result is a bluish gel that flutters like a sea jelly in water but retains the immense semiconductive ability needed to transmit information between living tissue and machine.

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Unnoticeable electric currents could reduce skin infections

Using a few zaps of electricity to the skin, researchers can stop bacterial infections without using any drugs. For the first time, researchers designed a skin patch that uses imperceptible electric currents to control microbes.

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The decision to eat may come down to these three neurons

Manipulating a newly identified neural circuit can curb appetite -- or spur massive overeating.

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Researchers flip genes on and off with AI-designed DNA switches

Researchers have used artificial intelligence to design thousands of new DNA switches that can precisely control the expression of a gene in different cell types. Their new approach opens the possibility of controlling when and where genes are expressed in the body, for the benefit of human health and medical research, in ways never before possible.

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Evolution in action: How ethnic Tibetan women thrive in thin oxygen at high altitudes

New study reveals link between oxygen delivery and reproductive success among women living on the high Tibetan Plateau.

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Geometric mechanics shape the dog's nose

The noses of many mammals, such as dogs, ferrets and cows, feature grooves forming a multitude of polygons. A team has analyzed in detail how these patterns form in the embryo using 3D imaging techniques and computer simulations. The researchers discovered that differential growth of the skin tissue layers leads to the formation of domes, which are mechanically supported by the underlying blood vessels. This work describes for the first time this morphogenetic process, which could help explain the formation of other biological structures associated with blood vessels.

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Paws of polar bears sustaining ice-related injuries in a warming Arctic

Polar bears in some parts of the high Arctic are developing ice buildup and related injuries to their feet. The changes appear to be an unexpected consequence of climate change, related to changing conditions in a warming Arctic.

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Wearable cameras allow AI to detect medication errors

A team of researchers says it has developed the first wearable camera system that, with the help of artificial intelligence, detects potential errors in medication delivery. In a test, the video system recognized and identified, with high proficiency, which medications were being drawn in busy clinical settings. The AI achieved 99.6% sensitivity and 98.8% specificity at detecting vial-swap errors. The system could become a critical safeguard, especially in operating rooms, intensive-care units and emergency-medicine settings.

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Plant guard cells can count environmental stimuli

Plants adapt their water consumption to environmental conditions by counting and calculating environmental stimuli with their guard cells.

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Creating a simplified form of life

How can lifeless molecules come together to form a living cell?

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Life-saving spongelike 'bandage' rapidly stops hemorrhaging and mitigates risk of infection

Researchers created a liquid gel that quickly transforms into a spongelike antimicrobial foam to stymie severe bleeding and ultimately preserve lives.

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Butterfly brains reveal the tweaks required for cognitive innovation

A species of tropical butterfly with unusually expanded brain structures display a fascinating mosaic pattern of neural expansion linked to a cognitive innovation.

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Concerning levels of PFAS in fish miles away from large contamination source

Fish can accumulate high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), even far from sources of contamination, according to a new study. The research highlights the need for expanded monitoring in watersheds affected by large PFAS sources, such as military bases across the country that have been contaminated by the use of PFAS-containing foams for fire-training and firefighting activities.

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Global carbon dioxide emissions from forest fires increase by 60 percent

A major new study reveals that carbon dioxide emissions from forest fires have surged by 60 percent globally since 2001, and almost tripled in some of the most climate-sensitive northern boreal forests.

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One in three plants call islands home: Many at risk

From Tasmania to Madagascar to New Guinea, islands make up just over five per cent of Earth's land yet are home to 31 per cent of the world's plant species. A new study shows that of all plants classified as threatened worldwide, more than half are unique to islands, facing risks from habitat loss, climate warming and invasive species.

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Bacterial vaccine shows promise as cancer immunotherapy

Researchers have engineered bacteria as personalized cancer vaccines that activate the immune system to specifically seek out and destroy cancer cells.

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Are nearby planets sending radio signals to each other?

Researchers have developed a new method using the Allen Telescope Array to search for interplanetary radio communication in the TRAPPIST-1 star system.

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NASA, NOAA: Sun reaches maximum phase in 11-year solar cycle

Experts have announced that the Sun has reached its solar maximum period, which could continue for the next year. Scientists will not be able to determine the exact peak of this solar maximum period for many months because it's only identifiable after they've tracked a consistent decline in solar activity after that peak. However, scientists have identified that the last two years on the Sun have been part of this active phase of the solar cycle, due to the consistently high number of sunspots during this period.

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Major step toward fully 3D-printed active electronics

Researchers produced 3D-printed, semiconductor-free logic gates, which perform computations in active electronic devices. As they don't require semiconductor materials, they represent a step toward 3D printing an entire active electronic device.

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Liftoff! NASA's Europa Clipper sails toward ocean moon of Jupiter

NASA's Europa Clipper has embarked on its long voyage to Jupiter, where it will investigate Europa, a moon with an enormous subsurface ocean that may have conditions to support life. The largest spacecraft NASA ever built for a mission headed to another planet, Europa Clipper also is the first NASA mission dedicated to studying an ocean world beyond Earth.

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Evolution in real time

Snails on a tiny rocky islet evolved before scientists' eyes. The marine snails were reintroduced after a toxic algal bloom wiped them out from the skerry. While the researchers intentionally brought in a distinct population of the same snail species, these evolved to strikingly resemble the population lost over 30 years prior.

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Ordered defects may be key for solution-deposited semiconductors, enabling high-speed printable circuits and next-generation displays

A new solution deposition process for semiconductors yields high-performing transistors by introducing more defects, counterintuitively. Researchers used these devices to construct high- speed logic circuits and an operational high-resolution inorganic LED display.

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Bilingualism makes the brain more efficient, especially when learned at a young age

A new study from The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) of McGill university, the University of Ottawa and the University of Zaragoza in Spain elaborates on bilingualism's role in cognition, showing increased efficiency of communication between brain regions.

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Asymmetric placebo effect in response to spicy food

The expectations humans have of a pleasurable sensation asymmetrically shape neuronal responses and subjective experiences to hot sauce, according to a new study.

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Viruses are teeming on your toothbrush, showerhead

Microbiologists found that showerheads and toothbrushes are teeming with an extremely diverse collection of viruses -- most of which have never been seen before.

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Another step towards decoding smell

We often only realize how important our sense of smell is when it is no longer there: food is not as tasty as it once was, or we no longer react to dangers such as the smell of smoke. Researchers have investigated the neuronal mechanisms of human odor perception for the first time. Individual nerve cells in the brain recognize odors and react specifically to the smell, the image and the written word of an object, for example a banana. The results of this study close a long-standing knowledge gap between animal and human odor research.

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Team engineers new enzyme to produce synthetic genetic material

A research team describes how they engineered an efficient new enzyme that can produce a synthetic genetic material called threose nucleic acid. The ability to synthesize artificial chains of TNA, which is inherently more stable than DNA, advances the discovery of potentially more powerful, precise therapeutic options to treat cancer and autoimmune, metabolic and infectious diseases.

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New insights into how Mars became uninhabitable

NASA's Curiosity rover, currently exploring Gale crater on Mars, is providing new details about how the ancient Martian climate went from potentially suitable for life -- with evidence for widespread liquid water on the surface -- to a surface that is inhospitable to terrestrial life as we know it.

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Holographic 3D printing has the potential to revolutionize multiple industries

Researchers have developed a novel method of 3D printing that uses acoustic holograms. The process is called holographic direct sound printing (HDSP). It builds on a method introduced in 2022 that described how sonochemical reactions in microscopic cavitations regions -- tiny bubbles -- create extremely high temperatures and pressure for trillionths of a second to harden resin into complex patterns. Now, by embedding the technique in acoustic holograms that contain cross-sectional images of a particular design, polymerization occurs much more quickly. It can create objects simultaneously rather than voxel-by-voxel.

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Researchers confront new US and global challenges in vaccinations of adults

Over the past decade, decreasing vaccination rates now threaten the huge beneficial impacts of vaccinations in the U.S. and globally. Researchers discuss the multifactorial barriers including increasing vaccine hesitancy and new clinical and public health challenges in vaccinations of U.S. adults.

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Scientists discover a secret to regulating our body clock, offering new approach to end jet lag

Scientists have discovered the secret to regulating our internal clock. They identified that this regulator sits right at the tail end of Casein Kinase 1 delta, a protein which acts as a pace setter for our internal biological clock or the natural 24-hour cycles that control sleep-wake patterns and other daily functions, known as circadian rhythm.

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Autobiographical memory in the digital age: Our lives in the mirror of our data

Never before have people recorded more information about their lives than today. But what does this mean for the way we remember our lives and how we talk about them? Researchers are trying to find answers to these questions.

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Commonly used arm positions can substantially overestimate blood pressure readings

Researchers conclude that commonly used ways of positioning the patient's arm during blood pressure (BP) screenings can substantially overestimate test results and may lead to a misdiagnosis of hypertension.

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After injury, these comb jellies can fuse to become one

Researchers have made the surprising discovery that one species of comb jelly (Mnemiopsis leidyi) can fuse, such that two individuals readily turn into one following an injury. Afterwards, they rapidly synchronize their muscle contractions and merge digestive tracts to share food.

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Neuroscientists spark shelter-seeking response by reactivating memory circuit

Using a sophisticated brain-imaging system, neuroscientists say they have successfully reactivated a specific memory circuit in mice, causing them to seek out shelter when no shelter is actually present.

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A leap in behavioral modelling: Scientists replicate animal movements with unprecedented accuracy

Scientists have developed a new method to simulate the complex movements of animals with exceptional accuracy. The research team set out to solve a long-standing challenge in biology -- how to accurately model the intricate and seemingly unpredictable movements of living organisms. They focused on the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans, a model organism widely used in biological research. The findings help predict and understand animal behavior, with potential applications ranging from robotics to medical research.

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Most accurate ultrasound test could detect 96% of women with ovarian cancer

Head-to-head study of diagnostic test accuracy found IOTA ultrasound ADNEX model had 96% sensitivity and acceptable specificity in first study of its kind.

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As temperatures rise, researchers identify mechanisms behind plant response to warming

Plants widen microscopic pores on their leaves in response to heat. But scientists lacked an understanding of the mechanisms behind this 'sweating' function. Now, biologists have unlocked the details behind these processes and identified two paths that plants use to handle rising temperatures.

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Scientists create flies that stop when exposed to red light

Ever wish you could stop that fruit fly on your kitchen counter in its tracks? Scientists have created flies that halt under red light. In doing so, they discovered the precise neural mechanisms involved in stopping. Their findings, published this week in Nature, have implications far beyond controlling fly behavior. They demonstrate how the brain engages different neural mechanisms depending on environmental context.

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Scientists decode key mutation in many cancers

Inside every cell, inside every nucleus, your continued existence depends on an incredibly complicated dance. Proteins are constantly wrapping and unwrapping DNA, and even minor missteps can lead to cancer. A new study reveals a previously unknown part of this dance -- one with significant implications for human health.

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Using antimatter to detect nuclear radiation

Discerning whether a nuclear reactor is being used to also create material for nuclear weapons is difficult, but capturing and analyzing antimatter particles has shown promise for monitoring what specific nuclear reactor operations are occurring, even from hundreds of miles away. Researchers have developed a detector that exploits Cherenkov radiation, sensing antineutrinos and characterizing their energy profiles from miles away as a way of monitoring activity at nuclear reactors. They proposed to assemble their device in northeast England and detect antineutrinos from reactors from all over the U.K. as well as in northern France.

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Stronger together: miniature robots in convoy for endoscopic surgery

Miniature robots on the millimeter scale often lack the strength to transport instruments for endoscopic microsurgery through the body. Scientists are now combining several millimeter-sized TrainBots into one unit and equipping them with improved 'feet'. For the first time, the team was able to perform an electric surgical procedure on a bile duct obstruction experimentally with a robotic convoy.

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