Computer Science: General Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Mathematics: Modeling Physics: General
Published

Plasma scientists develop computer programs that could reduce the cost of microchips and stimulate American manufacturing      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Fashioned from the same element found in sand and covered by intricate patterns, microchips power smartphones, augment appliances and aid the operation of cars and airplanes. Now, scientists are developing computer simulation codes that will outperform current simulation techniques and aid the production of microchips using plasma, the electrically charged state of matter also used in fusion research. These codes could help increase the efficiency of the manufacturing process and potentially stimulate the renaissance of the chip industry in the United States.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular
Published

Bridging diet, microbes, and metabolism: Implications for metabolic disorders      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Mounting evidence suggests that the secret to understanding human health and combating metabolic diseases lies hidden within the microscopic world of our gut bacteria. Recent research reveals that a specific fatty acid produced by gut bacteria directly influences fat metabolism in animals. This research is pivotal as it sheds light on the complex interplay between the diet, gut microbiota, and host metabolic health, offering insights that could open new avenues in our approach to managing metabolic disorders.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Photosynthetic mechanism of purple sulfur bacterium adapted to low-calcium environments      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Purple sulfur bacteria (PSB) convert light energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis. Interestingly, certain species can photosynthesize even in environments with low-calcium levels. Using cryo-electron microscopy, researchers unveiled the structure of light-harvesting complexes and elucidated the mechanism that facilitates photosynthesis under low-calcium conditions.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Microbiology
Published

Breakthrough in developing the PD-1-enhanced DNA vaccine for over 6-year cART-free AIDS prevention and virologic control      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers found that PD-1-enhanced DNA vaccination can induce sustained virus-specific CD8+ T cell immunity in an AIDS monkey model. The vaccinated monkeys remained free of AIDS for six years and achieved virologic control without the need for combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), a treatment used to suppress viral replication in individuals living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The study also found that polyfunctional and broadly reactive effector-memory virus-specific T cells were maintained in the protected experimental macaques for over six years. The findings provide supporting evidence that the PD-1-enhanced DNA vaccine strategy holds promise as a third-generation DNA vaccine for AIDS prevention and immunotherapy.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular
Published

Researchers are using RNA in a new approach to fight HIV      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A pharmacy associate professor has developed a novel nanomedicine loaded with genetic material called small interfering RNAs (siRNA) to fight human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) using gene therapy.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Ecology: Nature Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
Published

The cultural evolution of collective property rights      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Common pool resources comprise around 65 percent of Earth's surface and vast tracts of the ocean. While examples of successful governance of these resources exist, the circumstances and mechanisms behind their development have remained unclear. Researchers have developed a simulation model to examine the emergence, stability and temporal dynamics of collective property rights.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geography Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Panama Canal expansion rewrites history of world's most ecologically diverse bats      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

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.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Artificial reefs help preserve coral reefs by shifting divers away from the natural ones, according to new long-term study of one in Eilat      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

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.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Environmental: General
Published

Study reveals molecular mechanisms behind hibernation in mammals      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

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.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geography
Published

Nature's checkup: Surveying biodiversity with environmental DNA sequencing      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

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.

Biology: General Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Geography Space: General
Published

Spy-satellite images offer insights into historical ecosystem changes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

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.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General
Published

Scientists develop novel radiotracer for earlier detection of disease      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

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

Biology: General
Published

Physically impaired primates find ways to modify their behaviors to compensate for their disabilities      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Primates show a remarkable ability to modify their behaviours to accommodate their physical disabilities and impairments, according to a new literature review. Whether the disabilities are the result of congenital malformations or injuries, many primate species exhibited behavioral flexibility and innovation to compensate for their disabilities. They also benefited from flexible and innovative behavior by their mothers early in life and from their peers within their population group as they aged.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity
Published

Scientists may have cracked the 'aging process' in species      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Research shows the relationship between a species' age and its risk of going extinct could be accurately predicted by an ecological model called the 'neutral theory of biodiversity.'

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Marine Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Decline in microbial genetic richness in the western Arctic Ocean      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers analyzed archival samples of bacteria and archaea populations taken from the Beaufort Sea, bordering northwest Canada and Alaska. The samples were collected between 2004 and 2012, a period that included two years -- 2007 and 2012 -- in which the sea ice coverage was historically low. The researchers looked at samples taken from three levels of water: the summer mixed layer, the upper Arctic water below it and the Pacific-origin water at the deepest level. The study examined the microbes' genetic composition using bioinformatics and statistical analysis across the nine-year time span. Using this data, the researchers were able to see how changing environmental conditions were influencing the organisms' structure and function.

Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Zoology Engineering: Graphene
Published

Fresh meat: New biosensor accurately and efficiently determines meat freshness      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Despite the technological advances keeping meat fresh for as long as possible, certain aging processes are unavoidable. Adenosine triphosphate is a molecule produced by breathing and responsible for providing energy to cells. When an animal stops breathing, ATP synthesis also stops, and the existing molecules decompose into acid, diminishing first flavor and then safety. Hypoxanthine and xanthine are intermediate steps in this transition. Assessing their prevalence in meat indicates its freshness.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity
Published

First-ever report of nesting of incredibly rare and endangered giant turtle      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Knowledge from local communities has resulted in the first-ever nesting evidence and discovery of a breeding population of an incredibly rare turtle in India.