PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Observations from a bright fast radio burst probe the distant universe

2023-10-19
(Press-News.org) An unusually high-energy fast radio burst (FRB) from a high-redshift galaxy has offered new insights into the distant universe, challenging current models of FRB emission. The findings also help constrain key attributes of these astrophysical phenomena. FRBs are brief pulses of radio emission originating from distant extragalactic sources. Although the astrophysical processes that cause FRBs aren’t fully understood, the signals they produce can be used to infer information about the cosmic environments they pass through as they travel across the universe, including the nature of their galaxies of origin and the distribution of plasma in the intergalactic medium. Previous studies have shown that FRBs localized to host galaxies at different redshift exhibit a positive correlation between the extragalactic dispersion measure (DM), the density of electrons the radio signal passed through as it traversed the intergalactic medium, and the host redshift – a measure known as the Macquart relation. However, this relation has only been measured using identified FRB host galaxies at nearby redshifts (£ 0.522). Here, Stuart Ryder and colleagues describe observations of the particularly luminous burst FRB 20220610A and localize its source to a galaxy with a complex morphology located at redshift ~1.01. According to the findings, the non-Galactic DM of FRB 20220610A is higher than what is predicted by the Macquart relation based on previous measurements. This discrepancy indicates passage through additional turbulent magnetized plasma in either the interstellar medium of the host galaxy or the foreground intergalactic medium. Moreover, Ryder et al. show that the FRB was unusually energetic, exceeding predictions by previous FRB population models by a factor of 3.5, challenging models of the FRB emission mechanism and demonstrating the existence of a population of high-energy high-redshift FRBs.

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Introducing NorthPole: a brain-inspired chip design that enables low-power AI inference

2023-10-19
Researchers present NorthPole – a brain-inspired chip architecture that blends computation with memory to process data efficiently at low-energy costs. Since its inception, computing has been processor-centric, with memory separated from compute. However, shuttling large amounts of data between memory and compute comes at a high price in terms of both energy consumption and processing bandwidth and speed. This is particularly evident in the case of emerging and advanced real-time artificial intelligence (AI) applications like facial recognition, object detection, and ...

Periodical cicada emergence disrupts food webs, increases plant damage in eastern North American forests

2023-10-19
The periodical mass emergence of cicadas in eastern North American forests can “rewire” forest food webs and initiate a cascade of ecological impacts that propagates throughout the food chain, according to a study that quantified effects of the 2021 Brood X cicada emergence. The study found that when insect-eating birds have abundant prey in the form of cicadas and thus shift their focus away from their usual repast – leaf-eating caterpillars – the caterpillars feast more heavily upon the leaves of oak saplings, doubling insect leaf damage. “Although previous studies have documented strong ecological ...

You say genome editing, I say natural mutation

You say genome editing, I say natural mutation
2023-10-19
For tens of thousands of years, evolution shaped tomatoes through natural mutations. Then, humans came along. For centuries, we’ve bred and cherry-picked tomatoes with our preferred traits. Today, CRISPR genome editing allows us to make new crop mutations that improve traits even further. However, individual mutations, whether natural or engineered, don’t work alone. Each operates in a sea of thousands of so-called “background” mutations. These changes have been sowed by evolution and agricultural ...

Heat waves harm bird reproduction on agricultural lands

Heat waves harm bird reproduction on agricultural lands
2023-10-19
Bird populations are in rapid decline across North America. While climate change is just one of the many factors influencing North American birds, its effects are significant and can interact with other stressors, such as habitat loss. A team of University of California, Davis, researchers found that the effects of extreme temperatures on avian reproduction can vary depending on the type of environment that birds call home. The findings, published in the journal Science, shed light on how climate change can combine with habitat loss to affect bird reproduction ...

Astronomers detect most distant fast radio burst to date

Astronomers detect most distant fast radio burst to date
2023-10-19
An international team has spotted a remote blast of cosmic radio waves lasting less than a millisecond. This 'fast radio burst' (FRB) is the most distant ever detected. Its source was pinned down by the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) in a galaxy so far away that its light took eight billion years to reach us. The FRB is also one of the most energetic ever observed; in a tiny fraction of a second it released the equivalent of our Sun’s total emission over 30 years. The discovery of the burst, named FRB 20220610A, was made in June last year by the ASKAP radio telescope in Australia ...

Imprinted genes in the ‘parenting hub’ of the brain determine if mice are good parents

2023-10-19
Whether a mouse is a good or bad parent can be traced back to imprinted genes in key neurons in the “parenting hub” in the brain, according to a new study by Anthony Isles of Cardiff University and colleagues, published October 19 in the journal PLOS Genetics. In mice, there is some evidence that an unusual phenomenon in mammals called genomic imprinting impacts parenting behavior. Mammals inherit two copies of each gene – one from each parent – and usually, each copy is expressed equally in the cell. With imprinted genes, however, only one copy is expressed, ...

With smartphone videos, clinicians can analyze human movement using open source "OpenCap" platform, 25x faster and at a fraction of the cost of labs

With smartphone videos, clinicians can analyze human movement using open source OpenCap platform, 25x faster and at a fraction of the cost of labs
2023-10-19
With smartphone videos, clinicians can analyze human movement using open source "OpenCap" platform, 25x faster and at a fraction of the cost of labs. #### Article URL: https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.101XXXX Article Title: OpenCap: Human movement dynamics from smartphone videos Author Countries: US Funding: SDU, AF, LK, JM, ASC, JLH, and SLD were supported by the National Institutes of Health (https://www.nih.gov; grant 1P41EB027060-01A1) and the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance (https://humanperformancealliance.org). ASC and MK were supported by Philips Healthcare (https://www.usa.philips.com/healthcare) ...

New smartphone app quickly analyzes human motion to aid physical rehabilitation

2023-10-19
WHAT: A research team funded by the National Institutes of Health has developed a smart phone app that can track and analyze a person’s ability to move from one place to another, known as locomotion, and other types of movements. Human motion analysis is used to evaluate patients with movement difficulties, to help clinicians plan surgery, and to assess the results of treatment procedures. The research team believes that using the app costs about 1% of conventional motion analysis techniques and works 25 times faster. The study appears in PLOS Computational Biology. Researchers tested their app, called OpenCap, with 100 participants. Using two or more smart phones, ...

BNP peptide a culprit in eczema

2023-10-19
  Researchers from North Carolina State University have pinpointed a particular peptide’s role in activating atopic dermatitis, or eczema. The work could lead to more effective treatments for the condition. Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a skin condition characterized by itching, irritated and thickened skin at the site of the irritation. The brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a peptide, or short chain of amino acids, that is elevated in patients with AD. “BNP is expressed in sensory neurons, the neurons responsible for conveying sensation to the brain via the spinal cord,” ...

Researchers confirm postpartum depression heritability, home in on treatment mechanism

2023-10-19
CHAPEL HILL, NC – Postpartum depression (PPD), a common subtype of major depressive disorder, is more heritable than other psychiatric conditions, yet the genetics of PPD are understudied compared to these other psychiatric conditions., such as anxiety and bipolar disorder. To remedy that, UNC School of Medicine researchers led an international team of researchers to conduct the largest-ever meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to investigate the genetic architecture of PPD. Published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, their research shows that approximately 14 percent of the variation seen in PPD cases can be attributed to common genetic factors. A patient’s ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Wetland plant-fungus combo cleans up ‘forever chemicals’ in a pilot study

Traditional Chinese medicine combined with peginterferon α-2b in chronic hepatitis B

APS and SPR honor Dr. Wendy K. Chung with the 2026 Mary Ellen Avery Neonatal Research Award

The Gabriella Miller Kids First Data Resource Center (Kids First DRC) has launched the Variant Workbench

Yeast survives Martian conditions

Calcium could be key to solving stability issues in sodium-ion batteries

Can smoother surfaces prevent hydrogen embrittlement?

Heart rate changes predict depression treatment success with magnetic brain stimulation

Genetics pioneer transforms global depression research through multi-omics discoveries

MDMA psychiatric applications synthesized: Comprehensive review examines PTSD treatment and emerging therapeutic indications

Psychedelics offer new therapeutic framework for stress-related psychiatric disorders

Brain cell discoveries reshape understanding of psychiatric disorders

Mom’s voice boosts language-center development in preemies’ brains, study finds

Development of silicon ultrasound patch achieves both eco-friendliness and performance enhancement

Measles immunity 90% in BC’s Lower Mainland

Women’s brain regions may lose ability to synchronize after sexual assault

Quitting smoking, even late in life, linked to slower cognitive decline

Critical raw materials are a vital new currency; Europe’s e-waste is the vault

Anesthesiologist-led care helps hip-fracture patients get to surgery faster, with fewer complications

Two-dose recombinant shingles vaccine is effective even accounting for prior receipt of live shingles vaccine

Excessive daytime sleepiness may raise risk of cognitive problems after surgery

Flipping the switch on sperm motility offers new hope for male infertility

Twisting sound: Scientists discover a new way to control mechanical vibrations in metamaterial

Drip by drip: The hidden blueprint for stalagmite growth

mRNA therapy restores sperm production and fertility in mice

New way to weaken cancer cells could supercharge prostate cancer treatment

How sound—but not touch—shapes rhythm in the brain

Exploring the therapeutic potential of hypothermia

Research alert: Bioengineering breathes new life into failed cancer treatment

AI, health, and health care today and tomorrow – the JAMA Summit Report on artificial intelligence

[Press-News.org] Observations from a bright fast radio burst probe the distant universe