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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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. #### 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) ...

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, ...

  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,” ...

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 ...

A University of Oklahoma-led article published in Geophysical Research Letters highlights newly measured extremes recorded during the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Dynamics and Chemistry of the Summer Stratosphere field project. “Extreme Altitudes of Stratospheric Hydration by Midlatitude Convection Observed During the DCOTSS Field Campaign,” led by OU School of Meteorology Interim Director and Associate Professor Cameron Homeyer, summarizes the extremes in measured stratospheric depth of hydration by convection recorded during the DCOTSS project as a whole, and ...

Golden retrievers are one of the most popular breeds of dogs. But research shows they have up to a 65% chance of dying from cancer.  In a new study, University of California, Davis, researchers set out to find if certain genetic factors could help their survival rate. But instead of searching for genes associated with a cancer diagnosis in the breed, they instead chose to look for genes associated with longer life. The gene they found is in a family of proteins long known to be important in human cancers. Specific versions or variants ...

Each year, approximately 200 to 300 children in the United States are diagnosed with diffuse midline gliomas (DMG), a tumor that begins in the brain or spinal cord. The tumors cannot be removed through surgery due to their location in the brain, and current treatments are not effective and lead to a nearly zero percent survival rate. The University of Cincinnati’s Timothy Phoenix is part of a multi-investigator collaborative team with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s Stephen Mack, PhD, and Giedre Krenciute, PhD, that received a nearly $4 million National Cancer Institute (NCI) ...

CHICAGO (October 19) — Scientists have new evidence that a tropical disease once seen almost exclusively in returning travelers is now being detected in the United States in people with no international travel history — and caused by a Leishmania parasite strain that’s distinctly different from “imported” cases, according to an analysis from researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) presented today at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH).   The study, led by CDC scientist Marcos de Almeida, emerged from a curious rise of domestic infections over the last 10 years, ...

An international team of scientists headed by the University of Bonn has developed a novel type of nanomotor. It is driven by a clever mechanism and can perform pulsing movements. The researchers are now planning to fit it with a coupling and install it as a drive in complex machines. Their findings have now appeared in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.  This novel type of motor is similar to a hand grip trainer that strengthens your grip when used regularly. However, the motor is around one million times smaller. Two handles are connected by a spring in a V-shaped structure. In a hand grip trainer, ...

HOUSTON ― Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered that lactate-producing intratumoral bacteria drives resistance to radiation therapy,  suggesting that lactic acid-producing bacteria present in various cancers may serve as novel therapeutic targets. The study, published today in Cancer Cell, reported that a particular bacterial species, Lactobacillus iners (L. iners), caused cancer cells to respond to radiation by rewiring metabolic signaling pathways to resist treatment. The researchers also found that L. iners was associated with poorer clinical outcomes in patients with cervical ...

While the overall incidence and death rates from cervical cancer have dropped in the U.S., the opposite has been occurring in Appalachian Kentucky – a steady increase. The death rate from cervical cancer in Appalachian Kentucky is now twice that of the national rate. A team of cancer population scientists from MUSC Hollings Cancer Center and the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center documented the increase through investigation of county-level data from 2000 through 2019. Their findings are published this month in JAMA Network Open. “The rapidly growing disparities that we're ...

Study suggests that adhering to a Mediterranean diet may alleviate or prevent posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms The human gut microbiome has a significant impact on our health. Research has shown that it can influence the development and response of emotions, but the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the gut microbiome has been unexplored. PTSD is a fear-based mental health disorder that develops in some individuals who experience a disturbing and horrifying situation involving severe injury, actual or threat of death, or violence. A new study by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare ...

About The Study: The findings of this study that involved the use of data from Hong Kong and Singapore suggest that trust in health authorities was fundamental to overcoming COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. As such, engendering trust in health care professionals, experts, and public health agencies should be incorporated into pandemic preparedness and response.  Authors: Michael Y. Ni, M.D., of the University of Hong Kong, is the corresponding author.  To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/  (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.37909) Editor’s Note: Please see the article ...

About The Study: In this study of 394 individuals, females with a family history of mood disorders were prone to weight gain starting around puberty and predating mood disorder onset. Early interventions aiming to prevent adverse mental and physical outcomes in this vulnerable group need to start in childhood.  Authors: Rudolf Uher, M.D., Ph.D., of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, is the corresponding author.  To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/  (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.38540) Editor’s ...

Scientists have a new tool to precisely illuminate the roots of nerve pain.  Engineers at MIT have developed soft and implantable fibers that can deliver light to major nerves through the body. When these nerves are genetically manipulated to respond to light, the fibers can send pulses of light to the nerves to inhibit pain. The optical fibers are flexible and stretch with the body.  The new fibers are meant as an experimental tool that can be used by scientists to explore the causes and potential treatments for peripheral nerve disorders in animal models. ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A new electrical method to conveniently change the direction of electron flow in some quantum materials could have implications for the development of next-generation electronic devices and quantum computers. A team of researchers from Penn State developed and demonstrated the method in materials that exhibit the quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect — a phenomenon in which the flow of electrons along the edge of a material does not lose energy. The team described the work in a paper appearing today (Oct. 19) in the journal Nature ...

Touch plays a fundamental role in our physical, emotional, and social well-being. From a primary way of conveying emotions to sensory integration, it is crucial for the complex growth of cognitive, emotional, social, and behavioral abilities especially during the early development of infants and children. Touch allows us to build connections with others, eases pain and stress, and helps us to understand the world around us giving crucial information such as the texture, temperature, and shape of objects. When sensing any stimuli, such as when the body is being touched, the mechanical signals are transformed into biological responses ...

A breakthrough development in photonic-electronic hardware could significantly boost processing power for AI and machine learning applications. The approach uses multiple radio frequencies to encode data, enabling multiple calculations to be carried out in parallel. The method shows promise for outperforming state-of-the-art electronic processors, with further enhancements possible. In a paper published today in Nature Photonics, researchers from the University of Oxford, along with collaborators from the Universities of Muenster, Heidelberg, and Exeter, report on their development ...

In recent years, self-powered electrochromic (EC) devices have shown significant potential in various fields such as optoelectronics, sensors, and security systems. These self-powered EC systems, capable of reversible color switching without external power sources, have garnered considerable interest for next-generation electronic devices.  However, this field is still in its infancy, with several unresolved challenges, including monochromatic displays, limited cycle durability, and the use of aqueous electrolytes. All these limitations have become ...

Global coastal adaptations are ‘incremental in scale’, short-sighted and inadequate to address the root causes of vulnerability to climate change, according to an international team of researchers.  The 17 experts, including Prof Robert Nicholls, Professor of Climate Adaptation at the University of East Anglia (UEA), have contributed to the paper, ‘Status of global coastal adaptation’, which is published today in Nature Climate Change.   Prof Nicholls said: “Recent analyses conclude that despite adaptation undertaken in all regions and sectors, global action remains incremental in scale: policies and projects ...