Curated News: PNAS

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9-Jul-2018 11:30 AM EDT
New Insight Into Huntington’s Disease May Open Door to Drug Development
McMaster University

McMaster University researchers have developed a new theory on Huntington’s disease which is being welcomed for showing promise to open new avenues of drug development for the condition.

Released: 2-Jul-2018 5:05 PM EDT
The Gender Bias of Names: Surnames Standing Solo Gives Men Advantage
Cornell University

In new research, Cornell University psychologists find that study participants, on average, were more than twice as likely to call male professionals – even fictional ones – by their last name only, compared to equivalent female professionals. This example of gender bias, say researchers, may be contributing to gender inequality.

Released: 2-Jul-2018 3:00 PM EDT
Study Identifies Which Marine Mammals Are Most at Risk From Increased Arctic Ship Traffic
University of Washington

Areas of the Arctic seas are becoming ice-free in late summer and early fall. A new study considers impacts on all the marine mammals that use this region and finds narwhals will be the most vulnerable.

Released: 28-Jun-2018 5:05 PM EDT
Supercomputers Help Design Mutant Enzyme that Eats Plastic Bottles
University of California San Diego

PET plastic, short for polyethylene terephthalate, is the fourth most-produced plastic, used to make things such as beverage bottles and carpets, most of which are not being recycled. Some scientists are hoping to change that, using supercomputers to engineer an enzyme that breaks down PET. They say it's a step on a long road toward recycling PET and other plastics into commercially valuable materials at industrial scale.

Released: 28-Jun-2018 4:05 PM EDT
Study Shows Promise in Administering Insulin in Pill Form
North Dakota State University

A study by a team that includes Amrita Banerjee, assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences at North Dakota State University, Fargo, shows promise in administering insulin in pill form. Banerjee is listed as first author in the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

   
Released: 25-Jun-2018 2:55 PM EDT
‘Workhorse’ Lithium Battery Could Be More Powerful Thanks to New Design
Cornell University

Cornell University chemical engineering professor Lynden Archer believes there needs to be a battery technology “revolution” – and thinks that his lab has fired one of the first shots.

Released: 20-Jun-2018 9:00 AM EDT
Scientists Go to Great Heights to Understand Changes in Earth’s Atmosphere
University of California San Diego

Human activities have impacted the Earth’s atmosphere over time. To better understand the impact of the human biogeochemical footprint on Earth, scientists at the University of California San Diego are literally climbing mountains to study the planet’s sulfur cycle—an agent in cardiovascular fitness and other human health benefits and resources.

Released: 13-Jun-2018 4:05 PM EDT
Researchers Explain Ammonia Distribution in Earth’s Upper Atmosphere
University of Iowa

A new study co-led by University of Iowa researchers helps clarify how ammonia is present in Earth’s upper atmosphere. Using computer modeling, the researchers found ammonia molecules trapped in liquid cloud droplets are released during convection where these particles freeze and subsequently collide in the upper atmosphere.

Released: 12-Jun-2018 8:05 AM EDT
Volcanic Activity, Declining Ocean Oxygen Triggered Mass Extinction of Ancient Marine Organisms
Florida State University

Millions of years ago, powerful volcanoes pumped Earth's atmosphere full of carbon dioxide, draining the oceans of oxygen and driving widespread extinction of marine organisms. Could something similar be happening today?

11-Jun-2018 3:30 PM EDT
Experiments at Berkeley Lab Help Trace Interstellar Dust Back to Solar System’s Formation
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Experiments conducted at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory helped to confirm that samples of interplanetary particles – collected from Earth’s upper atmosphere and believed to originate from comets – contain dust leftover from the initial formation of the solar system.

Released: 5-Jun-2018 11:05 AM EDT
Cornell research illuminates inaccuracies in radiocarbon dating
Cornell University

Radiocarbon dating is a key tool archaeologists use to determine the age of plants and objects made with organic material. But new research shows that commonly accepted radiocarbon dating standards can miss the mark — calling into question historical timelines.

Released: 4-Jun-2018 4:10 PM EDT
Ancient Greenland Was Much Warmer Than Previously Thought
Northwestern University

Just beyond the northwest edge of the vast Greenland Ice Sheet, Northwestern University researchers have discovered lake mud that beat tough odds by surviving the last ice age. The mud, and remains of common flies nestled within it, record two interglacial periods in northwest Greenland. Although researchers have long known these two periods — the early Holocene and Last Interglacial — experienced warming in the Arctic due to changes in the Earth’s orbit, the mix of fly species preserved from these times shows that Greenland was even warmer than previously thought.

Released: 4-Jun-2018 3:20 PM EDT
Study Suggests Earth Could Have Supported Continental Crust, Life Earlier Than Thought
University of Chicago

The early Earth might have been habitable much earlier than thought, according to new research from a group led by University of Chicago scientists.

31-May-2018 12:00 PM EDT
Thank the Moon for Earth’s Lengthening Day
University of Wisconsin–Madison

A new study that reconstructs the deep history of our planet’s relationship to the moon shows that 1.4 billion years ago, a day on Earth lasted just over 18 hours. This is at least in part because the moon was closer and changed the way the Earth spun around its axis.

Released: 29-May-2018 12:05 PM EDT
A new insight into the beetle-fungus symbiosis
Bowling Green State University

A Bowling Green State University microbiology team played an important role in a scientific discovery about alcohol benefitting fungus farming in beetles. The beetle research, headed by an entomologist Christopher Ranger of USDA-ARS, discovered that alcohol, specifically ethanol, is important for the beetles’ food production, and part of the logic for their attraction to alcohol.

Released: 22-May-2018 5:05 AM EDT
Embryonic Gene Regulation Through Mechanical Forces
University of Vienna

sDuring embryonic development genetic cascades control gene activity and cell differentiation. In a new publication of the journal PNAS, the team of Ulrich Technau of the Department of Molecular Evolution and Development at the University of Vienna reported that besides the genetic program, also mechanical cues can contribute to the regulation of gene expression during development.

Released: 21-May-2018 5:05 PM EDT
What an All-Nighter Does to Your Blood
University of Colorado Boulder

A new study looking at proteins in the blood over the 24-hour-cycle found 30 that vary depending on what time it is, and more than 100 that are disrupted by a simulated night shift

Released: 21-May-2018 4:30 PM EDT
Research Suggests Sweet Potatoes Didn't Originate in the Americas
Indiana University

Sweet potatoes may seem as American as Thanksgiving, but scientists have long debated whether their plant family originated in the Old or New World. New research by an Indiana University paleobotanist suggests it originated in Asia, and much earlier than previously known.

Released: 21-May-2018 3:55 PM EDT
NIBIB-Funded Team Designs Rapid Diagnostic System for Debilitating Nutrient Deficiency
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering

A team of Cornell University engineers and nutritionists with funding from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, part of NIH, have designed and tested a small, portable diagnostic system that can be used in the field to test blood for vitamin A and iron deficiencies.

   
Released: 15-May-2018 4:05 PM EDT
Scientists Turn X-ray Laser Into World’s Fastest Water Heater
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Scientists have used a powerful X-ray laser at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory to heat water from room temperature to 100,000 degrees Celsius in less than a tenth of a picosecond, or millionth of a millionth of a second.

Released: 15-May-2018 2:55 PM EDT
Making Carbon Nanotubes as Usable as Common Plastics
Northwestern University

By using an inexpensive, already mass produced, simple solvent called cresol, Northwestern University's Jiaxing Huang has discovered a way to make disperse carbon nanotubes at unprecedentedly high concentrations without the need for additives or harsh chemical reactions to modify the nanotubes.

10-May-2018 3:00 PM EDT
New Pig Virus Found to Be a Potential Threat to Humans
Ohio State University

A recently identified pig virus can readily find its way into laboratory-cultured cells of people and other species, a discovery that raises concerns about the potential for outbreaks that threaten human and animal health.

   
Released: 10-May-2018 12:05 PM EDT
Study: New Tool Analyzes Disease and Drug Effects with Unprecedented Accuracy and Consistency
University at Buffalo

A new protein analysis tool developed at the University at Buffalo could increase the quality and accuracy of medical diagnosis and quicken the pace of pharmaceutical development.

Released: 7-May-2018 3:40 PM EDT
Simple Treatment May Minimize Hearing Loss Triggered by Loud Noises
Keck Medicine of USC

New research from the Keck School of Medicine of USC reveals how traumatic noise damages hearing and identifies a potential way to preserve it

Released: 7-May-2018 3:00 PM EDT
Earth’s Orbital Changes Have Influenced Climate, Life Forms For at Least 215 Million Years
Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Every 405,000 years, gravitational tugs from Jupiter and Venus slightly elongate Earth’s orbit, an amazingly consistent pattern that has influenced our planet’s climate for at least 215 million years and allows scientists to more precisely date geological events like the spread of dinosaurs, according to a Rutgers-led study. The findings are published online today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

3-May-2018 4:05 PM EDT
Could Reading Our Circadian Clocks According to DNA Repair Optimize Chemotherapy?
University of North Carolina Health Care System

For the first time, UNC School of Medicine scientists led by Nobel laureate Aziz Sancar analyzed whole-genome DNA repair in an animal over 24 hours to find which genes were repaired, where exactly, and when, laying the groundwork for a more precise use of anti-cancer drugs.

Released: 2-May-2018 12:05 PM EDT
U.S. Gains in Air Quality Are Slowing Down
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

After decades of progress in cleaning up air quality, U.S. improvements for two key air pollutants have slowed significantly in recent years, new research concludes. The unexpected finding indicates that it may be more difficult than previously realized for the nation to achieve its goal of decreased ozone pollution, scientists said.

Released: 2-May-2018 9:05 AM EDT
Heart Disease Symptoms Improved by Blocking Immune Cell Migration
Case Western Reserve University

New research led by investigators at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center suggests that the location of immune cells in the body determines whether they help or harm the development of heart disease. The study supports the view that the immune system directly impacts heart failure—still the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States.

Released: 1-May-2018 5:00 PM EDT
Kids with Pets, Rural Upbringing Become Stress-Resilient Adults
University of Colorado Boulder

Men who were raised in the country with pets have more stress-resilient immune systems than those raised pet-free in the city, according to a new study released this week in the journal PNAS

Released: 26-Apr-2018 10:05 AM EDT
New Research Could Help Farmers Diagnose Soybean Stresses with a Smartphone
Iowa State University

A new approach developed by Iowa State University scientists could allow plant breeders and farmers to diagnose soybean stresses – such as iron deficiency, disease or herbicide injury – by using a smartphone. The technology may have uses in unmanned aerial vehicles and ground robots as well. The researchers describe their approach in a recently published article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Released: 24-Apr-2018 5:05 PM EDT
Brain Activity Linked to Stress Changes Chemical Codes
University of California San Diego

Scientists identified light-induced electrical activity as the brain mechanism controlling chemical code switching related to stress. While studying neurotransmitter switching in rats, they found that specific neurons were responsible, with implications for imbalances underlying mental illness.

Released: 23-Apr-2018 4:45 PM EDT
LLNL Maps Out Deployment of Carbon Capture and Sequestration for Ethanol Production
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

To better understand the near-term commercial potential for capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have mapped out how CO2 might be captured from existing U.S. ethanol biorefineries and permanently stored (or sequestered) underground.

Released: 23-Apr-2018 3:05 PM EDT
Applying Network Analysis to Natural History
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

By using network analysis to search for communities of marine life in the fossil records of the Paleobiology Database, the team, including researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, was able to quantify the ecological impacts of major events like mass extinctions and may help us anticipate the consequences of a “sixth mass extinction.”

Released: 19-Apr-2018 8:00 AM EDT
How Environmental Pollutants and Genetics Work Together in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

New research documents how chemicals and a certain gene activate an enzyme to increase the risk and severity of RA and bone destruction.

Released: 17-Apr-2018 3:00 PM EDT
Researchers Develop First Gene Drive Targeting Worldwide Crop Pest
University of California San Diego

UC San Diego biologists have created the world’s first gene drive system—a mechanism for manipulating genetic inheritance—in Drosophila suzukii, an agricultural pest that has invaded much of the United States and caused millions of dollars in damage to high-value berry and other fruit crops.

Released: 17-Apr-2018 12:05 PM EDT
Multidisciplinary Study Provides New Insights About French Revolution
Indiana University

New research from experts in history, computer science and cognitive science shines fresh light on the French Revolution, showing how rhetorical and institutional innovations won acceptance for the ideas that built the French republic's foundation and inspired future democracies.

11-Apr-2018 3:05 PM EDT
Large Aggregates of ALS-Causing Protein Might Actually Help Brain Cells
University of North Carolina Health Care System

UNC School of Medicine scientists led by Nikolay Dokholyan add to evidence that small aggregates of SOD1 protein are the brain-cell killing culprits in ALS, but the formation of larger, more visible, and fibril-like aggregates of the same protein may protect brain cells.

Released: 9-Apr-2018 3:10 PM EDT
Survival Strategy: How One Enzyme Helps Bacteria Recover From Exposure to Antibiotics
University of Notre Dame

Researchers at the University of Notre Dame focused on an enzyme in gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a pathogen that causes pneumonia and sepsis.

   
Released: 9-Apr-2018 3:05 PM EDT
Scientists Decry Lack of Science in `Forensic Science’
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Many of the “forensic science” methods commonly used in criminal cases and portrayed in popular police TV dramas have never been scientifically validated and may lead to unjust verdicts, according to an editorial in this week’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

   
Released: 5-Apr-2018 8:00 AM EDT
Animal Study Suggests Common Diabetes Drug May Also Help with Nicotine Withdrawal
Johns Hopkins Medicine

In a mouse study, a drug that has helped millions of people around the world manage their diabetes might also help people ready to kick their nicotine habits.

Released: 2-Apr-2018 3:30 PM EDT
Earth's Stable Temperature Past Suggests Other Planets Could Also Sustain Life
University of Washington

Earth has had moderate temperatures throughout its early history, and neutral seawater acidity. This means other rocky planets could likely also maintain this equilibrium and allow life to evolve.

Released: 2-Apr-2018 3:05 PM EDT
‘Molecular Scissors’ Could Be Key to Cutting Off Diseases Including HIV Infection
Ohio State University

One way to fight diseases including HIV infection and autoimmune disorders could involve changing how a naturally occurring enzyme called SAMHD1 works to influence the immune system, new research suggests.

30-Mar-2018 12:05 PM EDT
New Study Shows Vegetation Controls the Future of the Water Cycle
Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science

Columbia Engineering researchers have found that vegetation plays a dominant role in Earth’s water cycle, that plants will regulate and dominate the increasing stress placed on continental water resources in the future. “This could be a real game-changer for understanding changes in continental water stress going into the future,” says Prof. Pierre Gentine. In this paper, he demonstrates vegetation’s key role in responding to rising CO2 levels and shows how plants will regulate future dryness.

Released: 27-Mar-2018 3:05 PM EDT
Are You More Likely to Get Sick When The Seasons Change? Here's What Experts Say
Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital

Research suggests the common cold thrives in cooler temperatures. One recent study from Yale University found a seven-degree drop in ambient temperature can mess with your body’s ability to stop cold viruses from proliferating.

Released: 27-Mar-2018 10:05 AM EDT
Weizmann Scientists Find That the Biggest Source of Food Waste Could Be What We Eat
Weizmann Institute of Science

A new analysis indicates that if the land used to support animal-based diets were instead used for food crops, it would add enough food to feed a further 350 million people – more than the entire population of the U.S.

   
Released: 21-Mar-2018 12:05 PM EDT
Design Approach Developed for Important New Catalysts for Energy Conversion and Storage
Northwestern University

Northwestern University researchers have discovered a new approach for creating important new catalysts to aid in clean energy conversion and storage. The method also has the potential to impact the discovery of new optical and data storage materials and catalysts for higher efficiency processing of petroleum products at lower cost. The researchers created a catalyst that is seven times more active than state-of-the-art commercial platinum by combining theory, a new tool for synthesizing nanoparticles and more than one metallic element.

Released: 21-Mar-2018 8:05 AM EDT
New Technologies and Computing Power to Help Strengthen Population Data in Low Income Countries
University of Southampton

Research led by the University of Southampton is helping governments in low-income countries strengthen their capacity to build and use population maps, to plan for the future and respond to emergencies.

Released: 20-Mar-2018 4:05 PM EDT
Weird Superconductor Leads Double Life
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Understanding strontium titanate’s odd behavior will aid efforts to develop materials that conduct electricity with 100 percent efficiency at higher temperatures.

Released: 20-Mar-2018 12:00 PM EDT
Amygdala Neurons Increase as Children Become Adults – Except in Autism
UC Davis MIND Institute

In a striking new finding, researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute found that typically-developing children gain more neurons in a region of the brain that governs social and emotional behavior, the amygdala, as they become adults. This phenomenon does not happen in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Instead, children with ASD have too many neurons early on and then appear to lose those neurons as they become adults. The findings were published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Released: 15-Mar-2018 7:30 AM EDT
The Secret Lives of Cells
Department of Energy, Office of Science

Supercomputer simulations predict how E. coli adapts to environmental stresses.



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