On repeat: Biologists observe recurring evolutionary changes, over time, in stick insects

An evolutionary biologist reports evidence of repeatable evolution in populations of stick insects.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240524171440.htm

AI headphones let wearer listen to a single person in a crowd, by looking at them just once

Engineers have developed an artificial intelligence system that lets someone wearing headphones look at a person speaking for three to five seconds to 'enroll' them. The system then plays just the enrolled speaker's voice in real time, even as the pair move around in noisy environments.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240524171429.htm

High H5N1 influenza levels found in mice given raw milk from infected dairy cows

Mice administered raw milk samples from dairy cows infected with H5N1 influenza experienced high virus levels in their respiratory organs and lower virus levels in other vital organs, according to new findings. The results suggest that consumption of raw milk by animals poses a risk for H5N1 infection and raises questions about its potential risk in humans.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240524121634.htm

Developing novel methods to detect antibiotics in vegetables and earthworms

Researchers have managed to analyze, simultaneously, several families of antibiotics in vegetables and earthworms. Sampling carried out in various locations has yielded data on the existence of antimicrobial agents and their derivatives in vegetables. In this respect, Vergara stresses the need for further research to address the problem of contamination by this type of medication in the environment.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240523205057.htm

Developing novel methods to detect antibiotics in vegetables and earthworms

Researchers have managed to analyze, simultaneously, several families of antibiotics in vegetables and earthworms. Sampling carried out in various locations has yielded data on the existence of antimicrobial agents and their derivatives in vegetables. In this respect, Vergara stresses the need for further research to address the problem of contamination by this type of medication in the environment.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240523205057.htm

Birth of universe's earliest galaxies observed for first time

Researchers have now seen the formation of three of the earliest galaxies in the universe, more than 13 billion years ago. The sensational discovery contributes important knowledge about the universe.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240523153708.htm

Charting a pathway to next-gen biofuels

From soil to sequestration, researchers have modeled what a supply chain for second-generation biofuels might look like in the midwestern United States.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240523153631.htm

Planet hunters unveil massive catalog of strange worlds

While thousands of planets have been discovered around other stars, relatively little is known about them. A NASA catalog featuring 126 exotic, newly discovered worlds includes detailed measurements that allow for comparisons with our own solar system.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240523112632.htm

The global clean water crisis looms large

Water scarcity will intensify with climate and socioeconomic change, disproportionately impacting populations located in the Global South.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240523112544.htm

Potentially habitable 'exo-Venus' with Earth-like temperature discovered

Astronomers have made the rare and tantalizing discovery of an Earth-like exoplanet 40 light-years away that may be just a little warmer than our own world. The potentially-habitable planet, named Gliese 12 b, orbits its host star every 12.8 days, is comparable in size to Venus -- so slightly smaller than Earth -- and has an estimated surface temperature of 42 C (107 F), which is lower than most of the 5,000-odd exoplanets confirmed so far. That is assuming it has no atmosphere, however, which is the crucial next step to establishing if it is habitable.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240523112455.htm

Exploring diversity in cell division

Animals and fungi predominantly use two different modes of cell division -- called open and closed mitosis, respectively. A new study has shown that different species of Ichthyosporea -- marine protists that are close relatives of both animals and fungi -- use either open and closed mitosis, closely correlated to whether the species has multinucleate life cycle stages. The study demonstrates the way animals do cell division might have evolved long before animals themselves did and how this is linked to an organism's life cycle.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240522130501.htm

New tool may help prioritize high-risk infants for RSV immunization

On the heels of a shortage of nirsevimab for infant respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) prevention, a new tool may help identify newborns at highest risk for developing serious RSV LRTI, according to new research.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240521204336.htm

Scientists create tailored drug for aggressive breast cancer

Scientists have used breast cancer cells' weakness against themselves by linking a tumor-selective antibody with a cell-killing drug to destroy hard-to-treat tumors.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240521204313.htm

Drug-like inhibitor shows promise in preventing flu

Currently available flu medications only target the virus after it has already established an infection, but what if a drug could prevent infection in the first place? Now, scientists have designed drug-like molecules to do just that, by thwarting the first stage of influenza infection.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240521132302.htm

Cosmic rays illuminate the past

Researchers have for the first time been able to pin down a prehistoric settlement of early farmers in northern Greece dating back more than 7,000 years to the year. For this they combined annual growth ring measurements on wooden building elements with the sudden spike of cosmogenic radiocarbon in 5259 BC. This provides a reliable chronological reference point for many other archaeological sites in Southeast Europe.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240521124720.htm

Chocolate that harnesses the full potential of the cocoa fruit

Researchers have developed a type of chocolate that is more sustainable and nutritious than conventional varieties. Cocoa-fruit chocolate uses cocoa fruit jelly as a replacement for powdered sugar, reducing the sugar content and increasing the product's nutritional value. This new chocolate recipe also has the potential to diversify the income sources of small farmers.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240521124621.htm

'I feel like I'm Alice in Wonderland': Why nightmares and 'daymares' could be early warning signs of autoimmune disease

An increase in nightmares and hallucinations -- or 'daymares' -- could herald the onset of autoimmune diseases such as lupus.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240520205844.htm

'Vigorous melting' at Antarctica's Thwaites 'Doomsday' Glacier

Glaciologists show evidence of warm ocean water intruding kilometers beneath grounded ice at Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica. The findings suggest that existing climate models are underestimating the impact of ocean and ice interactions in future sea level rise projections.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240520155541.htm

Webb Telescope offers first glimpse of an exoplanet's interior

A surprisingly low amount of methane and a super-sized core hide within the cotton candy -- like planet WASP-107 b.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240520122840.htm

Better medical record-keeping needed to fight antibiotic overuse

A lack of detailed record-keeping in clinics and emergency departments may be getting in the way of reducing the inappropriate use of antibiotics, a pair of new studies suggests. In one of the studies, about 10% of children and 35% of adults who got an antibiotic prescription during an office visit had no specific reason for the antibiotic in their record.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240517164151.htm