EverythingScience

Meet 'Tous'—an entirely new genus of mammal Source:Phys.org @EverythingScience

Scientists Discover Why Some COVID Survivors Still Can’t Taste Food Years Later Researchers have uncovered specific biological changes in taste buds that could help explain why a small number of people continue to struggle with taste loss long after a COVID-19 infection. The study, published in Chemical Senses, is the first to directly connect patients’ lingering taste complaints with measurable abnormalities inside the cells responsible for detecting flavor. Source:SciTechDaily @EverythingScience

FDA-Approved Seizure Drug May Stop Alzheimer’s Before It Starts For decades, researchers have recognized that Alzheimer’s disease is marked by the buildup of toxic protein fragments in the brain. What has remained unclear is exactly how and where those harmful fragments are generated. In a new study, scientists at Northwestern University report that they have identified both the location and timing of this toxic buildup in Alzheimer’s patients. The team also found that an inexpensive drug already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can interrupt the process before the damage begins. Using a combination of animal models, lab-grown human neurons, and brain tissue from individuals at high risk for Alzheimer’s, the researchers focused on a particularly harmful fragment known as amyloid-beta 42. They discovered that this peptide accumulates inside synaptic vesicles, the small sacs neurons use to release chemical signals and communicate with one another. When the scientists treated animals and human neurons with levetiracetam, a widely prescribed anti-seizure medication that has been available for decades, the drug blocked the formation of amyloid-beta 42. By preventing production of the peptide, levetiracetam stopped the chain of events that leads to amyloid plaque buildup. “While many of the Alzheimer’s drugs currently on the market, such as lecanemab and donanemab, are approved to clear existing amyloid plaques, we’ve identified this mechanism that prevents the production of the amyloid-beta 42 peptides and amyloid plaques,” said corresponding author Jeffrey Savas, PhD, associate professor of behavioral neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “Our new results uncovered new biology while also opening doors for new drug targets.” Source:SciTechDaily @EverythingScience

Scientists Create Giant Fire Tornadoes That Could Save Our Oceans In the critical hours after an offshore oil spill, response teams must make a difficult choice: allow the slick to spread or set it on fire. When responders ignite the oil, they create what is known as an ‘in-situ’ fire pool. This method can prevent oil from drifting and contaminating fragile marine ecosystems — but it comes at a heavy cost. Thick smoke rises into the air, soot and other pollutants spread through the atmosphere, and a layer of partially burned residue remains on the ocean surface. In a first-of-its-kind large-scale experiment, scientists tested a different strategy: enormous fire whirls, spinning columns of flame that rise vertically like a tornado instead of spreading across the water. Fire Whirls: A Cleaner, Faster Oil Spill Solution This rotating column acts like a powerful engine. As it spins, it pulls in extra oxygen, which allows the flame to burn hotter and more efficiently than a traditional fire pool. The improvement was dramatic. Compared with standard in-situ fires, the fire whirl generated 40 percent less soot and burned up to 95 percent of the oil, leaving behind far fewer hazardous particles and toxic remnants. Source:SciTechDaily @EverythingScience

Tiny Fish Stun Scientists With Mammal-Like Intelligence Scientists at Osaka Metropolitan University in Japan have identified a new and unexpected behavior in cleaner wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus). When shown a mirror, these small reef fish did more than appear to recognize their reflections. They also began interacting with the mirror using a piece of food, suggesting a level of cognitive sophistication not typically associated with fish. The findings indicate that cleaner wrasse may be capable of “contingency testing,” a complex mental process most often observed in highly intelligent marine mammals such as dolphins. The research team was led by Specially Appointed Researcher Shumpei Sogawa and Specially Appointed Professor Masanori Kohda at the Graduate School of Science. In earlier work, the group demonstrated that cleaner wrasse can identify themselves in photographs. In the current study, the scientists observed new behaviors during a series of mirror test experiments, a widely used method for evaluating self-recognition and animal cognition. Previous research had already shown that cleaner wrasse respond to their reflections in ways consistent with self-recognition. Source:SciTechDaily @EverythingScience

The Cosmic Brain As Seen By The JWST Source:Universe Today @EverythingScience

Why you can't tie knots in four dimensions Source:Phys.org @EverythingScience

Aging Isn’t Random, and It Starts Earlier Than You Think Source:SciTechDaily @EverythingScience

Carbon-based catalyst can use sunlight to degrade PFAS Source:Phys.org @EverythingScience

James Webb Telescope Detects Complex Organic Chemistry Beyond the Milky Way Source:SciTechDaily @EverythingScience

The sun just experienced its first 'spotless days' in 4 years — but we're not in the clear yet Source:Live Science @EverythingScience

We now know why shoes squeak, and it involves miniature lightning bolts Source:Live Science @EverythingScience