KELT-9b, a Jupiter-like gas giant, has a 'year' of only 1.5 days and orbits an extremely hot star that radiates more ultraviolet radiation than our sun. The planet's atmosphere is constantly blasted with high levels of radiation, making it inhospitable to life.
Researchers found that babies who shared a room with parents after the first four months had poorer sleep quality and more unsafe sleeping practices. The study suggests that the American Academy of Pediatrics should reconsider its recommendation to room-share for the entire first year.
A new two-part system turns embryonic or adult stem cells into the desired target cell type, reproducing flawlessly. The system uses a DNA plasmid that makes cells glow green when exposed to blue light, allowing researchers to track its removal and control gene expression.
Researchers from Penn State and Florida State University have developed a new, industrially scalable catalyst that splits water into hydrogen with minimal external energy. The molybdenum disulfide alloy improves the efficiency of the process, enabling cheaper production of clean hydrogen fuel.
A study by Penn State researchers suggests a possible link between the partial meltdown at Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant and thyroid cancer cases in nearby areas. The study found an increase in genetic mutations caused by low-dose radiation exposure in patients who developed thyroid cancer after living in at-risk regions.
A new study found that participants in the PROSPER program showed a significant reduction in lifetime use of methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana. The program also reduced prescription drug misuse and reported lower levels of drug-related problems among young adults.
Researchers have identified a key to generating effective tissue-resident memory T cells that can fight off infections in organs. By adjusting the strength of T cell receptor stimulation, scientists can promote the generation of these cells, which could lead to more efficient protection against viruses like Zika and HIV.
Assistant professor Namiko Yamamoto is using a $447,663 grant from the Office of Naval Research to explore the fundamental toughening mechanisms of novel ceramic composites. Her goal is to develop ceramics with enhanced fracture toughness and damage tolerance for high-temperature aerospace applications.
Researchers at Penn State have created inexpensive molecular rulers for DNA research using new, license-free DNA ladders. These plasmids can estimate DNA fragment sizes between 50 and 5,000 base pairs in length, offering a cost-effective alternative to commercially available methods.
A recent study analyzed over 9,000 middle-aged adults in England and found that moderate drinkers who also smoked experienced more health problems than those who drank lightly or abstained. The researchers suggest that other lifestyle factors, such as education and smoking habits, may be more influential on midlife health.
A team of biologists studied lizards' reactions to fire ant exposure in socially stressful environments. Despite initial expectation that lizards would be stressed, they found lower baseline cortisol levels in those exposed to fire ants for two weeks.
A recent study by Erica Frankenberg found that student assignment policies in Jefferson County, Kentucky, are increasing diversity despite rising segregation. The new policies have resulted in steady enrollment growth with no evidence of flight by white or affluent students to private schools or neighboring districts.
Researchers aim to promote sustainable water for agriculture through stakeholder engagement, testing flexible models in Arizona, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania. The project seeks to address complex web of social, economic, cultural, institutional, legal, and biophysical conditions influencing water resource management.
A Penn State researcher has been awarded nearly $8 million by DARPA, the US Navy, and Lockheed Martin to continue his work on engineered metamaterials. The project aims to develop new algorithms and simulation tools for designing optical materials, with potential applications in electromagnetic cloaking technology.
Positive trends in creating open and reproducible environments are underway, with more researchers sharing data and software. Technology is also improving, with new web-based management tools and data depositories being developed.
Researchers have created a bacteria-powered fuel cell that can convert methane into small amounts of electricity near the wellheads, reducing long-distance transport and leakage. The process uses a consortium of bacteria that produces electricity by capturing methane and producing acetate, electrons, and an energy enzyme.
A new study published in New Forests finds that the American chestnut rescue effort will eventually succeed, but at a slower pace than anticipated. The research team reviewed decades of breeding records and transgenic experiments to conclude that it is just a matter of time before blight resistance is achieved.
A new method pinpoints critical information needed to improve management decisions during a disease outbreak. The approach provides two important pieces of information: the best course of action and highlighted gaps in knowledge that matter for intervention strategies.
A compound called interleukin 4 helps macrophages kill parasites and promote healing in lung tissue by binding to a receptor called myosin 18A. This discovery could lead to better treatments for common infections, including those caused by parasitic worms that infect hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
A team of researchers has discovered a new type of living material composed of liquid crystals and bacteria. The combination creates unusual optical, physical, and electrical properties, and the bacteria exhibit collective behavior when at high concentrations. Experiments show that oxygen removal stops the action of the living material.
Astronomers predict that combining NIRISS and NIRSpec on James Webb Space Telescope will maximize information content about exoplanet atmospheres. This combination allows for the observation of key chemical compounds such as water, methane, and carbon dioxide.
Researchers found no difference between men and women in facial recognition abilities, challenging conventional wisdom that women excel in this area. Facial recognition is a crucial skill for social interactions and decision-making.
Researchers found that similar levels of trust reduce opportunistic behavior, while asymmetry leads to perceptions of opportunism. Asymmetry in power and size influences perceptions, with bigger buyers perceived as less opportunistic by smaller suppliers.
Researchers studied 240 children with autism between 15-71 months old, finding that IQ, communication skills, and speech ability explained less than 3% of their tantrums. Children with clear speech and high intelligence had the same number of tantrums as those with lower speech skills.
Researchers at Penn State have developed a fast, non-destructive optical method for analyzing defects in 2D materials. This new technique uses fluorescent microscopy to identify defects and correlates the results with visual confirmation under transmission electron microscopy.
Scientists at Penn State report breakthroughs in stenciling 2D materials with atomic precision, enabling new chip functionality and overcoming substrate effects. The simple technique involves exposing photoresist to UV light and washing away exposed areas, allowing precise placement of high-quality materials.
Researchers have observed a complex process in plant cell wall growth using nanoscale imaging. The findings suggest that microfibrils' movements under stretching regimes reveal a different pattern of motion than previously thought.
The Biomedical Big Data to Knowledge Training Program aims to accelerate advances in biomedical research by training the next generation of scientists in data analysis and visualization. The program, funded by Penn State and the National Institutes of Health, will support up to nine graduate students per year.
Researchers found that soy-protein concentrate can exert antioxidant and cytoprotective effects in cultured human bowel cells and moderate inflammation in mice with induced IBD. The study suggests a potential dietary strategy for mitigating the severity of inflammatory bowel diseases.
Researchers at Penn State have received a $9 million NIH grant to investigate malaria transmission in Southeast Asia and work toward the disease's elimination. They will examine how environmental changes affect disease transmission, genetic resistance to insecticides, and counterfeit drugs.
Scientists found 832 disease-causing genes with systematically low coverage across multiple sequencing platforms, highlighting limitations of whole-exome sequencing. Whole-genome sequencing may be more accurate but remains expensive.
Researchers discovered that higher maternal relationship happiness and general social support reduce infant colic rates. The study of over 3,000 women found stronger associations between relationship happiness and lower colic risks, even in postpartum depression cases.
After a head injury, the brain can form new connections between damaged areas, known as hyperconnections. While this adaptation may provide short-term benefits, it can also lead to chronic inefficiencies and strain the brain's resources. Chronic inefficiencies may cascade into serious brain disorders, including Alzheimer's Disease.
Researchers found that increased familiarity with a foreign accent leads to better sentence processing and trains the acoustic system to process accented speech. Listeners who correctly identified the accent responded similarly to grammar and vocabulary errors in both native and foreign-accented sentences.
A mindfulness training program for first-year college students resulted in significant increases in life satisfaction and a decrease in depression and anxiety. The program, called Just BREATHE, was associated with improved stress management skills and increased recommendations to friends.
Researchers found that shale-gas development leads to significant forest fragmentation, particularly on private land. To mitigate this, they recommend placing new well pads near pre-existing pipelines and consolidating infrastructure.
Researchers at Penn State have developed a method to create personalized mental and physical therapy regimens using gaming features. Gamified applications with scoring systems, avatars, and in-game rewards led to significantly fewer mistakes and higher performance than non-gamified applications.
A novel optical technique enables rapid sorting of amino acid sequences in living bacteria, revealing structural properties crucial for materials development. This technology uses femto-pico second lasers to inspect proteins without heating them up, enabling non-lethal screening and separation.
A new national center at Penn State will focus on preventing and treating child maltreatment, a critical issue affecting 2 million US children annually. The Center for Healthy Children will translate research into solutions to enhance the child welfare system.
A recent study found that cover crops can mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing soil carbon sequestration. The research suggests that cover cropping can be an effective adaptive management tool to maintain yields and minimize nitrogen losses as the climate warms.
Researchers have developed a new method to improve semiconductor fiber optics, which could revolutionize global data transmission. The approach, led by Xiaoyu Ji, reduces imperfections in the fiber core, allowing for more efficient light transmission.
The study found that users adopt different personas unique to each social network, with demographics also influencing their portrayal. Researchers used a dataset of over 100,000 social media users and identified patterns such as women being less likely to wear corrective eyewear in profile pictures.
Researchers developed a method to isolate EVs from blood samples, enabling rapid analysis and potential personalized anticancer treatments. The technique uses nanoprobes to capture EVs within 15 minutes, offering an alternative to invasive methods.
Researchers created digital food web capturing human interactions with environment, revealing how humans disrupted existing ecosystems when introducing corn and altering food sources. The study sheds light on future human choices and climate change impacts.
Researchers investigated 2,000 rural high school students' college attendance patterns, finding over half attended two-year colleges and those who only attended were less likely to have educational aspirations. Parental education, track, and teacher expectations predicted college choices.
A new study measures potentially damaging free radicals in cigarette smoke for the first time, finding variations in their levels across different cigarettes. The researchers' standardized protocol could help assess people's exposure to free radicals and inform potential health risks.
Researchers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory detected a brief, intense X-ray flare from a small galaxy 10.7 billion light years away. The source is thought to be either a gamma-ray burst not directed towards Earth or the destruction of a white dwarf star, but its exact nature remains unknown.
A study from Penn State College of Medicine found that a patient's confidence in scheduling and conducting their part in colorectal screening methods is crucial in determining their intention to get screened. Self-efficacy emerged as the most important factor, reflecting knowledge, experience, or understanding of the testing options.
Astronomers have discovered three young stars that were ejected from an unstable multi-star system, providing new clues to the breakup of such systems. The stars are moving at speeds of up to nearly 30 times faster than most other stars in the same region.
A study by Penn State economists found that a combination of college graduates and high-quality-of-life amenities significantly contributes to economic growth. Rural counties, which often struggle with growth, may particularly benefit from this approach.