In photos: More than 3,300 arrested during Navalny protests in Russia
Sunday 31 January 2021
Saturday 30 January 2021
How breast cancer cells hide from immune attack
Researchers at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified how breast cancer cells hide from immune cells to stay alive. The discovery could lead to better immunotherapy treatment for patients.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127140132.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127140132.htm
Pain patients who take opioids can't get in the door at over half of primary care clinics
People who take opioid medications for chronic pain may have a hard time finding a new primary care clinic that will take them as a patient if they need one, according to a new 'secret shopper' study of hundreds of clinics across the country. Stigma against long-term users of prescription opioids, likely related to the prospect of taking on a patient who might have an opioid use disorder or addiction, appears to play a role.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127140101.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127140101.htm
Friday 29 January 2021
Scientists capture the moments of nascent crystal formation and growth
Scientists used high-performance TEM to image the process of gold atoms assembling into nanocrystals. It was discovered that the atoms undergo a spontaneous transition between disordered and crystalline states.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210128155641.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210128155641.htm
Loggerhead sea turtles lay eggs in multiple locations to improve reproductive success
Although loggerhead sea turtles return to the same beach where they hatched to lay their eggs, a new study finds individual females lay numerous clutches of eggs in locations miles apart from each other which increases the odds that some of their offspring will survive.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210128155623.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210128155623.htm
Marine heatwaves becoming more intense, more frequent
When thick, the surface layer of the ocean acts as a buffer to extreme marine heating -- but a new study shows this 'mixed layer' is becoming shallower each year. The thinner it becomes, the easier it is to warm. The new work could explain recent extreme marine heatwaves, and point at a future of more frequent and destructive ocean warming events as global temperatures continue to climb.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210128155612.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210128155612.htm
New catalyst moves seawater desalination, hydrogen production closer to commercialization
Seawater is abundant and cheap, making it a tempting resource to meet the world's growing need for clean drinking water and carbon-free energy. Now researchers have reported a new catalyst that can be made quickly and inexpensively, bringing the technology closer to commercial reality.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210128134733.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210128134733.htm
New study unravels Darwin's 'abominable mystery' surrounding origin of flowering plants
The origin of flowering plants famously puzzled Charles Darwin, who described their sudden appearance in the fossil record from relatively recent geological times as an 'abominable mystery'.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210128134720.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210128134720.htm
635 million-year-old fungi-like microfossil that bailed us out of an ice age discovered
A team of scientists has discovered the remains of a fungi-like microfossil that emerged at the end of an ice age some 635 million years ago.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210128091137.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210128091137.htm
Putting bugs on the menu, safely
The thought of eating insects is stomach turning for many, but new research is shedding light on allergy causing proteins which could pose serious health risks for those suffering from shellfish allergy. The research identified 20 proteins found in cricket food products which could cause serious allergic reactions.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127171854.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127171854.htm
Thursday 28 January 2021
Study reveals precarious employment on the rise long before COVID-19
Researchers have used a new approach to measure precarious, or low-quality, employment in the United States. And, according to those findings, precarious employment has increased 9 percent between 1988 and 2016.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127152539.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127152539.htm
Up-trending farming and landscape disruptions threaten Paris climate agreement goals
Earth system science researchers conducted an analysis of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and land use since 1961, finding some opportunities for mitigation as well as areas where curtailment will require sacrifices.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127140144.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127140144.htm
T cells can mount attacks against many SARS-CoV-2 targets -- even on new virus variant
A new study suggests that T cells try to fight SARS-CoV-2 by targeting a broad range of sites on the virus -- beyond the key sites on the virus's spike protein. By attacking the virus from many angles, the body has the tools to potentially recognize different SARS-CoV-2 variants.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127140137.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127140137.htm
Smart algorithm cleans up images by searching for clues buried in noise
Researchers have unveiled a machine learning-based algorithm that can reduce graininess in low-resolution images and reveal new details that were otherwise buried within the noise.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127093203.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127093203.htm
Novel compound may help develop diabetes drugs
A study has identified a new compound that might serve as a basis for developing a new class of drugs for diabetes.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127085215.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127085215.htm
Solar material can 'self-heal' imperfections
A material that can be used in technologies such as solar power has been found to self-heal, a new study shows.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126192236.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126192236.htm
Compelling evidence of neutrino process opens physics possibilities
The COHERENT particle physics experiment has firmly established the existence of a new kind of neutrino interaction. Because neutrinos are electrically neutral and interact only weakly with matter, the quest to observe this interaction drove advances in detector technology and has added new information to theories aiming to explain mysteries of the cosmos.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126171653.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126171653.htm
When push comes to shove, what counts as a fight?
Biologists often study animal sociality by collecting observations about behavioral interactions. These interactions can be things like severe or minor fights, cooperative food sharing or grooming. But to analyze animal behavior, researchers need to make decisions about how to categorize and code these interactions. That gets tricky.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126171644.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126171644.htm
Can large fluid-filled spaces in the brain help identify those at risk of dementia?
People with enlarged fluid-filled spaces in the brain around small blood vessels may be more likely to develop cognitive problems and dementia over time than people without these enlarged spaces, according to a new study.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127171851.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127171851.htm
Cell death shines a light on the origins of complex life
Organelles continue to thrive after the cells within which they exist die, scientists have found, overturning previous assumptions that organelles decay too quickly to be fossilized.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127152542.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127152542.htm
Ancient proteins help track early milk drinking in Africa
Got milk? The 1990s ad campaign highlighted the importance of milk for health and wellbeing, but when did we start drinking the milk of other animals? And how did the practice spread? A new study led by scientists from Germany and Kenya highlights the critical role of Africa in the story of dairying, showing that communities there were drinking milk by at least 6,000 years ago.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127085237.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127085237.htm
Carbon-chomping soil bacteria may pose hidden climate risk
Much of the earth's carbon is trapped in soil, and scientists have assumed that potential climate-warming compounds would safely stay there for centuries. But new research shows that carbon molecules can potentially escape the soil much faster than previously thought. The findings suggest a key role for some types of soil bacteria, which can produce enzymes that break down large carbon-based molecules and allow carbon dioxide to escape into the air.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127085231.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127085231.htm
Cell 'bones' mystery solved with supercomputers
Supercomputer simulations allocated by XSEDE on TACC's Stampede2 have helped solve the mystery of how actin filaments polymerize. Researchers employed all-atom molecular dynamics to show structural basis for polymerization kinetics at polarized ends of actin filaments. This fundamental research could be applied to treatments to stop cancer spread, develop self-healing materials, and more.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127085211.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127085211.htm
Fixing global biodiversity policy: Avoiding repeating old mistakes
Global goals for biodiversity must apply to all member states of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) also at national level. This is one of four recommendations for improving the global strategy for biodiversity. The researchers analyze why the goals have been largely missed so far and present concrete policy options.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126171654.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126171654.htm
Anonymous cell phone data can quantify behavioral changes for flu-like illnesses
New method could potentially provide a useful tool to help monitor and control infectious diseases outbreaks, without comprising privacy.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126140056.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126140056.htm
Slow Streets: A Path to Permanence
Slow Streets: A Path to Permanence
By Shannon Hake
Published January 28, 2021 at 04:47AM
https://ift.tt/3t0mPX3
By Shannon Hake
In locations throughout San Francisco, the Slow Streets Program has shown that minimizing traffic on residential streets allows them to be more safely used as a space for people traveling by foot and by bicycle. Due to the program’s success, the SFMTA is now exploring the possibility of making some of the current temporary Slow Streets permanent, extending their use beyond the COVID-19 emergency.
Slow Streets discourage non-local vehicle access through barricades and signage. Reducing the number of vehicles on Slow Streets provides more space for physically-distanced essential travel and exercise during the COVID-19 emergency. Because of their popularity, community members have indicated a strong interest in a longer-term future for these streets. As such, we are planning ahead so that some Slow Streets can be maintained beyond the public health emergency.
In the coming months we’ll be implementing our “Path to Permanence” on the first three Slow Streets corridors: Page Street, Shotwell Street, and Sanchez Street. These are corridors where our resident and user surveys have shown strong community support for Slow Streets. The positive feedback from these surveys has shown that residents and users of these Slow Streets overwhelmingly support making them permanent. After completing the planning process with these three streets, we’ll explore other streets in the network using the same process:
- Determine Support for Permanence: We survey the residents living along all of our Slow Streets to better understand the desire to make the designation permanent. These surveys are ongoing and will be completed on all Slow Streets corridors by May.
- Listen to the Community: On streets with strong support, we engage with residents and stakeholders on potential permanent treatments. These could include operational changes like turn restrictions or other physical changes with more durable materials, beyond the temporary delineator treatment currently in place on some Slow Streets.
- Design Permanent Treatments: Using the feedback from the community, our engineers and planners will complete the permanent Slow Streets design, which will consist of uniform elements. We’ll meet with the community again to share this design and address any outstanding concerns.
- Approve Permanent Changes and Slow Streets Designation: Following a public hearing process and other internal review, we’ll present permanent corridor changes to the SFMTA Board of Directors for final approval.
What’s Next
The SFMTA has implemented 25 temporary Slow Streets since April 2020. Identifying which corridors have support for being made permanent will take time. We plan to survey residents along all temporary Slow Streets corridors by May 2021 to determine which corridors may advance to permanence.
The Slow Streets network continues to evolve, and will expand to include 13 additional temporary corridors if our proposal is approved at the SFMTA Board of Directors meeting on February 16. These new corridors will go through the process outlined above to determine whether they should be considered permanent.
For updates, additional information, and to provide input, visit our Slow Streets Program page.
Published January 28, 2021 at 04:47AM
https://ift.tt/3t0mPX3
Wednesday 27 January 2021
Reef fish futures foretold
There are markedly different outcomes for different species of coral reef fishes under climate change - scientists are now another step closer to uncovering the 'winners and losers'.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126134036.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126134036.htm
When looking at species declines, nuances and long-term data are important
After an initial report told of collapsing food webs in Puerto Rico, a group of researchers conducting long-term research on the island took a closer look at the issue.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126134033.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126134033.htm
The microbial life of sourdough
In a study of 500 sourdough starters spanning four continents, scientists have garnered new insights into the environmental factors that contribute to each sourdough starter's microbial ecosystem, and how different types of microbes influence both a sourdough's aroma and how quickly the sourdough rises. The results may surprise sourdough enthusiasts.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126134031.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126134031.htm
Vaccine shows potential against deadly leptospirosis bacteria
Scientists have designed a single-dose universal vaccine that could protect against the many forms of leptospirosis bacteria, according to a new study.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126134026.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126134026.htm
New control mechanism in innate immune system
Although the protein ITIH4 is found in large amounts in the blood, its function has so far been unknown. By combining many different techniques, researchers have discovered that ITIH4 inhibits proteases in the innate immune system via an unknown mechanism.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126113656.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126113656.htm
Turbulence model could enhance rotorcraft, munitions performance
Design of aerial vehicles and weapon systems relies on the ability to predict aerodynamic behavior, often aided by advanced computer simulations of the flow of air over the body. High-fidelity simulations assist engineers in maximizing how much load a rotorcraft can lift or how far a missile can fly, but these simulations aren't cheap. A new turbulence model could change that.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125144619.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125144619.htm
Building a corn cob; cell by cell, gene by gene
Scientists analyzed where and when thousands of genes are activated in baby corn. This allowed them to build an anatomical map of important developmental genes that can be manipulated to improve crop yield and resilience.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126140052.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126140052.htm
Scientists identify flank instability at a volcano with history of collapse
Landslides caused by the collapse of unstable volcanoes are one of the major dangers of volcanic eruptions. A method to detect long-term movements of these mountains using satellite images could help identify previously overlooked instability at some volcanoes, according to scientists.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126140039.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126140039.htm
Impact of rising sea temperatures on marine life
Global warming or climate change. It doesn't matter what you call it. What matters is that right now it is having a direct and dramatic effect on marine environments across our planet.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126140029.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126140029.htm
Biodegradable displays for sustainable electronics
Increasing use of electronic devices in consumables and new technologies for the internet of things are increasing the amount of electronic scrap. To save resources and minimize waste volumes, an eco-friendlier production and more sustainable lifecycle will be needed. Scientists have now been the first to produce displays, whose biodegradability has been checked and certified by an independent office.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126134057.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126134057.htm
A benchmark for single-electron circuits
Manipulating individual electrons with the goal of employing quantum effects offers new possibilities in electronics. In order to gain new insights into the physical origin and into metrological aspects of the small, but inevitable fundamental uncertainties governed by the rules of quantum mechanics, scientists have collaborated to develop a statistical testing methodology.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126134055.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126134055.htm
How complex oscillations in a quantum system simplify with time
With a clever experiment, physicists have shown that in a one-dimensional quantum system, the initially complex distribution of vibrations or phonons can change over time into a simple Gaussian bell curve.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125144538.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125144538.htm
Better bundled: New principle for generating x-rays
X-rays are usually difficult to direct and guide. X-ray physicists have developed a new method with which the X-rays can be emitted more precisely in one direction. To do this, the scientists use a structure of thin layers of materials with different densities of electrons to simultaneously deflect and focus the generated beams.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125144532.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125144532.htm
Tuesday 26 January 2021
Increasing ocean temperature threatens Greenland's ice sheet
Scientists have for the first time quantified how warming coastal waters are impacting individual glaciers in Greenland's fjords. Their work can help climate scientists better predict global sea level rise from the increased melting.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125191851.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125191851.htm
The surprises of color evolution
Nature is full of color. For flowers, displaying color is primarily a means to attract pollinators. Insects use their color vision not only to locate the right flowers to feed on but also to find mates. The evolutionary interaction between insects and plants has created complex dependencies that can have surprising outcomes.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125144542.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125144542.htm
Watching decision making in the brain
Neuroscientists and engineers have developed a system that can show the neural process of decision making in real time, including the mental process of flipping between options before expressing a final choice.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125144534.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125144534.htm
First observation of the early link between proteins linked to Alzheimer's disease
Researchers demonstrate, for the first time in humans, how the first deposits of tau proteins in the brainstem are associated with neurophysiological processes specific to the early stages of Alzheimer's disease development.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125113218.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125113218.htm
Graphene: Increased market penetration by 2025
Graphene Flagship experts identify key opportunities in graphene commercialisation after a comprehensive three-year analysis of production methods and potential applications.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125113130.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125113130.htm
Optimal information about the invisible
Laser beams can be used to precisely measure an object's position or velocity. Normally, a clear, unobstructed view of this object is required. Irregular environments scatter the light beam - but as it turns out, precisely this effect can be used to obtain optimum information in difficult situations.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125113126.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125113126.htm
Adding or subtracting single quanta of sound
Researchers perform experiments that can add or subtract a single quantum of sound -- with surprising results when applied to noisy sound fields.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125112308.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125112308.htm
GEFS: Searching beyond seismology for earthquake precursors
To predict when earthquakes are likely to occur, seismologists often use statistics to monitor how clusters of seismic activity evolve over time. However, this approach often fails to anticipate the time and magnitude of large-scale earthquakes, leading to dangerous oversights in current early-warning systems. For decades, studies outside the seismology field have proposed that these major, potentially devastating seismic events are connected to a range of non-seismic phenomena -- which can be observed days or even weeks before these large earthquakes occur. So far, however, this idea hasn't caught on in the wider scientific community.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125112305.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125112305.htm
Global demand for cancer surgery set to surge
A new modelling study predicts demand for cancer surgery will rise by 52 per cent within two decades, with low-income countries bearing the greatest burden.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125094349.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125094349.htm
CHEOPS finds unique planetary system
The CHEOPS space telescope detects six planets orbiting the star TOI-178. Five of the planets are in a harmonic rhythm despite very different compositions - a novelty.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125144528.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125144528.htm
What's in a name? A new class of superconductors
A new theory that could explain how unconventional superconductivity arises in a diverse set of compounds might never have happened if a team of physicists had chosen a different name for their 2017 model of orbital-selective superconductivity.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125144522.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125144522.htm
NASA's Roman mission will probe galaxy's core for hot Jupiters, brown dwarfs
NASA's Roman Space Telescope will conduct a microlensing survey to reveal worlds that are similar to the planets in our solar system. Now, a new study shows that the same survey will also unveil more extreme planets and planet-like bodies in the heart of the galaxy, thanks to their gravitational tug on the stars they orbit.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125144507.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125144507.htm
Stimulating brain pathways shows origins of human language and memory
Scientists have identified that the evolutionary development of human and primate brains may have been similar for communication and memory.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125113202.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125113202.htm
New galaxy sheds light on how stars form
Detailed observations of molecular gas in a tidal dwarf galaxy have important implications for our understanding of how stars are formed.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125113116.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125113116.htm
New route to chemically recyclable plastics
As the planet's burden of rubber and plastic trash rises unabated, scientists increasingly look to the promise of closed-loop recycling to reduce waste. A team of researchers announces the discovery of a new polybutadiene molecule - from a material known for over a century and used to make common products like tires and shoes - that could one day advance this goal through depolymerization.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125113102.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125113102.htm
From fins to limbs
In a new study an international team of researchers examined three-dimensional digital models of the bones, joints, and muscles of the fins and limbs of two extinct early tetrapods and a closely related fossil fish and discover these early tetrapods had a very distinct pattern of muscle leverage that didn't look like a fish fin or modern tetrapod limbs and their limbs were more adapted for propulsion rather than weight bearing.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210122140630.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210122140630.htm
Monday 25 January 2021
Sunday 24 January 2021
New variety of paintbrush lily developed by a novel plant tissue culture technique
Scientists have developed simultaneous triploid and hexaploid varieties of Haemanthus albiflos by the application of endosperm culture, thus extending the use of this technique.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210122101950.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210122101950.htm
Magnetic waves explain mystery of Sun's outer layer
Researchers combined observations from a telescope in New Mexico, the United States, with satellites located near Earth to identify a link between magnetic waves in the chromosphere and areas of abundant ionized particles in the hot outer atmosphere.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210122101636.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210122101636.htm
A large number of gray whales are starving and dying in the eastern North Pacific
It is now the third year that gray whales have been found in very poor condition or dead in large numbers along the west coast of Mexico, USA and Canada, and scientist have raised their concerns. An international study suggests that starvation is contributing to these mortalities.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210122101632.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210122101632.htm
Forecasting coastal water quality
Using water samples and environmental data gathered over 48 hours or less, engineers have developed a new predictive technique for forecasting coastal water quality, a critical step in protecting public health and the ocean economy.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210122085025.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210122085025.htm
MRI helps unravel the mysteries of sleep
Scientists are investigating brain activity during sleep with the help of MRI scans. It turns out our brains are much more active than we thought.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210122085009.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210122085009.htm
Smart vaccine scheme quick to curb rabies threat in African cities
More people could be protected from life-threatening rabies thanks to an agile approach to dog vaccination using smart phone technology to spot areas of low vaccination coverage in real time. The work could help save the lives of children worldwide.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121132248.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121132248.htm
Saturday 23 January 2021
NSAIDs might exacerbate or suppress COVID-19 depending on timing, mouse study suggests
New research shows that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduced both antibody and inflammatory responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection in mice.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210122154410.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210122154410.htm
Friday 22 January 2021
Bringing atoms to a standstill: Miniaturizing laser cooling
Scientists have miniaturized the optical components required to cool atoms down to a few thousandths of a degree above absolute zero, the first step in employing them on microchips to drive a new generation of super-accurate atomic clocks, enable navigation without GPS, and simulate quantum systems.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121163138.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121163138.htm
New insights into the link between sunlight exposure and kidney damage
A new collaborative study reveals unexpected insights into how skin exposure to ultraviolet light can worsen clinical symptoms in autoimmune diseases such as lupus.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121163132.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121163132.htm
Innovations through hair-thin optical fibers
Scientists have built hair-thin optical fiber filters in a very simple way. They are not only extremely compact and stable, but also color-tunable. This means they can be used in quantum technology and as sensors for temperature or for detecting atmospheric gases.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121131959.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121131959.htm
See how they run: 'Exercise protein' doubles running capacity, restores function and extends healthy lifespans in older mice
A new study shows that humans express a powerful hormone during exercise and that treating mice with the hormone improves physical performance, capacity and fitness. Researchers say the findings present new possibilities for addressing age-related physical decline.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121131934.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121131934.htm
Tiny high-tech probes reveal how information flows across the brain
A new study collected and analyzed the largest single dataset of neurons' electrical activity to glean principles of how we perceive the visual world around us. The study captures the hundreds of split-second electrical signals that fire when an animal is interpreting what it sees.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121131926.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121131926.htm
The physics behind tumor growth
Researchers have developed a predictive theory for tumor growth that approaches the subject from a new point of view. Rather than focusing on the biological mechanisms of cellular growth, the researchers instead use thermodynamics and the physical space the tumor is expanding into to predict its evolution from a single cell to a complex cancerous mass.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121131924.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121131924.htm
This Great Lakes fish may have evolved to see like its ocean ancestors did
In the dark waters of Lake Superior, a fish species adapted to regain a genetic trait that may have helped its ancient ancestors see in the ocean, a study finds. 'Evolution is often thought of as a one-way process, at least over deep time, but in this example, over 175 million years, we have this reversal back to a much earlier ancestral state,' one of the researchers says.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121131913.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121131913.htm
Giant sand worm discovery proves truth is stranger than fiction
Researchers have found evidence that large ambush-predatory worms -- some as long as two meters -- roamed the ocean floor near Taiwan over 20 million years ago.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121163134.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121163134.htm
Producing green hydrogen through the exposure of nanomaterials to sunlight
Researchers are paving the way towards the production of green hydrogen.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121131752.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121131752.htm
Burial practices point to an interconnected early Medieval Europe
Changes in Western European burial practices spread rapidly during the 6th - 8th centuries AD, providing strong evidence that early Medieval Europe was a well-connected place with a shared culture.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121131715.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121131715.htm
Climate change puts hundreds of coastal airports at risk of flooding
Scientists have found that 269 airports are at risk of coastal flooding now. A temperature rise of 2C - consistent with the Paris Agreement - would lead to 100 airports being below mean sea level and 364 airports at risk of flooding. If global mean temperature rise exceeds this then as many as 572 airports will be at risk by 2100, leading to major disruptions without appropriate adaptation.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121131706.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121131706.htm
Thursday 21 January 2021
New starfish-like fossil reveals evolution in action
Researchers have discovered a fossil of the earliest starfish-like animal, which helps us understand the origins of the nimble-armed creature.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210120204033.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210120204033.htm
Wednesday 20 January 2021
Light-controlled Higgs modes found in superconductors; potential sensor, computing uses
Researchers have discovered a short-lived form of the famous Higgs boson -- subject of a groundbreaking search at the Large Hadron Collider -- within an iron-based superconductor. This Higgs mode can be accessed and controlled by laser light flashing on the superconductor at trillions of pulses per second.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119194355.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119194355.htm
Fastener with microscopic mushroom design holds promise
A fastener with a microscopic design that looks like tiny mushrooms could mean advances for everyday consumers and scientific fields. Currently available fasteners are called hook and loop fasteners and require harder, stiff material. In Biointerphases, researchers describe a design that can use softer materials and still be strong. The team believes a 3D mushroom design can be made with softer, more flexible materials and provide sufficient interlocking force on the fabric and hold strong.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119194350.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119194350.htm
Land deals meant to improve food security may have hurt
Large-scale land acquisitions by foreign investors, intended to improve global food security, had little to no benefit, increasing crop production in some areas while simultaneously threatening local food security in others, according to researchers who studied their effects.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119194345.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119194345.htm
Exploring the solar wind with a new view of small sun structures
Scientists have combined NASA data and cutting-edge image processing to gain new insight into the solar structures that create the Sun's flow of high-speed solar wind. This first look at relatively small features, dubbed 'plumelets,' could help scientists understand how and why disturbances form in the solar wind.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119194342.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119194342.htm
Astronomers dissect the anatomy of planetary nebulae using Hubble Space Telescope images
Images of two iconic planetary nebulae taken by the Hubble Space Telescope are revealing new information about how they develop their dramatic features.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119194339.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119194339.htm
Unlocking 'the shape of water' in mechanisms of antibiotic resistance
Researchers captured and comparted hi-res images of ribosome structures from sensitive and resistant bacteria and report that a water molecule needed for antibiotic binding was not present in the ribosomes from the drug-resistant bugs.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119194336.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119194336.htm
Exploration of toxic Tiger Rattlesnake venom advances use of genetic science techniques
A team of researchers has decoded the genome of the Tiger Rattlesnake, which has venom 40 times more toxic than that of Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes, the largest venomous snake in North America.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119194334.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119194334.htm
How to train a robot (using AI and supercomputers)
Computer scientists developed a deep learning method to create realistic objects for virtual environments that can be used to train robots. The researchers used TACC's Maverick2 supercomputer to train the generative adversarial network. The network is the first that can produce colored point clouds with fine details at multiple resolutions.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119194329.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119194329.htm
Constructing termite turrets without a blueprint
Following a series of studies on termite mound physiology and morphogenesis over the past decade, researchers have now developed a mathematical model to help explain how termites construct their intricate mounds.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119194326.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119194326.htm
Potential COVID-19 drug is successful in lab study
A new therapy is showing success as a way to prevent COVID-19 symptoms in mice.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119194322.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119194322.htm
Appearance, social norms keep students off Zoom cameras
Researchers surveyed 312 students found that while some students had concerns about the lack of privacy or their home environment, 41% of the 276 respondents cited their appearance, as their reason not to switch on their cameras on zoom.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119194320.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119194320.htm
Protected areas vulnerable to growing emphasis on food security
New study shows croplands are prevalent in protected areas, challenging their efficacy in meeting conservation goals.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119194316.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119194316.htm
Counting elephants from space
Scientists have successfully used satellite cameras coupled with deep learning to count animals in complex geographical landscapes, taking conservationists an important step forward in monitoring populations of endangered species.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119140200.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119140200.htm
Tuesday 19 January 2021
Monday 18 January 2021
Sunday 17 January 2021
Saturday 16 January 2021
Friday 15 January 2021
How plants produce defensive toxins without harming themselves
Scientists describe the biosynthesis and exact mode of action of diterpene glycosides in wild tobacco. These antiherbivory compounds attack the cell membrane. To protect themselves from their own toxins, tobacco plants store them in a non-toxic form. Autotoxicity and the protection against it seem to play a greater role in the evolution of plant defenses than previously thought.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114163933.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114163933.htm
Scientists discover electric eels hunting in a group
Deep in the Brazilian Amazon River basin, scientists discovered a small, river-fed lake filled with more than 100 adult electric eels. Researchers witnessed the electric eels working together to herd small fish into tightly packed balls. Groups of up to 10 eels periodically split off to form cooperative hunting parties. Those smaller groups then surrounded the prey and launched simultaneous electric attacks. The findings overturn the idea that these serpentine fish are exclusively solitary predators.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114163927.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114163927.htm
New state of matter in one-dimensional quantum gas
By adding some magnetic flair to an exotic quantum experiment, physicists produced an ultra-stable one-dimensional quantum gas with never-before-seen 'scar' states - a feature that could someday be useful for securing quantum information.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114163913.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114163913.htm
Flip the script: Cardiac rehabilitation is underused, but a simple change could fix that
Making doctors opt out from prescribing cardiac rehabilitation instead of opting in increased referrals by roughly 70 percent
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114163909.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114163909.htm
Measuring the belowground world
Life above ground depends on the soil and its countless inhabitants. Yet, global strategies to protect biodiversity have so far paid little attention to this habitat. Researchers call for greater consideration of soils in international biodiversity strategies, far beyond agriculture. The researchers explain their plan for systematic recording to enable comprehensive policy advisory.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114163900.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114163900.htm
Greenland melting likely increased by bacteria in sediment
Bacteria are likely triggering greater melting on the Greenland ice sheet, possibly increasing the island's contribution to sea-level rise, according to scientists. That's because the microbes cause sunlight-absorbing sediment to clump together and accumulate in the meltwater streams, according to new study. The findings can be incorporated in climate models, leading to more accurate predictions of melting, scientists say.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114163858.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114163858.htm
Following the hops of disordered proteins could lead to future treatments of Alzheimer's disease
Researchers have used machine learning techniques to predict how proteins, particularly those implicated in neurological diseases, completely change their shapes in a matter of microseconds.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114163856.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114163856.htm
Toadlet peptide transforms into a deadly weapon against bacteria
Researchers have discovered remarkable molecular properties of an antimicrobial peptide from the skin of the Australian toadlet. The discovery could inspire the development of novel synthetic drugs to combat bacterial infections.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114163851.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114163851.htm
Cancer models created by mechanical engineers offer new insight into tumor growth
Engineers have developed in vitro -- in the lab -- lymphatic vessel model to study the growth of tumor emboli, collections of tumor cells within vessels that are often associated with increased metastasis and tumor recurrence.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114134045.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114134045.htm
Lead poisoning of children
A remediation and public education effort at an abandoned battery recycling facility in Bangladesh eliminated most lead soil contamination, but levels of the toxic metal in children living near the site did not decrease nearly as much. The discrepancy reveals the scope of other lead exposure sources and the challenge they present to public health.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114134039.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114134039.htm
Geologic history written in garnet sand
Researchers probe deep secrets of trapped inclusions in garnet sand from Papua New Guinea.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114134036.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114134036.htm
Turn off that camera during virtual meetings, environmental study says
A new study says that despite a record drop in global carbon emissions in 2020, a pandemic-driven shift to remote work and more at-home entertainment still presents significant environmental impact due to how internet data is stored and transferred around the world.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114134033.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114134033.htm
Reverse engineering 3D chromosome models for individual cells
A new computational technique that uses heat map data to reverse engineer highly detailed models of chromosomes and researchers have uncovered new information about the close spatial relationships that chromatin folding creates between genes.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114134030.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114134030.htm
Feces and algorithms: Artificial Intelligence to map our intestinal bacteria
The intestines and their bacteria are sometimes called our 'second brain', but studying these bacteria in their natural environment is difficult. Now researchers have developed a method that uses artificial intelligence to map intestinal bacteria using feces. The researchers thus hope to gain more knowledge of the role played by these bacteria in various diseases.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114130148.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114130148.htm
Physical virology shows the dynamics of virus reproduction
The reproductive cycle of viruses requires self-assembly, maturation of virus particles and, after infection, the release of genetic material into a host cell. New physics-based technologies allow scientists to study the dynamics of this cycle and may eventually lead to new treatments.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114130130.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114130130.htm
Thursday 14 January 2021
Mothers of children with autism found to have significantly different metabolite levels
Blood sample analysis showed that, two to five years after they gave birth, mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) had several significantly different metabolite levels compared to mothers of typically developing children.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210113132409.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210113132409.htm
Shedding light on the secret reproductive lives of honey bees
Research shows that there are trade-offs between sperm viability and the expression of a protein involved in the insect's immune response.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210113161216.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210113161216.htm
Inferring human genomes at a fraction of the cost promises to boost biomedical research
A new method, developed offers game-changing possibilities for genetic association studies and biomedical research. For less than $1 in computational cost, GLIMPSE is able to statistically infer a complete human genome from a very small amount of data. It offers a first realistic alternative to current approaches, and so allows a wider inclusion of underrepresented populations.
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210113154636.htm
source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210113154636.htm
