A study of more than 60,000 women has found that sexual and physical abuse in childhood and adolescence is associated with a greater risk of laparoscopically-confirmed endometriosis diagnosed during adulthood. The study — the largest of its kind — found that women reporting severe-chronic abuse of multiple types had a 79 percent higher risk of laparoscopically-confirmed endometriosis.
Scientists have mapped 41 genes that increase the risk of developing hay fever, in a new study of almost 900,000 people. Of the genes, 20 are new to science. The findings bring researchers a little closer to understanding the causes of hay fever, which is the most common type of allergy. It affects more than 400 million worldwide. "This is the largest genetic study ever conducted into hay fever,"
Nothing matters—until something matters. Helsinki is that something, and it will not stop mattering soon. In the aftermath, Republican leaders in Congress have felt obliged to state unequivocally that Russia did interfere with the election. But as they speak, they face an uncomfortable problem. Here's Paul Ryan's version of that problem. "They did interfere in our elections—it's really clear. The
Health Breast and prostate cancers seem to be more common amongst those who eat dinner late, but it may just be a correlation. Individuals who eat dinner before 9:00 p.m. or wait at least two hours after finishing dinner before going to bed have about a 26 percent lower risk of developing…
A longtime leader of the National Cancer Institute, he was known for his willingness to help anyone with a cancer diagnosis seeking advice or a referral.
-Written by Elaine Godfrey ( @elainejgodfrey ), Maddie Carlisle ( @maddiecarlisle2 ), and Olivia Paschal (@ oliviacpaschal ) Today in 5 Lines President Trump said he accepts the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 election, contradicting his remarks a day earlier. "In a key sentence in my remarks, I said the word would instead of wouldn't ," Trump said. "Th
A burning chunk of lava plummeted down and punctured the roof of an offshore Hawaiian tour boat yesterday (July 16), injuring 23 people who likely weren't expecting to get that up close and personal with a lava bomb.
ORLANDO, Florida — The Wizarding World of Harry Potter brims with exclusive souvenirs and replicas that fans will recognize from the books and films. Some of them are awesome, but others aren't worth a single Galleon. The hamlet of Hogsmeade, which sits in the shadow of Hogwarts castle at the new theme park attraction, is \[…\]
HELSINKI—After weeks of frantic preparations and buildup, the world's spotlight has come to Finland and gone, leaving behind controversy and confusion. U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin's flashy one-day meeting on Monday brought an international frenzy to the normally calm Finnish capital, culminating in a bizarre press conference that has left experts and commentat
Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have identified a new potential target protein (c-Cbl) they believe can help further the understanding of colon cancer and ultimately survival of patients with the disease.
Being grumpy can actually make you a better problem solver, as it boosts executive function. This doesn't give you free range to be a grouch. Read More
Amazon poked fun at the early glitches it saw with Prime Day, though it said shoppers still found plenty to buy. Analysts, meanwhile, saw other things Amazon could have done better, like discounting more fashion brands and taking more advantage of its acquisition of Whole Foods.
The Oleo Sponge, a patent-pending technology to clean oil spills invented at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, has lived up to its promise in an experiment conducted off the coast of Southern California in April.
Entertainment It's complicated. In November 2014, a consortium announced a new set of emoji that would diversify the physical appearance of the pictograms. Redheads weren't represented.
It was perhaps the most explosive exchange in an incendiary press conference . Russian President Vladimir Putin appearing to frankly admit to a motive for, and maybe even to the act of, meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, despite repeatedly denying Russian interference in American politics during the rest of his appearance with Donald Trump in Finland on Monday. But the exchange does
Women tend to find male chivalry attractive even though they see it as a threat to fairness, according to a new study. Existing inequality may explain why
Aided by the performance artist Brendan Walker, the folk-rock musician is giving concert-goers at London's Barbican Hall a taste of the anxiety disorder that keeps him off the stage.
A new haul of moons brings Jupiter's total to 79. Nine of the newly discovered satellites are orbiting the wrong way, and could obliterate one of their companions
On Monday, Vladimir Putin said he'd given Donald Trump a note with suggestions on disarmament. This might be the first move in extending an important agreement
The UK is funding the development of spaceports in Scotland and Cornwall, but plans for US firms to launch small satellites could run afoul of US export laws
High-speed video reveals how bending the skin of an orange or similar fruit releases tiny bursts of aromatic oil at 30 feet per second from microjets. But what is their use?
Space The survey also confirmed the existence of two other moons, whose discovery was announced last year Jupiter has always held fast to the upper echelon of superlatives in our solar system. It was always the biggest planet, a heavyweight whose gravity influences anything…
Oops. A few months ago, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed a new policy that it claimed would "strengthen transparency" in the science it uses to craft regulation. To support its case, the agency alluded to a few major research institutions—namely, three of the world's most prestigious scientific journals and two bipartisan reports on science and policy. "The proposal is consistent," br
Updated at 4:01 p.m. ET Facing one of the biggest controversies of his tumultuous presidency, Donald Trump on Tuesday tried to clean up his remarks during a press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on Monday. Contradicting his prior comments, Trump said he accepts, with caveats, the American conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. After saying in Helsinki
Less than 24 hours after an astonishing joint news conference between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, in which Trump sided with Putin over his own intelligence agencies, former President Barack Obama finally did what his supporters have waited for him to do since he left the Oval Office. He spoke up, forcefully, with a dire warning about the direction of global politics. "I am not being alarmist
Last week, Instagram rolled out Questions , one of its most controversial features yet. The release unleashed a wave of backlash and has been blamed for ending friendships, spamming users, and causing mass unfollows. The new feature works like this: You post a Questions sticker to your Story , and the sticker auto-populates with the phrase Ask me a question . Once the Questions sticker is posted,
As a result of warming seas, at least 10 types of sharks currently found in warmer areas will likely be found in British waters in coming decades. Read More
A new study has found that about 40 percent of adults in the United States who drink alcohol do so in amounts that risk health consequences, and identifies a range of factors associated with starting or stopping drinking too much.
Recent Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreaks highlight the need for licensed treatments. ZMapp, an experimental therapy, has shown promise in a clinical trial, but targets only one of five known species of Ebola virus. Now scientists have discovered powerful, broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) in the blood of EVD survivors. In animal studies, two of these antibodies provided substantial protect
New research demonstrates dramatic positive benefits for native trees following rat removal at Palmyra Atoll, a magnificent National Wildlife Refuge and natural research laboratory located about 1000 miles south of Hawaii. For five native tree species, including Pisonia grandis, fewer than 150 seedlings were counted in the presence of rats, and more than 7700 seedlings were counted five years afte
Researchers have shown for the first time that free-living, sap-sucking bugs can manipulate the metabolism of their host plants to create stable, nutritious feeding sites.
Among Medicare beneficiaries, the frequency of billed secondary interpretation services for diagnostic imaging services increased from 2003 to 2016 across a broad range of modalities and body regions, often dramatically.
Scientists no longer have to collect poop to get key data on the health of endangered right whales. A new study indicates that under the right conditions, scientist can get real-time hormonal data by collecting the spray from whales' blowholes.
After extensively analyzing fair housing in North Texas, UTA researchers have discovered that in many cases, segregation and associated problems are becoming more pronounced.
New research published in PLOS ONE this week demonstrates dramatic positive benefits for native trees following rat removal at Palmyra Atoll, a magnificent National Wildlife Refuge and natural research laboratory located about 1000 miles south of Hawaii.
A new study led by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) researchers has found that about 40 percent of adults in the United States who drink alcohol do so in amounts that risk health consequences, and identifies a range of factors associated with starting or stopping drinking too much.
Science Don't worry, these diseases can't spread to people. Dogs can get one of the more bizarre cancers in the world. The disease spreads from dog to dog, but it's not triggered by a virus, the way Human papillomavirus can…
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Germany, show for the first time that free-living, sap-sucking bugs can manipulate the metabolism of their host plants to create stable, nutritious feeding sites.
Professional baseball players who score higher on a test of hand-eye coordination have better batting performance — particularly in drawing walks and other measures of 'plate discipline,' reports a study.
Getting parched can fuzz attentiveness and make it harder to solve problems. Dehydration can easily put a dent in those and other cognitive functions, a new metadata analysis of multiple studies shows. Researchers are particularly interested in accident potential this may pose for people who toil in the heat around heavy equipment or military hardware.
Research reveals that the scent of coffee alone may help people perform better on the analytical portion of the Graduate Management Aptitude Test, or GMAT, a computer adaptive test required by many business schools.
Researchers describe the most advanced research innovations that could address global clean water accessibility. A new comprehensive article focuses on understanding and controlling the interfaces between materials and water.
A deep analysis of a series of surveys across 16 countries that spanned several years shows that people who are on the conservative end of the political spectrum believe their lives are meaningful while those on the liberal end continue to search for meaning.
A study of more than 60,000 women has found that sexual and physical abuse in childhood and adolescence is associated with a greater risk of laparoscopically-confirmed endometriosis diagnosed during adulthood. The study — the largest of its kind — found that women reporting severe-chronic abuse of multiple types had a 79 percent higher risk of laparoscopically-confirmed endometriosis.
Engineers have shed new light on a scientific mystery regarding the atomic-level mechanism of the sulfur embrittlement of nickel, a classic problem that has puzzled the scientific community for nearly a century. The discovery also enriches fundamental understanding of general grain boundaries that often control the mechanical and physical properties of polycrystalline materials.
The interaction of traveling waves in dissipative systems, physical systems driven by energy dissipation, can yield unexpected and sometimes chaotic results. These waves, known as dissipative pulses are driving experimental studies in a variety of areas that involve matter and energy flows.
Studying the photochemistry has shown that ultraviolet radiation can set off harmful chemical reactions in the human body and, alternatively, can provide 'photo-protection' by dispersing extra energy. To better understand the dynamics of these photochemical processes, a group of scientists irradiated the RNA base uracil with ultraviolet light and documented its behavior on a picosecond timescale.
Teens who spend lots of time using digital devices are prone to psychiatric problems, reports a team of scientists in a new study. Children who are heavy users of digital devices are twice as likely as infrequent users to show symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the study finds.
A new discovery in how heart muscles maintain their shape in fruit flies sheds light on the crucial relationship between cardiac function, metabolism, and longevity. Researchers have discovered that maintaining high levels of the protein vinculin confers health benefits to fruit flies. Their work shows that fruit flies bred to produce 50 percent more vinculin enjoyed better cardiovascular health a
Among Medicare beneficiaries, the frequency of billed secondary interpretation services for diagnostic imaging services increased from 2003 to 2016 across a broad range of modalities and body regions, often dramatically.
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Germany, have shown for the first time that free-living, sap-sucking bugs can manipulate the metabolism of their host plants to create stable, nutritious feeding sites.
New research published in PLOS ONE this week demonstrates dramatic positive benefits for native trees following rat removal at Palmyra Atoll, a magnificent National Wildlife Refuge and natural research laboratory located about 1000 miles south of Hawaii. For five native tree species, including Pisonia grandis, fewer than 150 seedlings were counted in the presence of rats, and more than 7700 seedli
Coupling free diagnostic tests for malaria with discounts on artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) when malaria is diagnosed can improve the rational use of ACTs and boost testing rates, according to a cluster-randomized trial published this week in PLOS Medicine by Wendy Prudhomme O'Meara of Duke University, USA, and colleagues.
Updated on July 17 at 4:30 p.m. ET The promotions started more than a week ahead of time: Amazon, the world's biggest e-commerce site, was launching its annual Prime Day on July 16, with 30 hours of deals online and in Whole Foods markets. The company issued five press releases promoting Prime Day, during which shoppers who pay $119 for a yearly Prime membership are offered flash sales and discou
JULY 17, 2018 (Brussels, Belgium) — A team of 27 scientists working with a major stevia supplier has created a systematic way to spot blends of steviol glycosides with outstanding taste performance. With data from a huge sensory study they built a mathematical model of the interactions between key glycosides. The model reveals the glycoside mixes that taste the best — and those that don't.
After extensively analyzing fair housing in North Texas, UTA researchers have discovered that in many cases, segregation and associated problems are becoming more pronounced.
Traces of long-forgotten human settlements claimed by the sea thousands of years ago are being uncovered by researchers along the coastlines of Europe.
Engineers at the University of California San Diego have shed new light on a scientific mystery regarding the atomic-level mechanism of the sulfur embrittlement of nickel, a classic problem that has puzzled the scientific community for nearly a century. The discovery also enriches fundamental understanding of general grain boundaries that often control the mechanical and physical properties of pol
Scientists have found that deleting a single gene in a particular strain of gut bacteria causes changes in metabolism and reduced weight gain in mice, according to a study in the journal eLife.
This story contains a mild spoiler for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. Hollywood is, at its very heart, an industry that exists to answer questions. For example, I've long wondered what it might look like if Cher and Andy García, resplendent in linen, marched toward each other at a snail's pace singing ABBA's classic hit "Fernando" as fireworks exploded around them. Now, with Mamma Mia! Here We Go A
The biggest risk taker of Shark Week, Dickie Chivell, dives in the waters in nothing but a glass cage and puts his life on the line by jumping on a shark decoy in the search for the most famous shark week shark. Shark Week 2018 starts Sunday July 22 9p! Stream The Faces of Shark Week on Discovery GO: https://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/the-faces-of-shark-week/ Stream Classic Shark Week Episodes: h
Colorado's Mike Coffman signs a petition to force a vote on a measure to restore the Obama-era rules. Backers still need about 40 more members to sign on.
In PNAS, Garcin et al. (1) describe a Late Holocene rainforest crisis (LHRC) between ∼2,600 and 2,000 calendar years B.P. in Lake Barombi (Southwest Cameroon) when tropical rainforest was replaced by savannah, as attested by a large peak in Poaceae pollen (30–40%), and correlated with a shift in the δ13C…
Giresse et al. (1) criticize both our paleoclimatic reconstruction and our inferred anthropogenic origin of the late Holocene rainforest crisis (LHRC) (2). However, their argumentation, which is combined with alleged evidence for a climatic change during the LHRC, lacks strong support. Citing studies describing both brief (weeklong) and limited periods…
Stokes and Purdon (1) raise several concerns about the use of Granger–Geweke causality (GGC) analysis in neuroscience. They make two primary claims: (i) that GGC estimates may be severely biased or of high variance and (ii) that GGC fails to reveal the full structural/causal mechanisms of a system. Unfortunately, these…
The main points of our work were (i) to characterize statistical properties of the traditional computation of Granger–Geweke (GG) causality and (ii) to analyze how the dynamics of the system are represented in the GG-causality measure. Barnett et al. (1) point out that the issues with bias and variance in…
Technologically important properties of ferroic materials are determined by their intricate response to external stimuli. This response is driven by distortions of the crystal structure and/or by domain wall motion. Experimental separation of these two mechanisms is a challenging problem which has not been solved so far. Here, we apply…
Low-dimensional objects such as molecular strands, ladders, and sheets have intrinsic features that affect their propensity to fold into 3D objects. Understanding this relationship remains a challenge for de novo design of functional structures. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we investigate the refolding of the 24 possible 2D unfoldings ("nets") of…
Mammalian chromatin is spatially organized at many scales showing two prominent features in interphase: (i) alternating regions (1–10 Mb) of active and inactive chromatin that spatially segregate into different compartments, and (ii) domains (<1 Mb), that is, regions that preferentially interact internally [topologically associating domains (TADs)] and are central to…
From the American West to the steppes of Eurasia, the domestic horse transformed human societies, providing rapid transport, communication, and military power, and serving as an important subsistence animal. Because of the importance of oral equipment for horse riding, dentistry is an essential component of modern horse care. In the…
Recent theoretical innovations in cultural evolutionary theory emphasize the role of cooperative social organizations that unite diverse groups as a key step in the evolution of social complexity. A principal mechanism identified by this theory is feasting, a strategy that reinforces norms of cooperation. Feasts occur throughout the premodern world,…
The ability to control the activity of CRISPR-dCas9 with precise spatiotemporal resolution will enable tight genome regulation of user-defined endogenous genes for studying the dynamics of transcriptional regulation. Optogenetic devices with minimal phototoxicity and the capacity for deep tissue penetration are extremely useful for precise spatiotemporal control of cellular behavior…
During translation, the ribosome plays an active role in ensuring that mRNA is decoded accurately and rapidly. Recently, biochemical studies have also implicated certain accessory factors in maintaining decoding accuracy. However, it is currently unclear whether the mRNA itself plays an active role in the process beyond its ability to…
Each of the 30 human amyloid diseases is associated with the aggregation of a particular precursor protein into amyloid fibrils. In transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR), mutant or wild-type forms of the serum carrier protein transthyretin (TTR), synthesized and secreted by the liver, convert to amyloid fibrils deposited in the heart and…
The S4–S5 linker physically links voltage sensor and pore domain in voltage-gated ion channels and is essential for electromechanical coupling between both domains. Little dynamic information is available on the movement of the cytosolic S4–S5 linker due to lack of a direct electrical or optical readout. To understand the movements…
Zyxin is a member of the focal adhesion complex and plays a critical role in actin filament polymerization and cell motility. Several recent studies showed that Zyxin is a positive regulator of Yki/YAP (Yes-associated protein) signaling. However, little is known about the mechanisms by which Zyxin itself is regulated and…
Nucleotide excision repair (NER) guarantees genome integrity against UV light-induced DNA damage. After UV irradiation, cells have to cope with a general transcriptional block. To ensure UV lesions repair specifically on transcribed genes, NER is coupled with transcription in an extremely organized pathway known as transcription-coupled repair. In highly metabolic…
In mice, transcription initiates at the mid-one-cell stage and transcriptional activity dramatically increases during the two-cell stage, a process called zygotic gene activation (ZGA). Associated with ZGA is a marked change in the pattern of gene expression that occurs after the second round of DNA replication. To distinguish ZGA before…
Plant species differ in many functional traits that drive differences in rates of photosynthesis, biomass allocation, and tissue turnover. However, it remains unclear how—and even if—such traits influence whole-plant growth, with the simple linear relationships predicted by existing theory often lacking empirical support. Here, we present a theoretical framework for…
The sinking of organic particles formed in the photic layer is a main vector of carbon export into the deep ocean. Although sinking particles are heavily colonized by microbes, so far it has not been explored whether this process plays a role in transferring prokaryotic diversity from surface to deep…
Eukaryotes maintain fidelity of gene expression by preferential degradation of aberrant mRNAs that arise by errors in RNA processing reactions. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Ski7 plays an important role in this mRNA quality control by mediating mRNA degradation by the RNA exosome. Ski7 was initially thought to be restricted to Saccharomyces…
Lifelong interactions between host and the ubiquitous and persistent cytomegalovirus (CMV) have been proposed to contribute to the age-related decline in immunity. Prior work from us and others found some support for that idea, yet evidence that this led to increased vulnerability to other infections was not obtained. Moreover, evidence…
Antibody-secreting plasma cells (PCs) arise rapidly during adaptive immunity to control infections. The early PCs are retained within the reactive lymphoid organ where their localization and homeostasis rely on extrinsic factors, presumably produced by local niche cells. While myeloid cells have been proposed to form those niches, the contribution by…
Recent advances in cancer immunotherapy have improved patient survival. However, only a minority of patients with pulmonary metastatic disease respond to treatment with checkpoint inhibitors. As an alternate approach, we have tested the ability of systemically administered 1V270, a toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonist conjugated to a phospholipid, to inhibit…
Bacteria respond to nutritional stresses by changing the cellular concentration of the alarmone (p)ppGpp. This control mechanism, called the stringent response, depends on two enzymes, the (p)ppGpp synthetase RelA and the bifunctional (p)ppGpp synthetase/hydrolase SpoT in Escherichia coli and related bacteria. Because SpoT is the only enzyme responsible for (p)ppGpp…
Cell division requires the assembly of a protein complex called the divisome. The divisome assembles in a hierarchical manner, with FtsA functioning as a hub to connect the Z-ring with the rest of the divisome and FtsN arriving last to activate the machine to synthesize peptidoglycan. FtsEX arrives as the…
We describe noncovalent, reversible asparagine ethylenediamine (AsnEDA) inhibitors of the Plasmodium falciparum proteasome (Pf20S) β5 subunit that spare all active subunits of human constitutive and immuno-proteasomes. The compounds are active against erythrocytic, sexual, and liver-stage parasites, against parasites resistant to current antimalarials, and against P. falciparum strains from patien
Recent experimental studies suggest that, in cortical microcircuits of the mammalian brain, the majority of neuron-to-neuron connections are realized by multiple synapses. However, it is not known whether such redundant synaptic connections provide any functional benefit. Here, we show that redundant synaptic connections enable near-optimal learning in cooperation with synaptic…
Changes in external light patterns can alter cell activities in peripheral tissues through slow entrainment of the central clock in suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). It remains unclear whether cells in otherwise photo-insensitive tissues can achieve rapid responses to changes in external light. Here we show that light stimulation of animals' eyes…
Neuropeptides are ubiquitous modulators of behavior and physiology. They are packaged in specialized secretory organelles called dense core vesicles (DCVs) that are released upon neural stimulation. Unlike synaptic vesicles, which can be recycled and refilled close to release sites, DCVs must be replenished by de novo synthesis in the cell…
Neurons of the medullary reticular nucleus gigantocellularis (NGC) and their targets have recently been a focus of research on mechanisms supporting generalized CNS arousal (GA) required for proper cognitive functions. Using the retro-TRAP method, we characterized transcripts enriched in NGC neurons which have projections to the thalamus. The unique expression…
The endbrain (telencephalon) is at the rostral end of the central nervous system and is primarily responsible for supporting cognition and affect. Structurally, it consists of right and left cerebral hemispheres, each parceled into multiple cortical and nuclear gray matter regions. The global network organization of axonal macroconnections between the…
Isoxazolines are oral insecticidal drugs currently licensed for ectoparasite control in companion animals. Here we propose their use in humans for the reduction of vector-borne disease incidence. Fluralaner and afoxolaner rapidly killed Anopheles, Aedes, and Culex mosquitoes and Phlebotomus sand flies after feeding on a drug-supplemented blood meal, with IC50…
Exosomes, abundant in blood, deliver various molecules to recipient cells. Endothelial cells are directly exposed to circulating substances. However, how endothelial cells respond to serum exosomes (SExos) and the implications in diabetes-associated vasculopathy have never been explored. In the present study, we showed that SExos from diabetic db/db mice (db/db…
N-acyl amino acids (NAAs) are a structurally diverse class of bioactive signaling lipids whose endogenous functions have largely remained uncharacterized. To clarify the physiologic roles of NAAs, we generated mice deficient in the circulating enzyme peptidase M20 domain-containing 1 (PM20D1). Global PM20D1-KO mice have dramatically reduced NAA hydrolase/synthase activities in…
Weeds, which have been the bane of agriculture since the beginning of civilization, are managed manually, mechanically, and, more recently, by chemicals. However, chemical control options are rapidly shrinking due to the recent rise in the number of herbicide-resistant weeds in crop fields, with few alternatives on the horizon. Therefore,…
A majority of emerging infectious diseases in humans are zoonoses. Understanding factors that influence the emergence and transmission of zoonoses is pivotal for their prevention and control. Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most widespread zoonotic pathogens known today. Whereas only a few genotypes of T. gondii dominate in the…
Endocannabinoid signaling regulates feeding and metabolic processes and has been linked to obesity development. Several hormonal signals, such as glucocorticoids and ghrelin, regulate feeding and metabolism by engaging the endocannabinoid system. Similarly, studies have suggested that leptin interacts with the endocannabinoid system, yet the mechanism and functional relevance of this…
Brain "inflammaging," a low-grade and chronic inflammation, is a major hallmark for aging-related neurodegenerative diseases. Here, by profiling H3K27ac and gene expression patterns in human and mouse brains, we found that age-related up-regulated (Age-Up) and down-regulated (Age-Down) genes have distinct H3K27ac patterns. Although both groups show promoter H3K27ac, the Age-Up…
Consumption of wild-caught freshwater fish is concentrated in low-income countries, where it makes a critical contribution to food security and livelihoods. Underestimation of inland harvests in official statistics has long been suspected due to unmonitored subsistence fisheries. To overcome the lack of data from extensive small-scale harvests, we used household…
Human dependence on insect pollinators continues to grow even as pollinators face global declines. The Northern Great Plains (NGP), a region often referred to as America's last honey bee (Apis mellifera) refuge, has undergone rapid land-cover change due to cropland expansion and weakened land conservation programs. We conducted a trend…
The fabled Northwest Passage and Northern Sea Route that were once the quests of early Western explorers are now increasingly sea ice–free, with routine vessel transits expected by midcentury. The potential impacts of this novel vessel traffic on endemic Arctic marine mammal (AMM) species are unknown despite their critical social…
STATISTICS, NEUROSCIENCE Correction for "A study of problems encountered in Granger causality analysis from a neuroscience perspective," by Patrick A. Stokes and Patrick L. Purdon, which was first published August 4, 2017; 10.1073/pnas.1704663114 (Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 114:E7063–E7072). The authors wish to note the following: "In the Discussion section…
BIOPHYSICS Retraction for "Structure of vaccinia complement protein in complex with heparin and potential implications for complement regulation," by Vannakambadi K. Ganesh, Scott A. Smith, Girish J. Kotwal, and Krishna H. M. Murthy, which was first published June 3, 2004; 10.1073/pnas.0400744101 (Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 101:8924–8929). The US Office…
BIOPHYSICS Retraction for "Crystal structure of human apolipoprotein A-I: Insights into its protective effect against cardiovascular diseases," by A. Abdul Ajees, G. M. Anantharamaiah, Vinod K. Mishra, M. Mahmood Hussain, and H. M. Krishna Murthy, which was first published February 1, 2006; 10.1073/pnas.0506877103 (Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 103:2126–2131). The…
Feasting and evolution of social complexity Artist's rendering of congregants at Cerro del Gentil. Image courtesy of Robert Gutierrez (artist). Ritual feasting promoted cohesion and cooperation among early peoples, enabling nonstate societies, which lacked institutions such as markets, policing, and codes of law, to evolve social complexity. Charles Stanish et…
Since the invention of the laser in the 1960s, researchers have recognized that the device could be used to investigate atomic structure and nuclear motions. Over the course of his career, Shaul Mukamel, a professor of chemistry, physics, and astronomy at the University of California, Irvine, has advanced theories underlying…
pppGpp and ppGpp (here abbreviated as ppGpp) are signaling molecules synthesized throughout the bacterial domain of life, serving as second messengers that respond to nutritional deprivation, a phenomenon called the stringent response. ppGpp accumulation causes the coordinated inhibition of macromolecule synthesis resulting in growth arrest, as well as the activation…
Increasing crop productivity in an environmental-friendly way is one of the major challenges humankind is facing in the context of food security with a constantly growing population. In this scenario, ensuring adequate levels of soil nutrients and controlling aggressive weeds constitute two main problems that farmers have to deal with….
Counting fish underwater is more difficult than counting sheep on a pasture but is needed to support fishery management and to enumerate the contribution fish catches currently make to human society in the form of food, income, and revenue. Inland fisheries are particularly challenging to monitor and assess. They take…
Operating rooms (ORs) are inhabited by hierarchical, mixed-gender clinical teams that are often prone to conflict. In evolutionary terms, one expects more within- than between-gender rivalries, especially since the OR is a place where all sorts of social interactions occur, not merely technical communications. To document the full range of…
The surfaces of many hollow or tubular tissues/organs in our respiratory, gastrointestinal, and urogenital tracts are covered by mucosa with folded patterns. The patterns are induced by mechanical instability of the mucosa under compression due to constrained growth. Recapitulating this folding process in vitro will facilitate the understanding and engineering…
The van der Waals heterostructures, which explore the synergetic properties of 2D materials when assembled into 3D stacks, have already brought to life a number of exciting phenomena and electronic devices. Still, the interaction between the layers in such assembly, possible surface reconstruction, and intrinsic and extrinsic defects are very…
Ice-binding proteins (IBPs) affect ice crystal growth by attaching to crystal faces. We present the effects on the growth of an ice single crystal caused by an ice-binding protein from the sea ice microalga Fragilariopsis cylindrus (fcIBP) that is characterized by the widespread domain of unknown function 3494 (DUF3494) and…
Throughout three domains of life, alanyl-tRNA synthetases (AlaRSs) recognize a G3:U70 base pair in the acceptor stem of tRNAAla as the major identity determinant of tRNAAla. The crystal structure of the archaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus AlaRS in complex with tRNAAla provided the basis for G3:U70 recognition with residues (Asp and Asn)…
Despite substantial experimental and computational efforts, mechanistic modeling remains more predictive in engineering than in systems biology. The reason for this discrepancy is not fully understood. One might argue that the randomness and complexity of biological systems are the main barriers to predictive understanding, but these issues are not unique…
Designed helical repeats (DHRs) are modular helix–loop–helix–loop protein structures that are tandemly repeated to form a superhelical array. Structures combining tandem DHRs demonstrate a wide range of molecular geometries, many of which are not observed in nature. Understanding cooperativity of DHR proteins provides insight into the molecular origins of Rosetta-based…
Mammalian cells synthesize thousands of distinct lipids, yet the function of many of these lipid species is unknown. Ceramides, a class of sphingolipid, are implicated in several cell-signaling pathways but poor cell permeability and lack of selectivity in endogenous synthesis pathways have hampered direct study of their effects. Here we…
With the pending withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Climate Accord, cities are now leading US actions toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Implementing effective mitigation strategies requires the ability to measure and track emissions over time and at various scales. We report CO2 emissions in the Boston, MA,…
Calcium-aluminum–rich inclusions (CAIs) and amoeboid olivine aggregates (AOAs), a refractory component of chondritic meteorites, formed in a high-temperature region of the protoplanetary disk characterized by approximately solar chemical and oxygen isotopic (Δ17O ∼ −24‰) compositions, most likely near the protosun. Here we describe a 16O-rich (Δ17O ∼ −22 ± 2‰)…
Coinfecting parasites and pathogens remain a leading challenge for global public health due to their consequences for individual-level infection risk and disease progression. However, a clear understanding of the population-level consequences of coinfection is lacking. Here, we constructed a model that includes three individual-level effects of coinfection: mortality, fecundity, and…
We describe a minimal realization of reversibly programmable matter in the form of a featureless smooth elastic plate that has the capacity to store information in a Braille-like format as a sequence of stable discrete dimples. Simple experiments with cylindrical and spherical shells show that we can control the number,…
Understanding how plants survive drought and cold is increasingly important as plants worldwide experience dieback with drought in moist places and grow taller with warming in cold ones. Crucial in plant climate adaptation are the diameters of water-transporting conduits. Sampling 537 species across climate zones dominated by angiosperms, we find…
Human parvovirus B19 (B19V) is a ubiquitous human pathogen associated with a number of conditions, such as fifth disease in children and arthritis and arthralgias in adults. B19V is thought to evolve exceptionally rapidly among DNA viruses, with substitution rates previously estimated to be closer to those typical of RNA…
Food quality is a critical environmental condition that impacts an animal's growth and development. Many insects facing this challenge have evolved a phenotypically plastic, adaptive response. For example, many species of insect exhibit facultative wing growth, which reflects a physiological and evolutionary trade-off between dispersal and reproduction, triggered by environmental…
Elicitation of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) is a leading strategy in rational vaccine design against antigenically diverse pathogens. Here, we studied a panel of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) from mice immunized with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope glycoproteins E1E2. Six of the mAbs recognize the conserved E2 antigenic site 412–423…
The secretion of small Fe-binding molecules called siderophores is an important microbial strategy for survival in Fe-limited environments. Siderophore production is often regulated by quorum sensing (QS), a microbial counting technique that allows organisms to alter gene expression based on cell density. However, the identity and quantities of siderophores produced…
Many species of Proteobacteria produce acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) compounds as quorum-sensing (QS) signals for cell density-dependent gene regulation. Most known AHL synthases, LuxI-type enzymes, produce fatty AHLs, and the fatty acid moiety is derived from an acyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) intermediate in fatty acid biosynthesis. Recently, a class of LuxI…
Competition in animals involves a wide variety of aggressive behaviors. One of the most sophisticated strategies for a focal actor is to provoke a competitor into uncontrolled aggression toward other competitors. Like animals, bacteria rely on a broad spectrum of molecular weapons, some of which provoke potential rivals by triggering…
A hallmark of human social behavior is the effortless ability to relate one's own actions to that of the interaction partner, e.g., when stretching out one's arms to catch a tripping child. What are the behavioral properties of the neural substrates that support this indispensable human skill? Here we examined…
In March, physicists unveiled the world's most accurate timepiece. But this was no pocket watch. At its heart is an atomic pendulum that swings 500 trillion times per second and can measure fractions of a second out to 19 decimal places (1). The clock is so precise that it loses…
Biologists and social scientists have long tried to understand why some societies have more fluid and open interpersonal relationships and how those differences influence culture. This study measures relational mobility, a socioecological variable quantifying voluntary (high relational mobility) vs. fixed (low relational mobility) interpersonal relationships. We measure relational mobility in…
When individuals select the recently studied (and familiar) item in a multiple-choice memory test, they direct a greater proportion of viewing time toward the to-be-selected item when their choice is correct than when their choice is incorrect. Thus, for both correct and incorrect choices, individuals indicate that the chosen item…
Measuring and optimizing the influence of nodes in big-data online social networks are important for many practical applications, such as the viral marketing and the adoption of new products. As the viral spreading on a social network is a global process, it is commonly believed that measuring the influence of…
A Chicago lawmaker says UBI is not only a way to ensure people still get paid as automation displaces their jobs, but that it's also a safeguard against the inevitable sociopolitical strife that would follow. Read More
Forskere har fundet frem til indholdet i mavesækken på den østrigske ismand, Ötzi. Kobberalder-kost var fyldt med kød, planter, giftig bregne – og kulstøv.
Millions of people in northern England are facing a ban on using garden hoses or sprinklers amid one of the longest spells of hot, dry weather in years.
Truthbrary.org is the website of Dr. Billy W. Ruddick, a character Cohen plays in Who Is America?, but the conspiracy theories it aggregates are taken from across the web.
Should Brett Kavanaugh get confirmed as a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, five of the Court's nine sitting justices will share an experience that is foreign to most Americans: that of attending one of the nation's private high schools. Of the court's conservative block (Justices Roberts, Thomas, Gorsuch, Alito, and presumably Kavanaugh, sooner or later), all but Alito graduated from a private
As Tropical Depression 11W was strengthening into Tropical Storm Son-tinh near the northern Philippines, the Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM core satellite analyzed its rainfall.
Facebook is announcing several academic hires in artificial intelligence, including Carnegie Mellon researcher Jessica Hodgins, who's known for her work making animated figures move in more human-like ways.
Engineers at the University of California San Diego have shed new light on a scientific mystery regarding the atomic-level mechanism of the sulfur embrittlement of nickel, a classic problem that has puzzled the scientific community for nearly a century. The discovery also enriches fundamental understanding of general grain boundaries that often control the mechanical and physical properties of pol
A deep analysis of a series of surveys across 16 countries that spanned several years shows that people who are on the conservative end of the political spectrum believe their lives are meaningful while those on the liberal end continue to search for meaning.
In response to rising water scarcity, leading Argonne National Laboratory researcher Seth Darling describes the most advanced research innovations that could address global clean water accessibility. His comprehensive paper focuses on understanding and controlling the interfaces between materials and water.
As Amazon marked its "Prime Day" with price cuts across a range of products, founder and chief executive saw his net worth hit new peaks, increasing his lead over fellow billionaires.
The EU is set to fine US internet giant Google several billion euros this week for freezing out rivals of its Android mobile phone system, sources said, in a ruling that risks fresh tensions with Washington.
Doctors are closer to a test in live brains that could help diagnose chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a disease that's been linked to concussions and other repeated brain assaults. (Image credit: UCLA)
For some animals — such as beetles, ants, toads, and primates — short-term social isolation can be just as vital as social interaction to development and long-term evolution. Evolutionary biologists describe approaches for testing how an animal's isolation might impact natural selection and evolution. This framework can help design more effective breeding, reintroduction, and conservation strate
President Trump's press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday has set off a bigger-than-usual backlash, provoking criticism from both the right and the left . It has also presented a quandary for those who work in the Trump administration, who seem unable to guide or influence the president in any real way when it comes to Russia. In the hours afterward, critics have asked a
Whether President Trump is a Manchurian candidate—cultivated for leadership here by an enemy nation to damage our country—or simply feckless is almost irrelevant at this point. It would be satisfying to know, but immaterial, given the president's behavior. Trump's actions, even if motivated by ill-founded concepts or desperate self-preservation rather than allegiance to a hostile foreign power, a
Democratic lawmakers and scientists denounced proposal to allow administrators to reject study results if research isn't public Democratic lawmakers joined scientists, health and environmental officials and activists on Tuesday in denouncing a proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), backed by industry, that could limit dramatically what kind of science the agency considers when mak
A new study finds that teens who engage in frequent texting, social media use and other online activities daily are more likely to develop symptoms of ADHD. (Image credit: Peter Dazeley/Getty Images)
Eugenie Clark was a pioneer in shark biology, known around the world for her illuminating research on shark behavior. But she was a pioneer in another critical way, as one of the first women of prominence in the male-dominated field of marine biology.
Researchers have reached a new milestone on the way to optical computing, or the use of light instead of electricity for computing. They explored a new way to select and send light of a specific color using long silicon wires that are several hundred nanometers in diameter and their work enabled a new type of nanoscale "light switch" that can turn on and off the transmission of one color of ligh
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 1 out of 3 American adults live with higher than normal blood sugar levels known as prediabetes. Researchers recently found that while men may lose more weight on low-carb diets, women actually see better improvements in artery flexibility. It's a finding that may help pre-diabetic women reduce their risk for heart disease t
A new study found that young adults who had a parent incarcerated during their childhood are more likely to skip needed healthcare, smoke cigarettes, engage in risky sexual behaviors, and abuse alcohol, prescription and illicit drugs. These findings have a potentially broad impact, as more than five million US children have had a parent in jail or prison.
Childhood adversity permanently alters the peripheral and central immune systems, increasing the sensitivity of the body's immune response to cocaine, reports a new study.
In a new study in mice, researchers have identified a key protein involved in the irregular brain cell activity seen in autism spectrum disorders and epilepsy. The protein, p53, is well-known in cancer biology as a tumor suppressor.
Leading Argonne National Laboratory researcher Seth Darling describes the most advanced research innovations that could address global clean water accessibility. His comprehensive paper focuses on understanding and controlling the interfaces between materials and water.
Research at Stevens Institute of Technology reveals that the scent of coffee alone may help people perform better on the analytical portion of the Graduate Management Aptitude Test, or GMAT, a computer adaptive test required by many business schools.
In a small study of military personnel who had suffered head trauma and had reported memory and mood problems, UCLA researchers found brain changes similar to those seen in retired football players with suspected chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated blows to the head
Florida State University researchers, Drs. Gang Wang and Michael Holmes, uncover startling findings about the role of gender on CEOs' careers following their investigation of decades of research focusing on business management practices.
Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have reached a new milestone on the way to optical computing, or the use of light instead of electricity for computing. They explored a new way to select and send light of a specific color using long silicon wires that are several hundred nanometers in diameter (about 1,000 times smaller than a human hair) and their work enabled a ne
Snowflake, a California cloud-computing data software company, has launched its products on Microsoft Azure, another boost for the Redmond company as it competes with Amazon's popular cloud service.
Women CEOs in America are paid less, have shorter tenures and their companies are punished in the stock market, even when their firms are just as profitable as those run by men, according to new research from Florida State University.
Professional baseball players who score higher on a test of hand-eye coordination have better batting performance — particularly in drawing walks and other measures of 'plate discipline,' reports a study in the July issue of Optometry and Vision Science, the official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.
Getting parched can fuzz attentiveness and make it harder to solve problems. Dehydration can easily put a dent in those and other cognitive functions, a new metadata analysis of multiple studies shows. Researchers are particularly interested in accident potential this may pose for people who toil in the heat around heavy equipment or military hardware.
High in the Maluti Mountains of the Kingdom of Lesotho, sits Afriski, one of only two ski resorts in southern Africa (the other, Tiffindell, is in the same mountains, just over the border in South Africa.) The resort summit is about 10,600 feet (3,222 m) above sea level, with a slope running about 1 kilometer. Much of the winter, snow on the ground can be sparse, so snow-making machines fill in t
A new delivery system for bacteriophages — viruses that selectively attack harmful bacteria — could help give doctors a new way to battle lung infections that threaten older patients and people with cystic fibrosis.
As Tropical Depression 11W was strengthening into Tropical Storm Son-tinh near the northern Philippines, the Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM core satellite analyzed its rainfall.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 1 out of 3 American adults live with higher than normal blood sugar levels known as prediabetes. Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine recently found that while men may lose more weight on low-carb diets, women actually see better improvements in artery flexibility. It's a finding that may help pre-d
Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have reached a new milestone on the way to optical computing, or the use of light instead of electricity for computing. They explored a new way to select and send light of a specific color using long silicon wires that are several hundred nanometers in diameter and their work enabled a new type of nanoscale "light switch" that can tu
If you ranked the planets of the solar system by the number of their moons, Jupiter would reign. Jupiter, the biggest planet in our cosmic neighborhood—and perhaps the most photogenic one —is circled by a surfeit of objects. Some of them are truly massive, veritable worlds of their own, like icy Europa, and volcanic Io, and sparkling Ganymede. Some are tiny things, measuring just several miles ac
A new planet has been imaged, and it appears nearly identical to one of the best studied gas-giant planets. But this doppelganger differs in one very important way: Its origin. One object has long been known: the 13-Jupiter-mass planet beta Pictoris b, one of the first planets discovered by direct imaging, back in 2009. The new object, dubbed 2MASS 0249 c, has the same mass, brightness, and spectr
New research explains how some populations of bottlenose dolphins can dive to almost 1,000 meters while avoiding decompression sickness. The new hypothesis suggests that lung architecture and the management of blood flow allow bottlenose dolphins to access oxygen in the lungs while preventing uptake of nitrogen which would cause the bends. The findings act as a starting point to understand how env
A time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based BTK occupancy assay measures target engagement in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and in lymph-node and bone-marrow samples.
The consequences of climate change are immense, and believed by many experts to be largely irreversible (and exponential), causing threats coming from heat waves, flooding, declines in agriculture, and decreasing biodiversity, to name a few. Given that climate change, at least in part, is rooted in human behavior, an obvious question to ask is: Can psychological science offer evidence-based soluti
New research on how cannabis use alters eating behavior could lead to treatments for appetite loss in chronic illness, according to experts. Using a new procedure to dose lab rats with cannabis vapor, the researchers found how the drug triggers hunger hormones. They also identified specific brain regions that shift to 'hungry' mode while under the influence.
Improved medications for Type 2 diabetes are one step closer thanks to a new discovery. By modifying the key ingredient in current diabetes drugs, the researchers produced a compound that was effective for hyperglycemia in animal trials, yet without the most problematic side effects of current drugs.
Hormones that signal the body's state of hunger and fullness could be the key to new treatments for drug and alcohol addiction. Gut hormones have received considerable attention from scientists seeking to understand overeating and obesity, which led the panelists to discover that those hormones are also involved in addiction.
A novel drug based on capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their spicy burn, caused long term weight loss and improved metabolic health in mice eating a high fat diet. The drug, Metabocin, was designed to slowly release capsaicin throughout the day so it can exert its anti-obesity effect without producing inflammation or adverse side effects.
Scientists have discovered that a small group of brain cells in the hypothalamus called 'orexin' neurons could be a promising target for medications for controlling binge eating episodes in individuals with obesity. These neurons, named for the chemical messenger they use to communicate with other brain cells, have previously been shown to be important for addiction to several drugs, including coc
A simple instruction to change your thinking as mealtime approaches can help cut calories, according to new research. By encouraging study participants to concentrate on different types of information when planning their meal, the experimenters saw portion sizes shift. Adopting a health-focused mindset produced better outcomes than focusing on pleasure or the desire to fill up.
A study comparing the evidence and recommendation levels of pregnancy information in new prescription drug labeling found significant discrepancies in labeling information among the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Korea.
The Pediatric NEXUS Head Computed Tomography (CT) Decision Instrument (DI) reliably identifies blunt trauma patients who require head CT imaging and could significantly reduce the use of CT imaging.
The interaction of traveling waves in dissipative systems, physical systems driven by energy dissipation, can yield unexpected and sometimes chaotic results. These waves, known as dissipative pulses are driving experimental studies in a variety of areas that involve matter and energy flows. In the journal Chaos, researchers discuss their work studying collisions between three types of DSs to deter
Recent Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreaks highlight the need for licensed treatments. ZMapp, an experimental therapy, has shown promise in a clinical trial, but targets only one of five known species of Ebola virus. Now NIAID-supported scientists have discovered powerful, broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) in the blood of EVD survivors. In animal studies, two of these antibodies provided sub
Studying the photochemistry has shown that ultraviolet radiation can set off harmful chemical reactions in the human body and, alternatively, can provide 'photo-protection' by dispersing extra energy. To better understand the dynamics of these photochemical processes, a group of scientists irradiated the RNA base uracil with ultraviolet light and documented its behavior on a picosecond timescale.
Teens who spend lots of time using digital devices are prone to psychiatric problems, reports a team of USC scientists in a new study that appears today in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Children who are heavy users of digital devices are twice as likely as infrequent users to show symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the study finds.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) created the Breakthrough Therapy designation in 2012 to expedite the development and review of drugs and biologics intended to treat serious or life-threatening conditions when preliminary clinical evidence suggested better improvement over existing therapies.
Frequent use of digital media may be associated with the development of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in adolescence but more research is needed to know if the association is causal.
For some animals — such as beetles, ants, toads, and primates — short-term social isolation can be just as vital as social interaction to development and long-term evolution. In a review published July 17 in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution, two evolutionary biologists describe approaches for testing how an animal's isolation might impact natural selection and evolution. This framework
A new discovery in how heart muscles maintain their shape in fruit flies sheds light on the crucial relationship between cardiac function, metabolism, and longevity. Researchers have discovered that maintaining high levels of the protein vinculin confers health benefits to fruit flies. Their work, published in APL Bioengineering, shows that fruit flies bred to produce 50 percent more vinculin enjo
The apex predator of the sea has a secret lunch spot over 1,000 miles off the coast of Baja California. Shark Week 2018 starts Sunday July 22 9p! Stream Classic Shark Week Episodes: https://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/shark-week/ Subscribe to Discovery: http://bit.ly/SubscribeDiscovery Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Discovery https://www.facebook.com/SharkWeek Follow on Twitter: htt
For some animals—such as beetles, ants, toads, and primates—short-term social isolation can be just as vital as social interaction to development and long-term evolution. In a review published July 17 in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution, two evolutionary biologists describe approaches for testing how an animal's isolation might impact natural selection and evolution. This framework can he
Our cells tend to lose their shape as we grow older, contributing to many of the effects we experience as aging. This poses particular problems for the heart, where aging can disrupt the protein network within muscle cells that move blood around the body. A new discovery in how heart muscles maintain their shape in fruit flies sheds light on the crucial relationship between cardiac function, metab
Studying the photochemistry, or chemical results of light, has shown that ultraviolet radiation can set off harmful chemical reactions in the human body and, alternatively, can provide "photo-protection" by dispersing extra energy. To better understand the dynamics of these photochemical processes, a group of scientists irradiated the RNA base uracil with ultraviolet light and documented its behav
The interaction of traveling waves in dissipative systems, physical systems driven by energy dissipation, can yield unexpected and sometimes chaotic results. These waves, known as dissipative pulses (DSs), are driving experimental studies in a variety of areas that involve matter and energy flows.
Health Drinking is part of American life, but its health consequences may be underplayed. Partially because it is such a commonly used substance, heavily marketed and glamorized in pop culture, Americans' comfort with and acceptance of alcohol is high. Should…
You spend a 3rd of your live sleeping and the other 2/3 being awake. That's a total of your entire life! There are many benefits to both wakefulness and sleeping, but which is your preferred state? Being Awake You live most of your life being awake, so enjoy the many benefits of wakefulness! You can can use your waking hours to do an infinite number of wonderful (or terrible) things, so don't tak
The international team of scientist of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU), Leibniz University Hannover (Leibniz Universität Hannover) and the Ioffe Institute found a way to improve nanocomposite material which opens new opportunities to use it in hydrogen economy and other industries. The study is dedicated to the composite material, a semiconductor based on titanium dio
Rebeca Hwang has spent a lifetime juggling identities — Korean heritage, Argentinian upbringing, education in the United States — and for a long time she had difficulty finding a place in the world to call home. Yet along with these challenges came a pivotal realization: that a diverse background is a distinct advantage in today's globalized world. In this personal talk, Hwang reveals the endles
President Donald Trump's press conference with Russia's Vladimir Putin was a debacle. The president went from an anodyne prepared statement to a question-and-answer session that ping-ponged between stunning and appalling (with a bit of emetic thrown in for good measure). Suffice it to say, it was a new low from a chief executive who is redefining the term. But the reaction on Twitter from the for
Rising seas threaten more than 4,000 miles of buried fiber optic cables in densely populated US coastal regions, report researchers. Seattle is one of three cities at most risk of internet disruptions. In a talk to internet network researchers, Ramakrishnan Durairajan, an assistant professor in the computer and information science department at the University of Oregon, warned that most of the da
Astronomers have found 12 more moons orbiting the planet Jupiter. These moons are all small — just 5 kilometers or less across — and one of them behaves very strangely. (Image credit: Image by Roberto Molar Candanosa, courtesy of Carnegie Institution for Science)
An analysis of information gathered for an ongoing and federally sponsored study of aging and disability adds to evidence that a substantial majority of older adults with probable dementia in the United States have never been professionally diagnosed or are unaware they have been.
Biologists have discovered that different versions of a single gene, called NDP (Norrie Disease Protein), have unexpected links between color patterns in pigeons, and vision defects in humans. These gene variations were likely bred into pigeons by humans from a different pigeon species and are now evolutionarily advantageous in wild populations of feral pigeons living in urban environments.
Scientists examined positions to detect motor and target errors and whether error signals from these positions were used for learning, finding that the parietal lobe detected causes of motor errors in arm reaching and provided signals to compensate for errors. They also revealed that Brodmann area 5 detected the self-generated motor error and that Brodmann area 7 detected target error caused by ta
A collaborative research team has taken the first steps to understanding how the sun's rotational cycle influences lightning activity. They found answers in an unusual source — diaries dating back to the 1700s.
The 'Shark Lady,' Mote Marine Lab founder Eugenie Clark, has received the ultimate ichthyologist honor: having a new species of shark, Squalus clarkae, named after her.
A new study published in Pediatrics found that young adults who had a parent incarcerated during their childhood are more likely to skip needed healthcare, smoke cigarettes, engage in risky sexual behaviors, and abuse alcohol, prescription and illicit drugs. These findings have a potentially broad impact, as more than five million US children have had a parent in jail or prison.
Men may recover more quickly from influenza infections because they produce more of a key lung-healing protein, a study from scientists at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests.
We tend to think about two biological sexes: male and female. But before the evolution of eggs and sperm — before sex cells began to diverge in size and form — organisms couldn't be classified by sex. The same holds true for many fungi, algae and protozoans today. Instead of sexes, these species have mating types, with sex cells that differ at the molecular level but not anatomically. And those m
Twelve new moons orbiting Jupiter have been found — 11 'normal' outer moons, and one that they're calling an 'oddball.' Astronomers first spotted the moons in the spring of 2017 while they were looking for very distant solar system objects as part of the hunt for a possible massive planet far beyond Pluto.
A new, highly accurate MRI technique can monitor iron levels in the brains of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and help identify those at a higher risk for developing physical disability, according to a new study.
Surprisingly, the functions of a huge number of microbial genes are still unknown. This knowledge gap can be thought of as "genomic dark matter" in microbes, and neither computational biology nor current lab techniques have been able address this gap. This challenge has now been tackled through an international collaboration between the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) and t
Scientists have presented the largest study so far on allergic rhinitis. The data of nearly 900,000 participants revealed loci in the human genome whose changes significantly increase the risk of disease.
Genome editing for human embryos is an unnecessary threat to society. Why has the Nuffield Council of Bioethics endorsed it? The Nuffield Council on Bioethics has taken what it clearly regards as a brave new step: it has openly endorsed the use of genome editing to engineer the traits of future children and generations. The council's report, Genome editing and human reproduction : social and ethic
Democratic lawmakers are joining scientists in denouncing an industry-backed proposal to dramatically limit what kind of science the Environmental Protection Agency can consider in rule-making.
Amazon is hoping customers don't see any more dogs, after early problems on Prime Day meant people trying to shop got only images of cute canines delivering an apologetic message.
Twelve new moons orbiting Jupiter have been found — 11 'normal' outer moons, and one that they're calling an 'oddball.' A team led by Carnegie's Scott S. Sheppard first spotted the moons in the spring of 2017 while they were looking for very distant solar system objects as part of the hunt for a possible massive planet far beyond Pluto.
A new, highly accurate MRI technique can monitor iron levels in the brains of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and help identify those at a higher risk for developing physical disability, according to a new study.
Twelve new moons orbiting Jupiter have been found—11 "normal" outer moons, and one that they're calling an "oddball." This brings Jupiter's total number of known moons to a whopping 79—the most of any planet in our Solar System.
A head-on collision between two Jovian moons would create a crash so large it would be visible from earth One of a dozen new moons discovered around Jupiter is circling the planet on a suicide orbit that will inevitably lead to its violent destruction, astronomers say. Valetudo (one of Jupiter's moons) is driving down the highway on the wrong side of the road. Continue reading…
Law enforcement official are most likely to ask first- or second-generation Latinos for papers proving their right to be in the US. This is according to a study published in Springer's journal Race and Social Problems. Lead author, Maria Cristina Morales of the University of Texas at El Paso in the US, says the findings are important given that US law enforcement officers are increasingly required
The boss of British aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce warned Tuesday that the government's new Brexit blueprint failed to dispel uncertainty and cautioned over supply pressures.
For much of her career, Natasha Pecor followed a path well-worn by tech workers. She built her reputation with her first employer in the industry, earning the title head of platform at Yelp. Then she jumped to one of the giants, Amazon, where she worked as a product manager.
I t was AncestryDNA's customer service rep who had to break the news to Catherine St Clair. For her part, St Clair thought she was inquiring about a technical glitch. Her brother—the brother who along with three other siblings had gifted her the DNA test for her birthday—wasn't showing up right in her family tree. It was not a glitch, the woman on the line had to explain gently, if this news can
On Sunday night's episode of Pose , the Ryan Murphy–helmed FX drama that follows the lives of several young queer and transgender people in New York's ballroom scene, opportunities vanished. In one scene, Blanca (Mj Rodriguez) confronts Lil Papi (Angel Bismark Curiel), one of the abandoned queer youths she'd brought into her house, after she finds out that he's been selling drugs. As he tries to
The International Astronomical Union reports that there are now 79 known Jovian moons, with a dozen found last year. — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Childhood adversity permanently alters the peripheral and central immune systems, increasing the sensitivity of the body's immune response to cocaine, reports a study by researchers at the IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation and University of Rome 'La Sapienza', Italy.
In a new study in mice, researchers have identified a key protein involved in the irregular brain cell activity seen in autism spectrum disorders and epilepsy. The protein, p53, is well-known in cancer biology as a tumor suppressor.
A major problem with understanding Alzheimer's is not being able to clearly see why the disease starts. Now, a super-resolution "nanoscope" offers a 3D view of brain molecules with 10 times greater detail than ever before. Recent studies show that 40 percent of Americans over the age of 85 have Alzheimer's disease. Further, the disease begins 10 to 20 years before people ever show up at the docto
In some ways, the present moment looks like a pinnacle for Bryce Harper. Tuesday evening, the 25-year-old Washington Nationals slugger will be starting in the All-Star Game in his home ballpark, marking his fourth consecutive appearance at the midsummer classic and the sixth of his seven-year career. Monday night, he made his much-anticipated return to the Home Run Derby (he long maintained he'd
Glow-In-The-Dark Sharks A deep-sea creature that mainly lives in the dark glows to find a mate. Glow-In-The-Dark Sharks Video of Glow-In-The-Dark Sharks Creature Tuesday, July 17, 2018 – 09:30 Karin Heineman, Executive Producer (Inside Science) — There are just a handful of land animals that can create their own light — the most well-known are fireflies. But down in the deep sea, where natural
Amazon's website experienced widespread crashes and problems Monday shortly after the e-commerce company's annual day of sales, Prime Day, began at noon.
White mass shooters receive much more sympathetic treatment in the media than black shooters, according to a new study that analyzed coverage of 219 attacks.
Chinese ride-sharing giant Didi Chuxing landed a $500 million investment from Booking Holdings, owner of Booking.com and similar sites, in a tie-up that will see the companies offer their services on each other's platforms, they said Tuesday.
A Dutch company that presented the world's first lab-grown beef burger five years ago says it has received funding to pursue its plans to make and sell artificially grown meat to restaurants from 2021.
Law enforcement official are most likely to ask first- or second-generation Latinos for papers proving their right to be in the US. This is according to a study published in Springer's journal Race and Social Problems. Lead author, Maria Cristina Morales of the University of Texas at El Paso in the US, says the findings are important given that US law enforcement officers are increasingly required
A new study by researchers at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), provides evidence towards selection in mtDNA due to variations in temperature.
An international team of scientists led by Helmholtz Zentrum München and University of Copenhagen has presented the largest study so far on allergic rhinitis in the journal 'Nature Genetics'. The data of nearly 900,000 participants revealed loci in the human genome whose changes significantly increase the risk of disease.
A collaborated research team led by Prof. Jian Sun and Prof. Hui-Tian Wang at the Department of Physics, Nanjing University implemented a machine-learning algorithm into the crystal structure search method and found a superhard tungsten nitride by using their new method. Their calculations show that this compound is the hardest transition metal nitride known so far, and it also has other extraordi
Education is not a panacea for the racial wealth gap, according to new research. On average, black families in the US have just five to 10 percent as much wealth as white families do. One 2015 study showed that black households headed by a college graduate have roughly one-third less wealth than white households headed by a high school dropout. Yet for decades, many people have staunchly argued f
White adolescent boys who go through puberty early are at higher risk for substance use than later developing boys, a new study finds. "The earlier your first sip of alcohol or that you try other kinds of drugs, the more likely you are to go on to develop lifelong addiction and problems with substance use," says Kristine Marceau, assistant professor in human development and family studies at Purd
In a new study, a team led by University of Utah biologists has discovered that different versions of a single gene, called NDP (Norrie Disease Protein), have unexpected links between color patterns in pigeons, and vision defects in humans. These gene variations were likely bred into pigeons by humans from a different pigeon species and are now evolutionarily advantageous in wild populations of fe
In a new Human Factors article, researchers have shown that a validated advanced driving simulator is an effective tool for examining risky behavior at passive rail level crossings, where static signs alert drivers to stop. Such crossings have been the scene of significant global fatalities, but studying driver behavior in the real world to make them safer is not practical—hence the need for simul
The most comprehensive magnetic map of Antarctica ever produced is published this week (15 July 2018). The new map – which includes 3.5 million line-kilometres of magnetic anomaly data collected over the past 50 years – sheds new light on the structure and evolution of the Antarctic continent and its surrounding oceans.
A new study by researchers at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), provides evidence towards selection in mtDNA due to variations in temperature.
Surprisingly, the functions of a huge number of microbial genes are still unknown. This knowledge gap can be thought of as "genomic dark matter" in microbes, and neither computational biology nor current lab techniques have been able address this gap.This challenge has now been tackled through an international collaboration between the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) and two
A collaborative research team in Japan has taken the first steps to understanding how the sun's rotational cycle influences lightning activity. They found answers in an unusual source — diaries dating back to the 1700s.
Recent research undertaken by University of Otago Cure Kids Professor Paediatric Genetics, Stephen Robertson, highlights the world-leading discoveries he is making regarding rare genetic disorders affecting children and the opportunity genomic analysis is providing.
In a large international study involving almost 900,000 participants, researchers from the University of Copenhagen and COPSAC have found new risk genes for hay fever. It is the largest genetic study so far on this type of allergy, which affects millions of people around the world.
A research team led by Masahide Kikkawa, a professor of the University of Tokyo, established zebrafish mutants of all four PIH-protein genes and solved the structures of axonemal dyneins in mutant spermatozoa by cryo-electron tomography.
Osaka University scientists examined positions to detect motor and target errors and whether error signals from these positions were used for learning, finding that the parietal lobe detected causes of motor errors in arm reaching and provided signals to compensate for errors. They also revealed that Brodmann area 5 detected the self-generated motor error and that Brodmann area 7 detected target e
One object has long been known: the 13-Jupiter-mass planet beta Pictoris b, one of the first planets discovered by direct imaging, back in 2009. The new object, dubbed 2MASS 0249 c, has the same mass, brightness, and spectrum as beta Pictoris b.
Længes du midt i sommerferien pludselig tilbage til din daglige dont, så ty til denne inspirationskilde over steder, bøger og aktiviteter, der kan dulme abstinenserne.
Photorespiration wastes little energy and instead enhances nitrate assimilation, the process that converts nitrate from the soil into protein, according to a new study. Photosynthesis is one of the most crucial life processes on Earth. It's how plants get their food, using energy from sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide from the air into sugars. Scientists have long believed that more th
Long thought to be divorced from the brain, the immune system turns out to be intimately involved in its functioning — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Understanding the functions of genes in bacteria that form part of the human microbiome—the collection of microbes found inside our bodies—is important because these genes might explain mechanisms of bacterial infection or cohabitation in the host, antibiotic resistance, or the many effects—positive and negative—that the microbiome has on human health.
Canadian astronomers have identified mode changing and giant pulses in the millisecond pulsar known as PSR B1957+20. It is the first time when mode changing mechanism has been observed in a millisecond pulsar. The finding is detailed in a paper published July 4 on the arXiv pre-print server.
In this episode, Jordan Carlos brings us another segment of Fin Frenzy and we get our next lesson from The Captain in shark mating. Finally, we end this episode with some tongue twisting shark vocab as we expand our shark knowledge in prep for Shark Week. Shark Week 2018 starts Sunday July 22 9p! Stream The Daily Bite on Discovery GO: https://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/the-daily-bite/ Stream Clas
Social media can be an intimidating place for academics as not all of them take to it like ducks to water. For many newcomers, a more appropriate analogy is a newborn giraffe—clumsy, awkward and vulnerable to prey.
A pair of researchers with the University of Washington has found that an increase in wildfire size and duration over the past 28 years has led to worsening bad air days in the U.S. Northwest. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Crystal McClure and Daniel Jaffe describe their study and what their results mean for people living in affected areas.
The consequences of climate change are immense, and believed by many experts to be largely irreversible (and exponential), causing threats coming from heat waves, flooding, declines in agriculture, and decreasing biodiversity, to name a few. Given that climate change, at least in part, is rooted in human behavior, an obvious question to ask is: Can psychological science offer evidence-based soluti
White mass shooters receive much more sympathetic treatment in the media than black shooters, according to a new study that analyzed coverage of 219 attacks. Findings showed that white shooters were 95 percent more likely to be described as 'mentally ill' than black shooters.
A new delivery system for bacteriophages–viruses that selectively attack harmful bacteria–could help give doctors a new way to battle lung infections that threaten older patients and people with cystic fibrosis.
Subsolid nodules (SSN) can be considered a biomarker of lung cancer risk and should be managed with long-term active surveillance. Conservative management of SSN will reduce unnecessary surgery and overtreatment in patients with multiple comorbidities and aggressive lung cancer arising from lung sites other than the SSN.
New research into Greenland's glaciers will help bring accurate sea level rise forecasts – which are crucial in preparing for the impacts of climate change—a step closer.
When temperatures spike in the summer, it's important to make sure you temper your workouts to stay safe, says Sandeep Mannava, a sports medicine specialist at University of Rochester Medicine. Here, Mannava offers tips to avoid overexertion on exceptionally hot days, which can lead to illness or potentially life-threatening issues. 1. Know your limits Be aware of your fitness limitations and res
A team of researchers at the National Institutes of Health has found that women in biomedical sciences are just as successful as men in sustaining grant funding. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes their study of grant approval rates for men and women in the biomedical sciences.
Even many Republicans who normally support or silently abide Donald Trump criticized the president Monday after his press conference with Vladimir Putin. The Associated Press reporter Jonathan Lemire prompted the most controversial exchange by asking, "Just now President Putin denied having anything to do with the election interference in 2016. Every U.S. intelligence agency has concluded that Ru
The UK's tallest bird – the common crane – is here to stay and we could have as many as 275 breeding pairs within 50 years, according to the latest population model from scientists at the University of Exeter, WWT and RSPB published in Animal Conservation.
In a new study, a team led by University of Utah biologists has discovered that different versions of a single gene, called NDP (Norrie Disease Protein), have unexpected links between color patterns in pigeons, and vision defects in humans. These gene variations were likely bred into pigeons by humans from a different pigeon species and are now evolutionarily advantageous in wild populations of fe
A Johns Hopkins Medicine analysis of information gathered for an ongoing and federally sponsored study of aging and disability adds to evidence that a substantial majority of older adults with probable dementia in the United States have never been professionally diagnosed or are unaware they have been.
Wauw! Ingeniøren blev blæst bagover af potentialet i denne banebrydende idé, der fra sidst på året kan opleves i Holland – og senere måske blive dagligdag i alverdens storbyer.
Treatment costs for the immunotherapy can run to more than $1 million. Some state Medicaid programs aren't paying for the treatment, and Medicare's complicated payment rates have hospitals worried. (Image credit: Fanatic Studio/Collection Mix: Subjects RF/Getty Images)
Sapna Cheryan has spent much of her career researching the stereotypes that contribute to male-dominated science and technology fields. She's traced those ideas to childhood, to the toys boys and girls play with and to the beliefs they form about who programs a computer and who feels at home in a lab. "If there's a way to influence children, it's through a toy…" So when Mattel in the spring asked
Health Dairy fat may be saturated, but it's not unhealthy the way animal fats are. Not all fats are created equal. There's the dangerous trans fats, the healthy unsaturated fats, and the middling saturated fats, but even within that final category…
This episode of our regular podcast focuses on the impact of the modern news cycle on our health and wellbeing, and whether a greater focus on positive, hopeful, solution-based stories could help to mitigate this What are the effects of negative news on our mental health and sense of empowerment? How does it effect our trust in the media? Why historically has negative news become so prevalent at
CRISPR gene editing technology is revolutionising medicine and biology. This technique allows scientists to edit DNA with more precision and greater ease than previous gene editing technology.
A new study by researchers at Uppsala University and the Italian National Institute for Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) published in the journal Scientific Reports sheds light on magma storage under the currently active Agung volcano on the island of Bali in Indonesia. Magma at Agung is stored at both mantle (~20 km) and shallow crustal (~5 km) depths, which may be a potential cause for sudden p
At IBM Research AI, we built an AI-based solution to assist analysts in preparing reports. The paper describing this work recently won the best paper award at the "In-Use" Track of the 2018 Extended Semantic Web Conference (ESWC).
Washington, D.C. (July 17, 2018)—Americans are sharply divided by political party, race, and ethnicity regarding what they consider to be the biggest problems facing the U.S. electoral system, according to a newly released PRRI/ The Atlantic poll . In another possible perception gap between elites and everyone else, many survey respondents were not concerned about civic issues that have received
Every so often, Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code, will have a conversation with her 3-year-old son in which he'll ask her why she has to go to work. Saujani loves her job and wants to ensure that her son has a good relationship to work. "Mommy's helping girls," she tells him. Saujani wasn't always helping girls. Having taken on around $300,000 of student-loan debt to attend Yale Law
Death rates from liver cancer have risen steadily since 2000, resulting in the disease going from the ninth-leading cause of cancer death to the sixth, according to a new report.
To discover and confirm the presence of a planet around stars other than the sun, astronomers wait until it has completed three orbits. However, this very effective technique has its drawbacks since it cannot confirm the presence of planets at relatively long periods (it is ideally suited for periods of a few days to a few months). To overcome this obstacle, a team of astronomers under the directi
The soaring temperatures in Europe and North America have seen a rise in reports of dogs being rescued from hot cars. Police across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, and Canada have all saved dogs from certain death. But in the US, a Great Dane in Juneau, Alaska, a Pitbull Boxer mix in Trussvile, Alabama, and three Rottweilers in Long Island, New York were not so lucky.
Major data breaches have made worldwide headlines of late but an international consortium of scientists—including a professor from Heriot-Watt—have developed a new technique that could result in hack-proof systems.
The post-translational addition of phosphate groups to serine, threonine and tyrosine residues is a fundamental strategy for regulating protein activities in eukaryotes. Eukaryotic protein kinases—the enzymes that catalyze these modifications—are critical to cellular function, and aberrant kinase activities are associated with many diseases including cancer, inflammation, infection, diabetes, hype
Chemical engineers at EPFL have demonstrated for the first time that an atom-thick graphene membrane can separate gas mixtures with a high-efficiency. The "ultimate" membrane is scalable, making it a breakthrough for industrial gas separation.
U.S. firms that disclosed the existence of trade secrets have a significantly higher probability of becoming targets of hackers, according to a new study led by a University of Kansas accounting professor.
In the modern era of social media, more than 300 million people use Twitter to share news and engage in online conversations. This provides a glimpse into the minds of a diverse public – making Twitter a useful tool for researchers to study people who sympathize and promote extreme violence.
In a Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) "Special Feature" paper published online June 26, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and University of Michigan researchers reported on recent experiments and techniques designed to improve understanding and control of hydrodynamic (fluid) instabilities in high energy density (HED) settings such as those that occur in inertial
Governments that do the best job protecting the rights of the accused have the lowest murder rates, while those that neglect due process have the highest, according to a five-year study of 89 countries by CU Boulder political scientists.
Chemists and engineers today are very interested in a kind of nanotechnology enabled by tiny islands of nanoparticles called "colloidal nanocrystals." They can be made out of abundant and non-toxic materials, and they can be easily tweaked to have a number of different properties as a function of their size. Depending on how they're built, colloidal nanocrystals could be made into solar panels, el
A new delivery system for bacteriophages—viruses that selectively attack harmful bacteria—could help give doctors a new way to battle lung infections that threaten older patients and people with cystic fibrosis.
Voter suppression almost certainly helped Donald Trump win the presidency. Multiple academic studies and court rulings indicate that racially biased election laws, such as voter-ID legislation in places like Wisconsin, favored Republican candidates in 2016. Like most other elections in American history, this one wasn't a fair fight. A new poll conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute (
The United States is one country, but Americans are living in two separate worlds. In one version of America, the country is headed in the totally wrong direction. Billionaires control politics. Foreign governments meddle in elections. And not enough people vote to demand a change. In the other America, things are looking up, particularly with a good president in office. But some civic functions
The last time Brett Kavanaugh appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee, in May 2006, the country was slowly learning about some of the extraordinary steps the George W. Bush administration had taken as part of its anti-terrorism efforts—from warrantless wiretapping to torture of detainees. Kavanaugh had spent five years in the White House, and was nominated for a lifetime appointment on the
Ansar Ali earned just 11,000 taka – about $130 U.S. dollars – from eggplant he grew last year in Bangladesh. This year, after planting Bt eggplant, he brought home more than double that amount, 27,000 taka. It's a life-changing improvement for a subsistence farmer like Ali.
It took thousands of years for humans to breed a pea-sized fruit into a beautiful beefsteak tomato. Now, with gene editing, scientists can change everything.
Scientists from Russia, Estonia and the United Kingdom have created a new method for predicting the bioconcentration factor (BCF) of organic molecules. Leveraging the classical models of physicochemical interactions between the solvent and the solute and advanced machine learning methods, the new approach makes it possible to predict complex properties of a substance based on a minimum set of inpu
As NASA's Dawn spacecraft prepares to wrap up its groundbreaking 11-year mission, which has included two successful extended missions at Ceres, it will continue to explore—collecting images and other data.
When it comes to extrasolar planets, appearances can be deceiving. Astronomers have imaged a new planet, and it appears nearly identical to one of the best studied gas-giant planets. But this doppelgänger differs in one very important way: its origin.
Launched in 1932 the school has spent almost a century uncovering Iraq's ancient treasures, including the spectacular Assyrian capital at Nimrud On a dark November day in 1929, the nascent British School of Archaeology in Iraq launched its appeal for funds. Central Hall in Westminster was packed to overflowing and the audience was treated to a lantern slide show of recent discoveries in Iraq, fol
Since its inception in 2016, Brazilian startup Treevia, based in Sao Jose dos Campos, São Paulo State, has been developing a remote forest monitoring system named SmartForest, which uses electronic sensors to monitor forest growth in real time. The system provides forest managers the data required for taking forest inventory by means of remote collection and uses mathematical and statistical metho
Magnets have fascinated humans for several thousand years and enabled the age of digital data storage. They occur in various flavors. Ferrimagnets form the largest class of magnets and consist of two types of atoms. Similar to a compass needle, each atom exhibits a little magnetic moment, also called spin, which arises from the rotation of the atom's electrons about their own axes. In a ferrimagne
Cratons (from the Greek "power" or "might") are the areas of the oldest continental crust on Earth, and are preserved only in only a few places around the world. According to scientists, the Kaapvaal Craton in the South Africa and the Pilbara Craton in Australia (the most ancient of these structures) were the parts of Vaalbara, an Archean supercontinent.
A recent study presents a novel marking menu, MagicMark, to extend the selection capability of large-screen interactions. By leveraging the 2-D directional information and 3-D depth information, MagicMark supports smooth freehand gestures to complete menu selection without any additional confirmation gesture. It can also provide seamless transition from a novice user to an expert user. Results of
With companies like Google, Microsoft and IBM all racing to create the world's first practical quantum computer, scientists worldwide are exploring the potential materials that could be used to build them. Now, Associate Professor Yang Hyunsoo and his team from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Faculty of Engineering have demonstrat
Organic solar cells, made from carbon-based materials, present unique advantages compared with other solar cell technologies. For example, they can be manufactured through low-cost printing technologies, and they can be made semi-transparent with selectable colours, which can be used architecturally in building integration. Their flexibility and low weight make them perfect for powering the sensor
A time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based BTK occupancy assay measures target engagement in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and in lymph-node and bone-marrow samples.
New research explains how some populations of bottlenose dolphins can dive to almost 1,000 meters while avoiding decompression sickness. The new hypothesis suggests that lung architecture and the management of blood flow allow bottlenose dolphins to access oxygen in the lungs while preventing uptake of nitrogen which would cause the bends. The findings act as a starting point to understand how env
I to år har forskerne ledt efter en stor niende planet langt ude i solsystemet – hidtil uden held. Nu overvejer astronomerne alternative eftersøgningsteknikker.
Oxford University Museum: For 70 years, researchers have been watching 'particularly hideous' young swifts turn into long-winged angels This glorious structure is a place rich in history. As we walked through the galleries our guide paused to show us the great oak door behind which Bishop Wilberforce confronted "Darwin's bulldog", Thomas Huxley , in their famous debate on evolution. We, however,
For the first time, researchers have explored the physiological adaptations that enable different populations of the same species of dolphin to vary in diving ability by almost 1000m. The research, published in two complementary studies in Frontiers in Physiology, compared the lung mechanics and metabolic rates of bottlenose dolphin populations known for their different hunting depths. Using theor
There are pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB) who have had 30-year careers, but as UC Riverside demographer David Swanson points out, these are extreme outliers and often the stars of the game who receive most of the media's attention. The reality for most pitchers in baseball is that their professional working lives are surprisingly short—3.99 years on average—according to a new method of cal
Around the middle of the 2015 season, something odd started happening in Major League Baseball (MLB): Home runs surged. They surged again in 2016, from the previous year's 4,909 to 5,610, and then again in 2017 to an all-time high of 6,105.
Mysterious radiation emitted from distant corners of the galaxy could finally be explained with efforts to recreate a unique state of matter that blinked into existence in the first moments after the Big Bang.
President Trump's astonishing news conference Monday with Vladimir Putin, the Russian leader, was as remarkable for what was said as what wasn't. "The disagreements between our two countries are well known and President Putin and I discussed them at length today," Trump said in Helsinki, Finland. "But if we're going to solve many of the problems facing our world, then we're going to have to find
It was a bittersweet triumph. Their model had been validated in the real world. Share prices of Wayfair—which had billed itself as "the Amazon of furniture"—had fallen 23 percent over one day after the company announced a fourth-quarter loss. Wayfair's model was broken—and Daniel McCarthy's model, created with Wharton marketing professor Pete Fader, identified the flaw.
Netflix shares plunged Monday after the leading streaming television service said subscriber growth fell short of expectations in the recently ended quarter.
He has been called "Stanford's star of statistical inference," and he is responsible for creating a swathe of modern statistics, including the bootstrap. But when Brad Efron first heard about a project to tackle the horrific prevalence of rape in Nairobi's poorest schools, his first thought was that it required more than statistical help—it required "angelic" intervention. "I put it in the categor
British engine maker Rolls-Royce revealed plans this week to develop a hybrid electric vehicle, dubbed the "flying taxi", which takes off and lands vertically and could be airborne within five years.
When sea creatures first began crawling and slithering onto land about 385 million years ago, they carried with them their body armor: scales. Fossil evidence shows that the earliest land animals retained scales as a protective feature as they evolved to flourish on terra firma.
Amazon is hoping customers don't see any more dogs, after early problems on Prime Day meant people trying to shop got only images of the cute canines delivering an apologetic message.
Japan has amassed enough plutonium to make 6,000 atomic bombs as part of a programme to fuel its nuclear plants, but concern is growing that the stockpile is vulnerable to terrorists and natural disasters.
The Nuffield Council on Bioethics says changing the DNA of a human embryo could be 'morally permissable' if it is in the child's best interests The creation of babies whose DNA has been altered to give them what parents perceive to be the best chances in life has received a cautious green light in a landmark report from a leading UK ethics body. The Nuffield Council on Bioethics said that changin
The pursuit of perfection, taken to extremes, can lead to OCD and depression – and the number of students reporting the problem has jumped by 33% since 1989 Tom Nicol thought he had a problem with sleep. He could never get enough. He took "a very disciplined, stripped approach" to his routine. He drank water only at premeditated times, ate according to schedule, avoided caffeine, exercised (but n
Exclusive: Nazneen Rahman will leave the ICR in October after harassment claims A leading light in the world of cancer genetics, who was honoured at the outstanding Asian women of achievement awards and given a CBE, has quit her job at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) after facing multiple allegations of bullying dating back 12 years. Prof Nazneen Rahman, who is the high-profile head of gen
Scientists at Rutgers Brain Health Institute have discovered that a small group of brain cells in the hypothalamus called 'orexin' neurons could be a promising target for medications for controlling binge eating episodes in individuals with obesity. These neurons, named for the chemical messenger they use to communicate with other brain cells, have previously been shown to be important for addicti
A simple instruction to change your thinking as mealtime approaches can help cut calories, according to new research from the University of Tübingen, Germany. By encouraging study participants to concentrate on different types of information when planning their meal, the experimenters saw portion sizes shift. Adopting a health-focused mindset produced better outcomes than focusing on pleasure or t
Hormones that signal the body's state of hunger and fullness could be the key to new treatments for drug and alcohol addiction. That is the consensus of an expert panel convened this week at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study Ingestive Behavior, the leading international research conference on food and fluid intake. Gut hormones have received considerable attention from scientists see
A novel drug based on capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their spicy burn, caused long term weight loss and improved metabolic health in mice eating a high fat diet, in new studies from the University of Wyoming School of Pharmacy. The drug, Metabocin, was designed to slowly release capsaicin throughout the day so it can exert its anti-obesity effect without producing inflammation or
New research on how cannabis use alters eating behavior could lead to treatments for appetite loss in chronic illness, according to experts at Washington State University. Using a new procedure to dose lab rats with cannabis vapor, the researchers found how the drug triggers hunger hormones. They also identified specific brain regions that shift to 'hungry' mode while under the influence, accordin
Improved medications for Type 2 diabetes are one step closer thanks to a new discovery reported this week by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and Syracuse University. By modifying the key ingredient in current diabetes drugs, the researchers produced a compound that was effective for hyperglycemia in animal trials, yet without the most problematic side effects of current drugs.
A new facial recognition tool by RealNetworks aims to keep kids safe in school. But privacy experts fear the unchecked surveillance of kids could go awry.
Gonorrhea is the second most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. More than 468,000 cases of gonorrhea were reported to the CDC in 2016, although the number may be much higher.
Inrix's 'Road Rules' platform lets cities compile details about things like stop signs and school zones in a computer-friendly format that any self-driving developer can fold into its software.
'Invisible' blood detected in the stools is linked to a heightened risk of death from all causes, as well as from bowel cancer, reveals research published online in the journal Gut.
Children with autism have structural and functional abnormalities in the brain circuit that normally makes social interaction feel rewarding, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine.
An independent inquiry has concluded that editing the DNA of a human embryo, sperm, or egg to influence the characteristics of a future person ('heritable genome editing') could be morally permissible. If that is to happen, a number of measures would need to be put in place first to ensure that genome editing proceeds in ways that are ethically acceptable.
Children with autism have structural and functional abnormalities in the brain circuit that normally makes social interaction feel rewarding, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine.
A basketball-sized lava bomb slammed through the roof of a tour boat near an active fissure of the Hawaiian volcano early Monday morning, showering the vessel with debris. (Image credit: Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources/AP)
Some moth species have evolved long wing tails that flutter and twist as the moth flies, which distract hungry bats. Christopher Intagliata reports. — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
A mission meant to save critically endangered rhinoceroses by transferring them to a wildlife sanctuary in Kenya has ended in tragedy. And now we know why.
Kidney transplant exchanges are missing out on 25 to 55 percent of live donor matches that might otherwise be possible, according to a new study. Nearly 100,000 people with failing kidneys are on waiting lists for a kidney transplant in the United States, with an average wait of three to five years. Organs come from one of two sources—from living donors, typically a friend or family member willin
An independent inquiry by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics has concluded that editing the DNA of a human embryo, sperm, or egg to influence the characteristics of a future person ('heritable genome editing') could be morally permissible. If that is to happen, a number of measures would need to be put in place first to ensure that genome editing proceeds in ways that are ethically acceptable.
Even Fox News was appalled at President Donald Trump's performance at his Helsinki press conference alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin. The network, usually only too happy to cheer on the president, responded somewhat differently this time to Trump's insistence that "President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial" of Russian involvement in election interference. Neil Cavu
Updated at 10:29 p.m. ET When Donald Trump stood side by side with Russian President Vladimir Putin and announced that he was taking Putin's word over that of his own intelligence community, talking heads spun on cable news. And rightfully so. On CNN, Anderson Cooper called Trump's performance " disgraceful ." Cooper's face was noticeably cringing and his voice was shaking. John King called the e
Restaurants are increasingly less likely to accept paper currency, a trend that likely protects businesses from theft but also makes it harder for low-income people to shop. Read More
On March 5, 1946, at Westminster College, in Fulton, Missouri, former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill declared the onset of the Cold War with an image that crystallized American fears of Soviet expansionism abroad and Communist subversion at home. "From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent," intoned Churchill. "…in the fraug
The fat molecule cardiolipin controls the energy metabolism of the body's "brown fat" cells, research finds. The findings also show that the absence of cardiolipin in fat cells is causally linked to pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. "Switching off production of cardiolipin in mice leads to insulin resistance, which is the cornerstone of diabetes." Large amounts of cardiolipin produced in the fat
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Tegn abonnement på
BioNyt Videnskabens Verden (www.bionyt.dk) er Danmarks ældste populærvidenskabelige tidsskrift for naturvidenskab. Det er det eneste blad af sin art i Danmark, som er helliget international forskning inden for livsvidenskaberne.
Bladet bringer aktuelle, spændende forskningsnyheder inden for biologi, medicin og andre naturvidenskabelige områder som f.eks. klimaændringer, nanoteknologi, partikelfysik, astronomi, seksualitet, biologiske våben, ecstasy, evolutionsbiologi, kloning, fedme, søvnforskning, muligheden for liv på mars, influenzaepidemier, livets opståen osv.
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