Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and… groundcherries? A little-known fruit about the size of a marble could become agriculture's next big berry crop.
Statsministeren lover i sin åbningstale til Folketinget at forbyde salg af biler uden en elmotor i 2030. Men allerede inden da skal elbiler i stort tal rulle ud på vejene.
Echoes of the old Chris Christie, the moderate Republican who shook hands with President Obama after Hurricane Sandy hit his home state of New Jersey, were heard throughout his appearance on Tuesday at The Atlantic Festival. When Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic's editor in chief, queried him on the main stage about his support for the president, Christie said he could not deny that Trump is a lead
Between the allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and President Trump's own sniping at female reporters Monday , the last few days have seemed like a tough stretch for the White House with women. But Kellyanne Conway, a counselor to the president, says that's not an accurate picture of what's going on. She portrayed Trump as far more attuned an
Infection-related hospitalizations in the USA are on the rise, particularly among people with diabetes, suggesting that more must be done to protect people with diabetes from preventable complications, according to new research being presented at this year's European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Annual Meeting in Berlin.
New research presented at this year's annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) reveals the factors that influence the rate of progression of type 2 diabetes (T2D) which may explain why it varies so much between individuals.
New research presented at this year's annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) reveals that prior to the onset of type 2 diabetes (T2D), women with versus without prediabetes experience significantly larger adverse differences in their cardiometabolic health than men.
Having diabetes is linked with an increased risk of developing a number of cancers as well as poorer survival following a cancer diagnosis. The findings, being presented at this year's European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Annual Meeting in Berlin, Germany (Oct. 1-5), come from a large observational study comparing over 450,000 people with type 2 diabetes.
Being overweight or obese may put adults with diabetes at greater risk of dying from cancer than their diabetes-free counterparts, particularly for obesity-related cancers such as those arising from the bowel, kidney, and pancreas in men and women, and from the breast and endometrium (lining of the uterus) in women.
Diabetes is associated with a greater risk of having osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoporosis, suggests a new study involving over 109,000 people being presented at this year's European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Annual Meeting in Berlin, Germany (Oct. 1-5).
New research presented at this year's annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) reveals that in men with low testosterone who have type 2 diabetes (T2D), testosterone therapy can improve their disease and reverse its progress, and can also induce significant weight loss.
Studying neurons in C. elegans, researchers made a surprising discovery: these roundworms, like most animals, process information using a digital, electric code.
Technology Apple explained how they collected the data to create the novel feature. The Apple Watch Series 4 can detect if you fall. Here's how the feature works, and how Apple collected real-world data to build it.
Written by Olivia Paschal ( @oliviacpaschal ), Elaine Godfrey ( @elainejgodfrey ), and Madeleine Carlisle ( @maddiecarlisle2 ) Today in 5 Lines Speaking at The Atlantic Festival in Washington, D.C., Senator Jeff Flake criticized Brett Kavanaugh for his recent appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee, calling his interactions with lawmakers "sharp and partisan." "We can't have that on the
Researchers describe a new means of searching vast repositories of compounds produced by microbes. By analyzing the mass spectra of the compounds, they were able to identify known compounds within the repository and eliminate them from further analysis, focusing instead on the unknown variants that might potentially be better or more efficient antibiotics, anticancer drugs or other pharmaceuticals
While many cancer therapies initially can be very successful, tumors often return and spread when remaining cancer cells develop resistance to treatment. To combat this tendency, cancer researchers could take a lesson from our own immune system and explore 'natural adaptive therapies,' according to a new article.
Beneficial effects, and possible harm, of exposure to weak pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) may be mediated by a protein related to one that helps birds migrate, according to a new study.
Science Ricin is one of the most poisonous substances on Earth and it's scarily easy to make. Yesterday, an envelope addressed to Senator Roger Wicker, Republican of Mississippi, was found to contain a white granular substance that was identified as ricin. Today, a… Ricin is one of the most poisonous substances on Earth—and it's scarily easy to make.
About seven years ago, during the Arab Spring, the power of social media to drive major political change burst onto the world stage. The promise of Twitter and Facebook to help democratically minded protesters share information, organize protests, and ultimately free themselves from dictatorships looked tantalizing and almost unstoppable. Soon, however, many democratic gains across the Arab world
Anthropogenic warming will increase the burned areas due fires in Mediterranean Europe, and the increase of the burned area could be reduced by limiting global warming to 1.5ºC. The higher the warming level is, the larger the increase of the burned area is.
Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) possess optical properties that could be used to make computers run a million times faster and store information a million times more energy-efficiently, according to a new study.
Nearly one in seven Americans has chronic kidney disease, and the condition accounts for about 20 percent of the spending by Medicare. A new analysis finds that providing specialized medical care and coordination to patients whose kidneys are failing before they need dialysis treatment could save the US health care system more than $1 billion annually.
A trio of laser physicists—Arthur Ashkin, Donna Strickland, and Gérard Mourou—nab the prize for their work on optical tweezers and chirped pulse amplification.
Preterm birth remains a global epidemic linked to a lifetime of potential health complications. It also is difficult to study in living creatures — especially the uniquely precise biology of preterm birth in humans. Researchers report successfully inserting just enough human DNA into transgenic laboratory mice that it allowed the team to study a unique part of human pregnancy compared to other an
Improving primary care for patients with chronic illness is critical to improving healthcare quality, value and patient experience. Primary care providers are participating in several new payment models that emphasize quality and value. However, little is known about whether and how participation in these programs affects care delivery, specifically for patients with chronic needs.
Studying neurons in C. elegans, researchers made a surprising discovery: these roundworms, like most animals, process information using a digital, electric code.
A technique using umbilical cord blood stem cells could be a promising new approach for repair of cleft palate in infants, reports a paper in The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery, published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.
Dr. Gerard Criner, MD, FACP, FACCP, Chair and Professor of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, announced the 12-month results of the EMPROVE multicenter, randomized and controlled study for the Spiration® Valve System (SVS), a minimally invasive treatment for severe emphysema, at the European Respiratory Society International Congress (ERS) in P
Collaborative research between scientists at Clemson University and Stonybrook University has revealed the 3D structure of a protein fragment that could serve as a drug target in treating stroke patients.
It was about five in the morning in Ontario, Canada, when Donna Strickland's phone rang. The Nobel Prize Committee was on the line in Stockholm, calling to tell her she had won the prize in physics. "We wondered if it was a prank," Strickland said Tuesday, in an interview with a Nobel official after the call. She had been asleep when the call arrived. "But then I knew it was the right day, and it
The 2018 Nobel Prize in physics went to scientists — including the third-ever female winner — who made optical tweezers and boosted the strength of laser pulses.
Italy's TIM telecommunication company on Tuesday was awarded new national broadcast licenses for 5G frequencies for a total of 1.73 million euros ($1.99 million), the company said.
When Canadian scientist Donna Strickland got the early morning call informing her she just won the Nobel Physics Prize, she could barely hide her amazement.
Scientists have discovered another marker on the trail toward the putative Planet Nine — an extremely distant dwarf planet called 2015 TG387, and nicknamed 'The Goblin.'
An India-led coalition to harness solar energy will eventually replace the OPEC oil cartel, India's premier predicted Tuesday, as he opened the International Solar Alliance's first assembly with UN chief Antonio Guterres.
Remnants of a tropical storm drenched parts of the desert Southwest on Tuesday, trapping some drivers on swamped Phoenix streets as authorities prepared for possible flash flooding in Arizona, central Utah and elsewhere.
Twenty years ago, Zijian Xie, Ph.D., director of the Marshall Institute for Interdisciplinary Research and professor at Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, discovered the scaffolding/signaling function of the Na/K-ATPase sodium pump. In honor of this milestone and the impact of Xie's discovery on cell biology, the International Journal of Molecular Sciences released a special i
In his opening statement before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, the Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh denounced the sexual-assault and misconduct allegations against him as part of a left-wing conspiracy orchestrated "on behalf of the Clintons." On Tuesday, Hillary Clinton offered her response: a deep belly laugh. "I mean, really," the former secretary of state told the Atlantic edi
A team of biologists has discovered that the distinctive genetic processes of early development help explain patterns of animal development in nature and across the evolutionary tree. Its findings point to a largely overlooked dynamic between the genome of mothers and their developing progeny—and one that underscores this genetic interaction as a primary influence on evolution.
NASA's Aqua satellite provided an infrared view of Super Typhoon Kong-Rey as it continued tracking through the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. Another Super typhoon, Trami, passed through the same area one week ago and cooler waters it left in its wake are expected to affect Kong-Rey.
The U.S. Department of Energy's Critical Materials Institute has taken a major step toward printed, aligned anisotropic magnets via additive manufacturing processes.
Give-up-itis or psychogenic death is a real and terrible condition, finds new research. People can die in as few as three days after a major trauma causes them to give up on life. There are 5 stages of give-up-itis. Can you die simply by giving up the will to live? Yes, concludes a new study, led by Dr. John Leach from the University of Portsmouth in the UK. The first-of-its-kind study looked at
Strickland, a 59-year-old Canadian physicist, helped develop a technique that led to many laser technologies used today. Two other women have won the Nobel for physics; one in 1963, the other in 1903. Strickland shares the award and $1 million prize with two other scientists, Arthur Ashkin and Gerard Mourou . The 2018 Nobel Prize in physics has been awarded to three physicists, including one fema
We're pleased to announce retroactive trailblaze notifications! Wait, what's a trailblaze? A trailblazer is the first player to play a cube. Since Eyewire points are based on how the accurate players who do the same cube agree, we can't immediately award points to trailblazers. They received an immediate bonus of 25 points on Level 1 cells and 50 points on Level 2 cells . When consensus is reache
Arthur Ashkin, Gérard Mourou and Donna Strickland shared the Nobel Prize for finding ways to control and enhance laser light, leading to numerous common applications. — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Rising 2,225 meters into the air on an island in the Azores archipelago, Pico Mountain Observatory is an ideal place to study aerosols—particles or liquids suspended in gases—that have traveled great distances in the troposphere.
Researchers have created a method to determine the light-related properties of atom-thin 2D materials. The ability of metallic or semiconducting materials to absorb, reflect, and act upon light is important to scientists developing optoelectronics—electronic devices that interact with light to perform tasks. Two-dimensional materials have been a hot research topic since researchers identified gra
Donna Strickland is the first woman to win the prize in a generation. Other women in physics are not surprised, but some hope change may be coming. (Image credit: Hulton Archive/Stringer/Getty Images, University of Waterloo/The Canadian Press via AP, Bettmann/Getty Images)
Everyone hoped that online dating would level the playing field for men and women looking for partners. But instead, the latest data-mining study suggests it has become more asymmetric than ever.
Not long after becoming president, Donald Trump said that he saw Christians in Syria as a "priority" for his administration. "They've been horribly treated. If you were a Christian in Syria, it was impossible, at least very, very tough, to get into the United States. If you were a Muslim, you could come in. But if you were a Christian, it was almost impossible," he told Christian Broadcasting Net
Animals Excerpt: Plight of the Living Dead In a muggy room at the University of New Mexico, packed with racks of plastic tanks, themselves packed with snails, biologist Ben Hanelt and undergrad Rachel…
By venturing beyond the lab mouse to study the eyes of diurnal small mammals, scientists have uncovered a difference in the composition of rod and cone cell membranes that may explain how a genetic form of macular dystrophy targets only parts of the retina.
Cancer researchers have just discovered a way to make immunotherapy viable to thousands by using the body's own natural killer (NK) cells in a new way.
Researchers have identified the mechanism by which an important enzyme involved in the differentiation of stem cells is brought to the DNA. Their results describe a new way in which proteins interact with the genome, a novel approach that shakes up our previous knowledge in the field. The work sheds light on fundamental processes such as the formation of pluripotent stem cells and expands our unde
The natural world often provides the answer to unsolved medical problems. On this occasion, the solution to a challenge posed by cancer has come about from the immune system of camelids. A new study describes a number of therapeutic tools that have the capacity to block the activity of EGF, a growth factor that is dysregulated in cancer cells.
Scientists have created miniature magnetic swimming devices — which mimic the appearance of sperm cells — that could revolutionize disease treatment by swimming drugs to specific areas of the body.
Kristie Overstreet is on a mission to ensure that the transgender community gets their health care needs met. In this informative, myth-busting talk, she provides a primer for understanding gender identity and invites us to shift how we view transgender health care — so that everyone gets the respect and dignity they deserve when they go to a doctor.
NASA's Aqua satellite provided an infrared view of Super Typhoon Kong-Rey as it continued tracking through the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. Another Super typhoon, Trami, passed through the same area one week ago and cooler waters it left in its wake are expected to affect Kong-Rey.
Light-absorbing brown carbon aerosols, emitted by wildfires, remain longer in the atmosphere than expected, which could have implications for climate predictions.
A team of biologists has discovered that the distinctive genetic processes of early development help explain patterns of animal development in nature and across the evolutionary tree.
The US Department of Energy's Critical Materials Institute has taken a major step toward printed, aligned anisotropic magnets via additive manufacturing processes.
In an article published today in the journal Nature Communications, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University; the University of California, San Diego; and St. Petersburg State University in Russia describe a new means of searching vast repositories of compounds produced by microbes. By analyzing the mass spectra of the compounds, they were able to identify known compounds within the repository
After standard therapy failed, Thomas Bland's doctor turned to a form of immunotherapy known as a checkpoint inhibitor. Now, Mr. Bland is the first stage 4 sarcomatoid kidney cancer patient to be cured of the disease, and his case was reported in the American Society of Clinical Oncology's Journal of Oncology Practice.
"The right to abortion is not a real right," says Lila Rose, the 30-year-old face of the millennial pro-life movement, in a new documentary from The Atlantic. Rose first attracted national media attention in 2008, when, under the tutelage of James O'Keefe—the conservative provocateur who brought down ACORN—she orchestrated multiple undercover sting operations at Planned Parenthood . As the foundi
Researchers in South Africa's Kalahari Desert found a large male cape cobra devouring another smaller male of the same species. Surprised by the thought-to-be-rare event, they decided to investigate how common and widespread cannibalism was in cobras.
Diet influences the composition of microbial populations in the mammary glands of nonhuman primates, researchers report. Specifically, a Mediterranean diet increased the abundance of probiotic bacteria previously shown to inhibit tumor growth in animals.
It's a jungle out there in the suburbs, where many wild mammals are thriving near humans. That's the conclusion of a large-scale study using camera trap images from hundreds of citizen scientists in Washington, D.C., and Raleigh, North Carolina.
From the start of the colonization, the Spanish Crown needed to know and represent the overseas territories under its control. In the last third of the sixteenth century, surveys were carried on to get to know this territories. Among these documents, the researchers have found a set of maps that are characterized by a peculiar style, as they try to imitate the style of maps that were drawn up in E
A perovskite solar module the size of an A4 sheet of paper, which is nearly six times bigger than modules of that type reported before, has been developed by using simple and low-cost printing techniques.
If dark matter consists of a plethora of primordial black holes, then their gravitational lensing — magnifying and brightening distant objects — should be detectable. Physicists analyzed 740 known supernovas to find the handful that should have been magnified and brightened by black holes, and found none. This puts a strong upper limit, 40, on the percent of dark matter that can consist of black
The extent to which sensory-specific parts of the brain are able to connect as a network, not necessarily anatomically, but functionally, during a child's development predicts their reading proficiency, according to a new neuroimaging study from the University at Buffalo.
Gadgets Fallen leaves are absolutely wonderful—until the rain comes. Fall is coming and your yard is about to be a mess. Here are the best tools to prepare for your Fall cleanup.
With profound grief, I announce that Sandra's journey has come to an end. Gardens at Government House , Victoria BC (June 2017) Sandra Dawson was taken from this earth by the indiscriminate brutality of metastatic cancer. She died on October 2, 2018 at the age of 51. This horrific experience was not a "fight." She did NOT lose a battle against the unchecked proliferation of malignant cells. Inste
Chemists have discovered a unique aspect of the structure of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase, a bacterial enzyme that can convert carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide.
A new model is bringing scientists a step closer to understanding the kinds of light signals produced when two supermassive black holes, which are millions to billions of times the mass of the Sun, spiral toward a collision.
Secondary forests only last an average of 20 years. The finding presents a major problem for large-scale restoration policy, which often focuses on commitments to restore a certain number of hectares by a given year. But the benefits of restoration depend on those forests persisting. It takes much longer than 20 years for a secondary forest to absorb large amounts of carbon, or to provide habitat
Ever since Christine Blasey Ford publicly accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in high school, an accusation Kavanaugh has denied, Ford has been compared to Anita Hill, and Kavanaugh to Clarence Thomas. The parallels are striking and go well beyond the general nature of the allegations. Republicans accused Democrats of leaking Ford's story to the press to derail Kavanaugh's nominati
Jack Delano was one of the photographers who worked in Roy Stryker's Farm Security Administration photography program in the early 1940s, traveling the American countryside, photographing people and places with the stated goal of "introducing America to Americans." In 1942 and '43, Delano spent time in the rail yards of Chicago, documenting the busy freight hub and the countless workers who kept
Amazon announced on Tuesday that, starting November 1, it will increase minimum pay for all full-time, part-time, temporary, and seasonal workers to $15 an hour. The company says this will raise wages for more than 250,000 employees , including those at Whole Foods, and perhaps another 100,000 seasonal workers the firm expects to hire during the holiday season. The company said it will also lobby
A pathology test that applies artificial intelligence (AI) to characterize tissue samples can accurately predict clinically significant prostate cancer disease progression following surgery.
Naegleria fowleri lays waste to cells in the brain, leading to a grisly demise in the very rare cases when it manages to lodge itself in a victim's nasal cavity.
There is a 300-kilometre-wide ice world in the far reaches of the Solar System – and its orbit is consistent with the presence of the hypothetical Planet X
Health A person's 'exposome' is just as important, if not more so, as their genetic predisposition to disease. Researchers say a new, portable tool that takes air samples in the same rhythm as a human breath, could provide a better understanding of what people are exposed to…
Scientists have developed a novel approach that boosts the chances of finding extraterrestrial intelligence in our galaxy. The method uses probability theory to calculate the possibility of detecting an extraterrestrial signal (if there is one) at a given distance from Earth.
Research has suggested that more work is needed to show that digital forensic methods are robust enough to stand-up to interrogation in a court of law.
With a mere 34 days until the midterm elections, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is urging her caucus to swap talking points about the news of the day with the issues she says voters actually care about. "Health-care costs in the country—that's probably the major issue," she told CNN's Dana Bash in an interview at The Atlantic Festival on Tuesday. "And it's tied to what the president and Repub
If I were a senator, I would not vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh. These are words I write with no pleasure, but with deep sadness. Unlike many people who will read them with glee—as validating preexisting political, philosophical, or jurisprudential opposition to Kavanaugh's nomination—I have no hostility to or particular fear of conservative jurisprudence. I have a long relationship with Kavanau
A new cost-effectiveness study estimates that nearly one million cardiovascular and diabetes events could be prevented and $42 billion could be saved in healthcare costs by including food incentives and disincentives for participants on SNAP. Of three models, two were cost-effective but the third, SNAP-plus, was not only cost-effective but actually cost-saving — i.e., the government gained more d
While many cancer therapies initially can be very successful, tumors often return and spread when remaining cancer cells develop resistance to treatment. To combat this tendency, Frédéric Thomas of the French National Centre for Scientific Research proposes that cancer researchers take a lesson from our own immune system and explore 'natural adaptive therapies.' Such an approach would mimic the im
Beneficial effects, and possible harm, of exposure to weak pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) may be mediated by a protein related to one that helps birds migrate, according to a study publishing in PLOS Biology by Margaret Ahmad of Xavier University in Cincinnati and colleagues. The discovery provides a potential mechanism for the benefits of PEMF-based therapies, used to treat depression and
Defects in a key protein may lead to disorders such as autism and intellectual disabilities, according to new research with mice. In the brain, connections are everything. To maintain cellular links, the outer surface of a neuron, its membrane, must express particular proteins—proverbial hands that reach out and greet nearby cells. And, like a creepily long handshake, surface molecules can overst
Astronomers have found a distant dwarf planet that appears to confirm the existence of Planet Nine, a giant planet lurking in the outer reaches of the solar system.
Cutting-edge concept cars and promises of self-driving "lounges" painted the picture of a bright future as the Paris Motor Show got under way Tuesday, but that's not the message being sent by industry chiefs.
Astronomers have discovered a new extremely distant object far beyond Pluto with an orbit that supports the presence of an even-farther-out, Super-Earth or larger Planet X.
Being a good neighbor can have a powerful effect on the attitudes and behaviors of others in your community, according to a new study. While most research examining the relationship between people and place has looked at individual characteristics reflecting lifecycle stages, such as marital status, family size, and children's ages, the new study instead looked at potential mechanisms that link n
The Cern physicist who claimed women have made no contribution to research could be an isolated misogynist, but there's something deeper going on • 'Physics was built by men': Cern suspends scientist over remarks If anywhere were to be immune from our planetary post-fact plague, you'd think it would be the realm of nuclear physics. Cern – the nuclear research centre in Geneva, currently at the cen
Infrared satellite imagery provides temperature data, and when NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the Central Pacific Ocean, it analyzed Hurricane Walaka. Walaka is a Category 4 Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
NASA provided an infrared view of Tropical Depression Rosa's remnants that showed strongest storms with heaviest rainfall potential were over east central Arizona on Oct. 2. The National Hurricane Center noted that although Rosa had dissipated by 11 a.m. EDT on Oct. 2, the threat of heavy rains and flash flooding continues over the Desert Southwest.
When NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the Central Atlantic Ocean on Oct. 2 the MODIS instrument aboard analyzed water vapor within Tropical Storm Leslie.
Infrared satellite imagery provides temperature data, and when NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the Central Pacific Ocean, it analyzed Hurricane Walaka. Walaka is a Category four Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
When NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the Central Atlantic Ocean on Oct. 2 the MODIS instrument aboard analyzed water vapor within Tropical Storm Leslie.
NASA provided an infrared view of Tropical Depression Rosa's remnants that showed strongest storms with heaviest rainfall potential were over east central Arizona on Oct. 2. The National Hurricane Center noted that although Rosa had dissipated by 11 a.m. EDT on Oct. 2, the threat of heavy rains and flash flooding continues over the Desert Southwest.
Scientists at the University of Toronto's Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy have seen remarkable success combining tumor modulating nanoparticles with doxorubicin to enhance chemotherapy response in pre-clinical model breast cancer. This combination approach also appears to boost anti-tumor immunity, contributing to the growing excitement surrounding immunotherapy as an avenue to treat cancer.
The National Hurricane Center noted that Tropical Storm Sergio was on the verge of becoming a hurricane in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and NASA's Aqua satellite confirmed very powerful storms within.
Obesity experts are praising a study published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics that rigorously assessed how the home environments of young children who are genetically at high risk for obesity can influence whether they become overweight or obese.
Heart experts have long believed that weekday mornings — and especially Mondays — were the danger zones for unexpected deaths from sudden cardiac arrests. But a new Cedars-Sinai study shows those peak times have disappeared and now, sudden cardiac arrests are more likely to happen on any day at any time.
Beneficial effects, and possible harm, of exposure to weak pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) may be mediated by a protein related to one that helps birds migrate, according to a study publishing on October 2 in the open access journal PLOS Biology by Margaret Ahmad of Xavier University in Cincinnati and colleagues. The discovery provides a potential mechanism for the benefits of PEMF-based the
The University of Pisa and the European Research Council also said that they are opening investigations into Alessandro Strumia's conduct — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Even seasonal/temp workers will benefit from the wage raise. The announcement is a direct response to public and political pressure. The change begins November 1 — Merry Happy HoliXmas to folks who work there! OK, be honest… who just searched for a job on Google with this news? Politicians such as Bernie Sanders have spoken and even introduced legislation about the travesty presented by Amazon
A rise in mortality for factory farm pig sows has growers worried There are some obvious possible reasons, but studies are underway Rise in deaths points toward a need for more humane treatment of pigs While relatively little is known about the psychology of domestic pigs, what is known suggests that pigs are cognitively complex and share many traits with animals whom we consider intelligent. — T
A Reddit user discovered a hidden adventure game buried in Google search's development console. The adventure game is the latest in a long list of Google Easter eggs and oddities dedicated to video games and pop culture. Have some time to kill today? Read here to learn how to access this Internet gem. Google is well-known for adding games, hidden features, and colorful doodles to its search engin
Tesla made a record 53,239 Model 3 electric sedans this past quarter—but it's the coming months that will really test the automaker as it aims for stability and expansion into China.
The famed astrophysicist knows a whole lot about a whole lot. He even used science to predict when LeBron James will retire from the NBA. (Image credit: Chris Cassidy, courtesy of W. W. Norton & Company)
Tencent Music, the largest Chinese streaming platform, filed for a US share offering Tuesday seeking to raise at least $1 billion in what could be among the largest tech share offerings to date.
General Motors reported Tuesday an 11-percent plunge in auto sales for the third quarter of 2018, confirming analyst expectations that North American car buyers were tapping the breaks after a robust first half of the year.
President Donald Trump has called for a meeting this month at the White House with major US technology companies as well as some critics of Silicon Valley, economic advisor Larry Kudlow said Tuesday.
Plant sex relies on a combination of prodding and a lot of communication and guidance, according to a new study. It's a process that is fraught with challenges, namely: The sperm, two of which are housed in each grain of pollen, can't move on their own and the egg cell is deeply embedded in the pistil (the female tissues of the flower). To reach the egg, the sperm rely on a pollen tube that exten
RIT scientists are simulating the collision of two supermassive black holes and the violent shocks in the electromagnetic spectrum. The light signals seen in the surrounding gas are harbingers of these monster collisions and can help scientists locate supermassive black hole binaries to better understand what is happening at the hearts of most galaxies.
Sorghum, the fifth most popular crop worldwide, is used to create many products in the United States and is widely consumed by people in developing countries. The discovery of a crucial gene controlling stem juiciness in sorghum has important implications for the genetic improvement of this ancient grain and likely other crops as well.
Marina Benjamin, a memoirist and an editor at Aeon magazine, has produced an insomniac's ideal sleep aid—and that's a compliment. With her collage of ruminations about sleeplessness, she promises no real cure. (Only a quack would.) What she offers instead is a rare kind of companionship to "other unseen insomniacs twisting awake in their own beds … imprisoned within these solitary cells of wakefu
European carmakers are rolling out electric vehicles like the ones on view this week at the Paris Motor Show to burnish their reputations as technology leaders and to compete with Tesla. But also because EU regulations don't leave them much choice.
Tesla Motors said Tuesday it was accelerating plans to open a Shanghai factory in light of the ongoing US-China trade fight, saying new tariffs put its vehicles at a disadvantage on the Chinese market.
Even reaching the most optimistic goals in the Paris climate treaty will still increase the area of southern Europe devastated by forest fires each year by at least 40 percent, researchers warned Tuesday.
Understanding the mechanisms underlying learning and memory continues to be of major interest in the neuroscientific discourse. Worldwide, over 50 million people live with some form of memory disorder, and this number will increase with the aging of our society. Synaptic plasticity is considered the main cellular correlate of learning…
In times past, reproduction was a relatively simple concept, essentially the coming together of sperm and egg and the mixing of paternal and maternal chromosomes to form the new embryonic genome. This would drive the developmental program, morphogenesis, and, ultimately, the emergence of a new individual. Then came the complication…
We resolve the long-standing controversy about the first step of the CO2 electroreduction to fuels in aqueous electrolytes by providing direct spectroscopic evidence that the first intermediate of the CO2 conversion to formate on copper is a carboxylate anion *CO2− coordinated to the surface through one of its C–O bonds….
Gaseous one-carbon (C1) compounds or formic acid (FA) converted from CO2 can be an attractive raw material for bio-based chemicals. Here, we report the development of Escherichia coli strains assimilating FA and CO2 through the reconstructed tetrahydrofolate (THF) cycle and reverse glycine cleavage (gcv) pathway. The Methylobacterium extorquens formate-THF ligase,…
During the last five decades, studies of protein folding in dilute buffer solutions have produced a rich picture of this complex process. In the cell, however, proteins can start to fold while still attached to the ribosome (cotranslational folding) and it is not yet clear how the ribosome affects the…
The formation of uniaxial fibrous tissues with defined viscoelastic properties implies the existence of an orchestrated mechanical interaction between the cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix. This study addresses the nature of this interaction. The hypothesis is that this mechanical interplay underpins the mechanical development of the tissue. In embryonic tendon…
Overexpression of the deubiquitylase ubiquitin-specific peptidase 22 (USP22) is a marker of aggressive cancer phenotypes like metastasis, therapy resistance, and poor survival. Functionally, this overexpression of USP22 actively contributes to tumorigenesis, as USP22 depletion blocks cancer cell cycle progression in vitro, and inhibits tumor progression in animal models of lung,…
Different combinations of transcription factors (TFs) function at each stage of hematopoiesis, leading to distinct expression patterns of lineage-specific genes. The identification of such regulators and their functions in hematopoiesis remain largely unresolved. In this study, we utilized screening approaches to study the transcriptional regulators of megakaryocyte progenitor (MkP) generation,…
Protooncogene c-MYC, a master transcription factor, is a major driver of human tumorigenesis. Development of pharmacological agents for inhibiting c-MYC as an anticancer therapy has been a longstanding but elusive goal in the cancer field. E3 ubiquitin ligase cIAP1 has been shown to mediate the activation of c-MYC by destabilizing…
The PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway is a master regulator of RNA translation. Pharmacological inhibition of this pathway preferentially and coordinately suppresses, in a 4EBP1/2-dependent manner, translation of mRNAs encoding ribosomal proteins. However, it is unclear whether mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR)-4EBP1/2 is the exclusive translation regulator of this group of genes,…
Viable gamete formation requires segregation of homologous chromosomes connected, in most species, by cross-overs. DNA double-strand break (DSB) formation and the resulting cross-overs are regulated at multiple levels to prevent overabundance along chromosomes. Meiotic cells coordinate these events between distant sites, but the physical basis of long-distance chromosomal communication has…
A gene drive method of particular interest for population suppression utilizes homing endonuclease genes (HEGs), wherein a site-specific, nuclease-encoding cassette is copied, in the germline, into a target gene whose loss of function results in loss of viability or fertility in homozygous, but not heterozygous, progeny. Earlier work in Drosophila…
The repertoire of peptides displayed at the cell surface by MHC I molecules is shaped by two intracellular peptide editors, tapasin and TAPBPR. While cell-free assays have proven extremely useful in identifying the function of both of these proteins, here we explored whether a more physiological system could be developed…
Defective and/or delayed wound healing has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several chronic inflammatory disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The resolution of inflammation is particularly important in mucosal organs, such as the gut, where restoration of epithelial barrier function is critical to reestablish homeostasis with the interfacing microenvironment….
The NLRP3 inflammasome is an important regulator of inflammation and immunity. It is a multimolecular platform formed within cells that facilitates the activation of proinflammatory caspases to drive secretion of cytokines such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Knowledge of the mechanisms regulating formation of the NLRP3 inflammasome is incomplete. Here we report…
Mast cells are critical for allergic and inflammatory responses in which the peptide substance P (SP) and the cytokine IL-33 are involved. SP (0.01–1 μM) administered together with IL-33 (30 ng/mL) to human cultured LAD2 mast cells stimulates a marked increase (P < 0.0001) in secretion of the proinflammatory cytokine…
Most retinoblastomas initiate in response to the inactivation of the RB1 gene and loss of functional RB protein. The tumors may form with few additional genomic changes and develop after a premalignant retinoma phase. Despite this seemingly straightforward etiology, mouse models have not recapitulated the genetic, cellular, and stage-specific features…
HIV-1 maturation occurs via multiple proteolytic cleavages of the Gag polyprotein, causing rearrangement of the virus particle required for infectivity. Cleavage results in beta-hairpin formation at the N terminus of the CA (capsid) protein and loss of a six-helix bundle formed by the C terminus of CA and the neighboring…
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a leading cause of life-threatening nosocomial infections. Many virulence factors produced by P. aeruginosa are controlled by the cell-to-cell communication process called quorum sensing (QS). QS depends on the synthesis, release, and groupwide response to extracellular signaling molecules called autoinducers. P. aeruginosa possesses two canonical LuxI/R-type QS…
Previous studies have shown changes in membrane properties of neurons in rat deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) as a function of development, but due to technical difficulties in obtaining viable DCN slices from adult animals, it remains unclear whether there are learning-related alterations in the membrane properties of DCN neurons in…
The endothelial cells that form the blood–brain barrier (BBB) are coated with glycocalyx, on the luminal side, and with the basement membrane and astrocyte endfeet, on the abluminal side. However, it is unclear how exactly the glycocalyx and extravascular structures contribute to BBB properties. We used two-photon microscopy in anesthetized…
Phasic activation of locus coeruleus (LC)-norepinephrine (NE) neurons is associated with focused attention and behavioral responses to salient stimuli. We used cell-type–specific optogenetics and single-unit neurophysiology to identify how LC activity influences neural encoding of sensory information. We found that phasic, but not tonic, LC-NE photoactivation generated a distinct event-related…
Normal neural development is essential for the formation of neuronal networks and brain function. Cutaneous T cell lymphoma-associated antigen 5 (cTAGE5)/meningioma expressed antigen 6 (MEA6) plays a critical role in the secretion of proteins. However, its roles in the transport of nonsecretory cellular components and in brain development remain unknown….
A primary goal of sleep research is to understand the molecular basis of sleep. Although some sleep/wake-promoting circuits and secreted substances have been identified, the detailed molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of sleep duration have been elusive. Here, to address these mechanisms, we developed a simple computational model of a…
The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the master circadian clock in mammals, sends major output signals to the subparaventricular zone (SPZ) and further to the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), the neural mechanism of which is largely unknown. In this study, the intracellular calcium levels were measured continuously in cultured hypothalamic slices containing the…
GABABR-dependent activation of G protein-gated inwardly rectifying potassium channels (GIRK or KIR3) provides a well-known source of inhibition in the brain, but the details on how this important inhibitory pathway affects neural circuits are lacking. We used sorting nexin 27 (SNX27), an endosomal adaptor protein that associates with GIRK2c and…
Two classes of peptide-producing neurons in the arcuate nucleus (Arc) of the hypothalamus are known to exert opposing actions on feeding: the anorexigenic neurons that express proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and the orexigenic neurons that express agouti-related protein (AgRP) and neuropeptide Y (NPY). These neurons are thought to arise from a common…
Acetyl-CoA synthetase 2 (ACSS2) is a conserved nucleocytosolic enzyme that converts acetate to acetyl-CoA. Adult mice lacking ACSS2 appear phenotypically normal but exhibit reduced tumor burdens in mouse models of liver cancer. The normal physiological functions of this alternate pathway of acetyl-CoA synthesis remain unclear, however. Here, we reveal that…
The Modern Digital Information Age arguably dawned with the construction of moveable-type printing presses by Johannes Guttenberg and others in Western Europe around 1440 CE.* As a result, there was a rapid replacement of hand-written script books by an exponentially increasing number of widely available, relatively inexpensive, mechanically produced volumes….
Malonyl-CoA is an important central metabolite for the production of diverse valuable chemicals including natural products, but its intracellular availability is often limited due to the competition with essential cellular metabolism. Several malonyl-CoA biosensors have been developed for high-throughput screening of targets increasing the malonyl-CoA pool. However, they are limited…
Even though high-quality X- and gamma rays with photon energy below mega-electron volt (MeV) are available from large-scale X-ray free electron lasers and synchrotron radiation facilities, it remains a great challenge to generate bright gamma rays over 10 MeV. Recently, gamma rays with energies up to the MeV level were…
Ferroelectricity and antiferroelectricity are widely seen in various types of condensed matter and are of technological significance not only due to their electrical switchability but also due to intriguing cross-coupling effects such as electro-mechanical and electro-caloric effects. The control of the two types of dipolar order has practically been made…
The polymerase-associated factor 1 (Paf1) complex is a general transcription elongation factor of RNA polymerase II, which is composed of five core subunits, Paf1, Ctr9, Cdc73, Leo1, and Rtf1, and functions as a diverse platform that broadly affects gene expression genome-wide. In this study, we solved the 2.9-Å crystal structure…
The pathogenic strategy of Escherichia coli and many other gram-negative pathogens relies on the translocation of a specific set of proteins, called effectors, into the eukaryotic host cell during infection. These effectors act in concert to modulate host cell processes in favor of the invading pathogen. Injected by the type…
The Gcn5 histone acetyltransferase (HAT) subunit of the SAGA transcriptional coactivator complex catalyzes acetylation of histone H3 and H2B N-terminal tails, posttranslational modifications associated with gene activation. Binding of the SAGA subunit partner Ada2 to Gcn5 activates Gcn5's intrinsically weak HAT activity on histone proteins, but the mechanism for this…
The MuvB transcriptional regulatory complex, which controls cell-cycle-dependent gene expression, cooperates with B-Myb to activate genes required for the G2 and M phases of the cell cycle. We have identified the domain in B-Myb that is essential for the assembly of the Myb–MuvB (MMB) complex. We determined a crystal structure…
All cells obtain 2′-deoxyribonucleotides for DNA synthesis through the activity of a ribonucleotide reductase (RNR). The class I RNRs found in humans and pathogenic bacteria differ in (i) use of Fe(II), Mn(II), or both for activation of the dinuclear-metallocofactor subunit, β; (ii) reaction of the reduced dimetal center with dioxygen…
The KAT5 (Tip60/Esa1) histone acetyltransferase is part of NuA4, a large multifunctional complex highly conserved from yeast to mammals that targets lysines on H4 and H2A (X/Z) tails for acetylation. It is essential for cell viability, being a key regulator of gene expression, cell proliferation, and stem cell renewal and…
The modified mevalonate pathway is believed to be the upstream biosynthetic route for isoprenoids in general archaea. The partially identified pathway has been proposed to explain a mystery surrounding the lack of phosphomevalonate kinase and diphosphomevalonate decarboxylase by the discovery of a conserved enzyme, isopentenyl phosphate kinase. Phosphomevalonate decarboxylase was…
Proteins that undergo liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) have been shown to play a critical role in many physiological functions through formation of condensed liquid-like assemblies that function as membraneless organelles within biological systems. To understand how different proteins may contribute differently to these assemblies and their functions, it is important…
The human T cell leukemia virus I basic leucine zipper protein (HTLV-1 HBZ) maintains chronic viral infection and promotes leukemogenesis through poorly understood mechanisms involving interactions with the KIX domain of the transcriptional coactivator CBP and its paralog p300. The KIX domain binds regulatory proteins at the distinct MLL and…
Bird feathers have aroused tremendous attention for their superdurability against tears during long flights through wind and even bushes. Although feathers may inevitably be unzipped, the separated feather vanes can be repaired easily by bill stroking. However, the mechanism underlying bird feathers' superdurability against tears remains unclear. Here, we reveal…
Cytoplasmic dyneins play a major role in retrograde cellular transport by moving vesicles and organelles along microtubule filaments. Dyneins are multidomain motor proteins with two heads that coordinate their motion via their interhead tension. Compared with the leading head, the trailing head has a higher detachment rate from microtubules, facilitating…
Cancer clonal evolution is based on accrual of driving genetic alterations that are expected to cooperate and progressively increase malignancy. Little is known on whether any genetic alteration can hinder the oncogenic function of a coexisting alteration, so that therapeutic targeting of the one can, paradoxically, revive the function of…
DNA polymerases have evolved to process the four canonical nucleotides accurately. Nevertheless, these enzymes are also known to process modified nucleotides, which is the key to numerous core biotechnology applications. Processing of modified nucleotides includes incorporation of the modified nucleotide and postincorporation elongation to proceed with the synthesis of the…
The association between poor paternal diet, perturbed embryonic development, and adult offspring ill health represents a new focus for the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease hypothesis. However, our understanding of the underlying mechanisms remains ill-defined. We have developed a mouse paternal low-protein diet (LPD) model to determine its impact…
Sustaining cooperation in social dilemmas is a fundamental objective in the social and biological sciences. Although providing a punishment option to community members in the public goods game (PGG) has been shown to effectively promote cooperation, this has some serious disadvantages; these include destruction of a society's physical resources as…
Tumor cells are hypothesized to use proteolytic enzymes to facilitate invasion. Whether circulating tumor cells (CTCs) secrete these enzymes to aid metastasis is unknown. A quantitative and high-throughput approach to assay CTC secretion is needed to address this question. We developed an integrated microfluidic system that concentrates rare cancer cells…
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) are the major causative agents of urinary tract infections, employing numerous molecular strategies to contribute to adhesion, colonization, and persistence in the bladder niche. Identifying strategies to prevent adhesion and colonization is a promising approach to inhibit bacterial pathogenesis and to help preserve the efficacy of…
Insect wings are typically supported by thickened struts called veins. These veins form diverse geometric patterns across insects. For many insect species, even the left and right wings from the same individual have veins with unique topological arrangements, and little is known about how these patterns form. We present a…
Human activities are driving rapid phenotypic change in many species, with harvesting considered to be a particularly potent evolutionary force. We hypothesized that faster evolutionary change in human-disturbed populations could be caused by a strengthening of phenotypic selection, for example, if human disturbances trigger maladaptation and/or increase the opportunity for…
Chromosomal rearrangements, including translocations, are early and essential events in the formation of many tumors. Previous studies that defined the genetic requirements for rearrangement formation have identified differences between murine and human cells, most notably in the role of classic and alternative nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) factors. We reported that poly(ADP)ribose…
Ribosome biogenesis is a multistep process, during which mistakes can occur at any step of pre-rRNA processing, modification, and ribosome assembly. Misprocessed rRNAs are usually detected and degraded by surveillance machineries. Recently, we identified a class of antisense ribosomal siRNAs (risiRNAs) that down-regulate pre-rRNAs through the nuclear RNAi pathway. To…
Proinflammatory cytokine signaling in keratinocytes plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, a skin disease characterized by hyperproliferation and abnormal differentiation of keratinocytes and infiltration of inflammatory cells. Although IL-17A and TNFα are effective therapeutic targets in psoriasis, IL-36 has recently emerged as a proinflammatory cytokine. However, little…
Potent immunosuppressive mechanisms within the tumor microenvironment contribute to the resistance of aggressive human cancers to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy. One of the main mechanisms for myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) to induce T cell tolerance is through secretion of reactive nitrogen species (RNS), which nitrates tyrosine residues in proteins…
The nuclear lamina, an intermediate filament meshwork lining the inner nuclear membrane, is formed by the nuclear lamins (lamins A, C, B1, and B2). Defects or deficiencies in individual nuclear lamin proteins have been reported to elicit nuclear blebs (protrusions or outpouchings of the nuclear envelope) and increase susceptibility for…
Viruses with membranes fuse them with cellular membranes, to transfer their genomes into cells at the beginning of infection. For Influenza virus, the membrane glycoprotein involved in fusion is the hemagglutinin (HA), the 3D structure of which is known from X-ray crystallographic studies. The soluble ectodomain fragments used in these…
Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) play a key role in regulating immune responses and controlling infection. However, the direct role of IECs in restricting pathogens remains incompletely understood. Here, we provide evidence that IL-22 primed intestinal organoids derived from healthy human induced pluripotent stem cells (hIPSCs) to restrict Salmonella enterica serovar…
The rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria has accelerated the search for new antibiotics. Many clinically used antibacterials were discovered through culturing a single microbial species under nutrient-rich conditions, but in the environment, bacteria constantly encounter poor nutrient conditions and interact with neighboring microbial species. In an effort to recapitulate…
Both exogenous and endogenous retroviruses have long been studied in mice, and some of the earliest mouse studies focused on the heritability of genetic factors influencing permissivity and resistance to infection. The prototypic retroviral restriction factor, Fv1, is now understood to exhibit a degree of control across multiple retroviral genera…
Many positive-strand RNA viruses translate their genomes as single polyproteins that are processed by host and viral proteinases to generate all viral protein products. Among these is dengue virus, which encodes the serine proteinase NS2B/3 responsible for seven different cleavages in the polyprotein. NS2B/3 has been the subject of many…
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is now among the most commonly diagnosed chronic psychological dysfunctions of childhood. By varying estimates, it has increased by 30% in the past 20 years. Environmental factors that might explain this increase have been explored. One such factor may be audiovisual media exposure during early…
Media and technology are ubiquitous elements of our daily lives, and their use can offer many benefits and rewards. At the same time, decisions about how individuals structure their use of media can be informed by consideration of whether, and if so how, the mind and brain are shaped by…
The primary stem cells of the cerebral cortex are the radial glial cells (RGCs), and disturbances in their operation lead to myriad brain disorders in all mammals from mice to humans. Here, we found in mice that maternal gestational obesity and hyperglycemia can impair the maturation of RGC fibers and…
The hippocampus plays a critical role in spatial memory. However, the exact neural mechanisms underlying high-fidelity spatial memory representations are unknown. We report findings from presurgical epilepsy patients with bilateral hippocampal depth electrodes performing an object-location memory task that provided a broad range of spatial memory precision. During encoding, patients…
The hippocampus plays key roles in cognition and affect and serves as a model system for structure/function studies in animals. So far, its complex anatomy has challenged investigations targeting its substructural organization in humans. State-of-the-art MRI offers the resolution and versatility to identify hippocampal subfields, assess its microstructure, and study…
Age-related changes in striatal function are potentially important for predicting declining memory performance over the adult life span. Here, we used fMRI to measure functional connectivity of caudate subfields with large-scale association networks and positron emission tomography to measure striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) density in 51 older adults (age 65–86…
The type 2 K+/Cl− cotransporter (KCC2) allows neurons to maintain low intracellular levels of Cl−, a prerequisite for efficient synaptic inhibition. Reductions in KCC2 activity are evident in epilepsy; however, whether these deficits directly contribute to the underlying pathophysiology remains controversial. To address this issue, we created knock-in mice in…
Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, is characterized by the abnormal accumulation of amyloid plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau aggregates, as well as microgliosis. Hemizygous missense variants in Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells 2 (TREM2) are associated with elevated risk for developing late-onset AD. These variants are…
We report a thorough study of the transport properties of the normal and superconducting states of black phosphorus (BP) under magnetic field and high pressure with a large-volume apparatus that provides hydrostatic pressure to induce transitions from the layered A17 phase to the layered A7 phase and to the cubic…
Heat engines, which cyclically transform heat into work, are ubiquitous in technology. Lasers and masers may be viewed as heat engines that rely on population inversion or coherence in the active medium. Here we put forward an unconventional paradigm of a remarkably simple and robust electromagnetic heat-powered engine that bears…
Gold is a very inert element, which forms relatively few compounds. Among them is a unique material—mineral calaverite, AuTe2. Besides being the only compound in nature from which one can extract gold on an industrial scale, it is a rare example of a natural mineral with incommensurate crystal structure. Moreover,…
Unveiling spins of physical systems usually gives people a fundamental understanding of the geometrical properties of waves from classical to quantum aspects. A great variety of research has shown that transverse waves can possess nontrivial spins and spin-related properties naturally. However, until now, we still lack essential physical insights about…
Structural symmetry is a hallmark of homomeric ion channels. Nonobligatory regulatory proteins can also critically define the precise functional role of such channels. For instance, the pore-forming subunit of the large conductance voltage and calcium-activated potassium (BK, Slo1, or KCa1.1) channels encoded by a single KCa1.1 gene assembles in a…
The identity of the cell files necessary for the leaf-to-leaf transmission of wound signals plants has been debated for decades. In Arabidopsis, wounding initiates the glutamate receptor-like (GLR)–dependent propagation of membrane depolarizations that lead to defense gene activation. Using a vein extraction procedure we found pools of GLR-fusion proteins in…
Studies show that young children learn new phonemes and words from humans significantly better than from machines. However, it is not clear why learning from video is ineffective or what might be done to improve learning from a screen. The present study, conducted with 9-month-old infants, utilized a manipulation—touch screen…
To comprehend edited video, viewers must infer the meaning conveyed by successive video shots (i.e., continuous video segments separated by edit points, such as camera cuts). The central question here was whether comprehension-related top-down cognitive processes drive eye movements during sequential processing of video montage. Eye movements were recorded as…
To clarify and quantify the influence of video game violence (VGV) on aggressive behavior, we conducted a metaanalysis of all prospective studies to date that assessed the relation between exposure to VGV and subsequent overt physical aggression. The search strategy identified 24 studies with over 17,000 participants and time lags…
Despite dozens of empirical studies and a growing body of meta-analytic work, there is little consensus regarding the efficacy of cognitive training. In this review, we examine why this substantial corpus has failed to answer the often-asked question, "Does cognitive training work?" We first define cognitive training and discuss the…
Self-transcendence refers to a shift in mindset from focusing on self-interests to the well-being of others. We offer an integrative neural model of self-transcendence in the context of persuasive messaging by examining the mechanisms of self-transcendence in promoting receptivity to health messages and behavior change. Specifically, we posited that focusing…
Prior studies linking grit—defined as perseverance and passion for long-term goals—to performance are beset by contradictory evidence. As a result, commentators have increasingly declared that grit has limited effects. We propose that this inconsistent evidence has occurred because prior research has emphasized perseverance and ignored, both theoretically and empirically, the…
The diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among children and adolescents has increased considerably over the past decades. Scholars and health professionals alike have expressed concern about the role of screen media in the rise in ADHD diagnosis. However, the extent to which screen media use and ADHD are linked remains…
Quantifying the dependence between two random variables is a fundamental issue in data analysis, and thus many measures have been proposed. Recent studies have focused on the renowned mutual information (MI) [Reshef DN, et al. (2011) Science 334:1518–1524]. However, "Unfortunately, reliably estimating mutual information from finite continuous data remains a…
We conduct a global comparison of the consumption of energy by human populations throughout the Holocene and statistically quantify coincident changes in the consumption of energy over space and time—an ecological phenomenon known as synchrony. When populations synchronize, adverse changes in ecosystems and social systems may cascade from society to…
EARTH, ATMOSPHERIC, AND PLANETARY SCIENCES Correction for "Anthropogenic and biogenic CO2 fluxes in the Boston urban region," by Maryann Sargent, Yanina Barrera, Thomas Nehrkorn, Lucy R. Hutyra, Conor K. Gately, Taylor Jones, Kathryn McKain, Colm Sweeney, Jennifer Hegarty, Brady Hardiman, and Steven C. Wofsy, which was first published July 2,…
ANTHROPOLOGY Correction for "Origins of equine dentistry," by William Timothy Treal Taylor, Jamsranjav Bayarsaikhan, Tumurbaatar Tuvshinjargal, Scott Bender, Monica Tromp, Julia Clark, K. Bryce Lowry, Jean-Luc Houle, Dimitri Staszewski, Jocelyn Whitworth, William Fitzhugh, and Nicole Boivin, which was first published July 2, 2018; 10.1073/pnas.1721189115 (Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 115:E6707–E6715)…
MEDICAL SCIENCES Correction for "High salt intake causes leptin resistance and obesity in mice by stimulating endogenous fructose production and metabolism," by Miguel A. Lanaspa, Masanari Kuwabara, Ana Andres-Hernando, Nancy Li, Christina Cicerchi, Thomas Jensen, David J. Orlicky, Carlos A. Roncal-Jimenez, Takuji Ishimoto, Takahiko Nakagawa, Bernardo Rodriguez-Iturbe, Paul S. MacLean,…
Fine structure of bird feathers aids preening and repair Female northern harrier and cascaded slide-lock system. Image courtesy of Patricia Ware (photographer). The durability of bird feathers is evident in the ease with which birds preen and repair ruffled feathers using their bills after long flights in turbulent weather and…
Sang Yup Lee tries to solve worldwide problems with some of Earth's tiniest inhabitants: microorganisms. Lee, a systems metabolic engineer and dean and distinguished professor in the department of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, harnesses biotechnology to create microorganisms that perform desired…
Each day an adult human produces roughly 2.5 × 1011 erythrocytes, 1 × 1011 leukocytes, and 1 × 1011 platelets, numbers that can increase 10- to 20-fold in times of heightened demand. Blood cell production, termed hematopoiesis, occurs in the red marrow found mostly in the skull, spine, and proximal…
The MYC protooncogene family (MYC, MYCN, and MYCL), known variously as super, master, or global transcription factors, affects the expression of an estimated 15% of the entire genome (1), which may in fact be an underestimate, given that Myc accumulates not just at specific DNA target sites but also in…
The siren sounded on August 17, 2017. Astronomers picked up a burst of gravitational waves from the collision of two neutron stars (1), an event that Daniel Holz had been dreaming about for more than a decade. "You write these papers, and it sounds like fantasy. The equations say this…
In the field of brain research, neurons have long held the center of attention. But in recent years, some researchers are starting to expand their focus beyond neurons to a long-overlooked structure called the perineuronal net. Lattice-like elements called perineuronal nets wrap around certain neurons, sharing components with cartilage. Researchers…
Researchers have uncovered a new molecular interaction that governs the formation of specific functional connections between two types of neurons. It gives an important clue as to how unique interactions give shape to precisely organized neuronal networks in the brain.
Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are complex carbohydrates that are highly abundant and unique to human milk. Accumulating evidence indicates that exposure to HMOs in the postnatal period has both immediate and long-term benefits to infant health and development. Researchers report for the first time that HMOs are also present in amniotic fluid.
Studies on red and processed meat consumption with breast cancer risk have generated inconsistent results. A new analysis has now examined all published studies on the topic. Comparing the highest to the lowest category in the 15 studies included in the analysis, processed meat consumption was associated with a 9% higher breast cancer risk.
Preliminary findings from a pilot study suggest that cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) may slow or even reverse the atrophy of cortical gray matter in patients who have co-morbid fibromyalgia.
About 225 million electronic devices across the United States will wail and buzz Wednesday afternoon as the Federal Emergency Management Agency conducts an emergency alert test.
After three scientists won the Nobel Physics Prize on Tuesday for groundbreaking discoveries harnessing the power of lasers, here are a few basic facts about their research.
The Trump administration is quietly moving to weaken U.S. radiation regulations, turning to scientific outliers who argue that a bit of radiation damage is actually good for you—like a little bit of sunlight.
In an innovative study that promises to reduce production costs for the most potent form of vitamin K — Menaquinone-7, Penn State researchers have developed a novel method to enhance the fermentation process that creates the supplement by agitated liquid fermentation in a biofilm reactor.
A new model is bringing scientists a step closer to understanding the kinds of light signals produced when two supermassive black holes, which are millions to billions of times the mass of the Sun, spiral toward a collision. For the first time, a new computer simulation that fully incorporates the physical effects of Einstein's general theory of relativity shows that gas in such systems will glow
Perhaps you've never tasted sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), the fifth most popular crop in the world, but you probably will soon. This ancient grain is a common source of food in developing countries and is also used to make Baijiu, one of the world's most popular spirits.
Drifting far past Pluto, the orbit of the dwarf planet 2015 TG387 appears to have been sculpted by the gravity of something far larger lurking in the solar system's outer limits — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
In an innovative study that promises to reduce production costs for the most potent form of vitamin K—Menaquinone-7, Penn State researchers have developed a novel method to enhance the fermentation process that creates the supplement by agitated liquid fermentation in a biofilm reactor.
Three researchers, Arthur Ashkin, Gérard Mourou, and Donna Strickland, who worked on optical tweezers and chirped pulse amplification win the 2018 award.
Previous research showed it was possible to reduce the burden of damaged cells, termed senescent cells, and extend lifespan and improve health, even when treatment was initiated late in life. They now have shown that treatment of aged mice with the natural product Fisetin, found in many fruits and vegetables, also has significant positive effects on health and lifespan.
Recently, researchers developed a new blood test that can reveal if an individual's circadian rhythm is running too fast or too slow. The test has the potential to advance treatments of a variety of disorders and diseases. In this podcast, Phyllis Zee explains the test and how circadian clocks have an impact far beyond sleep. Zee is the chief of sleep medicine in the neurology department at North
Preliminary findings from a pilot study suggest that cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) may slow or even reverse the atrophy of cortical gray matter in patients who have co-morbid fibromyalgia.
MIT chemists have discovered a unique aspect of the structure of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase, a bacterial enzyme that can convert carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide.
Obese patients who underwent a life-saving liver transplant and weight-loss surgery at the same time were better able to keep the weight off long term and had fewer metabolic complications than those who lost weight on their own before undergoing a liver transplant, Mayo Clinic research shows. The findings were recently published in Hepatology.
The study showed that the increased presence of a protein responsible for sensing infection — called NLRP1 — meant there were fewer good bacteria and anti-inflammatory molecules in the gut, leading to higher levels of inflammation and an increased risk of IBD.
Researchers have conducted the largest experimentally controlled study on sleep deprivation to date, revealing just how detrimental operating without sleep can be in everything from bakers adding too much salt to cookies to surgeons botching surgeries.
Doug McLean In her debut memoir, All You Can Ever Know , Nicole Chung tells a complicated origin story, exploring the questions raised by the circumstances of her birth. Throughout her young life, people wondered out loud—often clumsily, sometimes cruelly—how a child of Korean descent came to be raised by white parents in small-town Oregon. Chung sometimes wondered, too. But there were limits to
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), which is not caused by significant alcohol consumption, has become the most common liver disease in the United States and comprises more than two thirds of patients with chronic liver disease. In a Hepatology study of patients with NAFLD, modest alcohol consumption was associated with a 36 percent decreased risk of early death, while drinking 1.5 or more
Experts at the American Geriatrics Society today unveiled a list of recommendations to help health systems prioritize a vital function for us all as we age: mobility. Published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, the AGS white paper focuses on assessing mobility for hospitalized older adults, offering a roadmap for shifting health care's focus away from negative markers of mobility
Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are complex carbohydrates that are highly abundant and unique to human milk. Accumulating evidence indicates that exposure to HMOs in the postnatal period has both immediate and long-term benefits to infant health and development. Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine report for the first time that HMOs are also present in amniotic
In a new study published in European Urology, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers, along with colleagues at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, demonstrated that a baseline prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level obtained from black men between ages 40 and 60 can strongly predict future development of prostate cancer and its most aggressive forms for y
Neuroscientists led by Michael Fox, MD, PhD, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) used brain lesion network mapping — a technique pioneered by Fox at BIDMC — to find the anatomical origins of the perception of free will. Their findings were published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Updated on October 2 at 12:32 p.m. ET As the Senate awaits the results of the FBI investigation into the Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Jeff Flake, one of the lawmakers who spurred the inquiry, criticized the judge Tuesday for his recent appearance in the upper chamber. Speaking with Jeffrey Rosen, the president of the National Constitution Center, and Democratic Senator Chris Coons at Th
EASD, den europæiske sammenslutning for forskning i diabetes, vil med nyt initiativ forsøge at påvirke den offentlige debat direkte. »Det er tid til handling, der går videre end forskning,« siger EASD-præsident.
Nyt studie giver styrke til tese om, at en såkaldt friendly fire-mekanisme er skyld i, at visse patienter med type 1-diabetes bliver ramt af senfølger og har højere dødelighed.
Studies on red and processed meat consumption with breast cancer risk have generated inconsistent results. An International Journal of Cancer analysis has now examined all published studies on the topic.Comparing the highest to the lowest category in the 15 studies included in the analysis, processed meat consumption was associated with a 9% higher breast cancer risk.
Researchers at VIB and KU Leuven have uncovered a new molecular interaction that governs the formation of specific functional connections between two types of neurons. It gives an important clue as to how unique interactions give shape to precisely organized neuronal networks in the brain.
A new model is bringing scientists a step closer to understanding the kinds of light signals produced when two supermassive black holes, which are millions to billions of times the mass of the Sun, spiral toward a collision. For the first time, a new computer simulation that fully incorporates the physical effects of Einstein's general theory of relativity shows that gas in such systems will glow
Researchers have discovered a new way in which nerve cells can control movement. In a study on zebrafish they show that the contact between neurons and muscles is more dynamic than previously thought. The results can open up new avenues to treating spinal cord injury and certain neurological diseases.
A new study of online social forums indicates the online tool is likely valuable to helping students succeed in collegiate physics courses. Researchers found that when the online forum showed denser collaboration networks, the students who were most central in the network were more likely to achieve a higher final course grade.
President Donald Trump made an insulting comment to ABC News reporter Cecilia Vega yesterday. The White House transcript of the exchange was incorrect, though it's unclear whether the error was made mistakenly or deliberately. The White House later issued a corrected transcript. In an official transcript of a Rose Garden press conference on Monday, the White House incorrectly transcribed a remark
Inequality is the root cause of America's political circus. Americans are sacrificing their future for their political team To win against populism, foster individual thinking
High levels of Millennial student loan debt is slowing down marriage. Half of millennials are still single at 34, while nearly 70% of boomers were married by their mid-30s. New report explains the connection between debt and marriage. National student debt in the U.S. currently stands at a stunning $1.4 trillion , with half of all first-time, full-time students owing money. Only the country's hom
Eccentricity is a hallmark of great philosophers. They remind us that taking an idea to its logical extreme can occasionally give strange results. They show us that even the most brilliant people can be a bit odd from time to time. Philosophers are an eccentric bunch. They enjoy studying things that are as academic as they come, often ask questions that seem insane to others, and have the patienc
Existing guidance that symptoms are minimal leads to misdiagnosis and 'harmful long-term prescribing' Half of all those taking antidepressants experience withdrawal problems when they try to give them up and for millions of people in England, these are severe, according to a new review of the evidence commissioned by MPs. Guidance from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (Nice),
Heated streets will melt ice and snow on contact. Sensors will monitor traffic and protect pedestrians. Driverless shuttles will carry people to their doors.
Sending more cargo ships through the Arctic as the sea ice retreats might actually reduce the warming in the region, but it would also threaten human health
Changes in the structure of the skin and the lymphatic system that occur with the natural aging process create permissive conditions for melanoma metastasis.
A new study makes it clear that the constant threat of crop parasites repeatedly pushed evolution in strikingly similar directions in ants, creating structures that helped the ants reinforce their partnership with bacteria.
Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) possess optical properties that could be used to make computers run a million times faster and store information a million times more energy-efficiently, according to a study led by Georgia State University.
A study published in Nature Communications, led by researchers of the University of Barcelona in collaboration with other research institutions, shows that anthropogenic warming will increase the burned areas due fires in Mediterranean Europe, and the increase of the burned area could be reduced by limiting global warming to 1.5 ºC. The higher the warming level is, the larger the increase of the b
Researchers from DTU, Cambridge, and Costa Rica have cracked the code to produce experimental snakebite antivenoms based on human antibodies. Antivenoms based on human antibodies have the potential of enhancing the quality of snakebite envenoming treatment considerably, avoiding the severe and in rare cases lethal side effects that current antivenoms based on antibodies from horses can cause.
The relationship between the gut microbiome and human health is widely accepted in the medical community. Now, new research shows that the breast gland also has a microbiome, and like the gut microbiome, it too can be affected by diet, according to scientists at Wake Forest School of Medicine.
Investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital have developed a robust new method for examining oxidative stress in the hearts of rodents in vivo to better understand the development and treatment of heart failure. Results of their novel methodology, applying a cutting-edge approach known as 'chemogenetics,' are published this week in Nature Communications.
An early form of underactive thyroid (when the body doesn't produce enough thyroid hormones) called subclinical hypothyroidism is a common condition but the benefit of thyroid hormone therapy on quality of life and symptoms is uncertain. This study, which analyzed the combined results of 21 randomized clinical trials with 2,200 participants with subclinical hypothyroidism, reports that thyroid hor
High blood pressure is widespread among black adults in the United States and it is a major contributor to disparities in life expectancy, although reasons for this increased hypertension risk are unknown. Researchers examined 12 factors and their association with the development of hypertension among 6,900 black and white adults who didn't have hypertension when they entered the study in 2003-200
Diet influences the composition of microbial populations in the mammary glands of nonhuman primates, researchers report Oct. 2 in the journal Cell Reports. Specifically, a Mediterranean diet increased the abundance of probiotic bacteria previously shown to inhibit tumor growth in animals.
A new imaging project at the Morgridge Institute for Research might be the biology equivalent of a 19th century expressionist painting. Think Van Gogh's "Starry Night," a constellation of tiny lines of color combining into a powerful image.
Research carried out at the University of York has suggested that more work is needed to show that digital forensic methods are robust enough to stand-up to interrogation in a court of law.
Around the country, communities are learning their drinking water is polluted with a potentially harmful group of chemicals. The Trump Administration is working on a plan to manage them. (Image credit: Matt Rourke/AP)
Last spring, researchers in South Africa's Kalahari Desert found a large male cape cobra devouring another smaller male of the same species. Surprised by the thought-to-be-rare event, they decided to investigate how common and widespread cannibalism was in cobras.
At its highest levels, baseball is a game of repetition. What separates a promising prospect from an everyday major-leaguer, and an everyday major-leaguer from an All Star, is often not so much the sheer grade of talent as the ability to access that particular talent, on demand, inning after inning and game after game. Many players can hit the ball as far as Mike Trout, on their best day, but nob
Mother giraffes pass down some spot patterns to their babies, according to a new study. The study also shows those patterns may offer protection from predators. The findings confirm a 49-year-old hypothesis about the inheritance of giraffe spots and highlight a new toolset that researchers can use to study the markings of wild animals. "Giraffe spot patterns are complex and can be quite different
Supersymmetry predicts a relationship between the fundamental particles fermions and bosons. An extended version of a pioneering model of non-relativistic supersymmetry — the Nicolai supersymmetric fermion lattice model — is studied.
Researchers have developed a three-dimensional open-loop electric potential microscopy technique to visualize the charge accumulation behavior at the interface between a solid electrode and liquid electrolyte. The technique was used for providing information about the charge distribution at the interface between a copper wire electrode and salt-based electrolyte. This technique increases our abili
Researchers have described for the first time the dynamics which takes place within a trillionth of a second after photoexcitation of a single atom inside a superfluid helium nanodroplet.
A team of astronomers using the latest set of data from ESA's Gaia mission to look for high-velocity stars being kicked out of the Milky Way were surprised to find stars instead sprinting inwards — perhaps from another galaxy.
Researchers at the CRG in Barcelona have identified the mechanism by which an important enzyme involved in the differentiation of stem cells is brought to the DNA. Their results describe a new way in which proteins interact with the genome, a novel approach that shakes up our previous knowledge in the field. The work sheds light on fundamental processes such as the formation of pluripotent stem ce
Research carried out at the University of York has suggested that more work is needed to show that digital forensic methods are robust enough to stand-up to interrogation in a court of law.
UCF College of Medicine cancer researcher Alicja Copik has just discovered a way to make immunotherapy viable to thousands by using the body's own natural killer (NK) cells in a new way. Her findings were recently published in OncoImmunology.
In a paper which could give sleepless night to cricket statisticians all over the world, researchers from Newcastle and Northumbria universities delivered their 'out' verdict to current methods after analysing the two most popular test cricket rankings. They found that rating batsmen by average score alone is not enough to determine who is best.
The differences in the way males and females respond to a high-fat, high-sugar diet may include impairment of female fertility, new research suggests. The findings will be presented today at the American Physiological Society's (APS) Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic Diseases: Sex-Specific Implications for Physiology conference in Knoxville, Tenn.
Extreme dieting causes short-term body changes that may have long-term health consequences, according to a new study. The findings will be presented today at the American Physiological Society's (APS) Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic Diseases: Sex-Specific Implications for Physiology conference in Knoxville, Tenn.
Science A rare nod to technology over fundamental physics. Three scientists shared the Nobel Prize in Physics for work developing powerful laser technology that has lifted the veil on the micro- and nano-realms.
An experimental antivenom has been developed against dendrotoxins from the world's most feared venomous snake, the black mamba, which can be found in Africa. The experiments were carried out in collaboration between DTU and Instituto Clodomiro Picado in Costa Rica, and IONTAS in Cambridge, U.K., and the findings were recently published in the journal Nature Communications.
The next time you're at a hospital, you might want to think twice before touching the privacy curtains that hang around patient beds, a small new study finds.
"The exponential explosion of publicly available information is changing the global intelligence system … It's changing how we tool, how we organize, how we institutionalize—everything we do." This is what a former high-level intelligence official told us back in the summer of 2016, explaining how the people who collect secrets—professional spies—were adjusting to a world increasingly without s
Every month, millions of Americans face an impossible choice: pay for energy to power their homes, or pay for basic needs like food and medicine. TED Fellow DeAndrea Salvador is working to reduce energy costs so that no one has to make this kind of decision. In this quick talk, she shares her plan to help low-income families reduce their bills while also building a cleaner, more sustainable and mo
Danske kommuner halter efter, når det handler om at udnytte datadrevne løsninger i byrummet, viser ny undersøgelse. Kommunerne mangler en strategi for deres smart city-initiativer, og det koster både på den samlede økonomi og servicen til borgerne.
Ny dansk forskning sætter tal på andelen af diabetikere, der sveder kraftigt, når de spiser. Emnet er dog ikke blandt de mest prestigiøse at forske i, beretter dansk forsker.
Der er oplagte fordele for svært overvægtige diabetikere ved at få foretaget en gastrisk bypassoperation, men også en risiko, som kræver overvågning og måske behandling, viser svensk studie.
Kvinder, der går i overgangsalderen, inden de fylder 45 år, har højere risiko for at udvikle type 2-diabetes. Det viser stor metaanalyse med næsten 200.000 kvinder.
Børn, hvis BMI stiger, fra de fylder ti år, har højere risiko for at udvikle type 2-diabetes end børn, hvis BMI er højt hele livet, viser britisk studie.
Statsministeren talte om den kommende sundhedsreform i sin åbningstale, hvor 21 sundhedsfællesskaber skal sikre sammenhæng mellem sygehus, praktiserende læge og kommune. Lægeformænd er bekymrede.
A research team has identified the MAPK Erk5 as a novel player controlling skeletogenesis. Their research sheds light on the question of how the complex our skeleton generates.
A brief tool assessing emergency department (ED) threat perceptions has clinical utility for providers to identify patients at risk for developing cardiac-induced PTSD and is critical to inform research on whether threat may be modified in-ED to reduce post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) incidence.
Researchers in South Africa's Kalahari Desert found a large male cape cobra devouring another smaller male of the same species. Surprised by the thought-to-be-rare event, they decided to investigate how common and widespread cannibalism was in cobras.
Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) neurologists have developed a new method based on artificial intelligence that may eventually help both patients and doctors weigh the pros and cons of using brain surgery to treat debilitating seizures caused by epilepsy. This study, which focused on mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), was published in the September 2018 issue of Epilepsia. This work a
Previous research published earlier this year involving University of Minnesota Medical School faculty and Mayo Clinic investigators, showed it was possible to reduce the burden of damaged cells, termed senescent cells, and extend lifespan and improve health, even when treatment was initiated late in life. They now have shown that treatment of aged mice with the natural product Fisetin, found in m
By venturing beyond the lab mouse to study the eyes of diurnal small mammals, scientists have uncovered a difference in the composition of rod and cone cell membranes that may explain how a genetic form of macular dystrophy targets only parts of the retina.
An EPFL scientist has developed a novel approach that boosts the chances of finding extraterrestrial intelligence in our galaxy. His method uses probability theory to calculate the possibility of detecting an extraterrestrial signal (if there is one) at a given distance from Earth.
A study published recently in Nature magazine, in which Ana Monreal-Ibero, a researcher at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) is a participant, reveals the presence of a hitherto undetected component of the universe: large masses of gas surrounding distant galaxies.
Researchers at Michigan State University conducted the largest experimentally controlled study on sleep deprivation to date, revealing just how detrimental operating without sleep can be in everything from bakers adding too much salt to cookies to surgeons botching surgeries.
Preterm birth remains a global epidemic linked to a lifetime of potential health complications. It also is difficult to study in living creatures — especially the uniquely precise biology of preterm birth in humans. Researchers report in PLoS Biology successfully inserting just enough human DNA into transgenic laboratory mice that it allowed the team to study a unique part of human pregnancy comp
By translating a key human physical skill, whole-body balance, into an equation, engineers at UT Austin used the numerical formula to program their robot Mercury.
Tasked to defend the colony from attackers, the specialised soldier caste in some termite species has evolved various impressive mechanisms, including plug-like heads—meant to block intruding ants trying to invade their lairs, and mouthparts designed to bite and pierce.
A team of scientists from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed and demonstrated a pioneering synthetic biology tool to deliver DNA programming into a broad range of bacteria.
Being a good neighbor can have a powerful effect on residents' attitudes and behaviors even for those living in highly disadvantaged communities, according to the results of a new study.
An international collaboration has announced the results of the first scientific experiments at Europe's new X-ray laser European XFEL. The pioneering work not only demonstrates that the new research facility can speed up experiments by more than an order of magnitude, it also reveals a previously unknown structure of an enzyme responsible for antibiotics resistance.
Attendance at a nursery/crèche staffed by professionals may be linked to better psychological development than being looked after by family/friends or a childminder in early childhood, suggests new research.
One in two women and one in three men will likely be diagnosed with dementia, Parkinson's disease, or stroke in their lifetime, estimate Dutch researchers in an observational study.
A team of scientists has discovered the first French-Canadian founder mutation gene linked to synucleinopathies, a group of neurodegenerative diseases that includes Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy-Bodies (DLB) and multiple system atrophy (MSA).
While it is no secret that pathogenic bacteria are able to develop antibiotic resistance, it's not so well known that some, including some of nature's nastiest pathogens, resist antibiotics and escape antibiotic treatments in a different way: hibernation. Researchers say they've discovered a small portion of pathogenic bacteria that hide out in a dormant state, until the danger antibiotics pose t
Debatoplæg III: Op til en konference 8. oktober om Danmarks rumstrategi efterlyser Uddannelses- og Forskningsministeriet input til, hvad Danmark skal fokusere på som rumnation. Giv dit besyv med her.
A new George Mason University report published in Tobacco Control found that there are far more e-cigarette explosion and burn injuries in the United States than estimated in past reports.
A team of scientists from the US Army Research Laboratory and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed and demonstrated a pioneering synthetic biology tool to deliver DNA programming into a broad range of bacteria.
First-of-a-kind new species and genus of drywood termite was collected from two localities in Cameroon. With its soldier caste sporting a unique set of long, slender, stick-like 'jaws', the previously unknown insect is the first drywood termite known to rely on the so-called snapping mandibles as a defense strategy. The discovery, published in the open access journal ZooKeys, poses a whole set of
New research sheds light on how people decide whether behavior is moral or immoral. The findings could serve as a framework for informing the development of artificial intelligence and other technologies.
Changes in the structure of the skin and the lymphatic system that occur with the natural aging process create permissive conditions for melanoma metastasis, according to two studies by The Wistar Institute.
Carnegie's Scott Sheppard and his colleagues discovered a new extremely distant object far beyond Pluto with an orbit that supports the presence of an even-farther-out, Super-Earth or larger Planet X.
Computed tomography (CT)-based measures of calcification in the abdominal aorta are strong predictors of heart attacks and other adverse cardiovascular events — stronger even than the widely used Framingham risk score, according to a new study.
German car giant Volkswagen said Tuesday it was removing Rupert Stadler, the chief executive of subsidiary Audi who has been jailed in an emissions fraud probe since June, from his post and the parent group's board.
Charges and their transport are integral to the function of electronic devices, batteries, and biological systems. The charges that accumulate at the interface between a solid electrode and an electrolytic solution containing ions that carry charges can affect the electrode-electrolyte interaction as well as processes such as corrosion and molecular adhesion. Consequently, it is important to obtai
Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) scientists, together with astrophysicists from all over the world, are observing as the Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner approaches the Earth. The favorable weather conditions in September in Primorsky Krai, Russia, made it possible to receive the quality images of the object. The scientists are currently preparing an article for publication.
The remarkable discoveries and theories of physicists since the 1930s have shown that all matter in the universe is made from a small number of basic building blocks called fundamental particles. However, this isn't the complete story. Supersymmetry is a hypothesis in high-energy physics that aims to fill some of the gaps.
"This is when I start feeling my age," says Anne Corcoran. She's a scientist at the Babraham Institute, a human biology research centre in Cambridge, UK. Corcoran leads a group that looks at how our genomes – the DNA coiled in almost every cell in our bodies – relate to our immune systems, and specifically to the antibodies we make to defend against infection.
Eating insects, instead of meat, could have significant environmental and health benefits. However, many people are disgusted by the idea of insects as food, so researchers are working to increase their appeal. A recent study finds that promoting insect-based food as pleasurable, luxurious and exotic — rather than healthy or environmentally friendly — could be an effective marketing strategy.
A new study used text message surveys to determine in real time how people used maternal health services during a recent Ebola outbreak and measured a drop in hospital-based births during the outbreak.
An intricate network of crevices adorns the skin surface of the African bush elephant. By retaining water, these micrometer-wide channels greatly help elephants in regulating their body temperature. Today, researchers report that African elephant skin channels are true fractures of the animal brittle and desquamation-deficient skin outermost layer. The scientists show that the elephant hyperkerati
Researchers have now shown that studded winter tires cost more lives than they save. The new study takes a holistic view of the tires' impact on wider public health. At the same time, they show that their use contributes to the bloody conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and fatal accidents in their production phase.
Giraffe babies inherit some features of their mother's spot patterns, according to a new study that used modern techniques to confirm a 49-year-old hypothesis. Survival of newborn giraffes is also related to spot pattern, which may help provide camouflage from predators.
Scientists have developed a new catalyst for breaking carbon-fluorine bonds, one of the strongest chemical bonds known. The discovery is a breakthrough for efforts in environmental remediation and chemical synthesis.
Astronomy has really wreaked some havoc on science textbooks over the years, particularly when it comes to cataloging the solar system. For most of the 20th century, there were nine planets, taught to schoolchildren with the help of quirky mnemonics like My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas. Then, in 2006, the Pizzas were dropped; a set of astronomers determined that Pluto was bett
A small number of elite universities serve as the prime breeding grounds for American power brokers. Harvard, for example, has produced eight presidents, and Yale, five. What do voters think of politicians who attended elite schools?
It's a jungle out there in the suburbs, where many wild mammals are thriving near humans. That's the conclusion of a large-scale study using camera trap images from hundreds of citizen scientists in Washington, D.C., and Raleigh, North Carolina.
Massively elongated orbit suggests object is influenced by theoretical giant Planet Nine in Oort Cloud region An extremely distant dwarf planet, named The Goblin, has been discovered in observations that are redefining the outer reaches of the solar system. Astronomers made the discovery while hunting for a hypothetical massive planet, known as Planet Nine , that is suspected to be in orbit far b
The 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics is being awarded to Arthur Ashkin "for the optical tweezers and their application to biological systems" and jointly to Gérard Mourou and Donna Strickland "for their method of generating high-intensity, ultra-short optical pulses."
An interactive website which investigates the rising investment in detention, enforcement, and deportation of immigrant families in the U.S has been released by a group of researchers and academics this week.
Carnegie's Scott Sheppard and his colleagues—Northern Arizona University's Chad Trujillo, and the University of Hawaii's David Tholen—are once again redefining our Solar System's edge. They discovered a new extremely distant object far beyond Pluto with an orbit that supports the presence of an even-farther-out, Super-Earth or larger Planet X.
From the start of the colonisation, the Spanish Crown needed to know and represent the overseas territories under its control. In the last third of the sixteenth century, surveys were carried on to get to know this territories. Among these documents, the researchers have found a set of maps that are characterised by a peculiar style, as they try to imitate the style of maps that were drawn up in E
A perovskite solar module the size of an A4 sheet of paper, which is nearly six times bigger than modules of that type reported before, has been developed by Swansea University researchers, by using simple and low-cost printing techniques.
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have discovered a new way in which nerve cells can control movement. In a study on zebrafish published in the journal PNAS they show that the contact between neurons and muscles is more dynamic than previously thought. The results can open up new avenues to treating spinal cord injury and certain neurological diseases.
Scientists have created miniature magnetic swimming devices — which mimic the appearance of sperm cells — that could revolutionize disease treatment by swimming drugs to specific areas of the body.
The study, led by Paula Izquierdo, a doctoral student at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) and the University of La Laguna (ULL), has gone deeply into the analysis of this exceptional white dwarf, which shows periodic transits produced by fragments of a shredded planetesimal. The observations used for this research were obtained with the Gran Telescopio Canarias and with the Liverpool
It's a jungle out there in the suburbs, where many wild mammals are thriving near humans. That's the conclusion of a large-scale study using camera trap images from hundreds of citizen scientists in Washington, D.C., and Raleigh, North Carolina.
Vitamin E's positive effects often fail to manifest themselves as strongly as expected, but sometimes administering vitamin E actually has detrimental effects. An international team has now found a possible cause for this. It has shown that the effect of vitamin E, which is taken as a tablet or capsule, is not based on the vitamin itself, but rather on the effect of a metabolite. This socalled alp
Gennem seks år har verdens fremmeste matematikere kæmpet med at forstå et kompliceret bevis for den såkaldte abc-formodning. Nu hævder to tyske matematikere, at de har fundet en fejl i beviset.
For some they are lifesavers, for others ineffective and even addictive. Our special report looks at why even experts disagree on what good antidepressants do
Christian Christiansen er ny ledende overlæge på Nykøbing F. Sygehus. Han glæder sig til at blive en del af et sygehus, der ikke er større, end at man kan finde løsninger på tværs.
Danske Regioner vil med en helt ny type aftale mellem Amgros og medicinalfirmaet Vertex kende de præcise udgifter til medicinsk behandling af cystisk fibrose de næste minimum fire år – uanset, hvor mange CF-patienter, regionerne behandler, og om de skifter til kommende CF-midler fra firmaet.
Almost exactly a decade ago, I was cycling in a bike lane when a car hit me from behind. Luckily, I suffered only a couple bruised ribs and some road rash. But ever since, I have felt my pulse rise when I hear a car coming up behind my bike.
In a project leveraging computer vision, machine learning, and sensors, Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists are working with private company GRIDSMART Technologies, Inc. to demonstrate how stop lights can be programmed to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions while facilitating the smooth flow of traffic.
Visitors of Southern California's Santa Catalina Island in recent years have likely caught sight of what first may appear to be small dogs or half-grown housecats. The docile creatures, sporting bushy salt-and-pepper tails, charcoal and brown camouflage coats and outsized ears, seem ready to overrun the island.
California is the nation's top milk-producing state and home to nearly 1.8 million dairy cows. California is also hot, especially for cows, which have trouble keeping cool when the weather gets warm. And when cows get too hot, their milk production decreases. Severe overheating can threaten cows' health and their ability to get pregnant and carry calves to term.
The love of books, the need for glasses and high intelligence are traits found among the top earners in many fields across the country. Now, a Ball State University researcher suggests that a case of acne in high school should be added to those traits.
Scientists have created miniature magnetic swimming devices – which mimic the appearance of sperm cells – that could revolutionise disease treatment by swimming drugs to specific areas of the body.
A research team at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Gillings School of Global Public Health found that a well-known gene variant linked to Type 2 diabetes, called transcription Factor-7 like 2 gene, may also predispose someone to being leaner, or having a lower body weight.
A new study identifies the typical pattern of homeopathy consumers in Spain, based on data from the CIS (Centre for Sociological Research) barometer, published last February. The results show that the profile is that of a middle- or upper-class woman of about 46, with higher education and a progressive political ideology.
Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore have developed a technology where two robots can work in unison to 3D-print a concrete structure.
Supersymmetry predicts a relationship between the fundamental particles fermions and bosons. An extended version of a pioneering model of non-relativistic supersymmetry — the Nicolai supersymmetric fermion lattice model — is studied. Previously, it was verified that supersymmetry of the model breaks down only when the adjustable constant g > g0 ? 4/π. A researcher at Kanazawa University removed
A team of astronomers using the latest set of data from ESA's Gaia mission to look for high-velocity stars being kicked out of the Milky Way were surprised to find stars instead sprinting inwards — perhaps from another galaxy. The study is published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
The natural world often provides the answer to unsolved medical problems. On this occasion, the solution to a challenge posed by cancer has come about from the immune system of camelids. A study headed by the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), in Belgium, describes a number of therapeutic tools that have the capacity to block the activit
If the United States doesn't address rising inequality, the middle class could start feeling the effects in the form of fewer government services, one expert says. As the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty, Philip Alston, a law professor at New York University's School of Law, traveled across the United States talking to a variety of groups, including government officials and pe
When we think of parliaments in non-democratic states, we often think of a room full of raised hands. This compelling image of unanimity conveys a simple idea: that these assemblies are stuffed with loyal servants of the ruling elite. Rather than scrutinise, challenge, amend, and block initiatives from the government, they provide guaranteed support. Rather than act as a check on executive power,
Moist air rises from the Amazon river basin, colliding with Saharan dust blown over the Atlantic. Temperatures rise in the ocean around the Azores. Winds circle faster and faster, whipping the sea into a frenzy of cresting swells. Chunks of ice the size of buildings calve off Greenland. Aroused by storms in the Gulf of California, dust storms stomp across the Sonoran desert, tumbling birds through
A team of Leiden astronomers used the latest set of data from ESA's Gaia mission to look for high-velocity stars being kicked out of the Milky Way, but were surprised to find stars instead sprinting inwards – perhaps from another galaxy.
Facebook announced on Friday that its engineering team had discovered a security issue affecting almost 50 million accounts. Due to a flaw in Facebook's code, hackers were able to take over an account and use it in the same way you would if you had logged into the account with a password.
For one brief shining moment after the 2015 detection of gravitational waves from colliding black holes, astronomers held out hope that the universe's mysterious dark matter might consist of a plenitude of black holes sprinkled throughout the universe.
A team of researchers from Spain, Germany and the U.S. has found a type of cyanobacteria that is capable of living more than 600 meters underground—in the absence of sunlight. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes their study of the cyanobacteria and what they found.
House sparrows are closely associated with humans and are found in most parts of the world. By investigating the DNA of several species of sparrows, researchers have shown that the house sparrow diverged from a sparrow in the Middle East – and started to digest starch-rich foods – when humans developed agriculture some 11,000 years ago.
A pair of researchers with the Niels Bohr Institute in Denmark has come up with a possible explanation for the excess of electron neutrinos detected by researchers at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. In their paper published in the journal Physical Review Letters, Peter Denton and Irene Tamborra describe their ideas and how they arrived at them.
Beneath the ocean floor, bacteria produce methane gas that is regularly released through the sediment and into the sea water as bubble streams. While these gas flares have been observed on continental margins around the world, until now there has been no systematic study of all available gas flow observation data to estimate the total amount of methane escaping from the seafloor. These data are im
Illegal wildlife trade is having a devastating impact on elephants, tigers and rhinos, pushing these iconic animals – and less well-known species such as sturgeon, geckos, pangolins and hornbills – to the brink of extinction. This month, the UK government is hosting an international conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade, bringing together global leaders to help eradicate this threat. One of the Lon
12,354 men at the age of 45 spoke about sex for a study by the Technical University of Munich (TUM). The study makes some discrepancies statistically tangible for the first time: for example, about ten percent of gay men have had sex with a woman in the last three months. About 6 percent were 'hidden homosexuals', who saw themselves as homosexual, but had sex only with women and were often married
Researchers from Graz University of Technology have described for the first time the dynamics which takes place within a trillionth of a second after photoexcitation of a single atom inside a superfluid helium nanodroplet.
The favorable weather conditions had settled in September in Primorsky Krai, Russia, made it possible to receive the quality images of the celestial body and to get the unique material for its further research. The FEFU scientists are currently preparing an article for publication in one of scientific journals.
Researchers from Kanazawa University developed a three-dimensional open-loop electric potential microscopy technique to visualize the charge accumulation behavior at the interface between a solid electrode and liquid electrolyte. The technique was used for providing information about the charge distribution at the interface between a copper wire electrode and salt-based electrolyte. This technique
A Japan-based research team led by Kanazawa University has identified the MAPK Erk5 as a novel player controlling skeletogenesis. Their research sheds light on the question of how the complex our skeleton generates.
International collaboration obtains the first scientific results from European XFEL. The pioneering work not only demonstrates that the new research facility can speed up experiments by an order of magnitude, it also reveals a previously unknown structure of an enzyme responsible for antibiotic resistance.
An FAU professor and a high school senior from MSD have published a study on homicide rates in Baltimore and New York City. They note marked differences between these 'peer' cities according to 19 population-based characteristics from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The root causes for these differences are complex and multifactorial, and raise several major clinical and contemp
Adolescents who use vaping products are not only more likely to smoke cigarettes but are also likely to increase their use of both products over time, according to a new study.
In the adventure classic Back to the Future, Emmett "Doc" Brown uses energy generated from rubbish to power his DeLorean time machine. But while a time machine may still be some way off, the prospect of using rubbish for fuel isn't too far from reality. Plastics, in particular, contain mainly carbon and hydrogen, with similar energy content to conventional fuels such as diesel.
On Friday, an earthquake and tsunami struck the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia, flattening hotels, shopping malls, and hundreds of homes , and killing at least 1,200 people . The government expects the death toll to rise. In the days after the quake, outsiders have focused on the failure of the local tsunami early-warning system. Many of the deaths occurred in Palu, a medium-sized city at the en
Your chances of forming online friendships depend mainly on the number of groups and organizations you join, not their types, according to a new analysis of six online social networks. "If a person is looking for friends, they should basically be active in as many communities as possible," says Anshumali Shrivastava, assistant professor of computer science at Rice University and coauthor of the s
Grasping the impulse-momentum theorem during a 100-level physics lecture is one thing, but what if it doesn't make as much sense once you start your homework assignment?
Secondary forests, or forests that have regrown after agriculture use, only last an average of 20 years, according to a recently released scientific paper.
If dark matter consists of a plethora of primordial black holes, then their gravitational lensing — magnifying and brightening distant objects — should be detectable. UC Berkeley physicists analyzed 740 known supernovas to find the handful that should have been magnified and brightened by black holes, and found none. This puts a strong upper limit, 40, on the percent of dark matter that can cons
The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, showed that the increased presence of a protein responsible for sensing infection — called NLRP1 — meant there were fewer good bacteria and anti-inflammatory molecules in the gut, leading to higher levels of inflammation and an increased risk of IBD.
Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Sangwoo Shin has demonstrated a novel concept that overcomes the tolerable heat limit or what's known as the critical heat flux (CHF). He leads a research team that has come up with a new method that increased the CHF by 10 percent compared to approaches used in the past.
We need to get away from the idea that social media have a negative impact on the sexual behaviour of young people. "Social media can actually be an excellent way for young people to explore sexuality," says anthropologist and gender studies researcher Marijke Naezer. Naezer will receive her Ph.D. from Radboud University on 4 October.
Nuclear fusion, the release of energy when light atomic nuclei merge, is touted as a carbon-free solution to global energy requirements. One potential route to nuclear fusion is inertial confinement. Now a KAUST-led team has modeled the complex flow of plasma that could occur in such a fusion reactor.
Researchers in the College of Arts and Sciences have determined that the lifetime of the so-called charmed omega—part of a family of subatomic particles called baryons—is nearly four times longer than previously thought.
Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) possess optical properties that could be used to make computers run a million times faster and store information a million times more energy-efficiently, according to a study led by Georgia State University.
Approximately 117 million more people could face water shortages if global temperatures increase 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels compared to a 1.5-degree Celsius increase in temperatures, a new study suggests.
Researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) could be a step closer to saving the critically endangered swift parrot, after showing it's possible to predict where the parrots will settle to breed.
Erfaringer fra Bispebjerg- og Frederiksberg Hospital og Københavns Kommune viser, at patienternes forløb kan gøres mere effektive, når kommuner og hospitaler deler viden.
Søren Mikkelsen er udnævnt til professor i akutmedicin ved Sygehus Sønderjylland og Institut for Regional Sundhedsforskning, SDU. Han skal forske i den præhospitale behandling.
NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft executed its first Asteroid Approach Maneuver (AAM-1) today putting it on course for its scheduled arrival at the asteroid Bennu in December. The spacecraft's main engine thrusters fired in a braking maneuver designed to slow the spacecraft's speed relative to Bennu from approximately 1,100 mph (491 m/sec) to 313 mph (140 m/sec). The mission team will continue to exami
In his research, Markus Koch, Associate Professor at the Institute of Experimental Physics of Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), concentrates on processes in molecules and clusters which take place on time scales of picoseconds (10-12 seconds) and femtoseconds (10-15 seconds).
In the search for sustainable materials, the day-to-day structures of plants could help replace polluting materials and plastics with ones that are less detrimental to our environment.
Secondary forests only last an average of 20 years. The finding presents a major problem for large-scale restoration policy, which often focuses on commitments to restore a certain number of hectares by a given year. But the benefits of restoration depend on those forests persisting. It takes much longer than 20 years for a secondary forest to absorb large amounts of carbon, or to provide habitat
Nearly 14 million additional adolescents will need to receive the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to reach the American Cancer Society's goal of an 80 percent vaccination rate by that 2026.
A new study of online social forums indicates the online tool is valuable to helping students succeed in collegiate physics courses. Researchers found that when the online forum showed denser collaboration networks, the students who were most central in the network were more likely to achieve a higher final course grade. 'Networks identify productive forum discussions' is published online this mon
Russian investigators looking into the origin of a hole that caused an oxygen leak on the International Space Station have said it was caused deliberately, the space agency chief said.
We are only beginning to understand the vital role that submarine canyons play in our global ocean. Acting as 'deep sea gutters', these biodiversity hotspots trap and concentrate organic matter that serves as food for many marine invertebrates, fish, and marine mammals.
A team of researchers at Indiana University has found that a type of nematode offers a positive influence on the dung beetle larval microbiome. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Cristina Ledón-Rettig, Armin Moczek and Erik Ragsdale describe their study of the relationship between the nematode Diplogastrellus monhysteroide and dung beetles.
Asking questions of students in lecture classes can help them learn new information, but there are limits, according to a new analysis. Jason Chan, an associate professor of psychology at Iowa State University, makes a point to periodically interrupt his lecture and ask students a question about the material they've covered. He does this to regain students' attention, but more importantly, to enh
Cryptic fauna—small organisms that inhabit the hidden spaces within a reef structure—represent a substantial proportion of the diversity within coral reefs but are typically neglected in traditional visual surveys, which tend to focus on large and conspicuous species, such as fish and corals.
A model that simulates how drilling fluids, or muds, behave and influence the stability of oil wells has been developed by KAUST researchers. Their findings could inform new safety protocols and the design of novel drilling muds.
An unprecedented combination of experimental nuclear physics and theoretical and computational modelling techniques has been brought together to reveal the full extent of the odd-even shape staggering of exotic mercury isotopes, and explain how it happens. The result, from an international team at the ISOLDE nuclear physics facility at CERN1, published today in Nature Physics, demonstrates and exp
Sales of new cars in Germany plunged in September, official data showed Tuesday, as updated EU emissions tests turned into a bottleneck for many manufacturers.
Fixing or replacing faulty genes has emerged as a key to unlocking cures for numerous devastating diseases. But if the new, engineered genes can't find their way into the patient's genomic sequence, they won't help.
There's a good chance you've hallucinated before. If you've ever felt the buzz of your phone against your thigh only to realize the sensation was entirely in your head, you've had a sensory perception of something that isn't real. And that, according to the psychologist Philip Corlett, is what makes a hallucination. To many, this definition may seem shockingly broad. Hallucinations were long cons
One of the unfunny witticisms going around during Hillary Clinton's first presidential run was that she'd never get elected, because she reminded men of their first wife. When a male friend relayed the update during her second run—no, she didn't remind men of their first wife; she reminded them of their first wife's divorce lawyer—I recall barking with laughter. The joke distilled all the male an
Science Sprayers plan attacks from the ground and sky. The floodwaters of Hurricane Florence have hatched swarms of giant mosquitoes in North Carolina. Now, counties are fighting back.
Passenger car engines produce 6 billion litres of used oil globally every year. So a better, more sustainable way to reuse and recycle this product is needed, says Rachel Fort
Opinion: From using open source intelligence to spreading false reports to brazenly rewriting history, social media warriors on both sides of the controversy are taking a page from Russia.
Scientists Who Made Powerful Tools from Light Share Physics Nobel Optical innovations made by the three new laureates help scientists control tiny organisms and make incredibly short and powerful laser pulses. nobel2018_physics_winner.jpg Image credits: Abigail Malate, Staff Illustrator Rights information: Copyright American Institute of Physics Physics Tuesday, October 2, 2018 – 07:30 Catherine
Intergenerational power relations may be just as important as male-female power relations for women's economic empowerment, according to new UCL research.
Eastern collared lizards, once plentiful in the Ozark Mountains, are now listed as a "species of greatest conservation need." What does their decline say about habitat degradation in the Ozarks?
NASA's Kepler team has received data showing that the spacecraft's ability to point precisely has degraded. In order to preserve high-value science data collected during its latest observation campaign, the Kepler team has placed the spacecraft in a stable, no-fuel-use sleep mode.
Many microbes have an enzyme that can convert carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide. This reaction is critical for building carbon compounds and generating energy, particularly for bacteria that live in oxygen-free environments.
New research led by Victoria University of Wellington geophysicist Associate Professor Simon Lamb and published in Nature Geoscience has revealed how understanding the events leading up to the 2016 Kaikōura Earthquake may lead to a different approach to forecasting earthquakes.
An international team of scientists including researchers at Yale University and the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a new catalyst for breaking carbon-fluorine bonds, one of the strongest chemical bonds known. The discovery, published on Sept. 10 in ACS Catalysis, is a breakthrough for efforts in environmental remediation and chemical synthesis.
An intricate network of minuscule crevices adorns the skin surface of the African bush elephant. By retaining water and mud, these micrometer-wide channels greatly help elephants in regulating their body temperature and protecting their skin against parasites and intense solar radiation. Today, researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, and the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics
An international collaboration led by DESY and consisting of over 120 researchers has announced the results of the first scientific experiments at Europe's new X-ray laser, European XFEL. The pioneering work not only demonstrates that the new research facility can speed up experiments by more than an order of magnitude, it also reveals a previously unknown structure of an enzyme responsible for an
The EU's top data privacy enforcer expressed worry Tuesday that Facebook had lost control of data security after a vast privacy breach that she said affected five million Europeans.
An international team of scientists including researchers at Yale University and the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a new catalyst for breaking carbon-fluorine bonds, one of the strongest chemical bonds known. The discovery, published on Sept. 10 in ACS Catalysis, is a breakthrough for efforts in environmental remediation and chemical synthesis.
On the island of Torcello, at the Ca' Foscari University of Venice excavation site, some protagonists of the island's thousand-year history have begun to emerge. A tomb datable to around 700 A.D. has recently been unearthed by the site's team of scholars hailing from universities throughout Italy, under the scientific direction of archaeologist Diego Calaon (a Marie Curie Fellow).
Arthur Ashkin, Gérard Mourou and Donna Strickland share the 2018 physics Nobel for their work with lasers that have led to numerous practical applications, such as eye surgery. — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Giraffe babies inherit some features of their mother's spot patterns, according to a new study that used modern techniques to confirm a 49-year-old hypothesis. Survival of newborn giraffes is also related to spot pattern, which may help provide camouflage from predators.
Sarah-Jayne Blakemore walked away with the honours at the 2018 Royal Society Insight Investment Book Prize – and the calibre of the runners-up made it a hard year to call
Daimler chief executive Dieter Zetsche hinted Tuesday that the German carmaker must downsize under its new boss if it is to stay competitive in an industry that is shifting gears fast.
Pyrolysis, a process of biomass decomposition, can be organized automatically. Specifically, it is sufficient to heat biomass to a certain temperature until the process proceeds in the autothermal mode due to its own heat release. This technology has been reported by scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University in an article published in the Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry. The develop
Danish low cost airline Primera, which was offering transatlantic flights for under $100, announced Tuesday it was ceasing operations after difficulties including delays to a new fuel-effecient Airbus aircraft.
A new method enables non-invasive monitoring of oxygen metabolism in cells that are 3-D bioprinted into complex living structures. This could contribute to studies of cell growth and interactions under tissue-like conditions, as well as for the design of 3-D printed constructs facilitating higher productivity of microalgae in biofilms or better oxygen supply for stem cells used in bone and tissue
Crops such as wheat and maize have undergone a breeding process lasting thousands of years, in the course of which mankind has gradually modified the properties of wild plants into highly cultivated variants. One motive was higher yields. A side effect of this breeding has been a reduction in genetic diversity and the loss of useful properties. This is demonstrated by an increased susceptibility t
Porosity is the key to high-performance materials for energy storage systems, environmental technologies or catalysts. The more porous a solid state material is, the more liquids and gases it is able to store. However, a multitude of pores destabilizes the material. In search of the stability limits of such frameworks, researchers of the TU Dresden's Faculty of Chemistry broke a world record: DUT-
The genetic differences in phytoplankton living in close geographic proximity can be great, which has long intrigued researchers. Now, new research shows that the ability of phytoplankton to generate resting stages can be an important part of the explanation.
The human pathogen Vibrio cholerae has stumped scientists since its discovery 150 years ago. Experts who studied the bacterium were puzzled that the bacterium was unable to grow under anaerobic conditions although it was equipped with active metabolic machinery to breathe nitrate instead of oxygen, conditions that typically exist in the gastrointestinal tract. The common opinion was that the bacte
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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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