It has to do with two parts of the brain, both of which are thicker in those with better smell and spacial recognition. Your nose can detect about 1 trillion smells. While your nose isn't a full GPS, it can help you pick out a general direction. Smell is a funny thing. Some people— like actor Jason Sudekis —have no sense of smell at all. This might seem like a good thing until you realize just ho
Morten Mau-Sørensen, der står i spidsen for Rigshospitalets fase 1-enhed, kigger efter fase 1-forsøg samt nye lægemidler og behandlinger på årets ESMO-kongres.
Diskussionerne ved de mindre postersessioner ved ESMO kan være virkeligt inspirerende, siger Lars Henrik Jensen, formand for Dansk Selskab for Klinisk Onkologi.
En ud af ti solgte plug-in hybridbiler udleder mere end 50 gram CO2 per kilometer, viser nye WLTP-tests. Flere modeller er desuden udgået af produktion op til den nye testmetode.
"I know what I'm going to do: I'm going to sanction the hell out of Saudi Arabia." That's what Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said last week , to the delight of Saudi Arabia's detractors on social media. The man who only one-week prior had been jeered by millions of Democrats for supporting Justice Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation was seemingly redeemed among President Trump's critics. There is
The conventional story of the rise of the conservative intellectual movement in America goes something like this: The Great Depression and Pearl Harbor discredited the so-called "superfluous men" who had criticized FDR's New Deal and U.S. involvement in the Second World War. In the early years of the Cold War, however, a coalition of classical liberals, traditionalists, and anti-Communists took s
S AN FRANCISCO—In one room, they're building multicolored matrices matching purchases in their online store to hashtags in affiliated Twitter accounts. In another, they're texting supporters, tracking and amping up RSVPs to the one-year anniversary town hall coming up on Saturday in New Jersey. Over at the creative pod, they've already cut a 30-second web ad off the idea that came up in the morni
Bobby, the urbane bachelor and possible beating heart of Company , usually comes in shades of gray. Dean Jones in a heavy tweed with a black turtleneck sweater. Raúl Esparza in an Armani suit that bags effortlessly around the elbows. Adrian Lester in a fitted jacket with wide lapels. Neil Patrick Harris in dark brushed suede over a pale blue button-down. Rosalie Craig wears scarlet. In Marianne E
Writing by hand activates different parts of the brain simultaneously. Studies have shown students who hand-write notes versus typing them retain information for longer and with greater accuracy. Our digital feeds are causing decision fatigue, says Ryder Carroll. Every push alert, notification, and email is asking us to make a decision, which saps our time, energy, and focus. Journaling is a way
Astronomers are scratching their heads over extremely fast radio bursts. Now they're making a list of all the theories for what – or who – is making them
Den amerikanske lægemiddelsmyndighed FDA har sendt en advarsel til et kinesisk e-cigaretselskab, fordi myndigheden har fundet det aktive stof fra Viagra i selskabets cigaretvæske.
DTU står i spidsen for indkøbet af en ny supercomputer til lifescience, Computerome 2.0. Den kommende supercomputer forventes at koste 97 millioner kroner over en fireårig periode.
Neuroscientists have found a brain region that appears to be strongly connected to food preference decisions, like what to choose from a buffet line or potluck table.
This study shows that Src is necessary and sufficient to activate mTORC1 and offers the possibility to develop novel approaches to control cancer growth.
Microorganisms often assemble natural products similar to industrial assembly lines. Certain enzymes, non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS) play a key role in this process. Biotechnologists at Goethe University have now been able to discover how these enzymes interact with each other. This brings them one step closer to their goal of engineering the production of such peptide natural products.
Herpes is the dreaded 'gift that keeps on giving'. But could it also be taking our memories? Decades of research show a striking correlation between Alzheimer's disease risk and infection with Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV1) in people carrying a specific gene. Now, newly-available epidemiological data provide a causal link between HSV1 infection and senile dementia — raising the tantalizing prospec
Some European countries take more than twice as long as others to reach health technology assessment (HTA) decisions to reimburse new cancer drugs following their approval by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The average decision time is longer than one year in some countries, according to a study to be reported at ESMO 2018 Congress.
Ved at høste energi fra mikrobølger kan ny dansk teknologi præcist finde temperaturen i madvarer, som varmes i en mikrobølgeovn. Det kan blandt andet give bedre mad til ældre i kommunerne.
En funktion i Sundhedsplatformen betyder, at læger på østdanske hospitaler bliver bedømt på, hvor hurtigt patienter kommer til. Det kan meget vel være i strid med lovgivningen, mener ekspert i sundhedsjura.
Sundhedsplatformen indeholder en funktion, der giver hospitalslæger gule stjerner alt efter, hvor hurtigt de tager patienter ind og en række andre parametre. Det har fået Anders Johansen og andre læger til at sige farvel til østdanske hospitaler.
The Dhimurru Rangers are one of more than 100 Indigenous groups spread across Australia who are removing thousands of pounds of plastic garbage from the beaches.
En læser undrer sig over, at der ikke kommer nye løsninger for svagtseende end den gammeldags bipper. Kunne man ikke bruge tags eller mobiltelefonen? Det svarer Aarhus Kommune på.
A newly discovered toxin that some bacteria deploy to fend off competing bacteria stands out from others in the battle for microbial domination. While many deadly substances have been identified among bacteria, this previously unknown toxin behaves in a familiar way.
Et nyt forskningsprojekt udvikler bedre røntgenscannere, der i ét inspektionssystem kan opdage alt fra metalspåner i hakket oksekød til rådne avocadoer.
Among several forms of pancreatic cancer, one of them affects specifically women, often young, even though the pancreas is an organ with little exposure to sex hormones. This pancreatic cancer, known as 'mucinous cyst,' has strange similarities with another mucinous cancer, affecting the ovaries. By conducting large-scale analyses of genomic data, researchers at the University of Geneva and at the
Experts say planet that 'doesn't fit' could offer new insights into how solar system formed A mission to Mercury, one of our solar system's least studied planets, is about to embark on its seven-year journey. Experts say BepiColombo could not only shed light on the mysteries of our neighbourhood's smallest planet, but also offer new insights into how the solar system formed and even provide vital
Elon Musk believes we should colonise Mars to ensure the survival of the human race . But is this reasoning compelling enough? Hannah Devlin ponders the case against setting our sites on Mars On Tuesday, 6 February 2018, SpaceX launched the first ever test flight of the Falcon Heavy rocket. On board was a red Tesla car complete with a dummy driver affectionately named Starman. Starman's original
Elon Musk believes we should colonise Mars to ensure the survival of the human race. But is this reasoning compelling enough? Hannah Devlin ponders the case against setting our sites on Mars
If you're a parent, you may be concerned that materialism among children has been on the rise. But there's some good news. A new study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology suggests that some parenting tactics can curb kids' materialistic tendencies.
A five-year study of hospital statistics from the United States shows that the incidence of stroke has risen steadily among marijuana users even though the overall rate of stroke remained constant over the same period.
How long a person with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) stops breathing may be a better predictor of mortality risk from OSA than the number of times they stop breathing, according to new research published online in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
New research gives the clearest guidance yet on how schools can best support children with ADHD to improve symptoms and maximise their academic outcomes.
E-cigarette brand JUUL's Twitter handle is attracting adolescents to the point that at least a quarter of its followers appear to be under age 18. Many of these minors — to whom it is illegal to sell nicotine-delivery products — are retweeting JUUL's messages, amplifying its advertisements.
The more that families understand the end-of-life treatment preferences expressed by adolescents living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the less likely these youth are to suffer HIV-related symptoms compared with youths whose families do not understand their end-of-life care goals, according to a single-blinded, randomized study published online Oct. 19, 2018, in Pediatrics.
Hvis supercomputere med 1 milliard milliard kommatalsberegninger pr. sekund skal realiseres, kræver det gennemgående parallelisering af programmerne. Men så burde det også kunne lade sig gøre, mener professor.
Importerede træprodukter fra områder påvirket af nedfald fra Tjernobyl-ulykken har ført til for høje koncentrationer af det radioaktive stof Cæsium-137 i danske varmeværkers bioaske.
Mr. Zinke had his wife travel with him in government vehicles, which violates his agency's travel policy, according to a new report by the Interior Department's inspector general.
Researchers taught two dozen wild sparrows new songs, by playing them the recordings of sparrows that live thousands of miles away. Jason G. Goldman reports. — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Quantum computers promise to revolutionize the future of computing. Scientists have now demonstrated for the first time that quantum computers do indeed offer advantages over conventional computers. They developed a quantum circuit that can solve a problem that is unsolvable using any equivalent classical circuit.
What We're Following Church and State: The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating multiple Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania. While state-level law enforcement has prosecuted priests accused of sex crimes, the federal government generally hasn't been involved in these cases. The moral and legal stakes of the clergy sex-abuse crisis continue to grow. Give People Money: California Senator Kama
Rockefeller University Hospital said it has credible allegations of inappropriate behavior by a research doctor who treated children with growth problems.
Providing nurse-led care for people suffering with the painful, long-term condition gout could lead to an increase in the number of patients sticking to a beneficial treatment plan, a clinical trial has revealed.
'Primary health care is in crisis… Leadership after the Astana meeting is essential to rejuvenate and revitalise all aspects of primary health care.' — The Lancet special issue on primary health care marks 40 years since landmark Alma-Ata Declaration.
Gout is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis, caused by crystallization of uric acid in the joint. Rheumatologists have long recommended that patients with gout be treated with drugs to lower uric acid in their blood to prevent crystallization. Specifically, rheumatology societies around the world recommend that uric acid should be lowered to below 6mg/dL because that's below the concent
Twitter's release of more than 10 million tweets from Russia's Internet Research Agency and Iran sheds little light on those agencies' current tactics, researchers say.
Men and women may need to be treated differently — at least when it comes to some types of cancer. In an analysis to be presented at the ESMO 2018 Congress in Munich, data was pooled from four UK randomised controlled clinical trials (RCTs) of first line chemotherapy in oesophagogastric (OG) cancer, finding significant differences in a number of important side-effects experienced by male and fema
Nearly one in six premenopausal women being treated for early stage breast cancer do not adhere adequately to tamoxifen therapy after one year of treatment, potentially putting themselves at increased risk of recurrence and reduced survival, a French prospective study reports at ESMO 2018.
Women may experience certain chemotherapy side-effects including nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, mouth ulceration and hair loss more frequently than men, according to a new analysis of oesophageal and stomach cancer patients.
Health Once again, influenza defies human logic. Flu season is upon us, but when it will hit your urban jungle may depend largely on the size of the city, says a new study published this month in Science.
Facebook egregiously overstated the success of videos posted to its social network for years, exaggerating the time spent watching them by as much as 900 percent, a new legal filing claims. Citing 80,000 pages of internal Facebook documents, aggrieved advertisers further allege that the company knew about the problem for at least a year and did nothing. The company denies the allegations. "This l
Written by Elaine Godfrey ( @elainejgodfrey ), Madeleine Carlisle ( @maddiecarlisle2 ), and Olivia Paschal ( @oliviacpaschal ) Today in 5 Lines President Donald Trump said he believes Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is dead. Earlier in the day, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced that he will not participate in next week's investment conference in Saudi Arabia, as the investigation into
It has to do with two parts of the brain, both of which are thicker in those with better smell and spacial recognition. Your nose can detect about 1 trillion smells. While your nose isn't a full GPS, it can help you pick out a general direction. Smell is a funny thing. Some people — like actor Jason Sudekis — have no sense of smell at all. This might seem like a good thing until you realize just
On Thursday afternoon Elle magazine announced on Twitter that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were breaking up. When shocked readers clicked the link to find out more about what would be major breaking news in the entertainment industry, they were directed to a webpage telling them to register to vote . While many lauded the ploy as " brilliant ," others found it condescending. "This is trash nonse
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the Catholic Church's handling of sexual-abuse allegations in Pennsylvania, according to the Associated Press . At least six of the state's dioceses have confirmed to various news outlets that they received subpoenas from federal investigators, which likely means they'll have to produce documents detailing any alleged cases of sexual
Despite facing racism and sexism, she became the first person to design a Navy ship using a computer program. She was recognized nationally only later in life.
Election officials and federal cybersecurity agents are touting improved collaboration aimed at confronting and deterring efforts to tamper with elections.
In the ongoing chemical battles among bacteria and their microbial neighbors, a new toxin has been uncovered. This unfamiliar toxin behaves in a familiar way. Its actions against other bacteria resemble the mechanisms of cholera, pertussis and diphtheria toxins. Some bacteria deploying this toxin have safeguards against self-poisoning.
The company that runs the beleaguered MoviePass discount service for movie tickets is being investigated by the New York Attorney General on allegations that it misled investors.
BepiColombo will investigate the internal structure, magnetic field and surface composition of the innermost planet to the Sun A European-Japanese mission to Mercury is in the final stages of preparation for launch on Saturday 20 October. The mission, known as BepiColombo, will lift-off from the European Space Agency's space port in Kourou, French Guiana , at 01.45 GMT. Related: The new space rac
There have long been speculations that the mouse-sized marsupial monito del monte climbs to lofty heights in the trees. Yet, no previous records exist documenting such arboreal habits for this creature. Researchers set motion-sensing camera traps to capture photographic evidence confirming the high-climbing theories surrounding this miniature mammal.
A new type of blow fly spotted in Indiana points to shifting species populations due to climate change. Researchers at IUPUI have observed the first evidence of Lucilia cuprina in Indiana, an insect previously known to populate southern states from Virginia to California.
Scientists at the UCLA Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research and the Stein Eye Institute have been awarded a $5.1 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to advance the development of a novel therapy for blinding retinal conditions.
Political candidates who spent more money on television ads during the 2016 Iowa caucuses generally received more support on election day, a new study shows. However, this doesn't mean a candidate can buy an election. While the $46.3 million spent on TV ads in Iowa influenced which candidates caucus-goers considered, there is no evidence to suggest overspending was rewarded, says study author Jay
Racial disparities in student debt between blacks and whites may perpetuate the racial wealth gap according to a study in the online first edition of Sociology of Race and Ethnicity.
EU leaders on Thursday condemned the attempted hack on the global chemical weapons watchdog and vowed to step up the bloc's efforts to tackle cyber attacks.
Annual bluegrass is one of the most common weeds of turfgrass on golf courses, sports fields and sod farms, not to mention residential and commercial lawns. Unfortunately this nemesis of pristine landscapes has also developed resistance to many common herbicides. Researchers with the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture are participating in a national effort to address what many landsc
Scientists have found a way to help sporting officials detect whether an athlete is guilty of blood doping—infusing their own stored blood to maximize competitive performance. While tests to detect two of the three most common methods of dramatically boosting the oxygen-carrying capacity of an athlete's blood exist, so-called "autologous" or self-transfusions have been impossible to detect. An au
A research team for the first time developed reliable genetic markers known as nuclear microsatellites for the whitebark pine, a discovery that could improve the tree's prospects for survival. Whitebark pine, which is declining rapidly nearly range-wide, is currently being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act.
When dogs domesticated themselves around 40,000 years ago, they became far more like human infants than their wolf ancestors, according to Brian Hare , Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology at Duke University. In a video filmed at the 2018 Aspen Ideas Festival, Hare details some of the many types of canine intelligence, including the most important to the success of their species: the ability to
Science This isn't Josh O'Connor's first—or last—squirrel census. The Central Park Squirrel Census took two years of preparation. Data analysis will take many more months. Here's why this group counted every squirrel in New York's…
Researchers healed mice with a genetic metabolic disorder that also affects humans by using a new editing tool to target and correct genetic mutations. Some babies are born with the metabolic disorder phenylketonuria and need a special diet so that the amino acid phenylalanine doesn't accumulate in the body. Excess phenylalanine delays mental and motor development. If left untreated, the children
A new type of blow fly spotted in Indiana points to shifting species populations due to climate change. Researchers at IUPUI have observed the first evidence of Lucilia cuprina in Indiana, an insect previously known to populate southern states from Virginia to California.
Diversifying working lands — including farmland, rangeland and forests — may be key to preserving biodiversity in the face of climate change, says a new review article. These changes could extend the habitat of critters like bats, but also much larger creatures like bears, elk and other wildlife, outside the boundaries of protected areas, while creating more sustainable, and potentially more pro
Pioneering research has given a fascinating fresh insight into how animal nervous systems evolved from simple structures to become the complex network transmitting signals between different parts of the body.
Scientists have reported unprecedented performance results for a supercapacitor electrode. The researchers fabricated electrodes using a printable graphene aerogel to build a porous three-dimensional scaffold loaded with pseudocapacitive material. In laboratory tests, the novel electrodes achieved the highest areal capacitance (electric charge stored per unit of electrode surface area) ever report
University of Rochester researchers identified a stark correlation between both poor mother-daughter relationships and high degrees of conflict — with the likelihood of suicidal thoughts.
A new study describes the mechanistic relationship between the cytokine interleukin-1ß, (IL-1ß) and obesity, showing that when IL-1ß levels are increased in obesity, IL-1 receptor signaling activates multiple pathways leading to colon cancer.
For premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), skin-to-skin contact with parents influences levels of hormones related to mother-infant attachment (oxytocin) and stress (cortisol) — and may increase parents' level of engagement with their infants, reports a study in Advances in Neonatal Care, official journal of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses. The journal is publis
A team of researchers has developed three-dimensional (3D) human tissue culture models for the central nervous system that mimic structural and functional features of the brain and demonstrate neural activity sustained over a period of many months. With the ability to populate a 3D matrix of silk protein and collagen with cells from patients with Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other
A University of Colorado Denver-led research team for the first time developed reliable genetic markers known as nuclear microsatellites for the whitebark pine, a discovery that could improve the tree's prospects for survival. Whitebark pine, which is declining rapidly nearly range-wide, is currently being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act.
Crowdsource Rescue, a kind of "Uber for emergencies," has become the leading tool to coordinate volunteer rescuers, helping them check on hundreds of vulnerable individuals.
Researchers developed a tool, called the Recovery Explorer, that can be used to help guide conservation scientists in making decisions on how to best use limited funds to conserve the greatest number of species. The tool was developed in collaboration with US Fish & Wildlife Services scientists in a two-year project supported by the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center.
Much of the published medical research goes unread by the general public and medical community, despite being largely funded by the federal government and private foundations. To reach more people, medical journals have begun using social media to promote new research.
[En español] Have you ever tried a cigarette? I have. I was a teen, and holding a cigarette looked pretty cool, but smoking seemed disgusting, and it left a horrible smell in my hair, clothes and fingers. So I didn't get hooked. But, seriously, why did I even try it in the first place? It […]
Flares from the youngest red dwarfs surveyed are 100 to 1,000 times more energetic than when the stars are older. This younger age is when terrestrial planets are forming around their stars.
Researchers have described a remarkable new species of fish that lived in the sea about 150 million years ago in the time of the dinosaurs. The new species of bony fish had teeth like a piranha, which the researchers suggest they used as piranhas do: to bite off chunks of flesh from other fish.
The first example of prion strains that replicate independently in vitro and in vivo suggests that strain diversity may be greater than previously thought, according to a new study.
By sequencing genetic material at a cell-by-cell level, researchers have described how type 2-high asthma affects the airways and results in mucus production with more detail than ever before. These findings, which help move forward scientific understanding of the biology behind asthma and could inform the development of targeted treatments for asthma and other airway diseases.
Neuroscientists have discovered that human dendrites have very different electrical properties from those of other species. These differences may contribute to the enhanced computing power of the human brain.
Governments across the U.S. and Canada have made strides in their food systems planning efforts, with many recognizing within the past decade that the issue of food insecurity is just as important as maintaining other public infrastructure like roads and water systems.
Racial disparities in student debt between blacks and whites may perpetuate the racial wealth gap according to a study in the online first edition of Sociology of Race and Ethnicity. The study is the first to evaluate how racial disparities in student debt change over one's life course — from when young people first graduate or leave college in their early 20s to over the next 10 years, as they e
In this first study to examine social media editor roles at medical journals, researchers at Northwestern Medicine found that while medical journals are using social media more to extend the reach of new research, the responsibilities and measures of success for these roles aren't well defined or supported. More support is needed to get the information to the public more efficiently.
Measuring the properties of superconducting materials in magnetic fields at close to absolute zero temperatures is difficult, but necessary to understand their quantum properties. How cold? Lower than 0.05 Kelvin (-272°C).
More Americans are afraid than ever, according to the 5th annual Chapman University Survey of American Fears. The 2018 survey revealed that government corruption remains Americans' primary concern, and the state of the environment, which for the first time represents fully half of Americans' top 10 fears.
Science Sometimes, it takes a while for your brain to catch up to your body. The feeling you get as soon as you step off a merry-go-round is a hard one to forget. You crash to the ground only to look up and watch the sky continue to spin around…
A drying climate may have led to the transition from our hominin ancestors to modern humans, a new study reports. A rich assemblage of human fossils as well as stone tools and other archeological evidence is present in the rift valley of East Africa, a region often referred to as the cradle of humanity. Since those discoveries, scientists have attempted to piece together the complex puzzle that i
Scientists have identified a new class of topological materials made by inserting transition metal atoms into the atomic lattice of a well-known two-dimensional material.
The word "HAZMAT" describes substances that pose a risk to the environment, or even to life itself. Imagine the term being applied to entire planets, where violent flares from the host star may make worlds uninhabitable by affecting their atmospheres.
Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego and colleagues have found that corals living in more productive waters take advantage of the increased food availability. The findings, published in the journal Current Biology on October 18, reevaluate scientific understanding of how corals survive and could aid predictions on coral recovery in the face o
Scientists at Oregon State University have shed light on the evolutionary history of a soil-borne bacteria that is so dangerous to grazing animals it is kept behind lock-and-key to prevent its spread.
Like fingerprints, no 3D printer is exactly the same. That's the takeaway from a new University at Buffalo-led study that describes what's believed to be the first accurate method for tracing a 3D-printed object to the machine it came from.The advancement could help law enforcement and intelligence agencies track the origin of 3D-printed guns, counterfeit products and other goods.
Ames Laboratory has developed a method to measure magnetic properties of superconducting and magnetic materials that exhibit unusual quantum behavior at very low temperatures in high magnetic fields.
A University of Colorado Denver-led research team for the first time developed reliable genetic markers known as nuclear microsatellites for the whitebark pine, a discovery that could improve the tree's prospects for survival. Whitebark pine, which is declining rapidly nearly range-wide, is currently being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act.
IBS-CMCM researchers have published in Science about a new method to convert inexpensive polycrystalline metal foils to single crystals with superior properties. It is expected that these materials will find many uses in science and technology.
Bacteria and Archaea have developed many types of CRISPR-Cas systems to protect themselves from viruses. A search through metagenomic databases of microbes, many of them uncultivatable, unearthed the genes of the smallest known working Cas complex, Cas14, from the genome of a DPANN Archaea, a group of microbes with the smallest known geomes. Cas14 is being incorporated into a CRISPR diagnostic cal
Diversifying working lands — including farmland, rangeland and forests — may be key to preserving biodiversity in the face of climate change, says a new review paper published this week in Science by biologists at the University of California, Berkeley. These changes could extend the habitat of critters like bats, but also much larger creatures like bears, elk and other wildlife, outside the bou
A team of scientists led by Professor Richard Layfield at the University of Sussex has published breakthrough research in molecule-based magnetic information storage materials.
IBS-QNS researchers in South Korea have made a major scientific breakthrough by detecting the nuclear magnetism, or 'nuclear spin' of a single atom. In an international collaboration with IBM Research, the University of Oxford and the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, the scientists used advanced and novel techniques to measure the nuclear spin of individual atoms on surfaces for th
By the time we reach middle age, more than half of the oesophagus in healthy people has been taken over by cells carrying mutations in cancer genes, scientists have uncovered. By studying normal oesophagus tissue, scientists at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, MRC Cancer Unit, University of Cambridge and their collaborators uncovered a hidden world of mutations and evolution in our tissues as we age
Researchers at the University of Jyväskylä have taken part in an international British-Finnish-Chinese collaboration where the first molecule capable of remembering the direction of a magnetic above liquid nitrogen temperatures has been prepared and characterized. The results may be used in the future to massively increase the storage capacity of hard disks without increasing their physical size.
The embryonic stem cells that form facial features, called neural crest cells, use an unexpected mechanism of moving from the back of the head to the front to populate the face, finds a new UCL-led study.
Researchers at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) have discovered a new inflammation control mechanism that shows how the damage caused by the immune response can be controlled.
MIT researchers have developed a cryptographic system that could help neural networks identify promising drug candidates in massive pharmacological datasets, while keeping the data private. Secure computation done at such a massive scale could enable broad pooling of sensitive pharmacological data for predictive drug discovery.
The more equal women's opportunities compared to men's, and the more resources women have, the more their preferences differ from men's, suggests a new study based on survey data from nearly 80 countries.
Leveraging modern cryptographic and machine learning tools, researchers seeking to accelerate drug discovery have developed a way for multiple pharmaceutical companies and laboratories to collaborate without revealing confidential data.
Quantum effects can enhance information-processing capabilities and speed up the solution of certain computational problems. Whether a quantum advantage can be rigorously proven in some setting or demonstrated experimentally using near-term devices is the subject of active debate. We show that parallel quantum algorithms running in a constant time period are strictly more powerful than their clas
The development of highly reactive and stereoselective catalytic systems is required not only to improve existing synthetic methods but also to invent distinct chemical reactions. Herein, a homogenized combination of nickel-based Lewis acid–surfactant-combined catalysts and single-walled carbon nanotubes is shown to exhibit substantial activity in water. In addition to the enhanced reactivity, st
Passive daytime radiative cooling (PDRC) involves spontaneously cooling a surface by reflecting sunlight and radiating heat to the cold outer space. Current PDRC designs are promising alternatives to electrical cooling but are either inefficient or have limited applicability. We present a simple, inexpensive, and scalable phase inversion–based method for fabricating hierarchically porous poly(vin
Detection of analytes by means of field-effect transistors bearing ligand-specific receptors is fundamentally limited by the shielding created by the electrical double layer (the "Debye length" limitation). We detected small molecules under physiological high–ionic strength conditions by modifying printed ultrathin metal-oxide field-effect transistor arrays with deoxyribonucleotide aptamers selec
Suspended Bernal-stacked graphene multilayers up to an unexpectedly large thickness exhibit a broken-symmetry ground state whose origin remains to be understood. We show that a finite-temperature second-order phase transition occurs in multilayers whose critical temperature ( T c ) increases from 12 kelvins (K) in bilayers to 100 K in heptalayers. A comparison of the data with a phenomenological
Seismic J waves, shear waves that traverse Earth's inner core, provide direct constraints on the inner core's solidity and shear properties. However, these waves have been elusive in the direct seismic wavefield because of their small amplitudes. We devised a new method to detect J waves in the earthquake coda correlation wavefield. They manifest through the similarity with other compressional co
The search for Majorana bound states (MBSs) has been fueled by the prospect of using their non-Abelian statistics for robust quantum computation. Two-dimensional superconducting topological materials have been predicted to host MBSs as zero-energy modes in vortex cores. By using scanning tunneling spectroscopy on the superconducting Dirac surface state of the iron-based superconductor FeTe 0.55 S
Taking advantage of nuclear spins for electronic structure analysis, magnetic resonance imaging, and quantum devices hinges on knowledge and control of the surrounding atomic-scale environment. We measured and manipulated the hyperfine interaction of individual iron and titanium atoms placed on a magnesium oxide surface by using spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy in combination with sin
Collective cell chemotaxis, the directed migration of cell groups along gradients of soluble chemical cues, underlies various developmental and pathological processes. We use neural crest cells, a migratory embryonic stem cell population whose behavior has been likened to malignant invasion, to study collective chemotaxis in vivo. Studying Xenopus and zebrafish, we have shown that the neural cres
Morphinan-based painkillers are derived from opium poppy ( Papaver somniferum L.). We report a draft of the opium poppy genome, with 2.72 gigabases assembled into 11 chromosomes with contig N50 and scaffold N50 of 1.77 and 204 megabases, respectively. Synteny analysis suggests a whole-genome duplication at ~7.8 million years ago and ancient segmental or whole-genome duplication(s) that occurred b
Although combining data from multiple entities could power life-saving breakthroughs, open sharing of pharmacological data is generally not viable because of data privacy and intellectual property concerns. To this end, we leverage modern cryptographic tools to introduce a computational protocol for securely training a predictive model of drug–target interactions (DTIs) on a pooled dataset that o
Host injury triggers feedback mechanisms that limit tissue damage. Conventional type 1 dendritic cells (cDC1s) express dendritic cell natural killer lectin group receptor-1 (DNGR-1), encoded by the gene Clec9a , which senses tissue damage and favors cross-presentation of dead-cell material to CD8 + T cells. Here we find that DNGR-1 additionally reduces host-damaging inflammatory responses induced
Human in vitro gametogenesis may transform reproductive medicine. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have been induced into primordial germ cell–like cells (hPGCLCs); however, further differentiation to a mature germ cell has not been achieved. Here, we show that hPGCLCs differentiate progressively into oogonia-like cells during a long-term in vitro culture (approximately 4 months) in xenogenei
Voltage-gated sodium (Na v ) channels, which are responsible for action potential generation, are implicated in many human diseases. Despite decades of rigorous characterization, the lack of a structure of any human Na v channel has hampered mechanistic understanding. Here, we report the cryo–electron microscopy structure of the human Na v 1.4-β1 complex at 3.2-Å resolution. Accurate model buildi
Animal toxins that modulate the activity of voltage-gated sodium (Na v ) channels are broadly divided into two categories—pore blockers and gating modifiers. The pore blockers tetrodotoxin (TTX) and saxitoxin (STX) are responsible for puffer fish and shellfish poisoning in humans, respectively. Here, we present structures of the insect Na v channel Na v PaS bound to a gating modifier toxin Dc1a a
Beltrán-Sánchez et al . based their comment on misleading calculations of the maximum survival age. With realistic numbers of people attaining age 105 and the estimated plateau, the Jeanne Calment record is indeed plausible.
How can we manage farmlands, forests, and rangelands to respond to the triple challenge of the Anthropocene—biodiversity loss, climate change, and unsustainable land use? When managed by using biodiversity-based techniques such as agroforestry, silvopasture, diversified farming, and ecosystem-based forest management, these socioeconomic systems can help maintain biodiversity and provide habitat c
The internet—a vast network that enables simultaneous long-range classical communication—has had a revolutionary impact on our world. The vision of a quantum internet is to fundamentally enhance internet technology by enabling quantum communication between any two points on Earth. Such a quantum internet may operate in parallel to the internet that we have today and connect quantum processors in
Preferences concerning time, risk, and social interactions systematically shape human behavior and contribute to differential economic and social outcomes between women and men. We present a global investigation of gender differences in six fundamental preferences. Our data consist of measures of willingness to take risks, patience, altruism, positive and negative reciprocity, and trust for 80,00
Ny analyse viser, at seismiske bølger har lavere transmissionshastighed og udsættes for større dæmpning i Jordens indre kerne, end den nuværende referencemodel beskriver.
A new study found that the social lives of sweat bees — named for their attraction to perspiration — are linked to patterns of activity in specific genes, including ones linked to autism.
A new approach to genetic analysis finds associations between environmental factors and pharmacogenes — genes associated with a person's response to drugs — sparking ideas for new research at the interface of population genetics and medicine.
Based on an analysis of data leakages and opportunities to prevent the potential misuse of genetic information, researchers have developed a new file format for functional genomics data that enables data sharing while protecting the personal information of research participants.
The gates to Grim's Haunted Carnival have creaked open, and as the entrance yawns before you, a plethora of strange, spine-tingling sights & smells loom beyond. There are so many rides to try out that it almost seems overwhelming, and all the food vendors are hawking such delicious items that your mouth has started to water already. It might be best to start off by simply walking around a bit for
The steps cells take in response to challenges are more complex than previously thought, according to a new study. The study investigates a system relevant to cancer, viral infection, and diabetes as well as Parkinson's and Lou Gehrig's disease, revealing many cases of "purposeful inefficiency" in cellular behavior. These new pathways might offer routes for understanding and perhaps even treating
One of the balancing acts faced by conservation agencies is how to conserve and protect as many species as possible from extinction with limited funding and finite resources. In the U.S., conservation agencies are supported and guided by the Endangered Species Act, the seminal wildlife conservation tool signed by President Nixon in 1973, but which is currently being reviewed by Congress.
Researchers at the Center for Quantum Nanoscience (QNS) within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) in South Korea have made a major scientific breakthrough by detecting the nuclear magnetism, or "nuclear spin" of a single atom. In an international collaboration with IBM Research, the University of Oxford and the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, QNS scientists used advanced and no
With a body the size of a fist and wings that span more than a foot, the big brown bat must gorge on 6,000 to 8,000 bugs a night to maintain its stature. This mighty appetite can be a boon to farmers battling crop-eating pests.
A team of scientists led by Professor Richard Layfield at the University of Sussex has published breakthrough research in molecule-based magnetic information storage materials.
An ancient group of microbes that contains some of the smallest life forms on Earth also has the smallest CRISPR gene-editing machinery discovered to date.
The embryonic stem cells that form facial features, called neural crest cells, use an unexpected mechanism of moving from the back of the head to the front to populate the face, finds a new UCL-led study.
For many years, quantum computers were not much more than an idea. Today, companies, governments and intelligence agencies are investing in the development of quantum technology. Robert König, professor for the theory of complex quantum systems at the TUM, in collaboration with David Gosset from the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo and Sergey Bravyi from IBM, has now p
Scientists have developed a new material and manufacturing process that would make one way to use solar power — as heat energy — more efficient in generating electricity.
A recent study finds that parents educated beyond high school have healthier families, as they invest more in family health care which reduces the likelihood of adverse medical conditions.
One last look at my favorite season of the year, with more autumnal images from across the Northern Hemisphere. Harvests, festivals, migrations, winter preparations, and, of course, the colorful leaves. Today's collection features photographs from Scotland, Switzerland, France, Russia, Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, Turkey, Austria, the Czech Republic, China, and the United States. Also
Two groups make up America's dependents: households of senior citizens and those with children under 18. A new study finds that the wealth gap between them has ballooned since 1989. Also, wealth is now spread very differently within each group: The gap between the richest and poorest seniors has remained stable, but a vast economic divide now exists among families with children. Among the wealthi
Danny Sullivan recalls his incarcerated friend, the peace activist Jim Forest, receiving an iconic photo from one of Nasa's astronauts Re the letter from David Nowell ( The most iconic photograph of Earth , 18 October), my friend Jim Forest, still a peace activist, was in prison in 1969 during the first manned flight to the moon as he was one of the Milwaukee 14 who had publicly burned thousands
Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and colleagues have found that corals living in more productive waters take advantage of the increased food availability. The findings reevaluate scientific understanding of how corals survive and could aid predictions on coral recovery in the face of climate change.
Scientists at Oregon State University have shed light on the evolutionary history of a soil-borne bacteria that is so dangerous to grazing animals it is kept behind lock-and-key to prevent its spread.
More Americans are afraid than ever, according to the 5th annual Chapman University Survey of American Fears, released today. The 2018 survey revealed that government corruption remains Americans' primary concern, and the state of the environment, which for the first time represents fully half of Americans' top 10 fears.
Flares from the youngest red dwarfs surveyed are 100 to 1,000 times more energetic than when the stars are older. This younger age is when terrestrial planets are forming around their stars.
An analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials indicates that supervised aerobic exercise has large antidepressant treatment effects for patients with major depression.
Developed countries imposing their own Security Sector Reform (SSR) processes onto nations recovering from war often rely on entrenched colonial attitudes with no guarantee of success. Researchers looked at the Democratic Republic Congo and Nepal contrasting their outcomes and examining the reasons for success or failure of SSR policies based on Europe. They question whether the systems work in th
Collapsible dog bowls and bendable straws seem to work on a common principle, snapping into stable and useful states, but mechanisms have remained elusive. Now a team led by polymer scientists discuss how 'pre-stress' built into the structure helps them function.
Volunteers aged 9-10 with dyslexia took less time to read passages from children's books, possibly thanks to attenuated excitability of the cerebral cortex.
Girls who play video games are three times more likely to choose physical science, technology, engineering or maths (PSTEM) degrees compared to their non-gaming counterparts, according to new research.
Our level of alertness rises and falls over the course of a workday, sometimes causing our energy to drop and our minds to wander just as we need to perform important tasks. To help understand these patterns and improve productivity, researchers have developed a tool that tracks alertness by measuring pupil size, captured through a burst of photographs taken every time users unlock their smartphon
Scientists have found a new way to analyze the structural integrity of ice shelves at the end of the world, through the songs the winds sing on top of them. (Image credit: De Agostini Picture Library/De Agostini/Getty Images)
Are we restoring the Everglades just so the ocean can swallow a lot of it back up? Eighteen years into the multibillion-dollar restoration of the Everglades, a scientific review committee called Wednesday for a broad re-examination of future projects in light of the changing climate and rising oceans.
Not only did Facebook inflate ad-watching metrics by up to 900 percent, it knew for more than a year that its average-viewership estimates were wrong and kept quiet about it, a new legal filing claims.
William R. Fitzsimmons leaned in and peeked over his glasses. "I'm not sure I understand your question," he said into the microphone. It was the second day of arguments in the trial accusing Harvard of discriminating against Asian American applicants, and Harvard's longtime admissions chief was on the witness stand. John Hughes, a lawyer for Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), had been lobbing q
Diamond nanomaterials are considered hot candidates for low-cost photocatalysts. They can be activated by light and can then accelerate certain reactions between water and CO2 and produce carbon-neutral 'solar fuels'. The EU project DIACAT has now doped such diamond materials with boron and shown at BESSY II how this could significantly improve the photocatalytic properties.
New observations by two Arizona State University astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have caught a red dwarf star in a violent outburst, or superflare. The blast of radiation was more powerful than any such outburst ever detected from the Sun, and would likely affect the habiltability of any planets orbitiing it.
Two closely-related tax schemes have helped banks and investors avoid tax or even syphon cash directly out of European treasuries totalling billions more than previously thought, an investigation by 19 media revealed Thursday.
A new approach to genetic analysis finds associations between environmental factors and pharmacogenes — genes associated with a person's response to drugs — sparking ideas for new research at the interface of population genetics and medicine. Findings were presented at the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) 2018 Annual Meeting in San Diego, Calif.
A study finds that serious conflicts over water are going to arise around the globe. The 5 hotspots identified by the paper include areas of the Nile, Ganges-Brahmaputra, Indus, Tigris-Euphrates, and Colorado rivers. It's still possible to change course if we are prepared to address the effects of climate change. A new paper paints a disturbing picture of a nearby future where people are fighting
62 percent of cancer patients report being in debt due to their treatment. 55 percent accrue at least $10,000 in debt, while 3 percent file for bankruptcy. Cancer costs exceed $80 billion in America each year. None Rebecca Meyer was diagnosed with glioblastoma when she was 5 years old. She fought bravely for 10 months before dying on her 6th birthday. The total cost of of her treatments during th
A Larry Page-backed company has announced that its flying car will go on sale in 2019. It's called the BlackFly. Not quite the escape from traffic you had in mind, but it's a jaw-dropping start. Hey, it's the future. We're supposed to have flying cars, right? Well, here's your flying car, sort of and again . It's slated to go on sale in 2019. It's called the BlackFly and the company manufacturing
The pace and scale of environmental degradation can induce despair and inaction. This map of radioactive pollution of the Pacific after Fukushima adds to the damning evidence. Fortunately, it's a fake. Which means there's room for hope—and action. We have about 12 years left to save the world . The IPCC report making that dire prediction was published earlier this month. Immediately, normal life
French workers on Thursday scooped balls of tar off the beach in Saint-Tropez after oil that leaked from two ships which collided washed ashore in the Riviera resort.
It's harvest time and the chips are down for potato producers in northern France where a long summer drought could see French spuds shrink in size and volume.
A new study shows that some bacterial pathogens, including those that cause strep throat and pneumonia, are able to create the components necessary to replicate their DNA using a ribonucleotide reductase enzyme that does not require a metal ion cofactor.
A virtual reality experience called "Becoming Homeless" is helping expand research on how immersive technology affects people's level of empathy. According to a new study, people who saw what it would be like to lose their jobs and homes using virtual reality developed longer-lasting compassion toward the homeless compared to those who explored other media versions of the VR scenario, like text.
A report claiming lions and other animals were left malnourished at a private zoo in Albania has prompted Albanian authorities to order the zoo's temporary closure.
Collapsible dog bowls, bendable medical tubes and drinking straws all seem to work on a common principle, snapping into a variety of mechanically stable and useful states. Despite the many applications for such "designer matter" structures, however, the fundamental mechanisms of how they work have until now remained mysterious, say materials scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst le
Hundreds of taxis on Thursday drove at a snail's pace across the Polish capital Warsaw in protest at the ride-sharing app Uber and other unlicenced competitors.
Why Did No One Save Gabriel? Gabriel Fernandez was 8 years old, and the signs of abuse were obvious. Yet time and again, caseworkers from child-protective services failed to help him. In a recent article for TheAtlantic.com, Garrett Therolf investigated what went wrong. Thank you for this thoughtful piece. Also, thank you for not weaving this story into a cheap political narrative. This is an Ame
3D-Printed Graphene Scaffold Breaks Capacitor Records New fabrication technique using porous graphene may result in cheaper and better capacitors in the future. graphene_capacitor.jpg A scanning electron microscope image of the 3D-printed graphene aerogel lattice. Image credits: Bin Yao/University of California, Santa Cruz Technology Thursday, October 18, 2018 – 12:00 Yuen Yiu, Staff Writer (Insi
Girls who play video games are three times more likely to choose physical science, technology, engineering or maths (PSTEM) degrees compared to their non-gaming counterparts, according to new research from the University of Surrey.
A new study published this week found that the social lives of sweat bees — named for their attraction to perspiration — are linked to patterns of activity in specific genes, including ones linked to autism.
A recent Rutgers study finds that parents educated beyond high school have healthier families, as they invest more in family health care which reduces the likelihood of adverse medical conditions.
Volunteers aged 9-10 with dyslexia took less time to read passages from children's books, possibly thanks to attenuated excitability of the cerebral cortex.
Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center have discovered a potentially new approach to deliver therapeutics more effectively to the brain. The research could have implications for the treatment of a wide range of diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS, and brain cancer.
Those pesky bees that come buzzing around on a muggy summer day are helping researchers reveal the genes responsible for social behaviors. A new study published this week found that the social lives of sweat bees—named for their attraction to perspiration—are linked to patterns of activity in specific genes, including ones linked to autism.
In novel concepts of magnetic data storage, it is intended to send small magnetic bits back and forth in a chip structure, store them densely packed and read them out later. The magnetic stray field generates problems when trying to generate particularly tiny bits. Now, researchers were able to put an 'invisibility cloak' over the magnetic structures. In this fashion, the magnetic stray field can
Family Medicine and Community Health Journal volume 6, issue number three publishes.The September 2018 issue includes five original research articles, a commentary article and a China Focus article addressing various topics in family medicine in both China and internationally.
Girls who play video games are three times more likely to choose physical science, technology, engineering or maths (PSTEM) degrees compared to their non-gaming counterparts, according to new research from the University of Surrey.
Researchers recently designed a study to explore whether physical activity could lower the high rate of death associated with frailty in older people. Their study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Once again, a major experiment reveals no deviations in the fundamental particle's shape, complicating the search for new physics — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
In the Andean forests along the border of Chile and Argentina, there have long been speculations that the mouse-sized marsupial monito del monte (Dromiciops gliroides) climbs to lofty heights in the trees. Yet, due to the lack of knowledge about the region's biodiversity in the forest canopies, no previous records exist documenting such arboreal habits for this creature.
A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in the U.S. has come up with a new type of cermet that could prove especially useful as a heat exchanger in solar power plants. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the group describes how the new material was made and its advantageous properties.
Big Data is all the rage today, but Small Data matters too! Drawing reliable conclusions from small datasets, like those from clinical trials for rare diseases or in studies of endangered species, remains one of the trickiest obstacles in statistics. Now, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) researchers have developed a new way to analyze small data, one inspired by advanced methods in theoretical
The mantis shrimp has an incredibly fast punch, and it's because of a structure called a saddle that stores energy and then releases it like an archer's bow
Recording the electrical activity of the fine branches of human neurons has revealed that our brain cells are much more sophisticated than those of other animals
Some bacterial pathogens, including those that cause strep throat and pneumonia, are able to create the components necessary to replicate their DNA without the usually required metal ions. This process may allow infectious bacteria to replicate even when the host's immune system sequesters iron and manganese ions in an attempt to slow pathogen replication. A new study, which appears in the journal
Over the next decade, American manufacturers are facing an industrial skills gap with projections of 2 million manufacturing jobs going unfilled due to a lack of qualified and skilled applicants. A large portion of the current manufacturing workforce is nearing retirement age and younger generations often lack the interest to learn the technical skills associated with jobs in manufacturing. Furthe
A Purdue University-led team developed a new material and manufacturing process that would make one way to use solar power — as heat energy — more efficient in generating electricity.
An analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials indicates that supervised aerobic exercise has large antidepressant treatment effects for patients with major depression. The systematic review and meta-analysis is published in Depression and Anxiety.
Our level of alertness rises and falls over the course of a workday, sometimes causing our energy to drop and our minds to wander just as we need to perform important tasks. To help understand these patterns and improve productivity, Cornell University researchers have developed a tool that tracks alertness by measuring pupil size, captured through a burst of photographs taken every time users unl
Collapsible dog bowls and bendable straws seem to work on a common principle, snapping into stable and useful states, but mechanisms have remained elusive. Now a team led by polymer scientists at UMass Amherst discuss how 'pre-stress' built into the structure helps them function.
You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar—or can you? In this video, Reactions explains the chemistry behind why fruit flies love vinegar so much that some entomologists call them "vinegar flies":
Trypanosoma brucei, which causes sleeping sickness, evades the immune system by repeatedly altering the structure of its surface coat. Sequencing of its genome and studies of its 3D genome architecture have now revealed crucial molecular aspects of this strategy.
Michael Myers has plenty of admirers. That's the big takeaway from the new edition of Halloween , a curious sequel that functions as both the 11th entry in a long-running franchise and a direct follow-up to the 1978 John Carpenter film that started it all. Directed by David Gordon Green, this 2018 Halloween is not the first in the venerable slasher series to cast aside some of the more convoluted
Animals Worker rodents routinely eat their queens feces to gain additional nutrients—and parenting skills. Since naked mole-rats commonly eat poop to get any leftover nutrients, the researchers wondered whether the queen's pregnant poop might contain a chemical that, when…
Researchers developed a novel DNA influenza vaccine based on four micro-consensus antigenic regions selected to represent the diversity of seasonal H3N2 viruses across decades.
You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar — or can you? In this video, Reactions explains the chemistry behind why fruit flies love vinegar so much that some entomologists call them 'vinegar flies'.
Researchers have developed a new method — 'Pixel Approximate Entropy' — that measures the complexity of a data visualization and can be used to develop easier to read visualizations. 'In fast-paced settings, it is important to know if the visualization is going to be so complex that the signals may be obscured. The ability to quantify complexity is the first step towards automatically doing some
Diamond nanomaterials are considered hot candidates for low-cost photocatalysts. They can be activated by light and can then accelerate certain reactions between water and CO2 and produce carbon-neutral 'solar fuels'. The EU project DIACAT has now doped such diamond materials with boron and shown at BESSY II how this could significantly improve the photocatalytic properties.
Hospitals should be cautious of group purchasing organizations, or entities that act as middlemen between health care providers and manufacturers, says Martin Makary, M.D., M.P.H., a professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Researchers from the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, have found that a rare gene mutation alters brain development in mice, impairing memory and disrupting the communication between nerve cells. They also show memory problems could be improved by transplanting a specific type of nerve cell into the brain. The findings were published today in Neuron.
Personal electronic devices are a growing source of the world's electronic waste. Many of these products use nanomaterials, but little is known about how nanoparticles interact with the environment. Now a research team including Northwestern University chemists has discovered that when certain coated nanoparticles interact with living organisms it results in new properties that cause the nanoparti
Researchers from the Salk Institute have shown that astrocytes — long-overlooked supportive cells in the brain — help to enable the brain's plasticity, a new role for astrocytes that was not previously known. The findings could point to ways to restore connections that have been lost due to aging or trauma.
Viral vectors used to deliver gene therapies undergo spontaneous changes during manufacturing which affects their structure and function. As gene therapy approaches become more common for treating disease, managing consistency of the molecular makeup of the virus particles that deliver genes is a key concern in manufacturing on a larger scale.
Scientists have discovered a neural mechanism for making rapid, fine adjustments in precise motor activity. The brain's premotor cortex may use a 'neural scratch pad' between it and the primary motor cortex to calculate fine adjustments in reaching plans.
Beginning with Rembrandt, a number of famous artists have been identified as having strabismus, a misalignment of the eyes. Some forms of eye misalignment are thought to be beneficial for artistic work by suppressing the deviating eye, which provides 2-dimensional monocular vision advantageous to painting and drawing. In this study, images considered to be of Leonardo da Vinci (sculptures, oil pai
MIT neuroscientists have discovered that human dendrites have very different electrical properties from those of other species. These differences may contribute to the enhanced computing power of the human brain.
Contrary to the advice most cancer patients receive when they go through radiation treatment, topical skin treatments, unless applied very heavily, do not increase the radiation dose to the skin and can be used in moderation before daily radiation treatments.
Scientists at UC Santa Cruz and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have reported unprecedented performance results for a supercapacitor electrode. The researchers fabricated electrodes using a printable graphene aerogel to build a porous three-dimensional scaffold loaded with pseudocapacitive material. In laboratory tests, the novel electrodes achieved the highest areal capacitance (ele
A large international research team has discovered a new genetic cause for a severe, difficult-to-treat childhood epilepsy syndrome. Spontaneous mutations in one gene disrupt the flow of calcium in brain cells, resulting in epileptic overactivity. The team's research in patients also found clues to potential medical treatments for the rare condition.
Pioneering research has given a fascinating fresh insight into how animal nervous systems evolved from simple structures to become the complex network transmitting signals between different parts of the body.
Researchers in Singapore can now explain what gives the mantis shrimp, a marine crustacean that hunts by battering its prey with its club-like appendages, the most powerful punch in the animal kingdom. In a paper publishing October 19 in the journal iScience, they show that a saddle-shaped structure in the mantis shrimp's limbs, which acts like a spring to store and then release energy, is compose
Human neurons are much larger than those of model organisms, so it's been unclear whether size makes a difference in our brain's computational power. Now, in a study appearing Oct. 18 in the journal Cell, researchers show that unlike those of other animals, human neurons employ highly compartmentalized signaling. Human dendrites process electrical signals differently than dendrites in rodents, the
New research suggests that higher-level brain functions have a major role in losing weight. In a study among 24 participants at a weight-loss clinic, those who achieved greatest success in terms of weight loss demonstrated more activity in the brain regions of the lateral prefrontal cortex associated with self-control. The results of the study were published in Cell Metabolism on Oct. 18.
Researchers reporting in Current Biology on Oct. 18 have described a remarkable new species of fish that lived in the sea about 150 million years ago in the time of the dinosaurs. The new species of bony fish had teeth like a piranha, which the researchers suggest they used as piranhas do: to bite off chunks of flesh from other fish.
Research carried out by the University of Kent sheds light on the infanticidal behaviour of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and demonstrates that females are highly sensitive to the relative risks posed to their babies by different males.
Researchers identify shootin 1b as a clutch molecule that couples force and adhesion for the migration of neurons to the mouse olfactory bulb. The study provides new insights on how internal forces are converted into external movement and on how mechanical interactions regulate neurodevelopment.
Research has shown for the first time that genetics plays a significant role in whether young adults choose to go to university, which university they choose to attend and how well they do.
Argonne scientists have identified a new class of topological materials made by inserting transition metal atoms into the atomic lattice of a well-known two-dimensional material.
Evgenij Zubko of Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU), in collaboration with international team members, has developed a comprehensive model to explain the results of the recent photometric study of the comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 (29P). The surprising findings revealed that the dust environment of 29P predominantly consists of only one type of material—magnesium-rich silicate particles with pre
Scientists from the School of Engineering at the University of Glasgow have developed a handheld device for taking medical readings from patients, and transferring the data to a smartphone.
Anatomy, Modeling and Biomaterial Fabrication for Dental and Maxillofacial Applications provides readers with information about dental implants and biomaterial fabrication for maxillofacial procedures and dental bone / tissue repair. It will also provide valuable insights into the application and production of bioactive materials for any researchers and students in materials science and biomedical
Personal electronic devices—smartphones, computers, TVs, tablets, screens of all kinds—are a significant and growing source of the world's electronic waste. Many of these products use nanomaterials, but little is known about how these modern materials and their tiny particles interact with the environment and living things.
Researchers reporting in Current Biology on October 18 have described a remarkable new species of fish that lived in the sea about 150 million years ago in the time of the dinosaurs. The new species of bony fish had teeth like a piranha, which the researchers suggest they used as piranhas do: to bite off chunks of flesh from other fish.
Controlling individual brain cells using light-sensitive proteins has proven to be a powerful tool for probing the brain's complexities. As this branch of neuroscience has expanded, so has the demand for a diverse palette of protein tools.
Pioneering research has given a fascinating fresh insight into how animal nervous systems evolved from simple structures to become the complex network transmitting signals between different parts of the body.
Researchers in Singapore can now explain what gives the mantis shrimp, a marine crustacean that hunts by battering its prey with its club-like appendages, the most powerful punch in the animal kingdom. In a paper publishing October 19 in the journal iScience, they show that a saddle-shaped structure in the mantis shrimp's limbs, which acts like a spring to store and then release energy, is compose
Autologous blood doping, in which an athlete is transfused with their own stored red blood cells to increase their oxygen capacity for competition, might be detectable now with the use of a microRNA marker of blood aging. An 18-nucleotide miRNA called miR-720 is produced in a predictable pattern as blood ages, which would allow sports officials to detect this kind of blood doping for the first tim
How to create nanocages, i.e., robust and stable objects with regular voids and tunable properties? Short segments of DNA molecules are perfect candidates for the controllable design of novel complex structures. Physicists investigated methodologies to synthesize DNA-based dendrimers in the lab and to predict their behavior using detailed computer simulations. Their results are published in the hi
Children who develop inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease) have an increased risk of death, both in childhood and later in life, a study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden published in the journal Gastroenterology reports. It is therefore important that patients who are diagnosed as children are carefully monitored, argue the researchers behind the study.
The age old adage of virtue being its own reward may not hold true in the corporate world — in fact, honourable acts could lead workers to behave more selfishly later on, new research has shown.
There have long been speculations that the mouse-sized marsupial monito del monte climbs to lofty heights in the trees. Yet, no previous records exist documenting such arboreal habits for this creature. Researchers set motion-sensing camera traps to capture photographic evidence confirming the high-climbing theories surrounding this miniature mammal. The findings are published in a new study in th
New findings reveal distinctive electrical properties of human neurons that may give us a boost in computing power — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
We need to change how we prescribe drugs, says physician Daniel Kraft: too often, medications are dosed incorrectly, cause toxic side effects or just don't work. In a talk and concept demo, Kraft shares his vision for a future of personalized medication, unveiling a prototype 3D printer that could design pills that adapt to our individual needs.
Japan said Thursday it was facing a growing sea of plastic waste with limited capacity to process it after China stopped accepting foreign waste imports.
How to create nanocages, i.e., robust and stable objects with regular voids and tunable properties? Short segments of DNA molecules are perfect candidates for the controllable design of novel complex structures. Physicists from the University of Vienna, the Technical University of Vienna, the Jülich Research Center in Germany and Cornell University in the U.S.A., investigated methodologies to synt
All kinds of bacteria live with us indoors, and some can make us sick. A new study shows that rooms exposed to light had about half the live bacteria found in rooms that were kept in darkness. (Image credit: Dave G Kelly/Getty Images)
New research digs into how animals use their tails to swat away insects. The findings could help scientists build robots and other energy-efficient machines that protect us from mosquitoes. An adult elephant weighs in at nearly five tons. Its peskiest threat is a fraction of that. But in order for a pachyderm to slap away a tiny mosquito once it lands on its backside, it must generate the same am
New research shows added flavorings in e-cigarettes or vaping devices react to e-liquid, or e-juice, creating new compounds that could trigger irritation and inflammation when inhaled.
It is the most extraordinary, alluring and thought-provoking of all the ways in which quantum mechanics has been interpreted. In its most familiar guise, the many-worlds interpretation (MWI) suggests that we live in a near-infinity of universes, all superimposed in the same physical space but mutually isolated and evolving independently. In many of these universes there exist replicas of you and
New study shows that some bacterial pathogens, including those that cause strep throat and pneumonia, are able to create the components necessary to replicate their DNA using a ribonucleotide reductase enzyme that does not require a metal ion cofactor.
Developed countries imposing their own Security Sector Reform (SSR) processes onto nations recovering from war often rely on entrenched colonial attitudes with no guarantee of success. Research led by the University of Kent looked at the Democratic Republic Congo and Nepal contrasting their outcomes and examining the reasons for success or failure of SSR policies based on Europe. They question whe
A new study shows wide variation in prescriptions of sedative drugs, called benzodiazepines, to people with Medicare coverage. Some counties, especially in southern and rural western states, had three times the level of sedative prescribing as others. The study also highlights gaps at the level of individual prescribers: Some primary care providers prescribed sedatives more than six times more oft
Men and women who lived under communist regimes during the Cold War drink more alcohol more often than people in capitalist nations in the West, according to new research from the University of Kent.
In an otherwise innocuous part of Facebook's expansive Silicon Valley campus, a locked door bears a taped-on sign that reads "War Room." Behind the door lies a nerve center the social network has set up to combat fake accounts and bogus news stories ahead of upcoming elections.
Lake Vistonida in northern Greece has become an arachnophobe's worst nightmare after it was cloaked recently by massive webs spun by hundreds of thousands of small spiders.
Graphene has been hailed as the material of the future. As yet, however, little is known about whether and how graphene affects our health if it gets into the body. A team of researchers from Empa and the Adolphe Merkle Institute (AMI) in Fribourg have now conducted the first studies on a three-dimensional lung model to examine the behavior of graphene and graphene-like materials once they have be
Mesmerising footage from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and an exquisite Bronze Age golden disc help a new show capture our complex relationship with the sun
A new film, "First Man," tells the story of Neil Armstrong's stepping onto the moon in the summer of 1969. We asked readers to tell us what they remembered about that historic day.
Gene AMY1, which kickstarts digestion of starch in the mouth, is associated with blood glucose levels and digestion of carbohydrates, with implications for understanding human evolutionary biology and the gut microbiome.
The potent combination of CRISPR/Cas9 and zebrafish as a model organism offers enormous potential for research into human diseases caused by point mutations. Three new articles use zebrafish to explore how advances in CRISPR/Cas9 optimization offer a new level of accuracy and specificity previously out of reach for research into this type of human genetic disorder.
This week at ITF Health 2018, imec, the world-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies, showcases elPrep 4.0, a powerful software tool to speed up human DNA sequencing analysis. elPrep accelerates whole genome and exome processing pipelines up to an order of magnitude, saving a typical lab hundreds of hours of computer processing and allowing more and faster
Gene AMY1, which kickstarts digestion of starch in the mouth, is associated with blood glucose levels and digestion of carbohydrates, with implications for understanding human evolutionary biology and the gut microbiome.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa owes its perilous angle to the weak subsoil its foundations were built upon, back in the 12th century. Its tilt, which worsened gradually until modern engineers arrested it in the late 1990s, is a good example of how incremental changes in geomechanics can add up to big impacts over time.
IMSA veteran, Katherine Legge and her pit crew fine tune their plans for the race while testing at Sebring. Stream Full Episodes of In the Pit: https://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/in-the-pit/ Subscribe to Discovery: http://bit.ly/SubscribeDiscovery Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Discovery Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Discovery We're on Instagram! https://instagram.com/Disc
In novel concepts of magnetic data storage, it is intended to send small magnetic bits back and forth in a chip structure, store them densely packed and read them out later. The magnetic stray field generates problems when trying to generate particularly tiny bits. Now, researchers were able to put an 'invisibility cloak' over the magnetic structures. In this fashion, the magnetic stray field can
HOT TOPIC: Canadian study finds that delays of just an hour result in poorer outcomes for patients and greatly increased healthcare costsHOT TOPIC: Young people, especially women, are less likely to take an ambulance to the hospital after stroke, causing harmful delays, Canadian researchers findHOT TOPIC: Canadian study looks at impact of aerobic exercise on cognitive improvement of stroke patient
A surgical technique called EDAS (encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis) significantly decreases the rate of stroke recurrence and death for patients with severe atherosclerosis of the brain arteries, according to findings of a Phase IIa clinical trial presented today at the World Stroke Congress in Montreal.
Researchers from City of Hope have developed a synthetic DNA molecule that is programmed to jump-start the immune system to eradicate genetically distinct types of prostate cancer. Their novel two-step strategy eliminates STAT3 and toll-like receptor 9. The short DNA programmed by City of Hope researchers temporarily lifted the defense shield of tumors and awakened the immune system in human cell
New research from Harvard shows that a key to reducing extreme wintertime air pollution in China may be reducing formaldehyde emissions rather than sulfur dioxide.
The fall of Angkor has long puzzled historians, archaeologists and scientists, but now a research team is one step closer to discovering what led to the city's demise — and it comes with a warning for modern urban communities.
A new paper written by academics at Royal Holloway and George Washington University, predicts reliable patterns in violent events occurring within wars and terrorism, regardless of geography, ethnicity and religion.
I bought some new socks this week. So what, you might ask. My new socks are lovely and warm and very fluffy – just right for autumn. But, when I wore them, they moulted their fluff all over my feet, and if I'm not careful they will also lose fluff into my washing machine. Again, you may ask – so what? Well, all of this soft fluff isn't actually as "soft and fluffy" as you might imagine; in fact th
For more than 15 years, the Chinese government has invested billions of dollars to clean up its deadly air pollution, focusing intensely on reducing emissions of sulfur dioxide from coal-burning power plants.
Wicked problems are issues so complex and dependent on so many factors that it is hard to grasp what exactly the problem is, or how to tackle it. Wicked problems are like a tangled mess of thread – it's difficult to know which to pull first. Increasing antibiotic resistance, security of food and energy supply, increasing global warming and wars can all be classed as wicked problems.
Trypanosoma brucei, which causes sleeping sickness, evades the immune system by repeatedly altering the structure of its surface coat. Sequencing of its genome and studies of its 3D genome architecture have now revealed crucial molecular aspects of this strategy.
The more attractive the image and design of the telephone, the stronger the emotional relationship that consumers are going to have with the product, which is a clear influence on their purchasing decision. After analysing the data collected, the experts indicated that technical characteristics and functionality are the next factors to influence the purchase of smartphones.
People who commute through natural environments report better mental health. This is the main conclusion of a research based on questionnaires answered by nearly 3,600 participants from four European cities and published in Environment International.
A series of floods that hit the ancient city of Angkor would have overwhelmed and destroyed its vast water network, according to a new study that provides an explanation for the downfall of the world's biggest pre-industrial city.
Space, that final frontier, is something that catches the attention of a country naturally inclined to believe in ideas like "Manifest Destiny" and American exceptionalism. But how well does a Space Force fit that bill? And would a Space Force reignite a military space race and fuel diplomatic tensions with China and Russia?
Scientists recreated deep sea conditions from the last ice age and found that the tropical Pacific contained more carbon and less oxygen during that period than previously thought.
DIY Create a custom computer. Putting together your own computer sounds like a monumental task. But anyone can do it—especially if you have this handy beginner's guide to help.
Environment A state-by-state breakdown of policies that could change your community. These are the top science, technology, or environment issues facing each state—plus Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. Even if it never surfaces on the campaign trail,…
New research shows that it's possible to steal data undetected from terahertz wireless links, even though those links involve beam transmissions from the transmitter to the receiver. The research indicates terahertz data links, which may play a role in ultra-high-speed wireless data networks of the future, aren't as immune to eavesdropping as many researchers have assumed. The researchers found t
Trypanosoma brucei, which causes sleeping sickness, evades the immune system by repeatedly altering the structure of its surface coat. Sequencing of its genome and studies of its 3-D genome architecture have now revealed crucial molecular aspects of this strategy.
Particle accelerators are made of structures called cavities, which impart energy to the particle beam, kicking it forward. One type of cavity is the superconducting radio-frequency, or SRF, cavity. Usually made of niobium, SRF cavities require extreme cold to operate. A Fermilab team developed a new way of cooling SRF cavities without liquid helium. The new system is easier to operate and simpler
Inside smartphones and computer displays are metals known as the rare earths. Mining and purifying these metals involves waste- and energy-intense processes. Better processes are needed. Previous work has shown that specific rare earth elements absorb light energy that can change their chemical behavior and make them easier to separate. Now, researchers have revealed how certain molecular structur
Researchers have for the first time been able to investigate the abundance and methyl modifications of all mitochondrial tRNAs in patients suffering from one of the most common inherited mitochondrial tRNA mutations. The analysis pipeline revealed quantitative changes that had dramatic effects on protein synthesis within mitochondria.
An arthroscopic near infrared spectroscopic probe for evaluation of articular cartilage and subchondral bone structure and composition was developed as part of a Ph.D. thesis at the University of Eastern Finland. The probe enables enhanced detection of cartilage injuries, as well as evaluation of the integrity of the surrounding tissue. The availability of comprehensive information on the health o
Adults go to the doctor roughly three times a year.1 During their visit, vitals are taken such as blood pressure, pulse, and weight, but are these measurements really showing the full picture of a person's overall health? Extensive research shows health care professionals should be considering something often overlooked – muscle mass.
Allergen-specific immunotherapy can considerably improve everyday life for allergy sufferers. It is unclear, however, what exactly happens during this treatment. A team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Helmholtz Zentrum München investigated the processes taking place in the body over the course of a three-year allergen-specific immunotherapy. The researchers found clues as to why th
A new study led by CNIC researcher Andrés Hidalgo and published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine shows that in addition to its defense function and the associated damage to affected tissues, the immune system also plays an important role in the day-to-day function of healthy organs. The research results show that the immune cells called neutrophils help to maintain the normal function of he
Children with asthma who grow up in a New York City neighborhood where air pollution is prevalent need emergency medical treatment more often than asthmatics in less polluted areas. This is according to researchers from Columbia University in the US in a new study published in the Springer Nature-branded journal Pediatric Research.
Researchers from the Living Primates Research Group in the University of Kent's School of Anthropology and Conservation (SAC), and the School of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of St Andrews, examined the behaviour of female chimpanzees in the Budongo Forest, Uganda, where chimpanzees (at least in the study community) are particularly prone to committing and suffering infanticide.
Known since antiquity, Mercury has not yet delivered all its secrets. The international mission BepiColombo, scheduled to launch in the coming days, will study the planet's surface and compare its magnetic field with that of the Earth.
It's easy to find videos on YouTube exposing people's seemingly unwavering support for the actions of their political party. A 2016 video on Jimmy Kimmel's show includes Hillary Clinton supporters agreeing with her purported quotes about policies, though the actual quotes were taken from Donald Trump.
Nitrous oxide, or N2O, is a greenhouse gas that affects the ozone layer and the earth's climate. Until now, experts believed that microbes in the soil were largely responsible for its formation. Now an interdisciplinary research team from the University of Applied Sciences Bingen and Heidelberg University have looked more closely at plants as the source. The result of the study: The earth's flora
When we think of slavery, many of us think of historical or so-called "traditional forms" of slavery – and of the 12m people ripped from their West African homes and shipped across the Atlantic for a lifetime in the plantations of the Americas.
Lake Eyre is one of Australia's most iconic wetlands, home to thousands of waterbirds that migrate from all over Australia and the world. But it is often dry for decades between floods.
A new study reveals that children with developmental delays, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), are up to 50 percent more likely to be overweight or obese compared with the general population.
According to the prevailing opinion, species-rich ecosystems are more stable against environmental disruptions such as drought, hot spells or pesticides. The situation is not as simple as it seems, however, as ecologists have now discovered. Under certain environmental conditions, increased biodiversity can also lead to an ecosystem becoming more unstable.
To be able to reproduce and become effective disease carriers, mosquitoes must first attain optimal body size and nutritional status. A pair of researchers have succeeded in using CRISPR-Cas9, a powerful tool for altering DNA sequences and modifying gene function, to decrease mosquito body size, moving the research one step closer to eliminating mosquitoes that carry dengue fever and Zika virus.
Scientists from Samara University and several universities in the USA have proposed and experimentally confirmed new fundamental chemical mechanisms for the synthesis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The results of this work are presented in the article published in Oct. 8 edition of the scientific journal Nature Astronomy. The described processes make it possible to understand how comp
Researchers at The Australian National University (ANU) have discovered a new genetic disease and a method for detecting more unexplained medical conditions.
Dr. Quanjia Zhong and Professor Ruiqiang Ding, from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, employed the nonlinear local Lyapunov exponent (NLLE) approach to estimate the predictability limit of TCs over the whole western North Pacific (WNP) basin using observed TC best-track data.
A Brown University study found that many young adults who tried fentanyl test strips reduced overdose risk by using less, going slower or using with someone else present.
Research from King's College London has shown for the first time that genetics plays a significant role in whether young adults choose to go to university, which university they choose to attend and how well they do.
New research from Duke and Yale universities shows added flavorings in e-cigarettes or vaping devices react to e-liquid, or e-juice, creating new compounds that could trigger irritation and inflammation when inhaled.
The potent combination of CRISPR/Cas9 and zebrafish as a model organism offers enormous potential for research into human diseases caused by point mutations. Three new articles published in Disease Models & Mechanisms use zebrafish to explore how advances in CRISPR/Cas9 optimisation offer a new level of accuracy and specificity previously out of reach for research into this type of human genetic d
Researchers from Australia and Japan have discovered a new human immunodeficiency syndrome in two patients on separate continents. The study, which will be published Oct. 18 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, reveals that a mutation in a gene called IKBKB disrupts the immune system, leading to excessive inflammation and the loss of both T and B white blood cells.
A global study of women with ovarian cancer has found that two thirds of women had never heard of the disease, or did not know anything about it before their diagnosis. Although nine out of ten had experienced symptoms prior to diagnosis, fewer than half of those women visited a doctor within a month of noticing symptoms.
A Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine study reveals how, on a cellular level, diabetes can cause heart failure. The findings could lead to medications to treat and perhaps prevent heart failure in diabetes patients.
Gene AMY1, which kickstarts digestion of starch in the mouth, is associated with blood glucose levels and digestion of carbohydrates, with implications for understanding human evolutionary biology and the gut microbiome.
A UCR psychology researcher says the bar is too low for 'functional independence' in older adults, and should be aligned with skills younger adults must conquer.
The fall of Angkor has long puzzled historians, archaeologists and scientists, but now a University of Sydney research team is one step closer to discovering what led to the city's demise — and it comes with a warning for modern urban communities.
På Syddansk Universitet er de medicinstuderende igennem et forløb, hvor formålet er at sikre, at fremtidens læger reflekterer over mennesket bag sygdommen.
Aarhus Universitetshospital oplever flere opsigelser fra sygeplejersker end normalt, og afdelingerne har svært ved at rekruttere nye, erfarne oversygeplejersker.
A two-year cycle in the gamma-ray brightness of a blazar, a galaxy powered by a supermassive black hole, has been confirmed by 10 years of observations from NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. The findings were announced today at the Eighth International Fermi Symposium meeting this week in Baltimore.
,We are now truly living in the era of big data. And it's not just companies like Facebook and YouTube that are reaping the benefits, big data is transforming science too. In the space sciences, we have an unprecedented number of satellites and ground-based instruments that monitor Earth's space environment – routinely producing tonnes of data. But how do you process it all? While you may have hea
Fuels, plastics, and other products are made using catalysts, materials that drive chemical reactions. To design a better catalyst, scientists must get the right atoms in the right spot. Positioning the atoms can be difficult, but new research makes it easier. Researchers determined the exact location of single oxygen atoms, which act like anchors for catalysts. In the case of a layer of carbon at
Scientists have mapped the distribution of bumblebees in Europe and created a predictive map that can be used to monitor and mitigate bumblebee decline.
The discovery of a rare mineral (reidite) at the Woodleigh meteorite impact structure in Western Australia was published this week by Curtin University honours student Morgan Cox and colleagues.
A measurable criterion now exists for determining the age rating of films. A group of scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz has found that the concentration of isoprene in cinema air correlates with the cinema industry's voluntary classification of films. Evidently, the more nervous and tense people are, the more variable is the isoprene they emit. This can be used to deduc
Researchers at the Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) identify shootin 1b as a clutch molecule that couples force and adhesion for the migration of neurons to the mouse olfactory bulb. The study provides new insights on how internal forces are converted into external movement and on how mechanical interactions regulate neurodevelopment.
Argonne scientists have identified a new class of topological materials made by inserting transition metal atoms into the atomic lattice of a well-known two-dimensional material.
Scoring streaks have long fascinated sports professionals and researchers, yet they are not close to consensus on the right way to think about the issue — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
European and Japanese double probe, BepiColombo, will take seven years to reach the solar system's innermost planet — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
ETH doctoral student Kai von Petersdorff-Campen has developed a method to create products containing magnets using 3-D printing. He used an artificial heart pump to demonstrate the operating principle – and won an international prototype competition.
Research from King's College London has shown for the first time that genetics plays a significant role in whether young adults choose to go to university, which university they choose to attend and how well they do.
Supplements are a billion-dollar business, but quality control is questionable. A new study shows that supplements may be adulterated with unlabelled prescription drugs.
1500 danske hjertesvigtpatienter fra 21 hospitalsafdelinger skal deltage i DANHEART-studiet, som undersøger om behandling med metformin og Hydralazin/nitroglycerin kan reducere dødelighed og risiko for hospitalsindlæggelse.
Workers in most hand car washes in the UK are subject to some form of labour exploitation—such as excessively long hours or exceptionally low pay, according to a new report out today on Anti-Slavery Day (18 October).
A study has shown that carbon fibers can work as battery electrodes, storing energy directly. This opens up new opportunities for structural batteries, where the carbon fiber becomes part of the energy system. The use of this type of multifunctional material can contribute to a significant weight-reduction in the aircraft and vehicles of the future — a key challenge for electrification.
A surge in Lassa fever cases in Nigeria in 2018 doesn't appear to be linked to a single virus strain or increased human-to-human transmission, according to genomic analysis published in NEJM. Multiple institutions collaborated on the report, and the research was supported in part by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the National Human Genome Research Institute, and the NIH
How do you create the largest 3-D map of the universe? It's as easy as teaching 5,000 robots how to "dance." DESI, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, is an experiment that will target millions of distant galaxies by automatically swiveling fiber-optic positioners (the robots) to point at them and gather their light. In creating this detailed map, scientists hope to learn more about dark ene
Animals Shaking up what we know about bird hearing. Some can hit notes so high, they go ultrasonic. But based on everything we know about birds, the hummingbirds shouldn't be able to hear notes that high.
An international team of researchers has successfully produced a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) in space for the first time. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the group describes creating a small experimental device that was carried on a rocket into space and the experiments that were conducted during its freefall.
The unique ability of cuttlefish, squid and octopuses to hide by imitating the colors and texture of their environment has fascinated natural scientists since the time of Aristotle. Uniquely among all animals, these mollusks control their appearance by the direct action of neurons onto expandable pixels, numbered in millions, located in their skin. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Brain
A team of scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has shown that the structure of microscopic pores in high explosive materials can significantly impact performance and safety. These findings — published recently as the cover article in the journal Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics — open the door to the possibility of tuning high explosives by engineering their microstruct
Teams responsible for flying the bold BepiColombo mission to Mercury today completed the last major step in preparation for Saturday's liftoff—the final pre-launch 'dress rehearsal' at ESA's ESOC control centre in Darmstadt, Germany.
Higher blood levels of omega 3 fatty acids found in seafood are associated with a higher likelihood of healthy ageing among older adults, finds a US study published by The BMJ today.
Pre-eclampsia is associated with an increased risk of later dementia, particularly vascular dementia, caused by reduced blood supply to the brain due to diseased blood vessels, finds a large study.
Ecosystems have a variety of benefits to humans, including food, water and other resources, as well as recreational space. It is therefore important that these systems remain functional and stable—especially in view of climate change and environmental pollution. Ecologists at the University of Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) have now examined the fa
We live in an age of long-range information transmitted either by underground optical fibre or by radio satellites. But the throughput today is so great that radio frequency is no longer enough in itself. Research is turning toward the use of lasers which, although technically complex, have several advantages, especially when it comes to security. However, this new technology, currently in the tes
A scientific paper published this week predicts climate change will send beer prices skyrocketing and drastically reduce the barley crop. It got tons of media attention. But is beer really doomed? (Image credit: Dean Hutton/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Trods forslag fra Københavns Borgerrepræsentation mener miljø- og fødevareminister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen (V) ikke, at tiden er moden til at teste roadpricing.
Ifølge de foreløbige undersøgelser er det spammere og ikke en nationalstat, der står bag Facebook-hack, hvor millioner af brugeres data er blevet kompromitteret.
Stocking up on supplies—water, batteries, food staples— as tropical storm Gordon loomed over the Gulf, I was struck by a familiar sound in the sky as I loaded bags into my car: a bank of airliners forming a loose arc as they slanted down toward the airport, descending one at a time to land. While the city of New Orleans braced for the worst, life at the airport went on as usual. Gordon ended up m
With scarce nutrients and weak gravity, growing potatoes on the moon or on other planets seems unimaginable. But the plant hormone strigolactone could make it possible, plant biologists from the University of Zurich have shown. The hormone supports the symbiosis between fungi and plant roots, thus encouraging plants' growth—even under the challenging conditions found in space.
Researchers from the Graduate School of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT) have sped up the movement of electrons in organic semiconductor films by two to three orders of magnitude. The speedier electronics could lead to improved solar power and transistor use around the world, according to the scientists. They published their results
Den ledende overlæge har sagt op, og ledende oversygeplejerske har sagt ja en en gensidig fratrædelsesordning på Sydvestjysk Sygehus. Usikkerheden omkring hændelsesforløbet er fortsat stor.
Det ville have klædt socialdemokraterne, hvis de havde holdt sig til de to gode forslag i udspillet om at droppe seksårsfristen og øge antallet af hoveduddannelsesforløb i almen praksis.
Human drivers (and one cyclist) have rear-ended self-driving cars 28 times this year in California—accounting for nearly two-thirds of robocar crashes.
For years , an organization called Women on Web has given women a way to perform their own medication-induced abortions at home. The organization would, remotely, do online consultations, fill prescriptions, and ship the pills that trigger miscarriages to women who live in countries where abortion is illegal. Several studies have shown that the service is safe . For American women who've wanted p
Report showing dramatic decline in internet access growth suggests digital revolution will remain a distant dream for billions of people Life at the bottom of the global league of internet access Almost 50% of the world is online. What about the other 50%? The growth of internet access around the world has slowed dramatically, according to new data, suggesting the digital revolution will remain a
En læser vil gerne vide, hvorfor feber giver kulderystelser, og om det er det samme, der sker, når tunge løft får kroppen til at ryste. Overlæge fra Rigshospitalet giver et svar.
Beachside communities beginning to rebuild after two catastrophic hurricane impacts on the United States, they should ask whether beach nourishment offers enough protection from erosion and flooding.
Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey are on the ground in Florida looking for the high water marks of Hurricane Michael. FEMA uses these maps to determine who is eligible for what kind of aid.
The University of Missouri was deciding how to honor George Smith, who shared the 2018 Nobel in chemistry. Some schools designate parking spots but Smith bikes. He now has his own spot in a bike rack.
MAN Energy Solutions vil gøre sine skibsmotorer endnu mere effektive via IoT. Men det er ikke så ligetil at opsamle data fra en 13 meter høj skibsmotor, der befinder sig ude midt på verdenshavene.
One-third of us are suffering from chronic stress in the workplace. Other studies suggest that half of us bring our work stress home, creating stress in our personal lives. Being busy has become a cultural obsession. But it's not the golden badge of honor we think it is. Dan Pontefract points out that there's a big difference between being busy and being productive. The best productivity hack? Sc
Between 18 and 25 percent of Tinder users is in a committed relationship while on Tinder. Non-single Tinder users are more likely to report casual sexual behavior. Personality distinctions were found between non-single users and other groups. Swiping left or right has now been engrained into the cultural vernacular. Across the world with approximately 50 million people swiping on the daily, Tinde
English is a phenomenal language, but there are circumstances where words seem to fail us. Often, other languages have already found a solution to expressing the complicated ideas that can't be succinctly conveyed in English. If you've ever wanted to describe the anguish of a bad haircut, the pleasure of walking in the woods, or the satisfaction of finding your life's purpose, read on. None Don't
A new study in Nature Plants suggests that changes in the climate will dramatically reduce barley harvests. Barley is vital to making beer and feeding livestock, but the researchers argue that livestock will come first in a crisis. The findings show us the impact that climate change will have on even the most mundane parts of our lives. Just when you thought climate change couldn't get any worse,
"Rationalization was much easier than recognizing the gravity of what was lost: an innocent, healthy childhood and an introduction to sexuality on my terms."
The social media giant has assembled a team of geeks, spooks, hackers, and lawyers to prevent a repeat of the 2016 abuse and manipulation on its network.
Samuel arrived in Michigan wearing black sweatpants and a black hoodie with the drawstring pulled so tightly his new foster parents could hardly see his face. The 10-year-old gave off an overpowering stench—he was so afraid of the ICE agents who had separated him from his dad that he refused to use the bathroom during the trip from the Southwest border, and instead defecated in his government-iss
S enator Kamala Harris , a California Democrat and potential 2020 presidential contender, has a Trump-size tax plan of her own. Harris is offering a kind of fun-house-mirror inversion of the sweeping Republican tax initiative, one that would, instead of slashing rates on high-income households and corporations, push huge credits out to middle-income and poor families. The LIFT the Middle Class Ac
Seven months ago, shortly after Republicans on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence shut down the panel's Russia investigation, the committee's top Democrat appeared to lay the groundwork for a reopened probe should Democrats take back the House after the midterm elections. "We will be submitting to the public a detailed account of what we have learned to date, and the work that h
In its final stages, the tumultuous 2018 midterm election appears to be moving in contradictory directions, with Democrats and Republicans alike finding legitimate reasons for optimism amid the daily flurry of new polls. But these seemingly disparate signals actually represent a mirror image of the same powerful force: a tightening connection between voters' attitudes about President Trump and th
I wasn't born a Republican—I became one. My parents were '60s hippies whom I vaguely remember celebrating the election of Jimmy Carter; I was enamored with Bill Clinton in 1992; to me, George H. W. Bush was one of those "old people" who didn't understand what was going on in the world. But I came to disagree with Democrats on matters of taxation and spending, and I rejected the idea that the gove
A whole new world —that is what Ted Cruz wanted to give her. It was the spring of 2001, and Heidi Nelson was planning her nuptials to the man she'd met just over a year earlier. On Christmas break from Harvard Business School, she'd encountered the cocky and cerebral Cruz in Austin, Texas, where they were both working on George W. Bush's presidential campaign. He was "super-smart" and "really fun
Unity, Liverpool Departing from convention and reality, Leo Butler's simulated psychedelic experience crashes around with jolly abandon You can imagine an Open University programme that sets out to explain the effects of hallucinogenic drugs. It would feature doctors in white coats talking about lysergic acid diethylamide alongside illustrations of molecule clusters and a few chemical formulae. W
Fasting diets are getting ever more popular, amid promises of weight loss and better health, but does the science stand up? We put the latest one to the test
Det har været muligt for efterforskere at få adgang til vigtige våbensystemer i det amerikanske militær. Ny rapport kritiserer systemernes sikkerhedsniveau.
U.S. production of heat-trapping greenhouse gases fell 2.7 percent last year. But larger cuts will be needed to address climate change. (Image credit: Branden Camp/AP)
T here would appear to be no shortage of issues competing for Mark Zuckerberg's attention. Security breaches. Russian disinformation campaigns. Politicians' demands for more regulation. But the 34-year-old Facebook founder and CEO is also interested in a more local version of politics: He and his wife, Priscilla Chan, have ponied up $1 million through their philanthropic Chan Zuckerberg Initiativ
An opening ceremony has finally been announced for the world's longest sea bridge connecting Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China, but critics hit back Thursday over the secrecy surrounding the launch.
Pre-Columbian people used its bark as a medicine while South American liberator Simon Bolivar adopted it in Peru's coat of arms, but the cinchona tree is facing a battle for survival as vast swathes of forest are chopped down to make way for plantations.
Energy sector carbon emissions will rise in 2018 after hitting record levels the year before, dimming prospects for meeting Paris climate treaty goals, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) said Wednesday.
Escalating trade wars "pose real risks" to the global economy, potentially threatening millions of jobs, head of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Roberto Azevedo warned in a London speech on Wednesday.
Washington on Wednesday again declined to call China a currency manipulator but said the yuan's fall and Beijing's exchange practices were of "particular concern."
According to the prevailing opinion, species-rich ecosystems are more stable against environmental disruptions such as drought, hot spells or pesticides. The situation is not as simple as it seems, however, as ecologists at the University of Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) have now discovered. Under certain environmental conditions, increased biodiv
Automated alerts from the fledgling West Coast earthquake early warning system are ready to be used broadly by businesses, utilities, schools and other entities but not for mass public notification, officials said Wednesday.
Inside a dark, low-ceilinged room once frequented by Picasso and Modigliani when they were still struggling artists, a group of tourists from Russia, Canada and Australia are listening to traditional French songs.
Genes that alter their expression during healthy pregnancies have been identified for the first time, potentially helping us to predict at-risk pregnancies
A new study reveals that children with developmental delays, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), are up to 50 percent more likely to be overweight or obese compared with the general population.
A study led by Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, has shown that carbon fibers can work as battery electrodes, storing energy directly. This opens up new opportunities for structural batteries, where the carbon fiber becomes part of the energy system. The use of this type of multifunctional material can contribute to a significant weight-reduction in the aircraft and vehicles of the future
Scientists at the University of York have found a way of distinguishing between fatal prostate cancer and manageable cancer, which could reduce unnecessary surgeries and radiotherapy.
A statistical method could fill the gaps in the US cancer registry data to estimate the short- and long-term risk of recurrence of hormone receptor (HR)-positive and HR-negative breast cancers.
Researchers from MIT have developed a new security system that has been shown to outperform Intel's own approach at preventing so-called 'timing attacks' made possible by vulnerabilities like Meltdown and Spectre.
Der skal opsættes mere stationært ANPG-udstyr så der kommer 50 procent flere lokationer i Danmark, hvor politiet automatisk kan scanne nummerplader. Sådan lyder det fra justitsminister Søren Pape Poulsen.
By caring for their sick and injured, Neandertals were able to expand into more dangerous environments and pursue more deadly prey. Christopher Intagliata reports. — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
S-togenes nye signalsystem har forlænget rejsetiden for passagererne og skabt utryghed blandt lokomotivførerne. Ingeniøren har taget turen mellem Jægersborg og Hillerød, hvor togene har kørt på CBTC i snart 1.000 dage.
Den første strækning med det nye signalproblem er stadig ramt af problemer to år efter indvielsen. Banedanmark er »meget kritisk« over for leverandørens løfter om, at den samlede plan med afslutning i 2021 holder.
Comprehensive genetic testing of tumors and non-cancerous tissue from pediatric cancer patients is a feasible and clinically useful approach that can guide patient care, according to new findings.
Ancient populations in the Andes of Peru adapted to their high-altitude environment and the introduction of agriculture in ways distinct from other global populations that faced similar circumstances.
Cardboard baby boxes are being promoted for infant sleep as a safe alternative to more traditional cots, bassinets, or Moses baskets, without any evidence in place, warn experts.
By combining data on individuals' lifetime sun exposure and their genetics, researchers can generate improved predictions of their risk of skin cancer.
Ancient populations in the Andes of Peru adapted to their high-altitude environment and the introduction of agriculture in ways distinct from other global populations that faced similar circumstances, according to findings presented at the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) 2018 Annual Meeting in San Diego, Calif.
A new lawsuit alleges that Facebook inflated its video viewership numbers more than previously reported, and then hid the mistake. And that has journalists steamed.
Every day, Americans buy tens of thousands of cheap products from China—jeans, electronics, things made of plastic. Two months ago, I even bought a wedding dress. We buy stuff from China mostly because the low cost of living and lax labor regulations allow manufacturers to make products cheaply there. But there's another reason, too. It's really cheap to send stuff from China to the United States
Investigators from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital will present new findings at the American Society of Human Genetics annual meeting this week, including study results focused on the benefit of utilizing whole genome, exome and transcriptome sequencing for pediatric cancer patients.
The Trump administration wants a decision on DACA from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals by the end of the month—or else it will go to the Supreme Court, with Brett Kavanaugh in a new conservative majority. On Wednesday, the Justice Department sent a letter to the Ninth Circuit urging that it rule on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, an Obama-era program that shields from deportation undoc
What We're Following On the Court: Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been quietly reshaping U.S. immigration courts, showing a hiring preference for judges with certain backgrounds and pushing them to hear more cases. And as the nation's highest court moves on from a divisive confirmation process, here are several ideas for reforming that system. Dark Money: This obscure organization seems to ha
An unhealthy population of microbes in the mouth triggers specialized immune cells that inflame and destroy tissues, leading to the type of bone loss associated with a severe form of gum disease, according to a new study in mice and humans. The findings could have implications for new treatment approaches for the condition.
Due to inadequate lab tests, an outbreak of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis in South Africa has remained undetected for no less than five years. An international team of microbiologists led by Dr Emmanuel André (KU Leuven, Belgium) and his South African colleague Ndivhuho Makhado present their findings in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
Amid a plan announced by the United Nations to eradicate tuberculosis by 2030, a new study has revealed the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains of the disease which go undetected by WHO-endorsed tests. These findings, from an international research team co-directed by CNRS researcher Philip Supply are published in the Oct. 17, 2018 edition of The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
Cardboard baby boxes are being promoted for infant sleep as a safe alternative to more traditional cots, bassinets, or Moses baskets, without any evidence in place, warn experts in The BMJ today.
Higher blood levels of omega 3 fatty acids found in seafood are associated with a higher likelihood of healthy ageing among older adults, finds a US study published by The BMJ today.
Pre-eclampsia is associated with an increased risk of later dementia, particularly vascular dementia, caused by reduced blood supply to the brain due to diseased blood vessels, finds a large study published by The BMJ today.
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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.
Artiklerne roses for at gøre vanskeligt stof forståeligt, uden at den videnskabelige holdbarhed tabes.
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