Researchers from the Salk Institute and the University of Florida are reporting how they used cryo-EM to show the structure of a version of a virus called an AAV2, advancing the technique's capabilities and the virus' potential as a delivery vehicle for gene therapies.
Fuel cells hold promise as a clean, renewable source of energy. But keeping them dry has long been a challenge, as they produce water during the process of converting hydrogen and oxygen into electricity. Now University of British Columbia researchers say they may have found a solution: pre-treating the electrode — a key component of fuel cells — with ionized oxygen gas, or plasma.
The jet's apparent (but not actual) superluminal velocity provide new constraints on the merger and its aftermath — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
The environment contains electromagnetic radiation and magnetic fields of natural and artificial origin. Even a short electromagnetic pulse is enough to knock any equipment out of operation. Candidate of Sciences (Physics and Mathematics) Aleksey Trukhanov, senior research fellow at the SUSU Nanotechnologies Research and Education Center, is studying electrolytic films to develop electromagnetic a
Astronomers have used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to discover a ring of black holes or neutron stars in a galaxy 300 million light years from Earth.
A small team of researchers with the Vienna Biocenter has discovered that a protein that exists on the exterior of zebrafish eggs acts as a sentry—allowing only sperm from zebrafish to enter. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes discovering the protein and the way they tested its purpose. Ruth Lehmann with the NYU School of Medicine writes a Perspective piece on the
After snagging a new rock sample on Aug. 9, NASA's Curiosity rover surveyed its surroundings on Mars, producing a 360-degree panorama of its current location on Vera Rubin Ridge.
An eco-friendly, coating-free strategy has been developed to make solid surfaces liquid-repellent, which is crucial for the transportation of large quantities of liquids through pipes. Researchers from KAUST's Water Desalination and Reuse Center have engineered nature-inspired surfaces that decrease frictional drag at the interface between liquid and pipe surface.
Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger (1887-1961), one of the giants of contemporary science, considered entanglement the most interesting property in quantum mechanics. In his view, it was this phenomenon that truly distinguished the quantum world from the classical world. Entanglement occurs when groups of particles or waves are created or interact in such a way that the quantum state of each par
An international research group has improved perovskite solar cell efficiency by using materials with better light absorption properties. For the first time, the researchers used silicon nanoparticles. Such nanoparticles can trap light of a broad range of wavelengths near the cell active layer. The particles themselves don't absorb light and don't interact with other elements of the battery, thus
The replacement of natural fynbos vegetation with pine plantations in the southern Cape, and the subsequent invasion of surrounding land by invasive pine trees, significantly increased the severity of the 2017 Knysna wildfires. This is one of the findings of a study published in the journal Fire Ecology by a research team from the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology (CIB) at Stellenb
Although land animals can move in many different ways, most terrestrial creatures use legs to crawl, scuttle, walk and run about. Leg-propelled animals such as mammals, insects, spiders or centipedes, feature a wealth of differently designed locomotor apparatuses and a wide range of leg numbers. In order to cover distances with energy efficiency, many terrestrial animals exploit mechanisms enablin
During seed-mediated growth, the Pd-Au nano-heterostructure can be either centrosymmetric Pd@Au core-shell trisoctahedra or asymmetric Pd-Au heterodimers. What causes the symmetry breaking of bimetal nano-heterostructures? A recent study proposes that the thermodynamic factor plays a key role for the symmetry breaking of bimetal nano-heterostructures during seed-mediated growth.
Health How much rest is enough? For the first time, the Centers for Disease Control have released specific guidelines for health care workers treating young people with mild traumatic brain injuries…
A few years ago, when I was reporting a story on personal finance , I became fascinated by a concept that behavioral economists call the "pain of paying." The phrase refers to the psychological discomfort experienced when parting with one's money, and it varies by medium: At one extreme would be painstakingly counting out each penny at the register (a high pain of paying, because of how tactile t
On June 13, 2018, Honduran asylum-seeker Anita and her five-year-old son, Jenri, were forcibly separated at the U.S.-Mexico border. Thanks to a pro bono lawyer, Jodi Goodwin, who aggressively advocates for their release from their respective ICE detention centers, Anita and Jenri are reunited after a month apart. But the damage has been done. The Separated , a new documentary from The Atlantic ,
I didn't realize how seriously companies take social media until last year, when I opened my front door and saw a delivery guy holding a stack of pizza boxes up to his chin. Comcast had recently started advertising mobile-phone service where I live. Given that Comcast and AT&T were already the only local choices for broadband and cable, the move felt like an ominous sign of even more industry con
A Penn bioengineer disputes a recent New York Times report suggesting microwaves accounted for what occurred at the U.S. embassy in Havana — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
As well as being a brilliant physicist, the winner of the Breakthrough prize is a generous, inspirational role model It was not a surprise to read that Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell has said she will donate the money she has just won as recipient of the £2.3m Breakthrough prize to help students underrepresented in physics to study the subject she loves. As a research student in the 1960s, Bell Burnel
A persistent myth about milk — that drinking it can lead to the production of more gooey mucus in your body's airways — is completely false, a new review finds.
David Simon, at least judging by an interview he and George Pelecanos gave to The Globe and Mail last month, would prefer that viewers of The Deuce interpret the HBO show's second season purely on its own merits. When asked specifically about allegations of misconduct regarding the show's star, James Franco, that emerged in the midst of the #MeToo movement last year, Simon seemed to react angrily
Most radios use antennae to pick up a signal, but this new one uses a glass box full of vapour instead, with lasers to translate the signal into a sound
Opblomstringen af nye teknologier til at flytte mennesker og varer får Mediehuset Ingeniøren til at lancere sit tredje Pro-medie med navnet MobilityTech.
Island nations like Fiji and the Maldives are almost at the "point of no return" because of rising sea levels, a leading climate negotiator warned Friday.
Record typhoons, biblical floods, heatwaves, landslides and earthquakes: this summer, Japan really has seen it all and images of the destruction caused have been beamed around the world.
Entrepreneur Elon Musk sipped whiskey and puffed a little weed while musing at length about artificial intelligence, colonizing space, and the need to give love a chance.
Researchers specializing in synthetic biology are developing a new therapy for PKU, a potentially devastating metabolic disorder, and they have some promising preliminary human data. But it's just too early to get excited.
On a recent sunny summer morning, Ben Roueche pulled into the parking lot at the corporate headquarters of HomeAdvisor, in a suburban office park near Denver. Once inside, Roueche, wearing jeans and a T-shirt, sat down at a desk, logged on to his computer, and started resolving support tickets submitted by HomeAdvisor employees seeking help for everything from password resets to problems accessin
Hvilke teknologier og dyrkningsformer skal landbruget ty til, i takt med at klimaet forandres, og ekstremt vejr bliver normalen? DTU-projekt bruger lyd mod lyd for at dæmpe støjgener fra koncerter.
Why do some people comfortably walk between skyscrapers on a high-wire or raft the Niagara Falls in a wooden barrel whereas others freeze on the mere thought of climbing off escalators in a shopping mall? In a new study, scientists have found that a certain type of cells in the hippocampus play a key role.
Researchers at the University of Bristol have shown that resident artificial cells abandon their protocell hosts by displaying antagonistic behavior on receiving a chemical signal.
Anyone with arthritis can appreciate how useful it would be if scientists could grow cartilage in the lab. To this end, Keck School of Medicine of USC scientists in the USC Stem Cell laboratory of Denis Evseenko, M.D., Ph.D., collaborated with colleagues at several institutions to provide new insights into how gene activity drives the development of cartilage. Their findings appear today in Nature
Researchers found that using bio-sequestration to capture carbon produced by US coal-fired plants even after carbon capture and storage would require using 62 percent of the nation's arable land for that process, or 89 percent of all US land with average forest cover. In comparison, offsetting the amount of carbon produced by manufacturing solar panels is 13 times less land, making it a far more v
Researchers at the University of Bristol have shown that resident artificial cells abandon their protocell hosts by displaying antagonistic behaviour on receiving a chemical signal.
Researchers found that using bio-sequestration to capture carbon produced by US coal-fired plants even after carbon capture and storage would require using 62 percent of the nation's arable land for that process, or 89 percent of all US land with average forest cover. In comparison, offsetting the amount of carbon produced by manufacturing solar panels is 13 times less land, making it a far more v
Airports in Shanghai, Rome, New York and other major cities, often designed before global warming was fully understood, face a threat from rising seas and extreme weather.
Legal experts say the review of a costly but effective coal-plant restriction is part of a broader strategy to rethink the way the E.P.A. calculates the benefits of its rules.
N o man wanted more ferociously to be remembered than Lyndon B. Johnson. A metamorphosis had taken place when, in 1955, as majority leader of the Senate, he suffered a serious heart attack. In the months that followed, he fell into a depression so consuming that it appeared he was grieving over his own death. "He'd just sort of lie there," one aide recalled. "You'd feel that he wasn't there at al
British Airways will pay compensation to customers whose data was been stolen by a "sophisticated" and "malicious" hacking attack, its boss said Friday.
A lawsuit filed Thursday accuses Tesla chief Elon Musk of trying to "burn" short-sellers by falsely tweeting that funding had been secured to take the electric car maker private.
Three years after the "dieselgate" scandal shook it to its foundations, Volkswagen next week faces a first major court case in Germany over cheating emissions tests on millions of vehicles worldwide.
Language detectives say the key clues to who wrote the anonymous New York Times opinion piece slamming President Donald Trump may not be the odd and glimmering "lodestar," but the itty-bitty words that people usually read right over: "I," "of" and "but."
We can see only 4% of the observable universe – the rest is made up of invisible 'dark matter' and 'dark energy'. Now scientists are looking for a postulated force of nature that could open a door to the dark side. Ian Sample investigates
We can see only 4% of the observable universe – the rest is made up of invisible 'dark matter' and 'dark energy'. Now scientists are looking for a postulated force of nature that could open a door to the dark side. Ian Sample investigates Join the discussion on Facebook and Twitter . We can see only 4% of the observable universe – the rest is made up of invisible 'dark matter' and 'dark energy'.
A blood test that quickly and easily detects whether a person is at risk of a secondary heart attack is being developed by scientists at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute. The Baker Institute's head of metabolomics, Professor Peter Meikle and his team have identified plasma lipid biomarkers (fats in the blood) that improve upon traditional risk factors in predicting heart disease and stroke.
Among a small cohort of patients with HIV-associated Kaposi's sarcoma treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, more than 65 percent had partial or complete remission.
A new article published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, walks allergists and other health care practitioners through the steps involved in shared decision-making (SDM). It also details what is, and what is not, SDM.
A New York State requirement that all hospitals report compliance with protocols to treat severe sepsis and septic shock appears to improve care and reduce mortality from one of the most common causes of death in those who are critically ill, according to a new study published online in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Eksperter ser Danmark som et smørhul for foder- og fødevareproduktion, hvis landmændene går ind i fremtiden med flere sorter i jorden, VR-briller på næsen og robotter i marken.
As fall — usually California's busiest fire season — approaches, officials say the agency that oversees emergency fire responses is running out of money. (Image credit: Noah Berger/AP)
More than a quarter of a million Americans live with a spinal cord injury (SCI) [1], which occurs when a physical injury damages or severs spinal cord tissue. This injury can break neural connections from the brain to the limbs that are used to initiate voluntary movement, which in extreme cases results in full or […]
New evidence shows that ancient farming practices led to a rise in the atmospheric emission of the heat-trapping gases carbon dioxide and methane — a rise that has continued since, unlike the trend at any other time in Earth's geologic history.
Analysis of data captured during a long-term study of aging adults shows that those who report being very sleepy during the day were nearly three times more likely than those who didn't to have brain deposits of beta amyloid, a protein that's a hallmark for Alzheimer's disease, years later.
Elderly people with short telomeres — the 'caps' at the ends of each chromosome — are more likely to have difficulty performing daily activities such as carrying groceries, climbing stairs and walking. The study of more than 1,200 people from five European countries suggests that short telomeres are an independent risk factor for age-related functional decline, and opens the possibility that slo
Artificial polymers, like antibiotic peptides, need both hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains in their molecular structure to exert antibacterial activity. Now, researchers have synthesized a phosphonium polymer that challenges this view. Their polymer salt contained no hydrophobic alkyl chains but still acted as an extraordinarily efficient biocide. A re-evaluation of established strategies in ant
Systemic inflammatory diseases, such as lupus, often cause cardiac damage that goes undetected. Medical researchers have now able to show that cardiac damage can be diagnosed in a patient-friendly way by heart imaging- ahead of the clinical symptoms.
Men, unlike women, do not suffer from the 'changing room moment' when they suddenly realize they are too old for certain types of clothes, according to new research.
A recent study found that children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) had the highest frequency of rapid weight gain during the first six months of life, which may put them at increased risk for childhood obesity.
Researchers have created an integrated framework to identify which neighborhoods would benefit most from green roofs — and provide city officials with a strategic approach to ensure the best return on their investment to beat the heat.
Researchers set out to understand why skin grafts have such a high rate of rejection, hoping to capitalize on new biological insights to not only explain why skin transplants provoke the immune system but also what treatments can be given to an organ prior to transplantation to decrease the likelihood of rejection.
New evidence-based guidelines put forward recommendations for a broad range of health care providers responsible for detection and management of pediatric mild traumatic brain injury, most of which are concussions.
New research analyzing the ways children's gender narratives reinforce or disrupt gender inequality found that older children — and girls — are more likely to tell alternative narratives that disrupted the gender status quo.
According to a new study, California's health profile was significantly better than the nation's as a whole — a profile largely driven by the state's minority population.
Solar-powered water splitting is a promising means of generating clean and storable energy. A novel catalyst based on semiconductor nanoparticles has now been shown to facilitate all the reactions needed for 'artificial photosynthesis'.
Bernie Sanders wants companies like Amazon to pay when their employees rely on public benefits, but the retail giant benefits even more from economic incentives offered by local politicians.
What We're Following Post–Op-Ed Procedures: The anonymous senior official who outlined concerns about President Trump's fitness to serve in a New York Times op-ed should come forward publicly with those worries, Bradley P. Moss argues. Officials might also follow the precedent set by aides of Ronald Reagan, who wrote an internal memo on the president's health problems in 1986. Instead, the op-ed
A new approach that distills deluges of genetic data and patient health records has identified a set of telltale patterns that can predict a person's risk for a common, and often fatal, cardiovascular disease, according to a new study.
A tiny change in the very flexible segments of some proteins is enough to trigger rare disorders such as Glut1 deficiency syndrome. A study found that other genetic disorders might be traced back to the same origin.
A team of surgeons found that, of 173 patients undergoing rhinoplasty, a common procedure performed in the facial plastic and reconstructive surgery field, only two refilled their opioid prescriptions after the procedure — with some patients not filling their initial opioid prescription at all.
Researchers have shown how one hormone pathway in plants regulates the way leaves build their epidermal layer with the right number of breathing pores, giving plants a strategy to optimize their productivity while taking into account changes in the environment.
Short protein fibers precede the formation of larger deposits that accumulate in the brains of those affected by the incurable Huntington's disease, sometimes called Huntington's chorea, researchers report. These results could improve diagnosis and help in the search for new medications.
Researchers find that including a variety of zero-carbon power sources is a more cost effective way of lowering greenhouse gas emissions than relying solely on solar, wind, and batteries.
A pilot project at two rural VA medical centers demonstrated that telehealth videoconferencing promoted antibiotic stewardship efforts by linking remote facilities to infectious diseases-trained professionals.
Evidence left by a volcano under the ice sheet suggests that the observed bulging of ice in West Antarctica is a short-term feature that may not affect the glacier's motion over the long term.
Brown fat cells burn off a lot of calories, whereas an excess of white fat cells make us overweight and ill. Now researchers have identified a new gene in brown fat cells; a gene that may be crucial for the future's treatment of obesity.
Burt Reynolds's acting career was a Hollywood story in and of itself. Born in Michigan in 1936, he bounced around the country with his family (also living in Missouri and Florida) before attending college on a football scholarship. An injury and subsequent car accident ended his athletic career in his sophomore year, but an English professor noted his talent for reading Shakespeare and encouraged
While some rare forms of strabismus have been linked to specific genes, common forms have been hard to pin down genetically. A new genome-wide association study, based on 10 years of work enrolling and studying families with esotropia (cross-eye) is the first step.
A natural history study has provided the first comprehensive clinical description of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) within the Amish and Mennonite communities and correlates ancestral chromosome 5 haplotypes and SMN2 copy number with disease severity.
The parasitic disease leishmaniasis is spread to humans through the bites of sandflies, and is endemic in a number of countries, including Brazil. Despite control efforts, the incidence of visceral leishmaniasis — the most severe form of the disease — rose in Brazil between 1990 and 2016, researchers report.
New research suggests that probiotics might not be as effective as we think. Through a series of experiments looking inside the human gut, researchers show that many people's digestive tracts prevent standard probiotics from successfully colonizing them.
The 'Baldwin effect' has now been demonstrated at the genetic level in a population of dark-colored lizards adapted to live on a lava flow in the desert.
Several new medicines have been found to be more effective than traditional ones used to treat multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), according to a new international collaborative study led by the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) in Montreal, with these findings precipitating a complete overhaul of worldwide TB treatment guidelines. The study, led by Dr. Dic
Environment The storm illustrates why forecasting is so difficult. Hurricane Florence could come close to the United States next week—but for now, its path is highly uncertain.
The hammerhead relatives consume copious amounts of sea grass, and have the digestive machinery to process it—making them true omnivores. Christopher Intagliata reports. — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Written by Madeleine Carlisle ( @maddiecarlisle2 ), Olivia Paschal ( @oliviacpaschal ), and Elaine Godfrey ( @elainejgodfrey ) Today in 5 Lines Democratic Senator Cory Booker said he was willing to risk expulsion from the Senate by releasing documents related to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh that had been marked confidential . Lawyers for George W. Bush, however, said they approved the re
Republican and Democratic lawmakers pressed the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday to act faster to bring more of the country's most hazardous industrial chemicals and substances under tighter regulation, saying agency action on the health risks was "bogged down."
In 1938, an ambitious young Texas congressman named Lyndon Johnson voted for a bill called the Fair Labor Standards Act, which established the minimum wage. Most of Johnson's Democratic Party colleagues joined him.
The cloud forests of Honduras can seem like an otherworldly place, where the trees are thick with life that takes in water straight from the air around it, and the soundscape is littered with the calls of animals singing back and forth.
Millenia ago, ancient farmers cleared land to plant wheat and maize, potatoes and squash. They flooded fields to grow rice. They began to raise livestock. And unknowingly, they may have been fundamentally altering the climate of the Earth.
Research published by PLOS ONE found that 81 percent of participants in the World Climate Simulation, a role-playing game of the UN climate talks, showed increased motivation to combat climate change, even among Americans who are free market proponents, a belief strongly linked to denial of human-caused climate change in the United States.
British Airways said that the personal and financial details of customers making bookings between August 21 and September 5 had been stolen in a data breach involving 380,000 bank cards.
Researchers have developed a novel way for dating 'hibernating' HIV strains. The finding confirms that dormant HIV strains can persist in the body for decades.
Researchers have developed a unique approach using augmented reality tools to help less-experienced doctors in war zones, natural disasters and in rural areas perform complicated procedures.
Jocelyn Bell Burnell shocked the physics world when she discovered radio pulsars. But the Nobel committee gave the 1974 award to her supervisor instead.
One of the most pervasive and common forms of gender discrimination experienced daily by girls and women around the world is their inadequate access to private toilets. Despite the rise of advocacy and research efforts, they write, far too little has been done globally to improve the actual design, guidelines, and placement of toilets for girls and women.
A new peer-reviewed study of weight-loss and sports/energy supplements containing higenamine finds unpredictable and inaccurately labeled dosages of the potentially harmful cardiovascular stimulant.
Scientists have developed a better way to identify markers for breast cancer tumors, a breakthrough that could lead to better treatment for millions of women. They used machine learning to rapidly sort images of tumors to identify estrogen receptors, a key to determining prognosis and treatment. The technique offers a new pathway for breast cancer treatment that promises faster results for less co
The speed at which someone speaks influences the way we hear upcoming words. But, until recently, little was known about the neural mechanisms behind this phenomenon. A recent study reveals that our brainwaves synchronize to the speech rate, thereby influencing how we hear and perceive words.
Nasa aims to re-connect with its adventurous solar-driven spacecraft silenced in June by a planet-wide dust storm Nasa is preparing to contact its Mars rover, Opportunity, again, a spacecraft that has been silent for almost three months. Launched in July 2003 the rover was designed for a 90-day mission on the surface of the planet. Now, almost 15 years later, the mission has been more of a succes
Researchers report on the development of a new protocol for creating human cortical organoids — mini-brains derived directly from primary cells that can be used to better explore and understand the real thing.
Researchers have found a mechanism that links epigenetic changes to translational control during fear memory reconsolidation. They report that several particular epigenetic changes in the hippocampus of the rat brain control downstream regulation of translation in brain neurons, acting through a gene called Pten. The downstream target affected by changes in PTEN enzyme levels is the AKT-mTOR pathw
A study using EEG suggests that the brain has several different mechanisms to help boost memory performance following a sudden change in the priority or relevance of a given piece of information. Past memory cues can have different effects on neural representations based on when they're presented. Findings suggest that the brain can use several different methods to re-prioritize mental representat
The Republic of Croatia has only been an independent country since 1991, but the region has been inhabited since prehistoric times. More than 4 million people call Croatia home today, living in rural villages, coastal tourist destinations, and modern cities, where Roman ruins can stand side by side with medieval defenses and 21st-century architecture. Croatia's dramatic coastline along the Adriat
New research led by UMass Lowell and published by PLoS ONE found that 81 percent of participants in the World Climate Simulation, a role-playing game of the UN climate talks, showed increased motivation to combat climate change, even among Americans who are free market proponents, a belief strongly linked to denial of human-caused climate change in the United States.
Cloud forests are not immune to very down-to-earth problems of climate change and deforestation. A 10-year study of bird populations in Cusuco National Park, Honduras, shows that the peak of bird diversity in this mountainous park is moving higher in elevation. Additional land protection, unfortunately, may not be enough to reverse the trend, driven in part by globally rising temperatures.
Scientists stunted the puberty of male worms by starving them before they underwent sexual maturation. In a study funded by the National Institutes of Health, the scientists suggested that stress from starvation even days before sexual maturation prevented normal changes in the wiring patterns of key neuronal circuits, which caused adult male worms to act immature.
A large study evaluated stress levels across 493 cities in the United States, using nine different metrics. The analysis returned these five least stressful cities in America. Read More
While a drug commonly used to treat chest pain is safe for people with certain implantable defibrillators, it doesn't significantly decrease the likelihood of the first occurrence of an irregular heart beat or death, according to a new clinical trial. Researchers launched the trial in 2011 after previous studies suggested the drug, called ranolazine, might cut the incidence of ventricular tachyca
Delaware isn't exactly where one goes looking for progressive insurgencies. The state's most famous politician is Joe Biden, a New Democrat who might be the second-best national example of the " triangulation " era of the party's evolution, after Bill Clinton. Senator Chris Coons once worked for Ronald Reagan, and has garnered a reputation in the upper chamber as an aisle-crossing dealmaker . His
Fifty years ago, Jocelyn Bell Burnell saw a blip in the data from a radio telescope she helped build. The discovery of pulsars was "one of the biggest surprises in the history of astronomy." (Image credit: Colin McPherson/Corbis via Getty Images)
When we talk about greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide gets the most attention — but methane, which often escapes unseen from pipes and wells, has a far greater immediate impact on global warming. Environmentalist Fred Krupp has an idea to fix the problem: launch a satellite that tracks global methane emissions, and openly share the data it collects with the public. Learn more about how simple fixes
Many overweight/obese women gain too much weight during pregnancy, further ratcheting up their already-increased risk of serious complications for themselves and their babies. New NIH-funded trials showed these women can safely limit their weight gain with diet and exercise interventions. The reduced weight gain, however, did not result in fewer obstetrical complications, leading researchers to sp
Have you ever wondered how tirelessly the tiny fruit fly buzzes around your fruit bowl? This behavior not only demands tremendous energy but also requires highly coordinated neuronal signaling that enables continuous flight A recent study has uncovered molecules required in the fruit flies brain that enables flight for long periods of time and helps them locate the fruit bowl in your pantry. One o
Restless legs syndrome begins with excitability and hyperarousal in a part of the brain that controls leg movement, a new study reports. The findings could lead to safer, more effective ways to treat the condition—and the chronic sleep deprivation it causes, researchers say. Some 10 percent of adults in the United States experience RLS at one time or another, and about one in 500 reports that the
Bighorn sheep and moose establish a good migratory route through years of cultural learning – and the knowledge can be lost in a generation if they are moved
The longstanding mystery of soot formation, which combustion scientists have been trying to explain for decades, appears to be finally solved, thanks to new research.
A study finds that neurogenesis — inducing the production of new neurons — in the brain structure in which memories are encoded can improve cognitive function in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.
Wind and solar farms are known to have local effects on heat, humidity and other factors that may be beneficial — or detrimental — to the regions in which they are situated. A new climate-modeling study finds that a massive wind and solar installation in the Sahara Desert and neighboring Sahel would increase local temperature, precipitation and vegetation. Overall, the researchers report, the ef
Researchers have developed a novel method for tracking the activity of small molecules in the brain, including the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine. Pairing tiny artificial receptors with semiconductor devices that are able to function in living tissue, the team was able to observe brain chemicals at a high level of detail.
Writing in the current online issue of the journal Stem Cells and Development, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine describe development of a rapid, cost-effective method to create human cortical organoids directly from primary cells.
Baking powder is used to raise baked goods like cakes and cookies. It's often sold under the label 'double-acting,' but what does that mean? In this video, Reactions explains the chemistry of how baking powder can act twice to make bubbles in your baked goods.
A team of scientists has provided the first empirical evidence that ungulates (hooved mammals) must learn where and when to migrate, and that they maintain their seasonal migrations by passing cultural knowledge across generations.
Our immune system can detect when our own cells are damaged. This DNA damage can come from a variety of sources, such as the sun's UV rays, chemical agents like cigarette smoke, or from genotoxic drugs used in chemotherapy. A new study found that DNA damage can lead to an immune response similar to that observed during viral infection.
For the first time, a powerful 'wind' of molecules has been detected in a galaxy located 12 billion light-years away. Probing a time when the universe was less than 10 percent of its current age, astronomers sheds light on how the earliest galaxies regulated the birth of stars to keep from blowing themselves apart.
Currently available vaccines for the prevention of seasonal influenza virus infection have limited ability to induce immunity against diverse H3N2 viruses, an influenza A subtype that has led to high morbidity and mortality in recent years. Now, scientists have engineered a synthetic DNA vaccine shown to produce broad immune responses against these H3N2 viruses.
Researchers may have finally solved the mystery behind lunar swirls, one of the solar system's most beautiful optical anomalies. The solution hints at the moon's ancient past as a place with volcanic activity and an internally generated magnetic field. It also challenges our picture of the moon's existing geology. Lunar swirls resemble bright, snaky clouds painted on the moon's dark surface. The
A study suggests large mammals must learn to migrate — and they aren't exactly quick studies. It takes decades before populations can effectively move across land to find the best food. (Image credit: Travis Zaffarano Trailcam, Wyoming Migration Initiative/University of Wyoming)
A natural history study has provided the first comprehensive clinical description of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) within the Amish and Mennonite communities and correlates ancestral chromosome 5 haplotypes and SMN2 copy number with disease severity. SMA is a devastating genetic disease that affects the motor neurons that control movement, eating, and breathing. The observations were conducted wit
An international team of researchers has published a new study showing that the proliferation of disease-causing antibiotic resistant organisms is correlated with many social and environmental factors such as poor sanitation, unsafe water, and higher incomes. The study, which was based on economic and public health data from 73 countries, found that better infrastructure and better governance were
For #MeToo to amount to a social-reform movement that thrives far into the future, it would, perhaps, need to evolve into something new. The revelation of Harvey Weinstein's behavior began a thunk , thunk , thunk of prominent downfalls, but celebrity scandals do not a transformative movement make. If #MeToo were ever to enter a new era of its own—one that moved public focus away from Hollywood an
A new peer-reviewed study of weight-loss and sports/energy supplements containing higenamine finds unpredictable and inaccurately labeled dosages of the potentially harmful cardiovascular stimulant.
A fully autonomous bat-like terrestrial robot, named Robat, can use echolocation to move through a novel environment while mapping it solely based on sound.
Researchers have identified intrinsic cell properties that influence the fate of neural stem cells, affecting what type of brain cell they will form: neurons, astrocytes, or oligodendrocytes. This discovery could give scientists a new way to predict or control the fate of stem cells, improving their use in transplantation therapies.
Researchers have identified a system of communication networks that exists among organs and tissues that regulate metabolism. Findings from their study provide, for the first time, a detailed 'atlas' illustrating how the body creates and uses energy, and how imbalances in the networks may impact overall health.
Researchers tested the use of transcranial direct current stimulation in stroke patients with aphasia. Their results pave the way for the creation of a large clinical trial to test the new treatment in a number of patients who have lost some or all of their use of language after stroke.
A tiny neuro-controller could provide more precise control of futuristic biobots such as cyborg cockroaches that are already being tested for use in search and rescue missions inside collapsed buildings.
Lymphatic vessels actively contribute to the spread of cancer metastases from various organs, a new study shows. Researchers have discovered a new mechanism that cancer cells in mice and humans can use to spread from organ to organ. The lymphatic vessels play an unexpectedly active role in this process. These vessels transport tissue fluids and also play an important role in the body's immune sys
Environment They may be gross, but the conditions in them are perfect for preserving artifacts. A less well known aspect of bogs is their remarkable archaeological potential.
Adolescents under the age of 18 seeking abortions without a parent's consent often undergo a series of humiliating, burdensome and unpredictable hurdles as they try to navigate the legal system, according to a new study.
Using data from NASA's Kepler Space Telescope, an international team has discovered a new exoplanet twice the size of Earth. It orbits its star every six days and is thus very close to it, about 10 times closer than Mercury is to the Sun.
The New York Times published an opinion column written by an anonymous "senior official in the Trump administration," a rare move that's sparked theories as to who the author might be. Read More
Bernie Sanders introduces an act to Congress named for the uber-wealthy head of Amazon aiming to make wealthy companies pay for any employees receiving public assistance. Read More
While some rare forms of strabismus have been linked to specific genes, common forms have been hard to pin down genetically. A new genome-wide association study, based on 10 years of work enrolling and studying families with esotropia (cross-eye) is the first step.
Tel Aviv University researchers have invented a 'Robat,' a fully autonomous terrestrial robot with bat-like qualities that uses echolocation to move through novel environments while mapping them based only on sound.
Researchers have found a mechanism that links epigenetic changes to translational control during fear memory reconsolidation. They report that several particular epigenetic changes in the hippocampus of the rat brain control downstream regulation of translation in brain neurons, acting through a gene called Pten. The downstream target affected by changes in PTEN enzyme levels is the AKT-mTOR pathw
Astronomers using ALMA, with the aid of a gravitational lens, have detected the most-distant galactic 'wind' of molecules ever observed, seen when the universe was only one billion years old. By tracing the outflow of hydroxyl (OH) molecules — which herald the presence of star-forming gas in galaxies — the researchers show how some galaxies in the early universe quenched an ongoing wildfire of s
Researchers at UCLA and Columbia University have developed a novel method for tracking the activity of small molecules in the brain, including the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine. Pairing tiny artificial receptors with semiconductor devices that are able to function in living tissue, the team was able to observe brain chemicals at a high level of detail.
For the first time, a powerful 'wind' of molecules has been detected in a galaxy located 12 billion light-years away. Probing a time when the universe was less than 10 percent of its current age, University of Texas at Austin astronomer Justin Spilker's research sheds light on how the earliest galaxies regulated the birth of stars to keep from blowing themselves apart. The research will appear in
Scientists have obtained in situ measurements of Earth's magnetosphere, demonstrating a phenomenon that's long been thought to happen but not yet directly been shown: energy is transferred from hydrogen ions to plasma waves, and then from the waves to helium ions.
By tracking the 'surfing' ability of migratory ungulates, researchers have found that the great migrations of Earth's nomadic mammals develop and persist through the cultural exchange of local knowledge.
Wind and solar farms are known to have local effects on heat, humidity and other factors that may be beneficial — or detrimental — to the regions in which they are situated. A new climate-modeling study finds that a massive wind and solar installation in the Sahara Desert and neighboring Sahel would increase local temperature, precipitation and vegetation. Overall, the researchers report, the ef
Atomic physicists have verified a key prediction from a 55-year-old theory about one-dimensional electronics that is increasingly relevant because of the quest for smaller and smaller devices. "Chipmakers have been shrinking feature sizes on microchips for decades, and device physicists are now exploring the use of nanowires and nanotubes where the channels that electrons pass through are almost
In the 1800s, there were so many bighorn sheep in Wyoming that when one trapper passed through Jackson Hole, he described "over a thousand sheep in the cliffs above our campsite." No such sights exist today. The bighorns slowly fell to hunters' rifles, and to diseases spread from domestic sheep. Most herds were wiped out, and by 1900, a species that once numbered in the millions stood instead in
Showing prejudice towards others does not require a high level of cognitive ability and could easily be exhibited by artificially intelligent machines, new research has suggested.
Ovarian cancer cells that interact with cancer-associated fibroblasts can mobilize glycogen as an energy source, leading to proliferation, invasion and metastasis. Blocking glycogen mobilization in cancer cells might reduce tumor spread.
Topological defects play a key role in a variety of physical systems, ranging from high-energy to solid-state physics. A skyrmion is a type of topological defect that has shown promise for applications in the fields of magnetic storage and spintronics. We show that optical skyrmion lattices can be generated using evanescent electromagnetic fields and demonstrate this using surface plasmon polarit
Mystery surrounds the transition from gas-phase hydrocarbon precursors to terrestrial soot and interstellar dust, which are carbonaceous particles formed under similar conditions. Although polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are known precursors to high-temperature carbonaceous-particle formation, the molecular pathways that initiate particle formation are unknown. We present experimental and
Particle acceleration by plasma waves and spontaneous wave generation are fundamental energy and momentum exchange processes in collisionless plasmas. Such wave-particle interactions occur ubiquitously in space. We present ultrafast measurements in Earth's magnetosphere by the Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft that enabled quantitative evaluation of energy transfer in interactions associated w
Deep learning has been transforming our ability to execute advanced inference tasks using computers. Here we introduce a physical mechanism to perform machine learning by demonstrating an all-optical diffractive deep neural network (D 2 NN) architecture that can implement various functions following the deep learning–based design of passive diffractive layers that work collectively. We created 3D
Zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF) membranes are emerging as a promising energy-efficient separation technology. However, their reliable and scalable manufacturing remains a challenge. We demonstrate the fabrication of ZIF nanocomposite membranes by means of an all-vapor-phase processing method based on atomic layer deposition (ALD) of ZnO in a porous support followed by ligand-vapor treatment.
The key to controlling reactions of molecules induced with the current of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) tip is the ultrashort intermediate excited ionic state. The initial condition of the excited state is set by the energy and position of the injected current; thereafter, its dynamics determines the reaction outcome. We show that a STM can directly and controllably influence the excited-
Galaxies grow inefficiently, with only a small percentage of the available gas converted into stars each free-fall time. Feedback processes, such as outflowing winds driven by radiation pressure, supernovae, or supermassive black hole accretion, can act to halt star formation if they heat or expel the gas supply. We report a molecular outflow launched from a dust-rich star-forming galaxy at redsh
Wind and solar farms offer a major pathway to clean, renewable energies. However, these farms would significantly change land surface properties, and, if sufficiently large, the farms may lead to unintended climate consequences. In this study, we used a climate model with dynamic vegetation to show that large-scale installations of wind and solar farms covering the Sahara lead to a local temperat
Ungulate migrations are assumed to stem from learning and cultural transmission of information regarding seasonal distribution of forage, but this hypothesis has not been tested empirically. We compared the migratory propensities of bighorn sheep and moose translocated into novel habitats with those of historical populations that had persisted for hundreds of years. Whereas individuals from histo
Plant immunity often penalizes growth and yield. The transcription factor Ideal Plant Architecture 1 (IPA1) reduces unproductive tillers and increases grains per panicle, which results in improved rice yield. Here we report that higher IPA1 levels enhance immunity. Mechanistically, phosphorylation of IPA1 at amino acid Ser 163 within its DNA binding domain occurs in response to infection by the f
Fertilization is fundamental for sexual reproduction, yet its molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. We found that an oocyte-expressed Ly6/uPAR protein, which we call Bouncer, is a crucial fertilization factor in zebrafish. Membrane-bound Bouncer mediates sperm-egg binding and is thus essential for sperm entry into the egg. Remarkably, Bouncer not only is required for sperm-egg interaction b
Metastases are responsible for the majority of cancer-related deaths. Although genomic heterogeneity within primary tumors is associated with relapse, heterogeneity among treatment-naïve metastases has not been comprehensively assessed. We analyzed sequencing data for 76 untreated metastases from 20 patients and inferred cancer phylogenies for breast, colorectal, endometrial, gastric, lung, mela
The importance of transient dynamics in ecological systems and in the models that describe them has become increasingly recognized. However, previous work has typically treated each instance of these dynamics separately. We review both empirical examples and model systems, and outline a classification of transient dynamics based on ideas and concepts from dynamical systems theory. This classifica
Adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) is impaired before the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. We found that exercise provided cognitive benefit to 5 x FAD mice, a mouse model of AD, by inducing AHN and elevating levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Neither stimulation of AHN alone, nor exercise, in the absence of increased AHN, ameliorated cognition. We successfully mimi
Mutations in two genes, PKD1 and PKD2 , account for most cases of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, one of the most common monogenetic disorders. Here we report the 3.6-angstrom cryo–electron microscopy structure of truncated human PKD1-PKD2 complex assembled in a 1:3 ratio. PKD1 contains a voltage-gated ion channel (VGIC) fold that interacts with PKD2 to form the domain-swapped, yet
Analysis of data captured during a long-term study of aging adults shows that those who report being very sleepy during the day were nearly three times more likely than those who didn't to have brain deposits of beta amyloid, a protein that's a hallmark for Alzheimer's disease, years later.
A study published in the journal Scientific Reports provides new evidence that ancient farming practices led to a rise in the atmospheric emission of the heat-trapping gases carbon dioxide and methane — a rise that has continued since, unlike the trend at any other time in Earth's geologic history.
High poverty rates, low education and lack of insurance are all social determinants that are expected to lead to high mortality rates and negative health outcomes. Despite a 62 percent minority population with these characteristics in California, the state's health profile was significantly better than the nation's as a whole. This profile was largely driven by the state's minority population.
For the first time, a powerful "wind" of molecules has been detected in a galaxy located 12 billion light-years away. Probing a time when the universe was less than 10 percent of its current age, University of Texas at Austin astronomer Justin Spilker's research sheds light on how the earliest galaxies regulated the birth of stars to keep from blowing themselves apart. The research will appear in
Scientists from the University of Leicester have shed new light on why mass extinctions have occurred through history—and how this knowledge could help in predicting upcoming ecological catastrophes.
Wind and solar farms are known to have local effects on heat, humidity and other factors that may be beneficial—or detrimental—to the regions in which they are situated. A new climate-modeling study finds that a massive wind and solar installation in the Sahara Desert and neighboring Sahel would increase local temperature, precipitation and vegetation. Overall, the researchers report, the effects
A team of scientists at the University of Wyoming has provided the first empirical evidence that ungulates (hooved mammals) must learn where and when to migrate, and that they maintain their seasonal migrations by passing cultural knowledge across generations.
The longstanding mystery of soot formation, which combustion scientists have been trying to explain for decades, appears to be finally solved, thanks to research led by Sandia National Laboratories.
Researchers at UCLA and Columbia University have developed a novel method for tracking the activity of small molecules in the brain, including the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine. Pairing tiny artificial receptors with semiconductor devices that are able to function in living tissue, the team was able to observe brain chemicals at a high level of detail.
New Scientist is offering one lucky person and their guest an opportunity to meet Clare Balding, Lawrence Dallaglio and Hannah Cockroft at New Scientist Live
Subscribe to Crazy/Genius : Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play I have seen the future of the car. It looks like a minivan. Earlier this summer, I went to Mountain View, California, to visit the headquarters of Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company that spun off from Google, and get driven around in one of its cutting-edge cars. The model waiting for me in the parking lot was decept
Ny forskning viser, at gigtpiller med stoffet diclofenac oftere har alvorlige bivirkninger. Pillerne er ekstremt udbredt i Europa, men i Danmark er brugen faldende.
Jocelyn Bell Burnell's triumph reminds us that a commitment to inclusivity is not at odds with excellence – it is about ensuring it Three instincts mingled in the delight which greeted the award of the Breakthrough science prize to Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell this week. The first was a kind of renewed awe at her landmark achievement: the dramatic discovery of pulsars in the 1970s. The second was a s
Currently available vaccines for the prevention of seasonal influenza virus infection have limited ability to induce immunity against diverse H3N2 viruses, an influenza A subtype that has led to high morbidity and mortality in recent years. Now, Wistar scientists have engineered a synthetic DNA vaccine shown to produce broad immune responses against these H3N2 viruses.
New Northwestern University research analyzing the ways children's gender narratives reinforce or disrupt gender inequality found that older children — and girls — are more likely to tell alternative narratives that disrupted the gender status quo.
The earliest known use of the phrase "off the record" in print, according to Merriam-Webster, appears in a November 15, 1918 story in the New York Tribune by Theodore M. Knappen. World War I had been declared over a few days earlier, and Bernard Baruch, a businessman and adviser to President Woodrow Wilson, gave an interview to reporters. Knappen wrote, "In an informal conversation with the newsp
Updated on September 6 at 2:57 p.m. ET As the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh sailed this summer toward a presumed confirmation in the fall, progressive activists implored Democrats in the Senate to escalate their fight—even to abandon the chamber's cherished norms, if necessary—in a bid to stop it. On Thursday, they got their wish. Led by Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, Democrats
It's among the most delectably scandalous stories in the history of medicine: At the height of the Victorian era, doctors regularly treated their female patients by stimulating them to orgasm. This mass treatment—a cure for the now-defunct medical condition of "hysteria"—was made possible by a new technology: the vibrator. Vibrators allowed physicians to massage women's clitorises quickly and eff
Unpredictable weather patterns and the spread of crop-destroying fall armyworm caterpillars could lead to "no food at all" for communities across Africa, experts have warned.
The recent publication in The New York Times of an anonymous op-ed by a "senior official in the Trump administration" brings into sharp relief the extent to which various members of the Trump administration are not just knowingly working to curb the president's recklessness, but are doing so based in part upon the belief that those impulses are the result of something deeper and more fundamentall
The board of US television giant CBS is negotiating a multi-million-dollar exit for CEO Leslie Moonves, accused of sexual misconduct by at least six women, US media reported Thursday.
Semi-autonomous and autonomous machines and robots can become moral machines using annotated decision trees containing ethical assumptions or justifications for interactions with animals.
Asian colobine monkeys are unable to taste natural sugars, and in fact have a generally poor sense of taste. Biologists found that the receptors on the tongues of colobine monkeys do not function in the same way as for fruit-eating monkeys, who are sensitive to sweet tastes.
Børn lærer i opvæksten at ræsonnere sig frem til, at andre kan have en forkert opfattelse af virkeligheden ud fra manglende viden. Kunstig intelligens klarer sig stadig markant dårligere på dette område, men der sker fremskridt.
The US charged a North Korean programmer Thursday with some of the most dramatic global hacking cases of recent years, alleging they were carried out on behalf of the regime in Pyongyang.
Gordon is still considered a tropical depression as it makes its way into the south central U.S. NOAA's GOES-East satellite provided an infrared look at clouds associated with Gordon and found its center over Mississippi.
The area of stronger storms in Hurricane Norman have expanded over the last several day in infrared NASA imagery as the storm intensified. Stronger thunderstorms circled Norman's center in a thicker ring on Sept. 6 when NASA's Terra satellite passed over the hurricane.
Researchers from the University of California, Irvine have identified intrinsic cell properties that influence the fate of neural stem cells, affecting what type of brain cell they will form: neurons, astrocytes, or oligodendrocytes. This discovery could give scientists a new way to predict or control the fate of stem cells, improving their use in transplantation therapies.
Extreme heat poses a unique challenge to cities in the United States. According to the National Weather Service, extreme heat accounts for 20 percent of deaths by natural hazard in the United States, taking an average of 130 lives per year.
On Monday afternoon, Colin Kaepernick tweeted his new Nike advertisement . The simple image—which over the coming hours had people celebrating Nike's support for the embattled quarterback , questioning the motives of profit-minded corporations, and cutting the swooshes off their tube socks —features Kaepernick's face filling the frame in grayscale, his eyes aimed at the lens. The words running al
When the news broke earlier this summer that the elusive former British spy Christopher Steele had for the first time testified under oath and on camera in a deposition about his explosive and controversial dossier outlining the president's alleged ties to Russia, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee wasted little time trying to obtain the videotape. "Please produce to the Senate Commit
Science Protecting artifacts from entropy is no easy task. Ninety percent of the artifacts at Brazil's National Museum are believed to have been lost in a recent fire. The event is a reminder that museum science is hard—and…
Men, unlike women, do not suffer from the 'changing room moment' when they suddenly realise they are too old for certain types of clothes, according to new research from the University of Kent.
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Tegn abonnement på
BioNyt Videnskabens Verden (www.bionyt.dk) er Danmarks ældste populærvidenskabelige tidsskrift for naturvidenskab. Det er det eneste blad af sin art i Danmark, som er helliget international forskning inden for livsvidenskaberne.
Bladet bringer aktuelle, spændende forskningsnyheder inden for biologi, medicin og andre naturvidenskabelige områder som f.eks. klimaændringer, nanoteknologi, partikelfysik, astronomi, seksualitet, biologiske våben, ecstasy, evolutionsbiologi, kloning, fedme, søvnforskning, muligheden for liv på mars, influenzaepidemier, livets opståen osv.
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