Secret money in politics will soon be a lot less secret. The Supreme Court on Tuesday let stand a lower court ruling forcing politically active nonprofit groups to disclose the identities of any donor giving more than $200 when those groups advertise for or against political candidates. Until now, such nonprofit organizations—generally, those of the 501(c)(4) "social welfare" and 501(c)(6) "busin
The sugar content of most types of yogurt is well above the recommended threshold, reveals an analysis of the nutrient content of available UK supermarket products. And organic varieties, often viewed as healthier options, contain some of the highest average sugar content, at 13.1 g/100 g, the findings indicate.
Newly identified bridge forms could enable significantly longer bridge spans to be achieved in the future, potentially making a crossing over the Strait of Gibraltar, from the Iberian Peninsula to Morocco, feasible.
Water infrastructure in the western United States was funded in the early and mid-20th Century by federal financing through the Bureau of Reclamation, but such financing has declined in recent decades and there has been increased interest in alternative approaches to infrastructure funding. A new Journal of the American Water Resources Association article notes that two of these approaches—public-
Scientists have long prized the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans as a model for studying the biology of multicellular organisms. The millimeter-long worms are easy to grow in the lab and manipulate genetically, and have only around 1,000 cells, making them a powerful system for probing intricacies of development, behavior and metabolism.
Anvendelse af data var en af argumenterne for at købe Sundhedsplatformen. To år efter ibrugtagning af systemet, skal organisationen bag til at undersøge, hvordan man kan udnytte data på sigt.
While they are still a healthier choice than a chocolate bar or a biscuit, flavoured yoghurts are packed with sugar Children's yoghurts are packed with sugar, experts have found, warning that manufacturers and retailers need to do more to tackle the problem. Although yoghurt has long been considered a healthy food, experts warn that many of the products sold in supermarkets could contribute to ch
Since 2010, pistachio farmers from Sicily have been reporting a disease on the trees, characterised by cankers and declines, sometimes leading to the collapse of entire plants. Having surveyed 15 pistachio orchards from three provinces, as well as potted plants, an international team of researchers identified a new disease caused by a previously unknown fungus. The aetiology of the disease and the
Encouraging young people to do strength-based exercises — such as squats, push ups and lunges — could play a key role in tackling child obesity, research suggests.
Water infrastructure in the western United States was funded in the early and mid-20th Century by federal financing through the Bureau of Reclamation, but such financing has declined in recent decades and there has been increased interest in alternative approaches to infrastructure funding. A new Journal of the American Water Resources Association article notes that two of these approaches — publ
A new Biotropica study examines mountain gorillas in Rwanda and their foraging for sodium-rich food in both national park areas and lands managed by local communities.
For thousands of years, people have closely associated moral cleanliness with acts of physical cleanliness. A recent study published in the Australian Journal of Psychology explored this association by eliciting guilt, a threat to one's moral purity.
New research suggests that there may be a link between higher levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the environment and higher levels of hyperthyroidism in pet cats as they age. The findings are published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.
Investigators have assessed the prevalence of treatable traits in severe asthma and have determined which specific traits are predictive of future asthma attacks. Their findings, which are published in Respirology, are the result of an extensive national collaborative study in Australia.
Infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause certain cancers in women and men, but HPV vaccines are highly effective in preventing infection with oncogenic HPV types. A new British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology review of post-licensure data did not identify any new or unexpected safety concerns of the bivalent HPV vaccine.
Being overweight or obese is linked with an increased risk of developing urinary incontinence for young to mid-aged women, according to an Obesity Reviews analysis of all relevant published studies.
Type 2 diabetes has been linked with an increased risk of cognitive dysfunction and dementia, but the underlying mechanisms are uncertain. In a new Diabetic Medicine study, imaging tests revealed that changes in white matter regions of the brain that are indicative of small vessel disease are associated with decreased processing speed (the the time it takes a person to do a mental task) in people
Newly identified bridge forms could enable significantly longer bridge spans to be achieved in the future, potentially making a crossing over the Strait of Gibraltar, from the Iberian Peninsula to Morocco, feasible. The new bridge forms — identified by a team of researchers from the University of Sheffield and Brunel University London, working with long span bridge expert Ian Firth of engineering
Vitamin D is already well known for its benefits in building healthy bones. A new study supports the idea that it also may reduce cancer risk as well as breast cancer mortality, especially in women with a lower body mass index. Study results are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS).
The new system uses an algorithm that can take D videos and turn them into 3D printed 'motion sculptures' that show how a human body moves through space. In addition to being an intriguing aesthetic visualization of shape and time, the team envisions that their 'MoSculp' system could enable a much more detailed study of motion for professional athletes, dancers, or anyone who wants to improve thei
Because these details tend to get lost in the froth, let's pause to note two extraordinary steps Donald Trump took in the past 24 hours. One of them is literally unprecedented; the other is a sharp departure from modern norms. I'm not aware of any member of the governing GOP majority objecting to either of them. They are: (1) Declassifying FISA warrants and messages from FBI agents. Presumably be
The marine mammals have extraordinarily sensitive touch—which helps them nab prey in the absence of other sensory cues. Christopher Intagliata reports. — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
The proposal to reduce limits on methane emissions from oil and gas operations on public land is the latest move to roll back Obama-era climate regulations.
Quantitative tools developed in math and physics to understand bifurcations in dynamical systems could help ecologists and biologists better understand — and predict — tipping points in animal societies.
Distribution of Airbnbs may follow the same pattern across different cities, and several factors, including the number of residents who work in the creative industries, may determine their location, according to an article published in EPJ Data Science.
Distribution of Airbnbs may follow the same pattern across different cities, and several factors, including the number of residents who work in the creative industries, may determine their location, according to an article published in EPJ Data Science.
In relatively cool temperatures, Anelosimus studiosus spiders lay their eggs and spin their webs and share their prey in cooperative colonies from Massachusetts to Argentina. Temperatures may vary, but the colonies continue to work together. That is, until 31 degrees C; then the spiders start to attack each other.
Children who have access to green spaces close to their homes have fewer respiratory problems, such as asthma and wheezing, in adulthood, according to new research. In contrast, children who are exposed to air pollution are more likely to experience respiratory problems as young adults.
Artificial intelligence (AI) can be an invaluable aid to help lung doctors interpret respiratory symptoms accurately and make a correct diagnosis, according to new research.
Researchers have devised a way to manipulate numbers of individual nuclear pores — a breakthrough that may one day stop cancerous cells from proliferating out of control.
A lack of understanding of the important role of wasps in the ecosystem and economy is a fundamental reason why they are universally despised whereas bees are much loved, according to UCL-led research.
What We're Following Uninspired Emmys: Critics have spoken: The 2018 Emmys gave viewers an uncomfortable pre-show and an uninspired, unnerving ceremony, save for much-needed respites such as an onstage marriage proposal during an acceptance speech. Self-referential jokes about the absence of diversity were as plentiful as the recognition of people of color's work was scarce, Hannah Giorgis writes
The largest liquid-argon neutrino detector in the world has just recorded its first particle tracks, signaling the start of a new chapter in the story of the international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE).
Patients who receive care in a for-profit hospital are more likely to be readmitted than those who receive care in nonprofit or public hospitals, according to a new study.
Researchers have produced new resources for research involving the roundworm C. elegans: a comprehensive view of which genes are active in each of the four major tissues of adult worms, as well as a tool for predicting gene activity across 76 more specific cell types.
The theory of quantum mechanics is well supported by experiments. Now, however, a thought experiment by physicists yields unexpected contradictions. These findings raise some fundamental questions — and they're polarising experts.
A lack of understanding of the important role of wasps in the ecosystem and economy is a fundamental reason why they are universally despised whereas bees are much loved, according to UCL-led research.
A comprehensive survey of ingredients in yogurts available in UK supermarkets highlights high sugar levels in many — particularly organic yogurts and those marketed towards children.
Air pollution may be linked to a heightened risk of developing dementia, finds a London-based observational study, published in the online journal BMJ Open.The associations found couldn't be explained by factors known to influence the risks of developing the condition, say the researchers.
The sugar content of most types of yogurt is well above the recommended threshold, reveals an analysis of the nutrient content of available UK supermarket products. And organic varieties, often viewed as healthier options, contain some of the highest average sugar content, at 13.1 g/100 g, the findings indicate.
Risk in over-50s increases by 40% where highest nitrogen oxide levels exist, study shows Air pollution may increase the chance of developing dementia, a study has suggested, in fresh evidence that the health of people of all ages is at risk from breathing dirty air. People over 50 in areas with the highest levels of nitrogen oxide in the air showed a 40% greater risk of developing dementia than t
Artificial intelligence (AI) can be an invaluable aid to help lung doctors interpret respiratory symptoms accurately and make a correct diagnosis, according to new research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress.
Children who have access to green spaces close to their homes have fewer respiratory problems, such as asthma and wheezing, in adulthood, according to new research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress. In contrast, children who are exposed to air pollution are more likely to experience respiratory problems as young adults.
Health Don't go throwing the baby out with the bathtub cleaner. More and more research these days shows us we might have gone too far with our obsession to rid our homes of germs, and that kids could use a little dirt.
Meteorologists have been using a nearly 50-year-old scale to measure the wind speed and storm surge of a hurricane. But it's not a good measure for rain, which can often become the most dangerous aspect of a storm.
NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with clinical psychologist Richard McNally about memory retention following traumatic events in light of the sexual assault accusations brought against Judge Brett Kavanaugh.
Written by Madeleine Carlisle ( @maddiecarlisle2 ) and Olivia Paschal ( @oliviacpaschal ) Today in 5 Lines Senator Susan Collins asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to allow lawyers for Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused the Supreme Court nominee of sexual assault, time to question the opposing party at next week's hearing. During a joint press conference with Poland's Pr
Environment A wire photographer gets ready to cover Florence. As everyday citizens evacuate or shelter in place, photojournalists move into the eye of the storm. Here's how they plan for the assignment.
Narrative is one of mankind's sharpest tools. Many scholars argue that storytelling—our ability to invent fictions, and to collectively believe in them—is what ultimately distinguishes Homo sapiens from chimpanzees. You don't have to look far to see the evidence; from politics to religion to capitalism to our own personal identity, the foundation of humanity is built upon stories. Doug Passon, a
A team at Princeton's Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics has produced new resources for research involving the roundworm C. elegans: a comprehensive view of which genes are active in each of the four major tissues of adult worms, as well as a tool for predicting gene activity across 76 more specific cell types.
Patients who receive care in a for-profit hospital are more likely to be readmitted than those who receive care in nonprofit or public hospitals, according to a new study published by University of Illinois at Chicago researchers.
Salk Institute researchers have devised a way to manipulate numbers of individual nuclear pores — a breakthrough that may one day stop cancerous cells from proliferating out of control.
https://www.ibiology.org/development-and-stem-cells/homeotic-genes Nipam Patel explains the effects of Hox gene deletions and how these phenotypes help us understand the manner in which Hox genes act to control the insect body plan. Homeotic (Hox) genes are transcription factors that dictate the development and compartmentalization (regionalization) of body parts in animals along the anterior-pos
https://www.ibiology.org/development-and-stem-cells/homeotic-genes Nipam Patel explains the effects of Hox gene deletions and how these phenotypes help us understand the manner in which Hox genes act to control the insect body plan. Homeotic (Hox) genes are transcription factors that dictate the development and compartmentalization (regionalization) of body parts in animals along the anterior-pos
https://www.ibiology.org/development-and-stem-cells/homeotic-genes Nipam Patel explains the effects of Hox gene deletions and how these phenotypes help us understand the manner in which Hox genes act to control the insect body plan. Homeotic (Hox) genes are transcription factors that dictate the development and compartmentalization (regionalization) of body parts in animals along the anterior-pos
A study of more than 4,000 lung cancer patients reveals that people who receive treatment under a multidisciplinary model of care have significantly higher survival rates at one, three, five, and 10 years after diagnosis than those who receive treatment with a traditional model of care. The study, which appears in Clinical Lung Cancer , represents the first large-scale published investigation in
The Science Behind Feeding a Mission to Mars Food scientists are developing food for astronauts that stays nutritious and fresh for at least three years. ISSThanksgiving.jpg NASA astronaut Michael Hopkins' Thanksgiving meal on November 28, 2013. Image from aboard the International Space Station. Image credits: NASA Space Tuesday, September 18, 2018 – 16:00 Rebecca Boyle, Contributor (Inside Scien
Using energy consumption as a measure, a team of international scientists has found that ancient civilizations engaged in globalization more than previously believed, suggesting that an integrated global economy is nothing new and may have benefited societies for ages.
A new analysis looks at what it would take for oil companies to start pumping millions of tons of carbon dioxide into their wells to boost crude production — and what it would mean for the climate.
'These results indicate that processing speed is fundamental to higher order cognitive function in individuals with MS,' said Dr. Chiaravalloti, the Foundation's director of Neuropsychology, Neuroscience, and Traumatic Brain Injury Research. 'Looking at the impact of cognitive interventions on neuropsychological measures isn't enough, however. The outcomes of our research studies need to include t
A new survey reveals public attitudes toward potential commercial use of their DNA, blood, and tissue samples. Recently, the almost 5 million people who paid to have 23andMe analyze their DNA found out that the company might have sold their genetic data and related health information to a major drug company. That's because 23andMe made a $300 million deal with pharmaceutical giant Glaxo SmithKlin
In São Paulo, Brazil, it is the lesser presence of predators, not large food supply, that can explain why an isolated green area concentrates more giant pit vipers than a wide forest reserve.
A team of scientists has calculated the strength of the material deep inside the crust of neutron stars and found it to be the strongest known material in the universe.
One of the challenges in cancer research is improving the delivery of chemo drugs to enhance their efficacy while decreasing the risk of side effects. Scientists now perform a theoretical prediction of adsorption of a well-known chemo drug onto active carbon with aluminium inclusions, to show its potential as an oral chemotherapy delivery capsule.
Scientists have made an unexpected discovery while investigating the triggering factors of colon cancer: Cell stress in combination with an altered microbiota in the colon drives tumor growth. Previously, it was assumed that this combination only contributes to inflammatory intestinal diseases.
Silver nanoparticles are increasingly being used in consumer products, such as clothing and personal care products, in the medical and pharmaceutical industry, and in the food industry. That is why their presence is expected to increase in the environment where they can exert harmful effects on organisms.
Beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) in wild parrot populations has been detected in eight new countries, raising concerns for threatened species. This highlights the need for greater awareness of the risks of the spread of infectious disease associated with the international trade in live parrots.
Intestinal bacteria can create an electric current, according to a new study. The results are valuable for the development of drugs, but also for the production of bioenergy, for example.
Scientists have known for years that warming global climate is melting the Greenland Ice Sheet, the second largest ice sheet in the world. A new study, however, shows that the rate of melting might be temporarily increased or decreased by two existing climate patterns: the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO).
Researchers have been developing a laser power sensor that could be built into manufacturing devices for real-time measurements in many manufacturing processes, from welding car parts to crafting engine components with 3D printers.
There has been a lot of publicity in recent years about growers battling glyphosate-resistant pigweed in soybean and cotton crops. But pigweed isn't the only weed resistant to glyphosate. New research shows certain populations of junglerice (Echinochloa colona) are now among a growing number of weeds resistant to the herbicide.
After a horrific accident put her in the tabloid headlines, Kate Stone found a way to take control of her narrative — and help prevent others from losing their privacy, too. Learn how she reclaimed her story in this personal talk infused with humor and courage.
Science Excerpt: Math with Bad Drawings It's very simple. Math looks like language. A funny language, I'll admit. It's dense, terse, and painstaking to read.
Americans as a whole don't regularly wear sunscreen , but Americans of color especially don't . This is striking given sunscreen's wide-ranging benefits. It fades acne scars, which can last for weeks or even months. It staves off conditions that are caused or worsened by the sun, such as lupus, which is especially common among women of color. And it protects skin that becomes more photosensitive
A new analysis looks at what it would take for oil companies to start pumping millions of tons of carbon dioxide into their wells to boost crude production — and what it would mean for the climate.
'Flipped' teaching may increase student comprehension of math concepts and offer teachers a way to enhance their teaching skills, according to a new study. It could also help support parent participation in the learning process. Flipped instruction, a technique in which teachers send students home with information typically given in lectures and save class time for discussion, is becoming more po
A multidisciplinary team of researchers has developed a portable, easy-to-use device for quick and accurate screening of diseases. This versatile technology platform called enVision (enzyme-assisted nanocomplexes for visual identification of nucleic acids) can be designed to detect a wide range of diseases – from emerging infectious diseases (e.g. Zika and Ebola) and high-prevalence infections (e.
When light pulses from an extremely powerful laser system are fired onto material samples, the electric field of the light rips the electrons off the atomic nuclei. A plasma is created. The electrons couple with the laser light in the process. When flying out of the target, they pull the atomic cores behind them. In order to experimentally investigate this complex acceleration process scientists h
Scientists have discovered a new family of molecules that work together to precisely remove unwanted DNA during reproduction in single-celled, freshwater organisms called ciliates.
Researchers have long questioned what impact climate change has on the rate at which corals are growing and building reef habitats in the Florida Keys. A new study explored this topic, finding both good and bad news. The rate of coral skeletal growth in the Florida Keys has remained relatively stable over time, but the skeletal density of the region's corals is declining, possibly due to ocean aci
While scientists fear that rising temperatures could unleash a 'bomb' of carbon from Earth's soil carbon reservoirs, a new study suggests these reservoirs might actually be more stable than predicted.
Insect pollinators and plants that have survived the impacts of agricultural intensification may have a greater ability to resist future environmental changes than previously thought, a new study has found.
Radioactivity in fracking wastewater comes from the interaction between a chemical slurry and ancient shale during the hydraulic fracturing process, according to Dartmouth College research.
In São Paulo, Brazil, it is the lesser presence of predators, not large food supply, that can explain why an isolated green area concentrates more giant pit vipers than a wide forest reserve.
Computer scientists have developed a system that learns to identify objects within an image, based on a spoken description of the image. Given an image and an audio caption, the model will highlight in real-time the relevant regions of the image being described.
Researchers have unraveled new insights into the way cells leverage G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and their cellular waste disposal systems to control inflammation. The findings suggest some existing cancer drugs that inhibit these cellular activities might be repurposed to treat vascular inflammation, which occurs when artery-blocking plaques form in atherosclerosis.
Download this eBook from Qiagen to learn more about the promise of precision medicine and how QCITM Interpret can help deliver better care with better knowledge.
The body's immune system is a valiant weapon against disease, and harnessing its power through a technique called immunotherapy is at the forefront of current research to treat cancer and other diseases.
Dozens of European countries are backing a plan to increase the use of hydrogen as an alternative to fossil fuels to cut the continent's carbon emissions.
Researchers at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have successfully harnessed their Zika virus vaccine to target and kill brain cancer known as glioblastoma.
Standard quantum theory explains the behaviour of microscopic things like electrons and atoms. It should also, in principle apply to larger objects – but it might not
The consumption of foods with higher scores on the British Food Standards Agency nutrient profiling system (FSAm-NPS), reflecting a lower nutritional quality, is associated with an increased risk of developing cancer.
Science And how AI could help them do it even better. Our ability to place faces exists on a spectrum. Some super-recognizers, whose abilities far exceed the average, have taken an outsize role in fighting crime.
Using energy consumption as a measure, a team of international scientists has found that ancient civilizations engaged in globalization more than previously believed, suggesting that an integrated global economy is nothing new and may have benefited societies for ages.
The discovery made by Notre Dame researchers and their collaborators tosses a new wrench into the process of building better molecules to develop immunotherapies.
To understand why women overwhelmingly support a Democratic takeover of Congress—a landslide majority of 65 percent, according to the latest ABC News/ Washington Post survey—it's worth parsing some of the initial Republican responses to the sexual-assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh. The remarks explain why, on the cusp of the first national elections of the #MeToo era, Republicans on the
Twitter is bringing reverse-chronological timelines back. It won't be the new default, but CEO Jack Dorsey announced that you'll be able to go back to the simplest way to organize a timeline with a setting change. Uncheck " show the best tweets first ," and out will go the algorithmically shaped experience—tweets from 4h ago, lingering with tweets from 10s ago—and in will come the old rhythm, the
Historical bias is a key reason why biomedical researchers continue to study the same 10 percent of all human genes while ignoring many genes known to play roles in disease, according to a new study. This bias is bolstered by research funding mechanisms and social forces.
New research increases understanding of a mysterious sensory cell located in the olfactory epithelium, the patch of nasal tissue that contains odor-detecting olfactory receptor cells. The findings suggest that the so-called microvillous cells (MVCs) may protect the vulnerable olfactory epithelium by detecting and initiating defenses against viruses, bacteria, and other potentially harmful invaders
Historical bias is a key reason why biomedical researchers continue to study the same 10 percent of all human genes while ignoring many genes known to play roles in disease, according to a study publishing Sept. 18 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology, led by Thomas Stoeger and Luís Amaral of Northwestern University, and colleagues. This bias is bolstered by research funding mechanisms and soci
A new study published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS Biology reveals certain nonlethal methods are effective for managing predators in agricultural landscapes. Twenty-one authors from 10 nations reviewed 114 peer-reviewed scientific studies measuring the effectiveness of lethal and non-lethal methods for reducing carnivore predation on livestock. Livestock guardian dogs, livestock enclosures an
Historical bias is a key reason biomedical researchers continue to study the same 10 percent of all human genes whose sequences are known while ignoring many genes known to play roles in disease, according to a Northwestern University study. The bias is bolstered by research funding mechanisms and social forces. Well-meaning policy interventions to promote exploratory research result primarily in
The consumption of foods with higher scores on the British Food Standards Agency nutrient profiling system (FSAm-NPS), reflecting a lower nutritional quality, is associated with an increased risk of developing cancer, according to a study published this week in PLOS Medicine.
Chinese ride-hailing service Didi Chuxing said Tuesday it is launching service in Mexico's second-largest city, Guadalajara, expanding its presence in the country—and its challenge to market king Uber.
Scientists are focusing on a relatively small number of human genes and neglecting thousands of others. The reasons have more to do with professional survival than genetics.
European Union regulators have opened an in-depth investigation into whether automakers BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen colluded to limit the development and roll-out of car emission control systems.
The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, one of the world's top-selling automakers, has decided to go with Google's Android operating system to run its dashboard information and entertainment features.
It's Time for the Press to Stop Complaining—And to Start Fighting Back Earlier this month, Chuck Todd, an Atlantic contributing editor and the moderator of Meet the Press , described how a nearly 50-year campaign of vilification has left many Americans distrustful of the media. His essay urged journalists—and readers—to reach for facts instead of talking points. Alas, Chuck Todd's lengthy view of
Back in 2000, a group of mildly inebriated geneticists set up a lighthearted sweepstakes to guess how many genes the human genome would turn out to contain once it was fully sequenced. More than 460 bets were placed, and the lowest guess of 25,947 eventually won when the Human Genome Project was completed in 2003. Fifteen years later, the exact number of human genes is still being debated , with
Apple has completed payment of 14.3 billion euros ($16.7 billion) in back taxes to the Irish government, Dublin said Tuesday, following a European Commission ruling that the tech giant had benefitted from illegal tax breaks in the country.
G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are everywhere in our bodies. They are embedded in our cell membranes, where they act as signal transducers, allowing cells to respond to their external environments. GPCRs play a crucial role in most biological functions, including heart rate, blood pressure, vision, smell, taste and allergic responses. GPCR malfunction can lead to a number of diseases, and man
NASA's Aqua satellite provided an infrared look at fading Post-Tropical Cyclone Florence's clouds, revealing where the strongest thunderstorms were located. Those strong thunderstorms stretched from the Mid-Atlantic to New England.
A new analysis of thousands of very small earthquakes that have occurred in the San Bernardino basin near the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults suggests that the unusual deformation of some—they move in a different way than expected—may be due to "deep creep" 10 km below the Earth's surface, say geoscientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Early findings from a new study could help in the development of immune-based treatments personalized to people with acute myeloid leukemia who are undergoing stem cell transplantation, researchers report. "If you could identify and activate the immune cells from the stem cell donor that only target leukemia cells, and not normal, healthy cells, that would be a big win," says Ben Vincent, an assi
NASA's Aqua satellite provided an infrared look at fading Post-Tropical Cyclone Florence's clouds, revealing where the strongest thunderstorms were located. Those strong thunderstorms stretched from the Mid-Atlantic to New England.
A new analysis of thousands of very small earthquakes in the San Bernardino basin suggests that the unusual deformation of some may be due to 'deep creep' 10 km below the Earth's surface, say geoscientists. They say scientists should not use the information recorded by these small earthquakes to predict loading of the nearby San Andreas and San Jacinto faults.
New research shows digital content platforms can increase traffic to their websites from social media and boost digital ad profits by at least 8 percent, simply by aligning their posting schedules with target audiences' sleep-wake cycles.
Researchers sheds light on p63 activity in squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, providing an actionable path forward to drug development against this known cause of cancer.
Defects in solids can be broadly classified based on their dimensionality (1). Zero-dimensional defects (point defects) arise as a consequence of entropy considerations (configurational entropy) and thus are thermodynamically required in any material. One-dimensional defects such as dislocations are not required by thermodynamics but arise anyway as a consequence of…
In February 2018, the United States enacted significant financial incentives for carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) that will make capture from the lowest-capture-cost sources economically viable. The largest existing low-capture-cost opportunity is from ethanol fermentation at biorefineries in the Midwest. An impediment to deployment of carbon capture at ethanol…
When making decisions, humans are often distracted by irrelevant information. Distraction has a different impact on perceptual, cognitive, and value-guided choices, giving rise to well-described behavioral phenomena such as the tilt illusion, conflict adaptation, or economic decoy effects. However, a single, unified model that can account for all these phenomena…
We examined whether 21-month-old infants could distinguish between two broad types of social power: respect-based power exerted by a leader (who might be an authority figure with legitimate power, a prestigious individual with merited power, or some combination thereof) and fear-based power exerted by a bully. Infants first saw three…
Calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis is essential for neuronal function and survival. Altered Ca2+ homeostasis has been consistently observed in neurological diseases. How Ca2+ homeostasis is achieved in various cellular compartments of disease-relevant cell types is not well understood. Here we show in Drosophila Parkinson's disease (PD) models that Ca2+ transport from…
The coupled transport of ions and substrates allows transporters to accumulate substrates using the energy of transmembrane ion gradients and electrical potentials. During transport, conformational changes that switch accessibility of substrate and ion binding sites from one side of the membrane to the other must be controlled so as to…
Phosphotyrosine (pTyr)-regulated protein complexes play critical roles in cancer signaling. The systematic characterization of these protein complexes in tumor samples remains a challenge due to their limited access and the transient nature of pTyr-mediated interactions. We developed a hybrid chemical proteomics approach, termed Photo-pTyr-scaffold, by engineering Src homology 2 (SH2)…
The Ciona notochord has emerged as a simple and tractable in vivo model for tubulogenesis. Here, using a chemical genetics approach, we identified UTKO1 as a selective small molecule inhibitor of notochord tubulogenesis. We identified 14-3-3εa protein as a direct binding partner of UTKO1 and showed that 14-3-3εa knockdown leads…
IgA effector functions include proinflammatory immune responses triggered upon clustering of the IgA-specific receptor, FcαRI, by IgA immune complexes. FcαRI binds to the IgA1–Fc domain (Fcα) at the CH2–CH3 junction and, except for CH2 L257 and L258, all side-chain contacts are contributed by the CH3 domain. In this study, we…
The membrane-proximal external region (MPER) of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) bears epitopes of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) from infected individuals; it is thus a potential vaccine target. We report an NMR structure of the MPER and its adjacent transmembrane domain in bicelles that mimic a lipid-bilayer membrane. The MPER…
Cytokinetic abscission facilitates the irreversible separation of daughter cells. This process requires the endosomal-sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT) machinery and is tightly regulated by charged multivesicular body protein 4C (CHMP4C), an ESCRT-III subunit that engages the abscission checkpoint (NoCut) in response to mitotic problems such as persisting chromatin bridges…
The animal kingdom exhibits a great diversity of organismal form (i.e., disparity). Whether the extremes of disparity were achieved early in animal evolutionary history or clades continually explore the limits of possible morphospace is subject to continuing debate. Here we show, through analysis of the disparity of the animal kingdom,…
Seizures induced by visual stimulation (photosensitive epilepsy; PSE) represent a common type of epilepsy in humans, but the molecular mechanisms and genetic drivers underlying PSE remain unknown, and no good genetic animal models have been identified as yet. Here, we show an animal model of PSE, in Drosophila, owing to…
Viral encephalitis is a major risk factor for the development of seizures, epilepsy, and hippocampal damage with associated cognitive impairment, markedly reducing quality of life in survivors. The mechanisms underlying seizures and hippocampal neurodegeneration developing during and after viral encephalitis are only incompletely understood, hampering the development of preventive treatments….
Identifying novel pathways that promote robust function and longevity of cytotoxic T cells has promising potential for immunotherapeutic strategies to combat cancer and chronic infections. We show that sprouty 1 and 2 (Spry1/2) molecules regulate the survival and function of memory CD8+ T cells. Spry1/2 double-knockout (DKO) ovalbumin (OVA)-specific CD8+…
Angiogenesis is essential in the early stage of solid tumor recurrence, but how a suspensive tumor is reactivated before angiogenesis is mostly unknown. Herein, we stumble across an interesting phenomenon that s.c. xenografting human lung cancer tissues can awaken the s.c. suspensive tumor in nude mice. We further found that…
Given that HIV evolution and latent reservoir establishment occur continually within-host, and that latently infected cells can persist long-term, the HIV reservoir should comprise a genetically heterogeneous archive recapitulating within-host HIV evolution. However, this has yet to be conclusively demonstrated, in part due to the challenges of reconstructing within-host reservoir…
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a global diarrheal pathogen that utilizes adhesins and secreted enterotoxins to cause disease in mammalian hosts. Decades of research on virulence factor regulation in ETEC has revealed a variety of environmental factors that influence gene expression, including bile, pH, bicarbonate, osmolarity, and glucose. However, other…
Ehrlichia chaffeensis, an obligatory intracellular bacterium, infects monocytes/macrophages by sequestering a regulator of endosomal traffic, the small GTPase RAB5, on its membrane-bound inclusions to avoid routing to host-cell phagolysosomes. How RAB5 is sequestered on ehrlichial inclusions is poorly understood, however. We found that native Ehrlichia translocated factor-2 (Etf-2), a previously..
When movements become dysmetric, the resultant motor error induces a plastic change in the cerebellum to correct the movement, i.e., motor adaptation. Current evidence suggests that the error signal to the cerebellum is delivered by complex spikes originating in the inferior olive (IO). To prove a causal link between the…
Insulin resistance drives the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D). In liver, diacylglycerol (DAG) is a key mediator of lipid-induced insulin resistance. DAG activates protein kinase C ε (PKCε), which phosphorylates and inhibits the insulin receptor. In rats, a 3-day high-fat diet produces hepatic insulin resistance through this mechanism, and…
The large-conductance calcium- and voltage-activated K+ (BK) channel has a requirement of high intracellular free Ca2+ concentrations for its activation in neurons under physiological conditions. The Ca2+ sources for BK channel activation are not well understood. In this study, we showed by coimmunopurification and colocalization analyses that BK channels form…
Human object-selective cortex shows a large-scale organization characterized by the high-level properties of both animacy and object size. To what extent are these neural responses explained by primitive perceptual features that distinguish animals from objects and big objects from small objects? To address this question, we used a texture synthesis…
Over the past decades, chemists have been pursuing the creation of man-made molecular machines with either designed engineering-like operations or with higher performances compared with biological machines. The promise of creating an artificial molecular world traces its origins in the well-known lecture of Richard Feynman, There's plenty of room at…
The widespread use of molecular-level motion in key natural processes suggests that great rewards could come from bridging the gap between the present generation of synthetic molecular machines—which by and large function as switches—and the machines of the macroscopic world, which utilize the synchronized behavior of integrated components to perform…
Recent developments in synthetic molecular motors and pumps have sprung from a remarkable confluence of experiment and theory. Synthetic accomplishments have facilitated the ability to design and create molecules, many of them featuring mechanically bonded components, to carry out specific functions in their environment—walking along a polymeric track, unidirectional circling…
In this paper we elaborate on recently developed molecular switch architectures and how these new systems can help with the realization of new functions and advancement of artificial molecular machines. Progress in chemically and photoinduced switches and motors is summarized and contextualized such that the reader may gain an appreciation…
The field of synthetic molecular machines has quickly evolved in recent years, growing from a fundamental curiosity to a highly active field of chemistry. Many different applications are being explored in areas such as catalysis, self-assembled and nanostructured materials, and molecular electronics. Rotary molecular motors hold great promise for achieving…
The morphological dynamics, instabilities, and transitions of elastic filaments in viscous flows underlie a wealth of biophysical processes from flagellar propulsion to intracellular streaming and are also key to deciphering the rheological behavior of many complex fluids and soft materials. Here, we combine experiments and computational modeling to elucidate the…
Liquids can be broadly classified into two categories, fragile and strong ones, depending on how their dynamical properties change with temperature. The dynamics of a strong liquid obey the Arrhenius law, whereas the fragile one displays a super-Arrhenius law, with a much steeper slowing down upon cooling. Recently, however, it…
Genome editing with CRISPR-Cas nucleases has been applied successfully to a wide range of cells and organisms. There is, however, considerable variation in the efficiency of cleavage and outcomes at different genomic targets, even within the same cell type. Some of this variability is likely due to the inherent quality…
The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) growth pathway detects nutrients through a variety of sensors and regulators that converge on the Rag GTPases, which form heterodimers consisting of RagA or RagB tightly bound to RagC or RagD and control the subcellular localization of mTORC1. The Rag heterodimer uses…
Microbiome spectra serve as critical clues to elucidate the evolutionary biology pathways, potential pathologies, and even behavioral patterns of the host organisms. Furthermore, exotic sources of microbiota represent an unexplored niche to discover microbial secondary metabolites. However, establishing the bacterial functionality is complicated by an intricate web of interactions inside…
Oligosaccharyltransferases (OSTs) N-glycosylate proteins by transferring oligosaccharides from lipid-linked oligosaccharides (LLOs) to asparaginyl residues of Asn-Xaa-Ser/Thr acceptor sequons. Mammals have OST isoforms with STT3A or STT3B catalytic subunits for cotranslational or posttranslational N-glycosylation, respectively. OSTs also hydrolyze LLOs, forming free oligosaccharides (fOSs). It has
SmgGDS has dual functions in cells and regulates small GTPases as both a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for the Rho family and a molecular chaperone for small GTPases possessing a C-terminal polybasic region followed by four C-terminal residues called the CaaX motif, which is posttranslationally prenylated at its cysteine…
A spectroscopic interpretation of incoherent neutron scattering experiments is presented which is based on Franck–Condon-type probabilities for scattering-induced transitions between quantum states of the target. The resulting expressions for the scattering functions enable an energy landscape-oriented analysis of neutron scattering spectra as well as a physical interpretation of Van Hove's…
Polymerization and adhesion, dynamic processes that are hallmarks of sickle cell disease (SCD), have thus far been studied in vitro only separately. Here, we present quantitative results of the simultaneous and synergistic effects of adhesion and polymerization of deoxygenated sickle hemoglobin (HbS) in the human red blood cell (RBC) on…
We demonstrate that ion-beam milling of frozen, hydrated protein crystals to thin lamella preserves the crystal lattice to near-atomic resolution. This provides a vehicle for protein structure determination, bridging the crystal size gap between the nanometer scale of conventional electron diffraction and micron scale of synchrotron microfocus beamlines. The demonstration…
In red blood cell (RBC) diseases, the spleen contributes to anemia by clearing the damaged RBCs, but its unique ability to mechanically challenge RBCs also poses the risk of inducing other pathogenic effects. We have analyzed RBCs in hereditary spherocytosis (HS) and hereditary elliptocytosis (HE), two typical examples of blood…
Membrane-initiated steroid signaling (MISS) is a recently discovered aspect of steroidal control over cell function that has proved highly challenging to study due to its rapidity and ultrasensitivity to the steroid trigger [Chow RWY, Handelsman DJ, Ng MKC (2010) Endocrinology 151:2411–2422]. Fundamental aspects underlying MISS, such as receptor binding, kinetics…
Various bacterial protein toxins, including Clostridium difficile toxins A (TcdA) and B (TcdB), attack intracellular target proteins of host cells by glucosylation. After receptor binding and endocytosis, the toxins are translocated into the cytosol, where they modify target proteins (e.g., Rho proteins). Here we report that the activity of translocated…
The yeast genome becomes unstable during stress, which often results in adaptive aneuploidy, allowing rapid activation of protective mechanisms that restore cellular homeostasis. In this study, we performed a genetic screen in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to identify genome adaptations that confer resistance to tunicamycin-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Whole-genome sequencing of…
Wholly synthetic molecules involving both mechanical bonds and a folded secondary structure are one of the most promising architectures for the design of functional molecular machines with unprecedented properties. Here, we report dynamic single-molecule force spectroscopy experiments that explore the energetic details of donor–acceptor oligorotaxane foldamers, a class of molecular…
We examine one of the simplest cyclic rotaxanes—a molecule made from three rods with variable length between 0 and L. This [3]rotaxane, unlike a traditional molecule, shows significant size and shape fluctuations. We quantify these using a number of different measures. In particular, we show that the average angles are…
In situ grazing-incidence X-ray scattering shows that a monolayer of artificial rod-shaped dipolar molecular rotors produced on the surface of an aqueous subphase in a Langmuir trough has a structure conducive to a 2D ferroelectric phase. The axes of the rotors stand an average of 0.83 nm apart in a…
Efficient molecular switching in confined spaces is critical for the successful development of artificial molecular machines. However, molecular switching events often entail large structural changes and therefore require conformational freedom, which is typically limited under confinement conditions. Here, we investigated the behavior of azobenzene—the key building block of light-controlled molec
Allosteric control, one of Nature's most effective ways to regulate functions in biomolecular machinery, involves the transfer of information between distant sites. The mechanistic details of such a transfer are still an object of intensive investigation and debate, and the idea that intramolecular communication could be enabled by dynamic processes…
The coordinated motion of many individual components underpins the operation of all machines. However, despite generations of experience in engineering, understanding the motion of three or more coupled components remains a challenge, known since the time of Newton as the "three-body problem." Here, we describe, quantify, and simulate a molecular…
Due to the small size of a nanoconfinement, the property of water contained inside is rather challenging to probe. Herein, we measured the amount of water molecules released during the folding of individual G-quadruplex and i-motif structures, from which water activities are estimated in the DNA nanocages prepared by 5…
With quantum computers of significant size now on the horizon, we should understand how to best exploit their initially limited abilities. To this end, we aim to identify a practical problem that is beyond the reach of current classical computers, but that requires the fewest resources for a quantum computer….
Because all climate models exhibit biases, their use for assessing future climate change requires implicitly assuming or explicitly postulating that the biases are stationary or vary predictably. This hypothesis, however, has not been, and cannot be, tested directly. This work shows that under very large climate change the bias patterns…
A useful starting hypothesis for predictions of changes in precipitation extremes with climate is that those extremes increase at the same rate as atmospheric moisture does, which is ∼7% K−1 following the Clausius–Clapeyron (CC) relation. This hypothesis, however, neglects potential changes in the strengths of atmospheric circulations associated with precipitation…
The formation of droplets is ubiquitous in many natural and industrial processes and has reached an unprecedented level of control with the emergence of milli- and microfluidics. Although important insight into the mechanisms of droplet formation has been gained over the past decades, a sound understanding of the physics underlying…
Exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a major global health concern. Quantitative estimates of attributable mortality are based on disease-specific hazard ratio models that incorporate risk information from multiple PM2.5 sources (outdoor and indoor air pollution from use of solid fuels and secondhand and active smoking), requiring assumptions…
Somatic mutations on glycine 34 of histone H3 (H3G34) cause pediatric cancers, but the underlying oncogenic mechanism remains unknown. We demonstrate that substituting H3G34 with arginine, valine, or aspartate (H3G34R/V/D), which converts the non-side chain glycine to a large side chain-containing residue, blocks H3 lysine 36 (H3K36) dimethylation and trimethylation…
T follicular helper (Tfh) and regulatory (Tfr) cells are terminally differentiated cells found in germinal centers (GCs), specialized secondary lymphoid organ structures dedicated to antibody production. As such, follicular T (Tfol) cells are supposed to be specific for immunizing antigens, which has been reported for Tfh cells but is debated…
Influenza virus has a broad cellular tropism in the respiratory tract. Infected epithelial cells sense the infection and initiate an antiviral response. To define the antiviral response at the earliest stages of infection we used a series of single-cycle reporter viruses. These viral probes demonstrated cells in vivo harbor a…
African trypanosomes cause lethal and neglected tropical diseases, known as sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in animals. Current therapies are limited, but fortunately, promising therapies are in advanced clinical and veterinary development, including acoziborole (AN5568 or SCYX-7158) and AN11736, respectively. These benzoxaboroles will likely be key to the World…
The brain of mammals differs from that of all other vertebrates, in having a six-layered neocortex that is extensively interconnected within and between hemispheres. Interhemispheric connections are conveyed through the anterior commissure in egg-laying monotremes and marsupials, whereas eutherians evolved a separate commissural tract, the corpus callosum. Although the pattern…
d-serine is a physiologic coagonist of NMDA receptors, but little is known about the regulation of its synthesis and synaptic turnover. The amino acid exchangers ASCT1 (Slc1a4) and ASCT2 (Slc1a5) are candidates for regulating d-serine levels. Using ASCT1 and ASCT2 KO mice, we report that ASCT1, rather than ASCT2, is…
Extended defects are known to have critical influences in achieving desired material performance. However, the nature of extended defect generation is highly elusive due to the presence of multiple nucleation mechanisms with close energetics. A strategy to design extended defects in a simple and clean way is thus highly desirable…
We study transitions between distinct phases of one-dimensional periodically driven (Floquet) systems. We argue that these are generically controlled by infinite-randomness fixed points of a strong-disorder renormalization group procedure. Working in the fermionic representation of the prototypical Floquet Ising chain, we leverage infinite randomness physics to provide a simple description…
Quantum many-body systems exhibit an extremely diverse range of phases and physical phenomena. However, we prove that the entire physics of any quantum many-body system can be replicated by certain simple, "universal" spin-lattice models. We first characterize precisely what it means for one quantum system to simulate the entire physics…
Topological Weyl semimetals (TWSs) with pairs of Weyl points and topologically protected Fermi arc states have broadened the classification of topological phases and provide superior platform for study of topological superconductivity. Here we report the nontrivial superconductivity and topological features of sulfur-doped Td-phase MoTe2 with enhanced Tc compared with type-II…
Lead halide perovskites are used in thin-film solar cells, which owe their high efficiency to the long lifetimes of photocarriers. Various calculations find that a dynamical Rashba effect could significantly contribute to these long lifetimes. This effect is predicted to cause a spin splitting of the electronic bands of inversion-symmetric…
In transition metal perovskites ABO3, the physical properties are largely driven by the rotations of the BO6 octahedra, which can be tuned in thin films through strain and dimensionality control. However, both approaches have fundamental and practical limitations due to discrete and indirect variations in bond angles, bond lengths, and…
The plastid terminal oxidase (PTOX) has been shown to be an important sink for photosynthetic electron transport in stress-tolerant plants. However, overexpression studies in stress-sensitive species have previously failed to induce significant activity of this protein. Here we show that overexpression of PTOX from the salt-tolerant brassica species Eutrema salsugineum…
Social scientists have shown how easily individuals are moved to exclude outgroup members. Can we foster inclusion instead? This study leverages one of the most significant humanitarian crises of our time to test whether, and under what conditions, American citizens adopt more inclusionary behavior toward Syrian refugees. We conduct a…
American workers' occupational status strongly reflects the status of their parents. Men and women who grew up in a two-earner or father-breadwinner family achieved occupations that rose 0.5 point for every one-point increase in their parents' statuses (less if their father was absent). Gender differences were small in two-earner families…
Scientists understand how global ecological degradation is occurring but not why it seems to be so difficult to reverse. We used national-level data and a mathematical model to provide an empirical test of the hypothesis that national economies display two distinct economic regimes that are maintained by self-reinforcing feedbacks between…
MEDICAL SCIENCES Correction for "Diverse AR-V7 cistromes in castration-resistant prostate cancer are governed by HoxB13," by Zhong Chen, Dayong Wu, Jennifer M. Thomas-Ahner, Changxue Lu, Pei Zhao, Qingfu Zhang, Connor Geraghty, Pearlly S. Yan, William Hankey, Benjamin Sunkel, Xiaolong Cheng, Emmanuel S. Antonarakis, Qi-En Wang, Zhihua Liu, Tim H.-M. Huang,…
DNA architecture influences genome-editing efficiency Illustration of Cas9 binding to DNA. Hypothetical PAM sites for Cas9 targets are shown in red; DNA backbones are blue; RNA backbone is teal; DNA and RNA bases are white, except for PAM; histones are green; and Cas9 is purple. Image courtesy of Janet Iwasa…
University of Utah biochemist Dana Carroll was among the first scientists to develop reagents for genome editing. These tools can make site-specific double-strand DNA breaks to stimulate desired recombination and repair. The technology that Carroll spearheaded, zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs), laid the groundwork for other genome-editing platforms, such as transcription activator-like…
From the pioneering work that the Buchanan group started in the late 1960s, we know that the division of photosynthesis into light and dark reactions is inadequate because the activity of a number of chloroplast enzymes, many involved in the Calvin–Benson cycle, is strictly controlled by light; that is, they…
Protein concentration gradients are a common strategy to compartmentalize activities within cells and tissues. Gradients position the division plane of bacterial cells, regulate the size of yeast cells, and pattern embryos (1–3). Among the most studied gradients is the Bicoid gradient of Drosophila. Bicoid protein is synthesized from a localized…
CD8+ T cells provide critical immune protection against infections and cancer. Upon T cell receptor (TCR) recognition of a cognate antigen–MHC I complex and costimulatory signals presented by dendritic cells, quiescent CD8+ T cells undergo activation, leading to proliferation and effector responses that mediate clearance of pathogen-infected cells or cancer….
Diarrheal diseases are still one of the biggest global health burdens. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), diarrhea ranks as the ninth cause of death worldwide, being the fourth among children. One of the most prevalent diarrheagenic pathogens is enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) (1). ETEC's classic virulence mechanisms include…
Chemists are tinkering with a variety of different designs and means of propulsion, though practical uses for these mini-motors have yet to be realized. Some of the smallest, most useful machines known to science are the biological molecules that keep living things living. The protein myosin drives the contraction and…
Sometimes it begins with the toothpaste. Whenever I go back to the United States from Europe, where I've lived for more than half my adult life, I'll often find myself in a jet-lagged fog at a huge American drugstore staring at the toothpaste aisle. Why? I ask myself, or anyone who's around. Why are there so many kinds of toothpaste? Whitening, baking soda, clean mint, fresh mint, gel, paste, swi
As Hurricane Florence passes out of the area, the floodwaters from the record rainfall continue to threaten some parts of North and South Carolina, with major rivers expected to reach their peak flood levels in the next few hours or days. For much of the past week, residents have been evacuating or fleeing from Florence, many of them carrying their beloved furry companions. Dogs, cats, and other
Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have unraveled new insights into the way cells leverage G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and their cellular waste disposal systems to control inflammation. The findings, published Sept. 18, 2018 in Cell Reports, suggest some existing cancer drugs that inhibit these cellular activities might be repurposed to treat vascular infl
MIT computer scientists have developed a system that learns to identify objects within an image, based on a spoken description of the image. Given an image and an audio caption, the model will highlight in real-time the relevant regions of the image being described.
In an article published in Creativity Research Journal, Georgetown researchers address neuro-ethical concerns associated with the increasing use of transcranial electrical stimulation (tES).
CERN researchers have observed the Higgs boson particle transforming into bottom quarks as it decays. Scientists predict this is the most common way for Higgs bosons to decay, yet it was a difficult signal to isolate because background processes closely mimic the subtle signal. This new discovery is a big step forward in the quest to understand how the Higgs enables fundamental particles to acqui
A new analysis of thousands of very small earthquakes in the San Bernardino basin suggests that the unusual deformation of some may be due to 'deep creep' 10 km below the Earth's surface, say geoscientists at UMass Amherst. They say scientists should not use the information recorded by these small earthquakes to predict loading of the nearby San Andreas and San Jacinto faults.
Customers of the large regional bank SunTrust are experiencing a third day of outages and difficulties from its online banking services, a particular problem for its customers in North and South Carolina who are currently dealing with Hurricane Florence.
Tesla confirmed Tuesday that US Justice Department officials were looking into possible criminal aspects of a seemingly spontaneous, and later aborted, announcement by chief executive Elon Musk on taking the electric automaker private.
NASA's Aqua satellite provided an infrared look at Tropical Depression Joyce and found wind shear was pushing the bulk of clouds and showers to the east of the center.
Noticing that songbirds, such as finches, never seem to get fat despite overeating at bird feeders, London environmental biologist Lewis Halsey wondered whether the amount of energy birds put into singing, fidgeting, or exercising could be adjusted in ways that regulate weight. In a literature review published September 18 in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution, he explores whether songbirds
Professor Charlotta Pisinger er stærkt bekymret for 'heated tobacco' som er tobaksindustriens seneste tiltag for at fastholde rygere, og tiltrække nye generationer af rygere. Europæiske lungelægers organisation advarer mod produkterne.
Danske undersøgelser præsenteret på ERS-kongressen afkræfter tidligere formodninger om bivirkninger til hyppigt anvendte astmamidler. Forskerne har benyttet ny farmakoepidemiologisk metode til at screene for bivirkninger.
Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa and a hand-picked coterie of artists could embark on a lunar mission within five years — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Researchers from the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center recently published a new paper predicting the invasion risk of starry stonewort (Nitellopsis obtusa) in Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes. Starry stonewort is a macroagla invasive in North America that has been found in fourteen lakes in Minnesota to date.
Kansas State University researchers are part of a large collaborative project that is using unmanned aircraft to improve the Kansas Flint Hills Smoke Management Plan.
The largest liquid-argon neutrino detector in the world has just recorded its first particle tracks, signaling the start of a new chapter in the story of the international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE).
New research from the Monell Center increases understanding of a mysterious sensory cell located in the olfactory epithelium, the patch of nasal tissue that contains odor-detecting olfactory receptor cells. The findings suggest that the so-called microvillous cells (MVCs) may protect the vulnerable olfactory epithelium by detecting and initiating defenses against viruses, bacteria, and other poten
For the first time ever, an international research group detected alterations in capillary blood flow around the face caused by body position change. This became possible through the use of imaging photoplethysmography. Using this method, scientists can examine blood vessels located in the carotid system in order to, for example, investigate the cerebral blood flow response to various stimuli in h
Brug af mannitol til at diagnosticere astma er en enkel og hurtig test, som med stor præcision kan finde frem til både dem, der har astma, og udelukke dem, der ikke har. Dansk forsker mener, at testen bør bruges i almen praksis.
Data fra Herlev-Østerbroundersøgelsen viser, at personer med genvarianter, der får folk til at ryge mere, får et højere niveau af systemisk inflammation.
Infants spend most of their time sleeping, waking up for just a few hours total every day. A lot of growth happens during those spans of shut-eye, though. Research shows that sleep is just as formative for babies' development as are the scattered bouts of consciousness when their eyes are open and their ears are perked up. As with adults, sleeping likely helps infants retain or protect memory and
DENVER —John Hickenlooper sits in the backseat of his official SUV, poring over a speech he's about to deliver before the One Colorado Education Fund. He's slated to receive an award from the group for his leadership on LGBTQ issues. It's a busy Saturday night in the life of Colorado's popular Democratic governor, who is dressed in a royal-blue, pin-striped zoot suit, having just left the annual
A Russian military plane was shot down over the Mediterranean on Monday—an incident that, despite being the direct result of antiaircraft fire from its Syrian ally, Moscow blamed on Israel, another of its de facto allies. The incident shows not only the clashing tangle of competing interests in Syria as the civil war nears its end, but also how easily that dynamic can rupture carefully cultivated
Team of University of Colorado Cancer Center researchers sheds light on p63 activity in squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, providing an actionable path forward to drug development against this known cause of cancer.
Today's artificial intelligence systems, including the artificial neural networks broadly inspired by the neurons and connections of the nervous system, perform wonderfully at tasks with known constraints. They also tend to require a lot of computational power and vast quantities of training data. That all serves to make them great at playing chess or Go, at detecting if there's a car in an image
Babyer, som har været udsat for organoklorin-pesticider, mens de var i mors mave, udvikler dårligere lungefunktion i barndommen. Det viser ny forskning.
New Notre Dame research shows digital content platforms can increase traffic to their websites from social media and boost digital ad profits by at least 8 percent, simply by aligning their posting schedules with target audiences' sleep-wake cycles.
NASA's Aqua satellite provided an infrared look at Tropical Depression Joyce and found wind shear was pushing the bulk of clouds and showers to the east of the center.
Researchers from the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center recently published a new paper predicting the risk of starry stonewort invasion in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Want to be a better boss? Check your email less often. Research from Michigan State University shows that keeping up with email traffic places high demands on managers, which prevents them from achieving their goals and from being good leaders.
New research showing that the first bacteria introduced into the gut have a lasting impact, may one day allow science to adjust microbiomes — the one-of-a-kind microbial communities that live in our gastrointestinal tracts — to help ward off serious chronic diseases.
Researchers showed that part of the macaque brain alters the sense of value felt upon receiving a reward in a manner dependent on the receipt of rewards by one's peers. This finding on the neuroscience of envy provides insight into how all primates, including humans, compare their material wellbeing with that of others and are potentially motivated to compete for limited resources.
A novel cosmetic product, designed to fill small to moderate facial scars, has shown promise in covering such deformities in a small group of patients. Participants were generally more satisfied with their appearance after the treatment was applied and the researchers believe it could help improve psychological wellbeing for patients whose self-esteem is affected by their scars.
New research shows that bosses struggle, like the rest of us, to keep up with email demands. What makes managers unique is that email traffic prevents them from being effective leaders and threatens employee performance.
Society has encouraged people to be more physically active, yet we are actually becoming less active. This new study offers a possible explanation: Our brains may be innately attracted to sedentary behavior. Electroencephalograms showed that test subjects had to summon extra brain resources when trying to avoid physical inactivity.
A research group has developed an engineered E. coli strain that converts formic acid and CO2 to pyruvate and produces cellular energy from formic acid through reconstructed one-carbon pathways. The strategy described in this study provides a new platform for producing value-added chemicals from one-carbon sources.
There has been a lot of publicity in recent years about growers battling glyphosate-resistant pigweed in soybean and cotton crops. But pigweed isn't the only weed resistant to glyphosate. New research published in the journal Weed Science shows certain populations of junglerice (Echinochloa colona) are now among a growing number of weeds resistant to the herbicide.
The theory of quantum mechanics is well supported by experiments. Now, however, a thought experiment by ETH physicists yields unexpected contradictions. These findings raise some fundamental questions — and they're polarising experts.
Fed-up with a growing mountain of stinking disposable nappies, a Dutch firm Tuesday started building the country's first recycling plant to turn poo into profit.
Scientists have developed a new model that merges basic electrochemical theory with theories used in different contexts, such as the study of photoelectrochemistry and semiconductor physics, to describe phenomena that occur in any electrode.
Every year, the world loses an estimated 7 percent of its seagrasses. While the reasons are manifold, one culprit has long confounded scientists: eelgrass wasting disease. This September a team of biologists is zeroing in on the problem, in the first study of the disease to stretch along the Pacific Coast from southern California to Alaska.
Resident physician burnout in the US is widespread, with the highest rates concentrated in certain specialties, according to research from Mayo Clinic, OHSU and collaborators.
Noticing that songbirds never seem to get fat despite overeating at bird feeders, environmental biologists wondered whether the amount of energy birds put into singing, fidgeting, or exercising could be adjusted in ways that regulate weight. Researchers now explore whether songbirds needn't worry about their calorie counts because they can control the way their bodies use energy.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), an umbrella term for a number of gut disorders — including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease — remains a clinical challenge. Now, researchers have identified a protein that drives intestinal inflammation. This finding highlights new opportunities for creating targeted therapeutics.
Researchers have found a new common thread linking nearly all of the trinucleotide repeat expansion diseases, which include ALS, Huntington's Disease and Fragile X Syndrome, involving the complicated 3D patterns that the DNA is folded into in order to fit in the nucleus of the cell. Nearly all of the short tandem repeats known to grow unstable in disease are located at the boundaries that separate
Chemists have created a new class of fluorescent dyes that function in water and emit colors based solely on the diameter of circular nanotubes made of carbon and hydrogen.
The scene is familiar: loud music, no parents, and beer. Christine Blasey Ford alleges that, in a Bethesda home in 1982, when she was in high school, then 17-year-old Brett Kavanaugh tried to rape her. Kavanaugh categorically denies the accusation. His staunchest defenders say that, even if the accusation is true, his behavior as a young man should not derail his path to the Supreme Court. Yet th
The latest round of tariffs imposed on China imposed by President Donald Trump appeared to largely spare Apple and other consumer electronics makers but they face increasing threats from the deepening trade war between the two economic giants.
Scientists are learning a lot more about Earth's first visible animal: the 570-540-million-year-old, enigmatic Ediacara biota. Ediacaran fossils have a slightly bizarre appearance no modern animal groups share. For decades, researchers thought the fossils were ecologically simple. However, borrowing a method from modern ecology—fitting species to relative abundance distributions—researchers have
Society has encouraged people to be more physically active, yet we are actually becoming less active. This new study offers a possible explanation: Our brains may be innately attracted to sedentary behavior. Electroencephalograms showed that test subjects had to summon extra brain resources when trying to avoid physical inactivity.
Researchers have found significantly lower birth weights in male infants — an average decrease of 38 grams, or approximately 1.3 ounces — born to women who had been exposed to trauma at some point in their lives and who secreted higher levels of cortisol, a hormone related to stress, in late pregnancy.
New research showing that the first bacteria introduced into the gut have a lasting impact, may one day allow science to adjust microbiomes — the one-of-a-kind microbial communities that live in our gastrointestinal tracts — to help ward off serious chronic diseases.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have found a new common thread linking nearly all of the trinucleotide repeat expansion diseases, which include ALS, Huntington's Disease and Fragile X Syndrome, involving the complicated 3D patterns that the DNA is folded into in order to fit in the nucleus of the cell. Nearly all of the short tandem repeats known to grow unstable in disease are locat
Scientists continue to unravel links between body weight and the gut microbiome. Now, researchers from Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) report an unexpected finding: mice fed a fatty diet and mannose, a sugar, were protected from weight gain — and this effect tracked with changes in the gut microbiome. The study published today in Cell Reports.
Veterans Affairs-supported tuition aid for military veterans enrolling in medical school covers a smaller proportion of tuition compared to aid for other graduate programs — just 45 percent of medical school tuition is covered by aid compared to 85 percent for law and 100 percent for MBA programs — according to a new study.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that clinicians offer or refer adults with a body mass index of 30 or higher to intensive behavioral interventions that focus on dietary changes and increased physical activity and that provide a variety of components to support weight loss and to maintain it.
Burnout is common among physicians. But do rates of burnout symptoms and career-choice regret vary among physicians in training by clinical specialty? In a study of nearly 3,600 second-year residents who were followed-up with questionnaires since medical school, 45 percent reported burnout symptoms and 14 percent reported regret over their career choice. The frequency of burnout symptoms and caree
Resident physician burnout in the US is widespread, with the highest rates concentrated in certain specialties, according to research from Mayo Clinic, OHSU and collaborators.
Noticing that songbirds never seem to get fat despite overeating at bird feeders, London environmental biologist Lewis Halsey wondered whether the amount of energy birds put into singing, fidgeting, or exercising could be adjusted in ways that regulate weight. In a literature review published Sept. 18 in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution, he explores whether songbirds don't need to worry a
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), an umbrella term for a number of gut disorders — including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease — remains a clinical challenge. Now, researchers from Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP), in collaboration with scientists at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, have identified a protein that drives intestinal inflammation. This finding
Environment Rivers flood regularly during hurricanes, but get less attention than coastlines Some of the worst damage from Eastern Seaboard hurricanes in the past several decades has come from inland flooding along rivers after storms move ashore.
Scientists have known for years that warming global climate is melting the Greenland Ice Sheet, the second largest ice sheet in the world. A new study from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), however, shows that the rate of melting might be temporarily increased or decreased by two existing climate patterns: the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillati
When it comes to designing and optimizing mechanical systems, scientists understand the physical laws surrounding them well enough to create computer models that can predict their properties and behavior. However, scientists who are working to design better electrochemical systems, such as batteries or supercapacitors, don't yet have a comprehensive model of the driving forces that govern complex
Did you know that in addition to producing paper pulp and firewood, eucalyptus is used by scientists to study how trees function in tropical climates, just as poplar is used for temperate climates? Eucalyptus originated in Australia (it is the sole food source for koalas), and is also a prime source of low-cost woody biomass. This explains its popularity for both industrial firms and smallholders
Intet tyder på, at Google sætter effektivt ind mod svindelannoncer, og reklamegiganten får da også mellem 30 og 50 procent af hver eneste lille transaktion.
BMW will stop production at its Mini factory in Oxford for several weeks to avoid supply disruption in case of a no-deal Brexit, the German auto giant said Tuesday.
Bill Gates is rallying behind school quality in developing nations with a push for more assessment data, a new initiative that links the Microsoft co-founder's signature U.S. education priorities with his more prominent global philanthropy work.
Racial and ethnic discrimination takes a toll on adolescents and is linked to their depression, poor self-esteem, lower academic achievement, substance use and risky sexual behavior, according to a meta-analysis published in the American Psychological Association's flagship journal, American Psychologist.
The efficacy of chemotherapy treatment depends on how effectively it reaches cancerous cells. Increasing targeted delivery could mean decreasing side effects. Scientists are enhancing methods of selectively transmitting active chemotherapy agents and reducing their toxicity by encapsulating chemo drugs into active carbon used as the targeted delivery device. In a new study published in EPJ E, Gabr
Insect pollinators that have survived the impacts of agricultural intensification may have a greater ability to resist future environmental changes than previously thought, a new study has found.
Argonne scientists and their collaborators have developed a new model that merges basic electrochemical theory with theories used in different contexts, such as the study of photoelectrochemistry and semiconductor physics, to describe phenomena that occur in any electrode.
Commercial eucalyptus plantations cover some 20 million hectares in a hundred or so countries, and primarily serve to produce paper, while smallholder plantings produce firewood*. However, they are now suffering the effects of climate change. Some 225 scientists and managers from around thirty countries are meeting in Montpellier from 17 to 21 September to discuss ways of adapting plantations.
One of the challenges in cancer research is improving the delivery of chemo drugs to enhance their efficacy while decreasing the risk of side effects. In a new study published in EPJ E, Scientists from Argentina perform a theoretical prediction of adsorption of a well-known chemo drug onto active carbon with aluminium inclusions, to show its potential as an oral chemotherapy delivery capsule.
New Michigan State University research shows that bosses struggle, like the rest of us, to keep up with email demands. What makes managers unique is that email traffic prevents them from being effective leaders and threatens employee performance.
There has been a lot of publicity in recent years about growers battling glyphosate-resistant pigweed in soybean and cotton crops. But pigweed isn't the only weed resistant to glyphosate. New research published in the journal Weed Science shows certain populations of junglerice (Echinochloa colona) are now among a growing number of weeds resistant to the herbicide.
When the pressure is on, why do we sometimes fail to live up to our potential? Cognitive scientist and Barnard College president Sian Leah Beilock reveals what happens in your brain and body when you choke in stressful situations, sharing psychological tools that can help you perform at your best when it matters most.
More than 25 million refugees around the world have had to flee their origin country due to war, famine, or persecution. Many will spend years in refugee camps, while others—those who can never return home—are placed elsewhere. For millions of refugees, their ultimate destination has been the United States, which has historically been committed to the resettlement of the world's most vulnerable p
researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have been developing a laser power sensor that could be built into manufacturing devices for real-time measurements in many manufacturing processes, from welding car parts to crafting engine components with 3D printers.
Racial and ethnic discrimination takes a toll on adolescents and is linked to their depression, poor self-esteem, lower academic achievement, substance use and risky sexual behavior, according to a meta-analysis published in the American Psychological Association's flagship journal, American Psychologist.
A team of scientists has calculated the strength of the material deep inside the crust of neutron stars and found it to be the strongest known material in the universe.
Scientists have known for years that warming global climate is melting the Greenland Ice Sheet, the second largest ice sheet in the world. A new study from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), however, shows that the rate of melting might be temporarily increased or decreased by two existing climate patterns: the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillati
A scoping review of studies on game interventions for cardiovascular disease (CVD) self-management found that the use of digital games improved exercise capacity and energy expenditure significantly.
While scientists fear that rising temperatures could unleash a 'bomb' of carbon from Earth's soil carbon reservoirs, a new FSU study suggests these reservoirs might actually be more stable than predicted.
RUDN and the Italian Euromediterranean Center for Climate Change (CMCC) scientists studied how climate changes may affect wheat harvest in high latitudes of the Eastern hemisphere on the example of Russia. In the upcoming decades the most yielding agricultural areas in the south of the country will be hit by droughts. The optimal territory for wheat and other grain crops cultivation would move nor
Researchers have long questioned what impact climate change has on the rate at which corals are growing and building reef habitats in the Florida Keys. A new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill explored this topic, finding both good and bad news. The rate of coral skeletal growth in the Florida Keys has remained relatively stable over time, but the skeletal density of the re
A white shark's acute sense of smell allows it to detect a potential meal several miles away. Now, using environmental DNA (eDNA), scientists—and someday, perhaps, any curious person—can sniff them out as well, according to new research. "One of the goals of this research is for a lifeguard to be able to walk down to the shore, scoop up some water, shake it, and see if white sharks are around," s
Twitter is preparing an option for users to go back to its original chronological news feed, responding to complaints about its algorithmic system implemented two years ago.
Scientists have discovered a new family of molecules that work together to precisely remove unwanted DNA during reproduction in single-celled, freshwater organisms called ciliates.
Chemists have created a new class of fluorescent dyes that function in water and emit colors based solely on the diameter of circular nanotubes made of carbon and hydrogen.
Researchers have successfully deployed a Zika virus vaccine to target and kill human glioblastoma brain cancer stem cells, which had been transplanted into mice. In a new study, the team shows that a live, attenuated version of the Zika virus could form the basis of a new treatment option for this fatal brain cancer.
Insect pollinators and plants that have survived the impacts of agricultural intensification may have a greater ability to resist future environmental changes than previously thought, a new study led by the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology has found.
Variations in power generation using renewable sources lead to control problems in the electricity grid. The technology of lithium batteries is a candidate offering great potential in solving these problems. An industrial engineer at the Public University of Navarre (NUP/UPNA) has developed a new management system that allows good performance of these batteries to be achieved and their lifetime to
Researchers have long questioned what impact climate change has on the rate at which corals are growing and building reef habitats in the Florida Keys. A new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill explored this topic, finding both good and bad news. The rate of coral skeletal growth in the Florida Keys has remained relatively stable over time, but the skeletal density of the re
The team of Professor Dirk Haller at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) made an unexpected discovery while investigating the triggering factors of colon cancer: Cell stress in combination with an altered microbiota in the colon drives tumour growth. Previously, it was assumed that this combination only contributes to inflammatory intestinal diseases.
Silver nanoparticles are increasingly being used in consumer products, such as clothing and personal care products, in the medical and pharmaceutical industry, and in the food industry. That is why their presence is expected to increase in the environment where they can exert harmful effects on organisms. The UPV/EHU's 'Cell Biology in Environmental Toxicology' research group has analysed adult ze
Scientists have discovered a new family of molecules that work together to precisely remove unwanted DNA during reproduction in single-celled, freshwater organisms called ciliates.
Thermal ablation is a safe, effective treatment for early-stage lung cancer, according to a new study. The results show that ablation may be an effective alternative for patients who cannot undergo lung cancer surgery because of age or health status.
An Iranian government-aligned group of hackers launched a major campaign targeting Mideast energy firms and others ahead of U.S. sanctions on Iran, a cybersecurity firm said Tuesday, warning further attacks remain possible as America re-imposes others on Tehran.
Researchers say an increasingly notorious brand of Israeli surveillance software is being used further afield than previously known, with possible infections detected around the globe.
The ACLU accused Facebook of discrimination, saying the company violated federal and state laws prohibiting businesses from excluding women from job ads.
When meteorologists downgraded Hurricane Florence from a powerful Category 4 storm to a Category 2 and then a Category 1, Wayne Mills figured he could stick it out.
Sept. 18, 2018—University of Oregon chemists have created a new class of fluorescent dyes that function in water and emit colors based solely on the diameter of circular nanotubes made of carbon and hydrogen.
A recent study has presented the notion of 'DNA Phase Separation', which suggests that the DNA within the nucleus may trigger phase separation, like oil in water.
Two of the closest galaxies to the Milky Way — the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds — may have had a third companion, astronomers believe. New research describes how another 'luminous' galaxy was likely engulfed by the Large Magellanic Cloud some three to five billion years ago.
New research shows that while a three-base pair, in-frame deletion called p.Met992del in the NF1 gene has a mild phenotype for people with the genetic disorder neurofibromatosis type 1, or NF1, the mutation does cause complications. These include non-optic brain tumors, mostly low-grade and asymptomatic, as well as cognitive impairment and/or learning disabilities.
Failure rates in some surgical mesh products used to treat prolapse injury are unacceptably high according to a new biomedical review conducted by a medical materials expert, who also believes patients should have received more information around the risk before being treated for urinary incontinence with surgical mesh products.
Intestinal bacteria can create an electric current, according to a new study from Lund University in Sweden. The results are valuable for the development of drugs, but also for the production of bioenergy, for example.
Beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) in wild parrot populations has been detected in eight new countries, raising concerns for threatened species. This highlights the need for greater awareness of the risks of the spread of infectious disease associated with the international trade in live parrots.
A study by researchers from The University of Western Australia has found that the behaviour between groups of African mountain gorillas is very much influenced by the strong, life-long bonds they form with members of their group.
Renault's alliance with Nissan and Mitsubishi said Tuesday it would start equipping its cars with the Android operating system to make dashboards smart.
The EU opened an in-depth probe into alleged collusion by major German carmakers over anti-pollution technology Tuesday, a fresh blow to the scandal-hit industry three years after the notorious "dieselgate."
After announcing that he'll take the first-ever commercial rocket trip around the moon, Yusaku Maezawa said he wants company for the weeklong journey. The Japanese billionaire said he plans to invite six to eight artists, architects, designers and other creative people to join him on board the SpaceX rocket "to inspire the dreamer in all of us."
Silver nanoparticles are increasingly being used in consumer products, such as clothing and personal care products, in the medical and pharmaceutical industry, and in the food industry. That is why their presence is expected to increase in the environment where they can exert harmful effects on organisms. The UPV/EHU's Cell Biology in Environmental Toxicology research group has analysed adult zebr
The four-month period from April to July 2018 was the warmest in Germany since the beginning of weather recording. Many places reached new all-time as well as monthly records. In addition, the situation was aggravated by a drought since February. In August, about 90 percent of the German territory suffered under drought. Heat and drought led to severe forest fires in several regions of Europe and
Interest in wave energy has been growing in recent years, and electric generators specially designed to generate electricity from this renewable energy source are being developed. The UPV/EHU's Advanced Control Group (GCA) has come up with a robust control system for these generators which, during the tests conducted, has been shown to substantially improve their efficiency.
Dr. Christophe Lasseur, coordinator of the European Space Agency's Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative (MELISSA), studies how to keep astronauts alive in space by recycling their waste products into water, oxygen, food and other materials. Using this expertise is helping the NextGen project design circular economy solutions for water on Earth.
Intestinal bacteria can create an electric current, according to a new study from Lund University in Sweden. The results are valuable for the development of drugs, but also for the production of bioenergy, for example.
A multidisciplinary team of researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has developed a portable, easy-to-use device for quick and accurate screening of diseases. This versatile technology platform called enVision (enzyme-assisted nanocomplexes for visual identification of nucleic acids) can be designed to detect a wide range of diseases – from emerging infectious diseases (e.g. Zika
When light pulses from an extremely powerful laser system are fired onto material samples, the electric field of the light rips the electrons off the atomic nuclei. A plasma is created. The electrons couple with the laser light in the process. When flying out of the target, they pull the atomic cores behind them. In order to experimentally investigate this complex acceleration process, researchers
Researchers at UNIGE have studied the neuronal activity of people faced with making the choice between physical activity and doing nothing. They noted that the brain requires far greater resources to escape a general attraction to minimising effort. A struggle then breaks out between the desire to do nothing and the physical activity. The results are consistent with the idea that our ancestors had
Our result suggests preoperative albumin level as an independent risk factor for PPCs in elderly gastric cancer (GC) patients after elective laparoscopic gastrectomy. We also suggest that those elderly hypoalbuminemic GC patients may benefit from more intensive perioperative care including perioperative nutritional status improvement.
Babies exposed to higher levels of organochlorine compounds in the womb go on to have worse lung function in childhood, according to new research. These compounds, which include the pesticide DDT, as well as electrical insulators and other industrial products, are now banned in most parts of the world. However, because they degrade very slowly, they are still present in the environment and in food
Galaxies in the early universe are shrouded in a kind of mist: a cloud of hydrogen. With galaxies in the later universe this mist has disappeared. Astronomer Jorryt Matthee has made the first images of this dissipating mist. Ph.D. defence 19 September.
Researchers have developed a tiny wireless photonic sensor that can record environmental data. The photonic sensors recorded data during the spring of 2017 under two scenarios: a real-time measurement of air temperature over 12 hours, and an aerial mapping of temperature distribution with a sensor mounted on a drone in a St. Louis city park. Researchers paired the sensor with a commercial thermom
Artificial neural networks — algorithms inspired by connections in the brain — have 'learned' to perform a variety of tasks, from pedestrian detection in self-driving cars, to analyzing medical images, to translating languages. Now, researchers are training artificial neural networks to predict new stable materials.
A mobile app that guides pedestrians along the safest instead of quickest route to their destination is being developed by researchers at Cardiff University.
A research group at KAIST has developed an engineered E. coli strain that converts formic acid and CO2 to pyruvate and produces cellular energy from formic acid through reconstructed one-carbon pathways. The strategy described in this study provides a new platform for producing value-added chemicals from one-carbon sources.
An international team of researchers, affiliated with UNIST has presented an innovative wearable technology that will turn your skin into a loudspeaker.
National Institute for Physiological Sciences researchers showed that part of the macaque brain alters the sense of value felt upon receiving a reward in a manner dependent on the receipt of rewards by one's peers. This finding on the neuroscience of envy provides insight into how all primates, including humans, compare their material wellbeing with that of others and are potentially motivated to
University of Oregon chemists have created a new class of fluorescent dyes that function in water and emit colors based solely on the diameter of circular nanotubes made of carbon and hydrogen.
The first passengers to fly to the moon on SpaceX's BFR rocket will be artists, in an effort to widen the company's appeal beyond governments and satellite firms
A new study shows how removing invasive rats from Palmyra Atoll allowed its native vegetation to make a grand comeback. When Hillary Young, a community ecologist at University of California, Santa Barbara, spent time at the Palmyra Atoll in 2006 to study the effects of seabirds on resident plant communities, she got a bit more than she bargained for: rats. "Rats would literally run over your feet
Budgetforliget i Syddanmark sikrer ekstra penge til psykiatrien og kompetenceudvikling af medarbejdere på sygehusenes fælles akutmodtagelser, medicinske afdelinger og i psykiatrien.
In February 2018, Donald Trump signed into law new tax credits that reward oil companies for capturing carbon dioxide and preventing it from entering the atmosphere – either by burying the gas underground or by pumping it into wells to boost production. These tax credits, which have bipartisan support, are encouraging for those who believe that trapping CO2 from the fossil fuel industry – though n
An EU-funded initiative has developed a low-cost positioning and navigation system for unmanned aerial systems (UASs). Utilising multiple-antenna, the device is based on off-the-shelf components and advanced data fusion algorithms.
Nearly 13,000 years ago, pines in southern France experienced a cold snap, which scientists have now reconstructed. The study about the consequences of a drastic climate change event in past and its implications for our future.
With age, expression of a small molecule that can silence others goes way up while a key signaling molecule that helps stem cells make healthy bone goes down, scientists report.
A new study found that graduate students are on board with wanting to adopt interactive teaching methods but often don't get the training or support they need from their institutions to do so.
Soil and land use research is fragmented in Europe. Now, researchers and practitioners have developed a comprehensive agenda on key knowledge gaps that research needs to address for benefit of society now and in the future.
A trio of researchers affiliated with several institutions in the U.S. and Canada has found evidence that suggests nuclear material beneath the surface of neutron stars may be the strongest material in the universe. In their paper published in the journal Physical Review Letters, M. E. Caplan, A. S. Schneider, and C. J. Horowitz describe their neutron star simulation and what it showed.
Society has encouraged people to be more physically active, yet we are actually becoming less active. This new study offers a possible explanation: Our brains may be innately attracted to sedentary behavior. Electroencephalograms showed that test subjects had to summon extra brain resources when trying to avoid physical inactivity.
A novel cosmetic product, designed to fill small to moderate facial scars, has shown promise in covering such deformities in a small group of patients. Participants were generally more satisfied with their appearance after the treatment was applied and the researchers believe it could help improve psychological wellbeing for patients whose self-esteem is affected by their scars.
International collaborative research led by Ludwine Messiaen, Ph.D., shows that while a three-base pair, in-frame deletion called p.Met992del in the NF1 gene has a mild phenotype for people with the genetic disorder neurofibromatosis type 1, or NF1, the mutation does cause complications. These include non-optic brain tumors, mostly low-grade and asymptomatic, as well as cognitive impairment and/or
Two of the closest galaxies to the Milky Way–the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds–may have had a third companion, astronomers believe.Research published today describes how another 'luminous' galaxy was likely engulfed by the Large Magellanic Cloud some three to five billion years ago.
A recent study, affiliated with South Korea's Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) has presented the notion of 'DNA Phase Separation', which suggests that the DNA within the nucleus may trigger phase separation, like oil in water.
Shuddering and unable to breathe, he vomited up five plastic bags. The small pilot whale, found in a Thai canal this past June, is another symptom of a crisis in the world's oceans. Plastic waste, mostly broken down into tiny particles, floats in huge blobs that together cover as much as 40 percent of Earth's ocean surface. Growing public concern has inspired movements to ban single-use plastics,
This article contains spoilers through all eight episodes of Forever. The opening sequence of Forever , the new eight-part Amazon series from the creators Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard, is one of the more flawless introductions to a series in recent memory. It plays out to Miles Davis's recording of Rodgers and Hart's "It Never Entered My Mind," a honeyed, wistful ode to melancholia, as Oscar (Fred
Første skridt til et fælles nordisk udbud af lægemidler blev taget i dag, da den danske og norske sundhedsminister underskrev en fælles medicinaftale. Det skal føre til billigere medicin.
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack last week suggested the government would look at changing the law to allow water to be taken from the environment and given to farmers struggling with the drought.
Lasers play roles in many manufacturing processes, from welding car parts to crafting engine components with 3D printers. To control these tasks, manufacturers must ensure that their lasers fire at the correct power.
Fronterne mellem de europæiske bilproducenter og miljøorganisationer er stadig trukket skarpt op, når det gælder NOx-emission. Så hvad er der egentlig sket her tre år efter, at dieselskandalen rullede?
A recently published study shows that unless they speak in a confident tone of voice, you're less likely to believe someone who speaks with an accent. And, interestingly, as you make this decision different parts of your brain are activated, depending on whether you perceive the speaker to be from your own 'in-group' or from some type of 'out-group' (e.g., someone with a different linguistic or cu
Researchers conducted a study to observe walking biomechanics of 130 subjects who have had ACL reconstruction surgery. They found people who report lingering symptoms post-surgery either underload their injured leg (6-12 months after surgery) or overload the injured leg (after the 24-month mark), as compared to those who have had the surgery but no longer report symptoms.
A new study indicates that people who have slept for fewer than seven of the past 24 hours have higher odds of being involved in and responsible for car crashes. The risk is greatest for drivers who have slept fewer than four hours.
Fall is in the air, and that means it's time to start thinking about Brain Awareness Week (BAW) 2019. The March campaign will take place from the 11-17 and unite the efforts of partner organizations worldwide in celebration of the brain. There is no better way to gear up for BAW 2019 than to enter our annual Brain Awareness Week Sticker Design Contest, which is now officially open! In this compet
Electrons tend to avoid one another as they go about their business carrying current. But certain devices, cooled to near zero temperature, can coax these loner particles out of their shells. In extreme cases, electrons will interact in unusual ways, causing strange quantum entities to emerge.
Dr. Willem-Jan Renger, head of the Innovation Studio at HKU University of the Arts Utrecht, is driving citizen engagement in smart city planning using methods generally seen in computer game creation, as part of an international consortium of cities, IRIS.
Shetland has been hit by at least two more tsunamis in the past 10,000 years than previously thought, and scientists are working to identify where the giant waves originated.
Health Pediatricians just published data on related injuries—but this isn't new information. Plenty of people aren't aware of just how dangerous these baby walkers can be—but doctors have known for years.
From kilowatt-hours to horsepower to acceleration times, see how the E-tron SUV compares to similar offerings from Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, and others.
Michael Fischler is an award-winning professor emeritus of education at Plymouth State University, a public institution in Plymouth, New Hampshire. He founded its Counseling and Human Relations Center, led it for four decades, and ultimately saw it officially renamed in his honor. But that honor has now been stripped, his attorneys say, and he is being asked to complete Title IX training before h
NASA's Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) instrument powered on and opened its cover to scan the Earth for the first time, resulting in a "first light" image of the Western Hemisphere in the ultraviolet. GOLD will provide unprecedented global-scale imaging of the temperature and composition at the dynamic boundary between Earth's atmosphere and space. The instrument was launched
A team of researchers at Harvard University has discovered the means by which honeybees keep their temporary clumps intact during adverse weather conditions. In their paper published in the journal Nature Physics, the group describes their study of honeybee behavior in their lab and what the found.
Condensation heat transfer plays an essential role in the efficiency of energy-intensive industrial technologies including power generation, energy utilization, water desalination and harvesting, air-conditioning, and thermal management of electronics. It is well known that dropwise condensation on the hydrophobic surface (Fig. 1A), where the frequent roll-off of condensed droplets, e.g. on vertic
Thunderstorms can generate various forms of transient luminous events, such as red sprites, gigantic jets, and blue jets through the charge transfer involved in the lightning forged inside thunderclouds.
Proportion of children being immunised down to 91.2% as experts warn of measles risk The proportion of children in England getting immunised for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) has fallen for the fourth year in a row, as uptake for a further nine out of the 12 routine vaccinations has dropped, figures show. Related: Resurgence of deadly measles blamed on low MMR vaccination rates Continue readin
New technological developments by UNIST researchers promise to significantly boost the performance of lithium metal batteries in promising research for the next-generation of rechargeable batteries. The study also validates the principle of enhanced battery performance via the real-time in situ observation of charge-discharge cycling.
A research team affiliated with UNIST has examined the rates of liquid penetration on rough or patterned surfaces, especially those with pores or cavities. Their findings provide important insights into the development of everyday products, including cosmetics and paints, and industrial applications like enhanced oil recovery.
An international team of researchers affiliated with UNIST has introduced an exciting new organic network structure that shows pure organic ferromagnetism from pure p-TCNQ without any metal contamination at room temperature. The results have been published in Chem.
DNA is a lengthy molecule—approximately 1,000-fold longer than the cell in which it resides—so it can't be jammed in haphazardly. Rather, it must be neatly organized so proteins involved in critical processes can access the information contained in its nucleotide bases. Think of the double helix like a pair of shoe laces twisted together, coiled upon themselves again and again to make the molecule
There's nothing like a fresh, tangy glass of orange juice to go with your morning oatmeal. But if you've just brushed your teeth, you may find that the beverage tastes … less than delicious.
Busyness is often thought of as a modern day affliction, but it can also help you delay gratification and make decisions that provide benefits over the long term, according to new research from the global business school INSEAD.
Thin-film solar cells made of crystalline silicon are inexpensive and achieve efficiencies of around 14 percent. However, they could do even better if their shiny surfaces reflected less light. A team led by Prof. Christiane Becker from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) has now patented a sophisticated new solution to this problem
University of Wyoming researchers contributed to a study that begins to fill in the knowledge gap of whether human societies grow and decline at the same rate and at the same time.
This image shows the south-facing rim of a pit crater at 68°S in the Sisyphi Planum region of Mars. It is a colour composite made from images acquired on 2 September 2018 by the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System, CaSSIS, onboard the joint ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, when the southern hemisphere of Mars was in late spring.
The 70th annual Emmy Awards subjected viewers to an almost unending barrage of secondhand embarrassment. Full of stilted banter, dubious jokes, and painful comedic mismatches, the ceremony dragged on with all the excitement of an extended commercial break. Still, even within the parade of uncomfortable drudgery, one moment felt particularly unnerving. The comedian James Corden, who hosted the 201
Greg Lukianoff was preoccupied with political polarization—not just the divisiveness he observed, but the fallout—and specifically the effects of tribalism on college campuses. The year was 2015. "It is a very serious problem for any democracy," he and his co-author Jonathan Haidt wrote in a cover story for The Atlantic that year. "As each side increasingly demonizes the other, compromise becomes
Region Hovedstaden holder fast i sin plan om at etablere et nyt fødested på Bispebjerg Hospital, selv om flere sundhedsfaglige råd har protesteret imod planerne.
I USA er det ulovligt at indsamle data om børn på internettet, hvis deres forældre ikke har givet tilladelse til det, men det er der tilsyneladende rigtig mange apps, der ikke lever op til. Google frasiger sig ansvaret.
Android-brugere har brokket sig over, at Google tilsyneladende har pillet ved deres indstillinger uden at spørge om lov. Nu indrømmer og undskylder Google.
When a fetus develops, cell division and differentiation, gene expression, cell-to-cell signaling, and morphogenesis must be carefully coordinated to occur in the correct sequence and for the proper amount of time. Failures in timing can result in congenital deformities, disabilities, and even death. For a long time, developmental biologists have sought to determine what sets the pace and directs
An international team of researchers has successfully deployed a Zika virus vaccine to target and kill human glioblastoma brain cancer stem cells, which had been transplanted into mice. In a study published this week in mBio®, the team shows that a live, attenuated version of the Zika virus could form the basis of a new treatment option for this fatal brain cancer.
"From this day forward," Justice Harry Blackmun announced in 1994, "I no longer shall tinker with the machinery of death." Blackmun had voted to restore the death penalty and even to approve mandatory death sentences. But after 25 years, he said, "I feel morally and intellectually obligated simply to concede that the death penalty experiment has failed … the problems that were pursued down one ho
The Ghanaian British author Michael Donkor's U.S. debut, Housegirl , is full of movement. The novel follows a 17-year-old domestic laborer named Belinda as she travels from Ghana to London. Before the start of the novel, Belinda has already journeyed from her home village to Kumasi, one of the largest cities in Ghana. The voyage to London marks her second sojourn. It is not her last. Like many im
On the surface, the Syrian civil war appears to be nearing its final stage. Bashar al-Assad's regime and its Russian and Iranian backers won the battle that mattered the most for them in July, when they drove the moderate rebels out of their last bastion in the southern Syrian city of Deraa. With that military victory, any hopes of a moderate takeover must be laid to rest. But while the rebels ha
Vanessa Hua, author, A River of Stars Angkor Wat is where my husband proposed to me at dawn, the sky rosy and golden over the spires reflected in the moat. With its stunning bas-reliefs and crumbling temples in eternal battle with banyan trees, the temple complex inspires awe and contemplation of the sweep of history and the atrocities of war. Lydia Kallipoliti, author, The Architecture of Closed
After Hölderlin Yellow pears wild roses the lake your swans and kisses your head in water. But where, when winter, is sunshine and shadow? The walls, silent and cold, clatter.
The Dangers of Distracted Parenting In the July/August issue, Erika Christakis argued that we should worry less about children's screen time—and more about our own. We have three sons and three grandsons. All, including the 17-month-old, are screen zombies. We just experienced the power of the addiction/distraction during a two-week vacation with our two oldest grandchildren (13 and 11). In the p
It's naive to think that data automatically produces knowledge, says Yale historian Timothy Snyder. Data scientists should study the humanities to see the world more clearly, and gain the wisdom to wield data. Perhaps the next basic civil right in the U.S. should be controlling your own data, and having basic access to easily understood facts. According to Yale University professor Timothy Synder
Special Issue: For 25 years, technology has turned the world upside down and inside out. Now the icons of the digital revolution tell us who will shake up the next 25.
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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.
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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