To better understand subsurface processes associated with earthquakes and eruptions of Mount Aso, Kyushu University researchers investigated a very long period (VLP) seismicity dataset collected over two years. A new technique was developed to locate VLP events, and two clusters of such events were detected. Changes in the locations of VLP events were closely associated with earthquake and eruptio
Trots pågående utveckling av befintliga och nya behandlingsprinciper finns det idag patienter som utvecklar så svår astma att de inte blir riktigt hjälpta av de läkemedel de får, så kallad okontrollerad astma. Forskare världen över fortsätter därför att studera de bakomliggande sjukdomsmekanismerna. I den nu publicerade studien har professor Anders Lindéns forskargrupp vid Karolinska Institutet,
Most residents in the Spanish holiday island of Gran Canaria who were evacuated over a raging wildfire were able to return home Wednesday after firefighters aided by cooler temperatures and calmer winds managed to stabilise the blaze, local officials said.
In the early morning, when the only sound on Tel Aviv beach is the waves, Yosef Salman and his team pick up plastic debris left by bathers or cast up by the sea.
Horseshoe bats are bizarre-looking animals with giant ears and elaborate flaps of skin on their noses that they use like satellite dishes. There are about a hundred different species of horseshoe bats—and that number is only going to grow. By studying the DNA of horseshoe bat specimens in museum collections, scientists have discovered that there are probably a dozen new species of horseshoe bat th
Scientific papers go through a peer-review process before they are accepted for publication in a journal. They are sent to two or more independent researchers for comment. Those researchers are asked to assess the robustness of the methods used and the conclusions drawn, as well as the novelty of the study. The reviewers' comments play an important role in determining which papers get accepted and
Horseshoe bats are bizarre-looking animals with giant ears and elaborate flaps of skin on their noses that they use like satellite dishes. There are about a hundred different species of horseshoe bats—and that number is only going to grow. By studying the DNA of horseshoe bat specimens in museum collections, scientists have discovered that there are probably a dozen new species of horseshoe bat th
Trolling off the California coast, Sarah Bates leans over the side of her boat and pulls out a long, silvery fish prized by anglers and seafood lovers: wild king salmon.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday the level of microplastics in drinking-water is not yet dangerous for humans but called for more research into potential future risk.
Trolling off the California coast, Sarah Bates leans over the side of her boat and pulls out a long, silvery fish prized by anglers and seafood lovers: wild king salmon.
Russia on Thursday launched an unmanned rocket carrying a life-size humanoid robot that will spend 10 days learning to assist astronauts on the International Space Station.
Brexit isn't what it used to be. In the months immediately after Britain voted to leave the European Union in 2016, two flavors were on offer—"hard" and "soft." A soft Brexit generally meant leaving the bloc's political structures but not its economic ones, such as the single market for goods and services. The hard version meant leaving those, too. Crucially, both versions would see Britain forma
Rapper Eminems publisher is suing Spotify, claiming that the music streaming giant is infringing on hundreds of his copyrights as well as challenging the constitutionality of a recently passed …
Age UK says unintended interactions between different medicines can be dangerous About 7 million elderly people in the UK are on at least seven different medications and at risk of potentially life-threatening harm from interactions between the drugs or side-effects from pills that are no longer right for them. Older people are being let down by a healthcare system that is allowing medicines to d
PLUS. Efter at Ørsted har aflyst alle planer om at deltage i biogas-projekter, peger ARC nu på behandling af københavnernes madaffald på et nyt biogasanlæg i Solrød som den bedste løsning.
Researchers at Rutgers and other institutions have discovered how muscle contraction (bronchospasm) in the airway, which cause breathing difficulty in people with asthma, occur by creating a microdevice that mimics the behavior of the human airways. The study, published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, could lead to new treatment strategies for respiratory diseases.
Adults carrying a gene associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease had a harder time accessing recently acquired knowledge, even though they didn't show any symptoms of memory problems, according to findings published in a joint Baycrest-University of Oxford study.
An enzyme induced by stress to help reduce production of damaging free radicals is also used by liver cancer to regulate two major cell proliferation pathways that enable the cancer to thrive, scientists report.
Patient-reported experiences have potential for driving improvements in the quality of hospital care, according to a new study in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, published by Elsevier. Investigators report on an analysis of the Canadian Patient Experience Survey responses obtained from cardiac patients in Alberta, which revealed areas that are highly rated by patients, but also reported findin
Cannabidiol (CBD) oils and products have become increasingly popular with consumers as ways to find relief from aches and pains, anxiety, sleep disturbances and other chronic issues. But are these products safe, and are they helpful?
Parents, siblings and children of people with celiac disease are at high risk of also having the disease, according to a Mayo Clinic study. This study calls for screening of all first-degree relatives of patients — not just those who show symptoms.
A program at the University of Illinois trains Indigenous scientists in genomics—in hopes that future work will be aimed at benefiting those communities. Christine Herman reports.
A program at the University of Illinois trains Indigenous scientists in genomics—in hopes that future work will be aimed at benefiting those communities. Christine Herman reports. — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
A program at the University of Illinois trains Indigenous scientists in genomics—in hopes that future work will be aimed at benefiting those communities. Christine Herman reports. — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
The fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) encodes an m6A RNA demethylase that controls mRNA processing and has been linked to both obesity and bone mineral density in humans by genome-wide association studies. To examine the role of FTO in bone, we characterized the phenotype of mice lacking Fto globally…
Many ecosystems, from vegetation to biofilms, are composed of territorial populations that compete for both nutrients and physical space. What are the implications of such spatial organization for biodiversity? To address this question, we developed and analyzed a model of territorial resource competition. In the model, all species obey trade-offs…
Received wisdom argues that citizens more readily demand accountability from government for taxes than for nontax revenue from oil or foreign aid, giving rise to an important mechanism underlying the "resource curse," which posits that nontax revenue causes citizen quiescence and hampers government accountability. However, in developing countries, obfuscation through…
Organic electrosynthesis can transform the chemical industry by introducing electricity-driven processes that are more energy efficient and that can be easily integrated with renewable energy sources. However, their deployment is severely hindered by the difficulties of controlling selectivity and achieving a large energy conversion efficiency at high current density due…
The fundamental conflicts in Western literature—person vs. nature and person vs. person—shape protagonists into more-evolved characters by the ends of their stories. This is no less true in biological evolution, where the environment and competing organisms shape a species' form and behavior over vast time scales, and thus its likelihood…
The human pathogenic bacterium Clostridium perfringens secretes an enterotoxin (CpE) that targets claudins through its C-terminal receptor-binding domain (cCpE). Isoform-specific binding by CpE causes dissociation of claudins and tight junctions (TJs), resulting in cytotoxicity and breakdown of the gut epithelial barrier. Here, we present crystal structures of human claudin-9 (hCLDN-9)…
More women are drinking alcohol and researchers are investigating why. While the gap is shrinking between men and women who drink, the new research finds variations in the amount and frequency women drink based on age, race, education, marital status, and other factors. The research compares the experiences of women in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s to see how life changes and events influence drin
Brain inflammation may offer a new target for treating tinnitus, researchers report. More than 50 million Americans struggle with tinnitus, a constant ringing in the ears that ranges from mildly annoying to severely debilitating, and no cure exists. Existing treatments help some people, but none seems to work for everyone. Hearing loss affects about 500 million people, and is a major risk factor
Horseshoe bats are bizarre-looking animals with giant ears and elaborate flaps of skin on their noses that they use like satellite dishes. There are about a hundred different species of horseshoe bats — and that number is only going to grow. By studying the DNA of horseshoe bat specimens in museum collections, scientists have discovered that there are probably a dozen new species of horseshoe bat
Does alcohol cause cancer? Here's what recent research tells us. (Credit: Mateone/Shutterstock) Humans and the bottle go a long way back. Archaeologists have found our love of alcohol began some 9,000 years ago (and maybe even 10 million years ago, according to some reports). Evidence of people boozin' it up has been found in nearly every society throughout history. And today, alcohol is still ing
Scientists have developed a new method to synthesize and screen thousands of macrocyclic compounds, a family of chemicals that are of great interest in the pharmaceutical industry.
A two-year randomised controlled trial in the British Ecological Society journal Functional Ecology will be the largest of its kind to date to assess whether hiding author details during peer review reduces bias against underrepresented groups in the science publishing process.
Scientists have developed a new method to synthesize and screen thousands of macrocyclic compounds, a family of chemicals that are of great interest in the pharmaceutical industry.
New research on one of the oldest and most complete fossil primate skulls from South America shows instead that the pattern of brain evolution in this group was far more checkered. The study suggests that the brain enlarged repeatedly and independently over the course of anthropoid history.
Experts find no proof minuscule particles are a threat to health but say more research is needed Microplastics are increasingly found in drinking water, but there is no evidence so far that this poses a risk to humans, according to a new assessment by the World Health Organization. However, the United Nations body warned against complacency because more research is needed to fully understand how
When sparks fly to innovate new technologies for imaging life at the microscopic scale, often diverse researchers are nudging each other with a kind of collegial one-upmanship.
Neuroscientists show how evolution and animal brains can be a rich source of inspiration for machine learning, especially to help AI tackle some enormously difficult problems, like doing the dishes.
A Chinese government policy allowing all couples to have two children led to an additional 5.4 million births in the first 18 months after it took effect
Sitting less and moving more often is associated with a lower risk of early death in middle aged and older people, suggests a review of data from 36,000 people
On Tuesday TechCrunch reported that security researcher Mossab Hussein, with the firm SpiderSilk, found an exposed, unencrypted MoviePass database with millions of records. Some of …
New research finds that fish oil supplements have no effect on type 2 diabetes. Increased consumption of omega 3 fats is widely promoted globally because of a common belief that it will protect against, or even reverse, conditions such as diabetes.But a systematic review commissioned by the World Health Organization, to be published in the British Medical Journal, finds that omega 3 supplements of
Between 2010-17, 6,072 new tuberculosis cases occurred among children and adolescents in the USA and its territories, and rates have declined overall.However, incidence rates among certain racial or ethnic groups were 14 or more times higher than non-Hispanic white children and adolescents. Incidence rates among children and adolescents living in US-affiliated islands were 12 times higher compared
Evidence shows that higher levels of physical activity — regardless of intensity — are associated with a lower risk of early death in middle aged and older people.
Research carried out by The BMJ has found evidence that some trusts are taking action to tackle the NHS pensions crisis ahead of the government's proposed national solution because of concerns about the impact on their workforce.
The introduction of China's universal two-child policy, that permits all couples to have two children, has led to an extra 5.4 million births, finds a study in The BMJ today.
Clear evidence that higher levels of physical activity — regardless of intensity — are associated with a lower risk of early death in middle aged and older people, is published by The BMJ today.
Were you forwarded this email? Sign yourself up here. We have many other free email newsletters on a variety of other topics. Browse the full list. What We're Following Today It's Wednesday, August 21. ‣ President Donald Trump canceled a scheduled meeting with the prime minister of Denmark next month, calling her "nasty" after she rejected his interest in purchasing Greenland. ‣ The Trump adminis
Norwegian review of 36,000 cases links more activity overall, light or intensive, with lower risk of death Even a small increase in light activity, such as washing dishes, a little gentle gardening, or shuffling around the house, might help stave off an early death among older adults, researchers say. Being sedentary, for instance, by sitting for long periods of time, has been linked to an increa
When sparks fly to innovate new technologies for imaging life at the microscopic scale, often diverse researchers are nudging each other with a kind of collegial one-upmanship.
Toxoplasma gondii is a microbial parasite that infects humans and but needs cats to complete its full life cycle. New research shows why: the sexual phase of the parasite's life cycle requires linoleic acid, a nutrient/lipid found at uniquely high levels in the felines, because cats lack a key enzyme for breaking it down.
Biomedical engineers have discovered that an adenosine receptor called A2B can be pharmaceutically activated to reverse bone degradation caused by osteoporosis in mouse models of the disease.
The C.D.C. said serious respiratory problems were reported in the past two months, though it remained unclear whether vaping nicotine or THC, the high-inducing chemical in marijuana, was the cause.
Scientists have combined analyses from honey and salmon to show how lead from natural and industrial sources gets distributed throughout the environment. By analysing the relative presence of differing lead isotopes in honey and Pacific salmon, Vancouver-based scientists have been able to trace the sources of lead (and other metals) throughout the region. The research is being presented at the Gol
People in Croatia during the 5th to 6th centuries may have used cranial modifications to indicate their cultural affiliations, according to a study published August 21, 2019 in the open-access …
Migration patterns in present-day Denmark shifted at the beginning of the Nordic Bronze Age, according to a study published August 21, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Karin Frei …
Neuroscientists show how evolution and animal brains can be a rich source of inspiration for machine learning, especially to help AI tackle some enormously difficult problems, like doing the dishes.
Researchers have found that there may be a much broader health risk to carriers of the FMR1 premutation, with potentially dozens of clinical conditions that can be ascribed directly to carrying it. The researchers employed machine learning to mine decades of electronic health records of nearly 20,000 individuals.
Wine lovers may appreciate a dry white, but a lack of steady rainfall brought on by a changing climate is threatening a centuries old winemaking tradition in Italy, according to an international team of scientists.
One way biological compounds inside cells stay organized is through membrane-less organelles (MLOs) — wall-less liquid droplets made from proteins and RNA that clump together and stay separate from the rest of the cellular stew. Scientists report that MLOs may be highly sensitive to the level of divalent cations inside cells. This matters because divalent calcium and magnesium ions aid in cellula
Many forms of vision loss stem from a common source: impaired communication between the eye and the brain. And at the root of that communication are hundreds of proteins generated by the retina's nerve cells. A new study examines these proteins in unprecedented detail, providing surprising new insights into how visual signals are distributed to different regions of the brain.
Scientists have combined analyses from honey and salmon to show how lead from natural and industrial sources gets distributed throughout the environment. By analysing the relative presence of differing lead isotopes in honey and Pacific salmon, Vancouver-based scientists have been able to trace the sources of lead (and other metals) throughout the region. Scientists in France, Belgium and Italy ar
Scientists have combined analyses from honey and salmon to show how lead from natural and industrial sources gets distributed throughout the environment. By analysing the relative presence of differing lead isotopes in honey and Pacific salmon, Vancouver-based scientists have been able to trace the sources of lead (and other metals) throughout the region. Scientists in France, Belgium and Italy ar
Brown fat is what turns your stored energy into heat when you get cold. (Unsplash/) Our fat cells aren't all the same. White fat's role is mostly to hang around the body, storing caloric fuel that can be converted into energy if needed. But brown fat —so named for the red-brown color imparted by its mitochondria—is active, using those cellular powerhouses to translate fuel from the body into heat
People in Croatia during the 5th to 6th centuries may have used cranial modifications to indicate their cultural affiliations, according to a new study.
Migration patterns in present-day Denmark shifted at the beginning of the Nordic Bronze Age, according to a new study. Migrants appear to have come from varied and potentially distant locations during a period of unprecedented economic growth in southern Scandinavia in the 2nd millennium BC.
An artist's illustration of a neutron star, a proposed source for fast radio bursts. (Credit: Casey Reed – Penn State University/Wikimedia Commons) Fast radio bursts are one of the most puzzling phenomena in astrophysics. But a new discovery of eight new sources for them might help scientists figure out what's causing these intense outbursts of energy coming from distant galaxies. The newly discov
The La Silla Observatory in Chile, where at least three new exoplanets have been discovered. (Credit: Iztok Boncina/ESO) There is a triplet of Earth-sized planet candidates orbiting a star just 12 light-years away, a new study has found. And one appears to be in the habitable zone. All three candidates are thought to be at least 1.4 to 1.8 times the mass of Earth, and orbit the star every three to
Two prominent researchers are quitting MIT's Media Lab over revelations that the technology research hub and its director took money from Jeffrey Epstein.
When sparks fly to innovate new technologies for imaging life at the microscopic scale, often diverse researchers are nudging each other with a kind of collegial one-upmanship.
Two radioactive isotopes of the metallic element scandium, or Sc, appear to be ideal for visualizing, and then destroying, solid tumors. A barrier, however, blocks their use—the inability to rapidly produce and purify the isotopes in useful amounts.
When sparks fly to innovate new technologies for imaging life at the microscopic scale, often diverse researchers are nudging each other with a kind of collegial one-upmanship.
It's a coin flip every single time. (Sopotnicki/Shutterstock/) The tiny Polish village of Miejsce Odrzanskie has become the unlikely source of international media attention over the past fortnight as a result of what the New York Times called " a strange population anomaly ." It has now been almost a decade since the last boy was born in this place, with the most recent 12 babies all having been
A new international study has found that air pollution is linked to increased cardiovascular and respiratory death rates. The study is the largest of its kind to investigate the short-term impacts of air pollution on death, conducted over a 30-year period. The study analyzed data on air pollution and mortality in 24 countries and regions.
Mount Sinai researchers have found a new type of therapy to be effective for patients with a particular type of bone marrow cancer that is resistant to several standard therapies, according to results of a clinical trial published in The New England Journal of Medicine in August.
Stellarators, twisty machines that house fusion reactions, rely on complex magnetic coils that are challenging to design and build. Now, a physicist at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) has developed a mathematical technique to help simplify the design of the coils, making stellarators a potentially more cost-effective facility for producing fusion en
Do climate shifts influence tornados over North America? New research found that Pacific and Atlantic ocean temperatures in April can influence large-scale weather patterns as well as the frequency of tornadoes over the Great Plains region.
A team of scientists from Weill Cornell Medicine and The Rockefeller University has illuminated the basic mechanism of Piezo proteins, which function as sensors in the body for mechanical stimuli such as touch, bladder fullness, and blood pressure. The discovery is a feat of basic science that also opens up many new paths of investigation into the roles of Piezo proteins in human diseases and pote
A team of scientists from Weill Cornell Medicine and The Rockefeller University has illuminated the basic mechanism of Piezo proteins, which function as sensors in the body for mechanical stimuli such as touch, bladder fullness, and blood pressure. The discovery is a feat of basic science that also opens up many new paths of investigation into the roles of Piezo proteins in human diseases and pote
Wine lovers may appreciate a dry white, but a lack of steady rainfall brought on by a changing climate is threatening a centuries old winemaking tradition in Italy, according to an international team of scientists.
A recent study found that people with chronic lower back pain who performed self-administered acupressure experienced improvement in pain and fatigue symptoms.
Scientists have illuminated the basic mechanism of Piezo proteins, which function as sensors in the body for mechanical stimuli such as touch, bladder fullness, and blood pressure. The discovery is a feat of basic science that also opens up many new paths of investigation into the roles of Piezo proteins in human diseases and potential new therapeutic strategies.
Researchers have unlocked mysteries surrounding how a pregnant mother's cells and her fetus' cells communicate throughout pregnancy. With this new information, scientists can develop new non-invasive methods of monitoring and improving the health of the fetus using this mode of communication.
CSHL neuroscientist Anthony Zador shows how evolution and animal brains can be a rich source of inspiration for machine learning, especially to help AI tackle some enormously difficult problems, like doing the dishes.
Toxoplasma gondii is a microbial parasite that infect humans and complete its full life cycle only in cats. New research published August 20, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology shows why: the sexual phase of the parasite's life cycle requires linoleic acid, a nutrient/lipid found at uniquely high levels in the felines, because cats lack a key enzyme for breaking it down.
Last fall, the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) convened a National Science Foundation workshop to identify the bottlenecks that stymie innovation in microscopy and imaging, and recommend approaches for transforming how imaging technologies are developed and deployed. The conclusions of the 79 workshop participants are summarized in a Commentary in the August issue of Nature Methods.
Wheels Up On Wednesday, German startup Volocopter unveiled the aircraft it hopes will service the world's first on-demand air taxi service — and it is wild-looking. The sleek black-and-white VoloCity has enough room for two passengers and their hand luggage, Volocopter wrote in a press release . The electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle also features a whopping 18 rotors with aerodynamic
A new study provides an extraordinary close-up of the menagerie of neural cell types, yielding possible leads for neurological and psychiatric treatments — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
A new study provides an extraordinary close-up of the menagerie of neural cell types, yielding possible leads for neurological and psychiatric treatments — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Stellarators, twisty machines that house fusion reactions, rely on complex magnetic coils that are challenging to design and build. Now, a PPPL physicist has developed a mathematical technique to help simplify the design of the coils.
A recent study found that people with chronic lower back pain who performed self-administered acupressure experienced improvement in pain and fatigue symptoms.
A team led by Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences' (CVM) researcher Dr. Stephen Safe has discovered a new pathway that may help suppress the development of glioblastoma tumors, one of the deadliest forms of cancer.
Many forms of vision loss stem from a common source: impaired communication between the eye and the brain. And at the root of that communication are hundreds of proteins generated by the retina's nerve cells. A new study examines these proteins in unprecedented detail, providing surprising new insights into how visual signals are distributed to different regions of the brain.
A new study provides an extraordinary close-up of the menagerie of neural cell types, yielding possible leads for neurological and psychiatric treatments — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Bouncy Castle Aerospace company Sierra Nevada Corporation just showed off its prototype of a 26-feet-across inflatable space habitat module — roughly one third the size of the International Space Station in volume — at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The company signed a contract with NASA that dates back to 2016 under the NextSTEP program, which gave half a dozen companies the resources to develop
Stellar Marketing As NASA and companies like SpaceX launch rockets more and more frequently, an increasing mix of bizarre companies are hitching along for the ride so they can roast coffee or whatever other service they market — except, you know, in space. Each time a company buys its way into one of these rocket launches, the resulting groan-inducing PR pitch is sure to follow, as journalists ar
One way biological compounds inside cells stay organized is through membrane-less organelles (MLOs) — wall-less liquid droplets made from proteins and RNA that clump together and stay separate from the rest of the cellular stew. In a paper in Scientific Reports, scientists report that MLOs may be highly sensitive to the level of divalent cations inside cells. This matters because divalent calcium
A team of scientists from Weill Cornell Medicine and The Rockefeller University has illuminated the basic mechanism of Piezo proteins, which function as sensors in the body for mechanical stimuli such as touch, bladder fullness, and blood pressure. The discovery is a feat of basic science that also opens up many new paths of investigation into the roles of Piezo proteins in human diseases and pote
A new study finds that up to 10% of people with headaches also have facial pain. The study is published in the Aug. 21, 2019, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Services promising scientifically tailored supplements or advice abound. Experts say their claims are largely unfounded, although some solid evidence is beginning to emerge.
On Monday, YouTube filed a lawsuit against a Nebraska man for allegedly abusing the platform's copyright takedown process. According to the suit, Omaha's Christopher Brady filed false copyright notices against at least three popular "Minecraft" streamers. He then attempted to extort money from the YouTubers — and even launched a swatting attack against one. For those unfamiliar with swatting, it'
Your new control probably cannot hover, but that's overrated anyway. (Florian Gagnepain via Unsplash/) If football is a "game of inches," then video games are a "game of microseconds." The slightest lag can cost you dearly, so you need to be sure that the controller you hold in your hand isn't going to lock up or miss a game-saving button mash. Although Sony offers a few design options for its PS
Greenland and Danish officials alike think the idea is ridiculous. The island is an autonomous state, and it's unlikely the Danish would sell it because of yearly subsidies costs. After hearing the Danish Prime Minister call the idea absurd, Trump cancelled their forthcoming meeting. None Greenland has been having quite its day in the spotlight lately. Recently, President Trump has been talking a
Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Marshfield Clinic have found that there may be a much broader health risk to carriers of the FMR1 premutation, with potentially dozens of clinical conditions that can be ascribed directly to carrying it. The researchers employed machine learning to mine decades of electronic health records of nearly 20,000 individuals.
Wine lovers may appreciate a dry white, but a lack of steady rainfall brought on by a changing climate is threatening a centuries old winemaking tradition in Italy, according to an international team of scientists.
The world of wine is complex. But there are a few simple things you can do to up your skills. (Credit: nd3000/Shutterstock) Only 256 people in the world can call themselves Master Sommeliers: experts at tasting, describing and selling wine. They're so rare because each sip of wine is a perceptual puzzle: Over 25 different taste and smell variables (sweetness, acidity, texture, finish, etc.) define
Reliable audio recording gear (James Baldwin via Unsplash/) Taking notes can distract us from engaging with the material being presented—be that in a classroom, an interview, or on a phone call with your bank. Rather than listening and processing information, we're jotting it down in a way that we pray will make sense to us later. For the sake of your participation grade, get one of these audio r
MDMA could help alcoholics break their addiction (and not relapse) suggests a new study in the UK. Ketamine became the first FDA-sanctioned psychedelic for use in treating depression earlier this year. The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) organization hopes to have legally prescribed MDMA on the shelves by 2021. None When John Hopkins professor Roland Griffiths and NYU
A new study identifies the network dynamics that help neo-Nazis and other extremists survive and thrive on social media—and suggests ways to defeat them — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
A new study identifies the network dynamics that help neo-Nazis and other extremists survive and thrive on social media—and suggests ways to defeat them — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
In an effort to find ways to improve long-term outcomes for people with opioid use disorder, University of Massachusetts Amherst epidemiology researcher Elizabeth Evans set out to study the obstacles to treating this chronic condition with an effective medication, buprenorphine-naloxone.
The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), hosted a two-day workshop entitled 'Reproductive Services for Women at High Risk for Maternal Mortality.' The workshop was held in conjunction with SMFM's 39th Annual Pregnancy Meeting in February 2019 and was co-sponsored by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Fellowship in Family Planning, and Society of Family Planning. A summ
New And Improved OpenAI, the artificial intelligence firm that Elon Musk founded then later departed, just released a stronger version of its "conversational" text-writing AI system. When OpenAI first released the algorithm , dubbed GPT-2, back in February, the company declared that it was too dangerous to release to the public, instead opting to share a watered-down version. Now, OpenAI announce
Some of the best contemporary sci-fi out there. (Yuliya Kosolapova via Unsplash/) Loathe to pick up Frankenstein once again? Try these recent sci-fi picks instead. This sprawling trilogy starts in the Cultural Revolution, when a young woman trained as an astrophysicist meets an alien from the planet Trisolaris. The resulting series, which was a catalyst for the resurgence of sci-fi in China, take
The fires, most of which have been set by farmers clearing their land, are raging in uninhabited areas of rain forest and intruding on populated areas in the country's north.
A new study identifies the network dynamics that help neo-Nazis and other extremists survive and thrive on social media—and suggests ways to defeat them — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Atomic Engine It's not like the one in your car, but a team of physicists at Trinity College Dublin have built what they claim is the world's smallest engine. The engine is the size of a single calcium ion — about ten billion times smaller than an automobile engine. Rather than powering your next road trip, the atomic engine could one day be used to lay the foundation for extraordinary, futuristi
Research finds treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that leads to an improvement in symptoms was associated with a 49 percent lower risk of incident type 2 diabetes.
Fiddler crabs see the polarization of light and this gives them the edge when it comes to spotting potentials threats, such as a rival crab or a predator. Now researchers have begun to unravel how this information is processed within the crab's brain. The study has discovered that when detecting approaching objects, fiddler crabs separate polarization and brightness information.
Almost one-third of people migrating to the US via Mexico experience physical, psychological, and/or sexual violence along the way, according to a new study.
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-02539-y It's crucial to make time for the little things, and to attempt a healthy work–life balance, says Elisabeth Kugler.
For a handful of Democratic candidates stuck at 1 percent (or lower) in the polls, a Wednesday afternoon in the dog days of August could be the moment when their lifelong dream of the presidency dies a quiet death. August 28 is the deadline for candidates to meet the Democratic National Committee's heightened threshold for entry into the September debate, and as much as half the field is expected
A new project aims to identify and quantify motion sickness in passenger vehicles to help more people eventually enjoy self-driving cars. Up to one-third of Americans experience motion sickness, according to the National Institutes of Health. In a car, the condition tends to flare when you're a passenger rather than a driver, and when you're engaged in something other than looking out the window
The majority of soft robots today rely on external power and control, keeping them tethered to off-board systems or rigged with hard components. Now, researchers have developed soft robotic systems, inspired by origami, that can move and change shape in response to external stimuli, paving the way for fully untethered soft robots.
A research team investigated the impact of extreme fires on previously intact carbon stores by studying the soil and vegetation of the boreal forest and how they changed after a record-setting fire season in the Northwest Territories in 2014. They collected 200 soil samples and used radiocarbon dating to estimate the carbon age. They found combustion of legacy carbon in nearly half of the samples
Physicists used to think that superconductivity — electricity flowing without resistance or loss — was an all or nothing phenomenon. But new evidence suggests that, at least in copper oxide superconductors, it's not so clear cut. Researchers observed electrons in these materials traveling in coherent pairs, a hallmark of superconductivity, at much higher temperatures than those at which the mate
Research from Saint Louis University finds treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that leads to an improvement in symptoms was associated with a 49 percent lower risk of incident type 2 diabetes.
Source of a different color. (illustration by Marcela Restrepo/) Most of the hues we look at these days come courtesy of 16,777,216 alphanumeric keys called Hex codes; tinting your technicolor digital life is as simple as copying a string of characters. But the shades on this page—and all your off-screen belongings—come from resources we must conscript to create our chosen chroma. Affixing color
– Jag har följt två nyanlända flickor, 3 och 5 år gamla. Flickorna kommunicerade på olika sätt när de var nya i sina barngrupper. Treåringen följde efter kamraterna och imiterade och upprepade det som de sa. Den femåriga flickan tog egna initiativ. Hon pekade, hämtade, använde sitt kroppsspråk och använde de få svenska ord hon kunde och hon hittade på ett språk. Det här är ju bara två exempel men
Scientists test how pharmaceutical-grade MDMA combines with psychotherapy to help patients with a severe form of PTSD — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
A new study examined how people perceive others' Instagram accounts, and whether those perceptions match up with how the posters rate their own personalities. The results show that people react far more positively to "posies," which are photos of the poster taken by another person. Still, it remains unclear exactly why people view selfies relatively negatively. None When checking out someone's ph
Researchers have unlocked mysteries surrounding how a pregnant mother's cells and her fetus' cells communicate throughout pregnancy. With this new information, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston team and their colleagues in South Korea can develop new non-invasive methods of monitoring and improving the health of the fetus using this mode of communication.
Increasingly frequent and severe forest fires could burn generations-old carbon stored in the soils of boreal forests, according to results from the Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE) funded by NASA's Earth Science Division. Releasing this previously buried carbon into the atmosphere could change these forests' balance of carbon gain and loss, potentially accelerating warming.
Do climate shifts influence tornados over North America? New research published by IBS scientists found that Pacific and Atlantic ocean temperatures in April can influence large-scale weather patterns as well as the frequency of tornados over the Great Plains region.
Research led by Dr. Krystof Bankiewicz, who recently joined The Ohio State University College of Medicine, shows that gene replacement therapy for Niemann-Pick type A disease is safe for use in nonhuman primates and has therapeutic effects in mice. These findings will publish online in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Prior to joining Ohio State as a professor of neurosurgery, Bankiewic
The majority of soft robots today rely on external power and control, keeping them tethered to off-board systems or rigged with hard components. Now, researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and Caltech have developed soft robotic systems, inspired by origami, that can move and change shape in response to external stimuli, paving the way for fu
Scientists at EPFL have developed a new method to synthesize and screen thousands of macrocyclic compounds, a family of chemicals that are of great interest in the pharmaceutical industry. The study is published in Science Advances.
In ongoing investigations, clinical researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital are exploring whether pomegranate juice intake during pregnancy can have a protective effect.
Scientists may have uncovered how sea-surface temperature patterns influence the number, strength and distributions of April tornado formation in the south-central region of the United States known as 'Tornado Alley.' Their results underscore how shifting climate patterns potentially affect tornado formation within seasons, which could help reduce fatalities and
By integrating translational imaging techniques with improvements to production methods, Tina Binderup and colleagues have scaled up a promising nanoimmunotherapy for atherosclerosis in mice, rabbits and pigs — surmounting a major obstacle in nanomedicine.
New research on one of the oldest and most complete fossil primate skulls from South America shows instead that the pattern of brain evolution in this group was far more checkered. The study, published today in the journal Science Advances and led by researchers from the American Museum of Natural History, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the University of California Santa Barbara, suggests th
Fiddler crabs see the polarization of light and this gives them the edge when it comes to spotting potentials threats, such as a rival crab or a predator. Now researchers at the University of Bristol have begun to unravel how this information is processed within the crab's brain. The study, published in Science Advances today, has discovered that when detecting approaching objects, fiddler crabs s
Biomedical engineers at Duke University have discovered that an adenosine receptor called A2B can be pharmaceutically activated to reverse bone degradation caused by osteoporosis in mouse models of the disease.
People in Croatia during the 5th to 6th centuries may have used cranial modifications to indicate their cultural affiliations, according to a study published Aug. 21, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE led by Ron Pinhasi of the University of Vienna and Mario Novak of the Institute for Anthropological Research in Zagreb, Croatia.
Almost one-third of people migrating to the US via Mexico experience physical, psychological, and/or sexual violence along the way, according to a study published Aug. 21, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by René Leyva-Flores and Cesar Infante from the National Institute of Public Health (Mexico), Juan Pablo Gutierrez from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and colleagues.
Migration patterns in present-day Denmark shifted at the beginning of the Nordic Bronze Age, according to a study published Aug. 21, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Karin Frei of the National Museum of Denmark and colleagues. Migrants appear to have come from varied and potentially distant locations during a period of unprecedented economic growth in southern Scandinavia in the 2nd mil
In a large survey in sub-Saharan Africa, adults who said they had paid a bribe for healthcare in the past year were more than four times as likely to report difficulty in obtaining care than those who had not paid bribes. Amber Hsiao and colleagues at the Technical University of Berlin, Germany, report these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on Aug. 21, 2019.
Donald Trump isn't only venomous; he's also vague. So when he said yesterday that "any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat, I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty," it wasn't entirely obvious whom he was accusing Jewish Democrats of being disloyal to. But the most plausible explanation is that he was accusing them of being disloyal to Israel. In the previous sent
Nuclear War A team of American climate scientists recently simulated what would happen if the United States and Russia attacked each other with all the nuclear weapons at their disposal — and it's about as bad as you might expect. According to their study , which was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres , the attacks would lead to a multi-year nuclear winter. A blanket of
Quality camp stoves for cooking outdoors. (Nathan Shipps via Unsplash/) Though the summer may be winding down, camping season is still in full swing. This means there are many more weeks of smokey, outdoor meals. Yum! While building a campfire can be novel and entertaining, the practicality of making entire meals over them is fairly difficult. S'mores are one thing, steak is another. Luckily, we'
Researchers have discovered the root cause of why lithium metal batteries fail — bits of lithium metal deposits break off from the surface of the anode during discharging and are trapped as 'dead' lithium that the battery can no longer cycle. The discovery challenges a long-held belief in the field about lithium metal battery failure. The study presents new ways to boost battery performance, brin
A new study has written the most detailed 'parts list' of the human brain to date. This categorization of our brain cell types lays the groundwork to improve our understanding of our own brains and to dramatically change how we treat human brain diseases and disorders.
Scientists have discovered how brown fat, also known as brown adipose tissue, may help protect against obesity and diabetes. Their study adds to our knowledge about the role of brown fat in human health and could lead to new medications for treating obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Scientists test how pharmaceutical-grade MDMA combines with psychotherapy to help patients with a severe form of PTSD — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
It has been well established by field experiments that warming stimulates either net ecosystem carbon uptake or release, leading to negative or positive carbon cycle–climate change feedback, respectively. This variation in carbon-climate feedback has been partially attributed to water availability. However, it remains unclear under what conditions water availability enhances or weakens carbon-cli
Understanding of ancestral conditions for anthropoids has been hampered by the paucity of well-preserved early fossils. Here, we provide an unprecedented view of the cerebral morphology of the 20-million-year-old Chilecebus carrascoensis , the best-preserved early diverging platyrrhine known, obtained via high-resolution CT scanning and 3D digital reconstruction. These analyses are crucial for re
We report a general strategy based on digital counting principle that enables an efficient acquisition of enzyme mutants with desired activities from just a few clones within a day. We prepared a high-density femtoliter droplet array, consisting of 1 million uniform droplets per 1 cm 2 to carry out high-throughput protein synthesis and screening. Single DNA molecules were randomly distributed int
A parasite-infected host may promote performance of associated insect vectors; but possible parasite effects on nonvector insects have been largely unexplored. Here, we show that Begomovirus , the largest genus of plant viruses and transmitted exclusively by whitefly, reprogram plant immunity to promote the fitness of the vector and suppress performance of nonvector insects (i.e., cotton bollworm
Macrocyclic compounds are an attractive modality for drug development, but the limited availability of large, structurally diverse macrocyclic libraries hampers the discovery of leads. Here, we describe the discovery of efficient macrocyclization reactions based on thiol-to-amine ligations using bis-electrophiles, their application to synthesize and screen large libraries of macrocyclic compounds
The off-on manipulation of enzyme activity is a challenging task. We report a new strategy for reversible off-on control of enzyme activity by near-infrared light. Enzymes acting on macromolecular substrates are embedded with an ultrasmall platinum nanoparticle and decorated with thermoresponsive copolymers, which exhibit upper critical solution temperature (UCST) behavior. The polymer-enzyme nan
The impact of the FMR1 premutation on human health is the subject of considerable controversy. A fundamental unanswered question is whether carrying the premutation allele is directly correlated with clinical phenotypes. A challenging problem in past genotype-phenotype studies of the FMR1 premutation is ascertainment bias, which could lead to invalid research conclusions and negatively affect cli
Age-associated changes in CD4 T-cell functionality have been linked to chronic inflammation and decreased immunity. However, a detailed characterization of CD4 T cell phenotypes that could explain these dysregulated functional properties is lacking. We used single-cell RNA sequencing and multidimensional protein analyses to profile thousands of CD4 T cells obtained from young and old mice. We fou
Although two-thirds of the nearly 1 billion metric tons of methane produced annually in Earth's biosphere derives from acetate, the in situ process has escaped rigorous understanding. The unresolved question concerns the mechanism by which the exceptionally marginal amount of available energy supports acetotrophic growth of methanogenic archaea in the environment. Here, we show that Methanosarcin
Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)–DQ8 transdimer (HLA-DQA1*0501/DQB1*0302) confers exceptionally high risk in autoimmune diabetes. However, little is known about HLA-DQ8 transdimer–restricted CD4 T cell recognition, an event crucial for triggering HLA-DQ8 transdimer–specific anti-islet immunity. Here, we report a high degree of epitope overlap and T cell promiscuity between susceptible HLA-DQ8 and HL
Annual tornado occurrences over North America display large interannual variability and a statistical linkage to sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies. However, the underlying physical mechanisms for this connection and its modulation in a rapidly varying seasonal environment still remain elusive. Using tornado data over the United States from 1954 to 2016 in combination with SST-forced atmosph
Development of safe and efficient nanoscale vehicles that can deliver large molecular cargos into human cells could transform future human therapies and personalized medicine. Here, we design a hybrid viral vector composed of a prokaryotic virus (bacteriophage T4) and a eukaryotic virus [adeno-associated virus (AAV)]. The small 25-nm AAV is attached to the large 120 nm x 86 nm T4 head through avi
Integrated bioengineering systems can make executable decisions according to the cell state. To sense the state, multiple biomarkers are detected and processed via logic gates with synthetic biological devices. However, numerical operations have not been achieved. Here, we show a design principle for messenger RNA (mRNA) devices that recapitulates intracellular information by multivariate calcula
Adenosine and its receptors play a key role in bone homeostasis and regeneration. Extracellular adenosine is generated from CD39 and CD73 activity in the cell membrane, through conversion of adenosine triphosphate to adenosine monophosphate (AMP) and AMP to adenosine, respectively. Despite the relevance of CD39/CD73 to bone health, the roles of these enzymes in bona fide skeletal disorders remain
Many crustaceans are sensitive to the polarization of light and use this information for object-based visually guided behaviors. For these tasks, it is unknown whether polarization and intensity information are integrated into a single-contrast channel, whereby polarization directly contributes to perceived intensity, or whether they are processed separately and in parallel. Using a novel type of
Sickle cell disease is induced by a mutation that converts normal adult hemoglobin to sickle hemoglobin (HbS) and engenders intracellular polymerization of deoxy-HbS and erythrocyte sickling. Development of anti-sickling therapies requires quantitative understanding of HbS polymerization kinetics under organ-specific conditions, which are difficult to assess with existing experimental techniques.
Sea surface temperature variability in the equatorial eastern Atlantic, which is referred to as an Atlantic Niño (Niña) at its warm (cold) phase and peaks in boreal summer, dominates the interannual variability in the equatorial Atlantic. By strengthening of the Walker circulation, an Atlantic Niño favors a Pacific La Niña, which matures in boreal winter, providing a precursory memory for El Niño
Scientists at EPFL have developed a new method to synthesize and screen thousands of macrocyclic compounds, a family of chemicals that are of great interest in the pharmaceutical industry. The study is published in Science Advances.
New research, published in the journal Science Advances, has found that unusual ocean temperatures in the tropical Pacific and Atlantic can drastically increase April tornado occurrences over the Great Plains region of the United States.
Fiddler crabs see the polarisation of light and this gives them the edge when it comes to spotting potentials threats, such as a rival crab or a predator. Now researchers at the University of Bristol have begun to unravel how this information is processed within the crab's brain. The study, published in Science Advances today, has discovered that when detecting approaching objects, fiddler crabs s
Migration patterns in present-day Denmark shifted at the beginning of the Nordic Bronze Age, according to a study published August 21, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Karin Frei of the National Museum of Denmark and colleagues. Migrants appear to have come from varied and potentially distant locations during a period of unprecedented economic growth in southern Scandinavia in the 2nd m
Almost one-third of people migrating to the US via Mexico experience physical, psychological, and/or sexual violence along the way, according to a study published August 21, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by René Leyva-Flores and Cesar Infante from the National Institute of Public Health (Mexico), Juan Pablo Gutierrez from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and colleagues.
It has long been thought that the brain size of anthropoid primates—a diverse group of modern and extinct monkeys, humans, and their nearest kin—progressively increased over time. New research on one of the oldest and most complete fossil primate skulls from South America shows instead that the pattern of brain evolution in this group was far more checkered. The study, published today in the journ
People in Croatia during the 5th to 6th centuries may have used cranial modifications to indicate their cultural affiliations, according to a study published August 21, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE led by Ron Pinhasi of the University of Vienna and Mario Novak of the Institute for Anthropological Research in Zagreb, Croatia.
Fiddler crabs see the polarisation of light and this gives them the edge when it comes to spotting potentials threats, such as a rival crab or a predator. Now researchers at the University of Bristol have begun to unravel how this information is processed within the crab's brain. The study, published in Science Advances today, has discovered that when detecting approaching objects, fiddler crabs s
Entertainment (Jeshoots.com via Unsplash/) With these portable, compact projectors you can bring the silver screen with you wherever you roam—think camping trips, family vacations, backyard parties, and even business meetings. We've compiled a list of great portable projectors for all your viewing needs. Quality projection. (Amazon/) This relatively inexpensive projector packs a big punch and is
Data like the actual card number is absent from the physical Apple Card. (Apple/) On Tuesday, Apple announced that applications for its new credit card—the Apple Card—are open to everyone in the United States. The payment system is a mix of a virtual card that lives in your Apple Wallet and works with Apple Pay and online, plus a hefty white titanium card that looks exactly like what you'd expect
Mr. Universe The Mira supercomputer, housed at the Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, is about to create an incredibly-complex simulation of the known universe. The new star map, which will rely on new data from satellites and telescopes around the world, is expected to become a crucial resource for future cosmological research, according to an Argonne press release . In addition
Surviving the heat can be a major challenge in a dry, shadeless environment. (Max Pixel/) This story was originally published on Outdoor Life . Summer heat can be brutal on outdoorsmen and women. But what happens when we have to deal with both the heat and the hard work of a survival situation? We typically worry about the dangers of hypothermia in outdoor emergencies, but heat-related problems c
Picture a hairless, wrinkly rodent about the size of a small sweet potato — kinda cool, kinda weird. They also are extraordinarily long-lived. Researchers are lining up to study their secrets. (Image credit: Gregory G Dimijian/Getty Images/Science Source)
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1494-7The dynamics of interactions between hate-orientated networks on different online platforms is characterized, …
Rumors of a new Matrix movie have echoed through Hollywood for years. In 2017, The Hollywood Reporter said the screenwriter Zak Penn ( The Incredible Hulk , Ready Player One ) was in talks to write a relaunch of the series for Warner Bros., and was eyeing Michael B. Jordan to star, but that the original film's writer-director team, the Wachowskis, were "not involved." Gossip also abounded that a
To make the internet a better place we could start by switching off the world's biggest video sharing site amid claims its algorithms magnify fringe views, says Annalee Newitz
A detailed comparison of mouse and human brain tissue found differences that could help explain why mice aren't always a good model for human diseases. (Image credit: David Robertson, ICR/Science Photo Library/Science Source)
NASA is moving ahead with one of its most ambitious upcoming missions. The Europa Clipper has cleared a major bureaucratic hurdle , allowing the agency to begin final design and construction of the spacecraft that will explore the icy moon of Jupiter. The mission will begin to take shape over the next few years before it launches on something . NASA originally intended to use the Space Launch Sys
While the outer shape of an object is key to rapid recognition, the object's inner "skeleton" may play an even more important role, according to a new study. In the blink of an eye, the human visual system can process an object, determining whether it's a cup or a sock within milliseconds, and with seemingly little effort. It's well-established that an object's shape is a critical visual cue to h
A new study used an MRI machine to examine how vaping e-cigarettes affects users' cardiovascular systems immediately after inhalation. The results showed that vaping causes impaired circulation, stiffer arteries and less oxygen in their blood. The new study adds to a growing body of research showing that e-cigarettes – while likely safer than traditional cigarettes – are far from harmless. None V
Federal officials suppressed a lengthy environmental document that details how one of California's unique salmon runs would be imperiled by Trump administration plans to deliver more water to Central Valley farms.
Federal officials suppressed a lengthy environmental document that details how one of California's unique salmon runs would be imperiled by Trump administration plans to deliver more water to Central Valley farms.
In an article published in the peer-reviewed SPIE publication Neurophotonics, 'High density functional diffuse optical tomography based on frequency domain measurements improves image quality and spatial resolution,' researchers demonstrate critical improvements to functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS)-based optical imaging in the brain.
Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), Aoyama-Gakuin University, and J-PARC Center unify condensed matter physics and quantum physics by experimentally characterizing magnetism-related quantum phenomena in Ba2CoSi2O6Cl2.
A research team investigated the impact of extreme fires on previously intact carbon stores by studying the soil and vegetation of the boreal forest and how they changed after a record-setting fire season in the Northwest Territories in 2014.They collected 200 soil samples and used radiocarbon dating to estimate the carbon age. They found combustion of legacy carbon in nearly half of the samples t
Physicists have found 'electron pairing,' a hallmark feature of superconductivity, at temperatures and energies well above the critical threshold where superconductivity occurs.
Physicists used to think that superconductivity — electricity flowing without resistance or loss — was an all or nothing phenomenon. But new evidence suggests that, at least in copper oxide superconductors, it's not so clear cut. Researchers at UConn observed electrons in these materials traveling in coherent pairs, a hallmark of superconductivity, at much higher temperatures than those at which
Rutgers and other scientists have discovered how brown fat, also known as brown adipose tissue, may help protect against obesity and diabetes. Their study in the journal Nature adds to our knowledge about the role of brown fat in human health and could lead to new medications for treating obesity and type 2 diabetes.
A new study from the Allen Institute for Brain Science has written the most detailed 'parts list' of the human brain to date. This categorization of our brain cell types lays the groundwork to improve our understanding of our own brains and to dramatically change how we treat human brain diseases and disorders.
Researchers have discovered the root cause of why lithium metal batteries fail — bits of lithium metal deposits break off from the surface of the anode during discharging and are trapped as 'dead' lithium that the battery can no longer cycle. The discovery challenges a long-held belief in the field about lithium metal battery failure. The study presents new ways to boost battery performance, brin
Researchers identified a new therapeutic approach in mouse models that halts drug resistance and cancer progression by using an antibody that induces the immune system via macrophages to seek and kill cancer cells.
Using the largest database of real-time recordings of the effects of common and commercially available cannabis products in the United States, researchers found strong evidence that cannabis can significantly alleviate pain, with the average user experiencing a three-point drop in pain suffering on a 0-10 point scale immediately following cannabis consumption.
Theoretical physicists at Trinity College Dublin are among an international collaboration that has built the world's smallest engine—which, as a single calcium ion, is approximately ten billion times smaller than a car engine.
One Polish town has seen an unlikely string of female births stretching for nearly a decade. (Credit: Omar Lopez/Unsplash) The tiny Polish village of Miejsce Odrzanskie has become the unlikely source of international media attention over the past fortnight as a result of what the New York Times called "a strange population anomaly". It has now been almost a decade since the last boy was born in th
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1502-y RNA-dependent DEAD-box ATPases (DDXs) regulate the dynamics of phase-separated organelles, with ATP-bound DDXs promoting phase separation, and ATP hydrolysis inducing compartment disassembly and RNA release.
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1498-3 The pore-forming and ATP-binding subunits of a mitochondrial protein complex that mediates ATP-dependent potassium currents are identified and characterized, revealing the role of this channel in mitochondrial physiology and pathologies.
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1500-0 Transcriptomics and DNA methylomics are used to study the implantation process of human embryos at single-cell resolution.
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1486-7 Shot-noise measurements in copper oxides reveal paired charge carriers existing in the pseudogap above the superconducting critical temperature, shedding light on the properties of high-temperature superconductivity in these materials.
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-02450-6 Carbon has been stored in the organic layers of boreal-forest soils for hundreds of years. An analysis reveals that this carbon might be released into the atmosphere as global warming increases the frequency of wildfires.
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1506-7 RNA-sequencing analysis of cells in the human cortex enabled identification of diverse cell types, revealing well-conserved architecture and homologous cell types as well as extensive differences when compared with datasets covering the analogous region of the mouse brain.
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1436-4 Abiotic processes can mimic or alter the biogenic traces of early life but advances in micro- and nanoscale analyses provide evidence that—with geological contextualization—improves our ability to address this issue.
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1503-x The solute carrier transporter protein SLC25A44 regulates uptake of branched-chain amino acids in mitochondria of brown adipose tissue in which they are utilized for thermogenesis.
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1499-2 Cryo-electron microscopy and high-speed atomic force microscopy reveal that PIEZO1 can reversibly deform its shape towards a planar structure, which may explain how the PIEZO1 channel is gated in response to mechanical stimulation.
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-02451-5 The movement of small droplets on a substrate is governed by surface-tension forces. A technique that can tune the surface tension of robust oxide substrates for droplet manipulation could open up many applications.
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1474-y Soil radiocarbon dating reveals that combusted 'legacy carbon'—soil carbon that escaped burning during previous fires—could shift the carbon balance of boreal ecosystems, resulting in a positive climate feedback.
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-02447-1 An analysis of the dynamics of online hate groups on social-media platforms reveals why current methods to ban hate content are ineffective, and provides the basis for four potential strategies to combat online hate.
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1494-7 The dynamics of interactions between hate-orientated networks on different online platforms is characterized, and a mathematical model predicts that policing on one online platform can make matters worse and generate 'darker' parts of the Internet.
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1481-z Titration gas chromatography is developed as an analytical method of distinguishing between lithium metal and lithium compounds within a cycled battery and assessing the amount of unreacted metallic lithium available.
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-02454-2 Piezo proteins mediate the sense of touch. A near-complete structure of one such protein has been obtained, and the mechanism for converting mechanical signals into electrical ones has been probed in another.
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1501-z The gut commensal Blautia producta secretes a lantibiotic that reduces colonization of the gut by the major pathogen vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium, and transplantation of microbiota with high abundance of the lantibiotic gene enhances resistance to colonization in mice.
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-02343-8 Whether cell types in the brain have been conserved during evolution is not clear. A comparison of the molecular recipes that define brain cell types in humans and mice reveals similarities and differences between species.
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1485-8 PIEZO1 signalling mediates activation of a proinflammatory response to cyclical pressure fluctuations in immune cells.
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-02339-4 Immune cells called monocytes enter the lung during infection. Whether they help to launch a defence response is affected by the pressure encountered there, which is sensed by an ion channel called PIEZO1.
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1505-8 The cryo-electron microscopy structure of mouse PIEZO2 is determined and compared to that of PIEZO1, providing insights into the potential gating mechanisms of these mechanosensitive ion channels.
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1491-x A method of droplet manipulation is described that uses electrical signals to induce the liquid to dewet, rather than wet, a hydrophilic conductive surface.
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-02513-8 Listen to this week's science news, with Benjamin Thompson and Shamini Bundell.
The research explains how random fluctuations affect the operation of microscopic machines like this tiny motor. In the future, such devices could be incorporated into other technologies to recycle waste heat and thus improve energy efficiency.
Using the largest database of real-time recordings of the effects of common and commercially available cannabis products in the United States, researchers at The University of New Mexico found strong evidence that cannabis can significantly alleviate pain, with the average user experiencing a three-point drop in pain suffering on a 0-10 point scale immediately following cannabis consumption.
University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers identified a new therapeutic approach in mouse models that halts drug resistance and cancer progression by using an antibody that induces the immune system via macrophages to seek and kill cancer cells.
Carbon reservoirs in the soil of boreal forests are being released by more frequent and larger wildfires, according to a new study involving a University of Guelph researcher.
Physicists have found "electron pairing," a hallmark feature of superconductivity, at temperatures and energies well above the critical threshold where superconductivity happens.
A research team led by the University of California San Diego has discovered the root cause of why lithium metal batteries fail—bits of lithium metal deposits break off from the surface of the anode during discharging and are trapped as "dead" or inactive lithium that the battery can no longer access.
Online hate thrives globally through self-organized, scalable clusters that interconnect to form resilient networks spread across multiple social media platforms, countries and languages, according to new research published today in the journal Nature. Researchers at the George Washington University developed a mapping model, the first of its kind, to track how these online hate clusters thrive. T
Characterized by repetitive movements or vocalizations known as tics, Tourette Syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder that plagues many adolescents. A study has now trained adolescents with Tourette Syndrome to control their tics through an imaging technique that allows patients to monitor the function of their own brain in real time.
Among adults aged 18 years and older, 31 percent used prescription opioids only as prescribed by a physician medically and 4 percent misused them. Thus, the overwhelming majority (88 percent) of all past-12-month prescription opioid users used the drugs for medical purposes only.
Researchers have discovered that an initial UTI can set the tone for subsequent infections. In mouse studies, the researchers found that a transient infection triggers a short-lived inflammatory response that rapidly eliminates the bacteria. But a lingering infection leads to persistent inflammation and long-lasting changes to the bladder that prime the immune system to overreact to bacteria the n
LIGO has probably seen the collision of a black hole and neutron star. That would mean it has spotted all three types of cosmic event it was designed to
Yesterday, President Donald Trump canceled a meeting with the new Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, because she refuses to discuss the sale of Greenland. Greenland used to be a Danish colony but now belongs to the people of Greenland—the Danish government could not sell the island even if it wanted to. Trump likely did not know that Denmark is one of America's most reliable allies. Danish
Robot Takeover Truck drivers worried about losing their jobs to robots staged a protest outside the Capitol building in Jefferson City, Missouri on Tuesday. Their goal was to convince the government to pass a bill that would prohibit any self-driving trucks from driving on Missouri roads, KRCG reports . While there are no autonomous trucks handling shipping jobs in the state yet, the truckers see
A newly developed nanoparticle can alter the gut microbiome and alleviate symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease in mice more effectively than common FDA-approved medications, say researchers. The gut microbiome–the body's environment of healthy and unhealthy bacteria–is the next frontier for drug development, and an imbalanced gut microbiome has been implicated in many human diseases, including
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-02536-1 Just one of several worrying climate records broken last month, why you should say no to peer review on holiday, and we check in on China's bold plan to lead the world in AI.
Scores of people born through artificial insemination have learned from DNA tests that their biological fathers were the doctors who performed the procedure.
Marek's disease—a highly contagious viral disease caused by a herpesvirus—is a constant threat to poultry worldwide. It is also one of the most preventable diseases with vaccination. However, while vaccines prevent poultry from becoming sick with symptoms of the virus, they do not prevent virus spread and mutation—considered the main reason for increased virus virulence, or severity, in field stra
Marek's disease—a highly contagious viral disease caused by a herpesvirus—is a constant threat to poultry worldwide. It is also one of the most preventable diseases with vaccination. However, while vaccines prevent poultry from becoming sick with symptoms of the virus, they do not prevent virus spread and mutation—considered the main reason for increased virus virulence, or severity, in field stra
A hoax meme is currently spreading across Instagram — and Rick Perry, the head of the United States Department of Energy, just fell for it . The image is nothing more than a huge paragraph of text warning users that Instagram is changing its privacy policy "tomorrow," and if they don't repost it, Instagram will have "permission" to use everything they've shared on the platform. "Feel free to repo
A steady supply of its favorite food helps a deadly bacterium thrive in the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis, according to a new study by Columbia researchers.
At the beginning of the 2010s, 58 percent of Republicans believed that colleges and universities had a positive impact on the course of the country, according to the Pew Research Center . As the decade nears its close, that number has fallen precipitously: It now sits at 33 percent, with the majority of the drop occurring from 2015 to 2017. According to Pew, there seems to be little disagreement
Fire! Bad news: a record-breaking number of fires are burning up Brazil's Amazon rainforest. The blazes are so serious that they're easily spotted from space. According to Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE), it's the worst fire season since the agency began tracking the rainforest in 2013 — with 83 percent more fires than over the same period in 2018. NASA: "As of August 16, 20
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered that an initial UTI can set the tone for subsequent infections. In mouse studies, the researchers found that a transient infection triggers a short-lived inflammatory response that rapidly eliminates the bacteria. But a lingering infection leads to persistent inflammation and long-lasting changes to the bladder th
Among adults aged 18 years and older, 31 percent used prescription opioids only as prescribed by a physician medically and 4 percent misused them. Thus, the overwhelming majority (88 percent) of all past-12-month prescription opioid users used the drugs for medical purposes only.
Characterized by repetitive movements or vocalizations known as tics, Tourette Syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder that plagues many adolescents. A study conducted by Yale researchers has trained adolescents with Tourette Syndrome to control their tics through an imaging technique that allows patients to monitor the function of their own brain in real time.
Physicists from Russia and Europe have demonstrated the real possibility of using superconductor/ferromagnet systems to create magnonic crystals, which will be at the core of spin-wave devices to come in the post-silicon era of electronics. The paper was published in the journal Advanced Science.
We are all familiar with the sounds of a cat or dog vying for human attention, and for pet-owners, these sounds are particularly evocative. Dog sounds are especially sad to both cat and dog owners, who actually rate a whimpering dog as sounding as sad as a crying baby.
A new Northwestern University study discovered that spaceflight — both aboard a space shuttle or the International Space Station (ISS) — has a consistent effect on the gut microbiome.
Southwestern Kansas in the 1930s saw some of the worst dust storms ever recorded in the U.S., when apocalyptic clouds of heavy dust terrified and even killed people, livestock and wildlife.
We are all familiar with the sounds of a cat or dog vying for human attention, and for pet-owners, these sounds are particularly evocative. Dog sounds are especially sad to both cat and dog owners, who actually rate a whimpering dog as sounding as sad as a crying baby.
When young adults pass the age limit for paying patient co-payments, or out-of-pocket prices, their medical consultations in primary care decrease by 7 percent, a study shows. The groups affected most are women and low-income earners.
A new study discovered that spaceflight — both aboard a space shuttle or the International Space Station (ISS) — has a consistent effect on the gut microbiome.
The taut rope that was lowering an underwater listening station to the ocean's floor collapsed on the tug boat's deck with a slap, signaling to the crew on board that their mission was complete.
The taut rope that was lowering an underwater listening station to the ocean's floor collapsed on the tug boat's deck with a slap, signaling to the crew on board that their mission was complete.
A researcher has developed an advanced technique for forecasting dusty conditions months before they occur, promising transportation managers, climatologists and people suffering health issues much more time to prepare for dusty conditions.
Researchers have found a way to improve the performance of tiny sensors that could have wide-reaching implications for electronic devices we use every day.
Neuroscientists have published an updated view on the primate brain's visual system organization. They found that parts of the primate visual system may work differently than previously thought.
When young adults pass the age limit for paying patient co-payments, or out-of-pocket prices, their medical consultations in primary care decrease by 7 percent, a study shows. The groups affected most are women and low-income earners.
A researcher at the University of Kansas has developed an advanced technique for forecasting dusty conditions months before they occur, promising transportation managers, climatologists and people suffering health issues much more time to prepare for dusty conditions.
An infusion of federal funding will help expand or strengthen the U.S. Geological Survey's earthquake early-warning system around Lake Tahoe, Death Valley, Mammoth and Bishop.
Forest fires in the Amazon are generating smoke that can be seen from space and may have caused a daytime blackout more than 1,700 miles away in the country's largest city.
65 Years Young Old age, at least the way people tend to think about it, is outdated and harmful. That's according to Joseph Coughlin, the head of the MIT Age Lab. He writes in MIT Technology Review that many of the products designed for older people , like hearing aids, cell phones with oversized buttons, and ambulance-summoning help buttons, are either surrounded by stigma or otherwise don't mat
Extreme heat index days—when heat and humidity make it difficult for the body to cool itself off—have been increasing in cities across the country. Download this report as a PDF. Summary The National Weather Service heat index includes a combination of air temperature and the relative humidity to capture what it actually feels like outside (which is usually warmer than what the thermometer is rea
Der bliver ikke behov for større reparationsarbejder inden for de næste 10-15 år, konkluderer en international ekspertgruppe, der dog anbefaler en række tiltag, der kan mindske spændinger og revnedannelse.
Researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York researchers have found a way to improve the performance of tiny sensors that could have wide-reaching implications for electronic devices we use every day.
Researchers have developed artificial 'chameleon skin' that changes color when exposed to light and could be used in applications such as active camouflage and large-scale dynamic displays.
New research has found that in 15 major cities in the global south, almost half of all households lack access to piped utility water, affecting more than 50 million people.
The growing number of children arriving at Texas schools unvaccinated makes the state increasingly vulnerable to measles outbreaks in cities large and small, according to a computer simulation. The findings indicate that a 5% further decrease in vaccination rates that have been on a downward trend since 2003 would increase the size of a potential measles outbreak by up to 4,000% in some communitie
An international research team has set a new tomography world record using a rotary sample table. With 208 three-dimensional tomographic X-ray images per second, they were able to document the dynamic processes involved in the foaming of liquid aluminum.
Environmental DNA (eDNA) has successfully proven the presence of invasive crayfish in almost all the small streams around Lake Akan in Japan, suggesting that eDNA analysis is an efficient and highly sensitive method to assess the distribution of aquatic organisms.
Fitbit Inc said on Wednesday it signed a contract with the Singapore government to provide fitness trackers and services in a health program it said could reach up to one million users.
Researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York researchers have found a way to improve the performance of tiny sensors that could have wide-reaching implications for electronic devices we use every day.
An international team of researchers led by neuroscientists from CSHL and University of Sydney published an updated view on the primate brain's visual system organization, and they found that parts of the primate visual system may work differently than previously thought.
Physicists from Russia and Europe have demonstrated the real possibility of using superconductor/ferromagnet systems to create magnonic crystals, which will be at the core of spin-wave devices to come in the post-silicon era of electronics. The paper was published in the journal Advanced Science.
They don't call it The Halfway-Decent Outdoors. (Kyle Lugo via Unsplash/) Considering many of us spend half the year enduring sub-freezing temperatures , summer is best spent outside, which means your plans for dinner, movies , and entertainment should adapt accordingly. And since summer vacation usually induces a bit of travel, portable games that don't take up too much space in the car––or the
An international research team at the Swiss Light Source (SLS) has set a new tomography world record using a rotary sample table developed at the HZB. With 208 three-dimensional tomographic X-ray images per second, they were able to document the dynamic processes involved in the foaming of liquid aluminium. The method is presented in the journal Nature Communications.
Those who wish to leave their own country of origin in the European Union (EU) can currently do so without complications: with the right to freedom of movement, the EU offers its citizens unique conditions for migration. A study by the Universities of Göttingen, Bremen and Cologne has now shown that Germany and United Kingdom are the most popular destination countries for migration within Europe.
Almost a quarter of the universe stands literally in the shadows. According to cosmologists' theories, 25.8% of it is made up of dark matter, whose presence is signaled essentially only by its gravitational pull. What this substance consists of remains a mystery. Hermann Nicolai, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Potsdam, and his colleague Krzysztof Meissner from th
Round numbers can be powerful marketing tools, increasing people's sense of accomplishment as they work towards goals in areas like finances or weight loss, according to new Washington State University research.
Make killer waffles at home. (Jodie Morgan via Unsplash/) Whether you like them traditional or thick and Belgian, the homemade waffle is a commitment because—unlike pancakes or omelets—you can't just decide to make them without specialized equipment. But which waffle irons or makers are best suited to your breakfast (or decadent dessert) needs? From hulking counter top behemoths to smaller, multi
California leads the nation in the adoption of rooftop solar systems, but information on which communities do, and do not, benefit from these installations has been limited. The adoption of distributed solar — rooftop installations as opposed to industrial-scale operations like solar farms — is closely correlated with socioeconomic status and health, environmental and demographic indicators. The
The growing number of children arriving at Texas schools unvaccinated makes the state increasingly vulnerable to measles outbreaks in cities large and small, according to a computer simulation created by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. The findings indicate that a 5% further decrease in vaccination rates that have been on a downward trend since 2003 would increase th
It is often assumed that people use antibiotics inappropriately because they don't understand enough about the spread of drug resistant superbugs. A new study challenges this view. The study reveals that basic understanding of drug resistance is in fact widespread in Southeast Asia but that higher levels of awareness are linked to higher antibiotic use in the general population.
Researchers have discovered that the tumor suppressor MEG3 adopts a complex three-dimensional structure to fulfill its function. Furthermore, they were able to fine-tune its activity by targeted manipulation of this architecture. The results of this study might help to advance diagnosis and treatment of certain types of cancer.
Mental disorders experienced in adolescence and early adulthood that require hospital care are connected with low income, poor education and unemployment over the life span of individuals.
Cultural processes are increasingly short-lived, showing in addition a growing tendency toward self-organization. As a result, success is now governed by a universal law. This was discovered by the physicists after studying 50 years of music charts.
Pathogenic bacteria that stubbornly lurk in some apple-packing facilities may be sheltered and protected by harmless bacteria that are known for their ability to form biofilms, according to researchers. They suggest the discovery could lead to development of alternative foodborne-pathogen-control strategies.
You may have seen this going around. (Screenshot / Stan Horaczek/) If you've logged into Instagram since last week, you may have seen people posting a long, typo-laden screed about a new rule going into effect that gives the company the ability to sell, use, or share your photos unless you repost a specific message denying it. I have even seen a few famous photographers doing it. The statement so
For the past 20 years, photographer and TED Fellow Jon Lowenstein has documented the migrant journey from Latin America to the United States, one of the largest transnational migrations in world history. Sharing photos from his decade-long project "Shadow Lives USA," Lowenstein takes us into the inner worlds of the families escaping poverty and violence in Central America — and pieces together th
New research has found that in 15 major cities in the global south, almost half of all households lack access to piped utility water, affecting more than 50 million people.
Researchers have developed artificial 'chameleon skin' that changes colour when exposed to light and could be used in applications such as active camouflage and large-scale dynamic displays.
Mental disorders experienced in adolescence and early adulthood that require hospital care are connected with low income, poor education and unemployment over the life span of individuals.
Stomata are plant-specific epidermal structures that consist of paired guard cells surrounding a pore. The opening and closing of these micro-valves facilitate carbon dioxide uptake for photosynthesis and reduce excessive water loss in plants.
Weather forecasting is a typical problem of coupling big data with physical-process models, according to Prof. Pingwen Zhang, an academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Director of the National Engineering Laboratory for Big Data Analysis and Application Technology, Director of the Center for Computational Science & Engineering, Peking University. Prof. Zhang is the corresponding author of a c
Stomata are plant-specific epidermal structures that consist of paired guard cells surrounding a pore. The opening and closing of these micro-valves facilitate carbon dioxide uptake for photosynthesis and reduce excessive water loss in plants.
Space Retreat Since 2015 , SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has made it abundantly clear that he really wants to nuke Mars in order to terraform it — and, presumably, turn it into a habitable space retreat for billionaires. But he might have a plan B up his sleeve that wouldn't risk turning the Red Planet into a gigantic planet-sized Chernobyl. "Might make sense to have thousands of solar reflector satellite
Voters may form false memories after seeing fabricated news stories, especially if those stories align with their political beliefs, according to a new study. The researchers suggest the findings indicate how voters may be influenced in upcoming political contests like the 2020 US presidential race.
Take a load off while you're gaming. (Glenn Carstens Peters via Unsplash/) There is no clearer way of expressing one's commitment to gaming than with a gaming chair. This is the chair your office chair dreams of becoming on the weekends. It is an ergonomically designed throne upon which you dispatch your enemies and earn the praise of your comrades. It's a chair that exists for the sole purpose o
A team of researchers in the Marcia group at EMBL Grenoble, France, have discovered that the tumour suppressor MEG3 adopts a complex three-dimensional structure to fulfil its function. Furthermore, they were able to fine-tune its activity by targeted manipulation of this architecture. The results of this study, published in Molecular Cell, might help to advance diagnosis and treatment of certain t
It is often assumed that people use antibiotics inappropriately because they don't understand enough about the spread of drug resistant superbugs. A new study led by Warwick University Assistant Professor Marco J Haenssgen challenges this view. The study, published in the medical journal BMJ Open, reveals that basic understanding of drug resistance is in fact widespread in Southeast Asia but that
Those who wish to leave their own country of origin in the European Union (EU) can currently do so without complications: with the right to freedom of movement, the EU offers its citizens unique conditions for migration. A study by the Universities of Göttingen, Bremen and Cologne has now shown that Germany and United Kingdom are the most popular destination countries for migration within Europe.
An international research team at the Swiss Light Source (SLS) has set a new tomography world record using a rotary sample table developed at the HZB. With 208 three-dimensional tomographic X-ray images per second, they were able to document the dynamic processes involved in the foaming of liquid aluminium. The method is presented in the journal Nature Communications.
Environmental DNA (eDNA) has successfully proven the presence of invasive crayfish in almost all the small streams around Lake Akan in Japan, suggesting that eDNA analysis is an efficient and highly sensitive method to assess the distribution of aquatic organisms.
Amyloid fibrils play a crucial role in neurodegenerative illnesses. Scientists from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) and Forschungszentrum Jülich have now been able to use cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to decode the spatial structure of the fibrils that are formed from PI3K SH3 domains – an important model system for research. Although the fibrils examined are not themselves connect
This is the great mystery of human vision: Vivid pictures of the world appear before our mind's eye, yet the brain's visual system receives very little information from the world itself. Much of what we "see" we conjure in our heads. "A lot of the things you think you see you're actually making up," said Lai-Sang Young , a mathematician at New York University. "You don't actually see them." Yet t
The strange little PowerPoint asks me to imagine being the new kid at school. I feel nervous and excluded, its instructions tell me. Kids pick on me. Sometimes I think I'll never make friends. Then the voice of a young, male narrator cuts in. "By acting differently, you can actually build new connections between neurons in your brain," the voice reassures me. "People aren't stuck being shy, sad,
Vägar och järnvägar utgör ett hot mot mångfalden av fåglar och däggdjur. Det kan handla om förluster av livsmiljöer, trafikdödade och -skadade djur, utsläpp, eller buller och ljus från bilar och tåg. Den areal som påverkas av infrastrukturen är betydligt större än den yta som utgörs av vägarna och järnvägarna: på båda sidor i den omgivande naturen breder det ut sig i en korridor där fåglar och dä
Chinese cabbage is part of a crop family that must be exposed to cold temperatures for a particular period of time in order to flower. Scientists have succeeded in comprehensively identifying the long noncoding ribonucleic acids (IncRNAs) that are expressed when Chinese cabbage is temporarily exposed to cold temperatures for four weeks. LncRNAs that are known to be involved in responding to cold i
Chinese cabbage is part of a crop family that must be exposed to cold temperatures for a particular period of time in order to flower. Scientists have succeeded in comprehensively identifying the long noncoding ribonucleic acids (IncRNAs) that are expressed when Chinese cabbage is temporarily exposed to cold temperatures for four weeks. LncRNAs that are known to be involved in responding to cold i
Everyone you know is outside, having fun in the sun, but you're inside, staring into a tissue. No good. (Brittany Colette via Unsplash/) The sun is out, the mercury is climbing, and despite their name, "colds" are rampant. Summer colds are, of course, terrible, but you can strand them at the beach as long as you know what's causing them. Know they're different from winter colds Winter colds are g
College students who identify as transgender, gender nonconforming, genderqueer, and nonbinary face enormous mental health disparities relative to their peers, research finds. Findings from the largest and most comprehensive mental health survey of college students in the United States appear in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine . The researchers report that gender minority students, wh
He solved a 127-year-old physics problem on paper and proved that off-centred boat wakes could exist. Five years later, laboratory experiments proved him right.
Cultural processes are increasingly short-lived, showing in addition a growing tendency toward self-organisation. As a result, success is now governed by a universal law. This was discovered by the physicists Professor Claudius Gros and Lukas Schneider from Goethe University. Their object of research: 50 years of music charts.
Obesity is the peer-reviewed, scientific journal of The Obesity Society. All print, broadcast and online journalists who receive the Obesity embargo alert agree to abide by the embargo and may not publish, post, broadcast or distribute embargoed news releases or details of the embargoed studies before the embargo date and time.
Pathogenic bacteria that stubbornly lurk in some apple-packing facilities may be sheltered and protected by harmless bacteria that are known for their ability to form biofilms, according to Penn State researchers, who suggest the discovery could lead to development of alternative foodborne-pathogen-control strategies.
Our urine reveals our well-being and how we treat our body. A researcher has developed an effective method of analysis for examining the constituents of a urine sample, using contrast agent, as a cost-effective adjuvant. This can have a major impact on future healthcare.
A research team has succeeded in comprehensively identifying the long noncoding ribonucleic acids (IncRNAs) that are expressed when Chinese cabbage is temporarily exposed to cold temperatures for four weeks.
A new international study has identified a new drug target for treating glioblastoma. This target is part of a never-before defined cellular pathway found to contribute to the spread and proliferation of a dangerous subset of cancer cells, called glioma stem cells.
Researchers have mapped out how much waves are likely to change around the globe under climate change and found that if we can limit warming to 2 degrees, signals of wave climate change are likely to stay within the range of natural climate variability.
Scientists have identified a specific gene they believe could be a key player in the changes in brain structure seen in several psychiatric conditions, such as schizophrenia and autism.
The study shows reaching a goal expressed in round numbers results in higher levels of customer satisfaction. That was particularly true when the final goal was still distant. Hitting intermediate targets expressed as round numbers increased customers' feeling of progress at low levels of achievement.
Human urine contains hundreds of small molecules that tell us about our health, diet and well-being. Associate Professor Frans Mulder, in collaboration with the University of Florence, has been successful in developing a new method for analyzing the components of a urine sample. Using this method, the analysis becomes both cheaper and more accurate.
A new Northwestern University study discovered that spaceflight—both aboard a space shuttle or the International Space Station (ISS)—has a consistent effect on the gut microbiome
An experiment with a fake autonomous sink shows that a real smart sink could help conserve water, researchers report. Barely hidden from his study participants, William Jou, a former graduate student in mechanical engineering at Stanford University, pulled off a ruse straight out of The Wizard of Oz . Except, instead of impersonating a great and powerful wizard, Jou pretended to be an autonomous
Pathogenic bacteria that stubbornly lurk in some apple-packing facilities may be sheltered and protected by harmless bacteria that are known for their ability to form biofilms, according to Penn State researchers, who suggest the discovery could lead to development of alternative foodborne-pathogen-control strategies.
Steam balloons could be used to lift space rockets to higher altitude for launch. Launching from high altitude reduces air drag and thus improves efficiency. The researchers present the method in an article published in The Aeronautical Journal.
A team of engineers has developed a transistor made from linen thread, enabling them to create electronic devices made entirely of thin threads that could be woven into fabric, worn on the skin, or even (theoretically) implanted surgically for diagnostic monitoring. The fully flexible electronic devices could enable a wide range of applications that conform to different shapes and allow free movem
Veteran captain Keith Colburn and brother Monte face one mechanical difficulty after another on The Wizard. Stream Full Episodes of Deadliest Catch: https://go.discovery.com/tv-shows/deadliest-catch/ Subscribe to Discovery: http://bit.ly/SubscribeDiscovery Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeadliestCatch https://www.facebook.com/Discovery Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dead
New Battlefields The U.S. military is poised to launch the Space Command on August 29, Vice President Mike Pence announced at Tuesday's National Space Council Meeting. The U.S. Space Command would be the 11th unified combatant command, according to Space.com . The new united combatant command will oversee all military operations in outer space, making it very clear that the U.S. sees space as an
Gross Negligence Sorry, Elon Musk. 2019 might not be "the year of the solar roof" after all. Retail giant Walmart is suing Tesla, claiming that its solar panels ignited seven of its stores' roofs, CNBC reports . The suit alleges that Tesla failed to live up to industry standards, amounting to breach of contract and gross negligence. According to the lawsuit that was filed in New York state, "Tesl
The College Try When students and professors head to college this fall, they might glimpse an unexpected sight on campus: robots. On Tuesday, San Francisco-based startup Starship Technologies announced that it had just secured an additional $40 million in funding — and that it plans to send thousands of its delivery robots to college campuses across the U.S. over the next two years. "This new inv
You hear a lot these days about the sheer transformative power of AI. There's pure intelligence: DeepMind's algorithms readily beat humans at Go and StarCraft , and DeepStack triumphs over humans at no-limit hold'em poker. Often, these silicon brains generate gameplay strategies that don't resemble anything from a human mind. There's astonishing speed: algorithms routinely surpass radiologists in
Scientists have identified a specific gene they believe could be a key player in the changes in brain structure seen in several psychiatric conditions, such as schizophrenia and autism.
Our urine reveals our well-being and how we treat our body. A researcher at Aarhus University has developed an effective method of analysis for examining the constituents of a urine sample, using contrast agent, as a cost-effective adjuvant. This can have a major impact on future healthcare.
CNIO researchers have identified the role played by mTOR pathway as the origin of follicular lymphoma and propose the exploration in future studies of a possible therapeutic strategy using a drug that is already being used in clinical practice to treat other tumors.
Pathogenic bacteria that stubbornly lurk in some apple-packing facilities may be sheltered and protected by harmless bacteria that are known for their ability to form biofilms, according to Penn State researchers, who suggest the discovery could lead to development of alternative foodborne-pathogen-control strategies.
Climate models are a success story, given that much of what they predicted has actually come true. Nevertheless, Reto Knutti points out in a blog post, researchers still need new models.
The American public ranks scientists as some of the most trusted voices in the country. So it made sense for eminent climate scientists, such as James Hansen, Michael Mann, and Peter Kalmus, to sound the alarm about climate change.
Death certificates and commemorative plaques aren't something you'd normally associate with a glacier. But that is exactly how Iceland recently mourned the loss of 700-year-old Okjökull, the first of its major glaciers to die.
UTH-ordningen er meget vigtig del af patientsikkerhedsarbejdet. Men ingen sundhedspersoner skal bruge tid på at rapportere noget, der ikke er læring i. Derfor skal vi sammen blive ved med at udvikle ordningen.
A new study challenges the conventional wisdom that glucose is the primary driver of chronic inflammation in type 2 diabetes. The research might change opinion of tight glycemic control as the optimal strategy for type 2 diabetes management.
Dell has announced a refresh of its XPS 13 laptop ahead of IFA 2019, and each configuration will be built with Intels new U-series Comet Lake 10th Gen processors. The most affordable …
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-02509-4 A firm hired by the National Institutes of Health will work with participants in a research programme that plans to sequence one million genomes.
Social media users are fuelling a burgeoning appetite for acquiring wild otters and other endangered animals as pets, conservationists say, warning the trend could push species towards extinction.
Cultural processes are increasingly short-lived, showing in addition a growing tendency toward self-organization. As a result, success is now governed by a universal law. This was discovered by the physicists Professor Claudius Gros and Lukas Schneider from Goethe University. Their object of research: 50 years of music charts.
In order to orient themselves and survive in their environment, animals must develop a concept of their own body size. Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have shown that the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster develops a very stable long-term memory for its own body size and the reach of its extremities after it has hatched from the pupal case. The fruit fly acquires this memor
Researchers have developed artificial 'chameleon skin' that changes color when exposed to light and could be used in applications such as active camouflage and large-scale dynamic displays.
Social media users are fuelling a burgeoning appetite for acquiring wild otters and other endangered animals as pets, conservationists say, warning the trend could push species towards extinction.
In order to orient themselves and survive in their environment, animals must develop a concept of their own body size. Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have shown that the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster develops a very stable long-term memory for its own body size and the reach of its extremities after it has hatched from the pupal case. The fruit fly acquires this memor
New data showed that term, breastfed infants fed activated Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis EVC001 (B. infantis EVC001) experience improved metabolism of protein-bound glycans from human milk, compared to matched controls. Not only do these new data provide greater mechanistic understanding of how B. infantis selectively utilizes the glycans from human milk as growth substrate but may also p
A patient-centered, community-engaged program featuring home visits by nurses and mobile phone links to caregivers works better than traditional adult-focused and patient self-managed care systems for treating and managing pelvic inflammatory disease, or PID, among historically underserved teens and young women, a Johns Hopkins Medicine study shows.
A new international study co-led by Cleveland Clinic has identified a new drug target for treating glioblastoma. This target is part of a never-before defined cellular pathway found to contribute to the spread and proliferation of a dangerous subset of cancer cells, called glioma stem cells.
A research team led by Namiko Nishida from Kobe University have succeeded in comprehensively identifying the long noncoding ribonucleic acids (IncRNAs) that are expressed when Chinese cabbage is temporarily exposed to cold temperatures for four weeks.
A team of researchers led by Griffith University has mapped out how much waves are likely to change around the globe under climate change and found that if we can limit warming to 2 degrees, signals of wave climate change are likely to stay within the range of natural climate variability.
An extremely large cosmological simulation—among the five most extensive ever conducted—is set to run on Mira this fall and exemplifies the scope of problems addressed on the leadership-class supercomputer at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Argonne National Laboratory.
'Sup, Starman SpaceX launched Starman into space more than a year and a half ago — but people are still thinking about the Roadster-riding test dummy . "A ny chance SpaceX could launch a small spacecraft that could catch up to Starman & take some pics?" a Twitter user going by the handle @flcnhvy asked Musk on Sunday. And based on Musk's tweeted reply — "In a few years" — Starman is still on his
The ability to securely transmit information over the internet is extremely important, but most of the time, eavesdroppers can still generally determine who the sender and receiver are. In some highly confidential situations, it is important that the sender's and receiver's identities remain anonymous.
Self-assembled materials are attractive for next-generation materials, but their potential to assemble at the nanoscale and form nanostructures (cylinders, lamellae etc.) remains challenging. In a recent report, Xundu Feng and colleagues at the interdisciplinary departments of chemical and environmental engineering, biomolecular engineering, chemistry and the center for advanced low-dimension mate
Vitamin D deficiency in middle childhood could result in aggressive behavior as well as anxious and depressive moods during adolescence, according to a new study of school children in Bogotá, Colombia. Children with blood vitamin D levels suggestive of deficiency were almost twice as likely to develop externalizing behavior problems—aggressive and rule breaking behaviors—as reported by their pare
Researchers at the University of Dundee have made an important discovery about two enzymes that have evolved over billions of years to control many different bodily functions, including playing a critical role in preventing cancer.
Researchers at the University of Dundee have made an important discovery about two enzymes that have evolved over billions of years to control many different bodily functions, including playing a critical role in preventing cancer.
The study shows reaching a goal expressed in round numbers results in higher levels of customer satisfaction. That was particularly true when the final goal was still distant. Hitting intermediate targets expressed as round numbers increased customers' feeling of progress at low levels of achievement.
In an extensive 'data mining' analysis of British medical records, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center conclude that taking even a single course of antibiotics might boost — albeit slightly — the risk of developing colon cancer — but not rectal cancer — a decade later.
Johns Hopkins researchers report that prurigo nodularis (PN), a skin disease characterized by severely itchy, firm bumps on the skin, may be associated with other inflammatory skin disorders as well as systemic and mental health disorders. Compared with other skin diseases, however, not much is known about PN. While symptoms of PN can be managed, no cures exist. Researchers were looking to determi
Antibodies are key players in our immune system and have been used as biopharmaceuticals. The collaborative groups including researchers at Nagoya City University, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, and Osaka University have found previously unknown contact sites in the antibody molecule that are involved in its binding to a cognate receptor, challenging the traditional paradigm of the molec
A research group led by Prof. LE Jie at the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences found a genetic suppressor of flp stomatal defects. They found that RPA2a, a core subunit of Replication Protein A (RPA) complexes, acted downstream from the core cell cycle genes of CDKB1 to ensure terminal division during stomatal development and the formation of paired guard cells to create functi
Machine learning is an important future research direction to incorporate weather forecast data and coupled models into a hybrid computing framework to explore and study the structure and features of observational and Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) data.
A pair of researchers with Case Western Reserve University has found evidence that contradicts the findings of an earlier study reporting that practice time differentiated great violin and piano players from the merely good. In their paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, Brooke Macnamara and Megha Maitra describe their attempts to reproduce the results of a 1993 study and what
Which species of trees should we be planting in the urban environment to best soak up pollutants containing toxic heavy metals? Stefanos Tsiaras of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and Theano Samara of the Forest Research Institute of Thessaloniki, in Greece, hope to answer this question. The team discusses the requirements of the urban environment in terms of arboreal planting in the Internat
Two-thirds of parents in Britain are worried that their children will become the victim of online bullying, see violent or pornographic images or have their digital identity stolen online.
Antibodies are key players in our immune system and have been used as biopharmaceuticals. The collaborative groups including researchers have found previously unknown contact sites in the antibody molecule that are involved in its binding to a cognate receptor, challenging the traditional paradigm of the molecular mechanism of antibody function.
An experiment with a water-saving 'smart' faucet shows potential for reducing water use. The catch? Unbeknownst to study participants, the faucet's smarts came from its human controller.
A team of engineers has developed a transistor made from linen thread, enabling them to create electronic devices made entirely of thin threads that could be woven into fabric, worn on the skin, or even (theoretically) implanted surgically for diagnostic monitoring. The fully flexible electronic devices could enable a wide range of applications that conform to different shapes and allow free movem
Injecting carbon dioxide (CO2) deep below the seabed could be an important strategy for mitigating climate change, according to some experts. However, scientists need a reliable way to monitor such sites for leakage of the greenhouse gas. Now, researchers have studied natural sources of CO2 release off the coast of Italy, using what they learned to develop models that could be applied to future st
A good rainstorm can make a city feel clean and revitalized. However, the substances that wash off of buildings, streets and sidewalks and down storm drains might not be so refreshing. Now, researchers have analyzed untreated urban stormwater from 50 rainstorms across the US, finding a wide variety of contaminants that could potentially harm aquatic organisms in surface waters and infiltrate groun
Simple, fast and flexible: it could become significantly easier to vaccinate plants against viruses in future. Scientists have developed a new method for this purpose. It enables the rapid identification and production of precisely tailored substances that combat different pathogens.
Women who have heart attacks experience the same key symptoms as men, quashing one of the reasons given for women receiving unequal care. The research puts into question a long-held medical myth that women tend to suffer unusual or 'atypical' heart attack symptoms, and emphasizes the need for both sexes to recognize and act on the warning signs.
One of the biggest global challenges of the 21st century has brought members of the international research community together to assess the next steps for research.
Scientists have taken an important step towards revealing the mysterious source of methane on Mars, by refining estimates of the gas in the planet's atmosphere.
One of the biggest global challenges of the 21st century has brought members of the international research community together to assess the next steps for research.
A team of researchers in the Marcia group at EMBL Grenoble have discovered that the tumor suppressor MEG3 adopts a complex three-dimensional structure to fulfill its function. Furthermore, they were able to fine-tune its activity by targeted manipulation of this architecture. The results of this study, published in Molecular Cell, might help to advance diagnosis and treatment of certain types of c
A team of engineers has developed a transistor made from linen thread, enabling them to create electronic devices made entirely of thin threads that could be woven into fabric, worn on the skin, or even (theoretically) implanted surgically for diagnostic monitoring. The fully flexible electronic devices could enable a wide range of applications that conform to different shapes and allow free movem
The secondary mirror—visible in the top right corner of the image—is among the most important pieces of equipment on the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and is essential to the success of the mission.
A team of researchers in the Marcia group at EMBL Grenoble have discovered that the tumor suppressor MEG3 adopts a complex three-dimensional structure to fulfill its function. Furthermore, they were able to fine-tune its activity by targeted manipulation of this architecture. The results of this study, published in Molecular Cell, might help to advance diagnosis and treatment of certain types of c
When you look closely at cellular biochemistry, what you see are a lot of amazing processes that are surrounded by amazing amounts of redundancy, backups, patches, and accumulated tweaks and fixes. That's evolution for you; these things have been piling up for a billion years or two, and we're all the descendants of the critters whose systems were a little more resilient or efficient. The " unfol
Canada has a good reputation for LGBTQ rights. Federal political leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, attend pride parades across the country. But a rising tide of violence against transgender people raises the question: what will Canada do to protect trans and nonbinary people from targeted violence?
An international team of astronomers has uncovered important insights about the recently discovered transient source known as MAXI J1621–501. Results of new observations conducted with NASA's NuSTAR spacecraft indicate that the object is a low-mass X-ray binary. The finding is detailed in a paper published August 9 on arXiv.org.
A team of Tufts University engineers has developed a transistor made from linen thread, enabling them to create electronic devices made entirely of thin threads that could be woven into fabric, worn on the skin, or even (theoretically) implanted surgically for diagnostic monitoring. The fully flexible electronic devices could enable a wide range of applications that conform to different shapes and
The association between type 2 diabetes and increased fracture risk is well documented. However, little was known about the possible effect of family history of diabetes on bone mineral density (BMD). A study now confirms that a history of first-degree family members with diabetes is linked to increased BMD as well as to insulin resistance.
Invasive mosquitoes at the northern limit of their current range are surviving conditions that are colder than those in their native territory. This new evidence of rapid local adaptation could have implications for efforts to control the spread of this invasive species.
Scientists have discovered how to forestall Alzheimer's disease in a laboratory setting, a finding that could one day help in devising targeted drugs that prevent it. The researchers found that by removing brain immune cells known as microglia from rodent models of Alzheimer's disease, beta-amyloid plaques — the hallmark pathology of AD — never formed.
Contrary to the long-held view that semen can only act as a way to transmit HIV-1 from men to women, scientists found that frequent and sustained semen exposure can change the characteristics of the circulating and vaginal tissue immune cells that are targets for infection, reducing the susceptibility to a future infection.
A study by the University of Cincinnati found that Charles Darwin's famous finches defy what has long been considered a key to evolutionary success: genetic diversity.
In conservation, charismatic mammals and birds such as the black rhinoceros and the capercaillie get a lot of attention, while others, like invertebrates, are often ignored. One way of addressing this problem is to focus on protecting "umbrella species." These are species whose conservation can benefit many others, especially those that rely on similar habitats. But does this work in practice?
A study by the University of Cincinnati found that Charles Darwin's famous finches defy what has long been considered a key to evolutionary success: genetic diversity.
In conservation, charismatic mammals and birds such as the black rhinoceros and the capercaillie get a lot of attention, while others, like invertebrates, are often ignored. One way of addressing this problem is to focus on protecting "umbrella species." These are species whose conservation can benefit many others, especially those that rely on similar habitats. But does this work in practice?
A team of researchers from the University of Nottingham, the British Geological Survey (BGS) and Advanced Geochemical Systems, Ltd, has found evidence that suggests the amount of shale gas available for fracking in the U.K. is much less than previously thought. In their paper published in the journal Nature Communications, the group describes their new technique and what it showed.
British employees' representatives have the lowest trust in their company's managers among all the countries in the European Union, new research shows.
The remains of the new dinosaur were found in the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco and have since been studied by a team at London's Natural History Museum. Whilst the remains only comprise of a few vertebrae and an upper arm bone the team, led by Dr. Susannah Maidment, quickly recognized the animal due to anatomical similarities in the humerus and neck vertebrae to that of known stegosaurs.
Microsoft has crushed the dreams of those who've been hoping to play Halo, Forza and any other first-party Xbox game on the Switch or the PS4. The tech giant has no plans to make …
A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in France has found a way to improve the conversion of CO2 into fuels by mimicking the behavior of the diving bell spider. In their paper published in the journal Nature Materials, the group describes using captured air bubbles to improve the conversion efficiency of carbon dioxide into usable fuels.
The climate crisis will reshape our relationships to land around the world. Journalist David Wallace-Wells warns that, once the planet warms 2°C above preindustrial levels—the target set by the Paris Agreement—"major cities in the equatorial band of the planet will become unlivable," and 400 million more people will suffer from regional water scarcity. At 3°C of warming—the expected result of Pari
The combination of heart failure and Type 2 diabetes can lead to structural changes in the heart, poorer quality of life and increased risk of early death, according to a multi-country study in Asia.
Cells regularly go through a process called autophagy — literally translated as 'self-eating' — which helps to destroy bacteria and viruses after infection. Now new research has shed light on the mechanisms behind autophagy and how it progresses — particularly relating to a process called liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS).
An experiment with a water-saving 'smart' faucet shows potential for reducing water use. The catch? Unbeknownst to study participants, the faucet's smarts came from its human controller.
US President Donald Trump has confirmed he is keen to buy Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory rich in natural resources and of increasing geopolitical relevance as the Arctic ice sheet melts.
Amid growing calls for an outright ban, the European Union has come under increasing pressure to help protect African elephants by ending the trade of ivory within its borders.
Amid growing calls for an outright ban, the European Union is coming under increasing pressure to help protect African elephants by ending the trade of ivory within its borders.
The universe is rife with mysteries, but few are as perplexing as fast radio bursts (FRBs). These distant, highly energetic radio-frequency flashes were only discovered in 2007, and most observations have come from non-repeating sources. That makes it hard to study the phenomenon in detail. Astronomers knew of just a few repeating signals before, but a team of researchers reports the discovery of
A good rainstorm can make a city feel clean and revitalized. However, the substances that wash off of buildings, streets and sidewalks and down storm drains might not be so refreshing. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology have analyzed untreated urban stormwater from 50 rainstorms across the U.S., finding a wide variety of contaminants that could potentially harm a
På Regionshospitalet Randers har vi positive erfaringer med at inddrage læger i ledensen, obligatoriske deltagelse var en nødvendighed, skriver hospitalets lægefaglige direktør Lone Winther Jensen.
A good rainstorm can make a city feel clean and revitalized. However, the substances that wash off of buildings, streets and sidewalks and down storm drains might not be so refreshing. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology have analyzed untreated urban stormwater from 50 rainstorms across the US, finding a wide variety of contaminants that could potentially harm aqu
Injecting carbon dioxide (CO2) deep below the seabed could be an important strategy for mitigating climate change, according to some experts. However, scientists need a reliable way to monitor such sites for leakage of the greenhouse gas. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology have studied natural sources of CO2 release off the coast of Italy, using what they
It could become significantly easier to vaccinate plants against viruses in the future. Scientists at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB) and the National Research Council in Italy (CNR) have developed a new method that enables the rapid identification and production of precisely tailored substances that combat different pathogens. The
Researchers drawing on 100-year-old sources of salmon data have found that recent returns of wild adult sockeye salmon to the Skeena River—Canada's second largest salmon watershed— are 75 percent lower than during historical times. Research carried out by Simon Fraser University and Fisheries and Oceans Canada and published today in Conservation Letters reveals that wild sockeye populations have d
The fungus Mortierella elongata enjoys a dual lifestyle; it can thrive in the soil as a saprophyte, living off decaying organic matter, or as an endophyte, living between a plant's root cells. The fungus is almost always found among and within poplar trees, and in an effort to understand its influence on the plant, a team of scientists studied what happens to the tree's physical traits and gene ex
Injecting carbon dioxide (CO2) deep below the seabed could be an important strategy for mitigating climate change, according to some experts. However, scientists need a reliable way to monitor such sites for leakage of the greenhouse gas. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology have studied natural sources of CO2 release off the coast of Italy, using what they
It could become significantly easier to vaccinate plants against viruses in the future. Scientists at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB) and the National Research Council in Italy (CNR) have developed a new method that enables the rapid identification and production of precisely tailored substances that combat different pathogens. The
Researchers drawing on 100-year-old sources of salmon data have found that recent returns of wild adult sockeye salmon to the Skeena River—Canada's second largest salmon watershed— are 75 percent lower than during historical times. Research carried out by Simon Fraser University and Fisheries and Oceans Canada and published today in Conservation Letters reveals that wild sockeye populations have d
The fungus Mortierella elongata enjoys a dual lifestyle; it can thrive in the soil as a saprophyte, living off decaying organic matter, or as an endophyte, living between a plant's root cells. The fungus is almost always found among and within poplar trees, and in an effort to understand its influence on the plant, a team of scientists studied what happens to the tree's physical traits and gene ex
He solved a 127-year-old physics problem on paper and proved that off-centered boat wakes could exist. Five years later, practical experiments proved him right.
The Europa Clipper may someday buzz the surface of Europa, measuring its magnetic field, mapping its surface, and searching for traces of organic molecules. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/) A long-awaited mission targeting Jupiter's moon Europa, one of the solar system's likeliest locations for alien life , just took one big step forward. NASA has approved preliminary plans for a spacecraft that would repeate
Nature, Published online: 21 August 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-02487-7 Gut-dwelling bacteria produce molecules that could reveal who is prone to a life-threatening consequence of antibiotic treatment.
Environmental DNA (eDNA) has successfully proven the presence of invasive crayfish in almost all the small streams around Lake Akan in Japan, suggesting that eDNA analysis is an efficient and highly sensitive method to assess the distribution of aquatic organisms.
Environmental DNA (eDNA) has successfully proven the presence of invasive crayfish in almost all the small streams around Lake Akan in Japan, suggesting that eDNA analysis is an efficient and highly sensitive method to assess the distribution of aquatic organisms.
Putting money into a specific investment just because it's the most familiar or stands out in some way is an all-too common mistake. A recent study by Vanderbilt business professors explains why we do it, and points to a solution for making better investing choices.
Scientists at UC San Diego are working to understand plastic degradation in the ocean, particularly smaller particles called microplastics and related microfibers.
One of nature's most familiar phenomena is collective behavior—fish swimming in schools, locusts marching together, birds flocking. The same thing happens in humans, with individual cells synchronizing into circadian rhythms, part of a biological clock that tells our bodies when to eat, sleep or reproduce.
University of Rhode Island oceanographer Steven D"Hondt and his collaborators have studied the microbial life that lives deep beneath the seafloor—including the rate at which it breathes and how much food it consumes—for more than 20 years, and they have made some significant discoveries.
More public and private resources than ever are being directed to protecting and preserving aquatic ecosystems and watersheds. Whether mandated for land development, farming or in response to the growing severity and number of natural disasters—scientists from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University found evidence that decades of watershed restoration and mitigation projects have take
Deriving drinkable water from seawater, treating wastewater and conducting kidney dialysis are just a few important processes that use a technology called membrane filtration.
A Victoria University of Wellington research team has developed an exciting new lead in the search for cancer treatments, creating alternative versions in the laboratory of a rare natural compound that targets some types of cancer.