MASS: An integrative software program for streamlined morphometric analyses of leaves
Analysis of leaf shape is crucial in answering a variety of ecological, evolutionary, genetic, and agricultural questions. However, most morphometric analyses require the use of multiple software packages; this is not only inconvenient, but also introduces the possibility of error. A new software package, Morphological Analysis of Size and Shape (MASS), streamlines these analyses into a single pro
5h
Fox News Is Now a Threat to National Security
The network's furthering of lies from foreign adversaries and flagrant disregard for the truth have gotten downright dangerous.
6h
Greta Thunberg named Time Person of the Year for 2019
The 16-year-old Swedish schoolgirl has inspired a global movement to fight climate change.
9h
SpaceX Is Delivering Cannabis to the Space Station
That Sticky-Icky in Space On Sunday, a SpaceX Dragon capsule docked with the International Space Station hauling nearly three tons of cargo. SpaceX's next ISS resupply mission is scheduled for March 2020, and while that trip might not include any super-buff " mighty mice ," it'll be packing something equally unique: cannabis . Cannabis Cultures On Tuesday, agri-tech company Front Range Bioscience
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Tesla Owners Block Gas Pumps in ICEing Protest
Electric Sly We've heard plenty of stories about internal combustion engine (I.C.E.) vehicles punking electric vehicles by blocking access to charging stations, a move called "ICEing." But a group of Croatian Tesla owners just flipped the script, using their EVs to block access to gas pumps in a protest they dubbed "revenge of the electric car." No Gas for You According to a newly published Elect
now
Visit the German Castle Where DNA Was First Discovered
A museum pays tribute to Friedrich Miescher, the Swiss chemist who isolated nucleic acid in the castle's former lab 150 years ago
3min
Human Ancestors May Have Evolved the Physical Ability to Speak More Than 25 Million Years Ago
Though when primates developed the cognitive abilities for language remains a mystery
3min
Ancient Whale Fossil Helps Detail How the Mammals Took From Land to Sea
A 39-million-year-old whale with floppy feet, which may not have been very good for walking, helps illuminate the massive animals' transition to the oceans
3min
Arctic sea ice may vanish sooner than we thought – it happened before
A strange discrepancy in global temperatures 8000 years ago can be explained if sea ice is more vulnerable to the effects of warming than we thought
4min
France's new warship will have an inverted bow and 2.2-ton radar panels
A rendering of the French FDI ship. (Naval Group/) In October, France's Naval Group began construction on a new type of ship: the defense and intervention frigate. It's known by its French initials, FDI, which stands for frégates de défense et d'intervention . The first of five such ships, the Admiral Ronarc'h (pronounced "Ronar"), will be delivered in 2023, and the last in 2030. Like most frigat
6min
Sand fly mating habits offer way to tackle tropical disease
A new method to curb the tropical disease Leishmaniasis uses male pheromones to attract female sand flies towards insecticide-treated areas, researchers say. Globally over 350 million people are at risk of infection from Leishmaniasis , with an estimated 300,000 cases annually, and approximately 4,500 deaths each year in Brazil alone. The disease disproportionately affects children under the age
14min
Revealing the physics of the Sun with Parker Solar Probe
Nearly a year and a half into its mission, Parker Solar Probe has returned gigabytes of data on the Sun and its atmosphere. Following the release of the very first science from the mission, five researchers presented additional new findings from Parker Solar Probe at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union on Dec. 11, 2019.
21min
Teams of microbes are at work in our bodies. Here's how to figure out what they're doing
An algorithm akin to the annoyingly helpful one that attempts to auto-complete text messages and emails is now being harnessed for a better cause. A group of Drexel University researchers are using its pattern-recognition ability to identify microbial communities in the body by sifting through volumes of genetic code. Their method could speed the development of medical treatments for microbiota-li
21min
Focus on food security and sustainability
The number of malnourished people is increasing worldwide. More than two billion people suffer from a lack of micronutrients. Infant mortality rates are unacceptably high. Against this background, there is a need for the global pooling of research efforts, more research funding and an international body for food security and agriculture that prepares policy decisions.
21min
Virtual reality and drones help to predict and protect koala habitat
QUT researchers have used a combination of virtual reality (VR), aerial thermal-imaging and ground surveys to build a better statistical model for predicting the location of koalas and, ultimately, protecting their habitat.
21min
Safer viruses for vaccine research and diagnosis
A new technology to produce safer 'hybrid' viruses at high volumes for use in vaccines and diagnostics for mosquito-borne diseases has been developed at The University of Queensland.Researchers from UQ and QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute have exploited the benign characteristics of the Binjari virus – inert to humans – to produce 'dangerous looking' mosquito-borne viruses such as Zika an
21min
Mountain goats' air conditioning is failing, study says
A new study in the journal PLOS One says Glacier National Park's iconic mountain goats are in dire need of air conditioning.
21min
Stanford scientists pry apart party drug's therapeutic, addictive qualities
Stanford University School of Medicine investigators have succeeded in distinguishing the molecular pathway responsible for an illicit drug's abuse potential from the one behind its propensity to make people feel sociable.
21min
New insect virus provides a safer platform for flavivirus vaccines and tests
A research team has identified a new species of virus specific to insects that can be engineered to house genes from related viruses that cause diseases such as Zika and yellow fever.
21min
A likely trigger of tropical glacier melt 20,000 years ago
An analysis of sediment carried by glaciers in both South America and East Africa indicates that tropical glaciers not just in South America but across the tropics began to melt earlier than expected at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum (26,000-19,000 years ago), before atmospheric carbon dioxide levels began to rise. The study's authors suggest that the early melting.
21min
Research confirms timing of tropical glacier melt at the end of the last ice age
Findings on ice retreat across the global tropics clarifies how the low latitudes transformed during the end of the last ice age and can help current-day predictions of our own climate future.
21min
Novel respiratory cell changes identified from cigarette smoke exposure
Cigarette smoking changes the types of cells that are present in the respiratory track and some biological processes necessary for detoxification of cigarette smoke are restricted to specific types of cells.
21min
New research pinpoints which of the world's trees are climate-ready
'Penny-pinching' evergreen species such as Christmas favourites, holly and ivy, are more climate-ready in the face of warming temperatures than deciduous 'big-spending' water consumers like birch and oak. As such, they are more likely to prosper in the near future — with this pattern set to be felt more strongly in cooler climates.
21min
Newly described fossil whale represents intermediate stage between foot-powered and tail-powered swimming
A newly described fossil whale represents a new species and an important step in the evolution of whale locomotion, according to a University of Michigan paleontologist and his colleagues.
21min
2020 Flu Season Off to Quirky Start, Also Affects Seals
We're solidly into the beginning of the 2019-2020 flu season and so far it's proving to be an unusual one. Levels of infection during flu season tend to begin to pick up in mid to late December and peak in February, but this year's season seems to have begun a few weeks earlier than usual, as pointed out by Ars Technica. What's particularly intriguing about this year's flu season, however, is not
22min
Fossils suggest how whales found their swimming style
New species discovery could offer insights into how they came to move using tails It sounds like a Rudyard Kipling story but fossil-hunters say they have new clues as to how the whale came to move. Whales as we know them today evolved over millions of years from terrestrial creatures to semi-aquatic animals to fully aquatic species, with forelimbs becoming flippers, the fluked tail developing and
25min
Captivating new robot kits for kids
Fun and educational STEM robot kits for kids. (Stem.T4L via Unsplash/) Our kids are growing up in a world where so many of the objects in our daily lives do what we tell them to do. Introducing kids to robotics changes the conversation from "what does this thing do?" to "how can I make it do xyz?". You'll put them in the driver's seat, encourage problem solving, and plant the seed that STEM isn't
28min
Naturalist David Bellamy dies at 86
The TV personality, scientist and conservationist died on Wednesday, the foundation he formed says.
28min
Click, Click, Emit–The Carbon Cost of Online Shopping
Diesel delivery vehicles have consequences for the climate and public health — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
30min
MiR-23~27~24-mediated control of humoral immunity reveals a TOX-driven regulatory circuit in follicular helper T cell differentiation
Follicular helper T (T FH ) cells are essential for generating protective humoral immunity. To date, microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as important players in regulating T FH cell biology. Here, we show that loss of miR-23~27~24 clusters in T cells resulted in elevated T FH cell frequencies upon different immune challenges, whereas overexpression of this miRNA family led to reduced T FH cell respon
32min
High-latitude warming initiated the onset of the last deglaciation in the tropics
Atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations are thought to have synchronized global temperatures during Pleistocene glacial–interglacial cycles, yet their impact relative to changes in high-latitude insolation and ice-sheet extent remains poorly constrained. Here, we use tropical glacial fluctuations to assess the timing of low-latitude temperature changes relative to global climate forcings. We re
32min
Characterizing smoking-induced transcriptional heterogeneity in the human bronchial epithelium at single-cell resolution
The human bronchial epithelium is composed of multiple distinct cell types that cooperate to defend against environmental insults. While studies have shown that smoking alters bronchial epithelial function and morphology, its precise effects on specific cell types and overall tissue composition are unclear. We used single-cell RNA sequencing to profile bronchial epithelial cells from six never an
32min
Which way to the dawn of speech?: Reanalyzing half a century of debates and data in light of speech science
Recent articles on primate articulatory abilities are revolutionary regarding speech emergence, a crucial aspect of language evolution, by revealing a human-like system of proto-vowels in nonhuman primates and implicitly throughout our hominid ancestry. This article presents both a schematic history and the state of the art in primate vocalization research and its importance for speech emergence.
32min
Identification of the hyaluronic acid pathway as a therapeutic target for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is linked to epigenetic derepression of the germline/embryonic transcription factor DUX4 in skeletal muscle. However, the etiology of muscle pathology is not fully understood, as DUX4 misexpression is not tightly correlated with disease severity. Using a DUX4-inducible cell model, we show that multiple DUX4-induced molecular pathologies that have been
32min
NS1 DNA vaccination protects against Zika infection through T cell-mediated immunity in immunocompetent mice
The causal association of Zika virus (ZIKV) with microcephaly, congenital malformations in infants, and Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults highlights the need for effective vaccines. Thus far, efforts to develop ZIKV vaccines have focused on the viral envelope. ZIKV NS1 as a vaccine immunogen has not been fully explored, although it can circumvent the risk of antibody-dependent enhancement of ZIKV
32min
Necrotizing enterocolitis is preceded by increased gut bacterial replication, Klebsiella, and fimbriae-encoding bacteria
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating intestinal disease that occurs primarily in premature infants. We performed genome-resolved metagenomic analysis of 1163 fecal samples from premature infants to identify microbial features predictive of NEC. Features considered include genes, bacterial strain types, eukaryotes, bacteriophages, plasmids, and growth rates. A machine learning classifi
32min
Dorsal-ventral patterned neural cyst from human pluripotent stem cells in a neurogenic niche
Despite its importance in central nervous system development, development of the human neural tube (NT) remains poorly understood, given the challenges of studying human embryos, and the developmental divergence between humans and animal models. We report a human NT development model, in which NT-like tissues, neuroepithelial (NE) cysts, are generated in a bioengineered neurogenic environment thr
32min
Sleep fragmentation, microglial aging, and cognitive impairment in adults with and without Alzheimers dementia
Sleep disruption is associated with cognitive decline and dementia in older adults; however, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. In rodents, sleep disruption causes microglial activation, inhibition of which improves cognition. However, data from humans are lacking. We studied participants in two cohort studies of older persons—the Rush Memory and Aging Project and the Religious Orders Study.
32min
Rising CO2 drives divergence in water use efficiency of evergreen and deciduous plants
Intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE), defined as the ratio of photosynthesis to stomatal conductance, is a key variable in plant physiology and ecology. Yet, how rising atmospheric CO 2 concentration affects iWUE at broad species and ecosystem scales is poorly understood. In a field-based study of 244 woody angiosperm species across eight biomes over the past 25 years of increasing atmospheric C
32min
Mid-Holocene Northern Hemisphere warming driven by Arctic amplification
The Holocene thermal maximum was characterized by strong summer solar heating that substantially increased the summertime temperature relative to preindustrial climate. However, the summer warming was compensated by weaker winter insolation, and the annual mean temperature of the Holocene thermal maximum remains ambiguous. Using multimodel mid-Holocene simulations, we show that the annual mean No
32min
Gastrointestinal transcription factors drive lineage-specific developmental programs in organ specification and cancer
Transcription factors (TFs) are spatially and temporally regulated during gut organ specification. Although accumulating evidence shows aberrant reactivation of developmental programs in cancer, little is known about how TFs drive lineage specification in development and cancer. We first defined gastrointestinal tissue–specific chromatin accessibility and gene expression during development, ident
32min
LncRNA PTPRE-AS1 modulates M2 macrophage activation and inflammatory diseases by epigenetic promotion of PTPRE
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulators of diverse biological processes; however, their function in macrophage activation is undefined. We describe a new regulatory mechanism, where an unreported lncRNA, PTPRE-AS1 , targets receptor-type tyrosine protein phosphatase (PTPRE) to regulate macrophage activation. PTPRE-AS1 was selectively expressed in IL-4–stimulated macrophages, and it
32min
High-resolution cryo-EM structures of respiratory complex I: Mechanism, assembly, and disease
Respiratory complex I is a redox-driven proton pump, accounting for a large part of the electrochemical gradient that powers mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate synthesis. Complex I dysfunction is associated with severe human diseases. Assembly of the one-megadalton complex I in the inner mitochondrial membrane requires assembly factors and chaperones. We have determined the structure of complex
32min
Focusing light inside live tissue using reversibly switchable bacterial phytochrome as a genetically encoded photochromic guide star
Focusing light deep by engineering wavefronts toward guide stars inside scattering media has potential biomedical applications in imaging, manipulation, stimulation, and therapy. However, the lack of endogenous guide stars in biological tissue hinders its translations to in vivo applications. Here, we use a reversibly switchable bacterial phytochrome protein as a genetically encoded photochromic
32min
Recruitment of CD103+ dendritic cells via tumor-targeted chemokine delivery enhances efficacy of checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy
Although a clinical breakthrough for cancer treatment, it remains that a minority of patients respond to checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) immunotherapy. The composition of tumor-infiltrating immune cells has been identified as a key factor influencing CPI therapy success. Thus, enhancing tumor immune cell infiltration is a critical challenge. A lack of the chemokine CCL4 within the tumor microenvironme
32min
Science quality and the value of inventions
Despite decades of research, the relationship between the quality of science and the value of inventions has remained unclear. We present the result of a large-scale matching exercise between 4.8 million patent families and 43 million publication records. We find a strong positive relationship between the quality of the scientific contributions referenced in patents and the value of the respectiv
32min
Serotonin and Dopamine Responsible for the Pros and Cons of MDMA
A study in mice suggests serotonin release underlies the drug's prosocial effects while dopamine mediates the rewarding properties that drive its potential for abuse.
39min
Research confirms timing of tropical glacier melt at the end of the last ice age
Tropical glaciers in Africa and South America began their retreat simultaneously at the end of the last ice age about 20,000 years ago, according to a Dartmouth study.
40min
A heightened focus on food security and sustainability
The number of malnourished people is increasing worldwide. More than two billion people suffer from a lack of micronutrients. Infant mortality rates are unacceptably high. Against this background, there is a need for the global pooling of research efforts, more research funding and an international body for food security and agriculture that prepares policy decisions. This is what Prof. Joachim vo
40min
Mountain goats' air conditioning is failing, study says
A new study in the journal PLOS One says Glacier National Park's iconic mountain goats are in dire need of air conditioning.
40min
New research pinpoints which of the world's trees are climate-ready
Botanists from Trinity College Dublin have discovered that "penny-pinching" evergreen species such as Christmas favourites, holly and ivy, are more climate-ready in the face of warming temperatures than deciduous "big-spending" water consumers like birch and oak. As such, they are more likely to prosper in the near future—with this pattern set to be felt more strongly in cooler climates, such as I
40min
Newly described fossil whale represents intermediate stage between foot-powered and tail-powered swimming
A newly described fossil whale represents a new species and an important step in the evolution of whale locomotion, according to a University of Michigan paleontologist and his colleagues.
40min
Virtual reality and drones help to predict and protect koala habitat
QUT researchers have used a combination of virtual reality (VR), aerial thermal-imaging and ground surveys to build a better statistical model for predicting the location of koalas and, ultimately, protecting their habitat.
40min
Increasing transparency in the healthcare sector: More might not be better
More isn't always better. That's what researchers say when it comes to transparency in the US healthcare system. This research, forthcoming in the INFORMS journal Operations Research, finds that in the short-term, patients who know more about hospital quality is positive, but in the long-term, the benefits may not be what you might think.
43min
Mountain goats' air conditioning is failing, study says
A new study in the journal PLOS One says Glacier National Park's iconic mountain goats are in dire need of air conditioning.
43min
Virtual reality and drones help to predict and protect koala habitat
QUT researchers have used a combination of virtual reality (VR), aerial thermal-imaging and ground surveys to build a better statistical model for predicting the location of koalas and, ultimately, protecting their habitat.
43min
The University of Dayton Is Reinventing Town-Gown Relations
It's time for another report on Dayton, Ohio, subject of this introduction last month. A century ago, Dayton was known mainly for the things it created, from the Wright Brothers' airplanes to the cash registers used around the country and produced by Dayton's home-grown National Cash Register corporation, later NCR . Over the past generation Dayton has often been the dateline for representative s
45min
The TESS satellite caught a comet 'burp'
A comet produces and unexpected explosive ejection of ice, dust, and gas. NASA's TESS satellites captures the whole thing by accident. The "burp" may have left a crater 65 feet across. That's quite a burp. None When NASA trained their Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite , AKA TESS, at Comet 46P/Wirtanen , they were merely looking for a body with which they could test out their system. TESS's mi
48min
How your tongue tells your brain what you're tasting
Contrary to what you may have learned in school, different areas of the tongue don't detect different flavors—instead, each taste bud has all five taste receptors built in. From a nutty, aged cheese to the floral finish of dark chocolate, delicious tastes perpetually bombard our tongues. Here's how a tongue takes these flavors from the plate to the mind. The tongue contains three types of taste-s
1h
Mystery illness that causes fever every few weeks finally identified
Seven people who experienced a fever every few weeks have finally been given a diagnosis of CRIA syndrome, which was a previously unknown disorder
1h
Heat can quantum leap across a totally empty vacuum
Even a total vacuum is full of strange quantum fluctuations, which have now been caught making heat leap across empty space for the first time
1h
44,000-year-old hunting scene is earliest painted 'story' ever found
Cave paintings discovered in Indonesia reveal ancient artists were conjuring imagined scenes 20,000 years earlier than we thought – but who painted them?
1h
How international conservation groups are betraying indigenous peoples
Discrimination towards indigenous communities is rife among conservation groups – and sometimes enforced at the barrel of a gun, says Curtis Abraham
1h
Congress Set to Form Groups to Protect US Research Security
The National Defense Authorization Act calls for a new task force and roundtable to limit foreign government involvement in federally funded research.
1h
Mechanisms help pancreatic cancer cells avert starvation
A new study reveals the mechanism that helps pancreatic cancer cells avoid starvation within dense tumors by hijacking a process that pulls nutrients in from their surroundings.
1h
State of shock: 200-year-old law about gas mixtures called into question
According to a new study led by a team from The University of New Mexico, centuries-old laws about the behavior of gas mixtures do not apply in the presence of shock waves. This finding could have potential impact on everything that involves mixtures of gases exposed to a shock wave, for example, during combustion in an engine.
1h
Heat energy leaps through empty space, thanks to quantum weirdness
A surprising new study shows that heat energy can leap across a few hundred nanometers of a complete vacuum, thanks to a quantum mechanical phenomenon called the Casimir interaction. Though this interaction is only significant on very short length scales, it could have profound implications for the design of computer chips and other nanoscale electronic components where heat dissipation is key, wh
1h
Immune outposts inside kidney tumors predict post-surgery outcomes
Patients with well-supported immune cells in their tumors are more likely to control their cancers' growth for a longer time, an observation that could guide treatment decisions after surgery for kidney cancer. In addition, the findings could help researchers expand the dramatic but sparse benefits of cancer immunotherapy to more people.
1h
Scrubbing carbon dioxide from smokestacks for cleaner industrial emissions
An international collaboration co-led by an Oregon State University chemistry researcher has uncovered a better way to scrub carbon dioxide from smokestack emissions, which could be a key to mitigating global climate change.
1h
Single-cell analysis of the earliest cell fate decisions in development
With the construction of a building, one of the first steps before creating the upright structure is to set the foundations and the floorplan. Mammalian development is not so different. A multi-disciplinary group of Cambridge researchers has provided the first single-cell epigenomic analysis of gastrulation, a crucial process in early embryo development.
1h
Cheers! Maxwell's electromagnetism extended to smaller scales
On Dec. 11, 2019, a general framework for incorporating and correcting for nonclassical electromagnetic phenomena in nanoscale systems will be presented in the journal nature.
1h
New material design tops carbon-capture from wet flue gases
Chemical engineers at EPFL have designed a material that can capture carbon dioxide from wet flue gasses better than current commercial materials. The work is published in Nature.
1h
Australian and US team discover new human autoinflammatory disease
Scientists from Australia and the US have discovered and identified the genetic cause of a previously unknown human autoinflammatory disease.The researchers determined that the autoinflammatory disease, which they termed CRIA (cleavage-resistant RIPK1-induced autoinflammatory) syndrome, is caused by a mutation in a critical cell death component called RIPK1.The discovery suggests that compounds th
1h
What's at stake in the 2020 census?
The 2020 census will be different than those in the past, both for controversies and fear surrounding the census and for its move onto the internet. Every 10 years, people residing in the United States receive an envelope in the mail or a knock on the door from the Census Bureau. Those two methods have primarily served as the means to conduct the decennial count, which determines the current popu
1h
Phonon heat transfer across a vacuum through quantum fluctuations
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1800-4 Conventionally, heat transfer occurs by conduction, convection or radiation, but has also been theoretically predicted to occur through quantum fluctuations across a vacuum; this prediction has now been confirmed experimentally.
1h
Multi-omics profiling of mouse gastrulation at single-cell resolution
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1825-8 Single-cell mapping of chromatin accessibility, DNA methylation and RNA expression during gastrulation in mouse embryos shows characteristic epigenetic changes that accompany formation of the primary germ layers.
1h
KRAS4A directly regulates hexokinase 1
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1832-9 KRAS4A interacts directly with hexokinase 1 in a GTP-dependent manner at the outer mitochondrial membrane, leading to kinase activation and an increase in glucose uptake and glycolysis in tumour cells.
1h
A general theoretical and experimental framework for nanoscale electromagnetism
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1803-1 A general framework for incorporating and correcting for nonclassical electromagnetic phenomena in nanoscale systems is presented.
1h
Plasma membrane V-ATPase controls oncogenic RAS-induced macropinocytosis
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1831-x A whole-genome short interfering RNA screen identified vacuolar ATPase as a regulator of macropinocytosis induced by oncogenic RAS, a key determinant of tumour cell growth under nutrient-limiting conditions.
1h
Mutations that prevent caspase cleavage of RIPK1 cause autoinflammatory disease
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1828-5 Heterozygous mutateons in the caspase-8 cleavage site of RIPK1 cause a range of autoinflammatory symptoms in humans, and caspase-8 cleavage of RIPK1 in a mouse model limits TNF-induced cell death and inflammation.
1h
HBO1 is required for the maintenance of leukaemia stem cells
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1835-6 The MYST acetyltransferase HBO1 is a critical regulator in maintaining leukaemia stem cells, and a small-molecule inhibitor of HBO1 is developed that shows efficacy against a range of acute myeloid leukaemia cells.
1h
Lactonization as a general route to β-C(sp3)–H functionalization
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1859-y Lactonization as a general route to β-C( sp 3 )–H functionalization
1h
Heat transferred in a previously unknown way
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-03729-4 Experiments show that quantum fluctuations can allow heat to be transported between two objects separated by a vacuum gap. This effect could be harnessed to exploit and control heat transfer in nanoscale devices.
1h
Earliest hunting scene in prehistoric art
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1806-y A rock art panel from Sulawesi—dated to at least 43.9 thousand years ago—represents the oldest currently known figurative art in the world, and provides evidence of early storytelling through narrative hunting scenes.
1h
Antitumour T cells stand the test of time
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-03731-w Enhancing antitumour immune responses has revolutionized cancer treatment, yet some hurdles impede this approach. The discovery of a way to boost the lifespan and function of antitumour immune cells removes a key obstacle.
1h
Identifying the source of tumour-infiltrating T cells
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-03670-6 Immune cells called cytotoxic T cells can recognize and destroy cancer cells. The finding that stem-cell-like T cells exist in tumours, at niche sites that support these cells, could aid efforts to boost anticancer immune responses.
1h
An intra-tumoral niche maintains and differentiates stem-like CD8 T cells
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1836-5 The authors examine the immune cell infiltrates of human tumours and provide evidence for a population of CD8 T cells with stem-cell characteristics and proliferative capacity that reside in an antigen-presenting niche within tumours.
1h
Is this cave painting humanity's oldest story?
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-03826-4 Indonesian rock art dated to 44,000 years old seems to show mythological figures in a hunting scene.
1h
Indonesian fires, exoplanet telescope and the world's oldest story
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-03753-4 The latest science news, in brief.
1h
A dominant autoinflammatory disease caused by non-cleavable variants of RIPK1
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1830-y A dominantly inherited human autoinflammatory disease caused by mutations in RIPK1 is identified, and RIPK1 mutations that prevent caspase-8 cleavage sensitize cells to apoptosis, necroptosis and inflammation.
1h
Podcast: Social priming, and acoustic science
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-03824-6 Listen to the latest from the world of science, brought to you by Benjamin Thompson and Nick Howe.
1h
Targeting REGNASE-1 programs long-lived effector T cells for cancer therapy
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1821-z CRISPR–Cas9 mutagenesis screenings reveal that targeting REGNASE-1 leads to improved therapeutic efficacy of CD8+ T cells against mouse models of cancer, and identify BATF as a key target of REGNASE-1.
1h
Data-driven design of metal–organic frameworks for wet flue gas CO2 capture
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1798-7 Data mining of a computational library of metal–organic frameworks identifies motifs that bind CO2 sufficiently strongly and whose uptake is not affected by water, with application for the capture of CO2 from flue gases.
1h
Skeptical Science New Research for Week #49, 2019
Our crowdfunding campaign to complete development of the Cranky Uncle game for improving our climate cognition reached its initial goal of $15,000 in only 7 days. Being clueless about how long the campaign might last, we allocated 2 months, so we're a bit early to finish. We've added a stretch goal to port the app to Android. You can help by contributing right now while you're thinking about it!
1h
What would Bill Ruckelshaus do?
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bud Ward What exactly would Bill Ruckelshaus do? It's a question every EPA Administrator since him, and perhaps every serious environmental professional, should be asking. The first and twice-serving EPA administrator, now deceased at age 87, would make few lists of most influential climate change savants. Would that he had been in his prime, and
1h
Earliest known cave art by modern humans found in Indonesia
Pictures of human-like hunters and fleeing mammals dated to nearly 44,000 years old Cave art depicting human-animal hybrid figures hunting warty pigs and dwarf buffaloes has been dated to nearly 44,000 years old, making it the earliest known cave art by our species. The artwork in Indonesia is nearly twice as old as any previous hunting scene and provides unprecedented insights into the earliest
1h
ALMA spots most distant dusty galaxy hidden in plain sight
Astronomers have spotted the light of a massive galaxy seen only 970 million years after the Big Bang. This galaxy, called MAMBO-9, is the most distant dusty star-forming galaxy that has ever been observed without the help of a gravitational lens.
1h
Efforts to end the HIV epidemic must not ignore people already living with HIV
Efforts to prevent new HIV transmissions in the US must be accompanied by addressing HIV-associated comorbidities to improve the health of people already living with HIV, experts assert.
1h
Indonesian Cave's Mythical Beings May Be Oldest Imaginative Art by Humans
The paintings are at least 43,900 years old and depict humanoid figures with animal-like features in a hunting scene.
1h
Astronomy funder finds that gender diversity takes more than good intentions
Heising-Simons Foundation takes steps to reduce gender bias in selecting postdoc fellows
1h
Vi er tættere på Solen end nogensinde: Sonde afslører solvindens hemmeligheder
Rumsonde har fundet kilden til den gådefulde solvind, som kan sende kraftige storme mod Jorden.
1h
The world's oldest hunting scene
Indonesian cave find pushes earliest evidence of storytelling back by more than 20,000 years.
1h
There's hope for narcissistic teens (and their parents)
They'll probably grow out of it, like the rest of us.
1h
Structured for strength
Study of mammalian hair finds that thicker isn't always stronger.
1h
Swiss watch on damaging emissions
New material improves carbon-capture from wet flue gases, researchers say.
1h
Something in the way it moves
Studying a centipede sheds light on adaptive locomotion.
1h
There's a new squid in town
But it doesn't look like most other squids.
1h
Single-cell analysis of the earliest cell fate decisions in development
Researchers at the Babraham Institute, EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), CRUK Cambridge Institute and the Wellcome—MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute have provided the first single-cell epigenomic analysis of gastrulation, a crucial process in early embryo development. The researchers analysed over 1,000 cells from mouse embryos to understand the epigenetic priming events precedi
1h
Scrubbing carbon dioxide from smokestacks for cleaner industrial emissions
An international team co-led by an Oregon State University chemistry researcher has uncovered a better way to scrub carbon dioxide from smokestack emissions, which could be a key to mitigating global climate change.
1h
Heat energy leaps through empty space, thanks to quantum weirdness
If you use a vacuum-insulated thermos to help keep your coffee hot, you may know it's a good insulator because heat energy has a hard time moving through empty space. Vibrations of atoms or molecules, which carry thermal energy, simply can't travel if there are no atoms or molecules around.
1h
Cheers! Maxwell's electromagnetism extended to smaller scales
On Dec. 11, 2019, a general framework for incorporating and correcting for nonclassical electromagnetic phenomena in nanoscale systems will be presented in the journal Nature.
1h
Paleontology: Experiments in evolution
A new find from Patagonia sheds light on the evolution of large predatory dinosaurs. Features of the 8-m long specimen from the Middle Jurassic suggest that it records a phase of rapid diversification and evolutionary experimentation.
1h
Aktiv dødshjælp
Eutanasi er utvetydigt undsagt af lægernes organisationer, de etiske råd og af kirkernes folk. Og det bør Svend Lings-sagen ikke ændre, skriver to pensionerede læger.
1h
Can a Fasting Diet Help Treat Alzheimer's Symptoms?
There's some evidence in support of fasting as a treatment, but the case isn't very strong yet.
1h
World's oldest hunting scene shows half-human, half-animal figures—and a sophisticated imagination
Artist painted cave wall in Indonesia 44,000 years ago
1h
Single-cell analysis of the earliest cell fate decisions in development
Researchers at the Babraham Institute, EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), CRUK Cambridge Institute and the Wellcome—MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute have provided the first single-cell epigenomic analysis of gastrulation, a crucial process in early embryo development. The researchers analysed over 1,000 cells from mouse embryos to understand the epigenetic priming events precedi
1h
Space Heater: Scientists Find New Way to Transfer Energy Through a Vacuum
Nanoscale experiments reveal that quantum effects can transmit heat between objects separated by empty space — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
1h
Äldsta konsten: Människor som jagar vilda djur
Världens äldsta figurativa grottmålning finns på ön Sulawesi i Indonesien och föreställer en scen med jagande människoliknande figurer och vilda djur. Arkeologer misstänker att de som gjorde målningen för 44 000 år sedan hade en religiös föreställningsvärld.
1h
Space Heater: Scientists Find New Way to Transfer Energy Through a Vacuum
Nanoscale experiments reveal that quantum effects can transmit heat between objects separated by empty space — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
1h
Congress to halt military use of toxic foam contaminating drinking water
Congress has reached a deal on a spending bill that would require the military to stop using firefighting foam containing toxic chemicals linked to cancer, but would abandon efforts to place stronger regulations on the chemicals.
1h
Smart Toys Often Contain Child-Endangering Security Flaws
Security Risk Despite companies' claims to the contrary, smart toys intended for children tend to be full of security flaws that can put kids at risk. That's according to an analysis by researchers at the NCC Group, a security firm that found toys like Bluetooth-enabled karaoke machines are particularly vulnerable, Which reports . The risky toys, which come from major companies like Mattel and ar
1h
Researchers develop first mathematical proof for key law of turbulence in fluid mechanics
What if engineers could design a better jet with mathematical equations that drastically reduce the need for experimental testing? Or what if weather prediction models could predict details in the movement of heat from the ocean into a hurricane? These things are impossible now, but could be possible in the future with a more complete mathematical understanding of the laws of turbulence.
1h
Information technology can save police lives, according to a new study
Police officers face well-documented risks, with more than 50,000 a year assaulted on the job in the United States.
1h
ALMA spots most distant dusty galaxy hidden in plain sight
Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have spotted the light of a massive galaxy seen only 970 million years after the Big Bang. This galaxy, called MAMBO-9, is the most distant dusty star-forming galaxy that has ever been observed without the help of a gravitational lens.
1h
Boosting the impact of consumer research in the world
Researchers from the University of Southern California, Columbia, London Business School, George Washington University, University of Colorado-Boulder, and University of California Irvine published a provocative new paper in the Journal of Marketing that examines the relatively narrow impact of consumer research and suggests ways to change that situation.
1h
Deciphering the equations of life: A new theory describes what all animals have in common
Research led by the University of Arizona has resulted in a set of equations that describes and predicts commonalities across life despite its enormous diversity.
1h
Trashed farmland could be a conservation treasure
Low-productivity agricultural land could be transformed into millions of hectares of conservation reserve across the world, according to University of Queensland-led research.
1h
Deciphering the equations of life: A new theory describes what all animals have in common
Research led by the University of Arizona has resulted in a set of equations that describes and predicts commonalities across life despite its enormous diversity.
2h
Deciphering the equations of life
Research has resulted in a set of equations that describes and predicts commonalities across life despite its enormous diversity. The new theory allows predictions for organisms that might not be well understood by science.
2h
All age groups worldwide 'at high risk' of drop in children's physical activity
Emphasis on particular groups hinders efforts to address the problem of declining physical activity in children, according to a new study.
2h
Researchers develop first mathematical proof for key law of turbulence in fluid mechanics
Turbulence is one of the least understood phenomena of the physical world. Long considered too hard to understand and predict mathematically, turbulence is the reason the Navier-Stokes equations, which describe how fluids flow, are so hard to solve that there is a million-dollar reward for anyone who can prove them mathematically. But now, University of Maryland mathematicians have broken through
2h
Study supports long-term benefits of non-drug therapies for pain
A new study finds that non-drug therapies given to service members with chronic pain may reduce the risk of long-term adverse outcomes, such as alcohol and drug disorder and self-induced injuries, including suicide attempts.
2h
Is It Weird to Wear Leggings at Work?
I don't remember what specific combo of frustration and busyness led me to wear leggings to the office one day recently, but I do remember it felt magical. With nothing but a stretchy band and Nulu(™) fabric holding me in, I felt freer, like I was dancing through my duties, rather than trudging through them encased in polyester and wool. My computer seemed to run more quickly; my sources were mor
2h
A foolproof guide to braising
If only photos could convey the smell of this beef stew… (lenyvavsha via Deposit Photos/) Sweater weather is once again upon us, and not a moment too soon. If soups and stews make your heart go pitter-pat, you owe it to yourself to make this the year that you master the art of the braise. Braising is a method for cooking food very slowly in a closed pot with a bit of liquid until it's tender. T
2h
Shrinking of Greenland's glaciers began accelerating in 2000, research finds
Satellite data has given scientists clues about how, when and why Greenland's glaciers are shrinking—and shows a sharp increase in glacial retreat beginning about 2000, according to new research presented this week.
2h
'Financial infidelity': What defines it, who is at risk, and what are the consequences?
Romantic partners aren't always honest about money in their relationships, but when does hiding purchases, debt and savings constitute "financial infidelity"? Research by professors at four universities, including Indiana University, defines the concept and provides a means for predicting its occurrence within relationships.
2h
High school student publishes scientific paper with assistance from professor
Part of being classified as one of 86 public institutions in the Very High Research Activity (R1) category by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education means attracting some of the best and brightest researchers around the world to come to Texas Tech University.
2h
A machine learning approach to identify functional human phosphosites
Researchers at the EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) have created the largest reference phosphoproteome to date of almost 120,000 human phosphosites. To identify those most likely to be critical, they used a machine learning approach capable of ranking them according to functional importance.
2h
Site search: A digital approach to proteins and cancer
What if scientists could create more effective drugs to treat cancers and other diseases by better targeting specific sites on proteins in the body?
2h
Multiplication and division of the orbital angular momentum of light
Optical beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) have attracted growing attention during the last decades, exhibiting disruptive applications in a wide range of fields: particle trapping and tweezing, high-resolution microscopy, astronomical coronagraphy, high-capacity telecommunication and security.
2h
A research team develops biotransistors able to detect the smallest of signals
One of the tests that almost every patient must face before a surgery or other health intervention is an electrocardiogram. To perform this screening, medical doctors traditionally use a set of electrodes, which are able to record the electrical activity of the heart. The question is: what happens when the signal is much smaller, for instance, when you want to observe the activity of small cluster
2h
New spray gel could help take the bite out of frostbite
Mountaineers and winter sports enthusiasts know the dangers of frostbite—the tissue damage that can occur when extremities, such as the nose, ears, fingers and toes, are exposed to very cold temperatures. However, it can be difficult to get treated quickly in remote, snowbound areas. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering have developed a convenient gel that could be
2h
Scales offer insight into chronic stress of fish, research finds
For years, aquatic researchers have sought an easy way to determine when wild fish are under stress. Now University of Guelph researchers have shown for the first time that a key stress hormone, cortisol, accumulates in fish scales slowly and remains there for weeks.
2h
A machine learning approach to identify functional human phosphosites
Researchers at the EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) have created the largest reference phosphoproteome to date of almost 120,000 human phosphosites. To identify those most likely to be critical, they used a machine learning approach capable of ranking them according to functional importance.
2h
Site search: A digital approach to proteins and cancer
What if scientists could create more effective drugs to treat cancers and other diseases by better targeting specific sites on proteins in the body?
2h
Scales offer insight into chronic stress of fish, research finds
For years, aquatic researchers have sought an easy way to determine when wild fish are under stress. Now University of Guelph researchers have shown for the first time that a key stress hormone, cortisol, accumulates in fish scales slowly and remains there for weeks.
2h
First of a kind in-vitro 3D neural tissue model
Researchers have successfully used stem cells to engineer living biohybrid nerve tissue to develop 3D models of neural networks with the hopes of gaining a better understanding of how the brain and these networks work.
2h
BU finds concerns about other painkillers contributed to opioid crisis
A new Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) study published in JAMA Network Open shows that the decline in prescriptions of non-opioid analgesics — largely NSAIDs and COX-2 inhibitors — in the early 2000s coincided with a marked increase in opioid prescribing.
2h
ALMA spots most distant dusty galaxy hidden in plain sight
Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have spotted the light of a massive galaxy seen only 970 million years after the Big Bang. This galaxy, called MAMBO-9, is the most distant dusty star-forming galaxy that has ever been observed without the help of a gravitational lens.
2h
Tropical flower offers potential new route for treating pancreatic cancer
An international team of scientists led by the University of Bath have made drug-like molecules inspired by a chemical found in a tropical flower, that they hope could in the future help to treat deadly pancreatic cancer.
2h
Information technology can save police lives, according to a new study
Police officers face well-documented risks, with more than 50,000 a year assaulted on the job in the United States. But new research has found that the use of information technology by law enforcement agencies can reduce the number of police killed or injured in the line of duty by as much as 50%.
2h
Risk analysis critical tool for combating human trafficking
Risk analysis is a critical tool for combating human trafficking and is central to informing global policy recommendations and assisting with targeted local and organizational efforts. Several studies will be presented during the Addressing Human Trafficking Risk symposium at the 2019 SRA Annual Meeting at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Va.
2h
Protecting a Hidden Treasure of Central Asia
The magnificent and peaceful Bamyan Plateau is nothing like the Afghanistan you see on the news — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
2h
Risk analysis critical tool for combating human trafficking
Each year, more than 40 million men, women and children are trafficked worldwide. It manifests in numerous forms and has grown into a multi-billion-dollar illegal enterprise that is difficult to detect, prosecute and examine. Risk analysis is a critical tool for combating human trafficking and is central to informing global policy recommendations and assisting with targeted local and organizationa
2h
How Alanis Morissette's Music Inspired a Trump-Era Musical
After delivering its now-famous tales about unironic ironies and hands in pockets and dinnertime interruptions , Alanis Morissette's millions-selling 1995 album, Jagged Little Pill, culminated with a call: Wake up . Those were the last words Morissette sang on the album before a reprise of "You Oughta Know." Now they're the mission statement for the Jagged Little Pill musical that just opened on
2h
The Startling Secret of an Invincible Virus
Joseph Bondy-Denomy knew he could find viruses that would be hard to kill. But he wasn't expecting to discover one that was quite so invincible . The viruses that Bondy-Denomy studies at the University of California at San Francisco don't bother humans. Known as phages, they infect and kill bacteria instead. Bacteria can defend themselves against these assaults. They can recognize the genes of th
2h
This AI Can Detect ADHD Better than Humans
A team of researchers used a type of artificial intelligence to predict attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in patients by having it analyze magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. According to a new paper published in the journal Radiology: Artificial Intelligence , their technique could also be used to spot other neurological conditions. Health care professionals have increasingly b
2h
Daily briefing: Two researchers released in prisoner swap between Iran and the United States
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-03828-2 Prominent stem-cell researcher Masoud Soleimani returns to Iran and history graduate student Xiyue Wang goes home to the United States. Plus: the first mission designed to study exoplanets and psychology's embattled field of social priming.
2h
Climate Activist Greta Thunberg Is TIME's Person of the Year
New Addition Every year since 1927, TIME magazine has chosen one person, group, object, or idea that "for better or for worse… has done the most to influence the events of the year." The list of past recipients includes a slew of presidents, monarchs, and religious leaders, as well as scientists, journalists, and even the computer itself. And now, 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunbe
2h
Scientists convert plastics into useful chemicals using sunlight
Chemists have discovered a method that could turn plastic waste into valuable chemicals by using sunlight.
2h
Tree cavities for wild honeybees
The forests in Europe provide habitat for around 80,000 colonies of wild honeybees. That is why more attention should be paid to preserving the nesting sites for these threatened insects, according to researchers.
2h
A machine learning approach to identify functional human phosphosites
Scientists have created the largest phosphoproteome resource to date, which is set to help other researchers identify new functionally-relevant phosphosites. The research demonstrates an exciting use for machine learning methods to effectively compile and analyse large phosphorylation related biological datasets. Identifying new functional phosphosites has enormous potential to progress research i
2h
Altering intestinal microbiota, vaccinating against inflammatory diseases
Targeted immunization against bacterial flagellin, a protein that forms the appendage that enables bacterial mobility, can beneficially alter the intestinal microbiota, decreasing the bacteria's ability to cause inflammation and thus protecting against an array of chronic inflammatory diseases, according to a new study.
2h
The Futurists (1967) | Scientists Predict The 21st Century (15 Dec 2018)
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In surprise breakthrough, scientists create quantum states in everyday electronics
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Nuro's driverless delivery robots will start serving Walmart customers in Houston – One of only a handful of companies to be operating fully driverless vehicles on public roads
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Why Our Predictions About the Internet Are Probably Wrong
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Makr Shakr Launches "Automation Stipend" to Retrain Humans Impacted by Robots
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Are AI cameras in Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood start of troubling trend?
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RMIT University study shows that adding copper strengthens 3D printed titanium
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The world's first 3D-printed neighborhood now has its first houses – A giant 3D printer is currently squeezing out new homes in rural Mexico. Each one takes 24 hours and lets local families upgrade from a shack to a two-bedroom house. Could this be part of the global housing solution?
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Internet of the Senses is on the horizon, thanks to AR and VR – Smell, taste and touch all incoming
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Alzheimer's drug candidates reverse broader aging, study shows
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China's effort to tackle climate change has witnessed marginal improvement over the past year. However, a large number of rich countries continue to emit climate harming gases. Of the 57 countries assessed, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have been placed "very low" on the index
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2h
Artificial Intelligence Is Superseding Well-Paying Wall Street Jobs
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2h
This website automatically generates new human faces. None of them are real. They are generated through AI. Refresh the site for a new face.
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2h
Water is 'common' on alien worlds, scientists say in finding that could transform search for extraterrestrial life, and may have implications for the future of space travel and colonization of other planets
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2h
Ford quantum computing experiment cuts traffic, commute times, in a joint research project with Microsoft. The traffic-routing algorithm cut Seattle traffic by 73% and shortened commuting times by 8% in a simulation of 5,000 cars.
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2h
Scientists are using machine learning algos to draw maps of 10 billion cells from the human body to fight cancer
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Walmart is testing out delivering groceries with self-driving cars. Are jobs under threat? Robots could change the grocery game for good.
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2h
Rising temperatures are making birds smaller – reveals an analysis of more than 70,000 individual birds collected between 1978 and 2016.
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2h
Boosting the impact of consumer research in the world
The authors urge consumer researchers to break their self-imposed boundaries in order to broaden their impact, lest they become irrelevant to non-academic marketing stakeholders and cede influence to non-marketing academic disciplines.
2h
Deciphering the equations of life
Research led by the University of Arizona has resulted in a set of equations that describes and predicts commonalities across life despite its enormous diversity. The new theory allows predictions for organisms that might not be well understood by science.
2h
All age groups worldwide 'at high risk' of drop in children's physical activity
Emphasis on particular groups hinders efforts to address the problem of declining physical activity in children, according to a study led at the University of Strathclyde.
2h
Protecting a Hidden Treasure of Central Asia
The magnificent and peaceful Bamyan Plateau is nothing like the Afghanistan you see on the news — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
2h
NASA's treasure map for water ice on Mars
Where should the first people on Mars land? A new paper provides a map of water ice believed to be as little as an inch (2.5 centimeters) below the surface of the Red Planet.
2h
First of a kind in-vitro 3D neural tissue model
Researchers have successfully used stem cells to engineer living biohybrid nerve tissue to develop 3D models of neural networks with the hopes of gaining a better understanding of how the brain and these networks work.
2h
One-third of recent global methane increase comes from tropical Africa
Concentrations of methane, a greenhouse gas about 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide, have risen steadily in Earth's atmosphere since 2007. Although several potential explanations, including an increase in methane emissions from the tropics, could account for this upsurge, due to a lack of regional data scientists have been unable to pinpoint the source. Now a study uses satellite data to de
2h
The secret to a long life? For worms, a cellular recycling protein is key
Scientists have shown that worms live longer lives if they produce excess levels of a protein, p62, which recognizes toxic cell proteins that are tagged for destruction. The discovery could help uncover treatments for age-related conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, which are often caused by accumulation of misfolded proteins.
2h
Deep learning helps tease out gene interactions
Computer scientists have taken a deep learning method that has revolutionized face recognition and other image-based applications in recent years and redirected its power to explore the relationship between genes.
2h
Surprising holiday stuff can threaten pet safety
The holiday season can pose threats to the health and safety of our pets. Here are some tips to avoid an emergency trip to the vet. Your house may hold all sorts of unexpected hazards to your dogs, cats, or exotic pets, from your table to your tree. Temperature changes could mess with your turtle, and you don't want your dog getting drunk off dough (really). Brenda Stevens, an associate clinical
2h
WWF: Climate Change Efforts Need "Dramatic Increase" in Response
War Effort As it stands, world leaders are way off track to prevent the worst effects of global climate change. A new report published by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) concludes that national governments and businesses need to take far more drastic action than they have been, especially when it comes to the conservation and preservation of natural environments. Otherwise, the report argues, the o
3h
Efforts to end the HIV epidemic must not ignore people already living with HIV
Efforts to prevent new HIV transmissions in the US must be accompanied by addressing HIV-associated comorbidities to improve the health of people already living with HIV, NIH experts assert in the third of a series of JAMA commentaries. Previous commentaries detailed the proposed 'Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America,' which aims to reduce new HIV transmissions in the US, and discussed the
3h
Shrinking of Greenland's glaciers began accelerating in 2000, research finds
Satellite data has given scientists clues about how, when and why Greenland's glaciers are shrinking — and shows a sharp increase in glacial retreat beginning about 2000, according to new research presented this week.
3h
Thunderquakes make underground fiber optic telecommunications cables hum (audio available)
Telecommunications lines designed for carrying internet and phone service can pick up the rumble of thunder underground, potentially providing scientists with a new way of detecting environmental hazards and imaging deep inside the Earth, according to new research being presented today at AGU's Fall Meeting and published in AGU's Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.
3h
'Financial infidelity': What defines it, who is at risk, and what are the consequences?
Romantic partners aren't always honest about money in their relationships, but when does hiding purchases, debt and savings constitute 'financial infidelity'? Research by professors at four universities, including Indiana University, defines the concept and provides a means for predicting its occurrence within relationships.
3h
Modulation of proliferation factors in lung adenocarcinoma with an analysis of the transcriptional consequences of genomic EGFR activation
Molecular subtypes based on copy number, DNA methylation, and mRNA expression had variable proliferation levels, the highest correlating with decreased survival.
3h
A vaccine against chronic inflammatory diseases
In animals, a vaccine modifying the composition and function of the gut microbiota provides protection against the onset of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases and certain metabolic disorders, such as diabetes and obesity. This research was conducted by the team of Benoît Chassaing, Inserm researcher at Institut Cochin (Inserm/CNRS/Université de Paris), whose initial findings have been published i
3h
Human consumption of fish antibiotics investigated in new study
Consumers seeking cheaper, faster access to antibiotics may be consuming antibiotics intended for treating fish rather than humans, according to research presented at the ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) 54th Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition. This consumption may lead to dangerous unintended consequences such as adverse side-effects, treatment failures, and antibiotic dr
3h
Dementia study reveals how proteins interact to stop brain signals
Fresh insights into damaging proteins that build up in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease could aid the quest for treatments.
3h
New viral strategy to escape detection
Researchers have discovered how viruses that specifically kill bacteria can outwit bacteria by hiding from their defences, findings which are important for the development of new antimicrobials based on viruses and provide a significant advance in biological knowledge.
3h
Communications device offers huge bandwidth potential
Several countries are building futuristic communication systems using higher frequency electromagnetic waves to transfer more data at faster rates, but they have lacked network components to handle these higher bandwidths. A researcher has now demonstrated that his new device can rapidly switch functionality to perform the varied tasks needed to support a network with carrier frequencies of over 1
3h
Insects' drag-based flight mechanism could improve tiny flying robots
Thrips don't rely on lift in order to fly. Instead, the tiny insects rely on a drag-based flight mechanism, staying afloat in airflow velocities with a large ratio of force to wing size. Researchers have performed the first test of drag force on a thrip's wing under constant airflow in a bench-top wind tunnel and, drawing from microfabrication and nanomechanics, they created an experiment in which
3h
Brain patterns can predict speech of words and syllables
Neurons in the brain's motor cortex previously thought of as active mainly during hand and arm movements also light up during speech in a way that is similar to patterns of brain activity linked to these movements, suggest new findings.
3h
Chevrolet Brings Tech to Its New 2021 Suburban and Tahoe SUVs
2021 Chevrolet Suburban Tahoe rollout Dec19 DETROIT – America's oldest vehicle nameplate, the Chevrolet Suburban, advanced to its twelfth generation Tuesday night with significant changes. Switching to an independent rear suspension (IRS – no, not the tax people) lowers the rear floor for more cargo and legroom. More driver/safety assists were added, technology was enhanced, and the cockpit gets
3h
Punching holes in solar cells turns them into transparent windows
Opaque solar panels could be turned into window glass for tall buildings by punching hundreds of tiny holes in them so our eyes perceive them as transparent
3h
Eavesdropping on the human microbiome uncovers 'potent' new antibiotics
The microbes populating the human body play an important role in health and disease, but with few exceptions, how individual microbial species affect health and disease states remains poorly understood. A new study by Princeton researcher Mohamed Abou Donia and his colleagues, appearing in the Dec. 13 issue of the journal Science, gives scientists new tools to explore and understand the human micr
3h
Nature Conferences: no more 'manels'
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-03784-x A new code of conduct strives for more-diverse research meetings and events.
3h
High school student publishes scientific paper with assistance from Texas Tech professor
David Weindorf collaborated with Florida teenager Julia Kagiliery to determine the sulfur content of lignite coal using portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and an optical color sensor.
3h
Site search: A digital approach to proteins and cancer
What if scientists could create more effective drugs to treat cancers and other diseases by better targeting specific sites on proteins in the body?That's the primary question researchers in the Purdue University laboratory of Carol Post, a distinguished professor in Purdue's College of Pharmacy, are trying to answer. They developed software called NmrLineGuru to move researchers closer to the ans
3h
Examining opioid prescribing after new Florida law
Researchers compared opioid prescribing at discharge from the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., across 25 procedures before and after a Florida law that mandated changes to opioid prescribing went into effect in 2018.
3h
New technique to determine protein structures may solve biomedical puzzles
Researchers in Dana-Farber's cBio Center have now demonstrated a powerful 'experimental evolution' method to discover details of protein shape and function, and the method may find uses across a very broad spectrum of biomedical research.
3h
Punching holes in opaque solar cells turns them transparent
Researchers in Korea have found an effective and inexpensive strategy to transform solar cells from opaque to transparent. Existing transparent solar cells tend to have a reddish hue and lower efficiency, but by punching holes that are around 100 μm in diameter on crystalline silicon wafers, it allows light through without coloring. The holes are then strategically spaced, so the human eye is unab
3h
Study of elephant, capybara, human hair finds that thicker hair isn't always stronger
Despite being four times thicker than human hair, elephant hair is only half as strong — that's just one finding from researchers studying the hair strength of many different mammals. Their work, appearing in a paper publishing Dec. 11 in the journal Matter, shows that thin hair tends to be stronger than thick hair because of the way that it breaks.
3h
Study sheds light on 'overlooked' bee species
The UK's first citizen science project focusing on solitary, ground-nesting bees has revealed that they nest in a far broader range of habitats than previously thought.
3h
Study to help manage shark populations in Pacific Panama
Sharks play a critical role in keeping oceans healthy, balancing the food chain and ensuring species diversity. However, the demand for shark derivatives has led to their exploitation, often without appropriate management strategies in place. In an assessment of Pacific Panama fisheries published in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, scientists from the Smithsonian Tropical
3h
Electroreduction of carbon monoxide for the highly selective production of ethylene
Ethylene, or ethene, is a primary feedstock for the chemical industry, including as a starting material for the production of a wide variety of plastics. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, scientists have now introduced a new electrochemical technique for selective and energy-efficient production of ethylene from carbon monoxide, which can be obtained from renewable resources and waste.
3h
Uncovering how endangered pangolins, or 'scaly anteaters,' digest food
The endangered Sunda pangolin, or "scaly anteater," is a widely trafficked mammal, prized in some cultures for its meat and scales. Little is known about these animals, and raising rescued pangolins is tricky. In the wild, they eat termites and ants, but diets provided in captivity often make them sick. Now, a study in ACS Omega reports that pangolins lack some common digestive enzymes, which coul
3h
Eavesdropping on the human microbiome uncovers 'potent' new antibiotics
The microbes populating the human body play an important role in health and disease, but with few exceptions, how individual microbial species affect health and disease states remains poorly understood. A new study by Princeton researcher Mohamed Abou Donia and his colleagues, appearing in the Dec. 13 issue of the journal Science, gives scientists new tools to explore and understand the human micr
3h
Study sheds light on 'overlooked' bee species
The UK's first citizen science project focusing on solitary, ground-nesting bees has revealed that they nest in a far broader range of habitats than previously thought.
3h
Study to help manage shark populations in Pacific Panama
Sharks play a critical role in keeping oceans healthy, balancing the food chain and ensuring species diversity. However, the demand for shark derivatives has led to their exploitation, often without appropriate management strategies in place. In an assessment of Pacific Panama fisheries published in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, scientists from the Smithsonian Tropical
3h
Uncovering how endangered pangolins, or 'scaly anteaters,' digest food
The endangered Sunda pangolin, or "scaly anteater," is a widely trafficked mammal, prized in some cultures for its meat and scales. Little is known about these animals, and raising rescued pangolins is tricky. In the wild, they eat termites and ants, but diets provided in captivity often make them sick. Now, a study in ACS Omega reports that pangolins lack some common digestive enzymes, which coul
3h
Citizen science and cookies help solve ant enigma
Citizen scientists armed with pecan cookies aided researchers in solving a century-old ant enigma with genetic analytic tools. Many of the ants we see on a daily basis originated from one European population and belong to a single, mysterious species. At issue are Tetramorium pavement ants, which are both incredibly common and notoriously difficult genus to identify at the species-level based on
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Why a decline in US birth rates could actually help our economy
The average birth rate dropped two percent since 2017—highlighting a steady decline since the Great Recession in 2007. The United States' birth rate fell for the fourth year in a row, reaching its lowest level in more than three decades, according to the CDC's 2018 National Vital Statistics report, which reflects the most up-to-date information on birth statistics (it takes about a year to analyz
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The Ten Best Science Books of 2019
New titles explore the workings of the human body, the lives of animals big and small, the past and future of planet earth and how it's all connected
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Blodfettsprofil förbättrar riskbedömning av typ 2-diabetes
Med hjälp av lipidomik, en teknik som mäter blodfetternas sammansättning på molekylnivå, och maskininlärning, har forskare vid Lunds universitet identifierat en blodfettsprofil som förbättrar möjligheten att flera år i förväg bedöma risken för att insjukna i typ 2-diabetes.
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Ancient monkey painting suggests Bronze Age Greeks travelled widely
An ancient wall painting on a Greek island shows a monkey species that lives around the Indus Valley in Asia – suggesting long-distance trade in the Bronze Age
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Breathing new life into the rise of oxygen debate
New research strongly suggests that the distinct 'oxygenation events' that created Earth's breathable atmosphere happened spontaneously, rather than being a consequence of biological or tectonic revolutions. The study not only shines a light on the history of oxygen on our planet, it gives new insight into the prevalence of oxygenated worlds other than our own.
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Study of elephant, capybara, human hair finds that thicker hair isn't always stronger
Despite being four times thicker than human hair, elephant hair is only half as strong—that's just one finding from researchers studying the hair strength of many different mammals. Their work, appearing in a paper publishing December 11 in the journal Matter, shows that thin hair tends to be stronger than thick hair because of the way that it breaks.
3h
New technique to determine protein structures may solve biomedical puzzles
Researchers in Dana-Farber's cBio Center have now demonstrated a powerful 'experimental evolution' method to discover details of protein shape and function, and the method may find uses across a very broad spectrum of biomedical research.
3h
Researchers analyze artifacts to better understand ancient dietary practices
New research from anthropologists at McMaster University and California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB), is shedding light on ancient dietary practices, the evolution of agricultural societies and ultimately, how plants have become an important element of the modern diet.
3h
NASA finds Tropical Storm Belna's heavy rainfall potential shrinks
Tropical Storm Belna weakened after it made landfall in northwestern Madagascar, and infrared imagery from NASA showed how the area of strong storms within had diminished. Cold cloud top temperatures can tell forecasters if a tropical cyclone has the potential to generate heavy rainfall, and that is exactly what NASA's Aqua satellite found on Dec. 10 over a much smaller area than was occurring on
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Creating virtual worksites for students to gain 'hands-on' skills
Construction is literally a hands-on business where profit-loss margins are squeaky-tight. The training of new workers requires time and labor, and materials like wood, cement, and rebar are too expensive for the "play" essential for learning new skills. Unfortunately, the consequences of mistakes on a construction worksite might be measured in the loss of limbs, if not lives.
3h
Studies show integrated strategies work best for buffelgrass control
Buffelgrass is a drought-tolerant, invasive weed that threatens the biodiversity of native ecosystems in the drylands of the Americas and Australia. Unfortunately, though, land managers trying to control the weed often experience mixed results.
3h
New technique to determine protein structures may solve biomedical puzzles
Researchers in Dana-Farber's cBio Center have now demonstrated a powerful 'experimental evolution' method to discover details of protein shape and function, and the method may find uses across a very broad spectrum of biomedical research.
3h
Binaural Beats: The Auditory Illusion People Claim Can Heal Your Brain
Preliminary research indicates that binaural beats might affect our brains. But don't believe everything a YouTube video says.
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Tesla Cybertruck Goes Amphibious in Hilarious Fan-Made Video
Amphibious Cybertruck Car enthusiast Instagram account hypercarslands uploaded a render showing Tesla's newly-announced Cybertruck going for a dip in the ocean with a passenger fishing off the back. View this post on Instagram The Tesla Boat Mode Follow me @hypercarslands for more content! #tesla #elonmusk #teslacybertruck #cybertruck A post shared by Supercars (@hypercarslands) on Dec 10, 2019 a
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Your genes aren't the only factor dictating Alzheimer's risk, says Baycrest-U of T study
In the first study published about Alzheimer's disease among identical triplets, researchers found that despite sharing the same DNA, two of the triplets developed Alzheimer's while one did not, according to recently published results in the journal Brain.
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Scales offer insight into chronic stress of fish, University of Guelph research finds
Aquatic researchers have long sought an easy way to determine when wild fish are under stress. Now, University of Guelph researchers have shown for the first time that cortisol, a key stress hormone, accumulates in fish scales slowly and remains there for weeks.
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Meet the Crew | The Impossible Row | Episode 2
Colin assembles his elite crew in Scotland for the first time to begin preparation for their objective to row across the Drake Passage. After testing the equipment and getting comfortable with new living quarters, the crew is up for the challenge. Stream More Episodes of The Impossible Row: https://go.discovery.com/tv-shows/the-impossible-row/ About The Impossible Row: The Drake Passage is the mo
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Map shows opioid crisis isn't a single epidemic
The United States is suffering from several different simultaneous opioid epidemics, not just a single crisis, a study of drug overdose deaths shows. Researchers conducted a county-level analysis of death certificates from across the country that noted opioid overdoses as the cause of death. The findings show regional differences in the kind of opioids that cause the most overdose deaths—differen
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Pesky birds, bitter crops, and taste show evolution 'triangle'
The genetics behind the bitter taste of some sorghum plants and one of Africa's most reviled bird species illustrates how human genetics, crops, and the environment influence one another in the process of plant domestication, according to new research. The study untangles these factors to create a more complete look at crop domestication than is possible in other major crops, says Xianran Li, an
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Social media contributes to increased perception of food technology as risky business
When it comes to food technology, the information shared on social media often trumps the facts put out by the scientific community and food experts, leading to the dissemination of disinformation, "fake news" and conspiracy theories. Nowhere is this more evident than consumers' mistrust of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), despite assurances from the scientific community and food experts. Se
3h
Reducing wildfire risks for better management and resource allocation
Difficult to contain, wildfires consume everything in their path and wreak havoc on human and animal lives, homes and landscapes. From 1995 to 2015, wildfire management has cost the U.S. $21 billion. Over the past 10 years, the National Interagency Fire Center reports that there were 1.4 million fires with an average of 67,000 wildfires annually and an average of 7.0 million acres burned annually.
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What is economic value, and who creates it? | Mariana Mazzucato
Where does wealth come from, who creates it and what destroys it? In this deep dive into global economics, Mariana Mazzucato explains how we lost sight of what value means and why we need to rethink our current financial systems — so capitalism can be steered toward a bold, innovative and sustainable future that works for all of us.
3h
Studies show integrated strategies work best for buffelgrass control
Buffelgrass is a drought-tolerant, invasive weed that threatens the biodiversity of native ecosystems in the drylands of the Americas and Australia. Unfortunately, though, land managers trying to control the weed often experience mixed results.
3h
How are Utah's dry lakes impacting air quality and human health?
A new study reveals that 90 percent of Utah urban dust comes from dry lakebeds, which not only impacts air quality but also impacting soil and what can grow in it.
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Sorghum study illuminates relationship between humans, crops and the environment in domestication
A new study illustrates the concept of a domestication triangle, in which human genetics interact with sorghum genetics and the environment to influence the traits farmers select in their crops. The concept gives a more complete systemic picture of domestication.
3h
How light a foldable and long-lasting battery can be
Engineers have developed a three-dimensional monolithic organic battery electrode.
3h
Why polar bears at sea have higher pollution levels than those staying on land
As the climate changes, myriad animal populations are being impacted. In particular, Arctic sea-ice is in decline, causing polar bears in the Barents Sea region to alter their feeding and hunting habits. Bears that follow sea-ice to offshore areas have higher pollutant levels than those staying on land — but why? A new study reports the likely reasons.
3h
There's a new squid in town
Researchers in OIST's Molecular Genetics Unit, in collaboration with a researcher from Australia, have identified a new species of bobtail squid inhabiting Okinawa's waters — dubbed Euprymna brenneri. The scientists' findings, published in Communications Biology, highlight the rich biodiversity in the seas near Okinawa, and may shed light on the genes, behavior, and development of bobtail squid.
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Plant researchers examine bread aroma: Modern and old wheat varieties taste equally good
Bread baked from modern wheat varieties are just as aromatic as that baked from old varieties. However, differences exist between the breads from different wheat varieties — and those that were grown in different locations.
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U.S. scientists who hide foreign ties should face research misconduct sanctions, panel says
But Jason report rejects need for new federal restrictions on basic science
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Mathematician Proves Huge Result on 'Dangerous' Problem
Experienced mathematicians warn up-and-comers to stay away from the Collatz conjecture. It's a siren song, they say: Fall under its trance and you may never do meaningful work again. The Collatz conjecture is quite possibly the simplest unsolved problem in mathematics — which is exactly what makes it so treacherously alluring. "This is a really dangerous problem. People become obsessed with it an
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European Green Deal will change economy to solve climate crisis, says EU
Everything from travel to air quality has been looked at in order to create 'a growth that gives back' Nearly every major aspect of the European economy is to be re-evaluated in light of the imperatives of the climate and ecological emergency, according to sweeping new plans set out by the European commission on Wednesday. The comprehensive nature of the European Green Deal – which encompasses th
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NASA finds Tropical Storm Belna's heavy rainfall potential shrinks
Tropical Storm Belna weakened after it made landfall in northwestern Madagascar, and infrared imagery from NASA showed how the area of strong storms within had diminished. Cold cloud top temperatures can tell forecasters if a tropical cyclone has the potential to generate heavy rainfall, and that is exactly what NASA's Aqua satellite found on Dec. 10 over a much smaller area than was occurring on
4h
Pathways toward post-petrochemistry
Ethylene, or ethene, is a primary feedstock for the chemical industry, including as a starting material for the production of a wide variety of plastics. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, scientists have now introduced a new electrochemical technique for selective and energy-efficient production of ethylene from carbon monoxide, which can be obtained from renewable resources and waste.
4h
Uncovering how endangered pangolins, or 'scaly anteaters,' digest food
The endangered Sunda pangolin, or 'scaly anteater,' is a widely trafficked mammal, prized in some cultures for its meat and scales. Little is known about these animals, and raising rescued pangolins is tricky. In the wild, they eat termites and ants, but diets provided in captivity often make them sick. Now, a study in ACS Omega reports that pangolins lack some common digestive enzymes, which coul
4h
Researchers analyze artifacts to better understand ancient dietary practices
New research from anthropologists at McMaster University and California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB), is shedding light on ancient dietary practices, the evolution of agricultural societies and ultimately, how plants have become an important element of the modern diet.
4h
Scientists eager to explain brain rhythm boost's broad impact in Alzheimer's models
In a new review paper, MIT neuroscientists lay out the the few knowns and many unknowns that must be understood to determine why sensory stimuluation of 40Hz brain rhythms have broad effects, particularly in Alzheimer's models.
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Study finds association between poor diet, age-related macular degeneration
Participants who ate a diet high in red and processed meat, fried food, refined grains and high-fat dairy were three times more likely to develop late-stage age-related macular degeneration.
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Scientists link decline of baltic cod to hypoxia — and climate change
If you want to know how climate change and hypoxia — the related loss of oxygen in the world's oceans — affect fish species such as the economically important Baltic cod, all you have to do is ask the fish. Those cod, at least, will tell you that hypoxia is making them smaller, scrawnier and less valuable. A paper published today in the journal Biology Letters points to a link between hypoxia an
4h
Studies show integrated strategies work best for buffelgrass control
Buffelgrass is a drought-tolerant, invasive weed that threatens the biodiversity of native ecosystems in the drylands of the Americas and Australia. Unfortunately, though, land managers trying to control the weed often experience mixed results.
4h
Scientists link decline of baltic cod to hypoxia—and climate change
If you want to know how climate change and hypoxia—the related loss of oxygen in the world's oceans—affect fish species such as the economically important Baltic cod, all you have to do is ask the fish.
4h
Leopard slugs mate in the most beautifully bizarre way – and nobody knows why
Under the cover of night, two large leopard slugs begin to court, circling each other, before climbing single-file up a tree or onto a rock. They lower themselves on a mucus rope, while entwining their bodies in a strictly anti-clockwise fashion.
4h
Scientists link decline of baltic cod to hypoxia—and climate change
If you want to know how climate change and hypoxia—the related loss of oxygen in the world's oceans—affect fish species such as the economically important Baltic cod, all you have to do is ask the fish.
4h
How light can a foldable and long-lasting battery be?
With the launch of wearable devices and smartphones that require a high capacity of electricity such as foldable phones and 5G phones, the interest in batteries is increasing and various battery types are under development. For example, flexible batteries embedded in a mobile watch band or wireless power sharing batteries that have developed from wireless charging. However, there is currently no m
4h
Leopard slugs mate in the most beautifully bizarre way – and nobody knows why
Under the cover of night, two large leopard slugs begin to court, circling each other, before climbing single-file up a tree or onto a rock. They lower themselves on a mucus rope, while entwining their bodies in a strictly anti-clockwise fashion.
4h
Blueprint for nanomaterial development offers hope to newborns, elderly and busy doctors
Newborn babies, elderly people, sick hospital patients and sports enthusiasts all stand to gain from a breakthrough in the development of wearable technology using nanomaterials from the University of Sussex.
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How Portrait of a Lady on Fire Subverts the Artist-Muse Relationship
This story contains spoilers for Portrait of a Lady on Fire . In the week before she sets her clothing ablaze, Héloïse (played by Adèle Haenel), the titular character in Portrait of a Lady on Fire , is a reluctant subject. When Marianne (Noémie Merlant) arrives to paint her, the artist is informed that she must do so without Héloïse ever knowing of the portrait's creation. Prior attempts to depic
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Unique data confirms why water turns brown
By analysing almost daily water samples taken from the same river from 1940 until today, researchers at Lund University in Sweden have confirmed their hypothesis that the browning of lakes is primarily due to the increase in coniferous forests, as well as rainfall and sulphur deposits.
4h
Isotope analysis points to Mayan prisoners of war
Several years ago, Maya archaeologists from the University of Bonn found the bones of about 20 people at the bottom of a water reservoir in the former Maya city of Uxul, in what is now Mexico. They had apparently been killed and dismembered about 1,400 years ago. Did these victims come from Uxul or other regions of the Maya Area? Dr. Nicolaus Seefeld, who heads the project that is funded by the Ge
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Isotope analysis points to prisoners of war, 1,400 years ago
Maya archaeologists found the bones of about 20 people at a water reservoir in the former Maya city of Uxul (Mexico). They had apparently been killed and dismembered about 1,400 years ago. Did these victims come from Uxul or other regions of the Maya Area?
4h
Illumination drives bats out of caves
Researchers have investigated how the illumination of bat caves affects the animals' behavior and whether the color of light makes a difference on their flight. Although red light irritates the small mammals somewhat less than white light, from the researchers' point of view neither the entrance nor the interior of bat caves should be illuminated if bats are present.
4h
Blueprint for nanomaterial development offers hope to newborns, elderly and busy doctors
Scientist hopes 'blueprint' leads to a new golden age of healthcare.
4h
Unique data confirms why water turns brown
By analysing almost daily water samples taken from the same river from 1940 until today, researchers have confirmed their hypothesis that the browning of lakes is primarily due to the increase in coniferous forests, as well as rainfall and sulphur deposits.
4h
Trashed farmland could be a conservation treasure
Low-productivity agricultural land could be transformed into millions of hectares of conservation reserve across the world, according to new research. The research team proposed a new way of understanding the conservation value of "uncontested lands" – areas where agricultural productivity is low.
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Keep US research open amid threat from China, says elite JASON group
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-03818-4 Report says that US science agencies should strengthen and coordinate their conflict-of-interest policies.
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Keeping mum in the kitchen – representations of mothers in ads haven't changed in six decades
It's the 1950s. There's a woman at home in the kitchen. She's busy running the domestic world of her family, whose health and happiness she's responsible for. Sixty years pass and advertising in women's consumer magazines continue to show her there, sorting out all the family's affairs, and putting their needs first.
4h
These ants use their powerful jaws to jump high in the air
Trap jaw ants produce the highest acceleration ever recorded in an animal of their size when their jaws slam shut (and they fly into the air). Why do they do it? More films by Biographic: https://www.biographic.com/ Video produced by Spine Films: https://www.spinefilms.com/ From: Scientific American
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What happens when black Americans leave their segregated hometowns
Where someone grows up is profoundly important for their life chances. It influences things like the schools they attend, the jobs, parks and community resources they have access to and the peers they interact with.
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New spray gel could help take the bite out of frostbite
Mountaineers and winter sports enthusiasts know the dangers of frostbite — the tissue damage that can occur when extremities, such as the nose, ears, fingers and toes, are exposed to very cold temperatures. However, it can be difficult to get treated quickly in remote, snowbound areas. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering have developed a convenient gel that could
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The songwriter is creative — the singer, not so much
Country music songwriters must perform a careful dance when they work with famous singers who may be less talented at writing songs but bring the needed star power to attract fans — and, importantly, to get the song recorded in the first place, research suggests. A study of 39 successful country-music songwriters found that they use two strategies to navigate creative collaboration with more famo
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Princeton researchers listen in on the chemical conversation of the human microbiome
The microscopic organisms populating the human body have an outsize impact on health and disease, but how these microbes communicate with each other and with human cells is currently largely unknown. By developing and employing a new suite of tools, researchers at Princeton have identified novel microbial small molecules encoded in human clinical samples, leading to new insights into host-microbio
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Study sheds light on 'overlooked' bee species
The UK's first citizen science project focusing on solitary, ground-nesting bees has revealed that they nest in a far broader range of habitats than previously thought.
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Study to help manage shark populations in Pacific Panama
A study in Pacific Panama identifies 11 potential nursery areas of locally common and migratory sharks, which could support shark conservation efforts in the region.
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The right mouse model is crucial for Huntington's disease drug development
Huntington's disease (HD) is an incurable and fatal hereditary disease. Developing disease-modifying drugs to treat patients with HD depends on studying them in animal models. Scientists evaluated the mouse models used for developing new treatments for mood disorders in HD and recommended which of these models are most relevant to their studies. Their findings are published in the Journal of Hunti
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Tucatinib 'game changing' against HER2+ breast cancer, especially with brain metastases
Phase III results at NEJM and SABCS: Adding tucatinib to standard of care treatment nearly tripled one-year progression-free survival.
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New study and pilot curriculum trains students to provide complex care
In 2014, Jefferson launched a pilot curriculum to build interdisciplinary teams to reach out to high-need patients and attempt to find low-cost, high-touch ways to reduce their recurrent difficulties.
4h
Fiber-optic cables capture thunderquake rumbles
Underground fiber-optic cables, like those that connect the world through phone and internet service, hold untapped potential for monitoring severe weather, according to scientists at Penn State.
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C. diff carriers are common source of infections in health facilities, study shows
Nearly one in 10 patients admitted to a New York hospital with no symptoms of diarrhea were found to be carriers of Clostridioides difficile (C. diff), suggesting infections originate outside the hospital setting more often than thought, according to a study published today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
4h
Artificial intelligence boosts MRI detection of ADHD
Deep learning, a type of artificial intelligence, can boost the power of MRI in predicting attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a new study. Researchers said the approach could also have applications for other neurological conditions.
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Social media contributes to increased perception of food technology as risky business
Nowhere is this more evident than consumers' mistrust of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), despite assurances from the scientific community and food experts. Several studies covering this widespread risk perception of food technologies will be presented on Wednesday, Dec. 11 from 8:30-10:00 a.m. at the 2019 Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington,
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MASS: An integrative software program for streamlined morphometric analyses of leaves
Analysis of leaf shape and size is a cornerstone of botany, and is crucial in answering a variety of ecological, evolutionary, genetic, and agricultural questions. However, the software packages used to conduct these morphometric analyses can be cumbersome, and sometimes require stringing multiple programs together. This slows the rate of progress in the field, creates higher barriers of entry for
4h
Existentiell ensamhet – att vara ensam omgiven av många
Att inte längre vara någon att räkna med, att vara begränsad och hamna i beroende på grund av kroppens skröplighet eller att behöva ta hand om svåra situationer själv utan att kunna dela upplevelsen med någon annan. Så beskriver några sköra äldre personer vad existentiell ensamhet kan betyda för dem. Tre olika avhandlingsarbeten har fördjupat sig i ämnet ur tre olika perspektiv: de sköra äldres,
4h
Dold syrgas hindrar energilagning i batterier
Dold syrgas gör att natriumjonbatterier inte håller laddningen så bra som de borde. Upptäckten från Uppsala universitet öppnar för nya material som kan ge framtida batterier signifikant högre och stabilare spänningar än tidigare. Ett viktigt mål inom batteriutvecklingen är att öka batteriernas energitäthet. Detta vill man uppnå till exempel genom att använda elektrodmaterial som tillåter högre sp
4h
MASS: An integrative software program for streamlined morphometric analyses of leaves
Analysis of leaf shape and size is a cornerstone of botany, and is crucial in answering a variety of ecological, evolutionary, genetic, and agricultural questions. However, the software packages used to conduct these morphometric analyses can be cumbersome, and sometimes require stringing multiple programs together. This slows the rate of progress in the field, creates higher barriers of entry for
4h
Illumination drives bats out of caves, no matter the color of the light
Artificial light influences the behavior of many nocturnal animals such as bats, which are very sensitive to all types of lighting. Particularly critical is the illumination of natural caves in which bats roost. Cave illumination is widespread in tourist areas worldwide and disturbs the animals in their resting places. Researchers of the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW
4h
Illumination drives bats out of caves, no matter the color of the light
Artificial light influences the behavior of many nocturnal animals such as bats, which are very sensitive to all types of lighting. Particularly critical is the illumination of natural caves in which bats roost. Cave illumination is widespread in tourist areas worldwide and disturbs the animals in their resting places. Researchers of the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW
4h
Can African smallholders farm themselves out of poverty?
A great deal of research on agriculture in Africa is organised around the premise that intensification can take smallholder farmers out of poverty. The emphasis in programming often focuses on technologies that increase farm productivity and management practices that go along with them.
4h
ISS sensors show terrestrial gamma-ray flash and ionospheric UV emissions spurred by lightning
A team of researchers from Denmark, Norway, Spain and Italy has found that both terrestrial gamma-ray flashes and ionospheric ultraviolet emissions are spurred by lightning. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes their study of data from the Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor (ASIM) aboard the International Space Station (ISS), and what they found.
4h
Revealed: Details of Dominic Cumming's plan for new UK research agency
A plan instigated by Dominic Cummings, adviser to UK prime minister Boris Johnson, would see scientists get up to 15 years of funding to research areas like quantum computing
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Indeklimaet skal have sit eget mærke
PLUS. Efter flere års fokus på energibesparelser skal et nyt værktøj hjælpe boligforeninger, rådgivere og beboere til at opnå et bedre indeklima.
4h
A Community of 50 3D Printed Homes Is Under Construction in Mexico
Last year, the first permitted 3D printed house in the US went up in Austin, Texas. The house was a buzz-generating proof of concept, a wacky example of the cool things tech can do. At the time, its creators—construction technologies startup ICON and housing nonprofit New Story —were raising money to fund construction of homes for low-income families in Latin America. Now their proof of concept h
4h
Super rats or sickly rodents? Our war against urban rats could be leading to swift evolutionary changes
It took only a few seconds to spot one. Then another. As I walked into the small park around noon, dozens of rats could be seen scurrying in every direction. They dashed in and out of burrows scattered around the planting beds. They scampered between the safety of shrub cover and the trash bins containing a smorgasbord for them to feed on. They leaped on and off the unoccupied benches encircling t
4h
Super rats or sickly rodents? Our war against urban rats could be leading to swift evolutionary changes
It took only a few seconds to spot one. Then another. As I walked into the small park around noon, dozens of rats could be seen scurrying in every direction. They dashed in and out of burrows scattered around the planting beds. They scampered between the safety of shrub cover and the trash bins containing a smorgasbord for them to feed on. They leaped on and off the unoccupied benches encircling t
4h
Fiber-optic cables capture thunderquake rumbles
Underground fiber-optic cables, like those that connect the world through phone and internet service, hold untapped potential for monitoring severe weather, according to scientists at Penn State.
4h
Unique data confirms why water turns brown
By analysing almost daily water samples taken from the same river from 1940 until today, researchers at Lund University in Sweden have confirmed their hypothesis that the browning of lakes is primarily due to the increase in coniferous forests, as well as rainfall and sulphur deposits.
4h
NTU Singapore scientists convert plastics into useful chemicals using sunlight
Chemists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have discovered a method that could turn plastic waste into valuable chemicals by using sunlight.
4h
Isotope analysis points to prisoners of war
Maya archaeologists from the University of Bonn found the bones of about 20 people at a water reservoir in the former Maya city of Uxul (Mexico). They had apparently been killed and dismembered about 1,400 years ago. Did these victims come from Uxul or other regions of the Maya Area? Dr. Nicolaus Seefeld, who heads the project that is funded by the Gerda Henkel Foundation at the University of Bonn
4h
Blueprint for nanomaterial development offers hope to newborns, elderly and busy doctors
Scientist hopes 'blueprint' leads to a new golden age of healthcare.
4h
Recommendations for responding to the Fridays for Future movement
The level of public concern about climate change has risen significantly in recent years. The Fridays for Future movement enjoys broad political and public support, but this has so far not translated into tangible changes. The Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies in Potsdam, Germany, has now published a resource – the Futuring Tool – and a more comprehensive Policy Brief aimed at decision
4h
Promising new approach to treating some of the worst types of leukaemia
'New therapeutic approaches are desperately needed for MLL-r leukaemia,' said Professor Richard Lock, Head of the Blood Cancers Theme at Children's Cancer Institute, Australia.
4h
Diet, not exercise, may be key to addressing our biggest cause of liver disease
Edith Cowan University researchers have found that a chronic disease affecting up to 80 per cent of overweight people may be causing an iron deficiency that simply leaves them too tired to get off the couch.
4h
How sand fly mating habits are helping tackle tropical disease in £2.5 million project
The tropical disease Leishmaniasis is being tackled by catching female sand flies who carry the parasite that causes the disease.There are now plans to commercialise the research which involves using male pheromones to attract female sand flies towards insecticide-treated areas.
4h
How light a foldable and long-lasting battery can be?
The research team led by Professor Soojin Park developed a three-dimensional monolithic organic battery electrode.
4h
Illumination drives bats out of caves
Researchers of the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research and the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology have investigated how the illumination of bat caves affects the animals' behaviour and whether the colour of light makes a difference on their flight. Although red light irritates the small mammals somewhat less than white light, from the researchers' point of view neither the entrance n
4h
Adding tucatinib to drug combination extends survival for advanced HER2+ breast cancer patients
Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today reported study results showing the addition of tucatinib to capecitabine (Xeloda) and trastuzumab (Herceptin) significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer, with and without brain metastasis according to results of the HER2CLIMB clinical
4h
Sustainable separation technology makes new applications possible
Membranes are widely used to separate substances from each other, for example in water treatment or kidney dialysis. Membrane technology saves energy and water, and has a small CO2 footprint. Unfortunately, large quantities of toxic solvents are needed to produce the membranes. Vidi researcher Wiebe de Vos has developed a green alternative production method, which makes new applications possible.
4h
Study examines how Nashville songwriters co-write with stars
Country music songwriters must perform a careful dance when they work with famous singers who may be less talented at writing songs but bring the needed star power to attract fans—and, importantly, to get the song recorded in the first place, research suggests.
4h
Sonar study shows crater made by underwater Bikini atoll A-bomb test
A team of researchers from the University of Delaware has mapped the seafloor where an atomic blast created a crater back in 1946 during a test. The team has given a presentation outlining their findings at this year's fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union. Using high-resolution sonar, the team created depth maps that showed not only the crater created by the blast but the test ships that
4h
Record low level of Bering Sea ice causes profound, widespread impacts
Sea ice in the Bering Sea shrank to its lowest levels in recorded history in 2018, profoundly affecting northwest Alaska residents who depend on marine resources for food, cash and culture, according to a new peer-reviewed study.
4h
There's a new squid in town
"Cephalopods were the first intelligent animals on the planet."
4h
Ancient lice-like insects found to feed on dinosaur feathers
A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in China, the U.S. and Russia has found evidence of ancient lice-like insects that fed on dinosaur feathers. In their paper published in the journal Nature Communications, the group describes their study of two pieces of amber found in Myanmar and what they learned from them.
4h
There's a new squid in town
"Cephalopods were the first intelligent animals on the planet."
4h
Skipping one night of sleep may leave insomniacs twice as impaired, study says
Poor daytime functioning is a frequent complaint among those suffering from insomnia. Previous studies have found that their daytime cognitive performance is not significantly degraded, seemingly suggesting it is a perceived issue that does not reflect a real impairment. A new study of individuals with sleep-onset insomnia revealed that the impairment may be real but hidden during the normal day–
4h
Real-time photoacoustic thermometry of tumors during HIFU treatment in living subjects
The research team led by Professor Chulhong Kim of POSTECH(Pohang University of Science and Technology) developed a photoacoustic thermometry system combined with a clinical ultrasound imaging platform to effectively guide the high intensity focused ultrasound treatment. Their research is published in IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering and selected as a feature article and the front cover
4h
New research seeks to improve safety equipment for pregnant women
As technology advances in the things we use every day, it's generally accepted they also become safer. But according to one UBC engineer, that may not be true for a large portion of the population. New research from UBC's Okanagan campus has developed a innovative model to map the impact of trauma on a pregnant woman and her uterus if she were involved in an accident–with the hopes of making ever
4h
A machine learning approach to identify functional human phosphosites
Scientists have created the largest phosphoproteome resource to date, which is set to help other researchers identify new functionally-relevant phosphosites.The research demonstrates an exciting use for machine learning methods to effectively compile and analyse large phosphorylation related biological datasets.Identifying new functional phosphosites has enormous potential to progress research int
4h
Blood pressure drug could help problem drinkers: QUT research
A drug used to treat high blood pressure may alleviate anxiety induced by long-term heavy alcohol use, and also halt the damage such drinking can cause to the brain's ability to grow new cells, research by Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Australia shows.
4h
Multiplication and division of the orbital angular momentum of light
For the first time, novel optical elements have been designed and fabricated to perform the multiplication and division of the orbital angular momentum of light in a compact and efficient way. The study has been conducted by Dr. Gianluca Ruffato, Dr. Michele Massari, and Prof. Filippo Romanato at the Department of Physics and Astronomy of Padova University, in Italy. The research results have been
4h
Quantum expander for gravitational-wave observatories
Gravitational-wave detectors use ultra-stable laser light stored in optical cavities to achieve the high sensitivity for detecting gravitational-wave signals from merging binary black holes and neutron stars. However, optical cavities limit the frequency range, over which the detector is sensitive to these signals. Now scientists from Germany and USA invented a new technique of quantum expansion,
4h
Arguments on Drug Pricing
I find myself slammed with a busy work schedule this week, but I have to take a moment to recommend this post by venture capitalist Bruce Booth on drug pricing. It is long, detailed, and comprehensive, and I'm very glad that he took the time to do it, because it (and Jack Scannell's piece from a few years ago) are where I will send people when arguments about drug pricing come up. I would love to
5h
Antibiotic resistance and cancer: six surprising places scientists are looking for new drugs
Scientists recently announced the discovery of a novel antibiotic produced by bacteria living inside a nematode (roundworm). Although this molecule needs further analyses, the finding, published in Nature, brings hope to the fight against antimicrobial or antibiotic resistance, the growing ability of infectious and sometimes lethal bacteria to survive drug treatment.
5h
Making social change efforts more effective
Many organizations take on big problems like alleviating poverty or combatting climate change. But how can they—and their funders—know that their efforts are working? What are the best ways to measure complex interventions and determine which approaches lead to true change?
5h
Automobile parts from agricultural waste
As part of European project Barbara, UA researchers have extracted innovative natural substances with antimicrobial effect, fragrance release, and new colors and optical effects.
5h
Antibiotic resistance and cancer: six surprising places scientists are looking for new drugs
Scientists recently announced the discovery of a novel antibiotic produced by bacteria living inside a nematode (roundworm). Although this molecule needs further analyses, the finding, published in Nature, brings hope to the fight against antimicrobial or antibiotic resistance, the growing ability of infectious and sometimes lethal bacteria to survive drug treatment.
5h
Property values plummeted and stayed down after Hurricane Ike
Texas homes that took the biggest hit in value after 2008's Hurricane Ike were, surprisingly, not those within historic flood zones, new research finds. Instead, they were homes just outside these zones, where damage affected whole neighborhoods, driving property value down for years, according to a team of researchers from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill who presented the findings t
5h
Cringing at how teens talk? Surprise: Language changes
When USC established El Centro Chicano in 1972 as a resource center for Mexican American students, organizers deliberately chose the word "Chicano" as a point of pride. The term was born out of student protests in the late 1960s during the civil rights movement.
5h
Fewer tears and equal safety with water births
Water births are no more risky than land births, and women in the water group sustain fewer first and second-degree tears , research shows. Researchers analyzed 397 births in water and 2,025 births on "land" from two midwifery practices. There were no differences in outcomes between water birth and land birth for neonatal intensive care admissions, and postpartum hemorrhage rates were similar for
5h
Intel to Speed Up Quantum Computers With Cryogenic Chip
Stefano Pellerano, principal engineer at Intel Labs, holds Horse Ridge. The new cryogenic control chip will speed development of full-stack quantum computing systems, marking a milestone in the development of a commercially viable quantum computer. (Credit: Walden Kirsch/Intel Corporation) Over the past few months, IBM and Google have released competing claims and announcements about various quan
5h
Scientists develop molecular sensor that can emit light in more colours than ever before
Physicists at the University of Alberta have created a molecular colourant that can emit light in a wider range of colours than any other molecule currently available.
5h
Engineers pull off daring rescue of OSIRIS-REx asteroid mission
On Friday, Oct. 11, the OSIRIS-REx team should have been preparing to point their spacecraft cameras precisely over the asteroid Bennu to capture high-resolution images of a region known as Osprey. It is one of four sites scientists are considering from which the spacecraft can safely collect a sample in late 2020.
5h
'Daring multi-level club solution' could offer key to combating climate change
'Climate clubs' offering membership for sub-national states, rather than just countries, could speed up progress towards a globally-harmonised climate change policy.
5h
Nuances of racism in South Korean schools revealed
An ADI researcher is calling for a rethink of multicultural education policies and nationalism in South Korea.
5h
Tree cavities for wild honeybees
The forests in Europe provide habitat for around 80,000 colonies of wild honeybees. That is why more attention should be paid to preserving the nesting sites for these threatened insects, according to researchers.
5h
Eutrophication remains a major problem for Europe's seas despite some progress
The shared vision for Europe's seas is a healthy marine environment where human-induced eutrophication is minimised. However, the European Environment Agency's (EEA) assessment, published today, shows that eutrophication still remains a large scale problem in some of Europe's regionals seas. The assessment shows some positive effects from better nutrient management but the overall target of health
5h
The fastest rising institutions in materials science: visualized
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-03766-z Chinese institutions monopolize the fastest-rising ranks for materials-science output in the Nature Index.
5h
Tomorrow's industries: from OLEDs to nanomaterials
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-03764-1 Scientific discoveries can be big business, but the road is long.
5h
Why deadly New Zealand volcano eruption was hard to predict
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-03819-3 Researchers also say White Island should be off limits to tourists.
5h
Energy harvesters pick up power
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-03767-y New technologies are channelling incidental energy into practical uses.
5h
Five leading early career researchers in materials science
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-03765-0 Star competitors in a highly competitive field.
5h
Remastering matter: materials science goes to market
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-03763-2 The search for new industries is getting more sophisticated.
5h
A guide to the Nature Index
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-03768-x A description of the terminology and methodology used in this supplement, and a guide to the functionality available free online at natureindex.com.
5h
Scientists convert plastics into useful chemicals using sunlight
Chemists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have discovered a method that could turn plastic waste into valuable chemicals by using sunlight.
5h
Study maps abundance of plastic debris across European and Asian rivers
Rivers in southeast Asia transport more plastic to the ocean than some rivers in Europe, evidence from a new study in Environmental Research Letters suggests.
5h
Saving nature vital to beating climate crisis, says WWF report
A new report, "Climate, Nature and our 1.5°C Future" published today clearly points towards nature being part of the solution to the climate crisis.
5h
Researchers identify successful biological control for destructive fruit fly
A parasitic wasp has shown tremendous potential attacking and controlling spotted wing drosophila—an invasive, destructive fruit fly that costs Oregon growers close to a billion dollars a year, Oregon State University researchers have found.
5h
Refueling satellites in space with the help of a robot
Many technologies that are essential for daily life—from communications to GPS navigation to weather forecasting—rely on the thousands of satellites that are orbiting Earth. When those satellites run out of gas and stop working, there's not much that can currently be done to fix them.
5h
Facebook charges more for ads that aim to cross the political divide
Left-wing political campaigns pay three times as much to reach right-wing voters on Facebook, and vice versa, which may be exacerbating political polarisation
5h
Tree cavities for wild honeybees
The forests in Europe provide habitat for around 80,000 colonies of wild honeybees. That is why more attention should be paid to preserving the nesting sites for these threatened insects, according to researchers.
5h
Researchers identify successful biological control for destructive fruit fly
A parasitic wasp has shown tremendous potential attacking and controlling spotted wing drosophila—an invasive, destructive fruit fly that costs Oregon growers close to a billion dollars a year, Oregon State University researchers have found.
5h
Imaging technique spots colorectal tumors with 100% accuracy
A new imaging technique in development provides accurate, real-time, computer-aided diagnosis of colorectal cancer, researchers say. Using deep learning, a type of machine learning, researchers used the technique on more than 26,000 individual frames of imaging data from colorectal tissue samples to determine the method's accuracy. Compared with pathology reports, the method identified tumors wit
5h
A new way to measure cosmic black holes
Supermassive black holes are the largest black holes, with masses that can exceed a billion Suns. Just this spring, the first-ever image of the supermassive black hole at the center of the Messier 87 galaxy was taken, and researchers recently spotted the largest supermassive black hole ever seen. Despite these groundbreaking efforts, figuring out how these black holes drive a galaxy's shape and st
5h
Mapping Bikini Atoll
While standing on a small ship near Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands during the summer of 2019, University of Delaware Professor Art Trembanis looked up and realized that if he had been in that spot 73 years ago, he would have been engulfed in a humongous atomic mushroom cloud.
5h
Rapid DNA identifies conception boat fire victims
Thirty-four people died in a tragic boat fire on September 2, 2019, off the coast of Santa Cruz Island, California. Five crew members escaped with injuries after calling for help, but the intense fire aboard the Conception dive boat left the other victims unrecognizable. Thanks to a technology funded by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and develope
5h
Brexit positions drive voter attention at least as much as party loyalties, study shows
Voters find information from politicians more "interesting" if they have the same views on Brexit—even if they don't represent the party they normally support, a study shows.
5h
Experiences aren't always better for the planet than products—here's how to make memories sustainably
In the age of FOMO (fear of missing out) and YOLO (you only live once), people are pursuing sensations and memories over material products more than ever.
5h
Now Australian cities are choking on smoke, will we finally talk about climate change?
I moved to Sydney less than five weeks ago and the city has been shrouded in smoke haze on and off since then. I joke this is my "Sydney hazing" but it's only now—having worked on climate change for over a decade—that I'm suddenly feeling burnt out. This is not in any way to compare my experience to those who have lost their homes, communities and loved ones to the bushfires.
5h
Universities shouldn't just treat mental illness—they should help prevent it too
(Some names have been changed.)
5h
New NASA ebook reveals insights of Earth seen at night from space
Earth has many stories to tell, even in the dark of night. Earth at Night, NASA's new 200-page ebook, is now available online and includes more than 150 images of our planet in darkness as captured from space by Earth-observing satellites and astronauts on the International Space Station over the past 25 years.
5h
Greta Thunberg Is The 'Time' Person Of The Year For 2019
She burst onto the world stage after organizing school strikes and protests to call attention to the climate crisis. The Swedish activist, 16, is the youngest person to earn the title. (Image credit: Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images)
5h
A research team develop biotransistors able to hear small beats of live
Experts at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), in collaboration with the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), have achieved a new milestone. By developing a bio-platform that integrates in its core an organic electronic device called Electrolyte Gated Organic Field Effect Transistor (EGOFETs), researchers have been able to monitor the electrical signal of cel
5h
Tree cavities for wild honeybees
The forests in Europe provide habitat for around 80,000 colonies of wild honeybees. That is why more attention should be paid to preserving the nesting sites for these threatened insects, according to researchers.
5h
Insights into psoriasis suggest a new treatment target
Investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute have uncovered a novel pathway that may explain why skin thickens in psoriasis and suggests new strategies for developing therapies for the condition.
5h
How are Utah's dry lakes impacting air quality and human health?
A new study from BYU reveals that 90 percent of Utah urban dust comes from dry lakebeds, which not only impacts air quality but also impacting soil and what can grow in it.
5h
Sorghum study illuminates relationship between humans, crops and the environment in domestication
A new study illustrates the concept of a domestication triangle, in which human genetics interact with sorghum genetics and the environment to influence the traits farmers select in their crops. The concept gives a more complete systemic picture of domestication.
5h
Can salmon eat their way out of climate change?
Warm waters are a threat to cold water fish like salmon and trout. But a study led by researchers at University of California, Davis suggests that habitats with abundant food sources may help buffer the effects of increasing water temperature.
5h
Man Behind Plot to Steal a Domain at Gunpoint Is Headed to Prison
Desirable Domain A bizarre plot to steal a domain name at gunpoint has earned an Instagram influencer a lengthy prison sentence . Rossi Lorathio Adams II of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was the man behind "State Snaps," a social media company with 1 million combined followers, many of whom used the slogan "Do it for state." Adams wanted to buy the domain "doitforstate.com," but its owner, Cedar Rapids res
5h
Super tiny scope can peek inside active neurons
A new lens-free ultra-miniaturized endoscope, the size of a few human hairs in width, is less bulky than current options and can produce higher quality images. "Usually, you have sacrifice either size or image quality. We've been able to achieve both with our microendoscope," says corresponding author Mark Foster, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Johns Hopkins Univ
5h
Relativistic jet of the blazar S5 0836+710 investigated in detail
Using very long baseline interferometry (VLBI), astronomers have performed comprehensive multiwavelength observations of the radio emission in the blazar S5 0836+710. The new research, presented in a paper published December 2 on arXiv.org, reveals important insights about the structure the blazar's relativistic jet.
5h
Can salmon eat their way out of climate change?
Warm waters are a threat to cold water fish like salmon and trout. But a study led by researchers at University of California, Davis suggests that habitats with abundant food sources may help buffer the effects of increasing water temperature.
5h
Researchers create accurate model of organ scarring using stem cells in a lab
A team led by Dr. Brigitte Gomperts at UCLA has developed a 'scar in a dish' model that uses multiple types of cells derived from human stem cells to closely mimic the progressive scarring that occurs in human organs. The researchers used this model to identify a drug candidate that stopped the progression of and even reversed fibrosis in animal models.
5h
Trashed farmland could be a conservation treasure
Low-productivity agricultural land could be transformed into millions of hectares of conservation reserve across the world, according to University of Queensland-led research.The research team proposed a new way of understanding the conservation value of "uncontested lands" – areas where agricultural productivity is low.
5h
Video discharge instructions in ED associated with less AOM symptomatology
Video discharge instructions in the emergency department are associated with less perceived acute otitis media (AOM) symptomatology compared to a paper handout.
5h
Best Buy Bucks the Trend That's Crushing Other Retailers
The electronics retailer, once declared dead, thrives by offering richer in-store experiences and helping set up customers' gadgets at home.
5h
13 Awesome Gift Ideas for Board Game Lovers (2019)
The modern game night is a sacred ritual, so pay it homage with these board games, dice, pencils, and accessories.
5h
Research sheds light on impact of post-disaster insurance payments
The evidence for that was obvious when the lights of the city were viewed from space after the Canterbury earthquakes, says disaster economist Cuong Nguyen who graduates this week with a Ph.D. in Economics.
5h
Researcher surveys Great Salt Lake playa
The flat dry lakebed (also called a playa) surrounding Utah's Great Salt Lake is more than 750 square miles—an area bigger than Houston. The wide-open landscape is surprisingly varied and is the realm of coyotes, bison, and a few hardy plants. It's probably safe to say that no one knows the Great Salt Lake playa better than University of Utah atmospheric scientist Kevin Perry.
5h
Plant researchers examine bread aroma: Modern and old wheat varieties taste equally good
Wheat is one of the world's most important agricultural crops. In recent decades, new varieties have been cultivated. Not only are they considerably higher yielding than the older varieties, but also less susceptible to pests and changing climatic conditions. In addition, their baking characteristics have also been improved.
5h
X-ray satellite XMM-Newton celebrates 20 years in space
Two decades ago, on Dec. 10, 1999, an Ariane 5 rocket climbed into the morning sky from Kourou, French Guiana. It carried into orbit the X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton), the largest scientific spacecraft yet built by ESA (European Space Agency) and a pioneering satellite for studying the universe with different kinds of light. XMM-Newton has studied over half a million X-ray sources, inclu
5h
Study reveals rapid increases in cannabis use among individuals with depression
Results of a new study suggest that over the past decade (2005-2017), the prevalence of cannabis use in the United States has increased among persons with and without depression, though the increase is significantly more rapid among those with depression. At the same time, the perception of risks associated with cannabis use have declined overall, and the decline has been more rapid among those wi
5h
Udslip af GMO-bakterier fra dansk fabrik
PLUS. Sikkerhedsforanstaltningerne på en esbjergensisk fabrik var ikke nok til at inddæmme udslippet. Miljøeksperter mener ikke, det er farligt for hverken mennesker eller miljø
6h
When it comes to good practice in science, we need to think global but act local
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-03782-z International codes of conduct are important, but grass-roots efforts are the key to embedding research integrity.
6h
Going north
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-03812-w Injecting hope for a better life.
6h
Will Sydney's bushfire smoke pollution have long-term health effects?
Raging bushfires have been blanketing Sydney in smoke for weeks, and concerns over health are rising
6h
Researchers create accurate model of organ scarring using stem cells in a lab
Every organ in the body is capable, to some extent, of repairing itself after an injury. As part of this process, scar tissue forms and then recedes to make room for normal tissue when healing is complete.
6h
Researchers create accurate model of organ scarring using stem cells in a lab
Every organ in the body is capable, to some extent, of repairing itself after an injury. As part of this process, scar tissue forms and then recedes to make room for normal tissue when healing is complete.
6h
Sorghum study illuminates relationship between humans, crops and the environment in domestication
A new study that examines the genetics behind the bitter taste of some sorghum plants and one of Africa's most reviled bird species illustrates how human genetics, crops and the environment influence one another in the process of plant domestication.
6h
Tweaking the approach to save the desert tortoise
"Increase the size, increase the survival" is the premise behind head-starting—raising an at-risk species in captivity until it is large enough to be less vulnerable to predators after release into the wild. But research conducted by University of Georgia scientists in California's Mojave Desert reveals larger size alone is not enough to save the desert tortoise from predator attacks.
6h
When the Facts Are Not Debatable
Tomorrow, the House Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on two proposed articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. One article accuses him of abuse of power, the other of obstructing Congress. When the House leadership released the articles, there was plenty of grumbling about how short the list was, given the ample evidence of other Trumpian excesses—including the obstruction of
6h
Who needs a wine cellar when you've got a great wine fridge?
If you're into wine enough to invest in some nice bottles, it's worth getting a device that lets you store them at the ideal temperature. ( Kelsey Chance/) White wine is best served between 46 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas red wine is best between 62 and 68. Without a dedicated temperature controlled wine refrigerator, it's difficult to know how hot or cold your wine actually is—never mind f
6h
Why polar bears at sea have higher pollution levels than those staying on land
As the climate changes, myriad animal populations are being impacted. In particular, Arctic sea-ice is in decline, causing polar bears in the Barents Sea region to alter their feeding and hunting habits. Bears that follow sea-ice to offshore areas have higher pollutant levels than those staying on land — but why? A new study in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology reports the likely reasons.
6h
Sorghum study illuminates relationship between humans, crops and the environment in domestication
A new study that examines the genetics behind the bitter taste of some sorghum plants and one of Africa's most reviled bird species illustrates how human genetics, crops and the environment influence one another in the process of plant domestication.
6h
Tweaking the approach to save the desert tortoise
"Increase the size, increase the survival" is the premise behind head-starting—raising an at-risk species in captivity until it is large enough to be less vulnerable to predators after release into the wild. But research conducted by University of Georgia scientists in California's Mojave Desert reveals larger size alone is not enough to save the desert tortoise from predator attacks.
6h
Image: Holiday Kristall
This box of holiday cheer is actually tubes of plasma containing suspended microparticles exposed to an electrical current to form 3-D crystal structures.
6h
How sharp is that sniffer? Newly patented Army invention trains, tests working dogs
A U.S. Army researcher has scored a patent for inventing a new tool for training dogs to detect chemical compounds.
6h
How sharp is that sniffer? Newly patented Army invention trains, tests working dogs
A U.S. Army researcher has scored a patent for inventing a new tool for training dogs to detect chemical compounds.
6h
Estimates of commercial fish biomass from DNA traces in seawater
A new study published by scientists from the Faroese Marine Research Institute reveals that traces of DNA left behind in seawater can be used to predict the biomass of Atlantic cod. The findings show that the so-called environmental DNA approach can track the regional patterns of commercially important fish in the ocean. The paper, led by Dr. Ian Salter, was published on the 10th December in Natur
6h
NASA's treasure map for water ice on Mars
NASA has big plans for returning astronauts to the Moon in 2024, a stepping stone on the path to sending humans to Mars. But where should the first people on the Red Planet land?
6h
Estimates of commercial fish biomass from DNA traces in seawater
A new study published by scientists from the Faroese Marine Research Institute reveals that traces of DNA left behind in seawater can be used to predict the biomass of Atlantic cod. The findings show that the so-called environmental DNA approach can track the regional patterns of commercially important fish in the ocean. The paper, led by Dr. Ian Salter, was published on the 10th December in Natur
6h
Second stellar population found in Milky Way's thick disk
A new study on the kinematics and chemical composition of a sample of stars in the vicinity of the sun, led by Dr. Daniela Carollo, researcher of the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics, has revealed that the stars that make up the thick disk of the Milky Way belong to two distinct stellar populations with different characteristics and not to a single one, as has been thought for more than
6h
Researchers consider the complexities of bioprinting multicellular tissues
3-D bioprinting is a highly-advanced manufacturing platform that allows for the printing of tissue, and eventually vital organs, from cells. This could open a new world of possibilities for the medical field, while directly benefiting patients who need replacement organs.
6h
Combined technique measures nanostructures 10 times better than before
Researchers at Leiden University and TU Delft have combined two techniques that are used to measure the structure of biomolecules, creating a method that is 10 times more sensitive. With this new method, they hope to be able to better determine the structure of biomolecules. This is important, since a biomolecule's structure often determines its function. The same goes for more complex organic com
6h
Researchers consider the complexities of bioprinting multicellular tissues
3-D bioprinting is a highly-advanced manufacturing platform that allows for the printing of tissue, and eventually vital organs, from cells. This could open a new world of possibilities for the medical field, while directly benefiting patients who need replacement organs.
6h
Should SpaceX be allowed to contaminate Mars with Earth microbes?
The rise of the private space industry may mean allowing Earth microbes to escape to other worlds, but is it worth the risk?
6h
Image of the Day: Feather Feeders
These ancient insects ate dinosaur feathers during the Cretaceous period.
6h
Why polar bears at sea have higher pollution levels than those staying on land
As the climate changes, myriad animal populations are being impacted. In particular, Arctic sea-ice is in decline, causing polar bears in the Barents Sea region to alter their feeding and hunting habits. Bears that follow sea-ice to offshore areas have higher pollutant levels than those staying on land—but why? A new study in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology reports the likely reasons.
6h
These Ants Jump with Their Jaws
Sometimes the best solution to a sticky situation is a quick escape, and few escapes are faster than a trap-jaw ant's. — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
6h
Why polar bears at sea have higher pollution levels than those staying on land
As the climate changes, myriad animal populations are being impacted. In particular, Arctic sea-ice is in decline, causing polar bears in the Barents Sea region to alter their feeding and hunting habits. Bears that follow sea-ice to offshore areas have higher pollutant levels than those staying on land—but why? A new study in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology reports the likely reasons.
6h
Two rovers to roll on Mars again: Curiosity and Mars 2020
Curiosity won't be NASA's only active Mars rover for much longer. Next summer, Mars 2020 will be headed for the Red Planet. While the newest rover borrows from Curiosity's design, they aren't twins: Built and managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, each has its own role in the ongoing exploration of Mars and the search for ancient life. Here's a closer look at what set
6h
These Ants Jump with Their Jaws
Sometimes the best solution to a sticky situation is a quick escape, and few escapes are faster than a trap-jaw ant's. — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
6h
Grandmother Orcas Help Young Whales Survive and Thrive: Study
Post-menopausal orcas tied to an increase in calf survival by providing food, care, and guidance.
6h
Marianne Williamson Is An Anti-Vaxxer
Spouting classic anti-vaccine tropes is no way to prove you are not anti-vaccine.
6h
Torskens "svarta låda" visar att syrebrist ligger bakom dålig hälsa
Syrebristen i havet tycks verkligen bidra till Östersjötorskens dåliga kondition, enligt en ny studie från SLU. Analyser av fiskens hörselstenar visar när den utsatts för syrebrist, något som kan kopplas direkt till torskens hälsa. De senaste tjugo åren har torskarna i östra Östersjön börjat må allt sämre och många torskar är idag extremt magra. Tidigare studier har visat att de syrefattiga områd
6h
Concerns raised over Indian government's plan for face recognition
India's government wants to build one of the largest face recognition systems in the world, but campaigners are concerned
7h
How Oglala Lakota People Are Standing Up to Extreme Weather
Through politics, economics and culture, a Native American community is building resilience against disaster — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
7h
The 5 Best Cookbooks of 2019
Okay, it's impossible to name the best cookbooks. This year, after all, featured a top-to-bottom run-through of The Joy of Cooking , at least one edition of which every household must own. Picture books? History? Chef extravaganzas? You'll find all of these below, as well as one very welcome dessert-book reissue. I try to read dozens of new guides a year; I want to cook from a much smaller subset
7h
Stop Believing in Free Shipping
Giacomo Bagnara I t was a pair of feather earrings that helped Ann Miceli get out from underneath strangers' cars. For years, Miceli had worked as an auto mechanic and picked up shifts in her spare time at Indianapolis restaurants. One day, she came across those earrings, and "it kind of sparked something." Miceli bought a pair, and then some supplies to make her own. She listed some of her creat
7h
EU-plan: Europa skal være det første klimaneutrale kontinent i 2050
Her er den grønne plan, som skal føre til massive forandringer i Europa.
7h
Toys "R" Us Is Back—Now With More Surveillance\!
Reports about the toy store using cameras to track shoppers caused an uproar, but the companies behind the tech insist their systems are trained to ignore kids.
7h
Harry Potter and the Curse of Technology
Wizards, with their wands and fancy enchantments, feel sorry for muggles and their pitiful technology. Or do they?
7h
»Jeg ser det fagpolitiske som en naturlig videreførelse af det, jeg laver hver dag«
Camilla Høegh-Guldberg overtog mandag aften posten som ny formand i PLO-Sjælland. Med sig bringer hun lægegerningen fra vandkantsdanmark, ledelseserfaring fra Storstrømmens Sygehus – og så er hun efter eget udsagn også lidt »DJØF-agtig«
7h
How Oglala Lakota People Are Standing Up to Extreme Weather
Through politics, economics and culture, a Native American community is building resilience against disaster — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
7h
Space Station Dark Matter Experiment Gets Vital Repairs
Astronauts are giving the International Space Station's premier science experiment a life-extending transplant to continue its hunt for antimatter, dark matter, and more — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
7h
Climate change: Methane pulse detected from South Sudan wetlands
Emissions from the region made a major contribution to global greenhouse gas levels in 2010-2016.
7h
Space Station Dark Matter Experiment Gets Vital Repairs
Astronauts are giving the International Space Station's premier science experiment a life-extending transplant to continue its hunt for antimatter, dark matter, and more — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
8h
What's next for psychology's embattled field of social priming
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-03755-2 A promising field of research on social behaviour struggled after investigators couldn't repeat key findings. Now researchers are trying to establish what's worth saving.
8h
'A long and lonely process:' Whistleblowers in a misconduct case speak out
Last week, we reported on a case at the University of Leiden in which the institution found that a former psychology researcher there had committed research misconduct. In the anonymized report — which we were able to confirm regarded Lorena Colzato, who is listed as a faculty member at Ruhr University in Bochum and at TU Dresden — … Continue reading
8h
Even Impeachment Has to Follow the Rules
Amid the grandstanding in the House of Representatives, one key point can sometimes get lost: While impeachment is certainly a political process, it is not a purely political one. The judgments that Congress makes throughout the process are substantially but not entirely constrained by legal standards set out in the Constitution. If impeachment were a purely political process, Congress could legi
8h
Climate change: Why we need 70% of U.S. politicians to unite
When it comes to politically addressing the climate crisis, we need politicians from both sides of the aisle to work together to create policies that bring about a more sustainable tomorrow. If we enact policies that require companies to pay for their greenhouse gas emissions, we would see an immediate change of behavior from them, in regard to how much they contribute to climate change. There's
8h
The Gospel of Wealth According to Marc Benioff
The Salesforce founder has donated a fortune to right capitalism's wrongs, and he thinks his fellow billionaires should too. Why can't we just be grateful?
8h
The Pirate Bay forsøger sig med ulovlig streaming igen
Ved siden af download-knapperne kan man nu for udvalgte torrents vælge 'Play now using Baystream'.
8h
Indsamlingen af bioaffald i København er stagneret
PLUS. I 2018 blev der indsamlet cirka 13.000 ton sorteret bioaffald fra københavnske borgere, men der er stort set ikke sket en stigning i 2019.
8h
Water common—yet scarce—in exoplanets
The most extensive survey of atmospheric chemical compositions of exoplanets to date has revealed trends that challenge current theories of planet formation and has implications for the search for water in the solar system and beyond.
8h
The secret to a long life? For worms, a cellular recycling protein is key
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have shown that worms live longer lives if they produce excess levels of a protein, p62, which recognizes toxic cell proteins that are tagged for destruction. The discovery, published in Nature Communications, could help uncover treatments for age-related conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, which are often caused by accumulation
8h
The secret to a long life? For worms, a cellular recycling protein is key
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have shown that worms live longer lives if they produce excess levels of a protein, p62, which recognizes toxic cell proteins that are tagged for destruction. The discovery, published in Nature Communications, could help uncover treatments for age-related conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, which are often caused by accumulation
8h
A primate-specific retroviral enhancer wires the XACT lncRNA into the core pluripotency network in humans
Nature Communications, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/s41467-019-13551-1 XACT is a primate-specific TE-derived lncRNA that coats active X chromosomes in pluripotent cells and may contribute to species-specific regulation of X chromosome inactivation. Here, the authors investigate TEs associated with the XACT locus and identify a critical enhancer for its regulation, which evolved
9h
Trained immunity modulates inflammation-induced fibrosis
Nature Communications, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/s41467-019-13636-x Innate immune cells can be trained by some stimuli or pathogen exposures to be metabolically and epigenetically altered such that they have different responses to subsequent exposures. Here the authors show that low-dose LPS trained macrophages and BCG-trained macrophages have opposing effects on fibrosis an
9h
Ensamstående föräldrar allt fattigare
Den som lever ensam i Sverige lever allt oftare i fattigdom. Gruppen ensamstående har ökat sin fattigdomsrisk från 10 till 24 procent sedan slutet av 1980-talet. Att leva i risk för fattigdom innebär att man har en disponibel inkomst som ligger på mindre än 60 procent av medianinkomsten – det är med andra ord ett relativt mått. Men gruppen som lever som ensamstående föräldrar har en ännu högre ris
9h
Predatory journals: no definition, no defence
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-03759-y Leading scholars and publishers from ten countries have agreed a definition of predatory publishing that can protect scholarship. It took 12 hours of discussion, 18 questions and 3 rounds to reach.
9h
Indlandsisen smelter syv gange hurtigere end i 1990'erne
400 mio. mennesker risikerer årlige oversvømmelser frem mod 2100 på grund af den hastigt smeltende indlandsis i Grønland. Det viser et nyt stort studie, som DTU Space har bidraget til.
9h
The secret to a long life? For worms, a cellular recycling protein is key
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys have shown that worms live longer lives if they produce excess levels of a protein, p62, which recognizes toxic cell proteins that are tagged for destruction. The discovery, published in Nature Communications, could help uncover treatments for age-related conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, which are often caused by accumulation of misfolded proteins.
9h
Vesicles released by bacteria may reduce the spread of HIV in human tissues
Nano-sized vesicles released by certain bacteria that inhabit the vagina may protect against HIV infection, suggests a study of human cells and tissues by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and the University of Bologna, Italy. Known as extracellular vesicles, these bubble-like particles are produced by many kinds of cells and are thought to transport molecules from one cell to anoth
9h
Water common — yet scarce — in exoplanets
The most extensive survey of atmospheric chemical compositions of exoplanets to date has revealed trends that challenge current theories of planet formation and has implications for the search for water in the solar system and beyond.
9h
A window into the hidden world of colons
Biomedical engineers at Duke University have developed a system for real-time observations at the cellular level in the colon of a living mouse. It employs a magnetic system to stabilize the colon during imaging while otherwise allowing the gut to move and function normally. Researchers expect the procedure to allow new investigations into the digestive system's microbiome as well as the causes of
9h
Low-dose aspirin may not help African-Americans prevent heart attack
Use of daily, low-dose aspirin in persons without known cardiovascular disease was lower among blacks than whites.Taking a daily, low-dose aspirin without known cardiovascular disease was not associated with helping African-American adults reduce their risk of a fatal heart attack.
9h
Researchers develop approach to alter intestinal microbiota, vaccinate against inflammatory diseases
Targeted immunization against bacterial flagellin, a protein that forms the appendage that enables bacterial mobility, can beneficially alter the intestinal microbiota, decreasing the bacteria's ability to cause inflammation and thus protecting against an array of chronic inflammatory diseases, according to a new study by the Institute for Biomedical Sciences and the Neuroscience Institute at Geor
9h
There's a new squid in town
Researchers in OIST's Molecular Genetics Unit, in collaboration with a researcher from Australia, have identified a new species of bobtail squid inhabiting Okinawa's waters — dubbed Euprymna brenneri. The scientists' findings, published in Communications Biology, highlight the rich biodiversity in the seas near Okinawa, and may shed light on the genes, behavior, and development of bobtail squid.
9h
When America Starts to Feel a Little More Soviet
Walk down a barely marked stairway into a basement in New York's East Village on a Sunday morning, and you may find yourself in a hub of Ukrainian American life. Members of the vast Ukrainian diaspora regularly gather here, at a church-run restaurant called Streecha, trading the latest on Ukrainian politics over plates of pierogi and bowls of borscht. As formal impeachment hearings against Presid
9h
Meteorologists Can't Keep Up With Climate Change In Mozambique
As world leaders gather for a climate summit in Madrid, some of the countries most vulnerable to climate change say they need improved forecasting tools. (Image credit: Nichole Sobecki/VII for NPR)
9h
Does tapping the bottom of a beer can really stop it fizzing over?
Dedicated researchers have the answer.
9h
Indonesia hit with $5.2 billion in forest-fire losses: World Bank
Forest fires that raged across Indonesia dented Southeast Asia's biggest economy to the tune of some $5.2 billion, the World Bank said Wednesday, not including the health impacts from toxic haze that sent air quality plummeting.
9h
Phagocytosis-like cell engulfment by a planctomycete bacterium
Nature Communications, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/s41467-019-13499-2 Phagocytosis is a typically eukaryotic feature that could be behind the origin of eukaryotic cells. Here, the authors describe a bacterium that can engulf other bacteria and small eukaryotic cells through a phagocytosis-like mechanism.
9h
Extracellular vesicles from symbiotic vaginal lactobacilli inhibit HIV-1 infection of human tissues
Nature Communications, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/s41467-019-13468-9 Lactobacillus associates with vaginal protection from HIV-1 infection. Here, the authors show that lactobacilli extracellular vesicles contain bacterial proteins and metabolites that inhibit HIV-1 infection in T cells and in human cervico-vaginal and tonsillar tissues ex vivo via altering viral Env proteins.
9h
Single-molecule detection on a portable 3D-printed microscope
Nature Communications, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/s41467-019-13617-0 Single-molecule in vitro assays require dedicated confocal microscopes equipped with fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) modules. Here the authors present a compact, cheap and open-source 3D-printed confocal microscope for single photon counting and FCS measurements, and use it to detect α-synuclein
9h
Extracellular matrix hydrogel derived from decellularized tissues enables endodermal organoid culture
Nature Communications, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/s41467-019-13605-4 Organoid cultures have been developed from multiple tissues, opening new possibilities for regenerative medicine. Here the authors demonstrate the derivation of GMP-compliant hydrogels from decellularized porcine small intestine which support formation and growth of human gastric, liver, pancreatic and small
9h
Genetic determinants of the molecular portraits of epithelial cancers
Nature Communications, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/s41467-019-13588-2 Effective precision medicine strategies rely on the ability to predict tumour behaviour based on molecular characteristics. Here, the authors build models to predict multiple distinct gene expression patterns using DNA copy number alterations
9h
Detection of the 5p – 4f orbital crossing and its optical clock transition in Pr9+
Nature Communications, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/s41467-019-13406-9 Atomic clocks are based on the frequency of optical transitions and offer high precision. Here the authors demonstrate a configuration crossing in the highly charged ion praseodymium (Pr$${}^{9+}$$ 9+) and determine the frequency of a potential reference transition for a highly charged ion clock.
9h
Hi. Tracking objects. The algorithm ONLY once (without any training) creates a description of the object, and then accompanies it, restoring a set of local functions in real time. Without a special GPU or parallel processing, only signs and hypotheses. I need feedback. Thanks.
submitted by /u/VicSadownik [link] [comments]
9h
Greta Thunberg : 'Almost nothing is being done'
Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg has addressed the COP25 summit, criticising politicians and CEOs.
9h
To Combat Climate Change, See the Forest for the Trees
The Bonn Challenge, launched by Germany and the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2011, aims to restore 1.3 million square miles of deforested and degraded land around the world by 2030. But experts warn that the success of such initiatives depends on how forests are defined.
9h
Statikermangel kan forsinke byggerier: Nødløsning på vej
Der er brug for omkring 250 statikere til at godkende byggesager, når nye regler træder i kraft til nytår. Men kun 17 statikere er blevet certificeret. Brandrådgivere er der også mangel på.
9h
EU's soaring climate rhetoric not always matched by action
Bloc considers itself international leader on environment, but progress has been stunted EU aims to stir global action with climate pledge The European Union considers itself as a leader on the environment and not without cause: policymaking in Brussels moved ahead of the international consensus in the 2000s. But the soaring rhetoric has not always been matched by the necessary structural changes
9h
China splashes millions on hundreds of home-grown journals
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-03770-3 US$29-million investment aims to boost the country's status as an international scientific powerhouse.
10h
How Apple personalizes Siri without hoovering up your data
The tech giant is using privacy-preserving machine learning to improve its voice assistant while keeping your data on your phone.
10h
Climate concerns put Austria glacier project on thin ice
In his office nestled in Austria's snow-capped Pitztal valley, Eberhard Schultes is among those pushing to expand the region's skiing sector—but environmentalists alarmed about the region's vanishing glaciers are pushing back.
10h
Arctic has one of warmest years, raising fears over rising sea levels
The Arctic has experienced its second warmest year since 1900, according to a report published Tuesday, raising fears over low summer sea ice and rising sea levels.
10h
Germany on alert as swine fever nears border
Sniffer dogs, drones and electrified fences: Germany is deploying a full array of defences to stop boars from bringing swine fever into the country and avert a disaster for its thriving pork industry.
10h
Germany on alert as swine fever nears border
Sniffer dogs, drones and electrified fences: Germany is deploying a full array of defences to stop boars from bringing swine fever into the country and avert a disaster for its thriving pork industry.
10h
Multi-species grassland mixtures increase yield stability, even under drought conditions
In a two-year experiment in Ireland and Switzerland, researchers found a positive relationship between plant diversity and yield stability in intensely managed grassland, even under experimental drought conditions. The results are presented today at the British Ecological Society's annual meeting in Belfast.
11h
School citizen science project dramatically improves children's knowledge of UK mammals
Children who participated in a citizen science project called MammalWeb, where they used camera traps to detect wildlife visiting their schools, were able to identify twice the number of UK mammals by the end of the project. The preliminary results are presented today at the British Ecological Society's annual meeting in Belfast.
11h
One-third of recent global methane increase comes from tropical Africa
Concentrations of methane, a greenhouse gas about 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide, have risen steadily in Earth's atmosphere since 2007. Although several potential explanations, including an increase in methane emissions from the tropics, could account for this upsurge, due to a lack of regional data scientists have been unable to pinpoint the source. Now a study published in the European
11h
Multi-species grassland mixtures increase yield stability, even under drought conditions
In a two-year experiment in Ireland and Switzerland, researchers found a positive relationship between plant diversity and yield stability in intensely managed grassland, even under experimental drought conditions. The results are presented today at the British Ecological Society's annual meeting in Belfast.
11h
School citizen science project dramatically improves children's knowledge of UK mammals
Children who participated in a citizen science project called MammalWeb, where they used camera traps to detect wildlife visiting their schools, were able to identify twice the number of UK mammals by the end of the project. The preliminary results are presented today at the British Ecological Society's annual meeting in Belfast.
11h
Invest in pollinator monitoring for long-term gain
New research shows that for every $1 invested in pollinator monitoring schemes, at least $1.50 can be saved, from otherwise costly independent research projects.
11h
Invest in pollinator monitoring for long-term gain
New research shows that for every $1 invested in pollinator monitoring schemes, at least $1.50 can be saved, from otherwise costly independent research projects.
11h
Hestehår og lim: Forskeres kunstige horn skal oversvømme markedet og redde næsehornet
Forskere har fremstillet billige, kunstige næsehornshorn ud af hestehår, som de håber kan redde næsehornene fra at blive udryddet.
11h
'Invisible,' restricted horse racing therapy may leave a trail
A treatment called extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is used in patients both human and equine to speed healing of injured tendons and ligaments. Using high-pressure sonic waves, ESWT is thought to increase blood flow to the treated area and has been shown to reduce pain over the short term.
11h
'Invisible,' restricted horse racing therapy may leave a trail
A treatment called extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is used in patients both human and equine to speed healing of injured tendons and ligaments. Using high-pressure sonic waves, ESWT is thought to increase blood flow to the treated area and has been shown to reduce pain over the short term.
11h
Et julekort til sundheds- og ældreministeren
Projektchef Sidsel Vinge ønsker Magnus Heunicke en glædelig jul med en velkomst til sundhedsvæsenet. Og da det jo snart er jul, har hun vedhæftet sin ønskeseddel med ønsker for det fremtidige sundhedsvæsen.
11h
Germany Edges Out Norway as Europe's Biggest Electric Car Market
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11h
MIT researchers are using origami to create a new generation of robots [Robotics]
submitted by /u/LizCampe [link] [comments]
11h
Harbour Air completes first full-fledged flight of its DHC-2 electric float plane
submitted by /u/idarknight [link] [comments]
11h
Double eureka: Breakthroughs could lead to quantum 'FM radio' and the end of noise
submitted by /u/idarknight [link] [comments]
11h
It Turns Out Curious Head Cones in Ancient Egyptian Art Were Actually Real Hats
It's called fashion, look it up.
13h
Why Nationalists Fail
This year, a graffiti slogan began to appear on walls across Wales. Typically spray-painted in white letters on a red background, it read Cofiwch Dryweryn —"Remember Tryweryn." The phrase first appeared half a century ago, on a wall in a Welsh seaside village, and the mural quickly became a local landmark. It commemorated the village of Capel Celyn in the Tryweryn Valley, which was flooded in 196
13h
Does tapping a beer can prevent it foaming over? Scientists found out
A rigorous randomised trial has put to bed the idea that tapping or flicking a can of beer makes bubbles come to the top and prevents the liquid fizzing out
13h
Thousands of Mysterious Holes Have Been Found in The Ocean Floor Off The Californian Coast
What are they??
13h
Hun vil kortlægge interesseorganisationers digitale påvirkning af politikere og borgere
Professor i statskundskab Anne Rasmussen skal undersøge hvordan interesseorganisationernes brug…
14h
Illinois team develops first of a kind in-vitro 3D neural tissue model
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have successfully used stem cells to engineer living biohybrid nerve tissue to develop 3D models of neural networks with the hopes of gaining a better understanding of how the brain and these networks work.
14h
Plant researchers examine bread aroma: Modern and old wheat varieties taste equally good
Bread baked from modern wheat varieties are just as aromatic as that baked from old varieties. However, differences exist between the breads from different wheat varieties — and those that were grown in different locations. These were the findings made by a team of German and Swiss researchers under the leadership of Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) and the University of Hohenheim in St
14h
Print me an organ — Why are we not there yet?
SUTD leads in-depth review on the impending reality of 3D printed organs and analyses recent accomplishments, limitations and opportunities for future research.
14h
Helping plant nurseries reduce runoff
Researchers identify production strategies to help manage phosphorus.
14h
The best action-adventure games for PlayStation 4
I'm just a simple player trying to make my way in the universe. (Filios Sazeides via Unsplash/) Sony's PlayStation 4 is built with the dedicated gamer in mind, so its action offerings are suitably subwoofer-rattling affairs. There is also a lot of different warrior paths to choose from, from realistic military hot zones to fantasy adventures in galaxies far, far away. Just be prepared to go big,
14h
We Just Got an Updated Estimate For The Age of The Milky Way
The models now align with what's observed.
14h
Vind med Ingeniørens julekalender: 11. december
Vær med i Ingeniørens julekalender 2019. Hver dag med nye præmier!
14h
Skattesystem omlægges fra PL/1 på mainframe til C# på Windows
Et lille team af færinger skrev en PL/1 til C#-transformer plus andre småting som CICS til Windows og andre nødvendige mainframekomponenter, så Færøerne kunne migrere skattesystem væk fra mainframen.
14h
Physicists See Hints of X17, an Elusive Particle That Could Be a New Force of Nature
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
14h
Four high-quality suitcases you can trust
We've all got baggage. Upgrade yours. (Anete Lūsiņa via Unsplash/) A trip is only as good as the luggage you bring. The first hours of your once-in-a-lifetime trip to Italy should be awe-inspiring; you shouldn't be distracted by your suitcase's sticky wheel or rattly handle. You've spent a mortgage payment on these flights, it would be a shame for a broken zipper dampen your spirits for even a se
14h
Five tools to quickly digitize your photos and documents
Keep your precious documents safe. (Roman Kraft via Unsplash/) Organizing a chaotic pile has a way of sinking to the bottom of any to-do list. Digitizing your photos, ancestral documents, or other ephemera is one of those projects that's probably been on your "someday when I have the time" list for longer than you care to admit. If you need to save space, clear out a closet, or simply protect old
15h
Alarmcentraler i nødråb: Automatiske nødkald giver falsk tryghed
PLUS. Automatisk nødopkald fra smartwatches og biler fungerer ofte ikke, og det betyder både spild af ressourcer på alarmcentraler og en større risiko for oversete nødopkald.
15h
Don't Panic about AI – Scientific American Blog Network
submitted by /u/EcstadelicNET [link] [comments]
16h
Denmark plans $30 bln offshore wind island that could power 10 million homes
submitted by /u/V2O5 [link] [comments]
16h
Ultrathin diamond film made from graphene could toughen up electronics
submitted by /u/Memetic1 [link] [comments]
16h
Fires in Australia Just Pushed Sydney's Air Quality 12 Times Above 'Hazardous' Levels
The city is choking.
17h
Teen brains don't react to all movie violence the same way
Scenes of unjustified and justified violence in movies activate different parts of the adolescent brain, researchers report. The gun violence seen in popular PG-13 movies aimed at children and teenagers has more than doubled since the rating was introduced in 1984. The increasing on-screen gun violence has raised concerns that it will encourage imitation, especially when it is portrayed as "justi
17h
Signaling the trustworthiness of science should not be a substitute for direct action against research misconduct [Letters (Online Only)]
The paper "Signaling the trustworthiness of science," by Jamieson et al. (1), offers suggestions as to what could be done by scientists to reassure "other scientists and, perhaps more importantly, the public that [the] norms [of science] are being upheld." They believe such trust has been undermined by "instances of…
17h
Reply to Kornfeld and Titus: No distraction from misconduct [Letters (Online Only)]
Kornfeld and Titus (1) argue that we (2) deceive ourselves by focusing on signaling adherence to scientific norms rather than on perpetrators of scientific misconduct. This is not the case. We explicitly advocate that funders make research ethics a condition of support; that institutions provide education and investigate misconduct fairly,…
17h
Rats replay memories forward and backwards to make decisions
While making decisions, rats' brains replay their memories, a process called memory consolidation, researchers report. The researchers found that specific patterns of brain cell firings in rats correspond to individual memories. As a result, the researchers could tell what the rodents were remembering during an experiment. They also found a way to predict what the animals would do next. During sl
17h
Our planet is partly made of stardust from red giants
The Earth is partly made from stardust from red giant stars, researchers report. They can also explain why the Earth contains more of this stardust than the asteroids or the planet Mars, which are farther from the sun. Around 4.5 billion years ago, an interstellar molecular cloud collapsed. At its center, the sun formed; around that, a disc of gas and dust appeared, out of which the Earth and the
17h
Why Volcanologists Didn't Predict New Zealand's Deadly Eruption
Scientists knew White Island was showing signs of "volcanic unrest," but their arsenal of data and sensors couldn't prepare them for tragedy.
18h
Climate change: Major emitters accused of blocking progress at UN talks
Brazil, China, India and Saudi Arabia are criticised as anger grows at a UN climate change meeting.
18h
Online tool helps patients demystify the 'Pandora's box' of genomic sequencing
A decision aid developed to support patients undergoing genomic sequencing can reduce the amount of time patients spend speaking with overburdened genetic counselors while helping them feel more knowledgeable, suggests a study from St. Michael's Hospital.
18h
The Lost World of Transhumance
In a remote mountain fastness, a grizzled man traverses a steep ridge with his herd of 120 goats. Above him, dramatic silver peaks rise into the sky. It is spring; the man is headed to higher ground, to let his animals graze and to rest among the edelweiss of the Alpine meadows. In the winter, he will move his herd back down to the lush green valley below, where the mountains give way to glacial
18h
The Atlantic Politics Daily: When Pete Buttigieg Was a Consultant
It's Tuesday, December 10. House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler announced two articles of impeachment against the president. What didn't make the cut? In today's newsletter: Pete Buttigieg talks to our 2020 campaign reporter about his McKinsey stint. Plus, does Kamala Harris still have VP potential? * « TODAY IN POLITICS » (ALEX EDELMAN / AFP VIA GETTY) Pete Buttigieg, consultant candi
18h
This Alleged Bitcoin Scam Looked a Lot Like a Pyramid Scheme
Five men face federal charges of bilking investors of $722 million by inviting them to buy shares in bitcoin mining pools.
18h
Predators may make prey get smart and grow more brain cells
Predators are a problem for Trinidad's killifish: in streams where the problem is worst the killifish grow more brain cells, perhaps to help evade the hunters
19h
Young people can't remember how much more wildlife there used to be
A phenomenon called shifting baseline syndrome means we easily forget how much more wildlife there used to be – and it may hamper conservation campaigns
19h
New Zealand Exists Because of Volcanoes – Monday's Eruption Won't Be The Last
Volcanoes created it, and one day they might wipe it out.
19h
Multi-species grassland mixtures increase yield stability, even under drought conditions
In a two-year experiment in Ireland and Switzerland, researchers found a positive relationship between plant diversity and yield stability in intensely managed grassland, even under experimental drought conditions. The results are presented today at the British Ecological Society's annual meeting in Belfast.
19h
School citizen science project dramatically improves children's knowledge of UK mammals
Children who participated in a citizen science project called MammalWeb, where they used camera traps to detect wildlife visiting their schools, were able to identify twice the number of UK mammals by the end of the project. The preliminary results are presented today at the British Ecological Society's annual meeting in Belfast.
19h
Invest in pollinator monitoring for long-term gain
A research team from the University of Reading and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology is studying how to improve pollinator monitoring in the UK in a cost-effective manner. The preliminary results are presented today at the British Ecological Society's annual meeting in Belfast.
19h
Report discusses potential role of coffee in reducing risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
A new report from the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC) highlights the potential role of coffee consumption in reducing the risk of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
19h
Close friends help macaques survive
Close friendships improve the survival chances of rhesus macaques, new research shows.
19h
Divergent contributions of autistic traits to social psychological knowledge [Letters (Online Only)]
We examined Gollwitzer et al.'s (1) study on autism and better social psychological knowledge with interest, given its large samples and open dataset. We commend the authors for raising the bar for autism research, which is typically underpowered and rarely draws on social psychology. Notably, their research follows recent investigations…
19h
Reply to Taylor et al.: Acknowledging the multidimensionality of autism when predicting social psychological skill [Letters (Online Only)]
We agree with Taylor et al. (1) that there is value in examining the link between autism and social psychological skill (SPS) in terms of the subdimensions of autism. However, we note that even if autism has a multidimensional structure, the overall relationship we observed between autism and SPS remains…
19h
Approaching infinite affinity through engineering of peptide-protein interaction [Biochemistry]
Much of life's complexity depends upon contacts between proteins with precise affinity and specificity. The successful application of engineered proteins often depends on high-stability binding to their target. In recent years, various approaches have enabled proteins to form irreversible covalent interactions with protein targets. However, the rate of such reactions…
19h
Deep learning for inferring gene relationships from single-cell expression data [Computer Sciences]
Several methods were developed to mine gene–gene relationships from expression data. Examples include correlation and mutual information methods for coexpression analysis, clustering and undirected graphical models for functional assignments, and directed graphical models for pathway reconstruction. Using an encoding for gene expression data, followed by deep neural networks analysis, we…
19h
T cell receptor specificity drives accumulation of a reparative population of regulatory T cells within acutely injured skeletal muscle [Immunology and Inflammation]
Foxp3+CD4+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) play important roles in controlling both homeostatic processes and immune responses at the tissue and organismal levels. For example, Tregs promote muscle regeneration in acute or chronic injury models by direct effects on local muscle progenitor cells, as well as on infiltrating inflammatory cells. Muscle…
19h
Steering CO2 electroreduction toward ethanol production by a surface-bound Ru polypyridyl carbene catalyst on N-doped porous carbon [Chemistry]
Electrochemical reduction of CO2 to multicarbon products is a significant challenge, especially for molecular complexes. We report here CO2 reduction to multicarbon products based on a Ru(II) polypyridyl carbene complex that is immobilized on an N-doped porous carbon (RuPC/NPC) electrode. The catalyst utilizes the synergistic effects of the Ru(II) polypyridyl…
19h
Functional testing of ASD-associated genes [Commentaries]
There is a dire need for functional (causal) studies that move the field of neurodevelopmental disorders beyond statistical associations gleaned through genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and other "omic" approaches toward experimental manipulations of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-associated genes and their genetic variants. ASDs are a genetically and phenotypically highly heterogeneous…
19h
On the possible origin of protein homochirality, structure, and biochemical function [Biophysics and Computational Biology]
Living systems have chiral molecules, e.g., native proteins that almost entirely contain L-amino acids. How protein homochirality emerged from a background of equal numbers of L and D amino acids is among many questions about life's origin. The origin of homochirality and its implications are explored in computer simulations examining…
19h
Combining conservation and species-specific differences to determine how human telomerase binds telomeres [Biochemistry]
Telomerase catalyzes telomeric DNA synthesis at chromosome ends to allow for continued cell division. The telomeric protein TPP1 is essential for enhancing the processivity of telomerase and recruiting the enzyme to telomeres. The telomerase interaction surface on human TPP1 has been mapped to 2 regions of the N-terminal oligosaccharide/oligonucleotide-binding (OB)…
19h
Microtubule binding kinetics of membrane-bound kinesin-1 predicts high motor copy numbers on intracellular cargo [Biophysics and Computational Biology]
Bidirectional vesicle transport along microtubules is necessary for cell viability and function, particularly in neurons. When multiple motors are attached to a vesicle, the distance a vesicle travels before dissociating is determined by the race between detachment of the bound motors and attachment of the unbound motors. Motor detachment rate…
19h
Valproic acid interactions with the NavMs voltage-gated sodium channel [Biophysics and Computational Biology]
Valproic acid (VPA) is an anticonvulsant drug that is also used to treat migraines and bipolar disorder. Its proposed biological targets include human voltage-gated sodium channels, among other membrane proteins. We used the prokaryotic NavMs sodium channel, which has been shown to be a good exemplar for drug binding to…
19h
Reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus by a dual-responsive fluorescent EBNA1-targeting agent with Zn2+-chelating function [Cell Biology]
Epstein–Barr nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1) plays a vital role in the maintenance of the viral genome and is the only viral protein expressed in nearly all forms of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) latency and EBV-associated diseases, including numerous cancer types. To our knowledge, no specific agent against EBV genes or proteins…
19h
Triple junction kinematics accounts for the 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikoura earthquake rupture complexity [Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences]
The 2016, moment magnitude (Mw) 7.8, Kaikoura earthquake generated the most complex surface ruptures ever observed. Although likely linked with kinematic changes in central New Zealand, the driving mechanisms of such complexity remain unclear. Here, we propose an interpretation accounting for the most puzzling aspects of the 2016 rupture. We…
19h
Ventral hippocampus interacts with prelimbic cortex during inhibition of threat response via learned safety in both mice and humans [Neuroscience]
Heightened fear and inefficient safety learning are key features of fear and anxiety disorders. Evidence-based interventions for anxiety disorders, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, primarily rely on mechanisms of fear extinction. However, up to 50% of clinically anxious individuals do not respond to current evidence-based treatment, suggesting a critical need…
19h
Modeling active sensing reveals echo detection even in large groups of bats [Ecology]
Active sensing animals perceive their surroundings by emitting probes of energy and analyzing how the environment modulates these probes. However, the probes of conspecifics can jam active sensing, which should cause problems for groups of active sensing animals. This problem was termed the cocktail party nightmare for echolocating bats: as…
19h
Cryptochrome 2 competes with COP1 substrates to repress COP1 ubiquitin ligase activity during Arabidopsis photomorphogenesis [Plant Biology]
In plants, the cryptochrome photoreceptors suppress the activity of the COP1/SPA ubiquitin ligase to initiate photomorphogenesis in blue light. Both CRY1 and CRY2 interact with the COP1/SPA complex in a blue light-dependent manner. The mechanisms underlying the inhibition of COP1 activity through direct interactions with photoactivated CRYs are not fully…
19h
Parent-of-origin differences in DNA methylation of X chromosome genes in T lymphocytes [Immunology and Inflammation]
Many autoimmune diseases are more frequent in females than in males in humans and their mouse models, and sex differences in immune responses have been shown. Despite extensive studies of sex hormones, mechanisms underlying these sex differences remain unclear. Here, we focused on sex chromosomes using the "four core genotypes"…
19h
Toward a metabolic theory of life history [Ecology]
The life histories of animals reflect the allocation of metabolic energy to traits that determine fitness and the pace of living. Here, we extend metabolic theories to address how demography and mass–energy balance constrain allocation of biomass to survival, growth, and reproduction over a life cycle of one generation. We…
19h
SUMO1 modification of PKD2 channels regulates arterial contractility [Physiology]
PKD2 (polycystin-2, TRPP1) channels are expressed in a wide variety of cell types and can regulate functions, including cell division and contraction. Whether posttranslational modification of PKD2 modifies channel properties is unclear. Similarly uncertain are signaling mechanisms that regulate PKD2 channels in arterial smooth muscle cells (myocytes). Here, by studying…
19h
Evolutionary transition from degenerate to nonredundant cytokine signaling networks supporting intrathymic T cell development [Immunology and Inflammation]
In mammals, T cell development critically depends on the IL-7 cytokine signaling pathway. Here we describe the identification of the zebrafish ortholog of mammalian IL-7 based on chromosomal localization, deduced protein sequence, and expression patterns. To examine the biological role of il7 in teleosts, we generated an il7 allele lacking…
19h
A population shift between two heritable cell types of the pathogen Candida albicans is based both on switching and selective proliferation [Microbiology]
Differentiated cell types often retain their characteristics through many rounds of cell division. A simple example is found in Candida albicans, a member of the human microbiota and also the most prevalent fungal pathogen of humans; here, two distinct cell types (white and opaque) exist, and each one retains its…
19h
Universal Fermi-surface anisotropy renormalization for interacting Dirac fermions with long-range interactions [Physics]
Recent experimental [I. Jo et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 016402 (2017)] and numerical [M. Ippoliti, S. D. Geraedts, R. N. Bhatt, Phys. Rev. B 95, 201104 (2017)] evidence suggests an intriguing universal relationship between the Fermi surface anisotropy of the noninteracting parent 2-dimensional (2D) electron gas and the strongly…
19h
Extracellular electron transfer powers flavinylated extracellular reductases in Gram-positive bacteria [Microbiology]
Mineral-respiring bacteria use a process called extracellular electron transfer to route their respiratory electron transport chain to insoluble electron acceptors on the exterior of the cell. We recently characterized a flavin-based extracellular electron transfer system that is present in the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, as well as many other Gram-positive…
19h
Viral neutralization by antibody-imposed physical disruption [Microbiology]
In adaptive immunity, organisms produce neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) to eliminate invading pathogens. Here, we explored whether viral neutralization could be attained through the physical disruption of a virus upon nAb binding. We report the neutralization mechanism of a potent nAb 8C11 against the hepatitis E virus (HEV), a nonenveloped positive-sense…
19h
A cis-element within the ARF locus mediates repression of p16INK4A expression via long-range chromatin interactions [Cell Biology]
Loss of function of CDKN2A/B, also known as INK4/ARF [encoding p16INK4A, p15INK4B, and p14ARF (mouse p19Arf)], confers susceptibility to cancers, whereas its up-regulation during organismal aging provokes cellular senescence and tissue degenerative disorders. To better understand the transcriptional regulation of p16INK4A, a CRISPR screen targeting open, noncoding chromatin regions adjacent…
19h
Pancreatic cancer organoids recapitulate disease and allow personalized drug screening [Cell Biology]
We report the derivation of 30 patient-derived organoid lines (PDOs) from tumors arising in the pancreas and distal bile duct. PDOs recapitulate tumor histology and contain genetic alterations typical of pancreatic cancer. In vitro testing of a panel of 76 therapeutic agents revealed sensitivities currently not exploited in the clinic,…
19h
The {gamma}-tubulin complex protein GCP6 is crucial for spindle morphogenesis but not essential for microtubule reorganization in Arabidopsis [Plant Biology]
γ-Tubulin typically forms a ring-shaped complex with 5 related γ-tubulin complex proteins (GCP2 to GCP6), and this γ-tubulin ring complex (γTuRC) serves as a template for microtubule (MT) nucleation in plants and animals. While the γTuRC takes part in MT nucleation in most eukaryotes, in fungi such events take place…
19h
Gene- and tissue-level interactions in normal gastrointestinal development and Hirschsprung disease [Genetics]
The development of the gut from endodermal tissue to an organ with multiple distinct structures and functions occurs over a prolonged time during embryonic days E10.5–E14.5 in the mouse. During this process, one major event is innervation of the gut by enteric neural crest cells (ENCCs) to establish the enteric…
19h
Second-order cues to figure motion enable object detection during prey capture by praying mantises [Neuroscience]
Detecting motion is essential for animals to perform a wide variety of functions. In order to do so, animals could exploit motion cues, including both first-order cues—such as luminance correlation over time—and second-order cues, by correlating higher-order visual statistics. Since first-order motion cues are typically sufficient for motion detection, it…
19h
Disappearance of the last tropical glaciers in the Western Pacific Warm Pool (Papua, Indonesia) appears imminent [Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences]
The glaciers near Puncak Jaya in Papua, Indonesia, the highest peak between the Himalayas and the Andes, are the last remaining tropical glaciers in the West Pacific Warm Pool (WPWP). Here, we report the recent, rapid retreat of the glaciers near Puncak Jaya by quantifying the loss of ice coverage…
19h
Correction for Khan et al., Global selective sweep of a highly inbred genome of the cattle parasite Neospora caninum [Corrections]
MICROBIOLOGY Correction for "Global selective sweep of a highly inbred genome of the cattle parasite Neospora caninum," by Asis Khan, Ayako Wendy Fujita, Nadine Randle, Javier Regidor-Cerrillo, Jahangheer S. Shaik, Kui Shen, Andrew J. Oler, Mariam Quinones, Sarah M. Latham, Bartholomew D. Akanmori, Sarah Cleaveland, Elizabeth A. Innes, Una Ryan,…
19h
Persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic properties of liquid crystal monomers and their detection in indoor residential dust [Environmental Sciences]
Liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) are used widely in liquid crystal displays (LCDs), which are dramatically changing the world due to the provision of convenient communication. However, there are essentially no published reports on the fate and/or effects of LCMs in the environment. Of 362 currently produced LCMs, 87 were identified…
19h
CRISPR/Cas9-based targeted genome editing for correction of recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa using iPS cells [Medical Sciences]
Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) is a severe inherited skin disorder caused by mutations in the COL7A1 gene encoding type VII collagen (C7). The spectrum of severity depends on the type of mutation in the COL7A1 gene. C7 is the major constituent of anchoring fibrils (AFs) at the basement membrane…
19h
Correction for Green et al., Linking global drivers of agricultural trade to on-the-ground impacts on biodiversity [Corrections]
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE Correction for "Linking global drivers of agricultural trade to on-the-ground impacts on biodiversity," by Jonathan M. H. Green, Simon A. Croft, América P. Durán, Andrew P. Balmford, Neil D. Burgess, Steve Fick, Toby A. Gardner, Javier Godar, Clément Suavet, Malika Virah-Sawmy, Lucy E. Young, and Christopher…
19h
A systematic capsid evolution approach performed in vivo for the design of AAV vectors with tailored properties and tropism [Neuroscience]
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid modification enables the generation of recombinant vectors with tailored properties and tropism. Most approaches to date depend on random screening, enrichment, and serendipity. The approach explored here, called BRAVE (barcoded rational AAV vector evolution), enables efficient selection of engineered capsid structures on a large scale using…
19h
Antimicrobial sensing coupled with cell membrane remodeling mediates antibiotic resistance and virulence in Enterococcus faecalis [Microbiology]
Bacteria have developed several evolutionary strategies to protect their cell membranes (CMs) from the attack of antibiotics and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) produced by the innate immune system, including remodeling of phospholipid content and localization. Multidrug-resistant Enterococcus faecalis, an opportunistic human pathogen, evolves resistance to the lipopeptide daptomycin and AMPs by…
19h
Activation-induced cell death of self-reactive regulatory T cells drives autoimmunity [Immunology and Inflammation]
Activation of self-reactive T cells is a major driver to autoimmunity and is suppressed by mechanisms of regulation. In a humanized model of autoimmune thyroiditis, we investigated the mechanism underlying break of tolerance. Here, we found that a human TCR specific for the self-antigen thyroid peroxidase (TPO) is positively selected…
19h
Correction for Johansson et al., An open challenge to advance probabilistic forecasting for dengue epidemics [Corrections]
MEDICAL SCIENCES Correction for "An open challenge to advance probabilistic forecasting for dengue epidemics," by Michael A. Johansson, Karyn M. Apfeldorf, Scott Dobson, Jason Devita, Anna L. Buczak, Benjamin Baugher, Linda J. Moniz, Thomas Bagley, Steven M. Babin, Erhan Guven, Teresa K. Yamana, Jeffrey Shaman, Terry Moschou, Nick Lothian, Aaron…
19h
Defining the remarkable structural malleability of a bacterial surface protein Rib domain implicated in infection [Biophysics and Computational Biology]
Streptococcus groups A and B cause serious infections, including early onset sepsis and meningitis in newborns. Rib domain-containing surface proteins are found associated with invasive strains and elicit protective immunity in animal models. Yet, despite their apparent importance in infection, the structure of the Rib domain was previously unknown. Structures…
19h
Postreproductive killer whale grandmothers improve the survival of their grandoffspring [Ecology]
Understanding why females of some mammalian species cease ovulation prior to the end of life is a long-standing interdisciplinary and evolutionary challenge. In humans and some species of toothed whales, females can live for decades after stopping reproduction. This unusual life history trait is thought to have evolved, in part,…
19h
Cross-genotype protection of live-attenuated vaccine candidate for severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus in a ferret model [Microbiology]
Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus (SFTSV) is an emerging tick-borne virus classified within the Banyangvirus genus. SFTS disease has been reported throughout East Asia since 2009 and is characterized by high fever, thrombocytopenia, and leukopenia and has a 12 to 30% case fatality rate. Due to the recent…
19h
Correction for Wang et al., Spatiotemporal activation of the C/EBP{beta}/{delta}-secretase axis regulates the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease [Corrections]
NEUROSCIENCE Correction for "Spatiotemporal activation of the C/EBPβ/δ-secretase axis regulates the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease," by Hualong Wang, Xia Liu, Shengdi Chen, and Keqiang Ye, which was first published December 10, 2018; 10.1073/pnas.1815915115 (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 115, E12427–E12434). The authors note that their competing interests statement was omitted…
19h
Climate variability reduces employment in New England fisheries [Environmental Sciences]
Climate change is already affecting fish productivity and distributions worldwide, yet its impact on fishing labor has not been examined. Here I directly link large-scale climate variability with fishery employment by studying the effects of sea-surface pressure changes in the North Atlantic region, whose waters are among the world's fastest…
19h
Close friends help macaques survive
Close friendships improve the survival chances of rhesus macaques, new research shows.
19h
Close friends help macaques survive
Close friendships improve the survival chances of rhesus macaques, new research shows.
19h
Greenland Is Now Losing Ice Seven Times Faster Than It Was in The 1990s
We're on the darkest timeline.
19h
Labelling foods with physical activity needed to burn calories linked to healthier choices
Labelling food and drink with the amount and type of exercise needed to burn off the calories in it might be a more effective way of encouraging people to make 'healthier' dietary choices, indicates research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
19h
Planning for future care may be linked to longer survival in terminally ill patients
Sharing preferences for end of life care, known as advance care planning, may be linked to longer survival in terminally ill patients, suggests the first study of its kind, published online in the journal BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care.
19h
Exercise advice on food labels could help to tackle the obesity crisis
Saying how far consumers need to walk to burn off the calories could change eating habits Labelling food and drinks with how much walking or running is needed to burn them off could help tackle the obesity crisis, researchers say. While all packaged food must display certain nutritional information, such as calorie content, there is limited evidence that the approach changes what people buy or ea
20h
Author Correction: Tidal wetland resilience to sea level rise increases their carbon sequestration capacity in United States
Nature Communications, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/s41467-019-13800-3
20h
Monkeys mutant for PKD1 recapitulate human autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease
Nature Communications, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/s41467-019-13398-6 Most cases of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) are due to mutations in PKD1. Here, Tsukiyama et al. generate monkeys with mutations in PKD1 and show that animals recapitulate key pathological features of the human disease, suggesting these may provide insights into ADPKD pathogenesis and
20h
Author Correction: Tumour lineage shapes BRCA-mediated phenotypes
Nature, Published online: 11 December 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1839-2
20h
Regional trends in overdose deaths reveal multiple opioid epidemics
The United States in the grip of several simultaneously occurring opioid epidemics, rather than just a single crisis. The epidemics came to light after the researchers analyzed county-level data on drug overdose deaths. The study highlights the importance of different policy responses to the epidemics rather than a single set of policies.
20h
Alzheimer's drug candidates reverse broader aging, study shows
In mouse models of Alzheimer's disease, the investigational drug candidates known as CMS121 and J147 improve memory and slow the degeneration of brain cells. Now, researchers have shown how these compounds can also slow aging in healthy older mice, blocking the damage to brain cells that normally occurs during aging and restoring the levels of specific molecules to those seen in younger brains.
20h
Arnold Kriegstein (UCSF) 2: Cerebral Organoids: Models of Human Brain Disease and Evolution
https://www.ibiology.org/neuroscience/radial-glia-cells Dr. Arnold Kriegstein characterizes the development of neurons from radial glial cells and provides an overview of the use of cerebral organoids to study brain development and disease. How do neurons develop to confer humans their unique brain functions? Dr. Arnold Kriegstein compares and contrasts the development of neurons from radial glia
20h
Arnold Kriegstein (UCSF) 1: Outer Subventricular Zone Radial Glia Cells – Brain Development
https://www.ibiology.org/neuroscience/radial-glia-cells Dr. Arnold Kriegstein characterizes the development of neurons from radial glial cells and provides an overview of the use of cerebral organoids to study brain development and disease. How do neurons develop to confer humans their unique brain functions? Dr. Arnold Kriegstein compares and contrasts the dev