Scientists have shown for the first time that cooking food fundamentally alters the microbiomes of both mice and humans, a finding with implications both for optimizing our microbial health and for understanding how cooking may have altered the evolution of the our microbiomes during human prehistory.
Over the weekend, Elon Musk unveiled the first Starship prototype SpaceX has built. The company has set an ambitious test schedule for itself, with the vehicle possibly making a limited flight as early as November. The so-called Starship is actually the second stage of a two-stage rocket. The first stage is called Super Heavy. Combined, the two are known as BFR, or Big Falcon Rocket. Image of the
The 2020 Subaru Forester will likely not be the North American Car of the Year. (More probably the likes of the Audi e-Tron or Hyundai Palisade .) But for Subaru partisans who want safety, room for passengers and cargo, and rugged reliability, the Forester is the car of most every recent year. Even without 48-volt hybrid motors or active body control, the fifth-generation Forester brings a load o
Most of the plastic bottles washing up on the rocky shores of Inaccessible Island, aptly named for its sheer cliffs rising from the middle of the South Atlantic, probably come from Chinese merchant ships, a study published Monday said.
As one descends a mountain, the temperature steadily increases. A new study by a team including Andrew Nottingham, a research associate at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and post-doctoral fellow at the University of Edinburgh, took advantage of this principle to predict what would happen as tropical soils warm. The team discovered that warmer tropical soils released more car-bo
Simply by moving tropical soils down a mountainside into warmer environments, a team including Smithsonian scientists Andy Nottingham and Ben Turner discovered that much more CO2 may be released due to increased microbial activity as soils warm.
People who received omega-3 fish oil supplements in randomized clinical trials had lower risks of heart attack and other cardiovascular disease (CVD) events compared with those who were given placebo
As one descends a mountain, the temperature steadily increases. A new study by a team including Andrew Nottingham, a research associate at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and post-doctoral fellow at the University of Edinburgh, took advantage of this principle to predict what would happen as tropical soils warm. The team discovered that warmer tropical soils released more car-bo
This infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows a cloud of gas and dust full of bubbles, which are inflated by wind and radiation from young, massive stars. Each bubble is filled with hundreds to thousands of stars, which form from dense clouds of gas and dust.
While most people imagine alligators and crocodiles as being much the same now as they were during the age of dinosaurs, digging into the fossil record shows much more diverse species through time. Semiaquatic ambush predators resembling modern alligators and crocodiles are seen in fossil relatives going back to the Jurassic period, but the group also includes oceangoing crocs with flippers and ta
Cerebral ischemia is one of the leading causes of mortality and disability in infants and adults and its timely diagnosis is essential for an efficient treatment. We present a methodology for fast detection and real-time monitoring of fluctuations of calcium ions associated with focal ischemia using a molecular functional MRI…
The wrinkling of thin elastic objects provides a means of generating regular patterning at small scales in applications ranging from photovoltaics to microfluidic devices. Static wrinkle patterns are known to be governed by an energetic balance between the object's bending stiffness and an effective substrate stiffness, which may originate from…
Interactions between top-down and bottom-up information streams are integral to brain function but challenging to measure noninvasively. Laminar resolution, functional MRI (lfMRI) is sensitive to depth-dependent properties of the blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) response, which can be potentially related to top-down and bottom-up signal contributions. In this work, we used…
Is evolution always gradual or can it make leaps? We examine a mathematical model of an evolutionary process on a fitness landscape and obtain analytic solutions for the probability of multimutation leaps, that is, several mutations occurring simultaneously, within a single generation in 1 genome, and being fixed all together…
The white matter architecture of the brain imparts a distinct signature on neuronal coactivation patterns. Interregional projections promote synchrony among distant neuronal populations, giving rise to richly patterned functional networks. A variety of statistical, communication, and biophysical models have been proposed to study the relationship between brain structure and function,…
Genome editing using the CRISPR/Cas9 system has been used to make precise heritable changes in the DNA of organisms. Although the widely used Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9) and its engineered variants have been efficiently harnessed for numerous gene-editing applications across different platforms, concerns remain regarding their putative off-targeting at multiple…
RNA molecules cannot fold in the absence of counterions. Experiments are typically performed in the presence of monovalent and divalent cations. How to treat the impact of a solution containing a mixture of both ion types on RNA folding has remained a challenging problem for decades. By exploiting the large…
Charge selectivity forms the basis of cellular excitation or inhibition by Cys-loop ligand-gated ion channels (LGICs), and is essential for physiological receptor function. There are no reports of naturally occurring mutations in LGICs associated with the conversion of charge selectivity. Here, we report on a CHRNA1 mutation (α1Leu251Arg) in a…
Understanding how phenotypes evolve requires disentangling the effects of mutation generating new variation from the effects of selection filtering it. Tests for selection frequently assume that mutation introduces phenotypic variation symmetrically around the population mean, yet few studies have tested this assumption by deeply sampling the distributions of mutational effects…
Photosystem II (PSII) in the thylakoid membranes of plants, algae, and cyanobacteria catalyzes light-induced oxidation of water by which light energy is converted to chemical energy and molecular oxygen is produced. In higher plants and most eukaryotic algae, the PSII core is surrounded by variable numbers of light-harvesting antenna complex…
Distantly related species entering similar biological niches often adapt by evolving similar morphological and physiological characters. How much genomic molecular convergence (particularly of highly constrained coding sequence) contributes to convergent phenotypic evolution, such as echolocation in bats and whales, is a long-standing fundamental question. Like others, we find that convergent…
Plants, algae, and cyanobacteria fix carbon dioxide to organic carbon with the Calvin–Benson (CB) cycle. Phosphoribulokinase (PRK) and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) are essential CB-cycle enzymes that control substrate availability for the carboxylation enzyme Rubisco. PRK consumes ATP to produce the Rubisco substrate ribulose bisphosphate (RuBP). GAPDH catalyzes the reduction..
In both plants and animals, multiple cellular processes must be orchestrated to ensure proper organogenesis. The cell division patterns control the shape of growing organs, yet how they are precisely determined and coordinated is poorly understood. In plants, the distribution of the phytohormone auxin is tightly linked to organogenesis, including…
Optimization algorithms and Monte Carlo sampling algorithms have provided the computational foundations for the rapid growth in applications of statistical machine learning in recent years. There is, however, limited theoretical understanding of the relationships between these 2 kinds of methodology, and limited understanding of relative strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, existing…
Self-assembly is widely used by biological systems to build functional nanostructures, such as the protein capsids of RNA viruses. But because assembly is a collective phenomenon involving many weakly interacting subunits and a broad range of timescales, measurements of the assembly pathways have been elusive. We use interferometric scattering microscopy…
Elucidation of the genetic control of rice architecture is crucial due to the global demand for high crop yields. Rice architecture is a complex trait affected by plant height, tillering, and panicle morphology. In this study, principal component analysis (PCA) on 8 typical traits related to plant architecture revealed that…
The repertoire of αβ T cell antigen receptors (TCRs) on mature T cells is selected in the thymus where it is rendered both self-tolerant and restricted to the recognition of major histocompatibility complex molecules presenting peptide antigens (pMHC). It remains unclear whether germline TCR sequences exhibit an inherent bias to…
The synaptonemal complex (SC) is a conserved meiotic structure that regulates the repair of double-strand breaks (DSBs) into crossovers or gene conversions. The removal of any central-region SC component, such as the Drosophila melanogaster transverse filament protein C(3)G, causes a complete loss of SC structure and crossovers. To better understand…
The yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, vectors human pathogens. Juvenile hormones (JH) control almost every aspect of an insect's life, and JH analogs are currently used to control mosquito larvae. Since RNA interference does not work efficiently during the larval stages of this insect, JH regulation of larval development and…
Dispersal and adaptation both allow species to persist in changing environments. Yet, we have limited understanding of how these processes interact to affect species persistence, especially in diverse communities where biotic interactions greatly complicate responses to environmental change. Here we use a stochastic metacommunity model to demonstrate how dispersal and…
The selection pressure exerted by herbicides has led to the repeated evolution of herbicide resistance in weeds. The evolution of herbicide resistance on contemporary timescales in turn provides an outstanding opportunity to investigate key questions about the genetics of adaptation, in particular the relative importance of adaptation from new mutations,…
MEDICAL SCIENCES Retraction for "Identification of a coronary vascular progenitor cell in the human heart," by Claudia Bearzi, Annarosa Leri, Francesco Lo Monaco, Marcello Rota, Arantxa Gonzalez, Toru Hosoda, Martino Pepe, Khaled Qanud, Caroline Ojaimi, Silvana Bardelli, Domenico D'Amario, David A. D'Alessandro, Robert E. Michler, Stefanie Dimmeler, Andreas M. Zeiher,…
Macrophage polarization is critical to inflammation and resolution of inflammation. We previously showed that high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) can engage receptor for advanced glycation end product (RAGE) to direct monocytes to a proinflammatory phenotype characterized by production of type 1 IFN and proinflammatory cytokines. In contrast, HMGB1 plus C1q…
Botanical folk medicines have been used throughout human history to treat common disorders such as hypertension, often with unknown underlying mechanisms. Here, we discovered that hypotensive folk medicines from a genetically diverse range of plant species each selectively activated the vascular-expressed KCNQ5 potassium channel, a feature lacking in the modern…
Drinking-water contaminants pose a risk to public health. When confronted with elevated levels of contaminants, individuals can take actions to reduce exposure. Yet, few studies address averting behavior due to impaired water, particularly in high-income countries. This is a problem of national interest, given that 9 million to 45 million…
The enzyme [FeFe]-hydrogenase (HydA1) contains a unique 6-iron cofactor, the H-cluster, that has unusual ligands to an Fe–Fe binuclear subcluster: CN−, CO, and an azadithiolate (adt) ligand that provides 2 S bridges between the 2 Fe atoms. In cells, the H-cluster is assembled by a collection of 3 maturases: HydE…
We represent the locations of places (e.g., the coffee shop on 10th Street vs. the coffee shop on Peachtree Street) so that we can use them as landmarks to orient ourselves while navigating large-scale environments. While several neuroimaging studies have argued that the parahippocampal place area (PPA) represents such navigationally…
The placenta is critical in mammalian embryonic development because the embryo's supply of nutrients, including amino acids, depends solely on mother-to-embryo transport through it. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this amino acid supply are poorly understood. In this study, we focused on system A amino acid transporters Slc38a1/SNAT1, Slc38a2/SNAT2, and…
Günter P. Wagner works at the interface of population genetics and evolutionary developmental biology, and has made several key contributions to both fields. A professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale University, Wagner was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2018. Wagner focuses on the evolution of…
OPINION Correction for "Opinion: Governing the recreational dimension of global fisheries," by Robert Arlinghaus, Joshua K. Abbott, Eli P. Fenichel, Stephen R. Carpenter, Len M. Hunt, Josep Alós, Thomas Klefoth, Steven J. Cooke, Ray Hilborn, Olaf P. Jensen, Michael J. Wilberg, John R. Post, and Michael J. Manfredo, which was…
Induction of eomesodermin-positive CD4+ T cells (Eomes+ T helper [Th] cells) has recently been correlated with the transition from an acute stage to a later stage of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model for multiple sclerosis. Moreover, these cells' pathogenic role has been experimentally proven in EAE. While exploring…
RNA-guided CRISPR-Cas9 proteins have been widely used for genome editing, but their off-target activities limit broad application. The minimal Cas9 ortholog from Staphylococcus aureus (SaCas9) is commonly used for in vivo genome editing; however, no variant conferring high genome-wide specificity is available. Here, we report rationally engineered SaCas9 variants with…
We study the spatiotemporal correlation of terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), and local insurgents, in six geographical areas identified via k-means clustering applied to the Global Terrorism Database. All surveyed organizations exhibit near-repeat activity whereby a prior attack increases the likelihood of a…
The doctoral advisor—typically the principal investigator (PI)—is often characterized as a singular or primary mentor who guides students using a cognitive apprenticeship model. Alternatively, the "cascading mentorship" model describes the members of laboratories or research groups receiving mentorship from more senior laboratory members and providing it to more junior members…
Droplet manipulation is playing an important role in various fields, including scientific research, industrial production, and daily life. Here, inspired by the microstructures and functions of Namib desert beetles, Nepenthes pitcher plants, and emergent aquatic plants, we present a multibioinspired slippery surface for droplet manipulation by employing combined strategies of…
Copper (Cu)-containing proteins execute essential functions in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, but their biogenesis is challenged by high Cu toxicity and the preferential presence of Cu(II) under aerobic conditions, while Cu(I) is the preferred substrate for Cu chaperones and Cu-transport proteins. These proteins form a coordinated network that prevents Cu…
Human speech comprehension is remarkable for its immediacy and rapidity. The listener interprets an incrementally delivered auditory input, millisecond by millisecond as it is heard, in terms of complex multilevel representations of relevant linguistic and nonlinguistic knowledge. Central to this process are the neural computations involved in semantic combination, whereby…
Carbonic acid H2CO3 (CA) is a key constituent of the universal CA/bicarbonate/CO2 buffer maintaining the pH of both blood and the oceans. Here we demonstrate the ability of intact CA to quantitatively protonate bases with biologically-relevant pKas and argue that CA has a previously unappreciated function as a major source…
Polyphosphate fire retardants are a critical tactical resource for fighting fires in the wildland and in the wildland–urban interface. Yet, application of these retardants is limited to emergency suppression strategies because current formulations cannot retain fire retardants on target vegetation for extended periods of time through environmental exposure and weathering….
Retinoic acid-related orphan receptor α (RORα) functions as a transcription factor for various biological processes, including circadian rhythm, cancer, and metabolism. Here, we generate intestinal epithelial cell (IEC)-specific RORα-deficient (RORαΔIEC) mice and find that RORα is crucial for maintaining intestinal homeostasis by attenuating nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) transcriptional activity. RORα
Electrochemical techniques with disk and nano-tip electrodes, together with calcium imaging, were used to examine the effect of short-interval repetitive stimuli on both exocytosis and vesicular content in a model cell line. We show that the number of events decreases markedly with repeated stimuli suggesting a depletion of exocytosis machinery….
Shifting people in higher income countries toward more plant-based diets would protect the natural environment and improve population health. Research in other domains suggests altering the physical environments in which people make decisions ("nudging") holds promise for achieving socially desirable behavior change. Here, we examine the impact of attempting to…
Climate change threatens global biodiversity by increasing extinction risk, yet few studies have uncovered a physiological basis of climate-driven species declines. Maintaining a stable body temperature is a fundamental requirement for homeothermic animals, and water is a vital resource that facilitates thermoregulation through evaporative cooling, especially in hot environments. Here,…
A CTG repeat expansion in the DMPK gene is the causative mutation of myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). Transcription of the expanded CTG repeat produces toxic gain-of-function CUG RNA, leading to disease symptoms. A screening platform that targets production or stability of the toxic CUG RNA in a selective manner…
Although many proteins possess a distinct folded structure lying at a minimum in a funneled free energy landscape, thermal energy causes any protein to continuously access lowly populated excited states. The existence of excited states is an integral part of biological function. Although transitions into the excited states may lead…
Development of multicellular organs requires the coordination of cell differentiation and patterning. Critical for sound detection, the mammalian organ of Corti contains functional units arranged tonotopically along the cochlear turns. Each unit consists of sensory hair cells intercalated by nonsensory supporting cells, both specified and radially patterned with exquisite precision…
Defects in interleukin-1β (IL-1β)–mediated cellular responses contribute to Alzheimer's disease (AD). To decipher the mechanism associated with its pathogenesis, we investigated the molecular events associated with the termination of IL-1β inflammatory responses by focusing on the role played by the target of Myb1 (TOM1), a negative regulator of the interleukin-1β…
Human milk fat substitute (HMFS) is a class of structured lipid that is widely used as an ingredient in infant formulas. Like human milk fat, HMFS is characterized by enrichment of palmitoyl (C16:0) groups specifically at the middle (sn-2 or β) position on the glycerol backbone, and there is evidence…
The ovulatory homolog model of female orgasm posits that the neuro-endocrine mechanisms underlying female orgasm evolved from and are homologous to the mechanisms mediating copulation-induced ovulation in some mammals. This model predicts that pharmacological agents that affect human orgasm, such as fluoxetine, should also affect ovulation in animals with copulation-induced…
Vacuoles are essential organelles in plants, playing crucial roles, such as cellular material degradation, ion and metabolite storage, and turgor maintenance. Vacuoles receive material via the endocytic, secretory, and autophagic pathways. Membrane fusion is the last step during which prevacuolar compartments (PVCs) and autophagosomes fuse with the vacuole membrane (tonoplast)…
The Chip/LIM-domain binding protein (LDB)–single-stranded DNA-binding protein (SSDP) (ChiLS) complex controls numerous cell-fate decisions in animal cells, by mediating transcription of developmental control genes via remote enhancers. ChiLS is recruited to these enhancers by lineage-specific LIM-domain proteins that bind to its Chip/LDB subunit. ChiLS recently emerged as the core module…
Human social life depends on theory of mind, the ability to attribute mental states to oneself and others. A signature of theory of mind, false belief understanding, requires representing others' views of the world, even when they conflict with one's own. After decades of research, it remains controversial whether any…
The majority of NMDA receptors (NMDARs) in the brain are composed of 2 GluN1 and 2 GluN2 subunits. The inclusion or exclusion of 1 N-terminal and 2 C-terminal domains of GluN1 results in 8 splicing variants that exhibit distinct temporal and spatial patterns of expression and functional properties. However, previous…
Mexico is recognized as the center of origin and domestication of maize. Introduction of modern maize varieties (MVs) into Mexico raised concerns regarding the possible effects of gene flow from MVs into maize landraces (LRs) and their wild relatives (WRs), teosintes. However, after more than 60 y from the release…
The apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium is a leading global cause of severe diarrheal disease and an important contributor to early-childhood mortality. Waterborne outbreaks occur frequently, even in countries with advanced water treatment capabilities, and there is currently no fully effective treatment. Nucleotide pathways are attractive targets for antimicrobial development, and several…
In photosynthetic organisms, the repair of photosystem II (PSII) is enhanced after acclimation to strong light, with the resultant mitigation of photoinhibition of PSII. We previously reported that oxidation of translation elongation factor EF-Tu, which delivers aminoacyl-tRNA to the ribosome, depresses the repair of PSII in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp….
The ability of cells to perceive the mechanical identity of extracellular matrix, generally known as mechanosensing, is generally depicted as a consequence of an intricate balance between pulling forces actuated by the actin fibers on the adhesion plaques and the mechanical reaction of the supporting material. However, whether the cell…
Interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IL-15 play pivotal roles in T cell activation, apoptosis, and survival, and are implicated in leukemias and autoimmune diseases. Their heterotrimeric receptors share their β- and γc-chains, but have distinct α-chains. Anti–IL-2Rα (daclizumab) therapy targeting cell surface-expressed receptor subunits to inhibit T cell proliferation has only brought…
BIOPHYSICS AND COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY Correction for "Structural basis for GPCR-independent activation of heterotrimeric Gi proteins," by Nicholas A. Kalogriopoulos, Steven D. Rees, Tony Ngo, Noah J. Kopcho, Andrey V. Ilatovskiy, Nina Sun, Elizabeth A. Komives, Geoffrey Chang, Pradipta Ghosh, and Irina Kufareva, which was first published July 30, 2019; 10.1073/pnas.1906658116…
Increasing life expectancy is causing the prevalence of age-related diseases to rise, and there is an urgent need for new strategies to improve health at older ages. Reduced activity of insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling (IIS) and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) nutrient-sensing signaling network can extend lifespan and improve health…
Most plastic debris floating at sea is thought to come from land-based sources, but there is little direct evidence to support this assumption. Since 1984, stranded debris has been recorded along the west coast of Inaccessible Island, a remote, uninhabited island in the central South Atlantic Ocean that has a…
The stereotype of the "strong black woman" is more than just a cultural trope: Many black women in America report feeling pressured to act like superwomen, projecting themselves as strong, self-sacrificing, and free of emotion to cope with the stress of race- and gender-based discrimination in their daily lives.
wAIfu Before you read another word, Futurism would like to apologize for what you are about to read. With that out of the way, let's talk about a site called " Waifu Labs ," which uses artificial intelligence to generate the anime-style paramours of your dreams. The website presents users with a grid of 16 anime women — some suggestive, some with animal ears, and many unsettlingly childlike — tha
A group of people from the Khomani San community. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images/) In 2009, researchers collected DNA from four elderly men in Namibia, each from one of the many San indigenous communities scattered across southern Africa. A year later, analyses of the men's DNA were published in the journal Nature —alongside that of South African human rights activist Desmond Tutu. The intention, in p
Bird numbers are plummeting in the Mojave desert in the US as it gets hotter due to global warming, and it could be because they can't get the water they need
A weather-resistant fluid containing fire retardants can be sprayed onto vegetation to stop wildfires from starting at high-risk areas such as roadsides
A study that gave antidepressants to rabbits suggests that female orgasm may be evolutionarily linked to a mechanism for triggering the release of eggs
Early life stress from racial discrimination puts African Americans at greater risk for accelerated aging, a marker for premature development of serious health problems and perhaps a shorter life expectancy, according to a study led by a Georgia State University psychology researcher.
New research suggests a person's reliance on his or her smartphone predicts greater loneliness and depressive symptoms, as opposed to the other way around.
Some people with anxiety may actively resist relaxation in favor of worrying, according to new research. The study suggests it's a way to avoid a large jump in anxiety if something bad really does happen. Researchers found that people more sensitive to shifts in negative emotion—quickly moving from a relaxed state to one of fear, for example—are more likely to feel anxious while taking part in re
After a scientist at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg had a mental breakdown that may have contributed to her death in 2016, employees raise red flags about an unhealthy work environment.
Learn about how microarray technology offers a high-throughput, cost-effective route to examining DNA methylation with this poster from The Scientist's Creative Services Division and Brooks Life Sciences!
orcid.org/0000-0001-8771-7239 I'm happy to announce PLOS' participation in a new service, Review Commons, that will provide a platform for rapid, objective, journal-independent peer reviews for manuscripts and preprints. We are excited to be part
This weekend in Hong Kong, pro-democracy demonstrators and riot police clashed once more, the latest incidents in a protest movement that has been taking place for about four months now. The increasing violence and continued anti-Chinese unrest in Hong Kong are worrying both sides, as Chinese leaders prepare to celebrate China's National Day on October 1—the 70th anniversary of the founding of th
The feline photographer Larry Johnson prides himself on capturing the idiosyncratic essence of people's cats. "I like getting intimate with the cats," he says in Mark Zemel's short documentary, The Purrtraitist . "I like their personalities." Johnson is a mainstay in the niche world of cat shows, where he photographs pedigreed cats who are competing for national and regional titles. In the film,
To study the diet of ancient crocodiles, two researchers–one from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and one from Stony Brook University–combined mathematical analyses of the animals' shapes, surveys of modern crocodiles' diet, modeling methods for reconstructing the diet of fossil groups, and forensic-style interpretations of damaged bones from the distant past.
Common herbs, including lavender, fennel and chamomile, have a long history of use as folk medicines used to lower blood pressure. In a new study, University of California, Irvine researchers explain the molecular mechanisms that make them work.
Researchers have developed a new variant of the gene editing technique CRISPR-Cas9 that has the potential to increase precision during gene therapy in humans. The new variant reduced unintended changes in DNA compared to its wildtype, suggesting it could play a role in gene therapies that require high precision. The study by researchers from Karolinska Institutet's Ming Wai Lau Centre of Reparativ
Last year, UC Berkeley biologists discovered that bird populations in the Mojave Desert had crashed over the past 100 years. The biologists now have evidence that heat stress is a key cause. Simulations with a computerized 'virtual bird' suggest that with higher temperatures, birds need more water to keep cool. Larger insectivores or carnivores should be most affected, and small seedeaters less so
Researchers at MIT and elsewhere have designed 3-D printed meshlike structures that morph from flat layers into predetermined shapes, such as a human face, in response to changes in ambient temperature.
A triple drug combination has been used to extend the lifespan of fruit flies by 48% in a new study led by UCL and the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS),
First major study on "nudging" people towards sustainable diets. Replacing just one meat or fish dish with another veggie option in college cafeterias dramatically increased herbivorous dining while maintaining sales. Vegetarian food needs to "land more starring roles" on menus, say researchers. Findings have influenced food policy at Cambridge University.
Scientists have come a step closer to understanding how we're able to understand spoken language so rapidly, and it involves a huge and complex set of computations in the brain.
For decades a fierce debate was raised on whether any nonhuman species possess the ability of 'Theory of Mind'. Now, Kyoto University researchers report in a new study that great apes — including chimpanzees, bonobos, and orangutans — do demonstrate a theory of mind, meaning they can understand others' mental states.
Scientists and engineers worked with state and local agencies to develop and test a long-lasting, environmentally benign fire-retarding material. If used on high-risk areas, the simple, affordable treatment could dramatically cut the number of fires that occur each year.
Study suggests climax may be an evolutionary hangover – but crucial questions remain A possible explanation for one of biology's greatest mysteries, the female orgasm, has been bolstered by research showing that rabbits given antidepressants release fewer eggs during sex. The human female orgasm has long proved curious, having no obvious purpose besides being pleasurable. Continue reading…
Researchers have developed a new variant of the gene editing technique CRISPR-Cas9 that has the potential to increase precision during gene therapy in humans. The new variant reduced unintended changes in DNA compared to its wildtype, suggesting it could play a role in gene therapies that require high precision. The study by researchers from Karolinska Institutet's Ming Wai Lau Centre of Reparativ
As temperatures rise, desert birds need more water to cool off at the same time as deserts are becoming drier, setting some species up for a severe crash, if not extinction, according to a new study from the University of California, Berkeley.
Martin Scorsese's new film, The Irishman , plays at "a certain pace," as the famed director explained in a recent interview . It's a gangster picture from the acknowledged master of the genre—the first Scorsese has made since 2006's Oscar-winning The Departed —but it deliberately lacks the kinetic energy of earlier masterworks such as Mean Streets or Goodfellas . With a Herculean running time of
The multibillion-dollar solar photovoltaic industry has roots in an unexpected place. More than 40 years ago, oil companies invested in solar research and development that have proved critical. (Image credit: Solar Power Corporation via John Perlin)
Smarter Spambots Just what we need, according to a team of researchers with nothing better to do: bots spamming online news articles with AI-generated comments. A new algorithm called DeepCom can read simplified versions of news stories and churn out comments that resemble those written by human internet-goers, according to research shared on the preprint server ArXiv last week. Purportedly desig
Researchers have developed a new variant of the gene editing technique CRISPR-Cas9 that has the potential to increase precision during gene therapy in humans. The new variant reduced unintended changes in DNA compared to its wildtype, suggesting it could play a role in gene therapies that require high precision. The study by researchers from Karolinska Institutet's Ming Wai Lau Centre of Reparativ
As temperatures rise, desert birds need more water to cool off at the same time as deserts are becoming drier, setting some species up for a severe crash, if not extinction, according to a new study from the University of California, Berkeley.
A triple drug combination has been used to extend the lifespan of fruit flies by 48% in a new study led by UCL and the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing.
As close evolutionary relatives, you could say that great apes and humans look somewhat similar. And the more we learn about our great ape cousins, the more we find that we're alike.
A triple drug combination has been used to extend the lifespan of fruit flies by 48% in a new study led by UCL and the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing.
As close evolutionary relatives, you could say that great apes and humans look somewhat similar. And the more we learn about our great ape cousins, the more we find that we're alike.
A preventive treatment developed by Stanford researchers could greatly reduce the incidence and severity of wildfires. The approach, outlined Sept. 30 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, involves an environmentally benign gel-like fluid that helps common wildland fire retardants last longer on vegetation.
A study of over 94,000 cafeteria meal choices has found that doubling the vegetarian options—from one in four to two in four—reduced the proportion of meat-rich purchases by between 40-80% without affecting overall food sales.
A program developed to encourage healthy relationships and reduce dating violence was effective among early middle school students, according to results of a study published in the American Journal of Public Health by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).
After raising $100 million, virtual reality content startup Jaunt has been in a precarious position for a few years now. It seems like the saga has finally come to a close as the startup announces …
A new study by University of California, Berkeley, researchers explores whether different facets of being a strong black woman, which researchers sometimes refer to as 'superwoman schema,' ultimately protect women from the negative health impacts of racial discrimination — or cause more harm.
UBC researchers have developed a data science method that analyzes how easily citizens can access hospitals and walk-in health clinics — and it's a tool that could eventually help city planners and policymakers build smarter, more equitable cities.
Portions of this blog post are excerpted from the accompanying podcast episode and from notes shared between the SciStarter team and Kobi Gal's research team. Smart Project Recommendations on SciStarter With thousands of projects listed on SciStarter, a main challenge can be finding the right project, one that really suits your needs and your interests. After meeting at a workshop on the Open Scie
Between the Ferns: The Movie, A custom-build carrier is just one of the ways production designers had to innovate for Between the Ferns: The Movie, which takes the popular Funny or Die sketch series on the road. (Courtesy Netflix/) The biggest truth bomb in Between Two Ferns: The Movie comes in the first minutes of the mocu-mentary, when Zach Galifianakis, playing his boorish self, trades jabs wi
Enjoy the start of astronomical autumn with black holes, a comet, star clusters and other stunning images. 1_bh_accretiondisk_sim_stationary_websize.jpg NASA's latest visualization of a black hole. Image credits: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Jeremy Schnittman Space Monday, September 30, 2019 – 14:15 Abigail Malate, Staff Illustrator (Inside Science) — This month, astronomers explored stel
Low back pain is one of the most common conditions Americans seek care for–and one of the more common reasons for an opioid prescription. Facing the opioid crisis, the American College of Physicians and the CDC now recommend first trying non-pharmacological treatments for low back pain.
Instagram is full of fashion-forward users, so it's no surprise that clothing, footwear and luxury brands are more than happy to use the platform as a marketing and sales channel. …
Dumb Summon Tesla's " Smart Summon " feature, which lets cars navigate themselves in parking lots, isn't even out of beta yet. But Tesla owners are already using it in some mind-bogglingly stupid ways, Electrek reports . In a video uploaded to YouTube account "Dirty Tesla," a Model 3 owner tries to walk in front of his vehicle while the Smart Summon feature is activated. Luckily, the Model 3's ca
AI Regression At a conference at the Vatican last week, Pope Francis warned a group of Silicon Valley execs that in the wrong hands, artificial intelligence could have devastating consequences for humanity. "If mankind's so-called technological progress were to become an enemy of the common good, this would lead to an unfortunate regression to a form of barbarism dictated by the law of the strong
The strains chosen for the Southern Hemisphere vaccine suggest the Northern Hemisphere one may not provide optimal protection — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Inflammation plays a major factor in just about every major medical condition, from relatively minor issues like asthma, arthritis, and general aches and pains, to much more serious issues like diabetes, coronary artery disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's. For centuries, the medical community viewed inflammation as a necessary, unavoidable, and sometimes even beneficial systemic response to illness
Many new parents are familiar with terms like 'baby brain' or 'mommy brain' that hint at an unavoidable decline in cognitive function associated with the hormonal changes of pregnancy, childbirth, and maternal caregiving. A new study of parental care in stickleback fish is a reminder that such parenting-induced changes in the brain and associated shifts in cognition and behavior are not just for f
Scientists have taken a major step to address the challenge of engineer tissues organized like native tissues. They have demonstrated a new method to fabricate scaffolds presenting spatially organized cues to control cell behavior locally within one material.
Google's ATAP group is responsible for some of the company's most forward-looking technologies, like the touch-sensitive fabric known as Project Jacquard. …
Many are wondering what the future looks like in terms of transportation. Will we still be driving cars on the roads 20 years from now? Will we be flying around on personal jetpacks? That remains …
The embattled researcher answers a book's charges that he incited and exaggerated the violence of the Yanomamö in this profile from 2001 — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Parents using multiple kitchen appliances and utensils to prevent their child with celiac disease from being exposed to gluten may be able to eliminate some cumbersome steps. A new preliminary study found no significant gluten transfer when tools like the same toaster or knives are used for both gluten-free and gluten-containing foods.
In a proof-of-concept experiment, researchers say they have successfully used microscopic human-made particles to predict the severity of patients' chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by measuring how quickly the particles move through mucus samples. The technique, say the researchers, could eventually help doctors deliver more effective treatments sooner.
New treatment guidelines don't assuage concerns that some children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are being prescribed medication too soon, before behavioral interventions are tried. (Image credit: Alex Smith/KCUR)
Alien Spies A physicist who's on the hunt for extraterrestrial life says there's a chance that an ancient alien civilization has been spying on Earth for millions of years. That's not to say that he's suggesting they walk among us, but physicist and independent SETI researcher James Benford suggests that aliens could have visited a rock orbiting the Sun in a path similar to that or Earth, accordi
The special relationship between supermassive black holes and their host galaxies begins early in the galaxy's formation, according to new research. The relationship also has a say in how both the galaxy and the supermassive black hole (SMBH) at its center grow over time, the researchers note. A black hole is a point in space where matter has compacted so tightly that it creates intense gravity.
Solar energy has always been a good idea in theory, but for a long time it was difficult to make this theory a reality. For most people the initial solar cost was simply too expensive. And even for people who had the money, the solar energy marketplace was so complicated that they wouldn't even know where to start. Luckily, over the last 10 years, that's all started to change. Not only is solar e
Nature, Published online: 30 September 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-02921-w Disappointment as World Health Organization pushes back target date for eradication to 2030.
Donald Trump may have no impeachment war room , but he does have an impeachment strategy. He deployed it this past weekend. It's the same strategy he brought to his presidential campaign, then to his presidency: all base, all the time. In 1998 and '99, Bill Clinton directed his anti-impeachment messaging to voters who did not necessarily approve of him, but who feared impeachment as disruptive. T
Life on Mars Chief scientist at NASA Jim Green believes we're just years away from finding life on Mars — thanks to the agency's Mars rover and the European Space Agency's ExoMars Rover , both scheduled to launch in 2020. If the missions find life, Green is terrified of the implications. "It will start a whole new line of thinking," he told The Telegraph . "I don't think we're prepared for the re
As Americans turn away from organized religion, pagan spiritualities gain popularity and visibility. Although it isn't a homogenized religion, groups identifying within neo-paganism share some uniting principles. Witchcraft, which is traditionally associated with women, finds strength and new life in feminist movements. None The witch is impossible to ignore. Pop into an Urban Outfitters and you'
As rates of adolescent obesity continue to rise, choice of treatment needs to be guided by the severity of obesity, psychosocial factors, comorbidities and patient's age and pubertal status, according to a new paper published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Researchers at Western University have shown for the first time the molecular mechanisms at work that cause cannabidiol, or CBD, to block the psychiatric side-effects caused by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive chemical in cannabis.
Neuroscientists have failed to replicate the findings of an influential study linking genetics to cognition. Published in JNeurosci, the researchers highlight issues in the design, analysis, and interpretation of the original study.
High levels of cannabidiol (CBD) in cannabis can offset the neuropsychiatric effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) by preventing activation of an emotional processing pathway, according to research recently published in JNeurosci.
Representations reflecting non-linguistic experience have been detected in brain activity during reading in study of healthy, native English speakers published in JNeurosci. The research brings us one step closer to a more complete characterization of human language.
Instagram deployed a new tool today that should help it continue to build a more viable alternative to YouTube for individual creators looking to try a different platform. It's a dedicated …
The World Economic Forum lists water crises among the top 10 most likely and impactful global risks. Most water metrics to date have only focused on water quality or water availability at national and regional scales. There has been a critical gap, though, in the ability to identify which households experience issues with reliably accessing safe water in sufficient quantities for all household use
The pharmacy chains are pulling the heartburn medication from shelves after the Food and Drug Administration warned that it had detected low levels of a cancer-causing chemical in samples of the drug.
Santa Barbara County residents love their coastline, from the small-town beaches of Carpinteria to Santa Barbara's waterfront to camping hotspots like Jalama Beach and dramatic Guadalupe Dunes. But drastic changes are in store in coming decades as temperatures and sea levels rise, bringing massive impacts to local ecology and human systems.
The audience cheered, and Sara Quin scoffed. "Where the fuck were you when I was 15?" she asked the sold-out Murmrr theater in Brooklyn last week. The question was jokey, but it also wasn't. Sara, of the band Tegan and Sara, had just told a story about the time in 12th grade when she hurled a chair at a classmate who'd sneered during a health lesson, "Fags get AIDS." In her and her sister's new m
There has been a critical gap in the ability to identify which households experience issues with reliably accessing safe water in sufficient quantities for all household uses, from drinking and cooking to bathing and cleaning — until now.
Negative perception of a regulatory authority like the EU diminishes the honesty of those regulated, for example, that of fishermen. This is the conclusion drawn by researchers from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Leipzig University, the University of Hamburg, and the Kiel Institute for the World Economy from a game of chance experiment with EU-sceptic commercia
Hurricane Dorian is the latest example of a frightening trend. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, more severe and more widespread as a consequence of climate change. New research from Washington University in St. Louis provides important new insights into how different species may fare under this new normal.
RUDN University mathematicians created a model of maximum efficiency of data centers. It is based on a nontrivial Markov chain. In addition to the obvious practical applications of the results for the organization of servers and data centers, the theoretical part will be useful for the theory of queues and queuing, as well as for working with big data and neural networks. The study is published in
Based on the way Stranger Things season 3 had ended, it seemed like there was still plenty of story left to be told. The good news is that if you wanted to see what the rest of the Stranger …
Purple martins will soon migrate south for their usual wintertime retreat, but this time the birds will be wearing what look like little backpacks, as scientists plan to track their roosting …
Hurricane Dorian is the latest example of a frightening trend. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, more severe and more widespread as a consequence of climate change. New research from Washington University in St. Louis provides important new insights into how different species may fare under this new normal.
Santa Barbara County residents love their coastline, from the small-town beaches of Carpinteria to Santa Barbara's waterfront to camping hotspots like Jalama Beach and dramatic Guadalupe Dunes. But drastic changes are in store in coming decades as temperatures and sea levels rise, bringing massive impacts to local ecology and human systems.
Negative perception of a regulatory authority diminishes the honesty of those regulated. This is the conclusion of an experiment with EU-sceptic commercial fishermen and Brexit voters drawn by a research team lead by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Leipzig University and University of Hamburg. The findings, published in 'European Economic Review', can help to assess
US cities could see a decline in mortality rates and an improved economy through midcentury if federal and local governments maintain stringent air pollution policies and diminish concentrations of diesel freight truck exhaust, according to Cornell University research.
Researchers in Italy at IIT-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia used visible light together with photo-sensitive and biocompatible materials to facilitate the formation of new blood vessels in vitro. This new technique, called optoceutics, opens up new horizons for regenerative medicine.
Faced with extreme weather events and unprecedented environmental change, animals and plants are scrambling to catch up — with mixed results. A new model developed by Carlos Botero, assistant professor of biology at Washington University in St. Louis, helps to predict the types of changes that could drive a given species to extinction.
Old Ones Astronomers just spotted a protocluster of galaxies that are older than any others in the known universe. The discovery only recently became possible, because the light given off by the galaxies' stars reached Earth after making an epic 13-billion-light-year journey across the universe, Live Science reports . The ancient group is just about 800 million years younger than the universe its
RUDN University chemists have developed a simple and convenient method for producing derivatives of the natural polymer chitosan. These derivatives are non-toxic and have a pronounced antibacterial activity at the level of modern antibiotics. These substances can be used in the production of antibacterial protective films for food. The article is published in the journal Food Chemistry.
NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image of Tropical Storm Narda along Mexico's west coast in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Satellite data revealed the potential for heavy rainfall within Narda, and warnings are in effect for portions of western Mexico.
Researchers at the University of Illinois have shown through a multi-year study that cowbirds (Molothrus ater) conform to Bateman's Principle, which holds that reproductive success is greater in males than in females when they have more mates. Cowbirds are distinct from 99% of other bird species in that they are brood parasites and lay their eggs in nests of birds of other species for them to rais
Astronomers think there's another planet in our solar system, but no one has been able to see it. That could be because it's not a conventional planet at all.
Self-employed people who work in some of the most popular—but lowest paid—occupations have the greatest risk of losing their job to artificial intelligence, experts say. With both self-employment and AI investment on the rise, independent sales people, drivers, and agriculture and construction workers face the greatest danger of having their jobs computerized, because the work is routine and low
Researchers at the University of Illinois have shown through a multi-year study that cowbirds (Molothrus ater) conform to Bateman's Principle, which holds that reproductive success is greater in males than in females when they have more mates. Cowbirds are distinct from 99% of other bird species in that they are brood parasites and lay their eggs in nests of birds of other species for them to rais
As their Latin name indicates, pineapples are truly "excellent fruits"—and thanks to a freshly completed genome sequencing project, researchers have gained a new understanding of how human agriculture has shaped the evolution of this and other crops.
Silicon semiconductor technology has done marvels for the advancement of our society, which has benefited tremendously from its versatile use and amazing capabilities. The development of electronics, automation, computers, digital cameras and recent smartphones based on this material and its underpinning technology has skyrocketed, downscaling the physical size of devices and wires to the nanometr
As their Latin name indicates, pineapples are truly "excellent fruits"—and thanks to a freshly completed genome sequencing project, researchers have gained a new understanding of how human agriculture has shaped the evolution of this and other crops.
Rising ocean temperatures have long been linked to negative impacts for marine life, but a Florida State University team has found that the long-term outlook for many marine species is much more complex—and possibly bleaker—than scientists previously believed.
To get wildlife data, scientists have jumped out of helicopters and given mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to venomous snakes. E-seal-one-top-crop-cheating.jpg Trevor McIntyre faces off against a male southern elephant seal. His job was to distract aggressive males with a broomstick while his colleagues checked on other seals or glued tracking devices to their heads. Image credits: Phathutshedzo M.
Rising ocean temperatures have long been linked to negative impacts for marine life, but a Florida State University team has found that the long-term outlook for many marine species is much more complex—and possibly bleaker—than scientists previously believed.
People who live or think they live in a more economically unequal society may be more supportive of a strong, even autocratic leader, a large-scale international study shows.
Listening in on manatee conversations could help restore populations of this endangered marine mammal. Each manatee has its own voice: their calls can be traced back to specific individuals, offering a way to estimate how many of them are present in a particular habitat in a given time. Researchers from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and the Universidad Tecnologica de Panama, (
NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image of Tropical Storm Narda along Mexico's west coast in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Satellite data revealed the potential for heavy rainfall within Narda, and warnings are in effect for portions of western Mexico.
Parents using multiple kitchen appliances and utensils to prevent their child with celiac disease from being exposed to gluten may be able to eliminate some cumbersome steps. A new, preliminary study from Children's National Hospital published in the journal Gastroenterology found no significant gluten transfer when tools like the same toaster or knives are used for both gluten-free and gluten-con
Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) partnered with the Drexel Food Lab (DFL) to reformulate popular foods to contain less sodium, including a Philadelphia staple the hoagie roll, which led to a successful implementation in the public school system.
A drug used for breast and ovarian cancer is more effective than modern targeted hormone treatments at slowing progression and improving survival in some men with advanced prostate cancer, phase III clinical trial findings reveal.
Rising ocean temperatures have long been linked to negative impacts for marine life, but a Florida State University team has found that the long-term outlook for many marine species is much more complex — and possibly bleaker — than scientists previously believed.
A modern chemotherapy drug is more effective for men with advanced prostate cancer than a second targeted hormone therapy in patients who have stopped responding to treatment, a major clinical trial shows.Men who had stopped responding to either abiraterone or enzalutamide lived longer before their disease came back when treated with the chemotherapy cabazitaxel than those offered the other target
Researchers at Illinois have discovered that cowbirds conform to Bateman's Principle, despite investing no energy into parental care. Surprisingly, 75% of the cowbirds in the system were monogamous. Future research will expand upon these findings and broaden the understanding of how cowbirds might select the nests they parasitize, what role the males could play to assist the females, and why monog
Listening in on manatee conversations could help restore populations of this endangered marine mammal. Each manatee has its own voice: their calls can be traced back to specific individuals, offering a way to estimate how many of them are present in a particular habitat in a given time. Researchers from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and the Universidad Tecnologica de Panama, (
Purple martins will soon migrate south for their usual wintertime retreat, but this time the birds will be wearing what look like little backpacks, as scientists plan to track their roosting sites along the way.
Over the weekend of Sept. 28 and 29, Hurricane Lorenzo attained Category 5 strength briefly, becoming the strongest hurricane on record in the eastern-most Atlantic Ocean. Lorenzo has also attained and contributed to some other significant statistics. NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite provided infrared data over two days provided forecasters with changes in the storm's eye, powerful thunderstorms an
Purple martins will soon migrate south for their usual wintertime retreat, but this time the birds will be wearing what look like little backpacks, as scientists plan to track their roosting sites along the way.
To increase the efficiency of microchips, 3-D structures are now being investigated. However, spintronic components, which rely on electron spin rather than charge, are always flat. To investigate how to connect these to 3-D electronics, University of Groningen physicist Dr. Kumar Sourav Das created curved spin transport channels. Together with his colleagues, he discovered that this new geometry
A Southwest Research Institute science and engineering team designed a two-dimensional radar retroreflector that remotely monitors subtle shifts in the Earth's crust. The patent-pending Van Atta retroreflector works in conjunction with satellites to precisely measure ground movement caused by earthquakes, oil production, mining and other processes. Movement can pose a risk to critical infrastructu
Purple martins will soon migrate south for their usual wintertime retreat, but this time the birds will be wearing what look like little backpacks, so scientists can track their roosting sites along the way. The researchers recently discovered that purple martins are roosting in small forest patches as they migrate from North America to Brazil, an unexpected behavior.
Many new parents are familiar with terms like "baby brain" or "mommy brain" that hint at an unavoidable decline in cognitive function associated with the hormonal changes of pregnancy, childbirth, and maternal caregiving. A new study of parental care in stickleback fish is a reminder that such parenting-induced changes in the brain and associated shifts in cognition and behavior are not just for f
Scientists from NUST MISIS (Russia) and University of Rome Tor Vergata found out that a microscopic quantity of two-dimensional titanium carbide called MXene significantly improves collection of electrical charges in a perovskite solar cell, increasing the final efficiency above 20%. The results of the research were published in Nature Materials.
Many new parents are familiar with terms like "baby brain" or "mommy brain" that hint at an unavoidable decline in cognitive function associated with the hormonal changes of pregnancy, childbirth, and maternal caregiving. A new study of parental care in stickleback fish is a reminder that such parenting-induced changes in the brain and associated shifts in cognition and behavior are not just for f
Scientists at Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) with colleagues from Russia, Japan, and Australia have developed a multi-purpose sensor based on a specially designed gold film, the surface of which contains millions of parabolic nanoantennas produced by femtosecond laser printing. The sensor identifies molecules at trace concentrations, detecting them in liquid and gas environments. It can be
A new study demonstrates that the recovery of the Antarctic Ozone Hole causes decreases in clouds over Southern Hemisphere (SH) high latitudes and increases in clouds over the SH extratropics. The decrease in clouds leads to a reduction in downward infrared radiation, especially in austral autumn. This results in cooling of the Southern Ocean surface and increasing Antarctic sea ice.
It may be one of the world's most important pathogenic fungi due to its ability to attack over a hundred different crops. Fusarium oxysporumesses can go unnoticed in soil for more than thirty years, but when it germinates, it grows right toward plant roots, takes over entire vascular systems and wilts the crops, making it a real headache for the sector.
Scientists at the University of Hong Kong and Hunan Normal University showed that, in homobilayer transition metal dichalcogenides, the real-space Berry phase from moiré patterns manifests as a periodic magnetic field. The field magnitude can reach hundreds of Tesla for a typical moiré period of 10 nanometers. For low energy carriers, this Berry phase induced magnetic field realizes a topological
Nature, Published online: 30 September 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-02956-z Linking fragmented habitats reduces extinctions, SpaceX's Mars rocket prototype is almost ready for test flights and using poetry to refresh the mind.
Researchers have solved the three-dimensional structure of a protein complex involved in vertebrate vision at atomic resolution, a finding that has broad implications for our understanding of biological signaling processes and the design of over a third of the drugs on the market today.
It may be one of the world's most important pathogenic fungi due to its ability to attack over a hundred different crops. Fusarium oxysporumesses can go unnoticed in soil for more than thirty years, but when it germinates, it grows right toward plant roots, takes over entire vascular systems and wilts the crops, making it a real headache for the sector.
Researchers have solved the three-dimensional structure of a protein complex involved in vertebrate vision at atomic resolution, a finding that has broad implications for our understanding of biological signaling processes and the design of over a third of the drugs on the market today.
An international team led by University of Illinois Professor of Plant Biology Ray Ming published their analysis of the genome of the red pineapple, a plant grown for fiber production and as an ornamental.
Women who experience complications such as preterm births and preeclampsia during their first pregnancy are nearly twice more likely than women without complications to develop high blood pressure later in life — some as quickly as 3 years later, according to a new study of more than 4,000 women. The study was published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
RUDN University mathematicians created a model of maximum efficiency of data centers. It is based on a nontrivial Markov chain. In addition to the obvious practical applications of the results for the organization of servers and data centers, the theoretical part will be useful for the theory of queues and queuing, as well as for working with big data and neural networks. The study is published in
New hypothesis-generating analyses of two international clinical trials named GALATHEA and TERRANOVA published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine and presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress 2019 in Madrid, Spain, identified clinical and physiological characteristics of patients with COPD that could help to identify people who are likely to have the greatest treat
People who live or think they live in a more economically unequal society may be more supportive of a strong, even autocratic leader, a large-scale international study shows.
The amount of pressure in the brain can regulate focal seizures, the kind that originate at a single point, according to new research. The finding may revolutionize the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy. Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases, affecting people of all ages. There are many seizure disorders, all of which fall under the umbrella of epilepsy. While many seizure d
WeWork's new leaders formally suspended a planned stock market debut Monday, as they seek to repair the battered image of a company that appeared to revolutionize the office-rental industry …
Lithium ion batteries aren't keeping up with energy demands from higher power electronic devices, electric vehicles and smart electric grids. To develop higher capacity batteries, researchers …
Mini-brains, also called organoids, may offer breakthroughs in clinical research by allowing scientists to study human brain cells without a human subject. Hear leading scientists announce their new findings at Neuroscience 2019, the world's largest source of emerging news and cutting-edge research on the brain and nervous system.
A small genetic study, published September 30, 2019 in Nature Genetics, identified a protein linked to many genetic variants that affect heart function. Researchers are expanding the model to other organ systems and at larger scales to create a broader understanding of genes and proteins involved.
This study examined associations between the participants' body mass index (BMI) and their reported amounts of sleep, using data from 3,778 African American participants in the Jackson Heart Study (JHS). Researchers found more sleep was associated with a lower BMI.
Flavor, safety and family attitude toward vaping are among the greatest factors influencing teenage perception of e-cigarettes, new University at Buffalo research finds.
Over the weekend of Sept. 28 and 29, Hurricane Lorenzo attained Category 5 strength briefly, becoming the strongest hurricane on record in the eastern-most Atlantic Ocean. Lorenzo has also attained and contributed to some other significant statistics. NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite provided infrared data over two days provided forecasters with changes in the storm's eye, powerful thunderstorms an
NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is orbiting the Earth to search for alien worlds, but it spotted something much different recently. NASA says TESS observed a rare phenomenon known as a "tidal disruption event." As TESS watched from a safe distance, a star spiraled toward a black hole before being torn to shreds. TESS is a followup to the dearly departed Kepler Space Telescope.
Nature, Published online: 30 September 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1613-5 The Berry phase of graphene is measured in the absence of an applied magnetic field by observing dislocations in the Friedel oscillations formed at a hydrogen atom adsorbed on graphene.
Nature, Published online: 30 September 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1600-x Clinical benefit was observed in 34% of a cohort of 215 patients with cancer who received treatment with anticancer drugs outside of their approved label, in the Drug Rediscovery protocol trial.
Doctors often give people drugs that haven't been approved for their particular cancer as a last resort. Now it seems it has some benefit about a third of the time
An age-related decline in recovery from muscle injury can be traced to a protein that suppresses the special ability of muscle stem cells to build new muscles, according to work from a team of current and former Carnegie biologists led by Chen-Ming Fan and published in Nature Metabolism.
Scientists propose a new method for calculating populations of the Antillean manatee, a marine mammal in danger of extinction, through underwater recordings.
Relaxing is supposed to be good for the body and soul, but people with anxiety may actively resist relaxation and continue worrying to avoid a large jump in anxiety if something bad does happen, according to Penn State research.
No-one knows what connects awareness — the state of consciousness — with its contents, i.e. thoughts and experiences. Now researchers propose an elegant solution: a literal, structural connection via 'L5p neurons'.Writing in Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, the group offers evidence – and caveats. Their challenge to experimentalists: if consciousness requires L5p neurons, all brain activity wi
RUDN University chemists have developed a simple and convenient method for producing derivatives of the natural polymer chitosan. These derivatives are non-toxic and have a pronounced antibacterial activity at the level of modern antibiotics. These substances can be used in the production of antibacterial protective films for food. The article is published in the journal Food Chemistry.
Researchers have solved the three-dimensional structure of a protein complex involved in vertebrate vision at atomic resolution, a finding that has broad implications for our understanding of biological signaling processes and the design of over a third of the drugs on the market today.
The study shows that for those participants who do not have a history of heart disease or stroke that a simple cardiac risk score — a summary measure of factors such as blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, abdominal fat, and dietary factors — is associated with MRI-detected pre-clinical cerebrovascular disease like carotid artery plaque and silent strokes.
Scientists at UC San Francisco and Harvard University have shown for the first time that cooking food fundamentally alters the microbiomes of both mice and humans, a finding with implications both for optimizing our microbial health and for understanding how cooking may have altered the evolution of the our microbiomes during human prehistory.
To develop higher capacity batteries, researchers have looked to lithium sulfur batteries because of sulfur's high theoretical capacity and energy density. But there are still several problems to solve before they can be put into practical applications. The biggest is the shuttling effect that occurs during cycling. To solve this problem and improve lithium sulfur battery performance, the research
Whole genome sequencing of tumour cells could help predict the prognosis of a patient's cancer and offer clues to identify the most effective treatment, suggests an international study published today in Nature Medicine.
Researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) show how bacteria transmit motion from an inner motor to an outer tail through a flexible joint in the flagellum known as the hook. This finding, reported in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, could help in the fight against deadly bacterial infections. By better understanding how bacteria move, researche
A monoclonal antibody has been shown to impede the fusion machinery henipaviruses use to merge with the membrane of cells they are attempting to breach. The antibody halts the attack by blocking membrane fusion and the injection of the viral genome into the host cell. Researchers hope this discovery will pave the way toward preventing or treating Nipah or Hendra virus infections, which now have no
Nearly 1 in 10 Medicare enrollees age 65 and over and 4 in 10 enrollees younger than 65 with long-term disabilities experience food insecurity. This study provides national estimates of how common it is for Medicare enrollees to be unable to get the food they need because they lack money.
A study of legal handgun purchasers in California suggests convictions for driving under the influence (DUI) prior to a gun purchase may be associated with subsequent risk of arrest for violent crimes, including firearm-related ones.
Legal purchasers of handguns with a prior DUI conviction have a greater risk of a future arrest for a violent offense — including murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault and for firearm-related violent crimes.
MIT chemical engineers have developed a new type of lipid nanoparticle that can be used to deliver RNA vaccines. The particles also trigger the release of powerful immune signaling proteins that boost the vaccines' effectiveness.
Scientists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated a way to isolate and grow targeted bacteria using genomic data, making strides toward resolving the grand challenge of uncultivated microbial 'dark matter' in which the vast majority of microorganisms remain unstudied in the laboratory.
A team of researchers have evidenced mechanically delivered projectile weapons in Europe dating to 45,000-40,000 years — more than 20,000 years than previously thought. This study indicated that the spear-thrower and bow-and-arrow technologies allowed modern humans to hunt more successfully than Neanderthals — giving them a competitive advantage. This discovery offered important insight to under
Keeping the washer dry between uses can solve the problem. (Bierfritze via Pixabay/) Household-style washing machines can provide the perfect breeding ground for bacteria—including resistant strains capable of infecting humans . That's big news for the increasing number of families caring for aging relatives, because it means their high-efficiency household washer could make people sick. The disc
New research provide clear links between storm-water discharge, which sometimes includes wet-weather sewer overflow (WWSO) events, and the presence of AbR in microorganisms living in urban beach habitats.
Many natural compounds used in medicine have complex molecular architectures that are difficult to recreate in the lab. Help could come from a small hydrocarbon molecule, called tetravinylallene, which has been synthesized for the first time by scientists. Tetravinylallene can be used to construct complex molecular frameworks more quickly and with less environmental impact than by using establishe
Scientists at UC San Francisco and Harvard University have shown for the first time that cooking food fundamentally alters the microbiomes of both mice and humans, a finding with implications both for optimizing our microbial health and for understanding how cooking may have altered the evolution of the our microbiomes during human prehistory.
Vaccines made from RNA hold great potential as a way to treat cancer or prevent a variety of infectious diseases. Many biotech companies are now working on such vaccines, and a few have gone into clinical trials.
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated a way to isolate and grow targeted bacteria using genomic data, making strides toward resolving the grand challenge of uncultivated microbial "dark matter" in which the vast majority of microorganisms remain unstudied in the laboratory.
The flagellum is often cited as an example of natural design ingenuity—it is a powerful nanomachine that allows bacteria to swim effortlessly in search of food. Yet despite being a popular object of study over the last half-century, the flagellum's exact mechanics remain enigmatic.
Lithium ion batteries aren't keeping up with energy demands from higher power electronic devices, electric vehicles and smart electric grids. To develop higher capacity batteries, researchers have looked to lithium sulfur batteries because of sulfur's high theoretical capacity and energy density.
Scientists at UC San Francisco and Harvard University have shown for the first time that cooking food fundamentally alters the microbiomes of both mice and humans, a finding with implications both for optimizing our microbial health and for understanding how cooking may have altered the evolution of the our microbiomes during human prehistory.
Vaccines made from RNA hold great potential as a way to treat cancer or prevent a variety of infectious diseases. Many biotech companies are now working on such vaccines, and a few have gone into clinical trials.
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated a way to isolate and grow targeted bacteria using genomic data, making strides toward resolving the grand challenge of uncultivated microbial "dark matter" in which the vast majority of microorganisms remain unstudied in the laboratory.
The flagellum is often cited as an example of natural design ingenuity—it is a powerful nanomachine that allows bacteria to swim effortlessly in search of food. Yet despite being a popular object of study over the last half-century, the flagellum's exact mechanics remain enigmatic.
In a review published in Nature, ICFO researchers and collaborators report on the current state, challenges, opportunities of graphene and 2D material integration in Silicon technology.
TESS, a NASA planet-hunting satellite takes images of a black hole shredding apart a star. This phenomenon, called a tidal disruption event, is very rare. The star was the size of our sun. None NASA's planet-finding TESS satellite captured groundbreaking images of a black hole pulling apart a star. TESS , which stands for Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, was able to observe what's called a
Artist Sarah Sze takes us on a kaleidoscopic journey through her work: immersive installations as tall as buildings, splashed across walls, orbiting through galleries — blurring the lines between time, memory and space. Explore how we give meaning to objects in this beautiful tour of Sze's experiential, multimedia art.
A UK police force auctioned off more than £240,000 of cryptocurrency that they confiscated from the teenage hacker behind the 2015 TalkTalk breach. In April 2018, police discovered …
The chilly relation between Google and Amazon continues to thaw, as both are giants in the video streaming field. Earlier this year, the two companies buried the hatchet with the return of …
The cryptocurrency Bitcoin is limited by its astronomical electricity consumption and outsized carbon footprint. A nearly zero-energy alternative sounds too good to be true, but as a professor explains, it all comes down to our understanding of what makes transactions secure.
The 'special relationship' between supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and their hosts — something astronomers and physicists have observed for quite a while — can now be understood as a bond that begins early in a galaxy's formation and has a say in how both the galaxy and the SMBH at its center grow over time, according to a new study.
Researchers use artificial intelligence to improve quality of images recorded by a relatively new biomedical imaging method. This paves the way towards more accurate diagnosis and cost-effective devices.
Lesley Chow and her colleagues at Lehigh University have taken a major step to address the challenge of engineer tissues organized like native tissues. She and her team have demonstrated a new method to fabricate scaffolds presenting spatially organized cues to control cell behavior locally within one material. Their proof-of-concept paper, published in Biomaterials Science, is called: "3D printin
Purple martins will soon migrate south for their usual wintertime retreat, but this time the birds will be wearing what look like little backpacks, so scientists can track their roosting sites along the way. The researchers recently discovered that purple martins are roosting in small forest patches as they migrate from North America to Brazil, an unexpected behavior.
This new mechanism makes it possible to understand premature ageing in cells with asymmetrical cell division, as is the case with mother cells. Understanding this mechanism is useful for studying and, in the future, anticipating the development of ageing-related diseases, such as cancer and neurodegenerative processes.
To increase the efficiency of microchips, 3D structures are now being investigated. However, spintronic components, which rely on electron spin rather than charge, are always flat. To investigate how to connect these to 3D electronics, University of Groningen physicist Dr. Kumar Sourav Das created curved spin transport channels. Together with his colleagues, he discovered that this new geometry ma
From 20 minutes or more to 10 seconds. Researchers from Intermountain Healthcare and Stanford University say 10 seconds is about how quickly a new system they studied that utilizes artificial intelligence took to accurately identify key findings in chest X-rays of patients in the emergency department suspected of having pneumonia.
Data from the PROfound trial, presented at the ESMO Congress 2019, show that olaparib delayed cancer progression by about four months compared to new hormonal agents (enzalutamide or abiraterone acetate) in patients with metastatic, pre-treated prostate cancer whose cancer cells had faulty DNA repair genes. Preliminary data showed that treatment also prolonged overall survival by over three months
New data have shown for the first time that targeted therapy can improve the outcome of patients diagnosed with advanced cholangiocarcinoma. Cholangiocarcinoma is a subtype of bile duct cancer with aggressive behaviour and poor prognosis. Despite the low incidence, most patients die from the disease and therefore new effective therapies are urgently needed.
For the first time, prostate cancer has been treated based on the genetic makeup of the cancer, resulting in delayed disease progression, delayed time to pain progression, and potentially extending lives in patients with advanced, metastatic prostate cancer, reports a large phase 3 trial. This marks a significant advance for prostate cancer treatment, which has lagged behind other common cancers w
Starship MK1 SpaceX is dead serious about sending humans to the moon and eventually Mars. On Saturday, CEO Elon Musk presented new details about the company's gigantic Starship rocket at the company's test site in Boca Chica, Texas. Looming behind him: the now-completed 165-foot Starship MK1 prototype, which has been in construction for months now and which the company plans to test later this ye
Regioner och kommuner tar kontinuerligt fram nya standardiserade vårdplaner, ibland i samverkan med andra myndigheter och organisationer. I sin forskning har Lotta Wendel visat att utformningen av det standardiserade materialet för vårdplanering varierar kraftigt i landet och i vissa fall också inom en och samma region. Inte alltid för patientens bästa Det finns anledning att vara försiktig vid a
People with heart disease or defective or artificial heart valves have an increased risk of developing a potentially deadly valve infection in the hospital, according to a new study. Researchers report that new risk factors for the condition have emerged and that an increasing number of patients admitted to hospitals for other diseases are at risk of contracting it. The study, published in the Am
New research provide clear links between storm-water discharge, which sometimes includes wet-weather sewer overflow (WWSO) events, and the presence of AbR in microorganisms living in urban beach habitats.
Many natural compounds used in medicine have complex molecular architectures that are difficult to recreate in the lab. Help could come from a small hydrocarbon molecule, called tetravinylallene, which has been synthesized for the first time by scientists. Tetravinylallene can be used to construct complex molecular frameworks more quickly and with less environmental impact than by using establishe
A new study has found that halving the amount red and processed (RPM) meat in the diet can have a significant impact on health, reducing the amount of LDL 'bad' cholesterol in the blood which cuts the risk of developing heart disease.
Some relationships are written in the stars. That's definitely the case for supermassive black holes and their host galaxies, according to a new study from Yale University.
Last week, Quanta reported on the filtering mechanisms that allow us to focus our attention on stimuli of interest — that let us tune out the music in a room to listen to a nearby conversation, or disregard greens, blues and yellows in a crowd when searching for a friend wearing red. That kind of processing, which involves the suppression of some sensory data to highlight signals that are more re
Many new parents are familiar with terms like 'baby brain' or 'mommy brain' that hint at an unavoidable decline in cognitive function associated with the hormonal changes of pregnancy, childbirth, and maternal caregiving. A new study of parental care in stickleback fish is a reminder that such parenting-induced changes in the brain and associated shifts in cognition and behavior are not just for f
Many natural compounds used in medicine have complex molecular architectures that are difficult to recreate in the lab. Help could come from a small hydrocarbon molecule, called tetravinylallene, which has been synthesized for the first time by Australian scientists. As detailed in the journal Angewandte Chemie, tetravinylallene can be used to construct complex molecular frameworks more quickly an
A new study has found that halving the amount red and processed (RPM) meat in the diet can have a significant impact on health, reducing the amount of LDL 'bad' cholesterol in the blood which cuts the risk of developing heart disease.
The 'special relationship' between supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and their hosts — something astronomers and physicists have observed for quite a while — can now be understood as a bond that begins early in a galaxy's formation and has a say in how both the galaxy and the SMBH at its center grow over time, according to a new study from Yale University.
Scientists of Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) with colleagues from Russia, Japan, and Australia have developed a multi-purpose sensor based on a specially designed gold film which surface contains millions of parabolic nanoantennas produced by femtosecond laser printing. The sensor identifies molecules at trace concentration detecting them in liquid and gas environments. It can be easily adj
Sony is developing a next-generation PlayStation 5 console for release next year, and what we know so far mostly relates to the hardwareit will feature a Navi GPU, for example, with real-time …
The porn was streamed onto the stores external screens above the entrance from 1 am on Sunday morning until 10 amwhen the stores employees started to arrive.
As Congress prepares to subpoena witnesses and documents pertaining to the Trump administration's dealings with Ukrainian President Zelensky, the White House's reluctance to comply is clear. And more broadly, the Trump administration has been stonewalling congressional investigations from the get-go. After ignoring House subpoenas, the administration has refused to supply documents relating to th
The cryptocurrency Bitcoin is limited by its astronomical electricity consumption and outsized carbon footprint. A nearly zero-energy alternative sounds too good to be true, but as School of …
There are a lot of things you can do with your Fitbit. Sadly, looking this cool and dry while you work out is not one of them. (Fitbit/) If you've got a fitness tracker or smartwatch strapped to your wrist, there's a good chance it's made by Fitbit, the company that was responsible for 15 percent of all the wearables shipped worldwide last year. Part of the appeal of a Fitbit device is how simple
Begravningar är en passande lins för att studera olika hierarkier då alla i ståndssamhället någon gång erfor det, och då det var något som många beskådade var det viktigt att styra tolkningsutrymmet så att den döde presenterades i enlighet med familjens och ståndets statusuppfattningar.1600-talets adel var präglad av ståndssamhällets fundamentala ojämlikheter, men den sociala ordningen var mer ko
Elements of your job—including your pay, hours, schedule flexibility, and job security—influence your overall health as well as your risk of being injured on the job, according to new research. The analysis takes a comprehensive approach to show that the overall pattern of employment conditions is important for health, beyond any single measure of employment, such as wages or contract type. "This
I fremtiden vil der være langt flere ældre kræftpatienter, men vi ved alt for lidt om dem, mener professor Jørn Herrstedt, der gerne ser mere samarbejde blandt onkologer og geriatere.
Overlæge Lars Henrik Jensen undersøger kræftceller i laboratoriet for at teste, hvilke behandlinger der virker på dem. Her har han set en ny sammenhæng mellem vævet og antallet af kræftceller.
Afdelingslæge Marianne Ingerslev Holt ser positivt på nyheden om øget livskvalitet for patienter med metastatisk småcellet lungekræft ved kombinationsbehandling. Problemet er at finde frem til de patienter, der har gavn af den, siger hun.
Forsker håber, at metode med methyleret cirkulerende tumor-dna kan føre til, at man hurtigere kan ramme den behandling, der passer til patienten med metastatisk kolorektalcancers sygdom.
Medicine is one of the hottest fields when it comes to apply ing AI to real-world problems, in particular using deep learning systems to detect disease in medical imagery. There have been promising early results, in particular DeepMind's work on eye disease , b ut there's been widespread s k epticism around whether results would translate to the clinic. Now the authors of a paper in The Lancet Di
Scientists from NUST MISIS (Russia) and University of Rome Tor Vergata found out that a microscopic quantity of two-dimensional titanium carbide called MXene significantly improves collection of electrical charges in a perovskite solar cell, increasing the final efficiency above 20%. The results of the research were published in Nature Materials.
The cryptocurrency Bitcoin is limited by its astronomical electricity consumption and outsized carbon footprint. A nearly zero-energy alternative sounds too good to be true, but as School of Computer and Communication Sciences (IC) Professor Rachid Guerraoui explains, it all comes down to our understanding of what makes transactions secure.
Antibiotic-resistant pathogens can be spread via washing machines. This has been proven by hygienists at the University of Bonn for a children's hospital in which a Klebsiella oxytoca type was repeatedly transmitted to newborns. Fortunately, no dangerous infection occurred. The source was a washing machine used to launder the clothes of the newborns. This case draws attention, especially as antibi
Eleni Stavrinidou and her research group at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Linköping University, have used bioelectronics to influence transpiration in a tobacco plant, without harming the plant in any way.
The Landsat 9 instrument that will help scientists detect deforestation, monitor crops and track potentially toxic algal blooms, among many other uses, is now built, tested, and in place to be assembled onto the spacecraft.
There were some headlines the other day about the "first AI-discovered drug", so that should send us to the work in question to see what's going on. The company in question is called Deep Genomics, and here's what its founder has to say: "Making drugs has traditionally been a gambling game. Big Pharma is throwing a stick into the tree and seeing what happens," Frey told FierceBiotech. "It's like
Sprøjtegifte forurener, men de kan også skaffe mad til folk, der ellers ville dø af sult. Så hvordan agerer man etisk korrekt som ingeniør, og vil et ingeniørløfte overhovedet gøre nogen forskel. Ja, nej og tjah, lyder det fra to eksperter i etik.
President Donald Trump swore to protect and defend the U.S. Constitution, a document that declares, "Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort." Only . On Sunday, Trump attacked Representative Adam Schiff, a Democrat, claiming that Schiff falsely represented the president's words to Congress. "Hi
Research in the Electronic Plants group at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Campus Norrköping, follows two main avenues. In one, scientists incorporate electronic circuits into plants, …
Many natural compounds used in medicine have complex molecular architectures that are difficult to recreate in the lab. Help could come from a small hydrocarbon molecule, called tetravinylallene, which has been synthesized for the first time by Australian scientists. As detailed in the journal Angewandte Chemie, tetravinylallene can be used to construct complex molecular frameworks more quickly an
A new study has revealed the most effective medications to reduce drooling in young people with a developmental disability, which can affect their socialisation, relationships and community life.
The triplet combination of the BRAF inhibitor, encorafenib, MEK inhibitor, binimetinib, and EGFR inhibitor, cetuximab, significantly improves overall survival and also increases objective response rates compared with standard of care in patients with BRAF V600E-mutant metastatic colorectal cancer.
Scientists from NUST MISIS developed a unique composite material that can be used in harsh temperature conditions, such as those in nuclear reactors. The microhardness of the sandwich material is 3 times higher compared to the microhardness of its individual components. These properties withstand temperatures up to 700°?. The results of the research are published in Materials Letters.
The results of the study, published in Water Research, provide clear links between storm-water discharge, which sometimes includes wet-weather sewer overflow (WWSO) events, and the presence of AbR in microorganisms living in urban beach habitats.
A team of Japanese and Italian researchers, including from Tohoku University, have evidenced mechanically delivered projectile weapons in Europe dating to 45,000-40,000 years — more than 20,000 years than previously thought. This study indicated that the spearthrower and bow-and-arrow technologies allowed modern humans to hunt more successfully than Neanderthals — giving them a competitive advan
An international study used human retinal cells to demonstrate how the Toxoplasma parasite creates a characteristic eye lesion that can help doctors diagnose the infection.
During a three-year Laboratory Directed Research and Development project, a team of scientists discovered and patented a process for injecting sand-like minerals into the core of a nuclear reactor during an accident to contain and slow down the progression of a meltdown.
(Image credit: Guillem Anglada-Escude—IEEC/Science-wave, using SpaceEngine.org (CC BY 4.0)) One of the ongoing puzzles in astronomy is that very few solar systems that we've examined to date look anything like ours. It's common, for example, for solar systems to have so-called Hot Jupiters, planets the size of Jupiter that circle their host stars at a closer distance than Mercury circles our own
The physician and researcher challenged the Chinese government over her findings of widespread hepatitis and HIV contamination during blood collection.
Earth is the only planet that we know has life, but it might not be the best one – a thicker atmosphere and slower spin would make a world more conducive to sea life
A smart shirt that measures lung function by sensing movements in the chest and abdomen has proved to be accurate when compared to traditional testing equipment, according to new research.
A new concept for an aluminium battery has twice the energy density as previous versions, is made of abundant materials, and could lead to reduced production costs and environmental impact. The idea has potential for large scale applications, including storage of solar and wind energy.
With the release of Amazon's Alexa-powered glasses (shown here), we're one step closer to an integrated, smart weapons system that would allow this guy to shout, "Alexa, unleash the bees!" and have a swarm of angry insects sting a would-be attacker into submission. (Amazon/) Back in Kindergarten, my class used to have to bring in objects that were important to us for show-and-tell. Some kids brou
Research in the Electronic Plants group at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Campus Norrköping, follows two main avenues. In one, scientists incorporate electronic circuits into plants, such as roses, in a method of storing energy. In the other, they are seeking ways to influence plant functions with bioelectronic devices, aiming, for example, to give plants greater resistance to environmenta
Researchers from the University of Seville and the Andalusian center of Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine (CABIMER), have discovered a new mechanism that makes it possible to understand premature aging in cells with asymmetrical cell division, as is the case with mother cells. Understanding this mechanism could be useful for studying and anticipating the development of aging-related dise
Research in the Electronic Plants group at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Campus Norrköping, follows two main avenues. In one, scientists incorporate electronic circuits into plants, such as roses, in a method of storing energy. In the other, they are seeking ways to influence plant functions with bioelectronic devices, aiming, for example, to give plants greater resistance to environmenta
Researchers from the University of Seville and the Andalusian center of Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine (CABIMER), have discovered a new mechanism that makes it possible to understand premature aging in cells with asymmetrical cell division, as is the case with mother cells. Understanding this mechanism could be useful for studying and anticipating the development of aging-related dise
Like many environmentalists, I am impressed and inspired by Greta Thunberg. Her direct and clear message on the need to respond to climate change is a lesson to all of us. While I agree with most of her message, I take issue with some of it. Let's consider a portion of her recent talk at the U.N. whose message went viral:
In years to come, quantum computers and quantum networks might be able to tackle tasks that are inaccessible to traditional computer systems. For instance, they could be used to simulate complex matter or enable fundamentally secure communications.
Last week's United Nations climate summit may go down in history—but not for the reasons intended. It was not the tipping point for action on global warming that organisers hoped it would be. It will instead probably be remembered for the powerful address by Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg, who castigated world leaders on behalf of the generation set to bear the brunt of inaction.
There is a growing concern over the environmental impact of textile production and many waterproof products on the market are prepared with toxic chemicals. This is increasing demand for new sustainable material alternatives, but making non-toxic, breathable and waterproof textiles, sustainably and economically has thus far proven to be a challenge.
Both stormwater control and stream restoration are proven ways to reduce erosion along water channels. Often, though, each method is managed by a different urban land-management department, measuring different success values. Efforts are rarely coordinated due to funding and other constraints.
An international team of researchers studying data from China's Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) has measured cosmic ray protons up to the energy of 100 TeV with high precision for the first time. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the group describes the research they have been conducting on data received from the satellite and what they have learned thus far.
People who get their water from rural, small water systems are at a greater health risk of exposure to bacteria and other harmful pathogens, according to a recent study in the journal AWWA Water Science.
A team of Japanese and Italian researchers, including from Tohoku University, have evidenced mechanically delivered projectile weapons in Europe dating to 45,000-40,000 years—more than 20,000 years than previously thought. This study, titled "The earliest evidence for mechanically delivered projectile weapons in Europe," published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, indicated that the spearthrower and
Professor Jun Huang from the University of Sydney's School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering is developing a carbon capture method that aims to go one step beyond storage, instead converting and recycling carbon dioxide (CO2) into raw materials that can be used to create fuels and chemicals.
Det kan ikke betale sig for skibene i de europæiske havne at tage imod tilbuddet om landstrøm, for det er billigere at holde skibenes fossildrevne strømgeneratorer i gang, siger europæiske havnelobbyister, men Det Økologiske Råd er mere optimistiske.
With the release of Amazon's Alexa-powered glasses (shown here), we're one step closer to an integrated, smart weapons system that would allow this guy to shout, "Alexa, unleash the bees!" and have a swarm of angry insects sting a would-be attacker into submission. (Amazon/) Back in Kindergarten, my class used to have to bring in objects that were important to us for show-and-tell. Some kids brou
ETH researchers use artificial intelligence to improve quality of images recorded by a relatively new biomedical imaging method. This paves the way towards more accurate diagnosis and cost-effective devices.
In a proof-of-concept experiment, researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have successfully used microscopic man-made particles to predict the severity of patients' chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by measuring how quickly the particles move through mucus samples. The technique, say the researchers, could eventually help doctors deliver more effective treatments sooner.
Effective combination of nivolumab with ipilimumab for the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer, with or without prior systematic therapies, and irrespective of PD-L1 expression.
Scientists from the Moscow-based National Research Nuclear University MEPhI and the University of Oulu in Finland have completed a comprehensive joint study on the interaction of red blood cells for drug delivery using recent advances in medical nanotechnology. The research is expected to have major implications for the targeted delivery of drugs, an idea in nanomedicine aimed at concentrating med
Scientists from the Moscow-based National Research Nuclear University MEPhI and the University of Oulu in Finland have completed a comprehensive joint study on the interaction of red blood cells for drug delivery using recent advances in medical nanotechnology. The research is expected to have major implications for the targeted delivery of drugs, an idea in nanomedicine aimed at concentrating med
DNA amplification—a molecular "photocopying" technique where genetic material is replicated—has many applications in scientific research, forensic science, and medical laboratories. It is useful for detecting and identifying certain forms of cancer and viral diseases, and holds promise for treating these diseases in the future.
A statistical model that better characterizes the changing nature of extreme weather over larger areas could help climate experts plan for weather-related disasters.
DNA amplification—a molecular "photocopying" technique where genetic material is replicated—has many applications in scientific research, forensic science, and medical laboratories. It is useful for detecting and identifying certain forms of cancer and viral diseases, and holds promise for treating these diseases in the future.
In experiments with rats, pigs and monkeys, researchers have developed a way to deliver sight-saving gene therapy to the retina. If proved safe and effective in humans, the technique could provide a new, more permanent therapeutic option for patients with common diseases such as wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and it could potentially replace defective genes in patients with inherited
Scientists have developed a computer method that may help improve understanding and treatment of Crohn's disease, which causes inflammation of the digestive tract. The study used artificial intelligence to examine genetic signatures of Crohn's in 111 people. The method revealed previously undiscovered genes linked to the disease, and accurately predicted whether thousands of other people had the d
Patients with mesothelioma may gain similar benefit from immunotherapy as chemotherapy, and good responders may provide important clues to novel treatment for the thousands of new cases each year. New data highlight the need to understand the biological mechanisms whereby mesothelioma, which is incurable, adapts to immunotherapy in some patients but not in others, resulting in variations in treatm
New research found that oncogene SET/TAF1, which was found to be a proto-oncogene of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), contributes to proper chromosome partitioning as a tension sensor. Additionally, abnormal SET protein disrupts tension sensor system at the centromere, leading to missegregation of the chromosomes and thereby cancer. These findings may lead to a discovery for a new kind of leukemia tr
Malnutrition affects millions of people despite the fact that fishers catch some of the most nutritious fish in the world near their homes, according to a new study. Children in particular are vulnerable and could see significant health improvements if just a fraction of the fish caught nearby went into their diets. As well as omega-3 fatty acids, fish are also a source of important micronutrient
In the prospective TAILORx trial, 93% of women with hormone-sensitive, HER2-negative, axillary node-negative breast cancer and a high Recurrence Score 26-100 were estimated to be cancer-free at five years. This outcome was much better than expected with endocrine therapy alone. The finding adds to limited data on outcomes with a high RS of 26-100, treated with taxane and/or anthracycline-containin
A new study demonstrates that the recovery of the Antarctic Ozone Hole causes decreases in clouds over Southern Hemisphere (SH) high latitudes and increases in clouds over the SH extratropics. The decrease in clouds leads to a reduction in downward infrared radiation, especially in austral autumn. This results in cooling of the Southern Ocean surface and increasing Antarctic sea ice.
Scientists in the University of Hong Kong and Hunan Normal University showed that, in homobilayer transition metal dichalcogenides, the real-space Berry phase from moiré patterns manifests as a periodic magnetic field. The field magnitude can reach hundreds of Tesla for a typical moiré period of 10 nanometers. For low energy carriers, this Berry phase induced magnetic field realizes a topological
A more accurate and efficient method of capturing the local factors that lead to extreme rainfall enables better flood prediction across larger regions.
A new psychological study published by University of Otago, New Zealand, researchers has addressed centuries-old questions about how and why supernatural beings are worshipped.
Et fase 3 studie af patienter med fremskreden lungekræft viser, at valg af behandling for nogle patienter kan bestemmes ud fra en blodprøve frem for undersøgelse af tumorvæv.
The hypothetical Planet Nine, assumed to be lurking somewhere in the outskirts of our solar system, may not be a planet at all. A new study, published September 24 on the arXiv pre-print server, suggests that the mysterious and still undiscovered object might be a primodial black hole.
In a rare instance of environmental success, the United Nations has just announced it believes the damage to the Earth's protective ozone layer will be fully restored by the year 2050. This stands in stark contrast to the increasing alarm over the climate emergency, caused by an increasing greenhouse effect.
A team of researchers from Brookhaven National Laboratory and the University of Kansas has developed a theory to explain why there is so much more matter than antimatter in the universe. They have written a paper describing their theory and have posted it on the arXiv preprint server.
To keep global heating below 2°C, the world's appetite for meat must change. This will mean reducing meat consumption in most developed countries and limiting the increase in developing countries. But how do you convince people to break the habit of a lifetime?
As a new crop of students enter university, the sense of hope and promise is tangible. While students are at an exciting developmental stage, as a researcher and practising clinical consultant to university student health services, I know that for some students the associated stress and new pressures will become overwhelming.
Crime prevention initiatives targeting sexual violence are by no means new. But as technology advances and costs decrease, we are seeing an abundance of digital and technological strategies emerge.
PLUS. Med metroens prisstigning bliver det ikke blot dyrere, men også mere besværligt at benytte kollektiv trafik i hovedstaden, lyder det samstemmende fra Rejsekort, trafikselskab og transportforsker.
A team of scientists have revealed that after the devastation caused by a mass extinction event on Earth 66 million years ago, the plankton at the base of the ocean ecosystem were disrupted for nearly two million years. It then took a further eight million years for global species numbers to fully recover.
– Vår batteriteknologi ger dubbelt så hög energitäthet jämfört med de aluminiumbatterier som är "state of the art" idag. Dessutom är materialkostnaden betydligt lägre, liksom miljöbelastningen som vi ser den idag. Detta öppnar för storskaliga användningsområden som solcellsparker och lagring av vindkraft, säger Patrik Johansson som är professor vid institutionen för fysik på Chalmers. Det är fors
This could be your desk if you're not careful. (Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash/) It almost certainly doesn't feel like flu season to you yet. The weather is still unseasonably summery in many parts of the world, and this year's dominant flu strains have yet to start obliterating us en masse. But here's an unfortunate scientific fact: by the time you notice the first absences among your coworkers and star
Nature, Published online: 30 September 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-02953-2 Funding will remain flat next year — but scientists look forward to a national research strategy set to begin in 2021.
Overlæge Henrik Sengeløv er nytiltrådt professor i hæmatologi. Han fortsætter sin forskning i, hvordan man kan forbedre forløbene for knoglemarvstransplanterede patienter.
A new psychological study published by University of Otago researchers has addressed centuries-old questions about how and why supernatural beings are worshiped.
Hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, packs a powerful punch. And because it contains no carbon, it produces only water when used as a fuel. But on Earth, hydrogen most often exists in combination with other elements, which means it needs to be extracted.
In experiments with rats, pigs and monkeys, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have developed a way to deliver sight-saving gene therapy to the retina. If proved safe and effective in humans, the technique could provide a new, more permanent therapeutic option for patients with common diseases such as wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and it could potentially replace defective genes in p
Each summer, the University of Chicago welcomes high school students from around the world for a unique course on paleontology, which culminates with two weeks of fieldwork spent hunting for fossils.
The hot outer layer of the sun, the corona, has a temperature of over a million degrees Kelvin, much more than the surface temperature of the Sun which is only about 5500 degrees Kelvin. Moreover, the corona is very active and ejects a wind of charged particles at a rate equivalent to about one-millionth of the moon's mass each year. Some of these particles bombard the Earth, producing auroral glo
Every January, the produce drawers in America's refrigerators fill up with shame. The moment comes at the end of a three-vegetable trend that runs through the holidays. First, in mid-November, the country happily becomes obsessed with brussels sprouts (or "brussel sprouts," as Americans tend to spell it), likely in anticipation of Thanksgiving and its many delicious, often bacon-laden side dishes
In the US we have semi-compulsory vaccination. Keeping up to date on the vaccine schedule is required in order to attend public school. However, families always have the option of attending private schools, which can determine their own vaccination policy, or they can home-school. Also, each state can determine its own exemption policy. Medical exemptions are uncontroversial – if you medically ca
Liberal leaders line up to praise her, yet their inaction on the climate crisis shows they are not really listening to her message Greta Thunberg has made a lot of enemies. They are easy to recognise because their rage is so great they cannot help making themselves look ridiculous. Thunberg's arrival in the US earlier this month set off rightwing pundits and then the president himself . The conser
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers have designed a new class of 3-D-printed lattice structures that combine lightweight and high stiffness, despite breaking a rule previously thought to be required to exhibit such properties. One of the new structures additionally displays perfectly uniform response to forces in all directions.
I en ny studie från Lunds universitet har forskare studerat kopplingen mellan prostatacancer och infertilitet. Män som söker sjukvård för barnlöshet och assisterad befruktning visade sig ha högre risk för prostatacancer än de som har blivit pappor på naturlig väg.
A new book tells the stories of astronomers who worked for a decade to get images of a solar eclipse. The work ultimately showed Albert Einstein's theory of relativity was correct. Einstein's theory of general relativity is a cornerstone of modern physics and cosmology. When it was first published, however, there was little hard evidence to show that it was actually correct. It wasn't until 1919—
In the decades before the city of Pompeii was buried in ash by the cataclysmic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79, everyday life was filled with parties and struggles.
Elon Musk's giant Starship rocket is due to take passengers on a trip around the moon in 2020. Last night, he said orbital tests will begin within two months
Overlæge Christian B. Laursen får overrakt pris for udvikling af et træningsprogram, der kvalificerer lungemedicinere til at foretage ultralydsscanninger.
This strong, all-natural material was used to make the first bulletproof vest more than a century ago—but scientists have barely begun to tap its potential — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
This strong, all-natural material was used to make the first bulletproof vest more than a century ago—but scientists have barely begun to tap its potential — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Women with asthma appear more likely to have lower levels of 'free' (not attached to proteins) testosterone than women who do not have asthma, according to new research published online in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
The whole thing felt like an Apple event. The weeks of anticipation and breathless guesses from fans and critics. Onstage, the greatest-hits reel highlighting the company's beloved products over the years. A grand walk-through of the next product's features: the sleek design, the impressive specs, simulations of how it's going to work. A man with a mic, both salesman and visionary, looking out at
Editor's Note: Every Monday, Lori Gottlieb answers questions from readers about their problems, big and small. Have a question? Email her at dear.therapist@theatlantic.com . Dear Therapist, My 42-year-old daughter has never been married but has had relationships with men and women. She's now involved with a married man who's left his wife and is supposedly getting a divorce and doesn't want child
Chinese social media and gaming giant Tencent is taking a 29% stake to become the largest shareholder in Oslo-based Funcom. The indie games developer is responsible for multiple adaptations …
The audio tool was discovered by researcher Jane Manchun Wong, who has been prolific when it comes to finding unreleased features in apps. Her recent discoveries include a dark mode for Facebooks …
Nature, Published online: 30 September 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-02942-5 A surge in the development of artificial-intelligence technology is driving a new wave of open-source tools for analysing animal behaviour and posture.
An element called gadolinium delivered into cancer cells releases killer electrons when hit by specially tuned X-rays. The approach, published in the journal Scientific Reports, could pave the way towards a new cancer radiation therapy.
PLUS. Fundet af dansk plastaffald i Asien sender chokbølger igennem både miljøministeren, politikere, affaldssektoren og miljøorganisationer. Alle kræver handling.
A community garden occupies a diminutive dirt lot in Phoenix. Rows of raised garden beds offer up basil, watermelons and corn, making this patch of land an agricultural oasis in a desert city of 1.5 million people. In fact, this little garden is contributing in various ways to the city's environmental sustainability goals set by the city council in 2016. The goals consider matters such as transpor
A Waseda University-led research uncovered the molecular mechanism of how a particular cancer-causing oncogene could trigger an onset of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
A Waseda University-led research uncovered the molecular mechanism of how a particular cancer-causing oncogene could trigger an onset of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
Overlæge Christian B. Laursen får overrakt pris på ERS for udvikling af et træningsprogram, der kvalificerer lungemedicinere til at foretage ultralydsscanninger.
This strong, all-natural material was used to make the first bulletproof vest more than a century ago—but scientists have barely begun to tap its potential — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Approaches for boosting the body's immune system are being tried for autoimmune and heart conditions, but it is too early to know how well they will work in people — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Approaches for boosting the body's immune system are being tried for autoimmune and heart conditions, but it is too early to know how well they will work in people — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Missa inte vår Postbokmässeföreläsning på Haket ikväll! Håkan Järvå, leg. psykolog, gästar oss. För närmare detaljer om evenemanget hänvisar vi till kalendariet. Varmt välkomna önskar VoF Göteborg The post appeared first on Vetenskap och Folkbildning .
Without studies that look at underrepresented populations, genetic tests and therapies can't be tailored to everyone. But projects intended as correctives, like All of Us and International HapMap, face an ethical conundrum: Collecting that data could exploit the very people the programs intend to help.
Scientists have developed a computer method that may help improve understanding and treatment of Crohn's disease, which causes inflammation of the digestive tract. The Rutgers-led study, published in the journal Genome Medicine, used artificial intelligence to examine genetic signatures of Crohn's in 111 people. The method revealed previously undiscovered genes linked to the disease, and accuratel
Chinese mobile-phone and device maker Transsion has listed in an IPO on Shanghais STAR Market, a Transsion spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch. Headquartered in Shenzhen, Transsion is a top-seller …
A new concept for an aluminum battery has twice the energy density as previous versions, is made of abundant materials, and could lead to reduced production costs and environmental impact. The …
During our travels visiting towns and cities across the country for American Futures and now Our Towns , Jim Fallows (my husband) and I have encountered story after story of short, sweet initiatives that we have begun referring to, fondly, as Big Little Ideas. The ideas usually started from sparks somewhere in the community—maybe from a teacher or newspaper reporter, a librarian or rec-center sta
This article was updated at 3 p.m. on September 30, 2019. In public perception, age is often related to political views. "Not to be a republican at 20 is proof of want of heart; to be one at 30 is proof of want of head," the 19th-century French monarchist François Guizot is supposed to have said. King Louis Philippe's prime minister was swept from power by the 1848 revolution, presumably by a com
The authors of a 2019 paper in PLOS One on rocks in China have retracted the article for "misrepresentation of the results and data." The article, "Impacts of rock properties on Danxia landform formation based on lithological experiments at Kongtongshan National Geopark, northwest China," was written by a group from Sun Yat-sen University and Hainan … Continue reading
RADENTHEIN , Austria—At the end of a picturesque hiking trail just outside this town in the Austrian Alps lies a small wooden trough with a faucet spouting fresh water. Surrounded by lush green plants, a yellow sign nearby explains that the water comes from the towering Nock Mountains above, noting that local communities have for centuries benefited from the "special" water that flows here. Filli
The New World wasn't conquered by a single group of people – different populations migrated and interbred in a tangled web. This is the new normal for human evolution
Nature, Published online: 30 September 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-02928-3 Some scientists should reconsider their position on teaching responsibilities, says Sarah A. Gagliano Taliun.
Forskaren och lärarutbildaren Lena Aronsson vid Stockholms universitet har intresserat sig för möten mellan olika kunskapsteorier. Tillsammans med pedagoger i tre förskolor har hon studerat vad som händer när neurovetenskaplig kunskap sammanförs med förskolans redan etablerade sociokulturellt orienterade teorier och praktiker. – Fler teorier om barns utveckling och lärande ledde till nya sätt att
Socialdemokraterne kritiserede den borgerlige regering for manglende handling på banen, som skulle have stået klar i 2026. Nu bliver det tidligst i 2029.
Nature Communications, Published online: 30 September 2019; doi:10.1038/s41467-019-12473-2 Condensation of organic vapors is a main factor controlling the growth of atmospheric particles. Here the authors identify a distribution of organic vapors in a forested environment able to explain nanoparticle growth at the same location, contributing to understanding aerosol climate effects.
Nature Communications, Published online: 30 September 2019; doi:10.1038/s41467-019-12405-0 The USArray of EarthScope is a seismic broadband network acquiring global seismic data. Here, the authors apply an iterative rank-reduction method to obtain free earthquake data at locations where no seismic stations are available as well as enhancing existing data recorded by the USArray.
Nature Communications, Published online: 30 September 2019; doi:10.1038/s41467-019-12070-3 Accumulation of abnormal tau protein drives neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease and related dementia disorders. Here, the authors demonstrate the endoplasmic reticulum unfolded protein response mediator XBP-1 controls pathological tau accumulation and the resultant neurodegeneration in a transgenic C.
Nature Communications, Published online: 30 September 2019; doi:10.1038/s41467-019-12306-2 How are stable memories maintained in the brain despite significant ongoing fluctuations in synaptic strengths? Here, the authors show that a model consistent with fluctuations, homeostasis and biologically plausible learning rules, naturally leads to memories implemented as dynamic attractors.
Nature Communications, Published online: 30 September 2019; doi:10.1038/s41467-019-12193-7 ZBP1 and IMP2 belong to the IGF2BP family of RNA-binding proteins. Here the authors employed SELEX, NMR spectroscopy and mutagenesis to characterize the RNA-binding preference of ZBP1 and IMP2.
Nature Communications, Published online: 30 September 2019; doi:10.1038/s41467-019-12212-7 Compared to motherhood, the molecular changes associated with fatherhood are less understood. Here, the authors investigate gene expression changes associated with paternal care in male stickleback fish, and compare them with patterns in territorial aggression.
Nature Communications, Published online: 30 September 2019; doi:10.1038/s41467-019-12196-4 Here, the authors introduce optical phase change materials based on Ge-Sb-Se-Te which breaks the coupling between refractive index and optical loss allowing low-loss performance benefits. They demonstrate low losses in nonvolatile photonic circuits and electrical pixelated switching have been demonstrated.
Nature Communications, Published online: 30 September 2019; doi:10.1038/s41467-019-12443-8 Phase-coherent transfer of optical frequencies over long open-air paths is necessary in photonic applications. Here the authors demonstrate the parallel transmission of multiple optical carriers in air up to 18 km using a stable near-infrared frequency comb.
PLUS. Med en fødevaresensor baseret på nano-cantilever-teknologi vil startup- virksomheden Aminic gøre det muligt at måle friskheden af kød og fisk helt nøjagtigt.
U.S. adults put on about a pound a year on average. But people who had a regular nut-snacking habit put on less weight and had a lower risk of becoming obese over time, a new study finds. (Image credit: R.Tsubin/Getty Images)
How do weapons inspectors verify that a nuclear bomb has been dismantled? An unsettling answer is: They don't, for the most part. When countries sign arms reduction pacts, they do not typically grant inspectors complete access to their nuclear technologies, for fear of giving away military secrets.
All technology and innovation have a science base but to get there requires patience, as the journey from curiosity-driven basic research to a world-changing technology can take six months or 50 years, a panel of Nobel and Kavli prize laureates has said.
Patients with mesothelioma may gain similar benefit from immunotherapy as chemotherapy, and good responders may provide important clues to novel treatment for the thousands of new cases each year. Data from the PROMISE-meso trial presented at the ESMO Congress 2019 highlight the need to understand the biological mechanisms whereby mesothelioma, which is incurable, adapts to immunotherapy in some p
Amerikanske Boston Dynamics viser nye imponerende tricks fra to af deres kendte robotter. Men foreløbig er ingen af dem egnede til at være i tæt kontakt med mennesker.
People who are accustomed to listening to Western music, which is based on a system of notes organized in octaves, can usually perceive the similarity between notes that are same but played in different registers — say, high C and middle C. However, a longstanding question is whether this a universal phenomenon or one that has been ingrained by musical exposure. This question has been hard to ans
When Carole King's border collie went missing in July, she decided to quit her job and devote her time to finding her furry companion , People reported. After a 57-day search, the Washington State woman was reunited with her dog. We love this heartwarming story of love and perseverance . But how can you get through a personal crisis — and losing a beloved pet definitely counts as one — when takin
People who achieve weight loss of 10% or more in the first five years following diagnosis with type 2 diabetes have the greatest chance of seeing their disease go into remission, according to a study led by the University of Cambridge.
På Örnsköldsviks flygplats finns det ett flygledningstorn som inte används, eftersom flygtrafiken numera sköts på distans, uppifrån Luftfartsverkets central i Sundsvall. Det lediga tornet blev hjärtat i Luftfartsverkets forskningsarena Testsite OER (Örnsköldsviks Airport), där de satsar på att ta fram automatisk, intelligent teknik för flygplatser. Där genomförde Luftfartsverket en demonstration a
On September 19, in a retrial ordered by the Supreme Court of Canada, Alberta Justice Terry Clackson issued a ruling acquitting David and Collet Stephan of failing to provide the necessities of life to their son Ezekiel, whose bacterial meningitis they had chosen to treat with quackery instead of medicine, leading to his death in 2012. The news reports showed that this was a very bad decision, but
The rate of inflation has a big impact on your financial situation, affecting mortgage payments, savings and the cost of your weekly shopping. How the price of goods and services we regularly spend money on changes over time is used by governments and businesses to take the temperature of a nation's economy. It's generally accepted that low, predictable growth is best for everyone. The global inf
The three-drug combination of encorafenib, binimetinib and cetuximab significantly improved overall survival (OS) in patients with BRAF-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), according to results of the BEACON CRC Phase III clinical trial led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
A growing number of patients with advanced lung cancer could soon be offered a blood test to help to decide the best treatment for them instead of having to get a tumour sample for analysis. New data from the BFAST trial presented at the ESMO Congress 2019 have shown that the test can be used successfully to identify complex DNA mutations in the cells of patients with NSCLC suitable for the latest
Since the birth of the political party, in 17th-century England, perhaps none has been quite as unsuccessful in its constitutional struggle as the Tories. Time and again, this most English of interest groups has been on the wrong side of history, advocating for a status quo that has slowly been eroded by the steady tide of human advancement. And yet the Tories have survived at each turn, their ge
Insomnia is a driver of suicide, and particularly people with severe insomnia may safely benefit from taking a sedative to help address their sleep problems as it reduces their suicidal thoughts, investigators report.
A new concept for an aluminium battery has twice the energy density as previous versions, is made of abundant materials, and could lead to reduced production costs and environmental impact. The idea has potential for large scale applications, including storage of solar and wind energy. Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, and the National Institute of Chemistry, Slovenia, ar
A Waseda University-led research found that oncogene SET/TAF1, which was found to be a proto-oncogene of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), contributes to proper chromosome partitioning as a tension sensor. Additionally, abnormal SET protein disrupts tension sensor system at the centromere, leading to missegregation of the chromosomes and thereby cancer. These findings may lead to a discovery for a new
A study by the Medical University of Vienna and the Complexity Science Hub Vienna shows for the first time a connection between the dosage of cholesterol-lowering drugs — statins — and the diagnosis of osteoporosis.
Melanoma is the least common but one of the most deadly skin cancers. It accounts for only about one percent of all cases globally, but the majority of skin cancer deaths. Accurate, timely and reliable diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma remains a significant challenge in dermatopathology. Investigators report in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology on a novel strategy for using microRNA (miRNA) b
Heart disease is an independent risk factor for severe adverse skin reactions in patients taking allopurinol, found a study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Grænsen mellem telesektorens mange myndigheder er uklar nok til, at det kan skabe forvirring i både branche og hos myndighederne selv, mener juraprofessor.
PLUS. Med Trump i kulissen: Rørlægningsskibet Solitaire med 430 mand får snart Bornholm i sigte. Men Danmark har – som det eneste land – endnu ikke givet tilladelse til, at Nord Stream 2 rammer havbunden.
So I've been reading up on the various attempts to create power via fusion, and something hit me. Since so many of the experiments are very close to a net energy gain from fusion. Why not tap into one of the most powerful natural phenomena available to get us over the limit. My idea is that you would get the plasma to a certain point during a thunderstorm. Then when you want to kick things off. Y
A report that surfaced over the weekend claims the House Judiciary Committee is investigating Google's plan to add DNS over TLS to the Chrome browser. DNS is the service that takes an easier …
Earlier this year, it was reported that some Nintendo Switch owners were reporting that they were experiencing "drifting" with their Joy-Con controls. This led to a lawsuit over …
Image credit – Peter Means/Virginia TechAs realistic as some robots can look, it can be obvious that they are still robots namely due to their movements which can come across looking …