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The Universe's Clock Might Have Bigger Ticks Than We Imagine
A new experiment places limits on the smallest possible increment of time — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
2h
29,000 years of Aboriginal history
The known timeline of the Aboriginal occupation of South Australia's Riverland region has been vastly extended by new research led by Flinders University in collaboration with the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation (RMMAC). Radiocarbon dating of shell middens – remnants of meals eaten long ago – capture a record of Aboriginal occupation that extends to around 29,000 years, confirming t
5h
Sorterer du plastikaffald for miljøets skyld? Snydt igen – alt for ofte ender det i havet
PLUS. Europæiske lande sender plastaffald sorteret til genanvendelse til Sydøstasien, hvor en del ender i havet. Det kan skade havmiljøet, fordi dyr forveksler plasten med føde, fortæller forsker.
18h
LATEST
A Raspberry Pi-based virtual reality system for small animals
The Raspberry Pi Virtual Reality system (PiVR) is a versatile tool for presenting virtual reality environments to small, freely moving animals (such as flies and fish larvae). The use of PiVR, together with techniques like optogenetics, will facilitate the mapping and characterization of neural circuits involved in behavior.
4min
'It's a tricky thing.' COVID-19 cases haven't soared in Nigeria, but that could change
Nigeria's top public health scientist says the pandemic may accelerate worries about access to vaccines
15min
Vision scientists discover why people literally don't see eye to eye
We humans may not always see eye to eye on politics, religion, sports and other matters of debate. And now it turns out we also cannot agree on the location and size of objects in our physical surroundings, according to new research.
16min
Converting female mosquitoes to non-biting males with implications for mosquito control
Researchers have proven that a single gene can convert female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes into fertile male mosquitoes and identified a gene needed for male mosquito flight.
16min
A new path for electron optics in solid-state systems
In combined theoretical and experimental work, physicists introduce and demonstrate a novel mechanism for electron optics in two-dimensional solid-state systems. The discovery opens up a route to engineering quantum-optical phenomena in a variety of materials and devices.
16min
Sea Level 101, Part Two: All Sea Level is 'Local'
As discussed in our last Sea Level 101 blog post , we know sea level on the open ocean isn't really flat. A number of factors combine to determine the topography of the ocean surface. Global sea level rise is complex as well. To begin with, it has multiple causes, including the thermal expansion of the ocean as it warms, runoff of meltwater from land-based ice sheets and mountain glaciers, and ch
17min
What are face covering rules in England and why did the policy change?
Face masks or coverings will soon become compulsory in shops in England, as they are in many other countries. What has changed that led to this new policy?
32min
Covid-19 news: Coronavirus restrictions reimposed around the world
The latest coronavirus news updated every day including coronavirus cases, the latest news, features and interviews from New Scientist and essential information about the covid-19 pandemic
32min
Two Neutron Stars Collided, Creating an Unbelievable Explosion
Big Boom Ten billion years ago, two neutron stars crashed into each other and gave off an explosion astronomers say was a quintillion times — that's 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 — brighter than our Sun. Ever since then, the afterglow from the collision — a short gamma ray burst (SGRB) — has been rocketing across the universe at the speed of light. And in a stroke of luck, astronomers here on Earth m
34min
Converting female mosquitoes to non-biting males with implications for mosquito control
"Nix has great potential for developing mosquito control strategies to reduce vector populations through female-to-male sex conversion, or to aid in the Sterile Insect Technique, which requires releasing only nonbiting males," said James Biedler, a research scientist in the Tu lab.
43min
Study finds hidden emotions in the sound of words
In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, it's common to feel stress levels rise every time we hear the word "virus." But new Cornell-led research reveals that the sound of the word itself was likely to raise your blood pressure – even before "corona" was added to it.
43min
Vision scientists discover why people literally don't see eye to eye
We humans may not always see eye to eye on politics, religion, sports and other matters of debate. And now it turns out we also cannot agree on the location and size of objects in our physical surroundings, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley.
43min
Why hydration is so important when hiking in the heat of summer
A recent study showed that compared to moderate weather conditions, hikers' performance during hot weather was impaired, resulting in slower hiking speeds and prolonged exposure to the elements, thus increasing their risk of heat-related illness. The study also found that most hikers did not bring enough fluid with them on their hike to compensate for their sweat loss.
43min
COVID-19 may attack patients' central nervous system
"There may be more central nervous system penetration of the virus than we think based on the prevalence of olfaction-associated depressed mood and anxiety and this really opens up doors for future investigations to look at how the virus may interact with the central nervous system," explains Ahmad Sedaghat, MD, PhD.
43min
Quantum body scanner? What happens when vector vortex beams meet scattering media
Propagate light through any kind of medium — be it free space or biological tissue — and light will scatter. Robustness to scattering is a common requirement for communications and for imaging systems. Structured light, with its use of projected patterns, is resistant to scattering, and has therefore emerged as a versatile tool. In particular, modes of structured light carrying orbital angular m
45min
A Raspberry Pi-based virtual reality system for small animals
The Raspberry Pi Virtual Reality system (PiVR) is a versatile tool for presenting virtual reality environments to small, freely moving animals (such as flies and fish larvae). The use of PiVR, together with techniques like optogenetics, will facilitate the mapping and characterization of neural circuits involved in behavior.
45min
What determines a warbler's colors?
A new study has narrowed down the region of the genome that drives the black color in throat and face of warblers by studying the hybrid offspring produced when two species mate. The hybrids of golden-winged and blue-winged warblers have a mix of coloration from the parent species, which allows researchers to identify which regions of the genome are associated with which color patterns. The study
45min
Keeping innocent people out of jail using the science of perception
People wrongfully accused of a crime often wait years — if ever — to be exonerated. Many of these wrongfully accused cases stem from unreliable eyewitness testimony. Now, scientists have identified a new way of presenting a lineup to an eyewitness that could improve the likelihood that the correct suspect is identified and reduce the number of innocent people sentenced to jail.
45min
Quantum body scanner? What happens when vector vortex beams meet scattering media
Propagate light through any kind of medium — be it free space or biological tissue — and light will scatter. Robustness to scattering is a common requirement for communications and for imaging systems. Structured light, with its use of projected patterns, is resistant to scattering, and has therefore emerged as a versatile tool. In particular, modes of structured light carrying orbital angular m
47min
No evidence that predator control will save mountain caribou, study says
Addressing potential threats from predators has not slowed the dramatic decline of mountain caribou in British Columbia and Alberta, according to a new study by scientists from the University of Alberta and two other western Canadian universities.
53min
No evidence that predator control will save mountain caribou, study says
Addressing potential threats from predators has not slowed the dramatic decline of mountain caribou in British Columbia and Alberta, according to a new study by scientists from the University of Alberta and two other western Canadian universities.
56min
Balance boards make for a scary, fun, and surprisingly perfect pandemic workout
Me, on a balance board. A scary and fun pandemic workout from time to time. pic.twitter.com/a53QuSR9Yu — Rob Verger (@robverger) July 14, 2020
56min
Pioneering Molecular Virologist Flossie Wong-Staal Dies
The University of California, San Diego, researcher helped identify the HIV retrovirus responsible for AIDS and developed treatments still in use today.
56min
How to use a live pig to revitalize a human lung
Nature, Published online: 13 July 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-02080-3 Unusual method could increase the supply of lungs available for transplantation.
57min
China rushes to contain floods after record rainfall
Soldiers erected sandbag flood barriers in a city near China's largest freshwater lake after the heaviest rainfall in nearly six decades drenched the swollen Yangtze River basin.
59min
Anti-vax disinformation spreads unchecked on Facebook
Despite announcing plans to combat disinformation, anti-vax groups continue to gain influence on Facebook. An analysis of over 1,300 Facebook pages with 100 million followers shows that anti-vaccination agendas are having a profound impact. Only 50 percent of Americans are certain they'll receive an approved COVID-19 vaccine. This morning I received a direct message from someone I'm connected to
1h
Correlations identified between insurance coverage and states' voting patterns
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University reviewed national data from the U.S. Census Bureau and found associations between states' voting patterns in the 2016 presidential elections and decreases in the number of adults 18 to 64 years of age without health insurance coverage.
1h
What determines a warbler's colors?
A new study has narrowed down the region of the genome that drives the black color in throat and face of warblers by studying the hybrid offspring produced when two species mate.
1h
A Raspberry Pi-based virtual reality system for small animals
The Raspberry Pi Virtual Reality system (PiVR) is a versatile tool for presenting virtual reality environments to small, freely moving animals (such as flies and fish larvae), according to a study published July 14, 2020 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by David Tadres and Matthieu Louis of the University of California, Santa Barbara. The use of PiVR, together with techniques like optogenet
1h
Improving animal research: New ARRIVE 2.0 guidelines released
The ARRIVE guidelines for the rigorous reporting of animal studies were published in 2010 by the UK-based science organisation, the NC3Rs. Now, ten years later, new reporting guidelines – ARRIVE 2.0 – have been published on July 14, 2020 in the open access journal PLOS Biology. Although the original guidelines were widely endorsed by journals and funders, they have not led to the comprehensive imp
1h
A Canadian Province Killed 463 Wolves for No Good Reason
This winter, 463 wolves died in British Columbia. Their deaths were not due to a freak accident or a natural disaster, but a government-sponsored cull meant to save endangered mountain caribou. Killing wolves is often controversial, and in this case their deaths may have been in vain: A group of scientists says the decision to cull the wolves rested on a statistical error. In the spring of 2019,
1h
Scientists Build Terminator-Style Robot Jaws to Chew Drug-Laced Gum
In an effort to devise with a standardized way to test a new advanced drug delivery method — drug-laced chewing gum — a team of researchers at the University of Bristol, UK, built a set of robot jaws that can chow down much like a human. The robot even features artificial saliva to allow for xylitol, a common sugar substitute in gum, to dissolve. Researchers are hopeful that adding medication to
1h
Freedom of choice: Adding value to public goods
An experimental game reveals that having the freedom to choose preferred public goods greatly increases their value by motivating more, and better, provisioning.
1h
Artificial 'neurotransistor' created
While the optimization of conventional microelectronics is slowly reaching its physical limits, nature offers us a blueprint how information can be processed and stored efficiently: our own brain. Scientists have now successfully imitated the functioning of neurons using semiconductor materials.
1h
Journals endorse new checklist to clean up sloppy animal research
Researchers hope slimmed-down ARRIVE 2.0 guidelines will improve experimental reporting
1h
Earth-sized exoplanets around small stars may have intense hurricanes
Hurricanes may be common on exoplanets that orbit small, red stars over the course of about 10 days, and they're most likely to form on planets that are tidally locked, and so have one side with perpetual daytime
1h
Road trip! Boost your phone battery on-the-go with this solar-powered charger
4-Panel Foldable Solar Phone Charger & 10,000mAh Power Bank (Stack Commerce/) Nothing brings down a great adventure like your smartphone flashing the perilous "low battery" alert. Wasn't it just 95 percent an hour ago? Sure seems like it. Luckily, the 4-Panel Foldable Solar Phone Charger & 10,000mAh Power Bank can provide a great boost to your next road trip, and is currently on sale for 20 perce
1h
Imaging of sequential potential distribution changes in electrodes during charge/discharge
NIMS has succeeded for the first time in visualizing sequential changes in electrical potential distribution across a composite electrode during charge/discharge reactions in all-solid-state lithium ion batteries. This distribution was previously measureable only before and after the occurrence of charge/discharge reactions. Microscopic understanding of charge/discharge reaction mechanisms in elec
1h
Veterinarians urge pet owners to prepare for the arrival of rabbit hemorrhagic disease
An emerging virus threatens both wild and pet rabbits in the United States. The fatal virus—which causes an Ebola-like disease called rabbit hemorrhagic disease—already has been reported in the western and southwestern United States.
1h
The geographies of COVID-19
A pneumonia of unknown cause was first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on 31 December 2019 in China's Hubei Province.
1h
Report calls for government to 'level up' Stoke-on-Trent economy
Stoke-on-Trent faces an increased threat of poverty and destitution due to the COVID-19 crisis, a new report reveals.
1h
29,000 years of Aboriginal history
The known timeline of the Aboriginal occupation of South Australia's Riverland region has been vastly extended by new research led by Flinders University in collaboration with the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation (RMMAC).
1h
Microsoft Warns of a 17-Year-Old 'Wormable' Bug
The SigRed vulnerability exists in Windows DNS, used by practically every small and medium-sized organization in the world.
1h
Veterinarians urge pet owners to prepare for the arrival of rabbit hemorrhagic disease
An emerging virus threatens both wild and pet rabbits in the United States. The fatal virus—which causes an Ebola-like disease called rabbit hemorrhagic disease—already has been reported in the western and southwestern United States.
1h
Coalition backs 'cloud-brightening' trial on Great Barrier Reef to tackle global heating
Greens deride $4.7m funding for technologies that may shade corals and make clouds more reflective as 'Band-Aid solutions' A government-backed research program to make the Great Barrier Reef more resilient to global heating will spend $4.7m this financial year developing technologies that could shade corals and make clouds more reflective during marine heatwaves. The announcement confirms the dev
1h
A Robotic Mini-Armada Will Probe the Secrets of Hurricanes
The torpedo-shaped ocean gliders can survive in stormy seas and can glean information satellites cannot — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
1h
Researchers cast doubt on earlier COVID-19 origins study citing dogs as possible hosts
A study published earlier this year claiming the coronavirus may have jumped from dogs to humans is scientifically flawed, offering no direct evidence to support its conclusions, according to a collaborative group of international researchers, including scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
1h
Artificial 'neurotransistor' created
While the optimization of conventional microelectronics is slowly reaching its physical limits, nature offers us a blueprint how information can be processed and stored efficiently: our own brain. Scientists have now successfully imitated the functioning of neurons using semiconductor materials.
1h
Mere end 32.000 arter er allerede på listen: Her er endnu 3 dyr, som vi er tæt på at miste
En sjælden hval og en europæisk hamster er blandt de dyr, som nu er kritisk truede.
1h
Technical interviews may pinpoint anxiety not skill
Technical interviews for software engineers test for performance anxiety, not coding competence, research finds. The interviews may also be used to exclude groups or favor specific job candidates, the study finds. Technical interviews in the software engineering sector generally take the form of giving a job candidate a problem to solve, then requiring the candidate to write out a solution in cod
1h
Special glasses let people with color blindness see more hues
Special patented glasses can enhance color vision for those with the most common types of red-green color vision deficiency, or "anomalous trichromacy," researchers report. Notably, the ability to identify and experience expanded color was also demonstrated when color blind test subjects were not wearing the glasses. "…these improvements persisted when tested without the filters, thereby demonstr
1h
How frogs became green — again, and again, and again
Nature, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-02103-z A technique for blending into green foliage arose independently in many lineages of tree frogs.
1h
Pesticide mixtures a bigger problem than previously thought
New research led by The University of Queensland has provided the first comprehensive analysis of pesticide mixtures in creeks and rivers discharging to the Great Barrier Reef.
2h
Evolution after Chicxulub asteroid impact: Rapid response of life to end-cretaceous mass
The impact event that formed the Chicxulub crater (Yucatán Peninsula, México) caused the extinction of 75% of species on Earth 66 million years ago, including non-avian dinosaurs. One place that did not experience much extinction was the deep, as organisms living in the abyss made it through the mass extinction event with just some changes to community structure.
2h
Give Your Brain a Boost With the Most Scientifically Advanced Nootropics on the Market
We all need a little help staying alert, focused, and productive. That's why approximately 90 percent of Americans over the age of 18 consume caffeine in one form or another every single day. However, while caffeine is very good at making us feel awake, it doesn't actually improve brain function. If you want to do that, you need to feed your brain, not just pump it full of stimulants. That's why
2h
German Court: Tesla's "Autopilot" Is False Advertising
Truth In Advertising A German court just ruled that Tesla's use of the term "Autopilot" for its assisted-driving technology amounts to false advertising. The Tuesday ruling also included CEO Elon Musk's claims that the company is nearing fully-autonomous driving capabilities, Agence France-Presse reports , which Musk repeated as recently as last week. "Use of the relevant terms creates an expecta
2h
These Towels, Bed Sheets, and Pillow Cases Stop 99.9 Percent of Bacterial Growth
We might not want to think about it, but traditional bed sheets and towels are absolute petri dishes when it comes to bacteria and other nasty microbes. Even if you wash them every three or four days as recommended, you're still sleeping and toweling off with way more invisible friends than any of us want in our home. Fortunately, there's now Miracle, a new brand of bedding and other essentials m
2h
Tale of the tape: Sticky bits make better batteries
Where things get sticky happens to be where interesting science happens in a Rice University lab working to improve battery technology.
2h
Underused part of the electromagnetic spectrum gets optics boost from metamaterial
Terahertz radiation, or T-rays, has barely been exploited compared to most of the rest of the electromagnetic spectrum. Yet T-rays potentially have applications in next-generation wireless communications (6G/7G), security systems, biomedicine, and even art history. A new device for controlling T-rays using a specially designed 'metasurface' with properties not found in nature could begin to realiz
2h
Catalan government imposes new restrictions as virus cases rise
Only essential travel will be permitted in Segrià region of north-eastern Spain
2h
Ups and downs in COVID-19 data may be caused by data reporting practices
As data accumulates on COVID-19 cases and deaths, researchers have observed patterns of peaks and valleys that repeat on a near-weekly basis. A study published this week in mSystems reports that those oscillations arise from variations in testing practices and data reporting, rather than from societal practices around how people are infected or treated.
2h
How Facebook Handles Climate Misinformation
Critics say a company policy that exempts opinion articles from fact-checking amounts to a huge loophole for climate change deniers.
2h
C.D.C. Employees Ask Agency to Address 'Racism and Discrimination'
More than 1,000 employees signed a letter criticizing the agency for "scant progress in addressing the very real challenges Black employees experience."
2h
Powerful Eruptions On The Sun Might Trigger Earthquakes
Ground-shaking earthquakes occur all across the globe. And according to a new study, many of them might be triggered by the sun.
2h
Covid-19 outbreaks up to 20 times more likely in large care homes, study finds
Exclusive: likelihood of UK homes being infected triples with every additional 20 beds Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Coronavirus outbreaks are up to 20 times more likely in large care homes, according to a major study seen by the Guardian, prompting calls to divide them into "bubbles" before any second wave hits. In research that will increase scrutiny of private c
2h
Could recently spotted dim point sources explain the galactic center excess (GCE)?
Over the past decade or so, a number of astrophysics studies have detected an excess of gamma-ray radiation at the center of our galaxy. Despite the many attempts to understand this unexpected surplus of radiation, now known as the galactic center excess (GCE), its source and the reasons why it exists remain unknown.
2h
Factors maximize impact of yoga, physical therapy on back pain in underserved population
New research shows that people with chronic low back pain (cLBP) have better results from yoga and physical therapy compared to reading evidence-based self-help materials. While this finding was consistent across many patient characteristics, a much larger effect was observed among those already taking pain medication to treat their condition and those who did not fear that exercise would make the
2h
A new path for electron optics in solid-state systems
In combined theoretical and experimental work, physicists at ETH Zurich introduce and demonstrate a novel mechanism for electron optics in two-dimensional solid-state systems. The discovery opens up a route to engineering quantum-optical phenomena in a variety of materials and devices.
2h
The plight of the Kalahari San
San (Bushmen) communities in southern Africa continue to call upon their governments and international organizations to recognize their human rights and protect their welfare. They have lived in southern Africa for 20,000 to 40,000 years, yet they remain politically and economically marginalized in relation to other social groups.
2h
Autism researchers map brain circuitry of social preference
A new study reveals how two key neural circuits dictate the choice between social approach and avoidance. The findings will enable researchers to evaluate social interventions in autism.
2h
NASA infrared view finds small areas of strength in new depression 6E
NASA's Aqua satellite used infrared light to identify the strongest storms and coldest cloud top temperatures in Tropical Depression 6E. Aqua found a few small areas of strength but cooler sea surface temperatures are expected to weaken them.
2h
Direct evidence of poison-driven widespread population decline in a wild vertebrate [Environmental Sciences]
Toxicants such as organochlorine insecticides, lead ammunition, and veterinary drugs have caused severe wildlife poisoning, pushing the populations of several apex species to the edge of extinction. These prime cases epitomize the serious threat that wildlife poisoning poses to biodiversity. Much of the evidence on population effects of wildlife poisoning…
2h
Convergent evolution of conserved mitochondrial pathways underlies repeated adaptation to extreme environments [Evolution]
Extreme environments test the limits of life; yet, some organisms thrive in harsh conditions. Extremophile lineages inspire questions about how organisms can tolerate physiochemical stressors and whether the repeated colonization of extreme environments is facilitated by predictable and repeatable evolutionary innovations. We identified the mechanistic basis underlying convergent evolution of…
2h
A demographic and evolutionary analysis of maternal effect senescence [Evolution]
Maternal effect senescence—a decline in offspring survival or fertility with maternal age—has been demonstrated in many taxa, including humans. Despite decades of phenotypic studies, questions remain about how maternal effect senescence impacts evolutionary fitness. To understand the influence of maternal effect senescence on population dynamics, fitness, and selection, we developed…
2h
Divergence of chemosensing during the early stages of speciation [Evolution]
Chemosensory communication is essential to insect biology, playing indispensable roles during mate-finding, foraging, and oviposition behaviors. These traits are particularly important during speciation, where chemical perception may serve to establish species barriers. However, identifying genes associated with such complex behavioral traits remains a significant challenge. Through a combination
2h
MSH1 is required for maintenance of the low mutation rates in plant mitochondrial and plastid genomes [Genetics]
Mitochondrial and plastid genomes in land plants exhibit some of the slowest rates of sequence evolution observed in any eukaryotic genome, suggesting an exceptional ability to prevent or correct mutations. However, the mechanisms responsible for this extreme fidelity remain unclear. We tested seven candidate genes involved in cytoplasmic DNA replication,…
2h
Premature termination codons in the DMD gene cause reduced local mRNA synthesis [Genetics]
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by mutations in the DMD gene leading to the presence of premature termination codons (PTC). Previous transcriptional studies have shown reduced DMD transcript levels in DMD patient and animal model muscles when PTC are present. Nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) has been suggested to be responsible…
2h
Immunity to commensal skin fungi promotes psoriasiform skin inflammation [Immunology and Inflammation]
Under steady-state conditions, the immune system is poised to sense and respond to the microbiota. As such, immunity to the microbiota, including T cell responses, is expected to precede any inflammatory trigger. How this pool of preformed microbiota-specific T cells contributes to tissue pathologies remains unclear. Here, using an experimental…
2h
IL-38 inhibits microglial inflammatory mediators and is decreased in amygdala of children with autism spectrum disorder [Immunology and Inflammation]
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by impaired social interactions and communication. The pathogenesis of ASD is not known, but it involves activation of microglia. We had shown that the peptide neurotensin (NT) is increased in the serum of children with ASD and stimulates cultured adult human microglia to secrete…
2h
Sex differences in neutrophil biology modulate response to type I interferons and immunometabolism [Immunology and Inflammation]
Differences between female and male immunity may contribute to variations in response to infections and predisposition to autoimmunity. We previously reported that neutrophils from reproductive-age males are more immature and less activated than their female counterparts. To further characterize the mechanisms that drive differential neutrophil phenotypes, we performed RNA sequencing…
2h
JNK-mediated disruption of bile acid homeostasis promotes intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma [Medical Sciences]
Metabolic stress causes activation of the cJun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) signal transduction pathway. It is established that one consequence of JNK activation is the development of insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis through inhibition of the transcription factor PPARα. Indeed, JNK1/2 deficiency in hepatocytes protects against the development of steatosis, suggesting…
2h
Fibroblast-tumor cell signaling limits HER2 kinase therapy response via activation of MTOR and antiapoptotic pathways [Medical Sciences]
Despite the implementation of multiple HER2-targeted therapies, patients with advanced HER2+ breast cancer ultimately develop drug resistance. Stromal fibroblasts represent an abundant cell type in the tumor microenvironment and have been linked to poor outcomes and drug resistance. Here, we show that fibroblasts counteract the cytotoxic effects of HER2 kinase-targeted…
2h
Inhibition of DUX4 expression with antisense LNA gapmers as a therapy for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy [Medical Sciences]
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), characterized by progressive muscle weakness and deterioration, is genetically linked to aberrant expression of DUX4 in muscle. DUX4, in its full-length form, is cytotoxic in nongermline tissues. Here, we designed locked nucleic acid (LNA) gapmer antisense oligonucleotides (AOs) to knock down DUX4 in immortalized FSHD myoblasts…
2h
LIN28B regulates transcription and potentiates MYCN-induced neuroblastoma through binding to ZNF143 at target gene promotors [Medical Sciences]
LIN28B is highly expressed in neuroblastoma and promotes tumorigenesis, at least, in part, through inhibition of let-7 microRNA biogenesis. Here, we report that overexpression of either wild-type (WT) LIN28B or a LIN28B mutant that is unable to inhibit let-7 processing increases the penetrance of MYCN-induced neuroblastoma, potentiates the invasion and…
2h
Folate stress induces SLX1- and RAD51-dependent mitotic DNA synthesis at the fragile X locus in human cells [Medical Sciences]
Folate deprivation drives the instability of a group of rare fragile sites (RFSs) characterized by CGG trinucleotide repeat (TNR) sequences. Pathological expansion of the TNR within the FRAXA locus perturbs DNA replication and is the major causative factor for fragile X syndrome, a sex-linked disorder associated with cognitive impairment. Although…
2h
Using synthetic biology to overcome barriers to stable expression of nitrogenase in eukaryotic organelles [Microbiology]
Engineering biological nitrogen fixation in eukaryotic cells by direct introduction of nif genes requires elegant synthetic biology approaches to ensure that components required for the biosynthesis of active nitrogenase are stable and expressed in the appropriate stoichiometry. Previously, the NifD subunits of nitrogenase MoFe protein from Azotobacter vinelandii and Klebsiella…
2h
A lipocalin mediates unidirectional heme biomineralization in malaria parasites [Microbiology]
During blood-stage development, malaria parasites are challenged with the detoxification of enormous amounts of heme released during the proteolytic catabolism of erythrocytic hemoglobin. They tackle this problem by sequestering heme into bioinert crystals known as hemozoin. The mechanisms underlying this biomineralization process remain enigmatic. Here, we demonstrate that both rodent…
2h
Dissecting the mechanism of signaling-triggered nuclear export of newly synthesized influenza virus ribonucleoprotein complexes [Microbiology]
Influenza viruses (IV) exploit a variety of signaling pathways. Previous studies showed that the rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma/mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Raf/MEK/ERK) pathway is functionally linked to nuclear export of viral ribonucleoprotein (vRNP) complexes, suggesting that vRNP export is a signaling-induced event. However, the underlying mechanism
2h
The E3 ubiquitin ligase MARCH1 regulates antimalaria immunity through interferon signaling and T cell activation [Microbiology]
Malaria infection induces complex and diverse immune responses. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying host–parasite interaction, we performed a genetic screen during early (24 h) Plasmodium yoelii infection in mice and identified a large number of interacting host and parasite genes/loci after transspecies expression quantitative trait locus (Ts-eQTL) analysis. We next…
2h
Yaravirus: A novel 80-nm virus infecting Acanthamoeba castellanii [Microbiology]
Here we report the discovery of Yaravirus, a lineage of amoebal virus with a puzzling origin and evolution. Yaravirus presents 80-nm-sized particles and a 44,924-bp dsDNA genome encoding for 74 predicted proteins. Yaravirus genome annotation showed that none of its genes matched with sequences of known organisms at the nucleotide…
2h
Syrian hamsters as a small animal model for SARS-CoV-2 infection and countermeasure development [Microbiology]
At the end of 2019, a novel coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; SARS-CoV-2) was detected in Wuhan, China, that spread rapidly around the world, with severe consequences for human health and the global economy. Here, we assessed the replicative ability and pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 isolates in Syrian hamsters….
2h
Stable readout of observed actions from format-dependent activity of monkey's anterior intraparietal neurons [Neuroscience]
Humans accurately identify observed actions despite large dynamic changes in their retinal images and a variety of visual presentation formats. A large network of brain regions in primates participates in the processing of others' actions, with the anterior intraparietal area (AIP) playing a major role in routing information about observed…
2h
Mechanisms underlying homeostatic plasticity in the Drosophila mushroom body in vivo [Neuroscience]
Neural network function requires an appropriate balance of excitation and inhibition to be maintained by homeostatic plasticity. However, little is known about homeostatic mechanisms in the intact central brain in vivo. Here, we study homeostatic plasticity in the Drosophila mushroom body, where Kenyon cells receive feedforward excitation from olfactory projection…
2h
OGT suppresses S6K1-mediated macrophage inflammation and metabolic disturbance [Physiology]
Enhanced inflammation is believed to contribute to overnutrition-induced metabolic disturbance. Nutrient flux has also been shown to be essential for immune cell activation. Here, we report an unexpected role of nutrient-sensing O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) signaling in suppressing macrophage proinflammatory activation and preventing diet-induced metabolic dysfunction. Overnutrition s
2h
The capillary Kir channel as sensor and amplifier of neuronal signals: Modeling insights on K+-mediated neurovascular communication [Physiology]
Neuronal activity leads to an increase in local cerebral blood flow (CBF) to allow adequate supply of oxygen and nutrients to active neurons, a process termed neurovascular coupling (NVC). We have previously shown that capillary endothelial cell (cEC) inwardly rectifying K+ (Kir) channels can sense neuronally evoked increases in interstitial…
2h
STIM2 targets Orai1/STIM1 to the AKAP79 signaling complex and confers coupling of Ca2+ entry with NFAT1 activation [Physiology]
The Orai1 channel is regulated by stromal interaction molecules STIM1 and STIM2 within endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-plasma membrane (PM) contact sites. Ca2+ signals generated by Orai1 activate Ca2+-dependent gene expression. When compared with STIM1, STIM2 is a weak activator of Orai1, but it has been suggested to have a unique role…
2h
Functional analysis of the OsNPF4.5 nitrate transporter reveals a conserved mycorrhizal pathway of nitrogen acquisition in plants [Plant Biology]
Low availability of nitrogen (N) is often a major limiting factor to crop yield in most nutrient-poor soils. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are beneficial symbionts of most land plants that enhance plant nutrient uptake, particularly of phosphate. A growing number of reports point to the substantially increased N accumulation in…
2h
The Arabidopsis epigenetic regulator ICU11 as an accessory protein of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 [Plant Biology]
Molecular mechanisms enabling the switching and maintenance of epigenetic states are not fully understood. Distinct histone modifications are often associated with ON/OFF epigenetic states, but how these states are stably maintained through DNA replication, yet in certain situations switch from one to another remains unclear. Here, we address this problem…
2h
Rocks in the auxin stream: Wound-induced auxin accumulation and ERF115 expression synergistically drive stem cell regeneration [Plant Biology]
Plants are known for their outstanding capacity to recover from various wounds and injuries. However, it remains largely unknown how plants sense diverse forms of injury and canalize existing developmental processes into the execution of a correct regenerative response. Auxin, a cardinal plant hormone with morphogen-like properties, has been previously…
2h
Proximal threats promote enhanced acquisition and persistence of reactive fear-learning circuits [Psychological and Cognitive Sciences]
Physical proximity to a traumatic event increases the severity of accompanying stress symptoms, an effect that is reminiscent of evolutionarily configured fear responses based on threat imminence. Despite being widely adopted as a model system for stress and anxiety disorders, fear-conditioning research has not yet characterized how threat proximity impacts…
2h
Single-molecule dynamics of Dishevelled at the plasma membrane and Wnt pathway activation [Systems Biology]
Dvl (Dishevelled) is one of several essential nonenzymatic components of the Wnt signaling pathway. In most current models, Dvl forms complexes with Wnt ligand receptors, Fzd and LRP5/6 at the plasma membrane, which then recruits the destruction complex, eventually leading to inactivation of β-catenin degradation. Although this model is widespread,…
2h
Correction for Mastrangelo et al., Twin-chain polymer hydrogels based on poly(vinyl alcohol) as new advanced tool for the cleaning of modern and contemporary art [Corrections]
CHEMISTRY, SOCIAL SCIENCES Correction for "Twin-chain polymer hydrogels based on poly(vinyl alcohol) as new advanced tool for the cleaning of modern and contemporary art," by Rosangela Mastrangelo, David Chelazzi, Giovanna Poggi, Emiliano Fratini, Luciano Pensabene Buemi, Maria Laura Petruzzellis, and Piero Baglioni, which was first published March 9, 2020; 10.1073/pnas.1911811117…
2h
Correction for Noyes and Keil, There is no privileged link between kinds and essences early in development [Corrections]
PSYCHOLOGICAL AND COGNITIVE SCIENCES Correction for "There is no privileged link between kinds and essences early in development," by Alexander Noyes and Frank C. Keil, which was first published May 4, 2020; 10.1073/pnas.2003627117 (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 117, 10633–10635). The authors note that Fig. 1 appeared incorrectly. The y…
2h
Correction for Luther et al., Hepatic gap junctions amplify alcohol liver injury by propagating cGAS-mediated IRF3 activation [Corrections]
MEDICAL SCIENCES Correction for "Hepatic gap junctions amplify alcohol liver injury by propagating cGAS-mediated IRF3 activation," by Jay Luther, Sanjoy Khan, Manish K. Gala, Dmitry Kedrin, Gautham Sridharan, Russell P. Goodman, John J. Garber, Ricard Masia, Erik Diagacomo, Daniel Adams, Kevin R. King, Samuel Piaker, Hans-Christian Reinecker, Martin L. Yarmush,…
2h
Correction to Supporting Information for Halpern et al., Opinion: Putting all foods on the same table: Achieving sustainable food systems requires full accounting [SI Correction]
OPINION Correction to Supporting Information for "Opinion: Putting all foods on the same table: Achieving sustainable food systems requires full accounting," by Benjamin S. Halpern, Richard S. Cottrell, Julia L. Blanchard, Lex Bouwman, Halley E. Froehlich, Jessica A. Gephart, Nis Sand Jacobsen, Caitlin D. Kuempel, Peter B. McIntyre, Marc Metian,…
2h
In This Issue [This Week in PNAS]
Origins of lead glassmaking in Spain Aerial view of the excavation area of the Rabad of Šaqunda with the Aljama Mosque of Córdoba, Spain, in the background. Image credit: Municipal Planning Department of Córdoba—University of Córdoba. Before the eighth century, glassmaking centers on the Levantine coast and in Egypt supplied…
2h
A learning model can explain both shared and idiosyncratic first impressions from faces [Social Sciences]
In their contribution to PNAS, Sutherland et al. (1) document stable individual differences in the character traits spontaneously attributed to strangers based solely on their facial appearance ("first impressions"). Data from the accompanying twin study suggest that these idiosyncratic first impressions are products of individuals' direct social experience. These findings…
2h
Reply to Cook and Over: Social learning and evolutionary mechanisms are not mutually exclusive [Social Sciences]
We thank Cook and Over (1) for their response to our recent article, where we find that unique experiences drive individual differences in impression formation (2). Overall, our theoretical positions are similar: We suggest that social associative learning underlies this core finding (2), and Cook and Over (1) clearly agree….
2h
The individual and the team in collaborative science [Social Sciences]
The analysis of collaborative science by Herz et al. (1) raises additional points worth consideration. The "deeply rooted biases in perceived self-contribution" that Herz et al. (1) describe are also well known outside of science. Most (all?) of us have lived with roommates, and worked alongside labmates, whom we have…
2h
Reply to Herschlag: Enhancing integrative science by acknowledging our biases [Social Sciences]
In a commentary on our recently published article in PNAS (1), demonstrating that scientists pose strong self-enhancing biases when requested to evaluate their contribution to published team work, Herschlag (2) extends the discussion and proposes potential explanations for these observed biases. We enjoyed reading Herschlag's examples and insights and think…
2h
QnAs with Leslie B. Vosshall [QnAs]
To say that Leslie Vosshall has a nose for impactful science is to state the obvious. For more than a decade, Vosshall, a professor at The Rockefeller University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, and member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), has used her expertise in olfaction to combat…
2h
Chaos may lurk under a cloak of neutrality [Population Biology]
The astonishing diversity of species on Earth has long puzzled ecologists and evolutionary biologists alike. For instance, why are there more than 300,000 species of beetles and only 10,000 species of mammals? Is it because the Creator is inordinately fond of beetles, as J. B. S. Haldane reportedly joked (1)?…
2h
Solving the puzzle of Enceladus's active south pole [Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences]
Enceladus is a small moon of Saturn that has active geysers at its south pole. Why this activity is confined to one small region of the surface has been a puzzle for 15 y. Now, in PNAS, Kang and Flierl (1) provide a possible answer: Localization of activity can arise…
2h
Turning up the heat on HIV-1 [Immunology and Inflammation]
The introduction of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the 1990s has turned the once fatal condition of HIV-1/AIDS into a chronic illness. However, it has failed to fully eradicate the virus, which remains in a latent state in a small number of CD4+ T cells in individuals on ART. One promising…
2h
Cofactor-enabled functional expression of fruit fly, honeybee, and bumblebee nicotinic receptors reveals picomolar neonicotinoid actions [Agricultural Sciences]
The difficulty of achieving robust functional expression of insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) has hampered our understanding of these important molecular targets of globally deployed neonicotinoid insecticides at a time when concerns have grown regarding the toxicity of this chemotype to insect pollinators. We show that thioredoxin-related transmembrane protein 3…
2h
Ex novo development of lead glassmaking in early Umayyad Spain [Anthropology]
This study investigates glass finds from the Iberian Peninsula as a proxy for identifying the mechanisms underlying technological transformations and innovation in the wake of the Arab conquest in the seventh and eighth centuries CE. High-resolution laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry data combined with lead isotope analyses of…
2h
Pharmacological disruption of the Notch transcription factor complex [Applied Biological Sciences]
Notch pathway signaling is implicated in several human cancers. Aberrant activation and mutations of Notch signaling components are linked to tumor initiation, maintenance, and resistance to cancer therapy. Several strategies, such as monoclonal antibodies against Notch ligands and receptors, as well as small-molecule γ-secretase inhibitors (GSIs), have been developed to…
2h
Functional network analysis reveals an immune tolerance mechanism in cancer [Applied Mathematics]
We present a technique to construct a simplification of a feature network which can be used for interactive data exploration, biological hypothesis generation, and the detection of communities or modules of cofunctional features. These are modules of features that are not necessarily correlated, but nevertheless exhibit common function in their…
2h
Highly tunable properties in pressure-treated two-dimensional Dion-Jacobson perovskites [Applied Physical Sciences]
The application of pressure can achieve novel structures and exotic phenomena in condensed matters. However, such pressure-induced transformations are generally reversible and useless for engineering materials for ambient-environment applications. Here, we report comprehensive high-pressure investigations on a series of Dion–Jacobson (D-J) perovskites A′An−1PbnI3n+1 [A′ = 3-(aminomethyl) piperidin
2h
Bioclickable and mussel adhesive peptide mimics for engineering vascular stent surfaces [Applied Physical Sciences]
Thrombogenic reaction, aggressive smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation, and sluggish endothelial cell (EC) migration onto bioinert metal vascular stents make poststenting reendothelialization a dilemma. Here, we report an easy to perform, biomimetic surface engineering strategy for multiple functionalization of metal vascular stents. We first design and graft a clickable mussel-inspired…
2h
Experimental realization of a reconfigurable electroacoustic topological insulator [Applied Physical Sciences]
A substantial challenge in guiding elastic waves is the presence of reflection and scattering at sharp edges, defects, and disorder. Recently, mechanical topological insulators have sought to overcome this challenge by supporting back-scattering resistant wave transmission. In this paper, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a reconfigurable electroacoustic topological insulator exhibiting…
2h
Polarized evanescent waves reveal trochoidal dichroism [Applied Physical Sciences]
Matter's sensitivity to light polarization is characterized by linear and circular polarization effects, corresponding to the system's anisotropy and handedness, respectively. Recent investigations into the near-field properties of evanescent waves have revealed polarization states with out-of-phase transverse and longitudinal oscillations, resulting in trochoidal, or cartwheeling, field motion. H
2h
X-ray processing of a realistic ice mantle can explain the gas abundances in protoplanetary disks [Astronomy]
The Atacama Large Millimeter Array has allowed a detailed observation of molecules in protoplanetary disks, which can evolve toward solar systems like our own. While CO, CO2, HCO, and H2CO are often abundant species in the cold zones of the disk, CH3OH or CH3CN are only found in a few…
2h
Dynamic human MutS{alpha}-MutL{alpha} complexes compact mismatched DNA [Biochemistry]
DNA mismatch repair (MMR) corrects errors that occur during DNA replication. In humans, mutations in the proteins MutSα and MutLα that initiate MMR cause Lynch syndrome, the most common hereditary cancer. MutSα surveilles the DNA, and upon recognition of a replication error it undergoes adenosine triphosphate-dependent conformational changes and recruits…
2h
Real-time monitoring of peroxiredoxin oligomerization dynamics in living cells [Biochemistry]
Peroxiredoxins are central to cellular redox homeostasis and signaling. They serve as peroxide scavengers, sensors, signal transducers, and chaperones, depending on conditions and context. Typical 2-Cys peroxiredoxins are known to switch between different oligomeric states, depending on redox state, pH, posttranslational modifications, and other factors. Quaternary states and their changes…
2h
Structural basis for the broad substrate specificity of two acyl-CoA dehydrogenases FadE5 from mycobacteria [Biochemistry]
FadE, an acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, introduces unsaturation to carbon chains in lipid metabolism pathways. Here, we report that FadE5 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MtbFadE5) and Mycobacterium smegmatis (MsFadE5) play roles in drug resistance and exhibit broad specificity for linear acyl-CoA substrates but have a preference for those with long carbon chains. Here,…
2h
Disruption of evolutionarily correlated tRNA elements impairs accurate decoding [Biochemistry]
Bacterial transfer RNAs (tRNAs) contain evolutionarily conserved sequences and modifications that ensure uniform binding to the ribosome and optimal translational accuracy despite differences in their aminoacyl attachments and anticodon nucleotide sequences. In the tRNA anticodon stem−loop, the anticodon sequence is correlated with a base pair in the anticodon loop (nucleotides…
2h
Active forces shape the metaphase spindle through a mechanical instability [Biophysics and Computational Biology]
The metaphase spindle is a dynamic structure orchestrating chromosome segregation during cell division. Recently, soft matter approaches have shown that the spindle behaves as an active liquid crystal. Still, it remains unclear how active force generation contributes to its characteristic spindle-like shape. Here we combine theory and experiments to show…
2h
Enzymatic degradation of liquid droplets of DNA is modulated near the phase boundary [Biophysics and Computational Biology]
Biomolecules can undergo liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS), forming dense droplets that are increasingly understood to be important for cellular function. Analogous systems are studied as early-life compartmentalization mechanisms, for applications as protocells, or as drug-delivery vehicles. In many of these situations, interactions between the droplet and enzymatic solutes are important…
2h
Mechanism of {beta}-arrestin recruitment by the {mu}-opioid G protein-coupled receptor [Biophysics and Computational Biology]
Agonists to the μ-opioid G protein-coupled receptor (μOR) can alleviate pain through activation of G protein signaling, but they can also induce β-arrestin activation, leading to such side effects as respiratory depression. Biased ligands to μOR that induce G protein signaling without inducing β-arrestin signaling can alleviate pain while reducing…
2h
The interplay between chromophore and protein determines the extended excited state dynamics in a single-domain phytochrome [Biophysics and Computational Biology]
Phytochromes are a diverse family of bilin-binding photoreceptors that regulate a wide range of physiological processes. Their photochemical properties make them attractive for applications in optogenetics and superresolution microscopy. Phytochromes undergo reversible photoconversion triggered by the Z ⇄ E photoisomerization about the double bond in the bilin chromophore. However, it…
2h
Maturation of the functional mouse CRES amyloid from globular form [Biophysics and Computational Biology]
The epididymal lumen contains a complex cystatin-rich nonpathological amyloid matrix with putative roles in sperm maturation and sperm protection. Given our growing understanding for the biological function of this and other functional amyloids, the problem still remains: how functional amyloids assemble including their initial transition to early oligomeric forms. To…
2h
Acquirement of water-splitting ability and alteration of the charge-separation mechanism in photosynthetic reaction centers [Biophysics and Computational Biology]
In photosynthetic reaction centers from purple bacteria (PbRC) and the water-oxidizing enzyme, photosystem II (PSII), charge separation occurs along one of the two symmetrical electron-transfer branches. Here we report the microscopic origin of the unidirectional charge separation, fully considering electron–hole interaction, electronic coupling of the pigments, and electrostatic interaction with.
2h
An essential role for cardiolipin in the stability and function of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter [Cell Biology]
Calcium uptake by the mitochondrial calcium uniporter coordinates cytosolic signaling events with mitochondrial bioenergetics. During the past decade all protein components of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter have been identified, including MCU, the pore-forming subunit. However, the specific lipid requirements, if any, for the function and formation of this channel complex…
2h
A tumor-associated splice-isoform of MAP2K7 drives dedifferentiation in MBNL1-low cancers via JNK activation [Cell Biology]
Master splicing regulator MBNL1 shapes large transcriptomic changes that drive cellular differentiation during development. Here we demonstrate that MBNL1 is a suppressor of tumor dedifferentiation. We surveyed MBNL1 expression in matched tumor/normal pairs across The Cancer Genome Atlas and found that MBNL1 was down-regulated in several common cancers. Down-regulation of…
2h
Observing the nonvectorial yet cotranslational folding of a multidomain protein, LDL receptor, in the ER of mammalian cells [Cell Biology]
Proteins have evolved by incorporating several structural units within a single polypeptide. As a result, multidomain proteins constitute a large fraction of all proteomes. Their domains often fold to their native structures individually and vectorially as each domain emerges from the ribosome or the protein translocation channel, leading to the…
2h
Precious metal recovery from electronic waste by a porous porphyrin polymer [Chemistry]
Urban mining of precious metals from electronic waste, such as printed circuit boards (PCB), is not yet feasible because of the lengthy isolation process, health risks, and environmental impact. Although porous polymers are particularly effective toward the capture of metal contaminants, those with porphyrin linkers have not yet been considered…
2h
Lower bounds to eigenvalues of the Schrodinger equation by solution of a 90-y challenge [Chemistry]
The Ritz upper bound to eigenvalues of Hermitian operators is essential for many applications in science. It is a staple of quantum chemistry and physics computations. The lower bound devised by Temple in 1928 [G. Temple, Proc. R. Soc. A Math. Phys. Eng. Sci. 119, 276–293 (1928)] is not, since…
2h
Template-stabilized oxidic nickel oxygen evolution catalysts [Chemistry]
Earth-abundant oxygen evolution catalysts (OECs) with extended stability in acid can be constructed by embedding active sites within an acid-stable metal-oxide framework. Here, we report stable NiPbOx films that are able to perform oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysis for extended periods of operation (>20 h) in acidic solutions of pH…
2h
On the enigmatic disappearance of Rauber's layer [Developmental Biology]
The polar trophoblast overlays the epiblast in eutherian mammals and, depending on the species, has one of two different fates. It either remains a single-layered, thinning epithelium called "Rauber's layer," which soon disintegrates, or, alternatively, it keeps proliferating, contributing heavily to the population of differentiating, invasive trophoblast cells and, at…
2h
Multiple transpolar auroral arcs reveal insight about coupling processes in the Earth's magnetotail [Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences]
A distinct class of aurora, called transpolar auroral arc (TPA) (in some cases called "theta" aurora), appears in the extremely high-latitude ionosphere of the Earth when interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) is northward. The formation and evolution of TPA offers clues about processes transferring energy and momentum from the solar wind…
2h
Ethnolinguistic diversity and urban agglomeration [Economic Sciences]
This article shows that higher ethnolinguistic diversity is associated with a greater risk of social tensions and conflict, which, in turn, is a dispersion force lowering urbanization and the incentives to move to big cities. We construct a worldwide dataset at a fine-grained level on urban settlement patterns and ethnolinguistic…
2h
Unusual activated processes controlling dislocation motion in body-centered-cubic high-entropy alloys [Engineering]
Atomistic simulations of dislocation mobility reveal that body-centered cubic (BCC) high-entropy alloys (HEAs) are distinctly different from traditional BCC metals. HEAs are concentrated solutions in which composition fluctuation is almost inevitable. The resultant inhomogeneities, while locally promoting kink nucleation on screw dislocations, trap them against propagation with an appreciable ener
2h
Dynamics of electrohydraulic soft actuators [Engineering]
Nature has inspired the design of robots in which soft actuators enable tasks such as handling of fragile objects and adapting to unstructured environments. Those tasks are difficult for traditional robots, which predominantly consist of hard components. Electrohydraulic soft actuators are liquid-filled shells that deform upon the application of electric…
2h
The transition to family caregiving and its effect on biomarkers of inflammation [Immunology and Inflammation]
Chronic stress has been widely proposed to increase systemic inflammation, a pathway that may link stress with a heightened risk for many diseases. The chronic stress–inflammation relationship has been challenging to study in humans, however, and family caregiving has been identified as one type of stressful situation that might lead…
2h
Opinion: What models can and cannot tell us about COVID-19 [Mathematics]
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has already claimed more than 470,000 deaths worldwide at the time of this writing (1) and is likely to claim many more. Models can help us determine how to stop the spread…
2h
Oral squamous cell carcinoma diagnosed from saliva metabolic profiling [Medical Sciences]
Saliva is a noninvasive biofluid that can contain metabolite signatures of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Conductive polymer spray ionization mass spectrometry (CPSI-MS) is employed to record a wide range of metabolite species within a few seconds, making this technique appealing as a point-of-care method for the early detection of…
2h
Core Concept: How synaptic pruning shapes neural wiring during development and, possibly, in disease [Neuroscience]
At birth, an infant's brain is packed with roughly 100 billion neurons—some 15% more than it will have as an adult. As we learn and grow, our experiences strengthen the circuits that prove most relevant while the others weaken and fade. Nerve cells in the cerebellum called purkinje cells (blue)…
2h
Observation of backscattering induced by magnetism in a topological edge state [Physics]
The boundary modes of topological insulators are protected by the symmetries of the nontrivial bulk electronic states. Unless these symmetries are broken, they can give rise to novel phenomena, such as the quantum spin Hall effect in one-dimensional (1D) topological edge states, where quasiparticle backscattering is suppressed by time-reversal symmetry…
2h
Multiorbital charge-density wave excitations and concomitant phonon anomalies in Bi2Sr2LaCuO6+{delta} [Physics]
Charge-density waves (CDWs) are ubiquitous in underdoped cuprate superconductors. As a modulation of the valence electron density, CDWs in hole-doped cuprates possess both Cu-3d and O-2p orbital character owing to the strong hybridization of these orbitals near the Fermi level. Here, we investigate underdoped Bi2Sr1.4La0.6CuO6+δ using resonant inelastic X-ray scattering…
2h
Block-spiral magnetism: An exotic type of frustrated order [Physics]
Competing interactions in quantum materials induce exotic states of matter such as frustrated magnets, an extensive field of research from both the theoretical and experimental perspectives. Here, we show that competing energy scales present in the low-dimensional orbital-selective Mott phase (OSMP) induce an exotic magnetic order, never reported before. Earlier…
2h
The influence of packing structure and interparticle forces on ultrasound transmission in granular media [Physics]
Ultrasound propagation through externally stressed, disordered granular materials was experimentally and numerically investigated. Experiments employed piezoelectric transducers to excite and detect longitudinal ultrasound waves of various frequencies traveling through randomly packed sapphire spheres subjected to uniaxial compression. The experiments featured in situ X-ray tomography and diffract
2h
Adherence to suicide reporting guidelines by news shared on a social networking platform [Psychological and Cognitive Sciences]
Rates of suicide in the United States are at a more than 20-y high. Suicide contagion, or spread of suicide-related thoughts and behaviors through exposure to sensationalized and harmful content is a well-recognized phenomenon. Health authorities have published guidelines for news media reporting on suicide to help prevent contagion; however,…
2h
Correcting misperceptions of exponential coronavirus growth increases support for social distancing [Psychological and Cognitive Sciences]
The most effective way to stem the spread of a pandemic such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is social distancing, but the introduction of such measures is hampered by the fact that a sizeable part of the population fails to see their need. Three studies conducted during the mass spreading…
2h
National age and coresidence patterns shape COVID-19 vulnerability [Social Sciences]
Based on harmonized census data from 81 countries, we estimate how age and coresidence patterns shape the vulnerability of countries' populations to outbreaks of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We estimate variation in deaths arising due to a simulated random infection of 10% of the population living in private households and…
2h
Predicting mortality from 57 economic, behavioral, social, and psychological factors [Social Sciences]
Behavioral and social scientists have identified many nonbiological predictors of mortality. An important limitation of much of this research, however, is that risk factors are not studied in comparison with one another or from across different fields of research. It therefore remains unclear which factors should be prioritized for interventions…
2h
Russian Space Chief "Not Interested" in Working With NASA on Missions to the Moon
Not Interested Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Russian space agency Roscosmos, has nothing nice to say about NASA's efforts to return astronauts to the Moon, Ars Technica reports . In an interview with Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda — a former mouthpiece of the USSR — Rogozin said Russia had no interest in working with NASA on its Artemis Moon program. "Frankly speaking, we are not interested
2h
Predicting personality from patterns of behavior collected with smartphones [Psychological and Cognitive Sciences]
Smartphones enjoy high adoption rates around the globe. Rarely more than an arm's length away, these sensor-rich devices can easily be repurposed to collect rich and extensive records of their users' behaviors (e.g., location, communication, media consumption), posing serious threats to individual privacy. Here we examine the extent to which…
2h
Behavioral tagging underlies memory reconsolidation [Neuroscience]
Memory reconsolidation occurs when a retrieving event destabilizes transiently a consolidated memory, triggering thereby a new process of restabilization that ensures memory persistence. Although this phenomenon has received wide attention, the effect of new information cooccurring with the reconsolidation process has been less explored. Here we demonstrate that a memory-retrieving…
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Quantifying the contribution of Fc-mediated effector functions to the antiviral activity of anti-HIV-1 IgG1 antibodies in vivo [Microbiology]
In combating viral infections, the Fab portion of an antibody could mediate virus neutralization, whereas Fc engagement of Fc-γ receptors (FcγRs) could mediate an array of effector functions. Evidence abounds that effector functions are important in controlling infections by influenza, Ebola, or HIV-1 in animal models. However, the relative contribution…
2h
Type I IFN is siloed in endosomes [Immunology and Inflammation]
Type I IFN (IFN-I) is thought to be rapidly internalized and degraded following binding to its receptor and initiation of signaling. However, many studies report the persistent effects mediated by IFN-I for days or even weeks, both ex vivo and in vivo. These long-lasting effects are attributed to downstream signaling…
2h
Ranking essential bacterial processes by speed of mutant death [Microbiology]
Mutant phenotype analysis of bacteria has been revolutionized by genome-scale screening procedures, but essential genes have been left out of such studies because mutants are missing from the libraries analyzed. Since essential genes control the most fundamental processes of bacterial life, this is a glaring deficiency. To address this limitation,…
2h
Erythrocyte-driven immunization via biomimicry of their natural antigen-presenting function [Applied Biological Sciences]
Erythrocytes naturally capture certain bacterial pathogens in circulation, kill them through oxidative stress, and present them to the antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in the spleen. By leveraging this innate immune function of erythrocytes, we developed erythrocyte-driven immune targeting (EDIT), which presents nanoparticles from the surface of erythrocytes to the APCs in…
2h
Phase imaging of transition from classical to quantum plasmonic couplings between a metal nanoparticle and a metal surface [Chemistry]
When a metal nanoparticle is brought near to a metal surface within electron tunneling distance (∼1 nm), classical electromagnetic coupling between the nanoparticle and the metal is expected to transition to quantum coupling. We show that this transition can be observed as a drastic phase change in the surface plasmon…
2h
Fetal public V{gamma}9V{delta}2 T cells expand and gain potent cytotoxic functions early after birth [Immunology and Inflammation]
Vγ9Vδ2 T cells are a major human blood γδ T cell population that respond in a T cell receptor (TCR)-dependent manner to phosphoantigens which are generated by a variety of microorganisms. It is not clear how Vγ9Vδ2 T cells react toward the sudden microbial exposure early after birth. We found…
2h
Roger Stone Can Be Tried, Again
Stone Trump Mueller
Donald Trump's commutation of his friend Roger Stone's criminal sentence is one of the most severe affronts to the rule of law during the Trump administration—and that's really saying something. Fortunately, it's not indelible. A future Justice Department could indict Stone once again. And this fact highlights that on the ballot in 2020 is not just a forward-looking end to Trump's corruption and
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Florida reports one-day record coronavirus death tally
US state's 133 fatalities come as Arizona also records its highest Covid-19 death total
2h
Maunakea Observatories' quick reflexes capture fleeting flash
Astronomers have discovered the second-most distant short gamma-ray burst (SGRB) ever detected using two Maunakea Observatories in Hawaii. It's also the most distant SGRB to have its optical afterglow captured. W. M. Keck Observatory and the international Gemini Observatory (on Maunakea) data confirm the SGRB is located 10 billion light-years away when the universe was in its 'teenage years.' Find
2h
Customizable smart window technology could improve energy efficiency of buildings
Scientists combined solar cell technology with a novel optimization approach to develop a smart window prototype that maximizes design across a wide range of criteria.
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Customizable smart window technology could improve energy efficiency of buildings
Scientists combined solar cell technology with a novel optimization approach to develop a smart window prototype that maximizes design across a wide range of criteria.
2h
Experts Say China Hid Spyware in Mandatory Tax Software
Mandatory Backdoor Any company doing business in China is required to file for taxes using software called Golden Tax Invoicing. And now, security researchers have an idea why the Chinese government likes it so much: they say it's riddled with spyware . Installing Golden Tax Invoicing infects computers with spyware called GoldenHelper, Ars Technica reports , which essentially grants backdoor acce
3h
Survey: 80% of older adults have faced ageism
Most older adults say they've experienced ageism, but a majority still hold positive attitudes toward aging, a new poll finds. An offhand remark by an acquaintance about using a smartphone. A joke about someone losing their memory or hearing. An ad in a magazine focused on erasing wrinkles or gray hair. An inner worry that getting older means growing lonely. "Everyday ageism is part of American c
3h
Evolution after Chicxulub asteroid impact: Rapid response of life to end-cretaceous mass
The impact event that formed the Chicxulub crater (Yucatán Peninsula, México) caused the extinction of 75% of species on Earth 66 million years ago, including non-avian dinosaurs. One place that did not experience much extinction was the deep, as organisms living in the abyss made it through the mass extinction event with just some changes to community structure.
3h
Tale of the tape: Sticky bits make better batteries
Scientists use an industrial laser to turn adhesive tape into a component for safer, anode-free lithium metal batteries.
3h
Tech sector job interviews assess anxiety, not software skills
A new study finds that the technical interviews currently used in hiring for many software engineering positions test whether a job candidate has performance anxiety rather than whether the candidate is competent at coding. The interviews may also be used to exclude groups or favor specific job candidates.
3h
Robot jaws shows medicated chewing gum could be the future
Medicated chewing gum has been recognized as a new advanced drug delivery method but currently there is no gold standard for testing drug release from chewing gum in vitro. New research has shown a chewing robot with built-in humanoid jaws could provide opportunities for pharmaceutical companies to develop medicated chewing gum.
3h
More than one cognition: A call for change in the field of comparative psychology
Researchers argue that cognitive studies in comparative psychology often wrongly take an anthropocentric approach, resulting in an over-valuation of human-like abilities and the assumption that cognitive skills cluster in animals as they do in humans. The authors advocate for philosophical and procedural changes to the discipline that would lead to a better understanding of animal minds and the ev
3h
Report calls for government to 'level up' Stoke-on-Trent economy
Stoke-on-Trent faces an increased threat of poverty and destitution due to the COVID-19 crisis, a new report reveals. The research has been carried out by Staffordshire University Business School for the Stoke-on-Trent Hardship Commission and highlights the considerable work to be still done by central government to 'level-up' the Stoke-on-Trent economy.
3h
Tale of the tape: Sticky bits make better batteries
Rice University scientists use an industrial laser to turn adhesive tape into a component for safer, anode-free lithium metal batteries.
3h
Evolution after Chicxulub asteroid impact: Rapid response of life to end-cretaceous mass
The impact event that formed the Chicxulub crater (Yucatán Peninsula, México) caused the extinction of 75% of species on Earth 66 million years ago, including non-avian dinosaurs. One place that did not experience much extinction was the deep, as organisms living in the abyss made it through the mass extinction event with just some changes to community structure.
3h
Palliative nursing's role during COVID-19 and beyond
As a rapid influx of patients overwhelmed health systems during the coronavirus pandemic, palliative nurses played dual roles supporting patients, patient families, and colleagues. Two researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) are among those detailing the important role palliative care has in responding during the COVID-19 pandemic and in future public health
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COVID-19 tip sheet: Story ideas from Johns Hopkins
For information from Johns Hopkins Medicine about the coronavirus pandemic, visit hopkinsmedicine.org/coronavirus. For information on the coronavirus from throughout the Johns Hopkins enterprise, including the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and The Johns Hopkins University, visit coronavirus.jhu.edu.
3h
Unexpected associations found between drug response and cell changes in brain cancer
Therapies for treating glioblastoma brain cancer can be delivered with greater precision and existing drugs can be used in new ways. These are the conclusions from a study from Uppsala University investigating a large number of cell samples from patients with brain tumours. The researchers have characterised how changes in glioblastoma cells influence the effect of different drugs. Their findings
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COVID-19 drug may cut death risk by 45% for severe cases
In a new study, patients who received single intravenous dose of tocilizumab were also more likely to leave the hospital or be off a ventilator within a month, despite double the risk of additional infection. Critically ill COVID-19 patients who received a single dose of a drug that calms an overreacting immune system were 45% less likely to die overall, and more likely to be out of the hospital
3h
Hammer-on technique for atomic vibrations in a crystal
Vibrations of atoms in a crystal of the semiconductor gallium arsenide (GaAs) are impulsively shifted to a higher frequency by an optically excited electric current. The related change in the spatial distribution of charge between gallium and arsenic atoms acts back on their motions via electric interactions.
3h
Perovskite solar cells record highest power conversion
A team of researchers has created a perovskite solar mini module that has recorded the highest power conversion efficiency of any perovskite-based device larger than 10 cm2.
3h
Drones and artificial intelligence show promise for conservation of farmland bird nests
Every spring, a large number of ground-nests of farmland birds are accidentally destroyed by mechanical operations, such as ploughing and sowing. A new study shows for the first time that such nests can be located using a drone in combination with artificial intelligence.
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Particulate plutonium released from the Fukushima Daiichi meltdowns
Small amounts of plutonium (Pu) were released from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) reactors into the environment during the site's 2011 nuclear disaster. However, the physical, chemical, and isotopic form of the released Pu has remained unknown. Now, recent work has shown that Pu was included inside cesium-rich microparticles (CsMPs) that were emitted from the site.
3h
Links between video games and gambling run deeper than previously thought, study reveals
A new study suggests that a number of practices in video games, such as token wagering, real-money gaming, and social casino spending, are significantly linked to problem gambling.
3h
Loss of a co-twin linked to heightened psychiatric risk
The death of a twin, especially earlier in life, can increase the risk of their surviving twin being diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder, finds a new study.
3h
NSF's handful of foreign influence cases may be due to how it investigates them
The National Science Foundation's new numbers pale next to what the National Institutes of Health has reported
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Road traffic microplastics flooding world's oceans: study
Airborne microplastics from traffic pollution may be entering the world's oceans at a similar rate to that from rivers, according to new research Tuesday warning that the particles may also speed up Arctic ice melt.
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We're still not sure how COVID-19 impacts pregnant people
There's still a lot researchers don't know about how SARS-CoV-2 can travel from an expectant parent to their unborn fetus. (Pixabay/) Scientists are learning more about how COVID-19 affects pregnant people and the fetuses they carry all the time, but there's still a lot they aren't sure of. "People are working really hard to try to understand the effects of COVID-19 on [expectant mothers and thei
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Multiomic Single-Cell Analysis Identifies a Unique Stem and Progenitor Population
Margaret Nakamoto will introduce the BD Rhapsody™ Single-Cell Analysis System, and Ravi Majeti will discuss how he and his team used concurrent RNA and BD® AbSeq Antibody-oligo multiplexed surface marker analysis to improve HSPC clustering and characterize specific phenotypic states along unique hematopoietic differentiation trajectories.
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What encourages–or impedes–primary care team collaboration through case management?
While multiple recent studies have provided evidence of the benefits of case management, primary care teams have struggled to implement and sustain its use in their clinical practices. In this systematic review, researchers examine barriers to case management, as well as factors facilitating its implementation.
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Robert Graham Center: First steps towards gender parity in academic authorship
Researchers affiliated with the Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies in Family Medicine and Primary Care conducted a descriptive bibliometric analysis to determine the gender ratio of scholarly authorship on publications by its researchers between 2008 and 2018.
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Short gamma ray burst leaves most-distant optical afterglow ever detected
New research shows that neutron stars in a 'teenage' universe could merge relatively quickly.
3h
Wireless aquatic robot could clean water and transport cells
Researchers have developed a tiny plastic robot, made of responsive polymers, which moves under the influence of light and magnetism. In the future this 'wireless aquatic polyp' should be able to attract and capture contaminant particles from the surrounding liquid or pick up and transport cells for analysis in diagnostic devices.
3h
Fleeting flash is most-distant optical afterglow from gamma-ray burst ever detected
Rapid follow-up of the optical afterglow from one of the most distant confirmed short gamma-ray bursts (SGRB), thought to be the merger of two neutron stars, is casting new light on these enigmatic objects. The observations confirmed the object's distance and placed it squarely in the epoch of cosmic high noon, when the Universe was in its "teenage years" and rapidly forming stars.
3h
Scientists ID gene responsible for deadly glioblastoma
The discovery of the oncogene responsible for glioblastoma could be the brain cancer's Achilles' heel, one researcher says.
3h
Avian speciation: Uniform vs. particolored plumage
Although carrion crows and hooded crows are almost indistinguishable genetically, they avoid mating with each other. Researchers have now identified a mutation that appears to contribute to this instance of reproductive isolation.
3h
Pesticide mixtures a bigger problem than previously thought
New research has provided the first comprehensive analysis of pesticide mixtures in creeks and rivers discharging to the Great Barrier Reef.
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Back to the future: New study could lead to bumper crops
Research could lead to major improvements in crop production. The study shows a new way to help study and ramp up photosynthesis.
3h
Researchers found a link between genes and preeclampsia
Researchers have showed that HLA-G gene regulates male-to-female ratio at birth. The study strengthens earlier findings of the vulnerability of male fetuses to preeclampsia.
3h
Burger King addresses climate change by changing cows' diets
Burger King is staging an intervention with its cows.
3h
'Tiny Bug Slayer' Dinosaur Relative Would Fit in the Palm of a Hand
A fossil from Madagascar shows giant dinosaurs and pterosaurs originated from teensy ancestors — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
3h
Why are US coronavirus deaths going down as covid-19 cases soar?
A smaller proportion of people seem to be dying from covid-19 in the US and in hospitals in England, but that doesn't mean the coronavirus is becoming less deadly
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Review of progress towards advanced Lithium-sulfur batteries
How should one design porous carbon materials for advanced Li-S batteries cathodes? What electrolytes are extensively studied for high-safety Li-S batteries? In a paper published in Nano, a group of researchers from Qingdao, China have reviewed the recent progress in sulfur/carbon cathode materials and high safety electrolytes towards advanced Li-S batteries. Some potential issues and possible dev
3h
About 94% of wild bee and native plant species networks lost, study finds
Climate change and an increase in disturbed bee habitats from expanding agriculture and development in northeastern North America over the last 30 years are likely responsible for a 94 per cent loss of plant-pollinator networks, York University researchers found.
3h
Scientists develop new method to improve police lineups
In a discovery with important implications for criminal justice, a team of scientists from USC and other Southern California research institutions has developed a unique way to measure the reliability of an eyewitness trying to pick a culprit from a police lineup.
3h
Scientists solve a durability issue in fuel cells for hydrogen cars
When a bicycle gets wet in the rain, the frame and chain become corroded or rusty, which shortens the life of the bike. Oil needs to be regularly applied to prevent this from happening. Battery cells are devices that create electrical energy through moving electrons by triggering oxidation and reduction reactions separately. But they also corrode when exposed to oxygen. Can these cells also be gre
3h
About 94% of wild bee and native plant species networks lost, study finds
Climate change and an increase in disturbed bee habitats from expanding agriculture and development in northeastern North America over the last 30 years are likely responsible for a 94 per cent loss of plant-pollinator networks, York University researchers found.
3h
LI-COR Near-Infrared Assays and Technology Offer Insight to Coronavirus Researchers
The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and subsequent COVID-19 pandemic places the subject of viruses and virology in the research spotlight for good reason.
3h
Back to the future: new study could lead to bumper crops
Research led by scientists at The Australian National University (ANU) could lead to major improvements in crop production.
3h
Observatory's quick reflexes capture fleeting flash
Rapid follow-up of the optical afterglow from one of the most distant confirmed short gamma-ray bursts (SGRB), thought to be the merger of two neutron stars, is casting new light on these enigmatic objects. The observations, made by the international Gemini Observatory, a Program of NSF's NOIRLab, confirmed the object's distance and placed it squarely in the epoch of cosmic high noon, when the Uni
3h
How to map brain connections using DNA barcodes
Detailed wiring diagrams–connectomes–for the brain are critical for understanding brain development, function, and disease. CSHL scientists found a way to use a large set of short snippets of DNA to label neurons, increasing the number of paths that can be traced in a single experiment versus other brain mapping techniques.
3h
Customizable smart window technology could improve energy efficiency of buildings
Scientists combined solar cell technology with a novel optimization approach to develop a smart window prototype that maximizes design across a wide range of criteria.
3h
The earliest cat on the Northern Silk Road
Dr. Irina Arzhantseva and Professor Heinrich Haerke from the Centre for Classical and Oriental Archaeology (IKVIA, Faculty of Humanities, HSE University) have been involved in the discovery of the earliest domestic cat yet found in northern Eurasia.
3h
Quantum body scanner? What happens when vector vortex beams meet scattering media
As explained in their report, the team implemented a flexible platform to generate VVBs and Gaussian beams, and investigated their propagation through a medium that mimics the features of biological tissue.
3h
Back to the future: new study could lead to bumper crops
Research led by scientists at The Australian National University (ANU) could lead to major improvements in crop production.
3h
Telomere-to-telomere assembly of a complete human X chromosome
Nature, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41586-020-2547-7
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Anger and fear meet US government's 'unworkable' move to deport international students who take only online classes
Nature, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-02118-6 As institutions scale back in-person learning in response to COVID-19, a federal directive requires students from abroad to take on-campus classes or return home.
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Researchers turn to art for clues about changing fruit and veg
Public urged to send in snaps of paintings to help unpick how produce has evolved From the juicy grapes depicted by Clara Peeters to Cézanne's colourful apples, fruit and vegetables have appeared on myriad canvases over the centuries. Now researchers want the public to send in their snaps of such paintings to help unpick how our produce has evolved. The duo behind the idea say harvesting such ima
3h
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Completes Its Final Tests
NASA's much-awaited James Webb Space Telescope may finally get its place in the night sky: NASA says it's now completed its final litany of critical software and electrical systems tests, theoretically clearing it for launch as soon as 2021. It's the "largest and most technically complex space science telescope NASA has ever built," according to a statement . It's an international collaboration o
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Scientists Stored "The Wizard of Oz" on a Strand of DNA
ATCG Drive The intricate arrangement of base pairs in our DNA encodes just about everything about us. Now, DNA contains the entirety of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" as well. A team of University of Texas Austin scientists just vastly improved the storage capacity of DNA and managed to encode the entire novel — translated into the geek-friendly language of Esperanto — in a double strand of DNA far
4h
Experts' high-flying study reveals secrets of soaring birds
New research has revealed when it comes to flying the largest of birds don't rely on flapping to move around. Instead they make use of air currents to keep them airborne for hours at a time. A study has revealed the Andean condor – the world's heaviest soaring bird – actually flaps its wings for one per cent of its flight time.
4h
Scientists investigate radiolabeling of calcium carbonate particles in vivo
Сalcium carbonate particles are among the most promising bioactive compounds. However, before their use for drug delivery, their toxicity should be established, as well as their distribution inside laboratory animals. A team of investigators from ITMO University's Department of Physics and Engineering and Russian Scientific Center of Radiology and Surgical Technologies has developed novel approach
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Antibiotic allergy reporting may lead to resistance, higher costs, decreased safety
Antibiotics are among the most commonly prescribed medications, but in determining the most appropriate prescription for a patient, doctors and pharmacists often rely on inaccurate records of the patient's antibiotic allergies. Many records are incomplete, unclear or incorrect.
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Umbilical cord blood successfully treats rare genetic disorders in largest study to date
Infusing umbilical cord blood – a readily available source of stem cells – safely and effectively treated 44 children born with various non-cancerous genetic disorders, including sickle cell, thalassemia, Hunter syndrome, Krabbe disease, MLD, and an array of immune deficiencies.
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Graduates of family medicine residencies are likely to enter and remain in family medicine
This study provides an overview of the characteristics of physicians who completed family medicine residency training from 1994 to 2017. It serves to update the only previous comprehensive national review of this kind, conducted in 1996, which covered family medicine graduates from 1969 through 1993.
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New french prescribing rules result in decreased prescribing of certain sleep drugs
In France, the implementation of new prescribing rules for the sedative-hypnotic drug zolpidem led to an important and immediate decrease in use. This decline was partially compensated for by a rise in the use of a nonbenzodiazepine drug called zopiclone.
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LGBT-friendly medical practices improve STD/HIV screening rates for vulnerable populations
This report–describing the first national quality improvement collaborative focused on providing culturally affirming care for LGBT people–finds that making primary care practices more LGBT-friendly and inclusive may improve STD and HIV screening rates among this vulnerable population.
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Scientists at USC and other institutions develop new method to improve police lineups
For the first time, scientists have developed a way to measure the reliability of an eyewitness trying to pick a culprit from a police lineup. The findings could help reduce the number of innocent people convicted of crimes.
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Keeping innocent people out of jail using the science of perception
People wrongfully accused of a crime often wait years — if ever — to be exonerated. Many of these wrongfully accused cases stem from unreliable eyewitness testimony. Now, Salk scientists have identified a new way of presenting a lineup to an eyewitness that could improve the likelihood that the correct suspect is identified and reduce the number of innocent people sentenced to jail.
4h
Omega-3s provide no benefits against bronchopulmonary dysplasia in very preterm infants
Consumption of DHA supplements, an omega-3 fatty acid, by breastfeeding mothers is ineffective in preventing bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants born before the 29th week of pregnancy. This is the main conclusion of a Canada-wide study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
4h
Gut bacteria protect against mosquito-borne viral illness
A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has found that mice infected with Chikungunya virus get less sick and are less likely to transmit the virus to mosquitoes if they have healthy gut microbiomes.
4h
New androgen receptor structure suggests prostate cancer treatment options
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine reveal for the first time the complete 3-D structure of the active, full-length androgen receptor-coactivator complex as it interacts with DNA.
4h
Study: RNA repair shows promise in reversing mutations underlying a neurological disorder
Scientists successfully edited RNA in a living animal in such a way that the repaired RNA then corrected a mutation in a protein that gives rise to a debilitating neurological disorder in people known as Rett syndrome. The new study targeted and repaired the MeCP2 protein across a variety of cell types, a scientific first.
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NHGRI researchers generate complete human X chromosome sequence
Researchers at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have produced the first end-to-end DNA sequence of a human chromosome. The results, published today in the journal Nature, show that generating a precise, base-by-base sequence of a human chromosome is now possible, and will enable researchers to produce a complete sequence of the h
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Scientists achieve first complete assembly of human X chromosome
Although the current human reference genome is the most accurate and complete vertebrate genome ever produced, there are still gaps in the DNA sequence, even after two decades of improvements. Now, for the first time, scientists have determined the complete sequence of a human chromosome from one end to the other ('telomere to telomere') with no gaps and an unprecedented level of accuracy.
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Universal COVID-19 testing following detection of new cases in 11 long-term care facilities
The outcomes of universal COVID-19 testing following the discovery of new cases in 11 long-term care facilities in the US are evaluated in this observational study.
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No evidence that predator control will save mountain caribou, study says
Addressing potential threats from predators has not slowed the dramatic decline of mountain caribou in British Columbia and Alberta, according to a new study by scientists from the University of Alberta and two other western Canadian universities.
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A biologist and a historian are looking for art to trace fruit and vegetable evolution
Plant geneticists seeking to understand the history of plant-based foods can decode the genomes of ancient crops from well-preserved samples. However, this approach leaves significant gaps in the evolutionary timelines of many fruits, vegetables, and cereal crops. A Science & Society article publishing July 14th in the journal Trends in Plant Science details a unique approach to filling these gaps
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Underground Oil Found from the Sky
Originally published in January 1948 — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
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The colorful critter world of microbes in Antarctica | Ariel Waldman
In this tour of the microscopic world, explorer and artist Ariel Waldman introduces the charismatic creatures lurking beneath Antarctica's massive ice sheet, the largest on earth. From "cuddly" water bears to geometric algae made of glass, Waldman shows how this seemingly barren landmass is actually a polar oasis of life — if we just know where to look.
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The Atlantic Festival Goes Virtual September 21–24, Featuring Dozens of Events, Conversations, and Performances
The Atlantic Festival has become the preeminent live exploration of the ideas that shape a changing nation, featuring conversations with the people at the center of the biggest stories. This fall, The Atlantic will bring all of America to the festival as it makes the marquee event virtual and free to attend—offering four days of news-making interviews, performances, film screenings, and conversat
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Is there a relationship between blood type and covid-19 infection?
This story is part of our ongoing list of answers to the biggest questions our readers have about the coronavirus. That list is constantly updated, and you can check it out here . Since early in the pandemic, there's been an interest in learning whether blood type has anything to do with who is more likely to get infected by the coronavirus or how bad the effects will be. Here's what we know so f
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A perceptual scaling approach to eyewitness identification
Nature Communications, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17194-5 Eyewitness errors contribute to wrongful convictions. Here, the authors present a lineup procedure that reveals the structure of eyewitness memory, reduces decision bias, and measures performance of individual witnesses.
4h
Your Car Is Spewing Microplastics That Blow Around the World
When you drive, tiny bits of plastic fly off your tires and brakes. Now scientists have shown how all that road muck is blowing into "pristine" environments like the Arctic.
4h
Disabled Do-It-Yourselfers Lead Way to Technology Gains
So long to overhyped innovations. Hello to tech that embeds accessibility into everyday devices.
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Car tyres are major source of ocean microplastics – study
Wind-borne microplastics are a bigger source of ocean pollution than rivers, say scientists More than 200,000 tonnes of tiny plastic particles are blown from roads into the oceans every year, according to research. The study suggests wind-borne microplastics are a bigger source of ocean pollution than rivers, the route that has attracted most attention to date. The analysis focused on the tiny pa
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For The First Time, Scientists Have Completely Sequenced a Human Chromosome
This is huge for genome research.
4h
Even when times are hard, humans are optimists
Even in tough times, humans are optimists for most of our lives, according to a new study. Researchers led the largest study of its kind to determine how optimistic people are in life and when as well as how major life events affect how optimistic they are about the future. "Even people with fairly bad circumstances, who have had tough things happen in their lives, look to their futures and life
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Participants in CPC+ are diverse but not representative of all primary care practices
This study analyzes patterns of participation in the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus initiative which is the largest voluntary primary care payment and delivery reform model tested to date.
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International conference on social determinants of health identified change needs
In November 2019, clinicians, health administrators, educators and researchers from around the world gathered in Toronto to discuss how to best address social determinants of health from a primary care perspective.
4h
Experts' high-flying study reveals secrets of soaring birds
New research has revealed when it comes to flying the largest of birds don't rely on flapping to move around. Instead they make use of air currents to keep them airborne for hours at a time. A study has revealed the Andean condor – the world's heaviest soaring bird – actually flaps its wings for one per cent of its flight time.
4h
New measure of social determinants of health may improve cardiovascular health assessment
The authors of this study developed a single risk score derived from multiple social determinants of health that predicts county-level cardiovascular disease mortality. The authors conclude that their multivariable SDoH risk score can identify counties with high CVD risk and has the potential to improve CVD risk prediction and interventions for vulnerable populations at the county level.
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Gemini Observatory's quick reflexes capture fleeting flash
Rapid follow-up of the optical afterglow from one of the most distant confirmed short gamma-ray bursts (SGRB), thought to be the merger of two neutron stars, is casting new light on these enigmatic objects. The observations, made by the international Gemini Observatory, a Program of NSF's NOIRLab, confirmed the object's distance and placed it squarely in the epoch of cosmic high noon, when the Uni
4h
About 94 per cent of wild bee and native plant species networks lost, York study finds
Climate change and an increase in disturbed bee habitats from expanding agriculture and development in northeastern North America over the last 30 years are likely responsible for a 94 per cent loss of plant-pollinator networks, York University researchers found. The researchers, corresponding author Professor Sandra Rehan of the Faculty of Science and grad student Minna Mathiasson of the Universi
4h
The five phases of pandemic care for primary care
The authors present a roadmap for necessary primary care practice transformations to care for patients and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
4h
NREL research points to strategies for recycling of solar panels
Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have conducted the first global assessment into the most promising approaches to end-of-life management for solar photovoltaic (PV) modules.
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COVID-19 makes clear the need to address social determinants of health
University of Michigan public health experts Julia Wolfson and Cindy Leung argue that the COVID-19 pandemic has made glaringly apparent the structural conditions that underlie inequities in our nation's health. Race and ethnicity, housing, income, occupation and chronic health conditions are all key factors that influence one's ability to safely weather highly infectious disease pandemics like COV
4h
"Knock codes" for smartphone security are easily predicted, researchers say
Smartphone owners who unlock their devices with knock codes aren't as safe as they think, according to new research.
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Majority of US men want their doctors to ask about intimate partner violence
Nine out of 10 US men ages 18 to 35 support health care providers asking about intimate partner violence, according to new survey analysis. Data from a 2014 nationally representative survey showed that while most men support health care-based intimate partner violence screenings, only about 10 percent reported being asked by their doctor.
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Even rich Americans are less healthy than English peers
Middle-aged people in the United States have worse health than their English counterparts, research finds. The study also shows that the difference in health between rich and poor is much larger on the American side of the Atlantic. In fact, even the top income earners in their late 50s and early 60s in the US have higher rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, and mental health condit
4h
The Virtual Brain (15:30 – 16:15h CEST)
From: HumanBrainProject
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Huge Atlas statue to guard Sicily's Temple of Zeus once more
Eight-metre statue built in 5th century BC had been buried among ancient ruins A colossal statue of Atlas, buried for centuries among ancient ruins, will soon take its rightful place among the ancient Greek temples of Agrigento on Sicily. The city's archaeological park announced that the artwork, one of the most celebrated sculptures on the island, will be raised upright in front of the Temple of
4h
Why frogs are green to the bone
Frogs' green color comes from a clever biochemical workaround that combines a normally virus-fighting type of protein with a toxic byproduct of blood breakdown, according to new research. The new research solves a few longstanding mysteries about these frogs. "In other words, Kermit has jaundice." Frogs and toads are green for a very good reason—it makes them harder to see in their leafy environm
4h
Wireless aquatic robot could clean water and transport cells
Researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology developed a tiny plastic robot, made of responsive polymers, which moves under the influence of light and magnetism. In the future this 'wireless aquatic polyp' should be able to attract and capture contaminant particles from the surrounding liquid or pick up and transport cells for analysis in diagnostic devices. The researchers published their re
4h
Machine learning accurately predicts who's who in the health care workforce
Until recently, economists, policy makers and workforce experts have relied on outdated and inaccurate snapshots of the US physician workforce, making it especially difficult to predict the need and availability of health care services across the country. In this study, Wingrove et al examine how machine learning algorithms may allow for more real-time, accurate descriptions of the medical workfor
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July/August 2020 Annals of Family Medicine tip sheet
Annals of Family Medicine is a peer-reviewed, indexed research journal that provides a cross-disciplinary forum for new, evidence-based information affecting the primary care disciplines.
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How Absentee Landowners Keep Farmers From Protecting Water And Soil
America's vast fields of corn and soybeans have displaced wildlife and polluted waterways. Farmers could help solve those problems, but often don't, in part because they rent that land. (Image credit: Omar de Kok-Mercado, Iowa State University)
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Cloud computing could be producing hidden greenhouse gas emissions
The amount of energy used for cloud computing, which contributes to climate change, needs to be more transparent says an Imperial researcher.
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Designing better asteroid explorers
Recent NASA missions to asteroids have gathered important data about the early evolution of our Solar System, planet formation, and how life may have originated on Earth. These missions also provide crucial information to deflect asteroids that could hit Earth.
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Research into what helps couples to thrive used to teach teenagers about healthy relationships
Research showing the key features of healthy relationships will be used in schools around the country to help teenagers learn how to build healthy relationships of their own.
5h
Scientists discover key element of strong antibody response to COVID-19
Scientists have discovered a common molecular feature found in many of the human antibodies that neutralize SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
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Quantum body scanner? What happens when vector vortex beams meet scattering media
Propagate light through any kind of medium – be it free space or biological tissue – and light will scatter. Robustness to scattering is a common requirement for communications and for imaging systems. Structured light, with its use of projected patterns, is resistant to scattering, and has therefore emerged as a versatile tool. In particular, modes of structured light carrying orbital angular mom
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Time to revise the Sustainable Development Goals
Nature, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-02002-3 The pandemic has set back efforts to achieve the original 2015 targets. The need for change to make them more attainable is stronger than ever.
5h
Scientists ID gene responsible for deadly glioblastoma
The discovery of the oncogene responsible for glioblastoma could be the brain cancer's Achilles' heel, one researcher says.
5h
Avian speciation: Uniform vs. particolored plumage
Although carrion crows and hooded crows are almost indistinguishable genetically, they avoid mating with each other. Researchers from Ludwig-Maximlian-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich have now identified a mutation that appears to contribute to this instance of reproductive isolation.
5h
New study shows SARS-CoV-2 viral load peaks in the early stages of disease
In a retrospective study, investigators from New York University Langone Health found that the quantity of SARS-CoV-2 (viral load) collected from patients in the emergency department is significantly higher in patients with fewer or milder symptoms who did not require hospitalization–the opposite of what might be expected. Reporting in The American Journal of Pathology, they also found that a pat
5h
Cardiac CT can double as osteoporosis test
Cardiac CT exams performed to assess heart health also provide an effective way to screen for osteoporosis, potentially speeding treatment to the previously undiagnosed, according to a new study.
5h
How Gödel's Proof Works
In 1931, the Austrian logician Kurt Gödel pulled off arguably one of the most stunning intellectual achievements in history. Mathematicians of the era sought a solid foundation for mathematics: a set of basic mathematical facts, or axioms, that was both consistent — never leading to contradictions — and complete, serving as the building blocks of all mathematical truths. But Gödel's shocking inco
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How we 'hear' the shape of a drum
How is it that we can recognise the shape of an object despite only seeing a limited range of wave lengths? Radboud mathematician Walter van Suijlekom explains in a new publication in the journal Communications in Mathematical Physics on 14 July. "We can compare this to MP3s: with a limited range of sound waves, we easily get the impression we are listening to an analogue recording of music." This
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Laws offer limited protection against price differentiation by algorithms
Online stores can use algorithms to charge some customers higher prices than others. European laws only offer limited protection against such price differentiation. Frederik Zuiderveen Borgesius, Professor of ICT and Private Law at Radboud University, has written about this very topic in an article that was published in the European Business Law Review.
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New study shows rural westerners strongly support environmental protections
Rural voters in the American West have a strong commitment to environmental protections and conservation, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Wyoming, Duke University and the University of Rhode Island.
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Multi-disciplinary study provides evidence of forced migration by pre-colonial Incas
A team of researchers with members from several institutions in the U.S., one in the U.K. and one in Peru, has found evidence of forced migration by pre-colonial Incas. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes their multidisciplinary study of six individuals found in two cemeteries in what is now modern Peru, and what they learned from it.
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English mask plan will help tackle high Covid death rate for shop staff – Matt Hancock
Retail workers up to 75% more likely to die from virus than rest of population, says health secretary Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Mandatory mask-wearing will protect shop assistants who can be up to 75% more likely to die of coronavirus than the general population, Matt Hancock has said. The health secretary said the move to make face coverings mandatory for shop
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Designing better asteroid explorers
Recent NASA missions to asteroids have used robotic explorers to gather data about the early evolution of our Solar System, planet formation, and how life may have originated on Earth. To design successful robotic explorers, researchers must understand how these explorers impact the surface of asteroids during their touchdown. University of Rochester researchers conducted lab experiments to determ
5h
New hope for kidney revival for transplant
Cell therapy delivered directly to the kidney can revive a 'marginal' organ, improving function and could offer new hope for providing more kidneys for transplant.
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Hammer-on technique for atomic vibrations in a crystal
Vibrations of atoms in a crystal of the semiconductor gallium arsenide (GaAs) are impulsively shifted to a higher frequency by an optically excited electric current. The related change in the spatial distribution of charge between gallium and arsenic atoms acts back on their motions via electric interactions.
5h
Researchers found a link between genes and preeclampsia
Researchers have showed that HLA-G gene regulates male-to-female ratio at birth. The study strengthens earlier findings of the vulnerability of male fetuses to preeclampsia.
5h
Moffitt researchers find dual inhibitor may be safer for CLL patients
Moffitt Cancer Center researchers want to learn more about how PI3K inhibitor therapy works with the body's immune system to determine if there are ways to predict or mitigate associated adverse effects. Their findings were published in the July 14 issue of Blood Advances, a journal of the American Society of Hematology.
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Nanoelectronics learn the same way as the human brain
Activities in the field of artificial intelligence, like teaching robots to walk, demand ever more powerful, yet at the same time more economical computer chips. While the optimization of conventional microelectronics is slowly reaching its physical limits, nature offers us a blueprint how information can be processed and stored efficiently: our own brain. For the first time, scientists at TU Dres
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The settlement of Europe could be the result of several imigration waves by a single population
The Dental Anthropology Group of the Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), in collaboration with the paleoanthropologist Amélie Vialet of the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN) in Paris, has just published a detailed external and internal study of the molars in the mandible from the French site of Montmaurin-La Niche in the Journal of Human Evolution, whose
5h
Hammer-on technique for atomic vibrations in a crystal
Vibrations of atoms in a crystal of the semiconductor gallium arsenide (GaAs) are impulsively shifted to a higher frequency by an optically excited electric current. The related change in the spatial distribution of charge between gallium and arsenic atoms acts back on their motions via electric interactions.
5h
Couch Potato No More: How the Benefits of Exercise Transfer to the Brain
Brain aging is reversible . How? Why? And how much can we rejuvenate an already aged brain? Those were the one conviction and three questions that guided me throughout my post-doctoral work at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Yes, this isn't like my usual articles. For the first time, I'm covering my own work—a multi-year passion project that spans diverse ways to reverse brain
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How Capitalism Drives Cancel Culture
T umbrels are rattling through the streets of the internet. Over the past few years, online-led social movements have deposed gropers, exposed bullies—and, sometimes, ruined the lives of the innocent. Commentators warn of "mob justice," while activists exult in their newfound power to change the world. Both groups are right, and wrong. Because the best way to see the firings, outings, and online
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Black mental health patients hit hard by COVID-19, social injustice: 'We were already at a breaking point'
Dr. Brandi Jackson, a psychiatrist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, said the COVID-19 pandemic has been her most difficult period as a psychiatrist. With an uptick in anxiety and depression in her primarily Black clientele, she's seeing patients who have been clean for years relapsing on drugs—and citing the coronavirus as pushing them over the line.
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Study finds West Australians need better education to prevent snake bites
New Curtin University-led research has found that people living in rural and urban areas across Western Australia need to be educated about how to identify the different types of venomous and non-venomous reptiles in WA, with only 58 percent of survey participants being able to correctly identify different species.
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Fermilab achieves 14.5-tesla field for accelerator magnet, setting new world record
The Fermilab magnet team has done it again. After setting a world record for an accelerator magnet in 2019, they have broken it a year later.
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Producing spoke wheels automatically and flexibly from composite materials
Even frescos of ancient Egypt depict them: spoke wheels—and their basic form hasn't changed at all. They can be found on bicycles, cars, and in industry. In sports, spoke wheels made of lightweight fiber-reinforced plastics are widely used. Until now, production has been associated with high costs and thus unattractive for many applications. However, this is not the case with a new method develope
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Understanding and predicting hurricanes in a warmer world
A tropical storm warning was issued for New York, New Jersey, and other mid-Atlantic states on Friday, July 10 due to Tropical Storm Fay, the earliest sixth-named storm on record. The storm made landfall near Atlantic City, N.J. on Friday evening and dumped between four and six inches of rain on some areas.
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Saving Africa's biggest trees to help Earth breathe
Like wine, cheese, and savvy financial investments, many tropical trees become more valuable with age. This is particularly true when it comes to carbon storage, because old trees are often the biggest trees and the larger the tree, the more carbon it stores.
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Study finds West Australians need better education to prevent snake bites
New Curtin University-led research has found that people living in rural and urban areas across Western Australia need to be educated about how to identify the different types of venomous and non-venomous reptiles in WA, with only 58 percent of survey participants being able to correctly identify different species.
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Finding the missing step of an important molecular process
Lysine is an important amino acid that must be supplied in our diets, as our bodies can't produce lysine on their own. Most cereal grains have low levels of lysine, and scientists have worked to breed crops with higher lysine levels.
5h
Scientists found a way to identify diseases by blood serum
Researchers developed a new dynamic light scattering method to determine the sizes of circulating immune complexes in blood serum. The results of the study were published in the first quartile Biology Journal, MDPI Publishing House. Scientists mentioned, that this method is fast, contactless, safe and cheap.
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Tech sector job interviews assess anxiety, not software skills
A new study finds that the technical interviews currently used in hiring for many software engineering positions test whether a job candidate has performance anxiety rather than whether the candidate is competent at coding. The interviews may also be used to exclude groups or favor specific job candidates.
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Robot jaws shows medicated chewing gum could be the future
Medicated chewing gum has been recognised as a new advanced drug delivery method but currently there is no gold standard for testing drug release from chewing gum in vitro. New research by the University of Bristol has shown a chewing robot with built-in humanoid jaws could provide opportunities for pharmaceutical companies to develop medicated chewing gum.
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More than one cognition: A call for change in the field of comparative psychology
In a paper published in the Journal of Intelligence, researchers argue that cognitive studies in comparative psychology often wrongly take an anthropocentric approach, resulting in an over-valuation of human-like abilities and the assumption that cognitive skills cluster in animals as they do in humans. The authors advocate for philosophical and procedural changes to the discipline that would lead
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Messages sent by osteoblasts to osteoclasts are enclosed in an extracellular vesicle
Both osteoblasts and osteoclasts are necessary for fracture repair. While osteoblasts are known to control the formation and activity of osteoclasts, the inter-cellular signaling involved in this process is not fully understood. Researchers led by Kanazawa University have now shown that osteoblast-derived extracellular vesicles containing signaling molecule RANKL are taken up by immature osteoclas
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Particulate plutonium released from the Fukushima Daiichi meltdowns
Small amounts of plutonium (Pu) were released from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) reactors into the environment during the site's 2011 nuclear disaster. However, the physical, chemical, and isotopic form of the released Pu has remained unknown. Now, recent work published in the journal "Science of the Total Environment" has shown that Pu was included inside cesium-rich m
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Links between video games and gambling run deeper than previously thought, study reveals
A new study suggests that a number of practices in video games, such as token wagering, real-money gaming, and social casino spending, are significantly linked to problem gambling.
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Scientists find new link between delirium and brain energy disruption
Scientists have discovered a new link between impaired brain energy metabolism and delirium — a disorienting and distressing disorder particularly common in the elderly and one that is currently occurring in a large proportion of patients hospitalized with COVID-19. The research suggests that therapies focusing on brain energy metabolism may offer new routes to mitigating delirium.
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Towards prosperous public goods with freedom of choice
An experimental game reveals that having the freedom to choose preferred public goods greatly increases their value by motivating more, and better, provisioning.
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Finding the missing step of an important molecular process
Lysine is an important amino acid that must be supplied in our diets, as our bodies can't produce lysine on their own. Most cereal grains have low levels of lysine, and scientists have worked to breed crops with higher lysine levels.
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Uniform vs. particolored plumage leads to reproductive isolation among crows, study finds
Although carrion crows and hooded crows are almost indistinguishable genetically, they avoid mating with each other. LMU researchers have now identified a mutation that appears to contribute to this instance of reproductive isolation.
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Researchers find sun and rain transform asphalt binder into potentially toxic compounds
A dramatic oil spill, such as the Deepwater Horizon accident in the Gulf of Mexico a decade ago, can dominate headlines for months while scientists, policymakers and the public fret over what happens to all that oil in the environment. However, far less attention is paid to the fate of a petroleum product that has been spread deliberately across the planet for decades: asphalt binder.
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Uniform vs. particolored plumage leads to reproductive isolation among crows, study finds
Although carrion crows and hooded crows are almost indistinguishable genetically, they avoid mating with each other. LMU researchers have now identified a mutation that appears to contribute to this instance of reproductive isolation.
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COVID-19 has resurrected single-use plastics – are they back to stay?
COVID-19 is changing how the U.S. disposes of waste. It is also threatening hard-fought victories that restricted or eliminated single-use disposable items, especially plastic, in cities and towns across the nation.
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Quarantine Lessons from Lobsters, Guppies, Finches and Galileo
In this issue, a quantum mystery is solved, and we learn how to measure what matters — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
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Why line-dried laundry smells so good
An unusual experiment clarifies why laundry that dries outdoors smells so good. The findings, published in Environmental Chemistry , show that towels that dried in the sun produced a range of aldehydes and ketones: organic compounds that our noses associate with the scent of plants or perfume . The researchers washed towels three times by hand in ultra-clean water in which there were no particles
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The perfume makers that can't smell a thing
Perfumers are using AI to create millions of scents, but will it replace the traditional methods?
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Is bar soap as gross as millennials say? Not really, and we're all covered with microbes anyway
Mask-wearing has divided the country, but hand-washing—one might think—is something virtually everyone would agree on. Hand-washing, after all, is one of the most critical parts of preventing the spread of infectious disease.
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A 20,000-tonne oil spill is contaminating the Arctic – it could take decades to clean up
After a storage tank in Norilsk, northern Russia, collapsed in late May, 20,000 tonnes of diesel fuel was released into the environment. Strong winds caused the oil to spread more than 12 miles from the source, contaminating nearby rivers, lakes and the surrounding soil.
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Is bar soap as gross as millennials say? Not really, and we're all covered with microbes anyway
Mask-wearing has divided the country, but hand-washing—one might think—is something virtually everyone would agree on. Hand-washing, after all, is one of the most critical parts of preventing the spread of infectious disease.
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Loss of a co-twin linked to heightened psychiatric risk
The death of a twin, especially earlier in life, can increase the risk of their surviving twin being diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder, finds a new study published today in eLife.
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Back to the future: new study could lead to bumper crops
Research led by scientists at The Australian National University (ANU) could lead to major improvements in crop production. The study shows a new way to help study and ramp up photosynthesis.
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A study on maternal mortality in Mozambique detects a major diagnostic error in a high percentage of deaths
An analysis of a series of maternal deaths in Maputo's central hospital, in Mozambique, reveals a major diagnostic error in almost 40% of the deaths.
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Perovskite solar cells developed by NTU Singapore scientists record highest power conversion
A team of researchers at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has created a perovskite solar mini module that has recorded the highest power conversion efficiency of any perovskite-based device larger than 10 cm2.
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Underused part of the electromagnetic spectrum gets optics boost from metamaterial
Terahertz radiation, or T-rays, has barely been exploited compared to most of the rest of the electromagnetic spectrum. Yet T-rays potentially have applications in next-generation wireless communications (6G/7G), security systems, biomedicine, and even art history. A new device for controlling T-rays using a specially designed 'metasurface' with properties not found in nature could begin to realiz
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Pesticide mixtures a bigger problem than previously thought
New research led by The University of Queensland has provided the first comprehensive analysis of pesticide mixtures in creeks and rivers discharging to the Great Barrier Reef.
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Butterfly wings inspiring next-gen technological innovations
The global energy shortages, environmental degradation and deteriorating healthcare are causing devastating effects to human life. The inherent properties of butterfly wings offer promising solutions to counter these effects through the fabrication of wing architecture inspired sensors and energy harnessing systems. Researchers in China have summarized the recent classification of butterfly wing a
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Drones and artificial intelligence show promise for conservation of farmland bird nests
Every spring, a large number of ground-nests of farmland birds are accidentally destroyed by mechanical operations, such as ploughing and sowing. A new study from the University of Helsinki shows for the first time that such nests can be located using a drone in combination with artificial intelligence.
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Big three London museums to reopen in August
People will have to book to visit V&A, Science Museum and Natural History Museum Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The V&A , the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum have announced plans to have a staggered reopening in which they anticipate 80% fewer visitors. The three museums, all neighbours in South Kensington, will reopen on different days in August to av
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Quarantine Lessons from Lobsters, Guppies, Finches and Galileo
In this issue, a quantum mystery is solved, and we learn how to measure what matters — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
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This Band-Aid-Like Patch Could Detect Early COVID-19 Symptoms
Northwestern University scientist John Rogers has developed a wearable that adheres to the throat and relays data to a physician
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Pfizer's Progress
I wanted to point out an interesting interview given by Pfizer's CEO Albert Bourla to Time . I have made some pointed remarks about Pfizer over the years, but this is one of the better Q&A pieces like this that I have seen – you'll see why in some of the answers below. Bourla is actually quite optimistic about the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine program (four different mRNA attempts, as fans will recall
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Chemical engineer develops styrene-free bio-renewable resins
Research at Michigan State University is developing new styrene-free bio renewable resins with broad applicability in the construction of countertops, bathroom fixtures, windmill blades, and boats.
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Predation by Caspian terns on young steelhead means fewer return as adults
Caspian terns feeding on young fish have a significant impact on runs of steelhead in the Columbia River, new research suggests.
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New models detail how major rivers will respond to changing environmental conditions
From the Nile to the Mississippi and from the Amazon to the Yangzi, human civilization is inextricably linked to the great rivers along which our societies developed. But rivers are mutable, and the benefits they bestow can quickly become disasters when these waterways change course.
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Coronavirus: Why attitudes to masks have changed around the world
Boris Johnson and Donald Trump both publicly wore face masks for the first time. Why now?
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Storbritannien kræver Huawei-udstyr fjernet: Forsinker udrulning af 5G
Inden 2027 skal alt Huawei-udstyr være fjernet fra britiske 5G-mobilnetværk. Det har det britiske sikkerhedsråd med Boris Johnson i spidsen besluttet. Det ligner en kompromisløsning, som både tilgodeser det amerikanske ønske om at udelukke Huawei, og så de britiske teleoperatørers ønske om en blø…
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Skulls of toothed whales have become more asymmetric over time, study finds
The skulls of toothed whales have become more asymmetric over time, according to a new study led by UCL and the Natural History Museum in London.
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Study finds clothing-based racist stereotypes persist against Black men
Hardworking or lazy; trustworthy or dangerous: People often make assumptions about someone's character and personality based solely on how they're dressed.
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Starfish provide missing link in evolution of key brain messenger molecules
Cells in our nervous system, or neurons, communicate with other cells by releasing chemical messengers, which bind to receptor proteins on neighboring cells and change their activity. Neuropeptides are one type of chemical messenger used by neurons to communicate.
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World's largest study shows carbon pricing reduces emissions
There is strong evidence that carbon pricing works to strongly reduce emissions, according to the world's largest study on the issue published by researchers at The Australian National University (ANU) and Macquarie University today.
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Talking about grammar is a crucial tool in literacy teaching, study shows
Discussion between teachers and children about writing is a crucial tool to help pupils learn about grammar, a new study shows.
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Expert: Even COVID-19 can't end paper money
Contrary to popular belief, COVID-19 does not mean the end of cash, Bill Maurer argues. Although there was some concern during the early stages of the current crisis that paper money might transmit the virus , many people had heralded its demise even before the pandemic began. "If you use cash at a physical till, there's no data capture…" Despite the convenience of plastic, the sense of safety wi
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Skulls of toothed whales have become more asymmetric over time, study finds
The skulls of toothed whales have become more asymmetric over time, according to a new study led by UCL and the Natural History Museum in London.
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Starfish provide missing link in evolution of key brain messenger molecules
Cells in our nervous system, or neurons, communicate with other cells by releasing chemical messengers, which bind to receptor proteins on neighboring cells and change their activity. Neuropeptides are one type of chemical messenger used by neurons to communicate.
6h
Kano's New Kid-Friendly Laptop Is Cheap and Repairable
Microsoft Kano Windows
Kano's partnership with Microsoft brings the Kano PC to schools, and it still retains the colorful, hands-on, DIY-spirit of earlier models.
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How Oak Trees Evolved to Rule the Forests of the Northern Hemisphere
Genomes and fossils reveal their remarkable evolutionary history — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
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POSTECH solves the durability issue of hydrogen cars
Professor Yong-Tae Kim's research team improves the durability of automotive fuel cells through selective electro-catalysis.
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Review of progress towards advanced Lithium-sulfur batteries
How should one design porous carbon materials for advanced Li-S batteries cathodes? What electrolytes are extensively studied for high-safety Li-S batteries? In a paper published in NANO, a group of researchers from Qingdao, China have reviewed the recent progresses in sulfur/carbon cathode materials and high safety electrolytes towards advanced Li-S batteries. Some potential issues and possible d
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Road verges could be havens for pollinators
Better-managed road verges can help boost pollinating insects, new research shows.
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How our brains remain active during familiar, repetitive tasks
New research, based on earlier results in mice, suggests that our brains are never at rest, even when we are not learning anything about the world around us.
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Space to grow, or grow in space — how vertical farms could be ready to take-off
Vertical farms with their soil-free, computer-controlled environments may sound like sci-fi. But there is a growing environmental and economic case for them, according to new research laying out radical ways of putting food on our plates.
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Wells Fargo slashes dividend after sinking to $2.4bn loss
Main street lender posts first loss in a decade as credit charges soar to $9.5bn
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Sheila Youngson obituary
My friend and colleague Sheila Youngson, who has died aged 65 from a stroke, was a clinical psychologist in the NHS from 1981, focusing on children and young people. Her final clinical post, from 1998 to 2010, was as consultant clinical psychologist at St James' hospital, in Leeds, where she was based at the paediatric renal unit. Within the medicalised environment of the hospital, she worked wit
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COVID death rate is triple among incarcerated people
The number of incarcerated people in the United States who tested positive for COVID-19 is 5.5 times higher per capita than the infection rate for the US general population, research finds. The researchers also found that after adjusting for age and sex differences between the two groups, the coronavirus death rate is three times higher for prisoners compared to the general US population. The stu
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Third of Bangladesh underwater as monsoon drenches region
Almost four million people have been hit by monsoon floods in South Asia, officials said Thursday, with a third of Bangladesh already underwater from some of the heaviest rains in a decade.
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Air pollution in the U.S. declines during the COVID-19 pandemic
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States instituted business closures, social distancing and other policy measures to combat the spread of disease. University of Minnesota School of Public Health researchers began studying how these measures further impact our environment, including changes in U.S. air pollution levels. Their findings were recently published in the journal Science o
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Research enlightens population genomics and adaptive evolution of ancient relictual plant
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) is the largest and highest plateau in the world. The uplift of the QTP provides extraordinarily geomorphological and climatic diversity, promoting rapid radiation in plant lineages, while also harboring some ancient relictual taxa, such as Circaeaster, a genus contains only one species—Circaeaster agrestis.
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Exchange bias in van der Waals heterostructures
NUS scientists have discovered the exchange bias phenomenon in van der Waals CrCl3/Fe3GeTe2 heterostructures. The exchange bias phenomenon has a number of applications in magnetic sensors and magnetic reading heads, which has not been reported in van der Waals heterostructures before.
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Homo erectus hand ax found in East Africa
A team of researchers from Japan, Hong Kong and Ethiopia has found a hand ax that they believe was made by a possibly direct human ancestor in what is now modern Ethiopia. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes finding the hand ax, their study of it and what they believe it represents.
7h
Study examines flight performance in the heaviest soaring birds
New research has revealed when it comes to flying the largest of birds don't rely on flapping to move around. Instead they make use of air currents to keep them airborne for hours at a time.
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Experimental game reveals that the freedom to choose preferred public goods greatly increases their value
From climate and biodiversity to public health and law enforcement, public goods benefit all. They are produced or maintained through widespread participation in public-goods provision that is vulnerable to low participation rates. Avoiding this vulnerability has spurred a continuing search for better ways to promote participation.
7h
Pliers smaller than an ant's jaws are controlled by optical fibres
Microscopic filaments added to the end of optical fibres act as tiny pliers that can pick up objects just tens of microns in size
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A bad UK winter could cause 120,000 hospital deaths linked to covid-19
The UK has three months to avoid a potential second wave of infections in the winter that could lead to 120,000 hospital deaths, finds a report requested by the government's chief scientific adviser
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Research enlightens population genomics and adaptive evolution of ancient relictual plant
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) is the largest and highest plateau in the world. The uplift of the QTP provides extraordinarily geomorphological and climatic diversity, promoting rapid radiation in plant lineages, while also harboring some ancient relictual taxa, such as Circaeaster, a genus contains only one species—Circaeaster agrestis.
7h
Study examines flight performance in the heaviest soaring birds
New research has revealed when it comes to flying the largest of birds don't rely on flapping to move around. Instead they make use of air currents to keep them airborne for hours at a time.
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Bats may shed light on COVID-19 resistance
Bats' longevity and capacity to tolerate viruses may stem from their ability to control inflammation, researchers report. Bats are often considered patient zero for many deadly viruses affecting humans, including Ebola, rabies, and, most recently, the SARS-CoV-2 strain of virus that causes coronavirus. Although humans experience adverse symptoms when afflicted with these pathogens, bats are remar
7h
First Comes Police Reform. Then Comes Everything Else.
People protest to signal that they are fed up with the status quo. But protest is rarely singularly focused. People are in the streets this summer over the murder of George Floyd, but the current racial reckoning in America goes far beyond lethal policing. People are in the streets because Black students are five times more likely than white students to attend highly segregated schools. Because B
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Facebook's Pandemic Feuds Are Getting Ugly
A disposable face mask is burning in the bottom of a cake pan. It's a controlled blaze, the perfect size for roasting a hot dog—which someone is doing, holding it above the flame on a metal skewer. A tinny recording of "The Star-Spangled Banner" plays in the background, building to its familiar end just as the hot dog appears to be fully roasted. The comments beneath the 30-second video, posted t
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To cut military suicide risk, push safe gun storage?
Military personnel who are at a greater risk of suicide are more likely to unsafely store firearms in unlocked cabinets where they can access them easily, according to new research. Firearms account for approximately half of all suicide deaths in the United States and approximately two-thirds of all suicide deaths in the military. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline's phone number is 1-800-2
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Imagining vs Seeing
Try to conjure up a mental image of a bicycle (without referencing a picture). Better yet, try to draw a bicycle. Most people (75% or more) cannot draw an accurate bicycle from memory. There are a lot of layers here . First, people tend to grossly overestimate their specific or technical knowledge, especially of everyday objects and processes. I often like to challenge myself with the caveman tho
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Urban Arrow Family Review: The Best Electric Cargo Bike
This light, maneuverable front-loader comes with padded seats that make it the best electric cargo bicycle for a family.
7h
Google Moves to Secure the Cloud From Itself
Confidential Virtual Machines allows Google Cloud Services Customers to keep data secret—even when it's being actively processed.
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Pencil marks on paper can work as electrical sensors on your skin
Mesh-like pencil sketches on paper can be used as sensors that detect heart rate, skin temperature and compounds in sweat
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Scientists discover fault system in southeastern Nepal
A newly identified fault system in southeastern Nepal has the potential to cause earthquakes in a densely populated area, according to two University of Alberta scientists who were part of an international team that made the discovery.
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Will we see a Starship test this week?
As we speak, engineers at SpaceX's Boca Chica test facility are busy getting the fifth Starship prototype (SN5) ready. Having recently passed the crucial cryogenic load test, and with the installation of its SN27 Raptor engine, the ground crews are now gearing up for a static fire test. Assuming the SN5 doesn't explode in a massive fireball (as the SN4 did), it will be ready to make the first hop
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How to elect the right leader by getting rid of our cognitive biases
Many countries are still holding elections despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Singapore just concluded its general election on Friday. Singapore's neighbour, Indonesia, plans to hold its biggest regional election in December this year by having simultaneous polls in 270 districts. The United States is also on track to hold its presidential election in November this year, with superstar singer Kanye We
7h
US health insurers: in rude health
The fact that health insurers benefit in a pandemic while hospitals are on the brink is food for thought
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Air pollution affects brain development, but when does the damage start?
Emergency rooms in Barcelona were collapsing under the pressure. Hundreds of patients were arriving in desperate need as they struggled to breathe, while intensive care units struggled to cope with the sudden influx of respiratory problems. Epidemiologists scrambled to trace the source of the outbreak.
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Certified 'sustainable' palm oil fields endanger mammal habitats and biodiverse tropical forests over 30 years
Global concern has risen around the "sustainability" of palm oil in terms of global exportation and the impact on the environment in recent years. Therefore, in 2004, stakeholders from palm oil industry sectors including oil palm producers, retailers, banks, investors, nature conservation and developmental NGOs, established the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) with "the objective of promo
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HBP Neuromorphic Computing (11:30 – 12:15h CEST)
From: HumanBrainProject
7h
Get Armed Police Out of Emergency Rooms
And stop letting hospital security guards carry guns; there are better ways to keep patients and staff safe — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
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Prepare for a winter covid-19 spike now, say medical experts
The news: We should prepare now for a potential new wave of coronavirus cases this winter, according to the UK's Academy of Medical Sciences. Health-care systems tend to struggle in winter anyway because infectious diseases spread faster as we spend more time in poorly ventilated indoor spaces, and because conditions like asthma, heart attacks, and stroke tend to be exacerbated in colder temperat
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Scientists Find an Earthquake's Toll in an Organism's DNA
Along a coastline in New Zealand, kelp seems to contain a genetic record of the planet's geological upheaval.
8h
The Latest Covid Party Story Gets a Twist
Like any urban legend, this one changes slightly with each telling.
8h
The Equity-Diversity-Inclusion Industrial Complex Gets a Makeover
Companies and universities have long relied on seminars to reduce racism, despite lackluster results. Maybe institution leaders can salvage the format.
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Could Trump Win the War on Huawei—and Is TikTok Next?
In a plot twist, the administration's assault on the Chinese telecom giant is gaining traction. At heart, the US has an interest in its own electronic surveillance capabilities.
8h
Ny danskdesignet elbil bygges på Volkswagens platform
PLUS. Henrik Fiskers kommende elbil er udviklet på Volkswagens modulære elbilplatform MEB. Det viser dokumenter, i forbindelse med at Fisker Inc. børsnoteres i USA. Hvis projektet bliver en succes, vil vi formentlig se flere startups bygge elbiler på den tyske platform.
8h
Molecularly thin interface between polymers for efficient carbon dioxide capture membrane
Climate breakdown caused by carbon dioxide (CO2) emission into the atmosphere is a major existential problem confronting humanity. The most acceptable solution would be complete termination of the use of fossil fuels, or at least fast reduction of their use by all countries, in line with the Paris agreement. This will ensure the planetary warming is limited by 2 degrees C. Emission reductions are
8h
The Constitution Doesn't Work Without Local News
T he Framers of the Constitution understood just how important local news would be to the success of their ambitious American experiment. Alexander Hamilton explained the issue this way in "Federalist No. 84," using as an example one locality in Maryland: What are the sources of information by which the people in Montgomery County must regulate their judgment of the conduct of their representativ
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Babies' Mysterious Resilience to Coronavirus Intrigues Scientists
COVID-19 is often mild in infants. Learning why could help scientists better understand the disease—and point the way toward possible treatments — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
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Babies' Mysterious Resilience to Coronavirus Intrigues Scientists
COVID-19 is often mild in infants. Learning why could help scientists better understand the disease—and point the way toward possible treatments — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
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The United States Needs a New Foreign Policy
It's tempting to draw sweeping conclusions about what geopolitics will look like after the pandemic . Some argue that we're witnessing the last gasp of American primacy, the equivalent of Britain's 1956 "Suez moment." Others argue that America, the main driver of the post–Cold War international order, is temporarily incapacitated, with a president drunk at the wheel. Tomorrow, a more sober operat
8h
Does coronavirus spread in the air and how do we stay safe?
Some scientists believe there is growing evidence of airborne transmission of Covid-19 Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Some scientists are warning there is growing evidence of airborne transmission of coronavirus. But how does it affect the actions we should take to stay safe? Continue reading…
9h
Road verges could be havens for pollinators
Better-managed road verges can help boost pollinating insects, new research shows.
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Derfor dufter soltørret vasketøjet bare bedre
Forskere fra Københavns Universitet undrede sig over, hvorfor vasketøj tørret udenfor i solen dufter bedre, og det har de udgivet et videnskabeligt studie om. Når du lader solen tørre dit vasketøj udendørs, så udskilles der stoffer der giver minder om kardemomme, citrus og roser.
9h
Road verges could be havens for pollinators
Better-managed road verges can help boost pollinating insects, new research shows.
9h
Public health is moot without water security
Nature, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-02085-y
9h
Use AI to mine literature for policymaking
Nature, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-02086-x
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Contact-tracing apps: contested answers to ethical questions
Nature, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-02084-z
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Coronavirus: postdoc winners need paid extensions
Nature, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-02087-w
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How did ancient cities weather crises?
Nature, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-02070-5 As the current pandemic makes us ponder the future of cities, a book examines past rises and falls.
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Daily briefing: "The pandemic is gaining full momentum" in Africa
Nature, Published online: 13 July 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-02100-2 Africa CDC announces that new coronavirus cases were up 24% on the continent in the past week. Plus, US universities sue the government in support of international foreign students, and the four pillars of a successful science spin-off.
9h
Progressives' Supreme Court Victories Will Be Fleeting
In several big-ticket cases this term, the conservative Supreme Court appeared to give significant wins to progressives. On issues including abortion, immigration, and LGBTQ equality, a majority of the Court voted for seemingly progressive results. And in the subpoena cases issued on the last day of the term, the Court rejected the president's sweeping argument that his personal financial records
9h
NASA's Perseverance rover will scour Mars for signs of life
NASA's most advanced Mars rover, Perseverance, launches from Earth on July 30, on a mission to seek out signs of ancient microbial life on what was once a river delta three-and-a-half billion years ago.
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UK unveils post-Brexit border plans and ad campaign
Britain on Monday launched another Brexit advertising blitz and unveiled its first detailed proposals for managing the country's borders after cutting ties with the European Union.
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Humanity on Mars? Technically possible, but no voyage on horizon
Robotic landers and rovers have been touching down on Mars since the 1970s, but when will humanity finally set foot on the Red Planet?
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Paradise regained then lost: Med mammals mourn lockdown end
When Europeans retreated into their homes to observe strict stay-at-home rules to contain the coronavirus, dolphins and whales on the Mediterranean coast basked and thrived in a hitherto unknown calm.
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Itinerant legal scholar who claimed Tufts affiliation up to 10 retractions
A legal scholar who claims to have held professorships in Italy and the United States and to have written more than 600 papers has had 10 of those articles retracted, some for plagiarism and the most recent also because of a faked affiliation. Dimitris Liakopoulos, according to his self-written ORCID profile, has studied at undergraduate … Continue reading
9h
Paradise regained then lost: Med mammals mourn lockdown end
When Europeans retreated into their homes to observe strict stay-at-home rules to contain the coronavirus, dolphins and whales on the Mediterranean coast basked and thrived in a hitherto unknown calm.
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Arctic spill fuels calls for shakeup at Russia mining giant
Russian mining giant Norilsk Nickel faced pressure from a key shareholder on Tuesday to overhaul management after disasters including a massive Arctic fuel spill that sparked a state of emergency.
9h
Fifteen bird photos that will make your heart sing
Least bittern. Amateur category; Top 100. (Davey Walters/Audubon Photography Awards/2020/) Whether it's a gray-feathered bird plunging face first into a stream at Yosemite National Park or a jewel-like hummingbird frolicking in the fountain at a local California farm, avian life is omnipresent —and their world is closely intertwined with our own . As much as the pandemic has forced many of us ind
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NSW on 'extra high alert' for Covid-19 resurgence as hotel crackdown announced
Premier Gladys Berejiklian details stricter regime for pubs as cluster linked to the Crossroads Hotel grows to 30 cases New South Wales is on "extra high alert" for a widespread Covid-19 resurgence and will require so-called hygiene marshals to enforce social distancing at every pub in the state. The crackdown comes after patrons who visited a Sydney hotel at the centre of the state's largest out
9h
CDC Revises Covid-19 Risks During Pregnancy as Research Lags
How dangerous is the coronavirus for pregnant women and new mothers? Months after asserting they are not at higher risk for severe complications, the CDC released a study showing pregnant women have much higher rates of ICU admittance and intubation. But experts say the data gaps are even more worrisome.
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Trafikselskab efter kritik fra Datatilsynet: »Vi har været for uopmærksomme«
En hullet privatlivspolitik og manglende oplysninger til kunderne om dataindsamling har ført til kritik af Fynbus fra Datatilsynet. Trafikselskabet har været for uopmærksomt, og nu skal der rettes op på problemerne, fortæller produkt- og markedschef.
9h
Shops and police must help enforce English face mask rules, says minister
Officers say law to make coverings compulsory in stores will be unenforceable Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Retailers: share your thoughts on mandatory masks Retailers and police must both play a role in enforcing the use of face coverings by shoppers in England, a cabinet minister has said after officers said the law would be unenforceable. The environment secreta
9h
Aztec palace's remains uncovered off Mexico City's main Zócalo plaza
The location of ruler Axayácatl's palace was later used by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés.
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Emirati 'Hope' probe heads for Mars
The first Arab space mission to Mars is scheduled to blast off from Japan Friday on a mission to unravel from above the weather dynamics in the Red Planet's atmosphere.
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Coronavirus Live: Updates From Around the Globe
On Monday, California, Florida and Texas recorded at least 30,000 new cases, 18 percent of the global total. France celebrated public health workers as heroes during Bastille Day, a day after granting them pay raises.
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G.A.O.: Trump Boosts Deregulation by Undervaluing Cost of Climate Change
The Government Accountability Office has found that the Trump administration is undervaluing the cost of climate change to boost its deregulatory efforts.
9h
Baby boy infected with coronavirus in womb
French study is believed to be first such confirmed case but doctors say infant has made good recovery Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Doctors in France have reported what they believe to be the first proven case of Covid-19 being passed on from a pregnant woman to her baby in the womb. The newborn boy developed inflammation in the brain within days of being born, a
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High formin binding protein 17 (FBP17) expression indicates poor differentiation and invasiveness of ductal carcinomas
Scientific Reports, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41598-020-68454-9
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Integrating drone-borne thermal imaging with artificial intelligence to locate bird nests on agricultural land
Scientific Reports, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41598-020-67898-3
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Increased levels of conjugated bile acids are associated with human bile reflux gastritis
Scientific Reports, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41598-020-68393-5
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ADAD1 and ADAD2, testis-specific adenosine deaminase domain-containing proteins, are required for male fertility
Scientific Reports, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41598-020-67834-5
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Effect of A/T/N imaging biomarkers on impaired odor identification in Alzheimer's disease
Scientific Reports, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41598-020-68504-2
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In vitro and in vivo investigation of osteogenic properties of self-contained phosphate-releasing injectable purine-crosslinked chitosan-hydroxyapatite constructs
Scientific Reports, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41598-020-67886-7
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Uranium-free X solution: a new generation contrast agent for biological samples ultrastructure
Scientific Reports, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41598-020-68405-4
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Drivers of understory species richness in reconstructed boreal ecosystems: a structural equation modeling analysis
Scientific Reports, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41598-020-68353-z
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How South American drug cartels get around coronavirus lockdowns
National lockdowns and a lack of chemicals due to the covid-19 pandemic have affected the illegal drug trade – but cartels have found workarounds
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Operando time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy reveals the chemical nature enabling highly selective CO2 reduction
Nature Communications, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17231-3 A systematic time-resolved study can provide key insights on selective carbon dioxide electro-reduction. Here, the authors report operando seconds-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy to uncover the chemical state evolution of working catalysts in a carbon dioxide electroreduction process.
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Substrate regulation leads to differential responses of microbial ammonia-oxidizing communities to ocean warming
Nature Communications, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17366-3 Microbial ammonia oxidation is important in marine nutrient cycling and greenhouse gas dynamics, but the responses to ocean warming are unclear. Here coast to open ocean incubations show that projected year 2100 temperatures might be too hot for these microbes in oligotrophic regions to handle, but may facilitat
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Spatial domain analysis predicts risk of colorectal cancer recurrence and infers associated tumor microenvironment networks
Nature Communications, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17083-x Spatial information in the tumour microenvironment may be exploited to optimise diagnosis, prognosis and therapy. Here, the authors develop a spatial analytics computational and systems pathology platform (SpAn) based on highly multiplexed antibody imaging on colorectal cancer samples to infer emergent network b
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In vivo microscopy reveals macrophage polarization locally promotes coherent microtubule dynamics in migrating cancer cells
Nature Communications, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17147-y The regulation of microtubule (MT) dynamics in cancer cells within the tumor microenvironment is less understood. Here, the authors develop an imaging platform to examine MT dynamics in live xenograft models and show that pro-tumor macrophages modulate MT coherence and alignment to promote cancer cell migration.
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Endogenous retroviruses are a source of enhancers with oncogenic potential in acute myeloid leukaemia
Nature Communications, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17206-4 Transposable elements are a potential source of transcriptional regulators, but how these sequences contribute to oncogenesis remains poorly understood. Here, the authors identify endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) with acute myeloid leukemia (AML)-associated enhancer chromatin signatures, and provide evidence that
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"Gene accordions" cause genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity in clonal populations of Staphylococcus aureus
Nature Communications, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17277-3 Gene tandem amplifications can drive bacterial evolution. Here, Belikova et al. identify copy number variations of lipoprotein-encoding genes in Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates, and show that the loci expand and contract during bacterial growth in vitro and in mice, leading to changes in immunostimulator
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Zika virus vertical transmission in children with confirmed antenatal exposure
Nature Communications, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17331-0 Here, Brasil et al. investigate mother to child Zika virus (ZIKV) transmission rates in a large longitudinal cohort of pregnant ZIKV-positive women with their infants followed from the time of maternal infection through birth and onwards, finding high in utero transmission rates that do not predict clinical outc
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Machine learning accurate exchange and correlation functionals of the electronic density
Nature Communications, Published online: 14 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17265-7 Increasing the non-locality of the exchange and correlation functional in DFT theory comes at a steep increase in computational cost. Here, the authors develop NeuralXC, a supervised machine learning approach to generate density functionals close to coupled-cluster level of accuracy yet computationally efficient
10h
The US is turning away the world's best minds—and this time, they may not come back
For decades, US policymakers have bet that the world's best and brightest will endure a dysfunctional immigration process for a chance at the opportunities the country offers. And for decades, they have been right. Talented people born outside of the US have continued flocking to America's schools, companies, and way of life, and staying for good when they can. The Trump administration is now dou
10h
Computational Resources for Neuroscientists (9:30 – 10:15h CEST)
From: HumanBrainProject
10h
Slavarbete ersattes av fångar
När inbördeskriget tog slut år 1865 befann sig de förlorande sydstaternas slavbaserade ekonomi i fritt fall.
11h
Coronavirus: How to talk about conspiracy theories
Conspiracy theories have thrived during the pandemic – what's the right way to talk to someone who believes them?
11h
Spørg Fagfolket: Hvordan navigerer og beregner man ruten til Mars?
En læser har funderet over, hvordan man kan ramme Mars så præcist efter syv måneder. Det svarer professor fra DTU Space på.
11h
Winter wave of coronavirus 'could be worse than first'
Modelling suggests there could be a deadly second peak, killing more than 100,000 people in the UK.
11h
Dr. Ignarro has suffered stigma, and was denied at least two interviews on television
"The presence of such articles online have severely affected Dr. Louis J. Ignarro's public reputation, and his personal life. Dr. Ignarro disputes any accusations of wrongdoing. There was no fabrication of data, although there was a mistaken duplication of data which occurred due to error. None of the data was false." -J.L. Perez, Esq.
11h
Mythbusters host Grant Imahara dies at 49
Mythbusters Grant Imahara
He was known for Mythbusters and White Rabbit Project, and made models for the Star Wars prequels.
11h
Coronavirus: How did Florida get so badly hit by Covid-19?
Florida is becoming the new US epicentre – but what's behind the rising case counts?
11h
Synthesizing an alternative fuel for muscle could lead to medical advances
A chemist and kinesiologist got on a bus, but this isn't the set-up to a joke. Instead, kinesiologist and lead author Ned Debold and chemist Dhandapani Venkataraman, "DV," began talking on their bus commute to the University of Massachusetts Amherst and discovered their mutual interest in how energy is converted from one form to another—for Debold, in muscle tissue and for DV, in solar cells.
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Synthesizing an alternative fuel for muscle could lead to medical advances
A chemist and kinesiologist got on a bus, but this isn't the set-up to a joke. Instead, kinesiologist and lead author Ned Debold and chemist Dhandapani Venkataraman, "DV," began talking on their bus commute to the University of Massachusetts Amherst and discovered their mutual interest in how energy is converted from one form to another—for Debold, in muscle tissue and for DV, in solar cells.
11h
Natural solutions boosted to help prevent floods
Hollows in the ground to catch and store heavy rain water are among projects that will get cash.
11h
A Giant 'Wall' of Galaxies Has Been Found Stretching Across The Universe
A colossus spanning over 1 billion light-years.
11h
Burrowing crabs reshaping salt marshes, with climate change to blame
A new study reveals how climate change has enabled a voracious crab species to dramatically alter salt marsh ecosystems across the southeastern U.S.
11h
Green is more than skin-deep for hundreds of frog species
Frogs and toads are green for a very good reason—it makes them harder to see in their leafy environments. Good camouflage allows them to eat and not be eaten. But not all frogs have arrived at this life-saving greenness in the same way.
11h
Large Lot Program shows the power of private land stewardship in addressing urban vacancy
In the past 5 years, Chicago residents have purchased nearly 1,300 vacant lots and replaced weed trees and sagging fences with gardens and children's play areas. In doing so, they have demonstrated that transferring city-owned vacant lands to local residents can be a successful strategy for cities seeking to reduce blight and strengthen neighborhoods.
11h
Burrowing crabs reshaping salt marshes, with climate change to blame
A new study reveals how climate change has enabled a voracious crab species to dramatically alter salt marsh ecosystems across the southeastern U.S.
11h
Green is more than skin-deep for hundreds of frog species
Frogs and toads are green for a very good reason—it makes them harder to see in their leafy environments. Good camouflage allows them to eat and not be eaten. But not all frogs have arrived at this life-saving greenness in the same way.
11h
Study finds that special filters in glasses can help the color blind see colors better
A new UC Davis Eye Center study, conducted in collaboration with France's INSERM Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, found that special patented glasses engineered with technically advanced spectral notch filters enhance color vision for those with the most common types of red-green color vision deficiency ("anomalous trichromacy"). Notably, the ability to identify and experience expanded colo
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Study finds that special filters in glasses can help the color blind see colors better
A new UC Davis Eye Center study, conducted in collaboration with France's INSERM Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, found that special patented glasses engineered with technically advanced spectral notch filters enhance color vision for those with the most common types of red-green color vision deficiency ("anomalous trichromacy"). Notably, the ability to identify and experience expanded colo
12h
Predation by Caspian terns on young steelhead means fewer return as adults
Caspian terns feeding on young fish have a significant impact on runs of steelhead in the Columbia River, research by Oregon State University suggests.
12h
Study shows how our brains remain active during familiar, repetitive tasks
New research, based on earlier results in mice, suggests that our brains are never at rest, even when we are not learning anything about the world around us.
12h
Mismatched caregiver-infant interactions during feeding could boost babies' risk of later obesity
A new integrative review examined evidence related to infants' self-regulation of behavior and emotion, and how that relates to interactions when they are fed by their caregivers, including how those interactions may derail infants' ability to regulate their intake of food. The review found that infants who are fed in the absence of hunger or beyond fullness may develop skewed perceptions of hunge
12h
New, remote weight-loss method helped slash pounds
A new Northwestern Medicine remote weight-loss program, called Opt-IN, provides maximum weight loss for the lowest cost and with much less hassle than the gold-standard National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), the most successful behavioral non-drug treatment currently available. According to a new study, the Opt-IN program helped participants in a clinical trial lose 11 to 13 pounds, which is
12h
Predation by Caspian terns on young steelhead means fewer return as adults
Caspian terns feeding on young fish have a significant impact on runs of steelhead in the Columbia River, research by Oregon State University suggests.
12h
Breakthrough in deciphering birth of supermassive black holes
A research team led by Cardiff University scientists say they are closer to understanding how a supermassive black hole (SMBH) is born thanks to a new technique that has enabled them to zoom in on one of these enigmatic cosmic objects in unprecedented detail.
12h
Space to grow, or grow in space—how vertical farms could be ready to take-off
Vertical farms with their soil-free, computer-controlled environments may sound like sci-fi. But there is a growing environmental and economic case for them, according to new research laying out radical ways of putting food on our plates.
12h
COVID-19 pandemic could be learning opportunity for middle-grade students
Educators could use the COVID-19 outbreak to help middle-schoolers better understand the world, according to new research from faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York.
12h
Plants Can Secretly Send Underground Electrical Signals. Here's How They Do It
"The soil plays the role of a conductor."
12h
Juvent: Space Age Technology to Achieve Total Health?
Juvent is a small vibrating platform that is advertised to provide all kinds of health benefits for everyone by just standing on it for 10 minutes a day. They have no convincing evidence and the price is exorbitant.
12h
UK coronavirus live: Johnson U-turns on masks as experts fear up to 120,000 Covid-19 winter deaths
Boris Johnson announces face coverings are to be mandatory in shops from 24 July with £100 fines for non-compliance Global coronavirus live: latest updates 8.52am BST The Metropolitan Police Federation has warned that requiring the public to wear face masks in shops will be almost impossible for police to enforce. Its chairman Ken Marsh, told Today: Shopkeepers need to step up to the plate and ta
12h
An airborne virus is a threat worth taking seriously
Scientists are questioning whether droplets can explain all cases of coronavirus transmission
12h
Here is an introduction to cognitive psychology I wrote. I've done an overview of cognition, cognitive processes, executive functions, and cognitive resources.
submitted by /u/coolestestboi [link] [comments]
13h
What happens when you interview a neuroscientist, a philosopher, and a law professor? You get one hell of a podcast on free will! (link in comments)
submitted by /u/Flo_State [link] [comments]
13h
Dissertation HELP: Potential research ideas on belief formation. Any competing theories or research gaps, interesting review papers…I am looking into non-pathological belief formation.
submitted by /u/micfar22 [link] [comments]
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7th episode of my video series on human biases. This one is about choice overload, related evidence, its causes, impacts on our decisions and ways to manage overload.
submitted by /u/hsnaras [link] [comments]
13h
Present Bias: Critical Obstacle in Life
submitted by /u/hustl_YT [link] [comments]
13h
Part II of a dialogue with a neo-Jungian and cognitive scientist about the relation between individual and cultural transformation, through the portals of depth psychology, cognitive science, distributed cognition, and alchemy.
submitted by /u/voiceclub [link] [comments]
13h
Three Spacecraft Need to Leave For Mars in The Next Two Weeks or Wait Until 2022
The launch window is now.
13h
U.A.E. Sets Its Sights on Mars With Launch of Hope Orbiter
The launch of the Hope orbiter was delayed because of weather. The mission's goal is to make contributions to research on the red planet. But the Emirati government really hopes it will inspire future scientists.
14h
Poland's Rulers Made Up a 'Rainbow Plague'
Rare is the election campaign that truly hinges on a single issue. But in the run-up to Sunday's presidential election in Poland, "LGBT"—an English acronym that sounds strange and foreign in Polish — was unquestionably the dominant theme. The coronavirus pandemic is still ravaging the world, an economic crisis looms, and international politics are in turmoil. Yet when the Polish president, Andrze
14h
Coronavirus global report: restrictions return around world as cases pass 13m
Hong Kong, California and Manila tighten rules; WHO warns there are no shortcuts out of a pandemic; Australia passes 10,000 cases Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Cities and states around the world returned to tighter coronavirus restrictions to battle recurring outbreaks, as global infections passed 13 million and the World Health Organization warned there were "no s
14h
High-performance CRISPR-Cas12a genome editing for combinatorial genetic screening
Nature Communications, Published online: 13 July 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17209-1 Reliable, multiplexed gene editing to uncover synergies between targets remains challenging. Here, the authors engineer AsCas12a and the crRNA to improve double knockout for synthetic sick/lethal interaction genetic screening.
15h
Predation by Caspian terns on young steelhead means fewer return as adults
Caspian terns feeding on young fish have a significant impact on runs of steelhead in the Columbia River, new research suggests.
15h
Transparent, reflective objects now within grasp of robots
Kitchen robots are a popular vision of the future, but if a robot of today tries to grasp a kitchen staple such as a clear measuring cup or a shiny knife, it likely won't be able to. Transparent and reflective objects are the things of robot nightmares. Roboticists at Carnegie Mellon University, however, report success with a new technique they've developed for teaching robots to pick up these tro
15h
Space to grow, or grow in space — how vertical farms could be ready to take-off
Vertical farms with their soil-free, computer-controlled environments may sound like sci-fi. But there is a growing environmental and economic case for them, according to new research laying out radical ways of putting food on our plates.
15h
Molecularly thin interface between polymers — for efficient CO2 capture membrane
Composite membranes for CO2 separation contain different functional layers in their structure (e.g. porous mechanical support, selective layer etc.). We found that when selective layer in composite membrane is made ultimately thin – it forms specific interface with supporting gutter polymer, and this structure shows unexpectedly high selectivity towards CO2 over nitrogen. This new finding provides
15h
Age of sexual debut among young gay-identified sexual minority men
Young gay sexual minority men – especially Black and Latino youth – have their first sexual experiences at younger ages, emphasizing a need for comprehensive and inclusive sex education, according to Rutgers researchers.
15h
COVID-19 pandemic could be learning opportunity for middle-grade students
Educators could use the COVID-19 outbreak to help middle-schoolers better understand the world, according to new research from faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York.
15h
When a pandemic strikes, we still expect an ambulance
Edith Cowan University (ECU) PhD candidate and paramedic Cameron Anderson investigated community attitudes regarding the professional obligation of paramedics to respond during pandemics.The research showed that, pandemic or not, Australians expected an ambulance to arrive if children were involved, if there was adequate protective equipment and if it involved our immediate families.
15h
Lung screening bus brings high-tech health care directly to patients
A mobile platform for lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography (CT) can be developed with limited financial risk and take powerful screening tests directly to patients, including underserved rural areas where rates of new lung cancer cases tend to be higher.
15h
Covid-19: the relationship between antibodies and immunity – podcast
With antibodies having implications for both our understanding of previous coronavirus infections and potential future immunity, Nicola Davis talks to Prof Eleanor Riley about how best to test for them and asks whether antibodies are the only thing we should be looking for Continue reading…
15h
Johannesburg Covid-19 crisis: 'The storm is upon us'
Surge in confirmed cases forces South Africa to reinstate ban on alcohol and curfew
15h
Covid-19: the relationship between antibodies and immunity
With antibodies having implications for both our understanding of previous coronavirus infections and potential future immunity, Nicola Davis talks to Prof Eleanor Riley about how best to test for them and asks whether antibodies are the only thing we should be looking for. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
15h
Why Some Birds Are Likely To Hit Buildings
Birds that eat insects, are on migrations or that usually live in the woods are most likely to fly into buildings that feature a lot of glass.
17h
One in Three Young Adults at Risk of Severe Coronavirus Infections, Study Finds
Risk factors identified.
17h
'Hope' and ambition drive UAE's Mars mission
The United Arab Emirates is sending a satellite to the Red Planet to study its weather and climate.
17h
Why Some Birds Are Likely To Hit Buildings
Birds that eat insects, are on migrations or that usually live in the woods are most likely to fly into buildings that feature a lot of glass. — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
18h
Incredible Sahara Dust Plume Sweeping Across The Atlantic Is Largest on Record
All the way to the United States.
18h
A bad UK winter could cause 120,000 covid-19 deaths in hospitals
The UK has three months to avoid a potential second wave of infections in the winter that could lead to 120,000 hospital deaths, finds a report requested by the government's chief scientific adviser
18h
How the covid-19 pandemic is making malaria and HIV more deadly
The coronavirus pandemic's knock-on impact on healthcare for tuberculosis, malaria and HIV could lead to deaths on a similar level to those from covid-19 itself in some parts of the world, a new analysis finds
18h
The Atlantic Daily: How to Better Think About Herd Immunity
NEWSHA TAVAKOLIAN Our staff writer James Hamblin set out to try to understand when we'll reach herd immunity—the point at which enough of a population has been infected to ward off more major spikes of a disease. "It turns out the number is largely up to us," he explains . Here are three big takeaways from his new piece on the subject : 1. Herd immunity is calculated differently for an uncontroll
19h
Breakthrough in deciphering birth of supermassive black holes
A research team led by Cardiff University scientists say they are closer to understanding how a supermassive black hole (SMBH) is born thanks to a new technique that has enabled them to zoom in on one of these enigmatic cosmic objects in unprecedented detail.
19h
Stuff in capers activates key proteins in brain and heart
A compound common in pickled capers, quercetin, activates proteins required for normal human brain and heart activity, researchers report. In a new study in Communications Biology , the researchers report that quercetin can directly regulate proteins required for bodily processes such as the heartbeat, thought, muscular contraction, and normal functioning of the thyroid, pancreas, and gastrointes
19h
Coronavirus live news: global Covid-19 cases pass 13m as WHO warns against 'shortcuts'
Cases rise by 1m in five days ; 5.4m Americans have lost their health insurance ; Hong Kong reimposes social distancing measures. Follow the latest updates Global cases pass 13m WHO chief warns against 'shortcuts' 'Compelling' evidence air pollution worsens coronavirus – study Fauci sidelined as Trump's White House steps up briefing campaign Bereaved urge EU chief to supervise Italian coronavirus
20h
UK experts fear up to 120,000 Covid-19 deaths this winter
Preparations to avoid second wave worst-case scenario in NHS hospitals 'must start now' Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Britain must start "intense preparations" for a second wave of coronavirus that has the potential to kill as many as 120,000 hospital patients in a worst case scenario, experts have warned. Senior doctors and scientists convened by the Academy of Me
20h
UK warned of winter resurgence in Covid-19
Without action, hospital deaths could hit 120,000 between September and next June, report says
20h
The Lancet Global Health: Modelling study predicts surge in HIV, TB, and malaria deaths due to COVID-19 pandemic
Some low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) could see HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria deaths increase by as much as 10%, 20%, and 36% respectively over the next 5 years due to the disruption of health services caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and its response, according new modelling research published in The Lancet Global Health journal.
20h
What Can We Learn From Ants About Epidemics?
Ant colonies are basically disease-proof. Here's why.
21h
'The Old Guard' Director Gina Prince-Bythewood on Avoiding 'Sexy Catfights'
The woman at the helm of of Netflix's new action flick talked to WIRED about comics, diversity in Hollywood, and centering women, especially women of color, in a genre so dominated by white men.
21h
One in three young people could face serious symptoms from coronavirus
The number of positive case counts of COVID-19 continues to surge in southern and southwestern states. (Pixabay/) On Sunday, for the first time since March, New York City's Department of Health reported no deaths from COVID-19 , a much-needed breath of fresh air in a region that was once the epicenter of the US coronavirus pandemic. However, across the nation, coronavirus case counts vary widely,
21h
New AI Predicts Which Planets Are Going to Smash Into Each Other
Judgment Day A team of NASA astrophysicists has put the fate of entire star systems in the hands of an AI algorithm. The system — dubbed SPOCK — by NASA and Princeton University astrophysicist Daniel Tamayo, doesn't actually decide which worlds will live and die. But it can predict the paths of exoplanets, and determine which ones will remain stable and which will crash into other worlds or stars
21h
LGBTQ+ community sees spike in first-time depression in wake of coronavirus
Anxiety and depression rates are spiking in the LGBTQ+ community, and especially in individuals who hadn't struggled with those issues in the past. Overall, depression increased by an average PHQ-9 score of 1.21 and anxiety increased by an average GAD-7 score of 3.11. The researchers recommended that health care providers check in with LGBTQ+ patients about stress and screen for mood and anxiety
21h
Domestic violence increased in the great recession
Researchers found that physical abuse in adults increased substantially, with Black and Native American people being disproportionately affected.
22h
Special filters in glasses can help the color blind see colors better, study finds
A new study found that special patented glasses engineered with technically advanced spectral notch filters enhance color vision for those with the most common types of red-green color vision deficiency ('anomalous trichromacy'). Notably, the ability to identify and experience expanded color was also demonstrated when color blind test subjects were not wearing the glasses.
22h
Green is more than skin-deep for hundreds of frog species
The through-and-through greenness of hundreds of frog species that can be found deep in their lymphatic fluid, soft tissues and even bones, comes from a clever biochemical workaround that combines a normally virus-fighting type of protein with a toxic byproduct of blood breakdown. The camouflage innovation has happened at least 40 times across 11 families of frog and toad.
22h
Artificial energy source for muscle
Muscle physiologist sought an alternative energy source to replace the body's usual one, adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Such a source could control muscle activity, and might lead to new muscle spasm-calming treatments in cerebral palsy, for example, or activate or enhance skeletal muscle function in MS, ALS and chronic heart failure. They report this month that they have made a series of synthetic
22h
Cystic fibrosis: Why so many respiratory complications?
Cystic fibrosis causes severe respiratory and digestive disorders. Despite considerable therapeutic advances, this disease still reduces life expectancy, in particular due to life-threatening respiratory infections. Scientists have now discovered the reason for this large number of lung infections: a protein, Vav3.
22h
Seawater could provide nearly unlimited amounts of critical battery material
New technique uses electrodes to extract lithium from seawater
22h
Genetic variation shapes individual perception of fatty foods
Most people would agree that the pleasure of some foods stems in part from its fat content. New research has now found that liking of fatty food is more complex than its fat content alone — it could also be related to inborn genetic traits of the consumer related to fat perception.
22h
The new tattoo: Drawing electronics on skin
One day, people could monitor their own health conditions by simply picking up a pencil and drawing a bioelectronic device on their skin. In a new study, engineers demonstrated that the simple combination of pencils and paper could be used to create devices that might be used to monitor personal health.
22h
Nano-radiomics unveils treatment effect on tumor microenvironment
Researchers have developed a novel noninvasive approach called nano-radiomics that analyzes imaging data to assess changes in the tumor microenvironment that are not detected with conventional imaging methods.
22h
Mothers' paid work suffers during pandemic, study finds
New research finds early evidence that the pandemic has exacerbated — not improved — the gender gap in work hours, which could have enduring consequences for working mothers.
22h
Nano-radiomics unveils treatment effect on tumor microenvironment
Researchers have developed a novel noninvasive approach called nano-radiomics that analyzes imaging data to assess changes in the tumor microenvironment that are not detected with conventional imaging methods.
22h
Study finds that special filters in glasses can help the color blind see colors better
A new UC Davis Eye Center study, conducted in collaboration with France's INSERM Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, found that special patented glasses engineered with technically advanced spectral notch filters enhance color vision for those with the most common types of red-green color vision deficiency ('anomalous trichromacy'). Notably, the ability to identify and experience expanded colo
22h
Domestic violence increased in the great recession
Researchers found that physical abuse in adults increased substantially, with Black and Native American people being disproportionately affected.
22h
Large Lot Program shows the power of private land stewardship in addressing urban vacancy
Researchers propose a practical monitoring tool, the condition-care scale, and detail how it can be implemented by planners to assess the progress of vacant lot repurposing programs. The scale also holds promise for other applications related to urban greening and we encourage others to adapt it to their particular needs.
22h
A dual antenatal therapy benefits extreme preterm babies better than either alone or none
Researchers, led by Samuel Gentle, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics in the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, report that antenatal treatment with both magnesium sulfate and corticosteroids together yields an increased benefit for children born at 22 to 26 weeks of gestation, compared to no antenatal treatment or with either therapy alone.
22h
California Shuts Down Again After Surge in New COVID Cases
It's the most sweeping acknowledgment to date that it's not yet time to reopen the United States. On Monday afternoon, California governor Gavin Newsom ordered indoor operations for restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, and other entertainment centers to stop immediately, as Axios reports , in light of a new surge in COVID-19 cases. Thirty counties, including Los Angeles, Orange, and San Bernard
22h
Fauci says US local public healthcare is 'in tatters'
Top expert on coronavirus task force warns that doctors are 'building the plane while flying'
22h
Autoclaving, alcohol not the best options for disinfecting, reusing face masks
Two widely available sterilization methods to clean disposable surgical masks and N95 respirators may not be the best options for hospitals needing to extend the life of personal protective equipment.
22h
Listeria protein provides a CRISPR 'kill switch'
A single protein derived from a common strain of bacteria found in the soil will offer scientists a more precise way to edit RNA.
22h
Doctors Heal Human Lungs By Attaching Them to Live Pigs
Transplant lungs can only survive for a short period of time outside the human body. In fact, only around a quarter meet criteria for transplantation, according to the American Lung Association. That's why a team of researchers at Columbia University in New York have decided to find an alternative, extending the shelf life of human lungs intended to be transplanted — by hooking them up to live pi
22h
UTMB researchers have discovered a new antiviral mechanism for dengue therapeutics
A multidisciplinary team from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has uncovered a new mechanism for designing antiviral drugs for dengue virus. The study is currently available in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
22h
UMass Amherst team makes artificial energy source for muscle
Muscle physiologist Ned Debold and colleagues at UMass Amherst sought an alternative energy source to replace the body's usual one, adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Such a source could control muscle activity, and might lead to new muscle spasm-calming treatments in cerebral palsy, for example, or activate or enhance skeletal muscle function in MS, ALS and chronic heart failure. They report this mont
22h
Burrowing crabs reshaping salt marshes, with climate change to blame
Given higher sea levels and softer soil in the wake of a shifting climate, Sesarma crabs, which have already decimated salt marshes in the Northeast, are now rising to prominence in southeastern marshes, a new study finds.
22h
Green is more than skin-deep for hundreds of frog species
The through-and-through greenness of hundreds of frog species that can be found deep in their lymphatic fluid, soft tissues and even bones, comes from a clever biochemical workaround that combines a normally virus-fighting type of protein with a toxic byproduct of blood breakdown. The camouflage innovation has happened at least 40 times across 11 families of frog and toad.
22h
5,000 years of history of domestic cats in Central Europe
A loner and a hunter with highly developed territorial instincts, a cruel carnivore, a disobedient individual: the cat. These features make the species averse to domestication. Even so, we did it. Nowadays, about 500 million cats live in households all around the world; it is also difficult to estimate the amount of the homeless and the feral ones
22h
The Anti-Semitism We Didn't See
Like DeSean Jackson, the Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver who is being condemned for posting a fake Adolf Hitler quote on his Instagram feed last week, I too have had an ill-advised Hitler moment. In 2008, I was a general columnist for ESPN.com , covering the NBA Finals series between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. Heading into Game 5, I wrote a piece about how it saddened me, as
22h
5,000 years of history of domestic cats in Central Europe
A loner and a hunter with highly developed territorial instincts, a cruel carnivore, a disobedient individual: the cat. These features make the species averse to domestication. Even so, we did it. Nowadays, about 500 million cats live in households all around the world; it is also difficult to estimate the amount of the homeless and the feral ones
22h
Sketch a heart sensor with pencil drawings that become electrodes
Mesh-like pencil sketches on paper can be used as sensors that detect heart rate, skin temperature and compounds in sweat
22h
Lab-grown sperm could let infertile men have gene-edited children
The first reliable way of isolating and growing sperm stem cells could lead to new fertility treatments, including correcting mutations that block sperm production
22h
Lasers etch an efficient way to address global water crisis
Researchers use sunlight and a laser-etched metal surface to evaporate and purify water for safe drinking at greater than 100 percent efficiency. The method could help relieve water shortages in drought-stricken areas and be helpful in water desalinization projects.
23h
Cost-effectiveness of esketamine for depression
A study has determined that esketamine, a nasal spray to treat severe depression, is currently too expensive for widespread use.
23h
Why are memories attached to emotions so strong?
Multiple neurons in the brain must fire in synchrony to create persistent memories tied to intense emotions, new research has found.
23h
When calling loudly, echolocation is costly for small bats
Calling in the ultrasonic range enables small bats to orient themselves in the dark and track down insects. Louder calls travel farther, improving a bat's ability to detect their prey. It was long assumed that echolocation does not contribute much to energy expenditure in flight because individuals couple their calls with the beat of their wings. Scientists have now shown that high intensity echol
23h
Consumer-created social media visuals capture consumer brand perceptions
New research has found that there is a strong link between the visual portrayal of a brand in online imagery created by consumers and the larger brand perceptions.
23h
Cardiac scar tissue: A factor which regulates its size
As recently published in the journal Cell, a collaborative group including Ali Khademhosseini, Ph.D. and Samad Ahadian, Ph.D., of the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), has identified collagen V as an important factor in the scarring process and observed that large quantities of collagen V were found in cardiac injury scars.
23h
The new tattoo: Drawing electronics on skin
One day, people could monitor their own health conditions by simply picking up a pencil and drawing a bioelectronic device on their skin. In a new study, University of Missouri engineers demonstrated that the simple combination of pencils and paper could be used to create devices that might be used to monitor personal health.
23h
Consumer-created social media visuals capture consumer brand perceptions
CATONSVILLE, MD, July 13, 2020 – New research has found that there is a strong link between the visual portrayal of a brand in online imagery created by consumers and the larger brand perceptions.
23h
Listeria protein provides a CRISPR 'kill switch'
A single protein derived from a common strain of bacteria found in the soil will offer scientists a more precise way to edit RNA.
23h
Bird droppings carry risk of antibiotic resistance
Bird poop may pose more health risks than people realize, according to Rice University environmental engineers who study antibiotic resistance.
23h
Echolocation is costly for small bats when they're calling loudly
Calling in the ultrasonic range enables small bats to orient themselves in the dark and track down tiny insects. Louder calls travel farther, improving a bat's ability to detect their prey.
23h
Florida's new COVID cases are outpacing entire continents
Wearing a mask, washing your hands, and keeping your distance is more important now than ever. (Max Bender on Unsplash/) Stay-at-home orders and mask mandates have finally helped to quell COVID-19 cases in the New York area. But testing data shows that while NYC may have been the first pandemic hotspot in the US, it certainly won't be the last. How bad is COVID-19 in the US right now? According t
23h
Chance of big San Andreas earthquake increased by Ridgecrest temblors, study suggests
A new study suggests that last year's Ridgecrest earthquakes increased the chance of a large earthquake on California's San Andreas fault.
23h
Astrophysicists suggest carbon found in comet ATLAS help reveal age of other comets
Astrophysicists from Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU, Russia), South Korea, and the U.S. appear in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, suggesting carbon indicates time comets have spent in the Solar System—the less carbon, the longer they have been in the proximity of the Sun. The proof is their study of the comet ATLAS (C/2019 Y4) approaching the Earth in May 2020 and disinteg
23h
Listeria protein provides a CRISPR 'kill switch'
A single protein derived from a common strain of bacteria found in the soil will offer scientists a more precise way to edit RNA.
23h
Bird droppings carry risk of antibiotic resistance
Bird poop may pose more health risks than people realize, according to Rice University environmental engineers who study antibiotic resistance.
23h
Researchers develop new technique for production of plasmonics devices
Research laboratories are constantly developing new materials that are expected to exhibit novel properties bound to revolutionize this or that technology. But it's not enough to simply create these materials; scientists also need to find efficient methods of processing and fine-tuning them. Moreover, composites are often made via the addition of nanoparticles into a base matrix, which is why it i
23h
New solar material could clean drinking water
Providing clean water to soldiers in the field and citizens around the world is essential, and yet one of the world's greatest challenges. Now a new super-wicking and super-light-absorbing aluminum material developed with Army funding could change that.
23h
Echolocation is costly for small bats when they're calling loudly
Calling in the ultrasonic range enables small bats to orient themselves in the dark and track down tiny insects. Louder calls travel farther, improving a bat's ability to detect their prey.
23h
Artificial intelligence predicts which planetary systems will survive
An astrophysicist has found a new method for determining the long-term stability of planetary configurations that is up to 100,000 times faster than the previous approach. This breaks the computational bottleneck and enables sharper views of the orbital architectures of exoplanetary systems.
23h
LIVE TOMORROW | Jordan Klepper: Comedians vs. the apocalypse
Add event to calendar These days, if you don't laugh, you might just scream. Enter comedian and The Daily Show regular Jordan Klepper! In this Big Think Live session, Klepper will be in conversation with Bob Kulhan, CEO of Business Improv, talking creativity, adaptability and comedy in the age of COVID-19. How does The Daily Show team work remotely? What's it like to brainstorm in real-time on li
23h
Researchers uncover molecular architecture of natural photosynthetic machinery
Biological membranes play important roles in shaping the cell, sensing the external environment, molecule transport, and generating energy for life. One of the most significant biological membranes are the thylakoid membranes produced in plants, algae and cyanobacteria, which carry out the light reactions of photosynthesis.
23h
Scientists Say the Moon Is Way Younger than We Thought
Just A Kid According to a sophisticated new model, the Moon is far younger than scientists previously thought — to the tune of some 85 million years. It's not such a drastic shift when you consider how long the Moon's been around. The research , published Friday in the journal Science Advances , adjusts the age of the Moon from 4.51 billion years old to 4.425 billion, with 25-million-year-long er
23h
Researchers uncover molecular architecture of natural photosynthetic machinery
Biological membranes play important roles in shaping the cell, sensing the external environment, molecule transport, and generating energy for life. One of the most significant biological membranes are the thylakoid membranes produced in plants, algae and cyanobacteria, which carry out the light reactions of photosynthesis.
23h
Desert quakes may have boosted chances of 'big one' striking California
Ridgecrest, California, quakes have primed the Garlock fault for rupture, which in turn threatens the San Andreas fault
23h
Study finds cancer mortality rate disparity based on hospital ratings
A new paper in the JNCI Cancer Spectrum, published by Oxford University Press, finds that the mortality rates for complex cancer procedures differ greatly between one-star hospitals (10.4%) and five-star hospitals (6.4%).
23h
Perceiving the flavor of fat: A Monell Center twins study
Most people would agree that the pleasure of some foods stems in part from its fat content. New research, led by the Monell Chemical Senses Center, has now found that liking of fatty food is more complex than its fat content alone — it could also be related to inborn genetic traits of the consumer related to fat perception.
23h
COVID-19: Considering meditation and yoga as adjunctive treatment
The anti-inflammatory and other beneficial effects of meditation and yoga practices make them potential adjunctive treatments of COVID-19
23h
For every COVID-19 death, 9 close family members are left to grieve
A new USC/Penn State analysis finds more than one million Americans have already lost a close family member to COVID-19.
23h
5,000 years of history of domestic cats in Central Europe
The history of human and cat relationships began 10,000 years ago. Its origins, however, still remain a mystery mainly due to scarcity of research material. Gaps in our knowledge in the subject are successfully filled by a group of researchers from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toru?. Dr Magdalena Krajcarz has made an attempt to find ancestors of domestic cats in Neolithic Central Europe.
23h
Long-studied protein could be a measure of traumatic brain injury
WRAIR scientists have recently demonstrated that cathepsin B, a well-studied protein important to brain development and function, can be used as biomarker, or indicator of severity, for TBI. TBI trauma results from blows to the head, leading to life-changing disruption of the brain and a cascade of long-term health conditions. Biomarkers are a source of great interest to researchers due to their p
23h
Electronic surveillance in couple relationships
Impaired intimacy, satisfaction, and infidelity in a romantic relationship can fuel Interpersonal Electronic Surveillance (IES). IES may become the preferred method for resolving relationship issues, rather than direct communication, further reducing trust and intimacy
23h
Related Reading from the Inside Science Archive
Highlights from our previous coverage of nuclear weapons and radiation. Links Page top image Bradbury-and-the-Gadget.jpg Norris Bradbury and one other man with the "gadget," before it exploded in the Trinity test on July 16, 1945. Image credits: U.S. Department of Energy Culture Monday, July 13, 2020 – 15:45 Inside Science Staff Filed under: Modern medicine Physics Culture Anniversaries Keep up
23h
Pickled capers activate proteins important for human brain and heart health
A compound commonly found in pickled capers has been shown to activate proteins required for normal human brain and heart activity, and may even lead to future therapies for the treatment of epilepsy and abnormal heart rhythms.
23h
Researchers present concept for a new technique to study superheavy elements
Merging methodologies from physics and chemistry for the optical spectroscopy of superheavy elements.
23h
BU researcher outlines coronavirus media failures, harms, and recommendations
In a new JAMA editorial, a Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) researcher and a health research journalist outline common ways that media, governments, and industry and academic public relations press releases have incompletely and misleadingly reported coronavirus research, and how they can do better.
23h
Why violence clusters in cities — and how to reduce it | Thomas Abt
Reducing violence in cities in the US isn't the impossible, intractable challenge many believe it to be, says crime researcher and educator Thomas Abt. He explains how urban violence is "sticky" — meaning that it clusters among a surprisingly small number of people and places — and presents an innovative, targeted strategy to make our cities safer, right now, without big budgets or new laws.
1d
Study shows humans are optimists for most of life
Researchers have completed the largest study of its kind to determine how optimistic people are in life and when as well as how major life events affect how optimistic they are about the future.
1d
Plant-based diets promote healthful aging, according to new editorial
Adopting a plant-based diet can help promote healthful aging and mitigate the global burden of dise