Fossil Fuel Vehicles Newspapers Non-internet based Television Meat from once living animals. Single use plastics (already being phased out, but which countries are contenders for being the last to do it?) Tobacco sales. For each of these: What will be some of the first high income countries to phase it out? What will be some of the last high income countries to phase it out? And when will that be
I was going through some of my old devices the other day after moving house and the increases in storage space is astounding. Every 10 years roughly sees a 1000x increase in storage space on a mobile phone, for example: 1990 – 128 Bytes 2000 – 128KB 2010 – 128MB 2020 – 128GB 2030 – 128TB? Do you believe that these are the kinds of storage sizes that we will see by 2030? If the last 30 years has s
I've been enthralled by the density of information that is Kurzweil's book " The Singularity is Near ". Therein, he would lay down a quote by Muriel Rukeyser that I found powerful. It was this: The universe is made up of stories, not atoms There is no doubt that Kurzweil himself saw his writing as the telling of the world as he saw it. But so strong was his narrative that they turned into near ac
The platform offers a variety of video calling enhancements beyond the bandwidth savings. (Nvidia/) There are plenty of ways you can improve the quality of your video calls, but adding fancy microphones and elaborate lighting setups can only help so much. NVIDIA, which makes graphics processing units (GPUs), recently released a new platform called Maxine that offers some AI-powered upgrades to yo
3D bioprinting involves using printers loaded with biocompatible materials to manufacture living or lifelike structures. In a recent paper, a team of engineers from Carnegie Mellon University's College of Engineering developed a new way to 3D bioprint a realistic model of the human heart. The model is flexible and strong enough to be sutured, meaning it could improve the ways surgeons train for c
Genom serietecknarnas ögon får vi en bild av hur samhället har utvecklats. Författarnas tecknade alter egon tampas med universella frågor, och berättelserna innehåller såväl humor och allvar, som samhällskritik och självreflektion. En avhandling från Uppsala universitet visar på seriernas betydelse som samtidsdokument. När serietecknare berättar om sig själva växer en tydlig bild av samtiden fram
Special activity trackers can be used to fairly accurately determine the respiratory rate of people while they sleep. In the future, activity trackers could be used to detect the early stages of a disease, as a person's respiratory rate can indicate signs of an undetected medical problem.
Researchers have identified the brain activity for the first time in a newborn baby when they are learning an association between different types of sensory experiences. Using advanced MRI scanning techniques and robotics, the researchers found that a baby's brain activity can be changed through these associations, shedding new light on the possibility of rehabilitating babies with injured brains
Researchers have designed a new Optically Pumped Magnetometer (OPM) sensor for magnetoencephalography (MEG). The sensor is smaller and more robust in detecting magnetic brain signals and distinguishing them from background noise than existing sensors. Benchmarking tests showed good performance in environmental conditions where other sensors do not work, and it is able to detect brain signals again
Since methods for genetic paternity analyses were introduced it became clear that many pair-living animal species, including humans, do not take partnership fidelity that seriously. In most species there is some proportion of offspring that is not sired by their social father. Coppery titi monkeys living in the Amazon lowland rainforest seem to be an exception. Scientists could not find evidence f
Palaeontologists have provided new proof of parallel evolution: conodonts, early vertebrates from the Permian period, adapted to new habitats in almost identical ways despite living in different geographical regions. The researchers were able to prove that this was the case using fossil teeth found in different geographical locations.
Developing a practical "room temperature" superconductor is a feat science has yet to achieve. However a UCF researcher and his colleagues are working to move this goal closer to realization by taking a closer look at what is happening in "strange" metals. The research was published recently in the journal Communications Physics – Nature .
MIT neuroscientists have found that the longings for social interaction felt during isolation are neurologically very similar to the food cravings people experience when hungry.
A study led by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center — Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC — James) described a potential therapeutic anticancer vaccine that frees suppressed cancer-killing immune cells, enabling them to attack and destroy a tumor.
A bird-catching Chinese tarantula bite contains a stinger-like poison that plunges into a molecular target in the electrical signaling system of their prey's nerve cells. New cryo-electron microscopy studies show how this venom traps the voltage sensors of sodium channels in a resting state so they can't be activated. Such research may suggest designs for better drugs for chronic pain.
Weather systems responsible for transporting moisture from the tropics to temperate regions in the Southern Hemisphere have been gradually shifting toward the South Pole for the past 40 years, a trend which could lead to increased rates of ice melt in Antarctica, according to new research published in the AGU journal Geophysical Research Letters.
Nature, Published online: 23 November 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-03326-w Preliminary data suggest that the immunization was more effective in trial participants who received a lower dose.
Researchers at Radboud university medical center have discovered an as yet unknown effect of hydroxychloroquine. It inhibits the action of a type of white blood cells important in the first line of defense against infections. Based on this research, hydroxychloroquine is unlikely to be beneficial in clearing viral infections including the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, they write in their publication
An international team of scientists led by the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, has identified a problem with the growing interest in extractable resources on the moon: there aren't enough of them to go around. With no international policies or agreements to decide "who gets what from where," scientists believe tensions, overcrowding, and quick exhaustion of resources to be one pos
A newly approved drug can extend the lives of children with progeria, a rare disorder that causes rapid aging. The drug is the result of one family's effort to help a child with the fatal condition. (Image credit: Thos Robinson/Getty Images for HBO)
Sierra Leone is the world's roundest country and Egypt the squarest. But you knew that. Bet you didn't know which is the world's most triangle-shaped country. That is until now, because someone's figured out that it's… Nicaragua! Circles, squares and triangles So you like triangles. And you know how to hold a tune. Then, like Alt-J, you could write a song about how "triangles are (your) favorit
Ever since astronomers reached a consensus in the 1980s that most of the mass in the universe is invisible — that "dark matter" must glue galaxies together and gravitationally sculpt the cosmos as a whole — experimentalists have hunted for the nonluminous particles. They first set out in pursuit of a heavy, sluggish form of dark matter called a weakly interacting massive particle, or WIMP — the e
How the new tiers – to come into effect after lockdown ends on 2 December – compare with the old ones Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage While the end of the month-long Covid-19 lockdown 2.0 in England will come as welcome news to many, the strengthened tier system with which it is to be replaced could leave some people scratching their heads as they grapple with a fres
Analysts say 'lower efficacy for higher dose' needs explaining, as results below those of rivals Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage AstraZeneca shares fell after the drugmaker announced efficacy results for its Covid-19 vaccine that were below those reported by rivals Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna. The shares ended the day 3.8% lower at £80. Results from the phase 3 trial
Nature, Published online: 23 November 2020; doi:10.1038/s41586-020-2963-8 Non-volatile electrical switching of magnetic order in an orbital Chern insulator is experimentally demonstrated using a moiré heterostructure and analysis shows that the effect is driven by topological edge states.
Nature, Published online: 23 November 2020; doi:10.1038/s41586-020-2970-9 Electronic ferroelectricity is observed in a graphene-based moiré heterostructure, which is explained using a spontaneous interlayer charge-transfer model driven by layer-specific on-site Coulomb repulsion.
Dr. Jeff Russell, associate professor of athletic training within the College of Health Sciences and Professions at Ohio University, is shining a light on a segment of concussion patients who often go unnoticed in comparison to athletes: performing artists.
An international consortium of scientists has created the first-ever common framework for increasing comparability of research findings on coral bleaching.
Galaxies formed by the merging of smaller progenitor galaxies. An international team of astrophysicists led by a scientist from Heidelberg University has succeeded in reconstructing the merger history of our home galaxy, creating a complete family tree. To achieve this, the researchers analysed the properties of globular clusters orbiting the Milky Way with artificial intelligence. Their investiga
Researchers have used cutting edge technology to bioprint miniature human kidneys in the lab, paving the way for new treatments for kidney failure and possibly lab-grown transplants.
In order for the SARS-CoV2 virus to enter host cells, its "spike" protein has to be cleaved by the cell's own enzymes – proteases. The protease inhibitor aprotinin can prevent cell infection, as scientists at Goethe University, the University of Kent and the Hannover Medical School have now discovered. An aprotinin aerosol is already approved in Russia for the treatment of influenza and could read
Researchers from CIC nanoGUNE BRTA (San Sebastian, Spain), in collaboration with the Donostia International Physics Center (San Sebastián, Spain) and the University of Oviedo (Spain) employed a spectroscopic nanoimaging technique to study how infrared nanolight – in form of phonon polaritons – and molecular vibrations interact with each other.
Two teams of scientists have resolved a longstanding controversy surrounding the origins of complex life on Earth.The joint studies found molecular fossils extracted from 635-million-year-old rocks aren't the earliest evidence of animals, but instead common algae.
Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have developed a novel targeted therapy, called POMHEX, which blocks critical metabolic pathways in cancer cells with specific genetic defects. Preclinical studies found the small-molecule enolase inhibitor to be effective in killing brain cancer cells that were missing ENO1, one of two genes encoding the enolase enzyme.
Physicians and scientists at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center used new stem cell technology to regenerate and study living patient-specific skin in the lab, giving them a precise close up view of how inherited DNA defects cause skin damage and deadly squamous cell carcinoma in children and young adults with Fanconi anemia (FA).
Immune-system T cells have been reprogrammed into regenerative stem cell-like memory (TSCM) cells that are long-lived, highly active 'super immune cells' with strong antitumor activity, according to new research from Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.
When starvation threatens, forest-dwelling Myxococcus xanthus bacteria work collectively to form fruiting bodies, spongy mushroom-like growths that promote survival. Princeton researchers have identified how these bacteria harness the same physical laws that lead to the whorls of a fingerprint to build the structures layer by layer.
Like a computer, cells must process information from the outside world before they respond. Scientists have now developed a powerful new way to observe the internal discussions responsible for cellular decisions.
Many children are willing to make personal sacrifices to punish wrongdoers — and even more so if they believe punishment will teach the transgressor a lesson, a new Yale study published Nov. 23, 2020 in the journal Nature Human Behaviour shows.
Scientists have found that bacterial groups spread more rapidly over surfaces when the individuals inside them move slowly, a discovery that may shed light on how bacteria spread within the body during infections.
The nutritional quality of foods and beverages depicted in 250 top-grossing movies in the United States from 1994 to 2018 was compared with dietary recommendations in this study.
This observational study used electronic health records for almost 136,000 pediatric patients in the United States to describe testing for SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 illness.
MIT researchers have developed a way to simultaneously image up to five different molecules within a cell, by targeting glowing reporters to distinct locations inside the cell. This approach could allow scientists to learn much more about the complex signaling networks that control most cell functions.
In the largest U.S. study of its kind to date, researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and other PEDSnet sites report that of more than 135,000 pediatric patients tested for SARS-CoV-2 in pediatric health systems, 4% tested positive for the virus. However, the researchers also found patients from ethnic minorities, adolescents, patients with history of public insurance, and those
Flatten The Curve During the pandemic, when people stayed inside and traveled less by car or plane, greenhouse gas emissions slowed down. But despite that, we're still facing record-breaking concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Speaking to reporters on Monday, United Nations' World Meteorological Organization (WMO) chief Petteri Taalas warned that we can't rely on the lockdown-related di
On Friday, Intel gave a presentation to various journalists and analysts alleging a serious discrepancy between AMD CPUs performance on-battery versus the performance of the same systems off-battery. According to Intel, while AMD's latest CPUs offer slightly better battery life than their Intel counterparts, they achieve this by reducing CPU performance when running on battery by 38-48 percent. I
Language processing has long been thought to occur primarily in the left hemisphere of the brain. A new study used fMRI on groups of adults to examine how the brain's left and right hemispheres contribute to learning a new language. The results showed that, as the participants progressed, they began to use more of their right hemisphere, but only for some aspects of language processing. Learning
The Rappbode Reservoir in the Harz region is Germany's largest drinking water reservoir, supplying around one million people with drinking water in areas including the Halle region and the southern part of the state of Saxony-Anhalt. Water temperatures in the reservoir now have the potential to increase significantly due to climate change. If average global warming reaches between 4 and 6 degrees
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have begun building a quantum-enhanced X-ray microscope at the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II). This groundbreaking microscope, supported by the Biological and Environmental Research progam at DOE's Office of Science, will enable researchers to image biomolecules like never before.
Proteins are the essential substrate of learning and memory. However, while memories can last a life-time, proteins are relatively short-lived molecules that need to be replenished every couple of days. This poses a huge logistic challenge on over 85 billion neurons in the brain: billions of proteins need to be continuously produced, shipped, addressed and installed at the right location in the ce
Within a single cell, thousands of molecules, such as proteins, ions, and other signaling molecules, work together to perform all kinds of functions—absorbing nutrients, storing memories, and differentiating into specific tissues, among many others.
Melting glaciers surrounding Mount Everest threaten the water availability for millions of people. (Pixabay/) If you're in Nepal, you call it Sagarmatha, "Head of the Earth in the Sky." If you're in China, the preferred term is Qomolungma, ''Mother Goddess of the Universe.'' And if you're in the West, you probably know it as Mount Everest. At 29,000 feet, the peak is the highest of all earthly mo
Inspired by nature, researchers at The City College of New York (CCNY) can demonstrate a synthetic strategy to stabilize bio-inspired solar energy harvesting materials. Their findings, published in the latest issue of Nature Chemistry , could be a significant breakthrough in functionalizing molecular assemblies for future solar energy conversion technologies.
A new study led by the UH Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management identifies aspects of restaurant operations in China that benefitted the bottom line despite the turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Abnormally high blood sugar may worsen outcomes and mortality rates for COVID-19 patients, including those without diabetes, according to major research published in the peer-reviewed open access journal Annals of Medicine.
There are known differences in the survival rates of women and men with lung cancer. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden set out to investigate potential reasons behind this disparity, such as the presence of other underlying diseases and smoking status. The study, which was published in Chest , shows that women have better survival rates after lung cancer surgery than men, independent
Proteins are the essential substrate of learning and memory. However, while memories can last a life-time, proteins are relatively short-lived molecules that need to be replenished every couple of days. This poses a huge logistic challenge on over 85 billion neurons in the brain: billions of proteins need to be continuously produced, shipped, addressed and installed at the right location in the ce
Within a single cell, thousands of molecules, such as proteins, ions, and other signaling molecules, work together to perform all kinds of functions—absorbing nutrients, storing memories, and differentiating into specific tissues, among many others.
An extraordinary collection of priceless manuscripts of naturalist Charles Darwin goes online today, including two rare pages from the original draft of On the Origin of Species.
Scientists have found that bacterial groups spread more rapidly over surfaces when the individuals inside them move slowly, a discovery that may shed light on how bacteria spread within the body during infections.
Forest-dwelling bacteria known for forming slimy swarms that prey on other microbes can also cooperate to construct mushroom-like survival shelters known as fruiting bodies when food is scarce. Now a team at Princeton University has discovered the physics behind how these rod-shaped bacteria, which align in patterns like those on fingerprint whorls and liquid crystal displays, build the layers of
An extraordinary collection of priceless manuscripts of naturalist Charles Darwin goes online today, including two rare pages from the original draft of On the Origin of Species.
Using modern nanotechnology, it is possible nowadays to produce structures which have a feature sizes of just a few nanometres. This world of the most minute particles—also known as quantum systems—makes possible a wide range of technological applications, in fields which include magnetic field sensing, information processing, secure communication or ultra-precise time keeping. The production of t
A new technique to make cheaper more efficient biological enzyme hybrids could have valuable applications in future water recycling, targeted drug manufacturing and other industries, Flinders University green chemistry researchers say in a new publication.
Using light as an energy source, photosynthetic microalgae can be used to produce products like biofuels and cosmetics. But algae grown in a reactor block out the light on which they feed. New reactor designs could solve this problem and help the industry move forward.
Fish odour syndrome (trimethylaminuria) is a debilitating disease, in which the liver cannot break down the smelly chemical trimethylamine which is produced by enzymes from bacteria residing in the gut leaving people with a fish like odour. Researchers from the University of Warwick are paving the way to prevent the syndrome after a breakthrough in studying the enzyme in the gut which produces tri
A new study on work-life balance has found that the COVID-19 crisis is a crucial factor—but not the only one—behind low levels of wellbeing among employees working from home.
Using light as an energy source, photosynthetic microalgae can be used to produce products like biofuels and cosmetics. But algae grown in a reactor block out the light on which they feed. New reactor designs could solve this problem and help the industry move forward.
Fish odour syndrome (trimethylaminuria) is a debilitating disease, in which the liver cannot break down the smelly chemical trimethylamine which is produced by enzymes from bacteria residing in the gut leaving people with a fish like odour. Researchers from the University of Warwick are paving the way to prevent the syndrome after a breakthrough in studying the enzyme in the gut which produces tri
The name "Sleepy Joe" was meant to be pejorative rather than prophetic. But today President-elect Joe Biden's team leaked the names of three likely appointees, and they are the equivalent of a warm cup of Ovaltine with a melatonin chaser. According to reports, Antony Blinken, Barack Obama's deputy secretary of state, will be nominated for secretary of state. Michèle Flournoy, an under secretary o
Resistive switching memory devices offer several advantages over the currently used computer memory technology. Researchers from the MIPT Atomic Layer Deposition Lab have joined forces with colleagues from Korea to study the impact of electrode surface morphology on the properties of a resistive switching memory cell. It turned out that thicker electrodes have greater surface roughness and are ass
For a long time, scientists have been looking for simple methods to produce infrared laser pulses. Now a new method has been presented that does not require large experimental setups; it can be easily miniaturized and is therefore particularly interesting for practical applications.
Rising temperatures in Germany's largest drinking water reservoir present new challenges for the drinking water supply. According to a group of UFZ researchers, the impacts of this increase can be alleviated by mitigating climate change and applying new management strategies.
Changes in fire activity are putting at risk more than 4,400 species across the globe, says a new paper led by the University of Melbourne, involving 27 international researchers.
A low-cost robotic platform which can be fitted with almost any agricultural implement could help farmers across the UK to overcome the lack of available manual labour.
Protocell compartments used as models for an important step in the early evolution of life on Earth can be made from short polymers. The short polymers, which better approximate the likely size of molecules available on the early Earth, form the compartments through liquid-liquid phase separation in the same manner as longer polymers. Although they have no membrane separating them from their envir
Protocell compartments used as models for an important step in the early evolution of life on Earth can be made from short polymers. The short polymers, which better approximate the likely size of molecules available on the early Earth, form the compartments through liquid-liquid phase separation in the same manner as longer polymers. Although they have no membrane separating them from their envir
Lockdowns may have temporarily cleared up the skies above big cities this year but experts warn that air pollution remains a Covid-19 threat multiplier, as well a health hazard that will far outlast the pandemic.
Family justice experts from Northumbria University are calling for changes to the support given by government to victims of gender-based violence, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inspired by nature, researchers at the City College of New York (CCNY) can demonstrate a synthetic strategy to stabilize bio-inspired solar energy harvesting materials. Their findings, published in the latest issue o Nature Chemistry, could be a significant breakthrough in functionalizing molecular assemblies for future solar energy conversion technologies.
The same tactics used to cast doubt on the dangers of smoking and climate change are now being used to downplay COVID — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Physicists at Münster University have succeeded in fully integrating nanodiamonds into nanophotonic circuits and at the same time addressing several of these nanodiamonds optically. The study creates the basis for future applications in the field of quantum sensing schemes or quantum information processors. The results have been published in the journal Nano Letters .
Fish odour syndrome (trimethylaminuria) is a debilitating disease, in which the liver cannot break down the smelly chemical trimethylamine which is produced by enzymes from bacteria residing in the gut leaving people with a fish like odour. Researchers from the University of Warwick are paving the way to prevent the syndrome after a breakthrough in studying the enzyme in the gut which produces tri
New research from the University of Stirling into the effectiveness of international conservation projects could help to save endangered species from extinction.
Oscillatory behaviors are ubiquitous in Nature, ranging from the orbits of planets to the periodic motion of a swing. In pure crystalline systems, presenting a perfect spatially-periodic structure, the fundamental laws of quantum physics predict a remarkable and counter-intuitive oscillatory behavior: when subjected to a weak electric force, the electrons in the material do not undergo a net drift
The Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion for low-income people appears to lead to earlier diagnosis of colon cancer, enhanced access to care, and improved surgical care for patients with this common cancer.
Women diagnosed with early-onset colorectal cancer have a greater risk of dying from the disease depending upon their county of residence, according to a study published in Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology.
The pandemic is putting a hurt on the seafood industry, finds the largest study of COVID on US fisheries, suggesting that fishmongers may flounder — or go belly up — without government aid.Compared to last year:-Monthly fresh seafood exports declined up to 43%-Monthly imports fell up to 37%-Catches dropped 40% some months.Over the first six months of 2020:-U.S. seafood exports are down 20%-Impor
New research from the University of Stirling into the effectiveness of international conservation projects could help to save endangered species from extinction.
New research from the University of Stirling into the effectiveness of international conservation projects could help to save endangered species from extinction.
Nature, Published online: 23 November 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-03292-3 Fire-safety researcher Luke Bisby investigates which materials can take the heat.
Air quality significantly improved in European metropolitan areas such as Milan and Madrid because of lockdown restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, European Union officials said Monday.
In September, an international team announced that they had discovered phosphine gas (PH3) in the atmosphere of Venus based on data obtained by the Atacama Millimeter-submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile and the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) in Hawaii. The news was met with its fair share of skepticism and controversy since phosphine is considered a possible indication of life (AKA a biosign
Newcastle University is co-leading an international project to better understand how changes in poultry production and consumption are affecting the rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
The behavior of glaciers around Mount Everest over the last six decades is now revealed in research published today in the multidisciplinary journal One Earth.
Mothers leave their mark on their children in many ways—and WEHI researchers have discovered a protein called SMCHD1 is involved in this 'imprinting' process.
Differential geometry is the study of space geometry. Multiple natural phenomena, from universal expansion to thermal expansion and contraction, can come down to spatial evolution. The two core conjectures in this field, the Hamilton-Tian conjecture and the Partial C0 conjecture, were unsolved puzzles for more than 20 years.
The organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites (OIHPs) have a multiple application on solar cells, lighting-emitting diodes (LEDs), field effect transistors (FETs) and photodetectors. Among the parameters valuing the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of devices based on perovskite materials, the mobility of carriers undoubtedly captures a high weight.
After double fertilization, zygotic activation occurs that initiates a new life cycle, followed by cell divisions, cell differentiation and organogenesis. During post-embryonic development, stem cells located in shoot apical meristem (SAM) and root apical meristem (RAM) allow plants to continuously generate new tissues and organs. Therefore, understanding the role of zygote activation and stem cel
Can information and communication technologies help maintain close ties in families who are scattered around the world as a result of (forced) migration? Vienna-based social anthropologist Monika Palmberger explores the role played by new media in this context and the way they might transform these relationships.
A team of researchers with the University of Tokyo, Área de Conservación Guanacaste, the University of Calgary and Tulane University has reported observation of an instance of cannibalism in wild white‐faced capuchin monkeys. In their paper published on the open access site Ecology and Evolution the group describes an incident in which adult wild white‐faced capuchin monkeys consumed some of the r
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlight the conservation and restoration of wetlands. Understanding the extent of wetlands, their change trends and the proximate causes is important for the conservation of wetlands and endangered waterfowls.
Newcastle University is co-leading an international project to better understand how changes in poultry production and consumption are affecting the rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Mothers leave their mark on their children in many ways—and WEHI researchers have discovered a protein called SMCHD1 is involved in this 'imprinting' process.
After double fertilization, zygotic activation occurs that initiates a new life cycle, followed by cell divisions, cell differentiation and organogenesis. During post-embryonic development, stem cells located in shoot apical meristem (SAM) and root apical meristem (RAM) allow plants to continuously generate new tissues and organs. Therefore, understanding the role of zygote activation and stem cel
A new approach to treating cancers and other diseases that uses a mechanically interlocked molecule as a 'magic bullet' has been designed by researchers at the University of Birmingham.
A team of researchers with the University of Tokyo, Área de Conservación Guanacaste, the University of Calgary and Tulane University has reported observation of an instance of cannibalism in wild white‐faced capuchin monkeys. In their paper published on the open access site Ecology and Evolution the group describes an incident in which adult wild white‐faced capuchin monkeys consumed some of the r
Fears of a robot-driven jobs apocalypse are a recurring theme in the media . But a new report from MIT h as found that technology is creating as many jobs as it destroys, and bad policy is a bigger threat to workers than automation . Ever since a landmark 2013 paper from the University of Oxford estimated that 47 percent of US jobs we re at risk of automation, there's been growing concern about h
More good news: UK's Oxford University and European pharmaceutical AstraZeneca announced today that their COVID-19 vaccine is up to 90 percent effective, according to preliminary study results. That's a hair less effective than the vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer , but the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has a major advantage: it's way cheaper to produce, at just $4 per dose according to the
Att oroa sig över covid-19 gör oss mer försiktiga och får oss att vidta försiktighetsåtgärder. Men när oron blir för stor kan den istället leda till problem som försvårar vardagen. Nu finns en ny metod för att minska covid-19-oron genom digital KBT för hemmabruk.
Researchers from King's College London have identified the brain activity for the first time in a newborn baby when they are learning an association between different types of sensory experiences. Using advanced MRI scanning techniques and robotics, the researchers found that a baby's brain activity can be changed through these associations, shedding new light on the possibility of rehabilitating
Special activity trackers can be used to fairly accurately determine the respiratory rate of people while they sleep. This is the result of a new study conducted by researchers at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) together with Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and published in the journal Scientific Reports . In the future, activity trackers could be used to detect the early stag
Long ago and far across the universe, an enormous burst of gamma rays unleashed more energy in a half-second than the Sun will produce over its entire 10-billion-year lifetime. In May of 2020, light from the flash finally reached Earth and was first detected by NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory.
A new approach to treating cancers and other diseases that uses a mechanically interlocked molecule as a 'magic bullet' has been designed by researchers at the University of Birmingham.
Atom-scale models of proteins that incorporate ligands, like drug molecules, shows a strong correlation between minimally frustrated binding sites and drug specificity. Such models could lead to better-designed drugs with fewer side effects.
In a move that will help tackle one of the biggest, most solvable contributors to the climate crisis, major oil and gas industry players today agreed to report methane emissions with a new, much higher transparency level.62 companies representing 30% of world production have joined the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership, led by UNEP, the EC, and the Environmental Defense Fund.News videoconference: Mo
Nature, Published online: 23 November 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-03149-9 Canines seem to detect coronavirus infections with remarkable accuracy, but researchers say large-scale studies are needed before the approach is scaled up.
Uncoordinated efforts to control public health and domestic travel—not cool weather—may be to blame for increasing spikes of COVID-19 infections in the United States, say researchers. Biologists and ecologists built a conceptual model that shows how an uncoordinated response to the COVID-19 pandemic worsens outbreak cycles over time and across geographic areas, even when there are strong public h
Kommunalt affald og restprodukter fra landbruget findes i rigelige mængder til, at der hvert år kan produceres 500 millioner ton bæredygtige flybrændstoffer. Danmark kan blive markedsleder.
IDAs repræsentantskab vedtog lørdag en ny treårig strategi under overskriften Øget relevans. Oplever medlemmerne ikke, at IDA tilbyder noget relevant, løser de ikke medlemskort.
What is the UK regulator's role in assessing the quality, safety and effectiveness of vaccines? Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) was not previously an organisation many of us gave much thought to. But positive results from trials of three Covid vaccine candidates, which will need its approval, mean it has
The brain controls weight by measuring levels of leptin in the blood, which is released by fat cells. In adults, leptin treatments have so far proved ineffective at treating obesity. New genetics research by scientists at the University of Copenhagen suggests that leptin plays a stronger role in controlling the weight of children than in adults.
Excessive calcium contributes to harmful inflammation in ischemic stroke, and targeting it may provide doctors with a new way to improve patient outcomes.
More than 4,400 species across the globe are at risk from extinction because of changes in fire activity says a new paper involving 27 international researchers.
A new technique to make cheaper more efficient biological enzyme hybrids could have valuable applications in future water recycling, targeted drug manufacturing and other industries, Flinders University green chemistry researchers say in a new publication. The model enzyme system, which immobilises a catalyst enzyme hybrid for continuous flow use in the high-speed vortex fluidic device, showed a 1
New research from the Prevention Research Center of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation suggests that adverse childhood experiences, often referred to as child maltreatment, are associated with increased odds of substance use among women urban Emergency Department patients.
The application of light for simultaneous heating and controlled motion of nano-objects is a great challenge in nanotechnology and science. Scientists from Spain have demonstrated the transport of hot nanoparticles remotely controlled on demand via engineered optical propulsion forces provided by freestyle laser traps. Moreover, they have discovered that the associated thermal-induced fluid flows
Mats Lindberg, speciallæge og medlem af netværket Læger uden sponsor, mener, at lægemiddelproducenten Grünenthal kan have været med til at føre pennen i konstruktiv artikel om opioider i Ugeskrift for Læger. Artiklens hovedforfatter aviser alle anklager om påvirkning.
Metals with nanoscale crystal grains are super-strong although they do not retain their structure at higher temperatures. As a result, it is challenging to explore their high strength during materials applications. In a new report now published on Science, X. Y. Li and a team of scientists in materials science and engineering at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiaotong University in C
Global warming already affects Siberian primrose, a plant species that is threatened in Finland and Norway. According to a recently completed study, individuals of Siberian primrose originating in the Finnish coast on the Bothnian Bay currently fare better in northern Norway than in their home area. The results indicate that the species may not be able to adapt to quickly progressing climate chang
A chemist from RUDN University suggested a simple and accurate method for the synthesis of analogs of two natural toxins, antofine and septicine. This universal approach can also be used to obtain other biologically active substances for medicinal chemistry.
Strain engineering can significantly manipulate the two-dimensional (2D) materials' electronic and optical properties, which endow it the potential applications in optoelectronics and nanophotonics. To summarize recent fascinating work about the strain engineering of 2D materials, scientists in China write a review article that gives people a comprehensive introduction to this field, including the
Researchers from Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), Lithuania came up with the idea on how to measure fluctuating blood potassium levels non-invasively, through electrocardiogram. The researchers claim that their method may become a digital biomarker in the future for managing electrolyte levels. This would be a huge step towards preventing potentially life-threatening conditions among people
A team of researchers from Arizona State University and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries have uncovered that young alligators have the ability to regrow their tails up to three-quarters of a foot, or 18% of their total body length.
Researchers from University of Science and Technology of China theoretically proved that the backaction can be suppressed to zero in a two qubit system, and conducted the first experiment using entangled collective measurement for minimizing quantum measurement backaction based on photonic system.
Researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China synthesized a series of 2D organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites films with large organic spacer cations, and found that mobility and broadband emission showed strong dependence on the molecular conformational order of organic cations.
Researchers from University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) proved two core conjectures in geometric analysis: Hamilton-Tian conjecture and the Partial C0-conjecture. It is a major breakthrough in geometric analysis, and it no doubt will lead many other related research projects.
Researchers have studied SARS-CoV-2 replication in cells and obtained detailed insights into the alterations induced in infected cells. This information is essential to guide the development of urgently needed therapeutic strategies for suppressing viral replication and induced pathology.
A new study adds another layer to the remarkable evolutionary transition of life from water to land on Earth.The international study of the prehistoric 'relic' tetrapods, including salamander and lobe-finned lungfish and coelacanths, adds another perspective to the evolution of other four-legged land animals, including related animals such as frogs and reptiles which live in both terrestrial and a
Up to one-quarter of people who suffer child sexual abuse might be passed over for treatment because of current screening procedures, according to UC Riverside psychology researchers. Their just-published study also finds that whether survivors of child sexual abuse identify themselves as abuse survivors influences the outcomes they experience in young adulthood. The study surveyed 2,195 undergrad
Japanese scientists have stumbled onto a simple method for controlling the introduction of defects, called 'vacancy layers," into perovskite oxynitrides, leading to changes in their physical properties. The approach, published in the journal Nature Communications, could help in the development of photocatalysts.
Ny forskning viser, at medicin mod knogleskørhed ikke skader, hvis man er smittet med COVID-19. Muligvis kan nogle lægemidler endda også yde beskyttelse mod smitte med COVID-19 eller mod symptomerne på smitte. Forskere anbefaler yderligere undersøgelser.
Preserving wildlife corridors between protected areas could help maintain genetic connections between African elephant populations, researchers report. Their new large-scale study of African elephant genetics in Tanzania reveals the history of elephant populations, how they interact, and what actions are critical to conserve in order to preserve genetic diversity for species conservation. Researc
Since methods for genetic paternity analyses were introduced, it has been clear that many pair-living animal species, including humans, do not take partnership fidelity that seriously. In most species, there is some proportion of offspring not sired by their social father. Coppery titi monkeys living in the Amazon lowland rainforest seem to be an exception. Scientists from the German Primate Cente
The genetic code of the SARS-CoV2 virus is exactly 29,902 characters long, strung through a long RNA molecule. It contains the information for the production of 27 proteins. This is not much compared to the possible 40,000 kinds of protein that a human cell can produce. Viruses, however, use the metabolic processes of their host cells to multiply. Crucial to this strategy is that viruses can preci
Paleontologists at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and the University of Calgary in Canada have provided new proof of parallel evolution: conodonts, early vertebrates from the Permian period, adapted to new habitats in almost identical ways despite living in different geographical regions. The researchers were able to prove that this was the case using fossil teeth found in
Since methods for genetic paternity analyses were introduced, it has been clear that many pair-living animal species, including humans, do not take partnership fidelity that seriously. In most species, there is some proportion of offspring not sired by their social father. Coppery titi monkeys living in the Amazon lowland rainforest seem to be an exception. Scientists from the German Primate Cente
Japanese scientists have stumbled onto a simple method for controlling the introduction of defects, called 'vacancy layers," into perovskite oxynitrides, leading to changes in their physical properties. The approach, published in the journal Nature Communications, could help in the development of photocatalysts.
Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have realized high-throughput production of thin, ordered through-hole membranes of titanium dioxide. Titania layers were grown using anodization on mask-etched titanium before being crystallized. Applying a second anodization, they converted part of the layer back to an amorphous state. The amorphous portion was then selectively dissolved to free the
The genetic code of the SARS-CoV2 virus is exactly 29,902 characters long, strung through a long RNA molecule. It contains the information for the production of 27 proteins. This is not much compared to the possible 40,000 kinds of protein that a human cell can produce. Viruses, however, use the metabolic processes of their host cells to multiply. Crucial to this strategy is that viruses can preci
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich physicists have introduced a new method that allows biological pattern-forming systems to be systematically characterized with the aid of mathematical analysis. The trick lies in the use of geometry to characterize the dynamics.
An international team of astronomers has conducted simultaneous radio and X-ray observations of the magnetar 1E 1547.0–5408 during its period of enhanced activity. In result, new X-ray and radio bursts were detected from this source. The finding is reported in a paper published November 12 on arXiv.org.
Diamonds might not be as rare or eternal as diamond miners would like everyone to believe, but they're still rare enough that creating synthetic diamond is a worthwhile scientific endeavor. Natural diamonds only form deep in the Earth under intense heat and pressure, but researchers from the Australian National University (ANU) and RMIT University say they've developed a way to create diamonds at
Ribosomes synthesize all the proteins in cells. Studies mainly done on yeast have revealed much about how ribosomes are put together, but an Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich team now reports that ribosome assembly in human cells requires factors that have no counterparts in simpler model organisms.
Trial participants react to news that Oxford AstraZeneca Covid vaccine has up to 90% efficacy Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Dan McAteer describes his reaction more as a sense of relief than elation when his phone pinged on Monday morning with a push alert reporting that the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine has up to 90% efficacy . Several months on from becoming one of t
Ribosomes synthesize all the proteins in cells. Studies mainly done on yeast have revealed much about how ribosomes are put together, but an Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich team now reports that ribosome assembly in human cells requires factors that have no counterparts in simpler model organisms.
As of this morning, we have a first look at the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine's efficacy in clinical trials via press releases from both organizations . The number in the headlines says about 70% efficacy, but there's more to the story. Here's the landscape so far: we have results from Pfizer and from Moderna, both of them developing mRNA-based coronavirus vaccines, and both showing efficacy in the
Giving nurse practitioners the authority to prescribe buprenorphine has brought that gold standard treatment for opioid addiction to people who might not have had access to it before, according to a new study. Looking at prescription drug monitoring data in Oregon before and after 2017, when nurse practitioners and physician assistants gained the authority to prescribe buprenorphine, researchers f
Researchers have designed a new Optically Pumped Magnetometer (OPM) sensor for magnetoencephalography (MEG). The sensor is smaller and more robust in detecting magnetic brain signals and distinguishing them from background noise than existing sensors. Benchmarking tests showed good performance in environmental conditions where other sensors do not work, and it is able to detect brain signals again
A collaborative team, which includes a group from the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation, has developed a fabrication method to meet all the challenges in making a hydrogel contact lens for biomarker sensing. The specially engineered contact lenses use tears to monitor patient health.
The current global supply of crude oil is expected to meet demand through 2050, but there may be a few more drops to squeeze out. By making use of a previously undesired side effect in oil recovery, researchers have developed a method that yields up to 20% more heavy oil than traditional methods. Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT) team published their results on August 24 in Ene
Oxford/AstraZeneca findings have certain advantages over those from other versions Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Within weeks, the prospects of an end to the pandemic have changed utterly, with three vaccines against Covid-19 reporting good results in final clinical trials and at least one likely to be used before Christmas. But there are still huge challenges ahea
Nature, Published online: 23 November 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-03282-5 Researchers hope a 60% increase in funds can revitalize their austerity-hit scientific system.
Adults with the healthiest sleep patterns in a new study had a 42% lower risk of heart failure regardless of other risk factors compared to adults with unhealthy sleep patterns. Healthy sleep patterns include rising in the morning, sleeping 7 to 8 hours a day, and having no insomnia, snoring, or excessive daytime sleepiness. Heart failure affects more than 26 million people, and emerging evidence
Nature, Published online: 23 November 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-03235-y Long hours and a lack of job security, combined with workplace bullying and discrimination, are forcing many to consider leaving science, finds Nature's inaugural survey of postdoctoral researchers.
Nature, Published online: 23 November 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-03219-y Immunizations are speeding towards approval before clinical trials end, but scientists say this could complicate efforts to study long-term effects.
AstraZeneca/University of Oxford vaccine uses a chimpanzee virus to deliver coronavirus gene and had better efficacy, 90%, when given as a half dose followed by a full dose
In 2019 PopSci published a flow chart they called " How to Start a Conspiracy Theory ." It's not really about conspiracy theories themselves, but rather how to popularize an extreme idea. Many extreme claims are conspiracy theories, or at least incorporate conspiracy thinking as a way to justify themselves, so there is a lot of overlap. What the chart really reflects is how to use social media an
A clever technique allows scientists to scan a heart and reconstruct it in a soup of gelatin. It's like making jello, only way more useful for surgeons.
Who needs a trackpad when you have shortcuts? (Mimi Thian / Unsplash/) Perhaps you too have frowned whenever you think about those seemingly wasted seconds spent moving your hands from your keyboard to your mouse and back again, over and over and over. Time is money. That's why learning the right shortcuts can be such an advantage, as they allow you to whizz around your system faster and more com
En læser har set nogle vertikale vindmøller og er imponeret over designet. Hvorfor har vi ikke flere af dem? Det svarer vindmøllepionér Henrik Stiesdal på.
The vision of the future of miniaturization has produced a series of synthetic molecular motors that are driven by a range of energy sources and can carry out various movements. A research group at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) has now managed to control a catalysis reaction using a light-controlled motor. This takes us one step closer to realizing the vision of a nano fa
When light falls on a material, such as a green leaf or the retina, certain molecules transport energy and charge. This ultimately leads to the separation of charges and the generation of electricity. Molecular funnels, so-called conical intersections, ensure that this transport is highly efficient and directed.
Scientists are working on new materials to create neuromorphic computers with a design based on the human brain. A crucial component is a memristive device, the resistance of which depends on the history of the device—just as the response of neurons depends on previous input. Materials scientists from the University of Groningen analyzed the behavior of strontium titanium oxide, a platform materia
Koncentrationen av växthusgaser i atmosfären nådde nya rekordnivåer under 2019 och har fortsatt uppåt i år, enligt FN:s väderorgan WMO. Detta trots de åtgärder som har vidtagits för att bromsa coronavirusets spridning i form av minskat resande och krympande produktion.
Jab that is part of global initiative to distribute doses will remain at low price 'in perpetuity' Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The coronavirus vaccine produced by Oxford University and AstraZeneca will be available on a non-profit basis "in perpetuity" to low- and middle-income countries in the developing world. The details of arrangements to supply poorer countr
I don't know for certain that Emily Murphy gets up in the morning, looks in the mirror and says to herself, "You are a good person." But I am willing to bet that she does. Most people in her position—most people who are undermining the rules of their group, destroying their institution, harming their society—are doing so because they have become convinced that they are good people, virtuous peopl
I nside the headquarters of the Department of Commerce in downtown Washington, D.C., just around the corner from the White House, sits an expansive suite of offices reserved for the American government-in-waiting. The space, managed by the General Services Administration, can accommodate more than 500 people, and in the weeks before a new president is inaugurated, it would ordinarily be a whirl o
Editor's Note: Every Monday, Lori Gottlieb answers questions from readers about their problems, big and small. Have a question? Email her at dear.therapist@theatlantic.com . Dear Therapist, I came out to my mom when I was 23, thinking she would embrace me with open arms. It was a night I'll never forget. My dad was on the road for work and my younger sister was at a friend's house. After crying f
W e knew the doors were about to open when "Ride of the Valkyries" began to boom over the public-address system. By 4 a.m. on Black Friday in Athens, Georgia, several hundred people had lined up outside Best Buy in the predawn chill, supervised by police straddling motorcycles and ambassadors from a local Chick-fil-A handing out free breakfast biscuits wrapped in foil. Our most dedicated patrons
When Kansas issued a mask mandate, 81 counties opted out. Researchers found coronavirus infection rates rose sharply in the opt-out counties, while falling in those that required masks. (Image credit: Ada daSilva/Getty Images)
The presidential election and pandemic have highlighted the fallibility of experts, but that doesn't mean we should dismiss them all — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Team's coronavirus work built on decades of research pioneered by Sarah Gilbert and Adrian Hill Oxford AstraZeneca Covid vaccine 'has up to 90% efficacy' Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage At the heart of Oxford's effort to produce a Covid vaccine are half a dozen scientists who between them brought decades of experience to the challenge of designing, developing, manufa
En ny undersøgelse kortlægger, hvordan digitale platforme i stort omfang indsamler data om danske brugere. Resultaterne overrasker Konkurrence- og Forbrugerstyrelsen, der står bag undersøgelsen.
PLUS. Kan man fjerne den dyre, menneskelige specialist, når der skal findes produktionsfejl på f.eks. en vindmøllevinge? Det forsøger Force Technology med en AI-baseret løsning til evaluering af sensordata.
As Donald Trump's tenure in office comes in for its landing, a major question is whether the president—facing questions about liability for offenses including bank and tax fraud—can pardon himself. This might seem like the right operational question, but it is imprecise as a constitutional one. Article II of the Constitution says that the president "shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons
Arkæologer har fundet resterne af to mænd, som menes at være en rigmand og en slave, der blev begravet ved byen Pompeji, da vulkanen Vesuv for næsten 2000 år siden gik i udbrud.
Nature, Published online: 23 November 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-03286-1 A book traces the shifting lines between sadness and illness, but not who gets to draw them.
When Fox News called Arizona for Democrat Joe Biden shortly after the polls closed there on Election Night, right-wing social media erupted in fury. Fox is the most conservative of the nation's major news outlets, and its aggressive Arizona call—which most other national outlets did not follow for days—left true believers on the right feeling betrayed. On the social-media app Parler, which has be
At first glance, Margaret Thatcher and Barack Obama share little in common, whether in their politics or their legacies. Thatcher remains a figure of extraordinary divisiveness: a heroine to some, a caricatural witch to others. Though Obama's time in office was marked by vitriol, his popularity afterwards has been durable, and right-wing hatred now seems concentrated elsewhere. But as I watched t
The news: Oxford University and AstraZeneca have reported that their covid-19 vaccine is up to 90% effective, according to interim data from the phase 3 trial. The trial found that the vaccine was 70% effective when the data from two different dosing regimes was combined. The first regime, which was 90% effective, used a halved first dose and a full second dose. In the second, which was 62%, part
A cognitive psychologist in Germany has lost one of two papers slated for retraction after her former institution found her guilty of misconduct. In a 2019 report, Leiden University found that Lorenza Colzato, now of TU Dresden, had failed to obtain ethics ethics approval for some of her studies, manipulated her data and fabricated results … Continue reading
A wild elephant that fell into a well in southern India was lifted out with a crane following a 16-hour rescue mission involving dozens of rangers and firefighters.
A wild elephant that fell into a well in southern India was lifted out with a crane following a 16-hour rescue mission involving dozens of rangers and firefighters.
Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the main driver of climate change, hit record highs last year and have continued climbing this year, despite measures to halt the pandemic, the UN said Monday.
Health secretary says tough measures 'will continue until the vaccine can make us safe ' as PM set to announce new tiered restrictions Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage 11.51am GMT This is from Prof Chris Whitty , the government's chief medical adviser. This is a very encouraging step forward. I would like to say a huge thank you to those who volunteered and the resear
I de flesta skolor byter mobbare bara offer, andelen elever som drabbas är konstant. I Gävle vet lärarna vilka barn som är utsatta och det stoppar mobbning mot tre av fyra elever varje termin. Kommunen har satt forskningsresultat om mobbning i system. Gävle kommun har en unik bild av hur barnen har det i skolan då deras utsatthet mäts genom enkäter två gånger om året. Inte på individnivå, men på
Nature Communications, Published online: 23 November 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-19785-8 Type I-C Cascade (the CRISPR-associated complex for antiviral defense) is a minimal system, comprising only three unique Cas proteins. Cryo-EM structure of the Desulfovibrio vulgaris type I-C Cascade reveals the molecular mechanisms that underlie RNA-directed complex assembly.
Nature Communications, Published online: 23 November 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-19807-5 Chiral α-amino acids find application in the fields of pharmaceutical, biological and synthetic chemistry. Here, the authors report a nickel-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of N-aryl imino esters affording chiral α-aryl glycines in high yields and enantioselectivities.
Nature Communications, Published online: 23 November 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-19369-6 Electrochemical carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction has the potential to sustainably produce carbon-based fuels and chemicals while mitigating the increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere. In this comment, the author discusses a few basic concepts in the fundamental mechanistic studies of electrochemical CO2 re
Nature Communications, Published online: 23 November 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-19661-5 The synthesis of closo-carboranes with more than 14 vertexes is challenging, and no examples have been reported to date. Herein, the authors present the long-sought 15- and 16-vertex closo-carboranes, in which the introduction of silyl groups to the two cage carbons is crucial; this finding might enable the
Nature Communications, Published online: 23 November 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-19796-5 Thermal drawing of glass-cladded metal nanowires is limited by fluid instabilities. Hwang et al. show how admixing tungsten carbide nanoparticles to the zinc core of a borosilicate-cladded wire leads to intact fibres over lengths significantly exceeding those of metals with high melting points.
Nature Communications, Published online: 23 November 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-19751-4 GdRu2Si2 can host magnetic skyrmions, however, it does not have inversion symmetry breaking, a feature usually assumed necessary for skyrmion formation. Using scanning tunnelling microscopy, the authors visualise the double-Q structure in the itinerant electrons that mediate the skyrmion formation.
Nature Communications, Published online: 23 November 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-19756-z Though flexible thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are attractive for energy harvesting applications, existing devices show low efficiency due to heat loss and poor thermal contact. Here, the authors report high-performance conformable TEGs with stretchable interconnects and soft heat conductors.
Nature Communications, Published online: 23 November 2020; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-19775-w Short cationic peptides and nucleotides can form complex coacervates, but the influence of reduced multivalency on coacervate functionality was not investigated. Here, the authors report that coacervates formed from short polyions generate distinct pH microenvironments, accumulate RNA and preserve nucleic ac
President-elect Joe Biden has signaled that fighting the COVID-19 pandemic will be an immediate priority for his administration. But Inauguration Day is still two months away. The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases are likely to increase to 20 million by the end of January, nearly doubling the current level of 11.4 million cases, predicts a Washington University in St. Louis COVID-19 forecasting m
Scientists have discovered how drug-like small molecules can regulate the activity of therapeutically relevant ion channels – and their findings could transform ongoing drug development efforts. The study reveals how a drug-like small molecule, called Pico145, binds to the TRPC5 channel, thereby preventing the channel from opening.
Japanese scientists have stumbled onto a simple method for controlling the introduction of defects, called 'vacancy layers', into perovskite oxynitrides, leading to changes in their physical properties. The approach, published in the journal Nature Communications , could help in the development of photocatalysts.
In response to the critical shortage of nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Radiology at University of South Florida (USF) Health in Tampa set out to design, validate and create NP swabs using a point-of-care 3D printer. Results of the first clinical trial of 3D-printed NP swabs for COVID-19 testing are being presented at the annual meeting of the Radiologic
A simple eye exam combined with powerful artificial intelligence (AI) machine learning technology could provide early detection of Parkinson's disease, according to research being presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
The AP Stylebook, which sets standards used by many U.S. media organizations, instructs journalists to include the margin of error in coverage of poll results. But some experts question whether margin of error is actually a useful metric. "I wish we'd just banish it from our vernacular," one researcher said.
What does it actually take to drive large-scale change? Co-Impact founder and CEO Olivia Leland argues that it takes more than money, voting in elections, and supporting your favorite nonprofit. Solving complex global issues takes philanthropy in concert with community advocacy, support from businesses, innovation, an organized vision, and a plan to execute it. Leland has identified three areas t
Scientists have discovered how drug-like small molecules can regulate the activity of therapeutically relevant ion channels—and their findings could transform ongoing drug development efforts.
Scientists have discovered how drug-like small molecules can regulate the activity of therapeutically relevant ion channels—and their findings could transform ongoing drug development efforts.
A short boat ride from the shores of Karachi, mangrove trees sprout along the quiet inlets of an uninhabited island that environmentalists say provides vital coastal protection to Pakistan's largest city.
Chinese technicians were making final preparations Monday for a mission to bring back material from the moon's surface in what would be a major advance for the country's space program.
En ny metod som långsamt frisätter läkemedel lokalt i hjärnan har tagits fram av forskare vid Lunds universitet. Läkemedlet kapslas in i nanopartiklar och levereras till hjärnvävnaden via flexibla elektroder.
NASA har fået de første lydfiler retur fra en dansk-produceret mikrofon der er monteret på Perseverance roveren på vej til Mars med DTU-instrumenter ombord. Lyden er opfanget ved hjælp af mekaniske vibrationer.
Doctors, nurses, hospital leaders and infectious disease experts fear large celebrations will cause an explosion of new Covid cases Doctors, nurses, infectious disease experts and hospital leaders have united in warning Americans against traveling or gathering in large groups for Thanksgiving, a US holiday traditionally marked by bringing extended family and friends around a dinner table. Experts
The billionaire is working with the W.H.O., drugmakers and nonprofits to defeat the coronavirus everywhere, including in the world's poorest nations. Can they do it?
Antivaccine activists and pandemic minimizers Del Bigtree and Joe Mercola are promoting the myth of the "casedemic" that claims that the massive increase in COVID-19 cases being reported is an artifact of increased PCR testing and false positives due to too sensitive a threshold to the test. As they have done for vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases many times before, they are vastly simplif
Vaccine developed in UK by AstraZeneca and Oxford University 'will save many lives', says scientist Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The Covid vaccine developed in the UK by Oxford University and AstraZeneca can protect 70.4% of people from becoming ill and – in a surprise result – up to 90% if a lower first dose is used, results from the final trial show. Related: Ho
A third of the world's species could go extinct in 50 years due to climate change's increased temperatures, researchers from the University of Arizona have found. (Alex Strachan from Pixabay/) At this point, the science is clear that sooner than later, we'll have to say goodbye to a lot of animals and plant species around the world. According to a 2019 report by the United Nations, one million sp
David Sabatini, remember that story? Well, it seems the conclusions were not affected. I take an ill-informed look at the mTOR signalling research field, to understand how photoshopped data gets to be independently verified by other labs.
Palaeontologists at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and the University of Calgary in Canada have provided new proof of parallel evolution: conodonts, early vertebrates from the Permian period, adapted to new habitats in almost identical ways despite living in different geographical regions. The researchers were able to prove that this was the case using fossil teeth found i
Social needs–such as food and economic insecurity, poor housing and neighborhood conditions, and lack of access to transportation–were common in a group of African American cancer survivors in Detroit, and they were associated with lower health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The findings are published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society (ACS).
One in three parents say the benefits of gathering with family for the holidays are worth the risk of spreading or getting the virus, according to the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health at Michigan Medicine.
The risk of death is high for people who visit the emergency department (ED) for alcohol use, and the risk increases with frequency, according to a new study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal)
Nature, Published online: 23 November 2020; doi:10.1038/d41586-020-03217-0 The viruses, both found in bats stored in laboratory freezers, are the first SARS-CoV-2 relatives to be found outside China.
Medan djur i varmare klimat har lättare att parera temperaturförändringarna kan några graders skillnad betyda liv eller död för arter lägre norrut, visar en ny stor studie.
Mr. Quinn, who learned he had A.L.S. after turning 30, was credited with helping to make the ice-bucket videos a viral sensation that raised $220 million.
Det er slut med at bruge cloud-tjenester, der er hostet i USA eller andre lande udenfor EU i fremtiden. Det vurderer flere eksperter, efter Databeskyttelsesrådet har offentliggjort anbefalinger om dataoverførsel til tredjelande.
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have studied the incidence and regional distribution of Alzheimer's disease biomarkers in the brains of people with Down's syndrome. The results can bring new possibilities for earlier diagnosis and preventive treatment of dementia. The study is published in Molecular Neurodegeneration.
Compared with people who ate meat, vegans with lower calcium and protein intakes on average, had a 43% higher risk of fractures anywhere in the body (total fractures), as well as higher risks of site-specific fractures of the hips, legs and vertebrae, according to a study published in the open access journal BMC Medicine.
An England-wide study led by Queen Mary University of London has shown that, despite major improvements in diagnostic techniques and treatments, mammography screening continues to play an important role in lowering the risk of dying from breast cancer
Quinn credited with boosting 'greatest social media campaign in history', raising more than $220m for ALS research Patrick Quinn, whose personal battle with Lou Gehrig's disease helped power the Ice Bucket Challenge fundraising campaign, has died aged 37, seven years after his diagnosis, according to the ALS Association and his supporters on Facebook. Quinn, who was born and grew up in Yonkers, N
The Chang'e-5 mission will attempt to bring back rock and soil samples from a previously unexplored part of the moon, helping scientists better understand its volcanic history. (Image credit: Stringer/AFP via Getty Images)
Proposals include plans to limit self-isolation and to allow household mixing at Christmas Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage A programme of mass, instant coronavirus testing is to be rolled out to areas of England with the highest infection rates after lockdown is lifted next month, the prime minister has announced, as the government faces an unprecedented internal reb
The National Park Service says scientists are trying to discover the cause of death of a whale calf belonging to "one of the rarest marine mammals" on earth after it was found stranded on a beach on North Carolina's Outer Banks.
This is a good time to follow the changing relationship between Mars and the waxing gibbous moon Over the next few nights the waxing moon slides past Mars in the eastern sky. If you have yet to find the Red Planet, the moon proves a handy signpost. The chart shows the view looking east from London at 17:00 GMT on 25 November. Continue reading…
The National Park Service says scientists are trying to discover the cause of death of a whale calf belonging to "one of the rarest marine mammals" on earth after it was found stranded on a beach on North Carolina's Outer Banks.
Water can be in two liquid states under cold temperatures, shows new research. The scientists used x-ray lasers and computer simulations. The discovery has applications across a variety of fields due to water's ubiquity. Water is an essential life force for humanity and our planet. But despite it's omnipresence, there's much we have still to learn about the fateful combination of hydrogen and oxy
Plans for mass immunisation against Covid-19 are developing fast, but concerns must be addressed In the 1960s, academics studying rumours drew inspiration from epidemiology. They noted how such stories spread through communities, "infecting" some individuals while others seemed immune, and how more resistant populations could stop their spread. Their insights have in turn been taken up by health
Vickie Hicks, who weaves intricate sweetgrass baskets in Charleston, South Carolina's historic city market, remembers climbing onto the table at her grandmother's booth downtown when the floodwaters rushed by.
Wear a mask. Stay six feet apart. Avoid large gatherings. As the world awaits a safe and effective vaccine, controlling the COVID-19 pandemic hinges on widespread compliance with these public health guidelines. But as colder weather forces people to spend more time indoors, blocking disease transmission will become more challenging than ever.
At the 73rd Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society's Division of Fluid Dynamics, researchers shared new insights into melting icebergs and lake ice formation.
The history of computer chips is a thrilling tale of extreme miniaturization. The smaller, the better is a trend that's given birth to the digital world as we know it. So, why on earth would you want to reverse course and make chips a lot bigger? Well, while there's no particularly good reason to have a chip the size of an iPad in an iPad, such a chip may prove to be genius for more specific uses
Multilayer plastic materials are ubiquitous in food and medical supply packaging, particularly since layering polymers can give those films specific properties, like heat resistance or oxygen and moisture control. But despite their utility, those ever-present plastics are impossible to recycle using conventional methods.
By disabling a function of a set of cells in mice, researchers appear to have halted the process that breaks down bone, a potential boon for osteoporosis treatment.
Researchers report having observed the RNA folding structures of the SARS-CoV2 genome with which the virus controls the infection process. Since these structures are very similar among various beta corona viruses, the scientists not only laid the foundation for the targeted development of novel drugs for treating COVID-19, but also for future occurrences of infection with new corona viruses that m
Multilayer plastic materials are ubiquitous in food and medical supply packaging, particularly since layering polymers can give those films specific properties, like heat resistance or oxygen and moisture control. But despite their utility, those ever-present plastics are impossible to recycle using conventional methods.
My brother Eddie Yeadon, who has died aged 82, was an engineer and physicist with a particular interest in optics and astronomy. In the late 1960s he worked in the US for the optics company Perkin Elmer on the visors for the helmets used in the Apollo 11 moon landings. He also designed a reflector left on the moon to "bounce" a laser beam. He often joked that this was the part of the mission whic
The experimental cocktail from the biotech company Regeneron is the same drug President Trump got when he was battling the coronavirus this year. It is designed for mild to moderate cases. (Image credit: Susan Walsh/AP)
Structuring negotiations between insurers and providers, standardizing fee-for-service payments and negotiating prices can lower the United States' health care spending by slowing the rate at which healthcare prices increase, according to a new study.
Researchers report having observed the RNA folding structures of the SARS-CoV2 genome with which the virus controls the infection process. Since these structures are very similar among various beta corona viruses, the scientists not only laid the foundation for the targeted development of novel drugs for treating COVID-19, but also for future occurrences of infection with new corona viruses that m
The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine has been theorized to provide protection against COVID-19. In a new study, researchers provide further proof of this by showing that mumps IgG titers, or levels of IgG antibody, are inversely correlated with severity in recovered COVID-19 patients previously vaccinated with the MMR II vaccine.
A new synthetic probe offers a safe and straightforward approach for visualizing chromosome tips in living cells. The probe could advance research into aging and a wide range of diseases, including cancers.
Kansas is the 15th-largest state in the U.S. by area, and home to almost 3 million residents. Nearly 90 percent of the state's land is dedicated to agricultural use, carried out on some 59,500 farms. Here are a few glimpses of the landscape of Kansas, and some of the wildlife and people calling it home. This photo story is part of Fifty , a collection of images from each of the United States.
Tim Lahan I t's time to be grateful. For the courtesy, even when (especially when) it is feigned or forced. For the big, brassy hellos as we all file onto the plane, and the smaller, lines-around-the-eyes goodbyes as we all file off again, having gotten to know one another a little better. For the canned speeches over the in-flight PA—always somehow invested with a fillip of real feeling—and the
In the summer of 1966, Mao Zedong—the father of the Chinese revolution, chairman of the Chinese Communist Party, and leader of the People's Republic of China—called upon Chinese citizens to rise up in revolt against the very government and party he had been so personally responsible for establishing. "Bombard the headquarters!" he implored. For months prior, radical acolytes of Mao, none with for
The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite will extend a nearly 30-year continuous dataset on sea level collected by an ongoing collaboration of U.S. and European satellites while enhancing weather forecasts and providing detailed information on large-scale ocean currents to support ship navigation near coastlines.
Operation Warp Speed chief says if immunization plan goes well enough Americans should be vaccinated by May As the United States recorded its 12th million Covid-19 case, the Trump administration's vaccine program adviser predicted that life in America could be back to normal around May of 2021 as immunization is set to begin. The note of optimism came even as millions of Americans were expected t
Exclusive: Four out of five UK intensive care consultants say their unit is stretched by shortage of doctors and nurses Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage NHS intensive care units, which have played a vital role in the Covid-19 crisis, are so routinely understaffed patients are at risk of poor care, doctors working in them warn today. Four out of five intensive care con
WHO says Europe faces third wave early in 2021 if nations repeat their failures to prepare Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage France is preparing to ease its Covid-19 lockdown rules in the weeks leading up to Christmas with new daily caseloads falling and pressure building from retailers to allow the annual shopping season to go ahead. But parts of east Asia that were t
No one knew whether mRNA technology would work against this virus – but it does. It's an extraordinary moment for science Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The past few months have brought a number of scientific terms to public attention. We've had to digest R (a virus's reproduction number) and PCR (the polymerase chain reaction method of testing). And now there's mRN
Agencies point finger at state-sponsored hackers from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea Who is targeting vaccine developers? Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage State-sponsored hackers from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are engaged in concerted attempts to steal coronavirus vaccine secrets in what security experts describe as "an intellectual property war". They
The states and their hackers that security experts believe are targeting vaccine developers Hackers try to steal Covid vaccine secrets Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Russia's best-known hacker groups – Fancy Bear and Cozy Bear – are considered to be linked to the country's intelligence organisations, according to western security agencies. Continue reading…
At the 73rd Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society's Division of Fluid Dynamics, researchers shared new insights into melting icebergs and lake ice formation.
At the 73rd Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society's Division of Fluid Dynamics, researchers presented a range of studies investigating the aerodynamics of infectious disease. Their results suggest strategies for lowering risk based on a rigorous understanding of how infectious particles mix with air in confined spaces.
My wife, Rudaina, died at 9:30 p.m. on July 20. I was holding her hand. I have lost my parents and two siblings, but this was the first time I saw death come into a room and felt a life slip from my hand, ravaged by cancer. Minutes after, I kissed her forehead and was seized with fright and rage. "She is COLD," I shrieked and collapsed on my knees with my head against her side. A nurse in her mid
Illustrations by Louise Pomeroy "E d-die! Ed-die! Ed-die!" Standing before a bank of potted poinsettias in Studio 8H of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Eddie Murphy, the returning comedy hero, smiled serenely and took a few seconds to bask in the chant that had broken out. Then he spoke . "It's great to be back here finally, hosting Saturday Night Live for Christmas," he said. "This is the last episode of
PLUS. Det høje tryk og de høje temperaturer, som store skibsmotorer giver mulighed for, kombineret med relativt lang tid i forbrændingstakten, giver mulighed for forbrænding af et 'besværligt' brændstof som ammoniak, der til gengæld ikke udleder CO2.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved a treatment for progeria, a genetic disorder that causes children to age rapidly. Zokinvy is the first drug approved by the agency for the disorder.
Scientists are trying to restore the range of loons. The iconic birds vanished from Massachusetts lakes decades ago. Loons from Maine are being moved back to those places, and the plan is working.
Naomi Shihab Nye's "" is a poem filled with ghosts. Visions of Lebanon haunt the narrator thousands of miles away in Texas; every mundane motion, every breaking of toast or sipping of tea, is shadowed by a twin image. Someone's kettle has been crushed. Someone's sister has a gash above her right eye. Even within the imagined or remembered scenes of Lebanon, there are ghosts: One who was there is
https://mindmatters.ai/2020/07/ai-will-fail-like-everything-else-eventually/ A day does not go by without a news article reporting some amazing breakthrough in artificial intelligence. In fact, progress in AI has been so steady that some futurists, such as Ray Kurzweil, project current trends into the future and anticipate the headlines of tomorrow. Consider some developments from the world of te
https://mindmatters.ai/2020/08/is-ray-kurzweils-singularity-nearer-or-still-impossible/ A panel of experts wrestled with that question in a recent panel discussion. They were responding to the famed futurist's prediction at the COSM 2019 Technology Summit that we will merge with our computers by 2045 — The Singularity . "Our intelligence will then be a combination of our biological and non-biolog
I think we have incredible technological capabilities available at our fingertips. We can access all of human knowledge and communicate with total strangers around the world sharing ideas, asking questions, collaborating. We don't even need to speak the same language, we can translate our text, post on social media. I believe we are on the verge of greatness! With everyone staying indoors it's on
I think that analog computer software technology could make possible to create virtual neurotransmitter for robots. They would be made of artifitial nerve fibers that could be made of wire-like memristors or a similar technology. Softwares inside the robot brain could control how much abd which of such hormones could be released into their bodies. And soft organs that would be soft analog compute
A U.S.-European satellite designed to extend a decades-long measurement of global sea surface heights was launched into Earth orbit from California on Saturday.
For $18, fans of President Donald Trump can purchase a onesie for their three-month-old from his campaign website that declares I cry less than a Democrat . Primary, the children's clothing company, provided instructions on its website for a DIY Ruth Bader Ginsburg Halloween costume. Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America sell baby apparel, and Etsy, where even the most absurd crafting p
Dutch authorities have culled some 190,000 chickens after a highly-contagious strain of bird flu broke out at at least two poultry farms, the agriculture ministry said Sunday.
Dutch authorities have culled some 190,000 chickens after a highly-contagious strain of bird flu broke out at at least two poultry farms, the agriculture ministry said Sunday.
"Relationships with animals are simple," notes one researcher. In a year when life feels fraught, pets have been healers, helping human companions get exercise, quell anxiety and make new friends. (Image credit: Devin Green)
Fenomenet med en något tillplattad sol nära horisonten uppkommer på grund av atmosfärens så kallade refraktion. Refraktion är den brytning av en ljusstråle (eller annan vågrörelse) som sker då den passerar gränsen mellan två medier med olika brytningsindex/täthet. Detta märks exempelvis tydligt då ljus från ett föremål under vatten träffar en observatörs öga en bit ovanför vattenytan – det är därf
On the Monday following the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to the White House, I made the short drive from my home in Maryland down to Washington, D.C., to visit the Lincoln Memorial. It was unseasonably warm for November, and I rolled up my sleeves as kayakers propelled their bodies forward on the river behind me. Just 48 hours before, every major U.S. news network had projected that Bi
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